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Our trip to the Dinosaur Provincial Park got us thinking about a change in our original route to Calgary. Not far to the north from our Brooks, Alberta campground is the Royal Tyrrell Museum, about an hour and a half away. So on Friday, June 14th we checked out of Tillebrook Provincial Park and drove 88 miles to the Hoodoo RV Resort and Campground in Rosedale, Alberta close to the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller. Our campsite was in the unserviced area and allowed us to park with our RV doors facing each other's rigs. On that Friday afternoon we drove into Drumheller to get some supplies. I stopped by the Canadian Tire Company store and got a great quote on some tires for the truck. We've been thinking it is about time to replace our Cooper tires with 45,000 mile on them before driving into Alaska. The tire price on sale was less than I paid two years ago so we made an appointment for noon on Saturday to bring the truck back for the installation. We returned to the campground and I got busy cleaning the front of the fifth wheel. It was covered with dead bugs from the trip north and I wanted to try this new cleaner with wax I purchased. We enjoyed a "happy hour" before our gourmet dinner provided by Sean and Kathy. Sean built this contraption that turns the campfire ring into a pizza oven! They made two delicous pepperoni, sausage, ham and cheese pizzas over the campfire. Later, after dinner we sat around the fire and made s'mores with Reese's peanut butter cups. Late Saturday morning we both drove into town. Karen and I dropped off the truck and we got into Sean and Kathy's truck and headed for the museum outside of Drumheller. The Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology (RTMP) is a palaeontology museum and research facility in Drumheller, Alberta, Canada. The museum was named in honour of Joseph Burr Tyrrell, a Canadian geologist, cartographer, mining consultant and historian. He discovered dinosaur (Albertosaurus sarcophagus) bones in Alberta's Badlands and coal around Drumheller in 1884. During the late 1970s, the government of Alberta began to consider building within, or adjacent to, Dinosaur Provincial Park. In 1981, the provincial government formally announced plans to build a palaeontology museum. However, the museum was built in Midland Provincial Park near Drumheller, as opposed to Dinosaur Provincial Park. The museum's personal collection includes over 160,000 cataloged fossils, consisting of over 350 holotypes, providing the museum with the largest collection of fossils in Canada. The museum displays approximately 800 fossils from its collection in its museum exhibits. In addition to exhibits, the museum's fossil collection is also used by the museum's research program, which carries a mandate to document and analyze geological and palaeontological history. The museum was extensive and the exhibits simply amazing. Many of the reconstructed creatures were made from fossil castings of the original animals, but some exhibits were of the original fossil remains recovered. Some of the museum exhibits were from the very Dinosaur Provincial Park we visited days earlier. The building was not only designed to function as a museum, but as a laboratory/research facility. The original structure was completed in 1985 and has been expanded twice. According to Wikipedia, the museum building now encompasses 135,000 square feet. This is a fascinating museum to visit and we were all glad we made the decision to modify our plans to see this wonderful natural history site.

Thursday, June 13 we ventured up to see the Dinosaur Provincial Park in the Alberta Badlands. This park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated within a two hour drive east of Calgary, Alberta, Canada; or 48 kilometers (30 mi), about a half-hour drive northeast of Brooks where we are staying. The park is situated in the Red Deer River valley, which is noted for its striking badland topography, and abundance of dinosaur fossils. The park is well known for being one of the richest dinosaur fossil locales in the world. Fifty-eight dinosaur species have been discovered at the park and more than 500 specimens have been removed and exhibited in museums around the globe. The renowned fossil assemblage of nearly 500 species of life, from microscopic fern spores to large carnivorous dinosaurs, justified its becoming a World Heritage Site in 1979. We started in the Visitor's Centre (note the Canadian spelling) to get our bearings. The park employee recommended we drive the 3K scenic loop past the campgrounds. We also purchased tickets for the 2 PM Explorer Bus Tour into the restricted "Paleo" zone of the park. During our drive through the scenic loop we stopped periodically to walk the trails and examine the display structures protecting the excavation sites preserved for the visitors. It was really fascinating to see the fossil remains still in the rock and the extent and care that the researchers use to recover them. According to the park information displays, the geologic sediments exposed in the badlands at Dinosaur Provincial Park were laid down over a period of about 1.5 million years during the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous epoch, and belong to three different geologic formations. The top of the terrestrial Oldman Formation, which outcrops at the base of the sequence, is the oldest. It is overlain by a complete section of the terrestrial Dinosaur Park Formation, which is in turn overlain by the base of the marine Bearpaw Formation. The Dinosaur Park Formation, which contains most of the articulated dinosaur skeletons, was laid down between about 76.5 and 74.8 million years ago. It was deposited in floodplain and coastal plain environments by river systems that flowed eastward and southeastward to the Western Interior Seaway. After a brief break for something to eat we walked back up to the Visitor's Centre to meet our tour group for the bus. Our tour guide and driver Griffin told us we we about to travel back in time as we entered the restricted preserve area, She talked about the historical, cultural and scientific value of the park. One of the highlights of the tour was the story about the Corythosaurus exhibit on the tour. The first specimen was discovered in 1911 by Barnum Brown in Red Deer River of Alberta and secured by him in the Fall of 1912. As well as an almost complete skeleton, the find was notable because impressions of much of the creature's skin had also survived. This Corythosaurus is among the finest dinosaur specimens ever found. The preservation of fossilized skin impressions and a meshwork of calcified tendons that stiffened the tall vertebrae make it a rare find. Corythosaurus is a member of the group of duck-billed dinosaurs called hadrosaurs, which walked and ran on their two hind legs. The species’ strange skull is capped by a crescent-shaped helmet that contains extended tubes, which formed elaborate nasal passages. Its name is derived from the Greek word κόρυς, meaning "helmet", named and described in 1914 by Barnum Brown. This specimen found on the preserve site was left in the rock and examined near where it was found to prevent damaging the fossil remains in transportation. An exhibit was built around the remains so visitors can walk up to and see up close this creature from the past. From our campsite at Tillebrook Provincial Park we plan on traveling north near the town of Drumheller, Alberta to visit the Royal Tyrrell Museum where many of these fossil remains are assembled and on display.

