Blog – Page 10 – Julia A. Keirns – Author, Blogger, Writer

Pipestone National Monument

August 4th and 5th, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

Friday, August 4th, we left the Don McLean American Pie Parking Lot in Clear Lake, Iowa and drove 208 miles to the Pipestone Family Campgrounds, which is right across the street from the Pipestone National Monument entrance.

In 1937, the US government declared this property a National Monument in order to protect the right of any American Indian to quarry the pipestone. American Indians continue to quarry the stone today. This national monument also protects over 300 native plant species – including 70 grasses – of the tallgrass prairies.

I am on a quest to visit as many National Parks and Monuments as I can. There are hundreds of National Monuments in addition to the 63 main National Parks.

The Pipestone Family Campground is a nice facility with clean restrooms, laundry, and a swimming pool. The workers were polite and helpful, and our site was wonderful. Sadly, we showed up on a stormy, rainy weekend and spent a lot of time inside playing cards and listening to the weather station. At one point we were under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning and Tornado Watch.

On Saturday, we drove around to see some things in the rain. We went to the Visitor Center for my stamp and sticker and saw some of the Native Americans carving the pipestone.

Right behind the Visitor Center is the start of the Circle Trail that takes you back to Winnewissa Falls, but I was not able to walk this trail. I have hurt my right knee and was barely able to make it to the Visitor Center. Here you can see an example of the Quarry Floor. This red pipestone is what the Indians use to carve animal sculptures and pipes.

On the way to the Visitor Center there are some large boulders to your left. We stopped by on our way out. The Three Maidens are three large granite boulders that used to be one large boulder. There are smaller fragments here as well. Legend says that the boulders were deposited here by the glaciers. These are sacred to the local people.

On the opposite corner from the entrance to the National Monument is a full-size replica of Fort Pipestone. Fort Pipestone is an 1860’s palisade fort with a cedar log cabin gift shop and museum. Visiting the fort and gift shop was free.

We drove on into the town of Pipestone, Minnesota and found another fun gift shop with a huge peacepipe sculpture and horse outside.

In town there is a historic concrete water tower located in a welcome rest area setting with picnic tables, restrooms, and even a free RV dump station. This unique concrete water tower stands 132 feet high, holds 500,000 gallons of water, was built in 1920 and began serving the community of Pipestone in 1921. It served the community until 1973 when it was retired. It was restored, repainted, and fixed in 1990 and became a historical landmark.

No trip to Pipestone, Minnesota would be complete without seeing the gorgeous courthouse grounds and Civil War Memorial. The courthouse is made of the red pipestone quartz and has been kept as near as possible to its original condition.

The Civil War Memorial Soldier Statue is inscribed on all four sides with the names of more than 200 veterans of the Civil War and Spanish-American War, and joining the statue on the courthouse lawn is a WWII RA M4 Sherman Tank.

And last but not least, we drove the King of Trails Scenic Byway, which is Highway 75, from Pipestone north to Lake Benton. This scenic byway goes on for over 400 miles. It is miles of beautiful prairie lands untouched by man.

Thanks for joining me on this travel journey. I hope you enjoy seeing all the places we are visiting. Leave me a comment to let me know you were here.

The Buddy Holly Crash Site

August 3, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

On February 3, 1959, a plane crashed in a field north of Clear Lake, Iowa. I was not born yet. American rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and “The Big Bopper” J. P. Richardson all died along with their pilot Roger Peterson. This event later became known as “The Day the Music Died” after singer-songwriter Don McLean referred to it as such in his 1971 song “American Pie.”

The most famous song I know of Buddy Holly is “That’ll Be the Day.” He was born in Texas and died at the young age of 22. The crash devastated the Rock and Roll community.

This morning we left our campsite at Grant River Recreation Area in Wisconsin and headed west across Iowa. Sometimes when I am planning a route, I find the coolest, strange and unusual places to visit as we pass through.

