More Catching up....The Wandering Camels, House on the Rock, Sioux Falls and Fargo

We headed to Central IL from the Chicago area after our visit with Heather, Paul and Aiden. Our mission was to see our friends Faye and Dave, the Wandering Camels. They've been working at the Army Corp park at Lake Shelbyville for a few weeks after they're plans to spend the summer in the NE fell through. We couldn't pass up the opporuntiy. We got settled in at Bo Woods COE and contacted Faye and Dave. We made plans to have dinner at their site with Dave smoking some ribs. Glenda brought a side dish and we enjoyed a hearty meal with some card playing and a new game Sequence. Like always we filled ourselves to the brim and caught up on what's in the works this winter. We plan to do some traveling in Feb and March next year with them. 

One day Faye had a great idea to take us to Casey, IL(pronounced K-Z). It's known as the little City with big things.

It started with this huge wind chime sculpture

This cool rocking chair near the square

At the library a Bookworm

Signs pointing to the different sculptures

A huge pencil

Two birds in a cage

I think we could get a few pieces of mail in there

Just out side town is a big pitchfork

We even found a new friend for Dave and a Geocache

The last day in the area we made a trip to a local craft brewery and had a few samples. We enough took home some for a future date.

After all the excitement with our good friends we had to begin moving west. First stop as a COE in Potosi, WI. Wisconsin is our 47th state to visit since we've gone full time RV'ing. Potosi is across the Mississippi River from Dubuque, IA.

We were there a couple of days so we made a rip to IA and found the Effigy Mounds National Monument. This has an interesting history of the several Indian tribes in the area and their burial grounds. You have to hike up a trail to a bluff to see the several mounds that contain the bodies of tribe members. Some mounds are in the shape of animals like bears, birds and wolves.

Great views of the Mississippi valley

Since we were in the area we decided to check out the House on the Rock. A gentleman, Alex Jordan started building the house with visions of creating something truly magnificent. Over the years his vision expanded into our buildings with incredible artifacts like a carousel, Route 66, Planes, dolls, guns, costumes and so much more. Every room is a sense of creativity.

Japanese Garden

The extended room on the rock

Alex Jordan was a brilliant automated music machine builder and scattered through out the exhibits are incredible works.

In one room he built a huge whale with an octopus fighting each other

One room had hot air balloons hanging

The huge arousel

We had a great time as we walked from room to room. Something different everywhere. It took us about 3 hours to go through each room to the end. After our visit to the House on the Rock we came back to Potosi and stopped at the local Potosi brewery. They had very good beer and food.

We made a quick stop after Wisconsin back in Iowa. We thought we might see some friends but we didn't plan ahead and they were busy. We'll catch up with them another time. Sorry Beth and Chris.

After Iowa we moved north to South Dakota, with a stop in Sioux Falls. We've been here before when we got our S.D. residency so it was fitting to visit again.

The falls were running very fast and high

South Dakota was a short stop to get to our next destination.....Fargo, North Dakota, our 48th state we've visited as full time RV'ers. We stopped at the Fargo Visitor's Center and saw the legendary qood chipper from the Fargo movie.

Just out side the Visitor center was their version of a walk of fame with several celebrities and musicians hand prints and signatures.

We drove around the old part of downtown and then headed to a brewery for lunch abd a cold beverage. Drekker is highly rated and we enjoyed a delicious lunch and I a refreshing beverage.

We're so impressed with the décor at the different breweries we have visited in our travels. So interesting.

Well the visit to Fargo was short as we continue to move west. Our next stop is near Bismarck, ND. We stopped at Fort Abraham Lincoln SP. Interesting history related to Indian people there and General George Custer. Getting closer to Glacier NP but still has a ways to go. More interesting photos to come.

Thanks for following along