We arrived in Plentywood, Montana on Sunday at our overnight location at the Bolster Dam Campground. Both couples needed to get laundry done, so we took some time in town to get that completed. And fortunately there was a Dairy Queen across the street : ) Later, when we got back to the campsites, Sean presented me with a wood carving he had been working on for a couple of months. He told me that as he was working on it, over time, he came to the realization it was starting to look a lot like "yours truly". It wasn't planned that way, he said it just happened to come out of the wood and he wanted me to have it. What a cool and wonderful gift! What do you think? At 9 AM in the morning on Monday, June 10, 2024, it was raining heavily as we prepared to leave for Canada. We're prepared for the crossing and hoping we've got all our "ducks in a row" regarding what we can and cannot bring over the border, (Aa). No firearms, no mace or pepper spray, no marijuana (yeah, right), and no root vegetables (potatoes, onions, etc). All the food in the refrigerator is grocery store purchased and original wrapping, no more than 2 bottles of wine, 2 bottle of hard liquor and no more than $10,000 in cash. The night before we found out that there might be a snag in the plan. Canadian border agents were in contract negotiations and according to press reports, they might slow down the entrance process at the border if they didn't get a new agreement by Wednesday, June 12. So the plan was to not to wait any longer and make the attempt to get over that Monday morning...in the rain. On our way out of town I missed the turn onto Highway 16 towards Canada. It was only 15 miles to the border, but the road we were on, Montana Highway 5, was a good two-lane road with almost no traffic further west into Montana so we continued until we reached Montana Highway 13 to turn north. This indeed worked out great because we showed up at 10AM at this rather remote border crossing station with no traffic and a very friendly Canadian border agent. The fit into the border station for the truck and RV was narrow and tight but we got in without any issues. He asked his questions, I answered his questions and in five minutes we pulled through the facility back into the rain. Sean and Kathy were right behind us and made it through with flying colors. This was expected to be a longer driving day, about three and a half hours to Notukeu Regional Park in Ponteix, Saskatchewan. When we arrived in Ponteix we decided to stop to get some Canadian currency and check-in with the Town Hall on Main Street. This sleepy little town and its camping facilities were suspect, so I thought we should check out the camping venue before making any commitment. It turned out the sites were on a large grassy field and the rain had made it dicey terrain to park our RV. Not to mention the park was right next to the railroad tracks; oh my! So we wisely opted to pass and continue driving. We tanked up with more diesel and DEF before getting back to the road. Our next campground on the scheduled route was two and a half hours farther to the west and we pressed on. It was after 4 PM when we finally arrived at the Eagle Valley Campground near Maple Creek, Saskatchewan off the Trans-Canadian Highway 1. This was a long, long travel day, over six plus hours of driving (not a do over). We unhooked, made camp and drove into Maple Creek to eat dinner. This would be a two night stop over to make up for the extended time to travel. We planned to rest up and recharge our minds and bodies before continuing. It was a good reminder for me to factor in that long day in the saddle. This journey is meant to be leisurely and we still need to find the right sweet spot traveling to Alaska with another couple and their rig in a convoy. Sean and I think two & a half to three & a half hours driving is ideal. Arriving at two in the afternoon is best, so that's the goal for now. We still have four hours to Calgary, Alberta. To give you some perspective, Calgary, Alberta to Fairbanks, Alaska is still over 2000 miles away! We're hoping to make Fairbanks by the fourth of July, so we're looking at 24 days to travel that distance. About 84 miles per day at 50 MPH average speed means about one and three-quarters of an hour driving time daily. This is a very doable schedule that even allows us periodic two day stays along the route. Tuesday, June 11 we took a quick trip to Cypress Hills Provincial Park to play disc golf. This was Karen and my first attempt at disc golf. Sean plays often, Kathy plays occasionally so we had an instructor, a cheerleader and a variety of different disc options. We played 18 holes in a forest of Lodge Pole Pines under a zip-line in the trees. We all played the short and challenging course together and had fun. We celebrated completing our first disc golf event with soft serve ice cream before returning to Maple Creek. Tomorrow we have a short two hour plus drive to Tillebrook Provincial Park just east of Brooks, Alberta. The plan is to stay two days and visit the Dinosaur Provincial Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated a two hour drive east of Calgary, Alberta, Canada; or 48 kilometers (30 mi), about a half-hour drive northeast of Brooks. The Dinosaur Park is situated in the Red Deer River valley, which is noted for its striking badland topography, and abundance of dinosaur fossils. The park is well known for being one of the richest dinosaur fossil locales in the world. Fifty-eight dinosaur species have been discovered at the park and more than 500 specimens have been removed and exhibited in museums around the globe. The renowned fossil assemblage of nearly 500 species of life, from microscopic fern spores to large carnivorous dinosaurs, justified its becoming a World Heritage Site in 1979.

