What about a Whataburger

Well, it doesn't take long of driving through Texas before you see a Whataburger. It feels like they are on every corner. So of course, we had to try it!

We were quite happy with the menu choices. Josh went with a double meat Whataburger, and I had the Whataburger, Jr. Of course, we had to get fries as well. Overall, we were both happy with the burgers and fries. I thought it tasted like what fast food burgers probably tasted like originally. And I loved how loaded with veggies mine was.

But our favorite part was the Whataburger spicy ketchup. We're happy to report we will be stopping here again during our time here in Rockport!

Sleeping at a Gas Station

Okay, maybe traveling from Wisconsin to Texas in one trip was a bit ambitious. GPS had the trip at 23 hours, so the plan was to drive as far as we could on Friday before stopping, drive as long as possible on Saturday, and get into our campsite by Sunday afternoon. 

Planning is all well and good, but there are no guarantees. Friday went smoothly, for the most part. We did struggle with finding an available place to stop for the night at the time we were hoping, and we ended up driving an additional 2 hours before stopping. But we used that time to sleep in a little the next day. 

Saturday was a push. We had spent the night in Missouri, and we wanted to try to get into Texas before stopping. Our drive in Texas was about 7 hours of the trip, so we figured that would be a good distance for our last day of driving. So we made reservations at a place to stop for the night just across the Texas state line. But when we pulled up, we found out it was a gated campsite, and we didn't have a code. Since it was after midnight, we couldn't get a hold of anyone at the campsite to let us in. 

So we got back on the road and frantically looked for another place to stop. We were in no condition to keep driving, but we couldn't find anything that was available. And we ended up stopping in a gas station for about 4 hours to take a quick nap before grabbing some food and getting on our way. This is not a recommended way to travel!

At least we did get to arrive to our new campsite on the third day by 2:00 pm and had the rest of the day to rest. 

Snow Long, Wisconsin

We are on the road again. Even though we've lived in Wisconsin before and dealt the Wisconsin winter, this winter hit bigger and harder than usual. Between the shear amount of snow and the continuous formation of ice from multiple days of melting and refreezing during the nights, we are done with the winter weather while in a camper. 

Here are just a few of the winter challenges: 

• Waking up to a frozen water hose
• Tracking snow into the camper
• Grey and black tank hoses freezing while emptying
• Outside handles freezing, causing outside compartments to freeze closed
• Going through propane so quickly

So what do you when you're done with Wisconsin winter? You move to the opposite end of the country. Texas, here we come!

All I Want For Christmas is My Two Front Teeff

Well, the filling on my front tooth popped off. Boo! So now I have to figure out how to get it fixed. When you live in a sticks and bricks, you probably have a regular dentist. But being on the road, I have to find a temporary dentist to fix my tooth, which is harder than you think because not all dentists will see a new patient quickly. 

So setting up a dentist appointment is a little more complicated now. I had to check for eligible dentists on our insurance, cross check it with some Google reviews, and call to check for available appointments (which might be wishful thinking since it's the week of Christmas).

Luckily, I did find a dentist, and he was able to fix my tooth. Of course, he told me that I need to think about a more sustainable solution than using filling, but that will have to be a issue for future Maggie to solve. Right now, I just want to be able to celebrate Christmas without a lisp.

Chillin’ With My Snowmies

Wintering in our RV is not for the weak. We have lost power; we have lost heat; we have lost water; we have lost electricity. All of which needs to be addressed as soon as we notice. Luckily, none of these happened all at the same time, but several have happened more than once. Not to mention, we have to be outside to fix the issue. 

At least one of hasn't tired of the snow. Tobias grew up in Wisconsin, and he absolutely loves the snow. He starts running with endless enthusiasm as soon as we let him outside. 

With all this snow, I've come to enjoy just staying in and watching out the window. This, obviously, lead to some bird watching. I find it quite calming, and ready to add it to my list of grandma hobbies.