We are headed to Pipestone National Monument in Minnesota, and the Buddy Holly Crash Site came up on my Google Maps. Right beside it is the Don McLean American Pie Parking Lot. As soon as I saw it I clicked on the website and contacted the owners through email. They were quick to respond when I asked if there was room for us to get in with our 38 foot RV towing a car.

There is plenty of room for an RV towing a car but be aware it is over a mile down a gravel road just to get to the parking lot and crash site. They allowed us to park overnight for free.

The iconic glasses of Buddy Holly mark the entrance to a trail that is near a quarter of a mile back to the memorial spot. Many visitors leave a pair of sunglasses at the entrance. I wonder how many pairs of sunglasses the family has collected over the years.

As you walk the path, you can see a bare spot of weeds and dirt in the field to your left where the plane landed. It was cold, snowy, and icy on the night of the crash and the plane skidded 558 feet across the field and everyone on board was ejected from the plane.

We were surprised to see cars pulling in and out of the small parking lot all day long. It was a steady stream of people from all across the country wanting to pay their respects just like us, and to remember an icon of Rock and Roll. Some people just park on the side of the dirt road. At one time I think I counted 8 vehicles.

The memorial at the end of the path is worth the hike. This is the spot where Buddy Holly’s body landed after being thrown from the plane. We met people from Canada, Kansas, and Louisiana as we hiked the trail. Some people leave flowers or trinkets or more sunglasses at the memorial site.

The small memorial to the right is for the pilot. If you aren’t familiar with Buddy Holly’s music, or Don McLean, take some time to listen to the songs and refresh your memory or find some new favorites.

The owners of the parking lot are trying to create a nice place for people visiting the site to park. Parking is free. If you are ever in the area, this is one spot you should take the time to see. And take time to talk to the owners of the parking lot, and to the people you pass along the path. We meet some of the best people in the country by just saying hello.

Thanks for coming on the journey with us. Stay tuned for the next adventure.

Effigy Mounds National Monument

August 1 and 2, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

Yesterday, August 1, was spent driving from the Iowa 80 Truck Stop to Grant River Recreation Area in Potosi, Wisconsin, and relaxing after a long day stranded by the side of the road waiting to get the RV fixed. $700 later, we arrived at the campgrounds.

I wanted to stay along the Mississippi River, but close enough to visit Effigy Mounds National Monument in Harpers Ferry, Iowa. The goal of this trip out west is to see as many of the National Parks and Monuments as we can.

Grant River Recreation Area is run by the Army Corps of Engineers. Reservations had to be made online and with Rich’s lifetime National Park Pass it was only $10 per night to camp.

Our site had 50 amp electric hookup but no water or sewer. Drinking water is available throughout the park and a dump is available when you leave. The view of the river was absolutely stunning.

On the way to Effigy Mounds today, Wednesday, August 2, we stopped at the Fort Crawford Museum in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. Zachary Taylor, who became the twelfth president of the United States commanded the fort from 1829 to 1837. Jefferson Davis, former president of the Confederate States of America, was stationed at Fort Crawford, and the Sauk leader Black Hawk surrendered here and was held prisoner after the Black Hawk War of 1832.

On to the mounds. Effigy Mounds National Monument holds 206 known prehistoric mounds with 31 of them in the form of animal effigies. Some of the other mounds are conical, linear, or compound. These effigy mounds are not the result of nature, but were built by American Indians between 850 and 1,400 years ago. I wasn’t able to hike to the individual mounds, as many of the trails are anywhere from one to four miles long.

After exploring the Effigy Mounds Visitor Center we drove on down the river to the Marquette Scenic Overlook at the Pontoon Bridge. What a beautiful view this was.

The next stop was Pike’s Peak State Park in McGregor, Iowa. I do want to mention here that all of the State Parks in Iowa are free entrance to anyone. Some of the state parks are the most beautiful places in the country. Please take advantage of this if you are ever in Iowa.

Known for its majestic views of the Mississippi River, this is a must stop place for anyone. It was a short walk to the platform. The view of the river and surrounding area is gorgeous, and several bald eagles soared above our heads as we stood in silence enjoying the view.

It was a glorious day exploring another small corner of America. Stay tuned for the journey as we travel further west.