The North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a bit off the beaten path alongside North Dakota Highway 85. Its ruggedness and beauty, and the solitude you'll find in this less-visited unit of the park are well worth the 50 mile drive from Interstate 94. The views of the badlands and the Little Missouri River are spectacular, the Caprock Coulee Trail is tons of fun to hike, and this unit tends to be a bit less crowded than the South Unit. The Juniper Campground is 5 miles from Hwy 85 and is the only campground in the park's North Unit. All sites are open to tent camping and most can also be used by vehicles/RVs (no hookups). All regular sites are first come, first served. We drove to the end of the North Unit scenic drive at Oxbow Overlook and saw a large herd of bison on the way up the road. Karen got some great shots with her iPhone as we drove the scenic road. The overlook has a sweeping view of the Little Missouri River as it bends and meanders down the wide valley below. All along the banks of the river Cottonwood trees border the shoreline. The color contrasts of the vegetation and soil layers is on full display here. It was such a beautiful, quiet, serene place. I highly recommend driving all the way to the end of the road if you ever visit. It was well worth it! Our two campsites were located adjacent to the Little Missouri River running through the National Park. The weather for our two days in the park was ideal and the sunsets majestic. Honestly I couldn't decide which unit was my favorite. I'm glad we made a point to visit them both. As were leaving the North Unit on Sunday morning, June 9th, Karen got one last farewell photo opportunity out the passenger side truck window at the main gate. There, in all his glory, was a solitary bison to wish us a fond goodbye. A fitting end to our four days with this symbol of the American expansion to the west. From here it was west and then north on to Plentywood, Montana for an overnight. This town is just 15 miles from the Canadian border. We will cross into the Province of Saskatchewan on Monday, June 10th. At long last, we will be on yet another great adventure to the 49th state in the Union. ALASKA, HERE WE COME!

Upon our return from Portland, Oregon on Tuesday, June 4th we renewed our RV travels from Billings, Montana heading east once more but this time towards North Dakota. We stopped briefly for one night at the Jaycee West City Park in Glendive, Montana after 223 miles on the road and a four hour drive. No services at this stop but portable potties and garbage. Level pull-thru sites with some low trees but quiet during the night. Walking distance to Raleys grocery store and Ace Hardware. It was a free overnight dry camping location with just a short drive on to Teddy Roosevelt NP south unit. June 5th we arrived in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, South Unit and met up with our Alaska traveling buddies, Sean and Kathy Earley from Erie, Pennsylvania. We drove up into the Cottonwood Campground on E River Rd, after entering the Theodore Roosevelt National Park Main Gate and Visitor's Center in Medora, ND. Half of the campsites in Cottonwood are first come, first serve and we able to find two sites for us both for the two nights we planned on visiting the South Unit. The price with the NP Senior Pass was only $7 per night. Theodore Roosevelt National Park is an American national park of the badlands in western North Dakota comprising three geographically separated areas. Honoring U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, it is the only American national park named directly after a single person. Wonderful views surround the park. The landscape is like a blending of the Badlands of South Dakota and the Grand Canyon of Arizona. Wildlife can be seen mostly in the evening hours and sometimes Bison grazed right into the campground. Very quiet at night. Only a few generators were heard during day (allowed from 8am to 8pm). This is a very typical national park. No hookups, 'skinny roads' and sometimes challenging pull-throughs. In our site 12, it was actually a very long pull-thru but had a tight curve (for our 35ft fifth wheel). We had a bit of a time getting into a position but felt confident that we could unhitch and then hitch back again. Near the Little Missouri River, there are multiple opportunities to see the wildlife. We got set up and settled in to our new home for the next two days spending the afternoon relaxing and catching up with Sean and Kathy in our camping chairs. We made it an early evening and had an incredible quiet and restful night. The next day we drove down to the South Unit Visitor's Center, experienced an fantastic Teddy Roosevelt (TR) reenactor who was very knowledgeable and friendly, then toured TR's Maltese Cross Ranch Cabin. Later we drove back towards the campground and continued out to the park's scenic loop drive looking for more wildlife. We stopped early on at the Peaceful Valley Ranch site to get some photographs of two free-range Bison. A little later and up the road at Prairie Dog Town we were greeted by a large herd of Bison in and among the Prairie Dogs. The bison grazed as they walked towards the road. One even decided to roll in the dirt near our viewing area. It was like we weren't even there. The Park Rangers recommend a safe distance equal to two bus lengths, but many got closer than that. We didn't! Roosevelt first came to the North Dakota badlands to hunt bison in September 1883. During that first short trip, he got his bison and fell in love with the rugged lifestyle and the "perfect freedom" of the West. He invested $14,000 in the Maltese Cross Ranch, which was already being managed by Sylvane Ferris and Bill Merrifield, seven miles south of Medora. That winter, Ferris and Merrifield built the Maltese Cross Cabin. After the death of both his wife and his mother on February 14, 1884, Roosevelt returned to his North Dakota ranch seeking solitude and time to heal. That summer, he started his second ranch, the Elkhorn Ranch, 35 miles north of Medora, which he hired two Maine woodsmen, Bill Sewall and Wilmot Dow, to operate. Roosevelt took great interest in his ranches and in hunting in the West, detailing his experiences in pieces published in eastern newspapers and magazines. He wrote three major works on his life in the West: Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail, Hunting Trips of a Ranchman and The Wilderness Hunter. His adventures in "the strenuous life" outdoors and the loss of his cattle in the starvation winter of 1886–1887 were influential in his pursuit of conservation policies as President of the United States (1901–1909).