Bentleyville is Snow Joke

Yesterday's snow storm was such a big one that some businesses had to close or delay opening. In fact, we had to postpone our plans to visit Bentleyville because they had so much damage from the storm. But we won't let the snow keep us from enjoying the holiday season. Since Bentleyville is back up and running today, so are we. After celebrating Thanksgiving dinner with the family, we all caravanned up to Duluth walk through Bentleyville. 

Bentleyville is America's largest free walk-through lighting display. With over 5 millions lights, Bentleyville is a favorite of both children and adults. 

Josh and I are big suckers for cheesy Christmas, and therefore, we love to see light shows any chances we can. Since we lived in the Northwoods for 5 years, we are no strangers to Bentleyville, but that doesn't mean we ever get tired of it. This year, in particular, was wonderful since we were visiting with family after the first snowstorm. The millions of lights with the snow backdrop is something from a Hallmark card. 

Snow Place Like Home

We woke up to the Northwoods' first real snow of the season, and it marks our camper's inaugural snowstorm. So this promises to be an adventure, because when it snows in Wisconsin, they don't do things halfway.

Luckily, we knew the storm was coming. In order to get ready for this storm, we had some prep to do. We started with skirting the camper because we needed the underside to stay warm enough so our pipes didn't freeze. Skirting the camper prevents cold air from blowing under the camper, allowing the air under the camper to act as an insulator. We just got a roll of house wrap from Menards. To secure the house wrap to the camper, we backed out some of the screws around the paneling on the side of the camper, then replaced them with washers to help hold the wrap and prevent tearing, The bottom was held down with 2x4s laid across the ground and secured with screws and washers as well.

We also bought a thermometer with multiple sensors so that we could keep track of the temperature under the camper and in the storage compartment, both of which we need to make sure don't get below freezing. We were happily surprised with how well the plastic skirting worked. So far, it hasn't gotten below 40 degrees. Hopefully, since snow acts as insulation, it will continue to be a successful system.

Additionally, we bought a heated water hose. This was essential with our hose running across the frozen ground.

Finally, we need heat tape to use on waste hose. It may not be pretty to think about, but since we need to use a macerator pump and it's 10 degrees with the ground is frozen, the waste can freeze as you empty your tank, and that isn't something you want to deal with. This already happened to us once while pumping, and we didn't want to experience that again!

Mall of America

Even though we enjoy the quietness country life brings, we sometimes want the busyness life in a city can provide. So we went to Mall of America for some retail therapy. 

The Mall of America is located in Bloomington, Minnesota, which is considered part of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area. MoA is the largest mall in the USA and in the Western Hemisphere. There are 520 stores among the 4 floors. In fact, some of the stores have more than one location within the mall. 

You'll find many of the stores you'd expect in a mall, like Macy's, Nordstrom, Old Navy, American Eagle, Pandora, and Bath & Body Works. But there are also a lot of entertainment options, like a movie theater, Lego store, escape rooms, and arcades. 

But what's most notable is the indoor theme park in the middle of the mall. There are multiple roller coasters and rides for kids and adults, and the laughter and screams can be heard throughout the halls. It certainly is interesting seeing a roller coaster car zoom by you as you walk around on the 3rd floor. 

With all the options, no visit to MoA is ever identical. This round, it was the first time Josh and I had been there during the Christmas season. I enjoyed seeing all the holiday decorations around, which I'm sure will only increase as we get deeper into the season.

Nature's Glow-Up

One benefit of country life is little to no light pollution, which we were particularly grateful for these past 3 nights as Aurora Borealis fills our night sky. What I found interesting is that the camera captures the light better than the naked eye. So these images, although they haven't been edited, aren't a reflection of what we actually saw. Still, the beauty is undeniable!

Autumn in the Northwoods

The Northwoods are perfect place to enjoy the autumn colors. With the trees creating tunnels of red, yellow, and orange leaves, you kind of feel like you're in a fairy tale. And there's the added benefit of little to no crowds. 