Herbert Hoover National Historic Site

July 31, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

Herbert Hoover was born on August 10, 1874 in a small town in Iowa. He served as the 31st President of the United States from 1929 – 1933. The Herbert Hoover National Historic Site is located in West Branch, Iowa and we were only 30 miles away while we were parked at the Iowa 80 Truck Stop & Museum.

We hopped in the car and drove to the Visitor Center. I got my stamp and sticker for my National Park Book. From the Visitor Center you simply walk the old wooden plank sidewalk to the small cottage where he was born.

This 14 foot x 20 foot home was built in 1871. It doesn’t take long to go from the front door to the back door. With two adults and three children, there was not much room in the small dwelling.

Out the back is another wooden plank sidewalk leading to the outhouse and across the street to the Blacksmith Shop where Herbert’s father, Jesse Hoover, worked.

Next is the one-room schoolhouse built in 1853. It served as the primary school for the children of West Branch when Herbert was a boy. It used to be a couple blocks away but it was moved here beside the Blacksmith Shop.

From here you can walk to the Presidential Library & Museum or drive to it. We got back in the car and drove to it. The Presidential Library is separate from the National Park so there is a separate fee to enter. We chose not to enter the museum.

Continuing on the road past the Presidential Library we drove through a peaceful park leading to the gravesite of President and Mrs. Hoover. It is very simple and elegant. I have never visited the gravesite of a president before and I was extremely impressed with the simplicity of this one.

Herbert Hoover died on October 20, 1964 and was buried here – on this hill overlooking his childhood home – five days later, beside his wife Lou Henry Hoover who died in 1944.

From the parking area it is a short 280 ft. walk to the graves. The path will continue around to a Tall Grass Prairie Observation Deck or you can simply go back to your car.

If you are ever on I-80 in Iowa it would be good to take the time to visit this gem of a place.

Iowa 80 Truck Stop & Museum

July 31, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

We left home in Ohio early this morning and traveled 358 miles to the Iowa 80 Truck Stop and Trucking Museum. This truck stop claims the title of the world’s largest truckstop.

It was established in 1964, which makes it as old as I am. Stepping inside the doors is like stepping into a large shopping mall. There are shops and fast food restaurants galore. Other amenities include a barber shop, chiropractor, custom shop, dental office, laundry facility, showers, library, and even a movie theater. Who could ask for more?

You can eat and shop and visit the trucking museum. The Iowa 80 Trucking Museum is down the street, but we walked to it from the parking lot. Entrance is free but donations are welcome. What a wonderful display of old antique trucks, modern trucks, rare trucks, and toy trucks.

If you are traveling down Interstate 80 through Walcott, Iowa, you simply must stop and visit the largest truck stop in the world. Overnight parking in the RV is allowed and there is plenty of room.

Barbee Lake Chain in Indiana

July 29, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

One of my brothers lives on Kuhn Lake in Indiana. Kuhn Lake is part of the Barbee Lake Chain. The Barbee Lake Chain is made of seven interconnected, natural lakes: Big Barbee Lake, Little Barbee Lake, Kuhn Lake, Irish Lake, Sawmill Lake, Sechrist Lake, and Banning Lake. This chain of lakes was formed by retreating glaciers during the Pleistocene era as were most of northeast Indiana’s lakes.

We are scheduled to leave the area on Monday and wanted to get up to his place to visit before we left.

The view of Kuhn Lake from his backyard is nothing short of magnificent. Kuhn Lake is small and the boat speed is idle only. It is the perfect fishing lake, and is so relaxing to sit and people watch. All of the lakes on this chain are idle speed except Big Barbee.

We visited on a great day. It was Pirate Weekend on the lakes and we saw some cool boats decorated like pirate ships.

Cruising around the lakes at idle speed is my second favorite place to be. My first favorite of course is cruising around the country in the RV.

What a great way to end our summer with family. Tomorrow will be spent preparing to head west. Thanks for reading and following us on our adventures. Bookmark and stop in often to see where we are at and where we have been.