We traveled to Billings, Montana for one reason only; to attend our oldest granddaugther's high school graduation. After leaving Denver and driving north, Billings was strategically ideal for us to fly out of. We made plans to take this RVing hiatus and fly on Alaska Airlines to Portland, Oregon. Denver's airport is a nightmare to fly in and out, so we looked at Billings as the next best option and we weren't unhappy with the decision. The Billings airport only has ten gates but is serviced by Delta, United/Continental and Alaska/Horizon. Parking was nearby and $9 a day, long-term. TSA had no waiting. Unfortunately, our flight was delayed because of a aircraft issue from it's departure location, but we eventually arrived in Portland and our daugther Elisa picked us up at the airport. The airline provided $48 in meal vouchers for the inconvenience and also complimentary drinks while enroute. We had booked an AirBnB for two nights around the corner from Aaron and Elisa's home. We had a great family re-union with our kids, grandkids and other proud grandparents on Sunday evening, our arrival day, June 2nd at the Edgingtons. Elisa ordered pizza so the meal planning was easy. Tim and Diana Edgington, Aaron parents, and his cousin Seth, all from Missouri were staying at their home so it was a cozy first night get-together. We enjoyed ourselves catching up on life with the extended family. Graduation was Monday, June 3rd at 4:30 PM and the biggest concern was the weather. It rained most of Sunday night and early Monday morning, but we were prepared for the worst. Fortunately, the weather window cooperated and the graduates didn't need to worry about wearing clear plastic parkas over their graduation gowns. In addition to us and all the family members staying with Elisa and Aaron, Denise and Tom Hatch, Elisa's mom and step-dad were in attendance The graduation venue was Providence Park stadium, the home of the Portland Timbers, an American professional men's soccer club based in Portland, Oregon. Diana was very cool and composed as she walked up to receive her diploma, but we all went a little crazy cheering her on like any proud family would do in the same situation. The graduation was about an hour and a half long. Apparently there was another graduation for another high school scheduled for 7 PM, so we were ushered out of the facilities fairly quickly. Of course, we stuck around for some family photography outside and then headed out for dinner at Reverend's Barbeque restaurant to celebrate. From the restaurant it was back to Aaron and Elisa's for some games. We returned to our AirBnB and prepared for an early morning flight back to Billings on Tuesday, June 4th. A quick trip to honor the graduate was well worth the time and expense. Congratulations to our first grandchild on this significant milestone in her life. We hope and pray for continued blessings and great accomplishments in the future.

Boondocking refers to camping outside of campgrounds without any hookups, while dry camping simply refers to camping with no hookups. In other words, all boondocking is dry camping, but not all dry camping is boondocking. When you stay at a campground with no hook-ups you are not boondocking. So, when we were staying at Standley Lake Regional Park or Devil's Tower National Park, that was dry camping. Rather than relying on hookups, boondocking uses the RV's onboard fresh water (and holding tanks), electricity, and propane, meaning you have a finite amount of water and propane and must generate (or store) your own electricity. You and your rig are self-sufficient. Camping in undeveloped, primitive campsites basically means you pick where you camp. Imagine overlooking a valley where camping is allowed. You head into the valley and pick your spot. It's not marked, labeled, or reserved, and you didn't directly pay for it—though you might have paid to get "into" the valley. You picked it because it's level, close to the river, and sheltered by a large rock, and it has enough room to navigate your rig. Maybe there are signs of a rock ring from a previous camper or the last time you camped here. There are no services: no camp host, no quiet hours, no dump station, no hookups, no level pad to park on, no gazebos, and no restrooms From Devil's Tower, Wyoming we departed on Friday morning, May 31, to drive north across the state border into Montana. Stopping for lunch at the Red Shale dispersed camping area in the Custer National Forest we discussed whether to drive on to Billings, Montana or stay the night there and boondock. It was a beautiful location and the smell of the Ponderosa Pines was a huge selling point for staying, but we opted to have a relaxing lunch break and continue on our journey. Our route took us by the Little Big Horn Battle Monument in Hardin, Montana on the way to Billings. This is where General George Armstrong Custer and the 7th Calvary met their end during that famous, historic event. I decided to pass on stoppping while pulling the fifth-wheel. We arrived in Billings and thought about spending the night at the Cracker-Barrel restaurant like we did in 2022. We choose to run some errands like grocery shopping at Walmart and stopped for dinner out at the Pizza Ranch. We ultimately decided to stay in the parking lot at the Cabela's Sporting Goods store. Both business allow RV's to overnight and we thought the Cabela's would be better. It was the better choice in the end as we were with four other RV's parked in a very large, designated RV parking area next to the back of the warehouse. It was quiet and felt safe. Saturday, June 1 was our check-in day for