GLACIER NATIONAL PARK – CROWN OF THE CONTINENT

So we are now in Montana and finally on the home stretch to our most talked about park. We have been asking lots of locals if they thought we would make it to Glacier before the snow cuts it off and have been so lucky with a mild Autumn. We know that the Going to the Sun road is mostly closed for the higher reaches and the complete East side, though this is due mainly to road works. The park is never completely closed but many roads become impossible to pass with the snowfalls.

We traverse through wonderful lands taking a route through the Flatheads lake area and this is just beautiful. Lakes and forest hug the West side of Glacier reaching down through the Flathead Indian Reservation. It is getting really cold but we still manage to find a camping spot right on a lake in a State Forest to end a day of traveling. We wake to the retreating mists over the water chased away by a rising sun. It is the beginning of a day full of the promise of Glacier and its treasures.

This area is often called the ‘Shining Mountains’ or the ‘Backbone of the World’, Native Indian names for this spectacular region. This is the Northern end of the mighty Rocky Mountains. As the range crosses into Canada it becomes the Waterton National Peace Park. In 1995 the Waterton-Glacier National Peace Park was designated a World Heritage Site, this meaning it is considered of significant importance to the whole world. Another interesting fact is that it is home to a very rare spot where the Continental Divide meets from three different directions, the reality being that if you poured a bucket of water in this spot it would divide and be delivered in part to the West and the Pacific, the East and the Gulf of Mexico via the Mississippi and to the North to Hudson Bay. Sadly this hike is well under snow at this time of year.

This is a land that was carved by the massive glaciers of the ice age and today much smaller glaciers work on the landscape, shifting and lifting the massive slabs of rock. Like Yellowstone there are many scientific researchers working on programs within Glacier and it is another feast of opportunity to discover so many things. Sadly it is predicted that the glaciers will cease to exist by 2020 due to the climate warming. It is really a short time in which to capture a memory of the glaciers.

We head into the visitors centre for maps and, after the advice of the ranger, head around to the East side of the park first, to take in the Many Glacier trails and Two Medicine trails, before the snow comes in the afternoon. This is about a 100 mile journey to our farthest destination and it is sad that by the time we get there the snow is already falling. One particularly gorgeous part of the journey has been closed, obviously the West side ranger was not informed of this as it was one of the highlights she advised us to see and do. We have to make the decision to retrace our steps without hiking into Many Glaciers trails. Sadly it is not going to be our chance to see the glaciers here. The snow is really falling and it is not safe to venture too far. We do call in to Two Medicine, once the main entrance to the park, and enjoy the views and a picnic here before heading back around to the more mild West side.

We head into Avalanche along the Going to the Sun road and begin a series of small trails in to the sights along this valley that is Lake McDonald. This is the largest lake in the park being 10 miles long and 500 ft deep, and is the direct result of glacier carving. We are treated to spectacular vistas of waterfalls and massive carved rocks, testament to the power of the ice.

The other amazing sight here is the evidence of the 2003 wildfire that scorched through the park. Glacier experiences on average 14 fires a year burning about 5,000 acres. The 2003 fire was more devastating taking out 145,000 acres, approximately 10% of the park. Along the North side of Lake McDonald one can see the devastation of the wonderful Alpine forest, luckily the Western Red Cedar old growth in this area was spared. Fire is essential to the park as it cleans the forests and germinates new growth but this was just a little too much all at once. Still it has provided yet another area to study as regeneration takes place.

It is evident that we were probably a little too ambitious and should have stayed this side and done more walking and less driving, a lesson for the future. Still we gave it a go and really enjoyed our day of adventure, not quite what we expected and hoped for but still amazing. It is at this point that we have had to make some other tough decisions. It was in the plan to head from the East side up into Canada to take in Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper and Rogers Pass before heading back down into the States. The forecast is for a lot more snow to fall over the coming days so we have opted to stay State side and head on toward the West coast. Our time is flying by and there is a lot more to see. Having read the posts that relate to the North of America you will have noted lots of bucket list entries. Will just have to come back again to experience so much more that this whole diverse area has to offer.

Our day is coming to an end, though it is an hour longer due to the end of daylight saving, handy. The rain has really set in and it is decided that we will head for a hotel, sadly missing a camping in the car opportunity as we try to camp a much as possible. Dry and cold is fun but everything soaked would be a little hard to sort out in Jetson. What a wonderful time we have had in this remarkable world.

This will be a changed environment in just a short time as the glaciers shrink. These incredible mountains will no longer be carved and shaped by the power of ice. Once again it will be a whole new world to study as it adapts to change. Whether you are a believer in us being the cause of Climate Change or if it is just Natures way the surest thing is that the world is changing. My thoughts are that it has always been changing and that we must adapt and embrace whatever there is to come. Because we are aware and we are intelligent beings we should be able to study and preserve and work with whatever comes. If we all just try to keep our impact to a minimum whilst still enjoying this wonderful planet, future generations will flourish. We must minimize our waste in all avenues of our life, from the packaging of our food to the resources used to power our world. Every little bit helps but it is the big industrial powers of the world that must take the responsibility. Just a little message toward the cause.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album MONTANA.

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK – A WONDERLAND OF WILDLIFE AND THERMAL GEYSERS

Yellowstone was the first ever National Park established in the United States, and in fact the whole world, in the year 1872. One can understand why it was decided to preserve this area for future generations. It is a geothermal playground of about half the world’s hydrothermal features, over 10,000, in one spot and is truly unique and beautiful.