Back at Home

July 28, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

Leaving a campsite is a lot of work but after 15 months we have it down to a science. Well, almost. One thing I never did, that I always say I should have, is make a checklist of things to do. It seems like we always miss something. Usually it is something minor, but I think I will make a list.

Back at home in Convoy, Ohio, the kids were glad to see mom and dad, but sad to leave Grandma and Grandpa. I think they had a memorable vacation that they will remember for the rest of their lives.

It stormed in Northwest Ohio several times in the past few days. As I write this we are under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning and I can see a tornado spotter sitting in a vehicle on the road when the lightning flashes. The wind rocks the camper back and forth making me feel like I am back on that ferry boat. At times like this you wish you had a basement to go down to.

Okay, back to bed. Tomorrow is another adventure. Thanks for stopping by and checking in on us. Safe travels.

Kelleys Island

July 28, 2023 – Traveling With Rich & Julie

Cooking outside when camping is one of the best things to do – especially in the morning. Scrambled eggs with cheese, toast, and sausage patties made for a healthy start to the day.

The first place I dragged the grandkids yesterday was to the birthplace of Thomas Edison in Milan, Ohio. The house was built in 1841, and Thomas Alva Edison was born here on February 11, 1847. He lived in this house until he was seven and then his parents moved to Port Huron.

Statue of Thomas Edison sitting on a bench.

Did you know that Edison’s first patent was for a device that recorded legislative votes? He was only 21. You can read more about some of his key inventions at History.com.

From here we drove to Kelleys Island Ferry in Lakeside Marblehead, Ohio and drove our car onto the Carmen Lee, a ferry boat that took us across Lake Erie to Kelleys Island. The grandkids had never been on a ferry boat before and thought it was quite exciting.

Round trip cost us $140 for the auto ($40), one senior adult ($20), two regular adults (me and the 15-year-old grandson) ($24 each) and two children ($16 each). It might have been a little expensive, but it is an experience they will never forget.

Once we arrived on the island we headed to Kelleys Island State Park first at the northern end (only a two mile drive from the southern end) and saw the Glacial Grooves.

According to Kelleys Island Chamber of Commerce website, “The glacial grooves are 400 feet long, 35 feet wide, and up to 15 feet deep. They were created by the slow movement of the massive glacier that created the Great Lakes and Lake Erie Islands.”

Lunch on the island consisted of pizza and rootbeer at Caddy Shack Square on Division Street. Shops closeby sell t-shirts, rocks, and souveneirs. The mini-golf course is $7 per person, or $10 to play as many times as you want.

On the way back to the ferry we stopped at Inscription Rock on the south end of the island.

Inscription Rock was discovered partially buried in the sand of the lake shore in 1833 and by 1915, it was appearing on postcards for tourists in the area and is still a well-visited site to this day. This rock is covered with native petroglyph drawings that are slowly fading away because of the soft nature of the limestone and the waters of Lake Erie.

The rock currently measures 32 feet by 21 feet. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Definitely worth a stop to see.

Back on the ferry, it took us back to the mainland and just 2 miles east is Marblehead Lighthouse State Park.

Marblehead Lighthouse is one of the oldest lighthouses still in operation on the Great Lakes. You can climb the lighthouse for only $3. There are 77 winding steps to the top. They only take cash though. Don’t forget to walk through the free museum and visit the gift shop.

The park is beautiful. The kids played on the rocks at the edge of the water and watched boats go by. There are picnic tables available and clean restrooms. There is no fee to stop in and park and walk around. Don’t miss this amazing piece of history if you are ever in the area.

This day of our vacation ended with swimming in the gorgeous pool at Gotta Getaway RV Park, and sitting by a relaxing campfire eating smores.

Thank you so much for coming along with us on our RV traveling adventures. I hope you enjoy reading about all the places we visit and seeing some of the photos I take. Comment and let me know you were here. You can even share the posts on social media if you know of others who would enjoy the blog.

Seneca Caverns – Bellevue, Ohio

July 27, 2023 – Traveling With Rich & Julie

Yesterday morning we began our day at a small local restaurant for breakfast.