the Hipcamp venue we booked just outside of town. Before scheduling our arrival, we stopped by Pierce RV in west Billings and dumped our gray and black water tanks, filled up our fresh water and made a Costco run for more Keurig coffee pods. We got to the Hipcamp venue around 11:30 AM where Alex, the son of the owner, met us at the ranch gate to let us in and guide us to our site. As we drove the dirt road, we spotted a female Pronghorn in the field where we were headed. Suddenly we observed two pronghorn fawns race out ahead of the truck Alex was driving in front of us. They ran parallel to the dirt road and eventually turned to the left as we followed the road in the same direction. Mama started running to meet up with the two fawns who eventually figured out we had no nefarious intentions towards the wildlife. What an awesome introduction to the property! This Hipcamp is located 4 miles north of Billings, MT with multiple sites in trees, overlooking the lake, in the rocks, or above buttes. For security purposes they meet you at the gate and take you to your campsite upon arrival. After that you can come and go at your pleasure. There is a common area with a BBQ, fire pit, and picnic tables. This not an RV park, but an undeveloped, remote, down a single lane dirt road to a grove of trees. This is a legitmate .boondocking experience. It is as natural as possible. They warn you that you are camping with cows, coyotes, eagles, owls, deer, and antelope. The large tree area where we are located is about 3 acres and can accommodate 7 campers at one time. There only appears to be one other small, A frame trailer on the site with us. It is serenely quiet with the occasional sound of birdsongs and their chirping. Tonight, if the sky is clear, I'm hoping to get a real star studded show in the heavens There is even a chance to see the Aurora Borealis this evening.

We left Denver expecting an uneventful afternoon of travel. After all, the truck was repaired and running great; the electrical system on the RV was fixed and the solar panels were charging our batteries. Well, life on the road is never completely uneventful. About an hour and a half into our journey north on Interstate 25 as we were approahing the last exit for Cheyenne, Wyoming, our trailer's TPMS alerted. A TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) is an optional feature you can put on your tires to alert you of low tire pressure and excessive tire heat. The alert we were getting indicated that the driver's side front tire on the RV was losing air quickly. We went from 85 PSI down to 35 PSI by the time we took that last exit. We bought our trailer tires at America Tires, also known around the country as Discount Tires so we google searched for a dealership in Cheyenne. Fortunately there was one only three miles away and we headed for their location. We got there just in time, our tire was down to 29 PSI of pressure! We have made it a practice of purchasing the tire warranty, given we are on the road constantly ,and once again it proved to be a prudent decision. So we headed into the tire store with the expectation they would take care of the problem. Ramon was our service adviser and he looked up our account. He told us they would take care of the problem, so we left the RV and walked to an early lunch. Two hours later we were back on the road with three new tires. Three tires? Well, the service manager looked at the side wall bulges I mentioned observing earlier in our trip and he authorized replacing all three of the questionable tires at no charge. Yay, amazing customer service, product quality control and integrity. Thank you Lord once again! We got to Riverside City Park in Douglas, Wyoming along the North Platte River. Meticulously groomed, wide easy pull thru sites, a dump station & potable water along with a restroom/shower building (we didn't use so no comments). Thank you City of Douglas for a lovely one night stay at no charge. Wednesday, May 29 afternoon we reached Devil's Tower, Wyoming after a short break in our journey for fuel for the truck and the driver. We stopped at the Coffee Cup Sinclair truck stop in Moorcroft, Wyoming for a Pastrami sandwich at Heidi's Brookyn Deli. The staff was very nice and they served a delicious Pastrami sandwich on Marbled Rye. The first come, first served campground (no reservations) called Belle Fourche River Campground is a 2-loop, 46-site campground (43 pull-through sites with room for RVs up to 35'), 4 ADA sites and 3 tent-only group sites. Drinking water is available at water spigots and in the restrooms. No hookups are available and there's a 14-day limit on occupancy. Large cottonwood trees provide shade. A picnic shelter and tables are available north of the campground. We picked out a pull-through campsite at the very end of the A loop with a spectacular view of the "Tower" from our big windows. Devils Tower rises 1,267 feet (386 m) above the Belle Fourche River and features the world's largest example of columnar jointing. A sacred place to over 20 Native American tribes, the Tower is also known as Bear Lodge. Devils Tower was designated as America's first national monument in 1906 by President Theodore Roosevelt. Our first night in camp we had to watch Close Encounters of the Third Kind...so we rented it on Amazon Prime. Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a 1977 American science fiction drama film written and directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Melinda Dillon and Teri Garr. The Tower features heavily in Steven Spielberg’s 1977 Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The film tells the story of several individuals’ experiences with extra-terrestrial phenomenon. Focusing on the experiences of Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss), the story follows him from his initial encounter with a UFO to his growing obsession with visions of a mountain and desire to go there. After Neary’s actions grew more intense, his family leaves him. He decides to travel to Devils Tower with fellow UFO witness Jillian Guiler (Melinda Dillon), whose son had been taken by the alien visitors. The Tower had been selected as the contact point, and the area was evacuated by the military under the guise of a chemical leak. Made on a production budget of US$19.4 million, Close Encounters was released in a limited number of cities on November 16 and 23, 1977, and expanded into wide release the following month. It was a critical and financial success, eventually grossing over $300 million worldwide. On Thursday, May 30 we drove to the visitor's center at the base of Devil's Tower and walked the mile Tower Trail. This paved trail starts across the upper parking area from the visitor center; an accessible concrete path leads past the pavilion and up to the intersection of the loop. The Tower Trail is a 1.8 mile loop around the base of this magnificent rock tower. The Tower is also a popular place for rock climbers; we saw 3 people climbing as we walked the trail. As we walked the Tower Trail, we noticed cloths or small bundles attached to the trees. These are Native American prayer cloths and represent the spiritual connection many tribes have with the Tower. The park service asks you to not touch, disturb or remove these prayer cloths. It is even considered culturally insensitive to photograph these prayer cloths, so I respected their wishes. The tower is impressive from a distance but even more awe inspiring up close and personal. The shear scale of the column doesn't hit you until you're standing next to one in the boulder field below. Despite its long exposure to the elements, the hexagonal column shape is still visible. Where does the name come from? Richard Dodge in 1875, commanded the military escort for a scientific expedition into the Black Hills. Keeping a journal during this expedition, Dodge wrote that "the Indians call this place 'bad god's tower,' a name adopted with proper modification..." And so the label "Devil's Tower" was created. According to the park service, as darkness falls on Devils Tower, a different kind of light illuminates the sky on a clear night. That light comes from objects in deep space, and transforms the night from a place of darkness into a place of wonder. Unfortunately, the weather hasn't cooperated for any night sky viewing. I'd like to come back on a moonless night with clear skies to see the view from this vantage point. This is a spectacular place to hang out for more than two days. Maybe we'll return next summer with one or more of the grandkids.

Once again we had a great visit with the entire Colorado Teague clan over the Memorial weekend. Erik and Tori have a spare bedroom downstairs that we stayed in so we could park the fifth wheel on the street in front of their home. Saturday is a work night for Erik; when he gets home from work around 7am, he sleeps until about 2 PM. We try to keep the noise level down with the kids. It is also his last night of work before his scheduled two days off on Sunday and Monday. Late Saturday morning after breakfast, checking out of Lake Standley and before going back to their home with the kids from our camping expedition, we stopped to get an RV propane bottle filled. When we got to the house, Erik and Tori were out on a bike ride enjoying their last hours of childless time and responsiblity. They had a great time together on Friday night going out to dinner on a date while the kids were with us.. I started working on the RV electrical problem. I discovered that the 50A marine fuse from the solar controller to the battery bank had failed. This prevented the solar panel array from charging the batteries on Saturday morning. I replaced the electrical fuse with a marine grade 30A re-set breaker and "Voila", the problem was solved! Sunday, May 26th Erik, Mattis and I drove into Denver for an afternoon Colorado's Rockies baseball game. This was my 14th MLB ballpark on my quest to visit all 30 major league stadiums. Karen, Tori, Emery and Arley went to the see the movie "IF". Karen and Emery also went on a bike ride on one of the many bike trails in their neighborhood. After we got back from the game we all had Salmon for dinner then Erik and I started working on the backyard fence that blew down. Monday was Memorial Day and we finished fixing the backyard fence with the help of one of Erik's fellow workers and son. The four of us replaced three 4x4 posts that had rotted out and re-attached the fence sections to the new posts. We finished in about three hours then cleaned up for a 3PM barbeque across the street at the neighbors. We met Todd and Lisa, their wonderful neighbors and had an enjoyable Memorial Day with family and some new friends. Tuesday morning after breakfast we hooked the truck up to the RV and got back on the road. The time of our visit was short and flew by, but it was great to spend time with our family. We left some of our restricted gear from the trailer with them before our scheduled entrance into Canada on the way to Alaska. We will return in November, hopefully for Thanksgiving, to spend some more time with them and pick those items up. From Colorado we head north to Douglas, Wyoming for one night then on to Devil's Tower in the northeast corner of Wyoming.