“The Northwoods lie between the true boreal forest to the north and the temperate broadleaf forests to the south and contain species from each, such as Balsam Fir and Sugar Maple, living in a landscape that was recently glaciated. It is the land of maple syrup and Christmas trees.”

—John Pastor, Professor Emeritus at the University of Minnesota-Duluth

Even though we used to live here, I never forget how the Northwoods is definitely an underrated escape to nature. The dense trees remind you of how much Mother Nature has to offer, making even just driving down the highway scenic and reflective. You can see the age of the forest all around you. It's easily been one of my favorite places to take walks or just go for a drive. Just be sure to stay alert as you'll be sure to see a deer or two every time you go out.

Tobias definitely approves the country life!

Even though we are back in Josh's hometown, our sense of adventure has not lessened. It's the weekend, and we wanted to go enjoy the beautiful, crisp fall weather, so we're off to one of the state parks. 

Amnicon Falls State Park

• Distance: 2.7 miles loop
• Difficulty: Easy
• Duration: 1 hour
• Parking: Multiple parking lots at various locations of trail.
• Note: The trails have been known to be overgrown with poison ivy, so wear long pants.

Amnicon Falls is located in Douglas County, just south of Superior, on the Amnicon River. It's known for its beautiful waterfalls and photogenic covered bridge. It was the perfect, lowkey afternoon walk in nature.

Josh and I had visited Amnicon Falls in the spring before we moved to Virginia. The spring was a great time to visit because the melted snow and rain makes the waterfall more impressive. But I enjoyed this visit as the fall colors are my favorite, even if the waterfall was a little sparse. Overall, Amnicon Falls is a great park to visit year-round, as each season offers different beauties.

Friday Fish Fry

It is our first Friday back in the Northwoods, so you know we have to have our Friday fish fry! Josh and I met in Wisconsin, so being back is definitely nostalgic. And being away for the last 5 years means we've missed our Friday fish fries.

If you're not from Wisconsin, Friday fish fry happens at almost every local restaurant all year long, not just during Lent. And like most Wisconsinites, Josh and I had our favorite fish fry restaurant all picked out and ready to enjoy!

Roadside Difficulty

Josh and I are enjoying our life on the road so far, but that doesn't mean it's all sunshine and rainbows. During our travel time this round, our front left skirt panel flew off in the middle of the highway. Luckily, no cars were around, but it did cause a slight detour to Menards to make a replacement. This easily added 3 hours to our trip, and our travel day turned into a travel weekend.

Wall Drug Redo

After extending our original plan of staying for 2 weeks to 1 month, we're heading out of South Dakota, on our way to visit family in Wisconsin. If you're looking for your next travel destination, the Black Hills of South Dakota will not disappoint. It really was an amazing experience!

But we couldn't leave the state without truly visiting Wall Drug. After our flop visiting after 6:00 p.m., we needed a redo. 

We started this visit with breakfast the diner. It had pretty typical diner food options. And in tourist-trap fashion, the prices were much higher than their quality. 

After eating breakfast, we walked around the various stores. And I must say, if you were looking for something, you'll probably find it here, especially souvenirs.

The most notable part of Wall Drug is the decor. There were multiple mannequins/statues in Old Western attire, fortune teller machines, wood carvings, mounted deer heads, penny press machines, and a barrel with a saddle. 

If you head into the backyard, you'll find its famed giant jackalope, which you must take the time to ride!

And don't forget to check out the animatic T-rex in the back building. 

Taking It Easy

Although I love sharing all the places we visit and the sights we see, living on the road while you're still working isn't just jumping from attraction to attraction. In fact, that's not a life style we can sustain for very long. 

So most nights are spent hanging out at our campsite, enjoying each other's company. That's actually a big reason we wanted to live in a camper full-time. It gives us the ability to "stay home." We love our cozy hobbies and sleeping in our own bed.

Tonight was just simply participating in some hobbies (for me, it was watercoloring with some wine), followed by cooking some hot dogs on a campfire. It may not be glamorous, but it is happiness!