The Amsden House Restaurant on Main Street in Bellevue was a super nice and clean establishment. The kids were given coloring sheets, and the food was good. The meals were large portions for a reasonable price. We always try to support the small town businesses, especially restaurants. If you are ever in the area, we highly recommend this one for a good family breakfast.

On to the main event for the day – Seneca Caverns. Rich and I have lived in Ohio most of our lives and have never been to this one. This was one event the grandkids will never forget.

Seneca Caverns was discovered in 1872 by two young boys who were out hunting with their dog. The dog fell into a sinkhole, and the boys followed him down into a cave. Interesting fact about this caverns is that it is actually a bunch of fractures in the earth. It was not formed by water movement, but rather cracks in the earth. There are places where you can see how the floor you are standing on simply broke away from the ceiling and fell down.

It is one of the largest underground caverns and is definitely a trek underground you will not soon forget. It is important to note that this climb down to the Ole Mistry River on level 7 is not easy. I would label it as moderately difficult. I did it, but every muscle in my body felt it afterwards.

We were fortunate to catch it on a drought year when the water level was low and were able to go all the way down to level 7 – 110 feet underground – where the water table was. The problem is then you have to climb back up out of the cave. Some of the crevices are tight and narrow, but if I can do it, most anyone can.

I did not take very many photos because both of my hands were busy hanging on to the rocks and walls.

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After making it back out of the cavern alive, we headed to the Mad River & NKP Railroad Museum. The grandkids did not want to go inside and walk through all the trains but we spent some time in the gift shop and took some photos.

Mad River & NKP Railroad Museum Entrance

Tickets are available across the street in the gift shop. We enjoyed seeing the trains from a distance. After the caverns we were hot and tired. It was near 90 degrees outside with high humidity. We came back to the campgrounds and swam in the pool until thunderstorms blew through the area and we spent the rest of the evening inside watching movies and playing with toys.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s adventure.

Gotta Getaway RV Park

July 26, 2023 – Traveling With Rich & Julie

Yesterday we headed east on Highway 30 from Convoy, Ohio to 53/67 North exit toward Tiffin. Highway 20 then took us to Bellevue, Ohio and our final destination at the Gotta Getaway RV Park. The motorhome ran fine and we didn’t have any issues. The grandkids all traveled well and we didn’t have any problems with them either. They pretty much had devices in their hands and earbuds in their ears for the whole two-hour drive.

Two lane highway between a green corn field and a green bean field.

Highway 53 North is a nice two-lane highway in good shape – compared to some of the roads we have driven. There are a lot of small hills in the road which made the ride fun for the kids. It was a beautiful sunny, 80-degree day. What a wonderful beginning for a grand (grandparent/grandchildren) vacation.

North central Ohio is green this last week of July. Beautiful fields of tall corn stand about four or five feet high. Some of the corn is already beginning to tassel here. The beans are green, but the wheat has already been harvested, the straw has been baled, and the golden fields left behind are empty now.

Gotta Getaway RV Park in Bellevue, Ohio was our destination. I booked this park for only $50 per night for three nights. One piece of advice – make sure to put 20 E on the address. If you just put 4888 US-20 as listed on Google Maps, the GPS will take you to the wrong place. The correct address is 4888 US Hwy 20 E. The campground is on the east side of Bellevue.

RV sites contain electricity and water only, there are no sewer hookups at the sites. There is a dump station, or a honey wagon service if you need to dump while camping. We were parked in site 4, which was a nice level pull-through site facing the pool and playground.

The kids were excited to see the pool and the playground. These are very nice and clean. The store has a fun arcade in the back where kids can play games, play pool, and play ping pong. The store is small, but well-stocked with necessities. The workers were helpful and polite.

We went swimming in the pool, played on the playground, won prizes in the arcade, played games at the picnic table, and ate hot dogs on the campfire. It was a great day at Gotta Getaway RV Park in Bellevue, Ohio.

Stay tuned for day 2 of our grandparent/grandchildren vacation adventure.