Wednesday, May 22 was a short travel day from Colorado Springs to Standley Lake Regional Park in Westminster, Colorado, north of Denver and not far from where our son Erik's family lives in Thornton, Colorado. The drive only took about an hour and a half and the traffic through Denver was manageable for the noon hour. The only issue that had our concern was the amber check engine light on the instrument panel. Yes, it is back. We've been seeing it intermittently for a couple of weeks since our stay in Nebraska, but now it was on constantly. DANGER, DANGER, WILL ROBINSON! Once we got ourselves to Standley Lake we set up the trailer for three days of dry camping. This particular regional park doesn't have any electrical, water or sewer connections at the designated camping sites, so you need to bring what you're going to need. We left Colorado Springs with 2/3 of a tank of fresh water and empty gray and black water tanks for our three day stay. Because we arrived early, I had an opportunity to run over to O'Reilly Auto Parts to have the problem analyzed. They provide that diagnostic service at no charge to anyone. Their diagnostic report indicated the truck had a bad engine turbo actuator that we needed to address. The turbo actuator performs a simple but important role – it provides a pressure relief valve that controls the boost output of the turbo, redirecting excess exhaust gases away from the turbine wheel. This controls the speed of the turbine, preventing it from over-speeding and regulating the speed of the compressor. I know, I know...more than you needed to know. Fortunately, I was able to get hold of a local Dodge/RAM dealership and scheduled a service appointment for the next day, Thursday, May 23 at 10:30 AM. That was miracle number one and with the dealership only 7 1/2 miles away from the campground, my plan was to drive the truck to the dealership that morning and bring my e-bike along so I could ride it back to the trailer. Karen decided to stay behind and do some work on the computer and make some phone calls while I dealt with the truck issue. Our two biggest repair concerns related to the amount of time the dealer might need the truck and the ultimate repair cost. Our diesel repair coordinator, named Selvin, told me they would need the truck for at least one day. So I got on the e-bike and took myself out to breakfast at IHOP before riding back to the RV. The ride was awesome! The Denver suburbs are covered with miles of biking/walking trails that follow many of the streams and creeks that flow from the mountains. So I totally enjoyed my trip back to camp. Selvin called around 2 PM and confirmed that the turbo actuator needed to be replaced. The bad news was that the turbo actuator would cost $1400 plus labor. Miracle number two was they had the needed part in stock. I mentioned our extended warranty to Selvin so he agreed to submit the charges to Allstate and see what they would cover. The plan for our evening was to not worry about the truck repair and go spend the evening with our son Erik's family. He picked us up at the campground around 4:00 PM after getting our grandchildren from school and daycare. This was the last day of school for the kids and Tori, our daughter-in-law, so we celebrated by going out to Chinese food, courtesy of Grandpa and Mimi. After getting back to their house we hung out for a few hours before hitching a ride back to the campground with Erik on his way to work that night. Friday morning, May 24th we slept in until 8:30 AM before we both mounted our E-bikes for the ride from Standley Lake to pick up the repaired truck. When we arrived, Selvin informed us the repair came $2430, but we only had to pay the warranty deductible of $50. This was miracle number three! Karen and I were again blown away by God's provision for us. We mounted our E-bikes on the rack attached to the back of the truck and drove over to Erik's to pick up all 3 grandkids. We made plans for them to spend the day and night with us. After we loaded up the brood we headed up to Johnstown about an hour away to go to lunch (Chick-fil-A) and Scheels Sporting Goods store. Why, you may ask? Well, their stores include attractions such as aquariums, arcade games, and their famous Ferris wheel. We all had a blast hanging out there. Before driving back to the campground for dinner, a movie and a sleep over we stopped at Buc-ee's for some fudge and beaver nuggets. Dinner was hot dogs, tater tots, cucumbers/tomatoes with vinegar and green beans. After dinner we walked to the lake so Arley could get muddy and then it was back to the RV for a movie: Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. This was a real different adventure for Grandpa and Mimi; exhausting, but we loved every minute...almost. We had a bit of a surprise during the evening and didn't get to finish the movie because we used up all our stored battery power for the 110v appliances. So we called it a night and all went to bed. The next morning, another surprise...no power to run even the 12v appliances. Our batteries had discharged to 10.8v, so we went out for breakfast. When we got back from breakfast Karen and the kids packed up the inside of the rig while I pulled out our Honda generator and charged up the batteries so we could have power to bring in the slides. Everything worked out fine and we pulled out of the campground at 11 AM on Saturday, one hour before check out time. We headed to Thornton to moochdock at Erik and Tori's for the next three days and return our grandchildren to their rested and refreshed parents.