Dakotan Foods

We'll be heading out of South Dakota this weekend, and we wanted to try some traditional Dakotan foods. So we picked Dakota Steakhouse as our restaurant for the evening, and we were not disappointed. 

Appetizers

We started the night with two appetizers: fry bread with honey butter and chislic. Fry bread is a traditional Native American bread made by frying a dough mixture of flour, water, and salt until golden brown. It can be served on the sweeter side with powdered sugar or honey, or it can used as part of a savory dish, served under meat, beans, or chili. We are familiar with fry bread from Wisconsin, but we're always ready to try other versions. 

Chislic is cubed red meat, usually beef, deep-fried or grilled and served with dipping sauce. Our specific chislic was steak tips, skewered, and served with cilantro-lime sour cream. This ended up being my favorite part of the meal.

Soup

My meal came with a choice of soup, so I had the Three Sisters Soup. The three sisters of the vegetable world are beans, corn, and squash. They earned the name "three sisters" by the Lakota Sioux because they are grown together. The soup had the perfect flavors for the fall.

Entree

Josh's entree was rib eye steak with fried mac and cheese. 

Bison, or buffalo, is a staple South Dakotan meat, and it is much leaner and more tender meat than beef without being gamey. Since I wanted to try bison, I ordered the "Tatanka filet," which was a bacon-wrapped buffalo tenderloin, with a side of Brussel sprouts. The bison was beautifully cooked, tender and delicious.

Dessert

For dessert, Josh tried their apple crisp with vanilla ice cream.

And I tried kuchen, which is South Dakota's state dessert. Kuchen, pronounced as "koo-ken," is German for "cake." It is a mixture of cake, pie, creamy custard, and usually fruit. This one, in particular, reminded me more of custard, and it was served with berry sauce and fresh whipped cream.

After a meal like these, I'm considering a career in reviewing restaurants! Anyone hiring?

Our One-Day Adventure in the Badlands

Today was easily our favorite outing in South Dakota! If you are in the Rapid City area and only have time for one sight, we would recommend the Badlands. And while you could spend days here enjoying its beauty, it's completely doable as a one-day adventure, which is what we did. 

Ben Reifel Visitor Center

Like most parks, we started at the visitor center. There are two visiter centers, but Ben Reifel is the main facility. We would definitely recommend this visitor center for families. In addition to having park rangers to talk with, there was a small museum exhibit to learn more about the Badlands and their geographical structures, a fossil preparation lab, and, of course, a gift shop. 

We've made it a habit to stop at visitor centers when attractions have one. When it comes to visiting parks, it's always good to start with talking with the park rangers for advise. We got some advise on which trails to try and which overlooks to check out. One of the best tips was how to pick an overlook to see for a sunset. The map that they share actually took that into consideration, and you can tell which overlooks are facing the west. Once we felt more informed, we head out to start our first hike.

Cliff Shelf Nature Trail

• Distance: 0.5 miles loop
• Difficulty: Moderate (due to stairs)
• Duration: 1 hour
• Parking: Lot at start of trail
• Note: No pets allowed on hiking trail.

We kind of stumbled onto this trail. We had actually just stopped in the parking lot to get some photos, and then we saw the trail. Since we liked the view from the parking lot, we figured the trial would be even better.

The trail itself is both boardwalk and dirt trail. There's also a stair case on one side of the loop, making the trail a little more strenuous than easy. But since it's a loop, you could avoid the stair case by walking on the other side of the trail. 

The hike was very pleasant, and there are several benches to rest at along the way if you need to. We chose to eat our packed lunch at the top of the loop, where we could enjoy the view. It was definitely a great way to start the day!

Notch Trail

• Distance: 1.5 miles out and back
• Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous
• Duration: 1-2 hours
• Parking: Lot at start of trail
• Note: No pets allowed on hiking trail.

Before we traveled to the Badlands, we did some research on the hiking trails. And the overall opinion is that the Notch Trail was one of the best options. In fact, All Trails ranks it as the #1 out of 10 trails for the Badlands. Once we saw the views, we understood why. 

