After thirteen months off the road, Ollie and I are headed out again. I prefer to travel either in the early Spring or late Summer so as to avoid both the crowds and the excessive heat. But circumstances prevented this from happening in 2023. Andrew and Lynzee’s wedding was the last week in April, which all but closed the Spring window. No problem. My plans were set to hit the southwest starting right after Labor Day. Then Katie found out she was pregnant with a due date of October 26. There is no way I am going to miss the birth of my first grandchild if I can possibly help it. The post-Labor Day trip was cutting it too close, so I moved it to be home by Labor Day. But going to the Southwest in July and August is a fool’s errand. The Great Plains should be much more temperate at that time and should be relatively uncrowded.

So the decision was made. First stop is in St. Joseph, MO, a city that I have never really seen but have heard good things about. From there to Omaha, primarily because it’s on the way to where I want to go. Following that will be Sioux Falls, ND, then on to the Black Hills at the western edge of the state. A drive-by side trip to Devil’s Tower will allow me to check the Wyoming box with a neat destination before staying a few days in Miles City, Montana. From there, back in an eastern direction for a stay in Medora, North Dakota to see what Theodore Roosevelt National Park has to offer. A couple of days at Fort Stevenson State Park in the middle of the state before spending a few days at the North Dakota-Minnesota border in Grand Forks, ND. Stops at Lake Itaska and Duluth in Minnesota before heading to Egg Harbor, Wisconsin and Door County to wrap up the trip in a place I know and love. From there, a long slog home

Six weeks exactly, and about 3,200 miles with the trailer. Shorter than last year but still a pretty substantial adventure. It begins tomorrow, July 17, as soon as I can get the truck packed and ready and the trailer hooked up. Off we go.