From Seven Falls we segue to Garden of the Gods the next day. Segue is a verb that means "to move without stopping from one topic, song, etc., to another." On Tuesday, May 21 we ventured south from Peregrine Pines FamCamp to go on a 90 minute tour of this very special park on SEGWAYS. For those who are unframiliar with what IS a Segway, it is a two-wheeled, self-balancing personal transporter device invented by Dean Kamen. It is a registered trademark of Segway Inc. It was brought to market in 2001 as the Segway HT, and then subsequently as the Segway PT. HT is an initialism for "human transporter" and PT for "personal transporter." Segways are available at the Garden of the Gods Visitors Center along with electric bikes to rent. We have never tried this mode of transportation before and were excited to try it out here at this location. Our tour began at 10 AM in the tunnel below the parking lot. Our guide and instructor named "Goose", spent about 15 minutes introducing the seven of us to our equipment for the rides including familiarizing us with getting on/off , the do's and don'ts of driving the contraption. After we all the signed the waviers, we cautiously took off on this new mode of transportation and began another new adventure. The Garden of the Gods is a 1,341.3 acre public city park located in Colorado Springs, Colorado and 862 acres of the park was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1971. The area now known as Garden of the Gods was first called Red Rock Corral by the Europeans. Then, in August 1859, two surveyors who helped to set up Colorado City explored the site. One of the surveyors, Melancthon S. Beach suggested it would be a "capital place for a beer garden". His companion, the young Rufus Cable, awestruck by the impressive rock formations, exclaimed, "Beer Garden! Why, it is a fit place for the Gods to assemble. We will call it the Garden of the Gods." Unobscured views and a mellow pace made our visit to this beautiful park memorable. Goose pointed out exotic plant life, local animal life, and of course, numerous spectacular geologic formations and the unique caricatures hidden within them. We made several short stops to admire the sights, while staying on the Segways for most of the tour. We viewed the wonders of the South and North Gateway Rocks, Kissing Camels, Three Graces, Sleeping Giant, Park Overlook, and Praying Hands. Following our Segway tour we headed for Manitou Springs and along the way stopped at the "Balanced Rock", a 35-foot, 1.4-million-pound red rock free to visit, photograph, and appreciate. Located near the southern entrance of the Garden of the Gods, Balanced Rock is an enormous, roadside sandstone boulder, which is frankly a natural piece of art. After the Balanced Rock we proceeded to Manitou Springs for lunch and a walk around this unique town. Long before European explorers discovered Pikes Peak, the American Indians had been stopping to drink the sacred bubbling mineral spring water of the area. The name Manitou comes from the Algonquian word meaning “great spirits.” After lunch we explored some of this historic downtown while looking for one of the eight naturally-effervescent cold-water mineral springs. Water flows 24 hours a day, seven days a week for all to enjoy. Karen found one of the spring features and sampled some of the water that has made the town famous. From Manitou Springs we stopped by Glen Eyrie, an English Tudor-style castle built in 1871 by General William Jackson Palmer, the founder of Colorado Springs. Founded in 1871, Glen Eyrie was the home of William Jackson Palmer. Palmer was a Brigadier General in the Union Army during the Civil War, president of The Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, and founder of Colorado Springs. Palmer and his wife Mary “Queen” Mellen made Glen Eyrie their home. The castle is owned today by The Navigators, a worldwide Christian para-church organization based in the city. This completed our last full day of sightseeing in Colorado Springs before checking out on Wednesday. Next stop in our travels would take us north to Standley Lake Regional Park, a 3,000-acre park located in unincorporated Jefferson County and and about 15 miles from our son's home in Thornton, Colorado.

Located in a beautiful box canyon, the Broadmoor Seven Falls in Colorado Springs is a series of seven cascading waterfalls, with a total height of 180 feet. Often referred to as “The Grandest Mile of Scenery in Colorado”, Seven Falls in Colorado Springs is the only waterfall in Colorado to make National Geographic's list of international waterfalls. Visitors can view the scenic wonder of Seven Falls from either the top of the 224 step staircase or from the Eagle’s Nest viewing platform, which can be accessed via elevator. In the evenings, the falls are beautifully illuminated by colorful lighting. WHAT IS THE HISTORY BEHIND THE BROADMOOR SEVEN FALLS? The history of Seven Falls in Colorado dates back to 1872, when a man named Nathaniel Colby inhabited the 160 acres that included the present-day Seven Falls and South Cheyenne Canyon. He sold the land to the Colorado Springs Land Company for $1,000. In 1882 James Hull purchased the property for $1,300. Mr. Hull was an environmentalist who was disturbed to find the scenic splendor of the canyon being threatened by people chopping down the surrounding forest for its lumber. Hull was also a businessman and he understood the value of the property as a scenic destination and began to improve it by constructing a road through the canyon to the Seven Falls in Colorado Springs and building a stairway along the side of the Falls. He installed a toll gate at the foot of the canyon and proceeded to do business. Back then, a local entrepreneur paid Hull $500 for the privilege of taking passengers by carriages, burros and horses to the Falls for 25 cents each. Business flourished and Seven Falls in Colorado Springs became a prominent attraction. On Monday morning, May 20 we drove to the Norris Penrose Event Center, where a complimentary shuttle service transports guests to the Seven Falls park entrance. Parking and shuttle transportation are complimentary. The shuttle parking lot is located about 4 miles from the park entrance. The fee to visit Seven Falls was $17 per person for "seniors". After paying our entrance fee we hiked up the paved road along the river past the "Pillars of Hercules" up to the base of the falls. Stairs are available for the heartiest of visitors, but we used the elevator to save our legs for the remainer of the hike. We peeked into the restaurant and decided to save the money for a lunch in Colorado City. Karen's hip replacement handled the hike, no sweat! It is literally hard to believe that earlier in February she had the hip surgery in Jacksonville, Florida. In total we both hiked 3.11 miles during the visit to the falls and would recommend it to anyone who is visiting Colorado Springs, Colorado. Later that evening we had dinner with a friend from California who moved to the area a few years earlier. We've kept in contact with Kim Robinson and were excited to catch-up on her life in Colorado. We had a great visit and meal out at a local Mexican restaurant. We wished we could have met her fiance Dave but he had a previous commitment he couldn't break. They are getting married in September this year in Minnesota and she can hardly wait. Congratulations to Dave and Kim! We hope there's some RV camping in their future with us next year.