The path starts quite easy and flat. You'll probably spend most of this part of the hike looking up at all the rocks towering above you. The photos of these white rocks cannot do it justice. 

Then you get to the part that makes this trail strenuous: the ladder. This rope ladder requires only the most committed to climb it. It flaps around as you climb, and you usually have to climb with a small crowd watching you as they wait for their turn. While it didn't scare all hikers away, we did witness some turn around and head back after failing to climb it. Piece of advise: wearing good hiking shoes for this one.

Once you make it to the top of the ladder, you'll start to see some gorgeous views. You'll want to head to the right, where you'll be climbing along the rocks with little to no trail markers. There are several parts of the trail where you'll be glad to have those sturdy hiking shoes!

There are two different overlooks to watch out for. Again, the trail is not marked well, so you'll have to use your hiking instincts or just follow the other hikers. Both overlooks have no guardrails or handles, so those who are wary of heights, beware. Plus, the wind is mighty strong up there, too, so hold onto your hats. But if you can brave it, it's worth it! 

Once you've seen the two overlooks, you'll start to head back the way you came. And just to warn you, going down the ladder is much worse than going up!

Door Trail

• Distance: 0.25 of marked trail + 0.5 miles out and back
• Difficulty: Easy
• Duration: 0.5 - 1 hours
• Parking: Lot at start of trail
• Note: No pets allowed on hiking trail.

The parking lot for the Notch Trail is also the parking lot for three other trails: Castle Trail, Window Trail, and Door Trail. Since the Door Trail said it was short, we decided to try that one. 

This trail has two parts. The first part is super easy as it is a quarter-mile boardwalk. The second part is through the break in the Badlands Wall, called "the door," and the maintained trail ends, allowing you to walk about the rock formations. At this point, we were ready to do the driving portion of this trip, so we headed back to the truck. But if you enjoy more freedom with your exploration, this is a great hike for that!

Loop Road (Highway 240)

After hiking for the past several hours, we were ready to see the Badlands from the comfort of our truck, and the Loop Road was perfect for just that. To get to the Loop Road, we had to backtrack a little, back towards the visitor center. 

The Loop Road is a two-lane winding, paved road with 12 overlooks, where you can park and see multiple angles of the Badlands. We mostly went with the flow and just picked overlooks that sparked our interest as we were driving. These are the three overlooks we stopped at: 

• White River Valley Overlook
• Panorama Point Overlook
• Conata Basin Overlook

Be sure to stay alert while on the Loop Road because wildlife is common along the road, which we witnessed firsthand with some rams holding up traffic!

Wall Drug

At this point, we decided we wanted to grab a quick dinner at Wall Drug, which is about 10 minutes away from the parks exit, with the hope of returning to the park in time to see the sunset. 

If you've ever traveled near this part of the country, you've undoubtably seen one of their obscure and eccentric billboards, advertising anything from their free water and 5 cents coffee to leather goods or art. Since we were close, we figured now is as good as ever to check it out. 

Unfortunately, we were a little disappointed. Wall Drug advertises as being open until 7:00 p.m. We had gotten there just a little after 6:00, hoping to walk around and get a quick bite to eat. But what we hadn't realized is that Wall Drug is like a mall with multiple stores inside, most of which had closed or were closing as we arrived, including the diner. So we walked around for 15 minutes just to see what's what before deciding to just grab a quick meal from Dairy Queen down the road and head back to the Badlands.

This location, in theory, would be great for a quick stop for food during a day at the Badlands. So if you're better planners than us, we would recommend stopping here for dinner, just make sure you're earlier than 6:00 p.m.

Sunset at Pinnacle Overlook

Pinnacle Overlook was one of the overlooks near the road returning to the park from Wall Drug. Based on the rangers advise, it was one the west-facing overlooks, perfect for sunset views. 

So we closed our evening with some beautiful sunset views before ending our adventure and heading back to the camper.