The park is home to some wonderful wildlife including bison, bear, elk and wolf. It is a subalpine forest dotted with all sorts of eco systems created by the bubbling earth. Couple all this with over 300 geysers and many waterfalls it is a feast of wonder to explore. It is also home to many strange and wonderful microscopic organisms called thermophiles (heat lovers) that live in the acidic boiling waters, a scientific wonderland.

Apart from the obvious hydrothermal wonders this park is also very important to the restoration and conservation of wildlife. This is particularly true of the wolves, extinct in these parts until a restoration program began in 1995, seeing a previous population of about 40 double, not very many is it? There are many research efforts protecting the wonderful creatures living here and it is comforting to know that they and their environment will be here for future generations.

There are some roads closed due to road works so it is a little difficult to decide a plan of attack but our first day we spend working our way around the Yellowstone Lake toward the south of the park and take in our first look at the steaming geysers. We cross over into Grand Teton National Park. This is a smaller park but amazing with large snow capped mountains towering over the magnificent Jackson Lake. We arrive late in the day when the light is spectacular and perfect to view gorgeous reflections in the glass like water of the huge lake. As the sun sinks behind the mountains we are treated to the colour changes of the clouds reflected beneath the mountain. Hope these photos come out well.

This is as far as our journey today can go as we have run out of light so we head back into Yellowstone and set up in the southern camp ground for the night. There is snow on the ground and there are light falls wafting in the air as we set up Jetson. Needless to say it is quite a chilly night to camp but we are quite cosy under our newly purchased sleeping bags. In the morning we wake to explore our surroundings to find evidence of animal tracks of birds, elk and some other small creatures, unfortunately (luckily) no bear prints.

In the morning we have to back track around the lake but this is not a difficult task as it is just beautiful. The colour is a deep slate blue and around the edges in patches the ground shoots steam into the atmosphere and then there are spots where the snow reaches the water edges.

Our morning is off to a wonderful start when we are stopped in our tracks by a passing heard of bison plodding along the road. The early morning snow is sticking to their gorgeous woolly coats. It is a large group with quite a few young, so cute. We are speechless as they almost rub against the car and we whisper quietly to them and tell them how beautiful they are.

We are just coming to terms with our amazing luck and have gone for about an hour when Mikayla realizes she has probably left her retainers (orthodontic) sitting on the bonnet of the car from when we have brushed our teeth. We do a thorough search of the car and sure enough they are not there. The decision is made to return to the spot we had chosen on the lake to have our breakfast. We drive back wondering if we will even be able to see them and if we can could they possibly be in one piece? Not far back along the road we are treated to an elk wandering across the road right in front of us to join it’s companions on the other side, just so elegant and graceful. Our return journey is about complete when we spot the purple case about 50m before our spot. It is in the middle of the road. We park and walk back to it and sure enough the retainer is not inside. Mikayla is on a mission and within another 10m she spots it in the middle of the lane. She picks it up and dusts it off and to our complete amazement it is seemingly in perfect shape. How lucky are we. Not sure how many cars have passed over it without disaster striking!

Off we go again for another look at the lake, not a problem as the sun is higher in the sky and the colours are that little bit different. Oh, and did I mention we encounter the bison crew again so can get another chance to OOH and AAH. Our path then takes us into some of the most amazing sights of geysers and mud pots. Each pond is a different colour due to the minerals that are pumping up from within the earth, how they react with the atmosphere, and also those little thermophiles. Some are just bubbling mud that burps and splutters and others are bubbling clear ponds of varying colours on the spectrum.

It is such an assault on the senses; the colours are vibrant (though the cold weather is making it difficult to experience because of the steam created by the boiling hot water hitting the cool air), the smell of the sulphur is strong and the sounds of the gushing water can be a loud roar or a burp. Touch is one sense that can’t be filled as to get into these acidic pools can cause serious burns and in some cases death, it is said that the acid will burn through boots. We enter into a part of the park that is a gorge with a couple of gorgeous waterfalls. The snow is heavy on the ground everywhere we go but here we decide to have a snowball fight, such fun.

Eventually we get to Old Faithful after being assured that we will be able to fill up with petrol. This geyser is so named because without fail it erupts every 90 odd mins, give or take 5, sending a huge plume of water skyward. It is not the largest geyser in the park, that would be Steamboat that we had seen earlier in the day, but it is very regular. Our visit to Steamboat had only seen about a 10-15m eruption, it’s last large spurt being in September. We are glad to have experienced Old Faithful but it is the tourist side of town and not actually the most pretty part of the park. The trails left more on the wild side are more rewarding. We are heading out of the North of the park so start the journey up again.

More wonderful colours delight us and as the sun is sinking we spot a wolf fleeting cross our path. We are yet to see a bear, Yellowstone is home to both the Grizzly and the Black bears, and so we keep our eyes peeled. It is a conundrum; we would love to see them but not too close and not too far. There are many warnings and education on how to react to a bear encounter, getting too close is not a desired pastime and can end badly. Still it would be lovely to see another, we did manage to see a cub in The Great Smokey Mountains, but today is not our day.

We sadly run out of light to enjoy the most Northern reaches but have had a wonderful time here at Yellowstone. As we descend out to Gardiner we are treated to herds of Elk on the grassy roadside, what magnificent creatures they are with their enormous antlers. This ends our foray into the worlds first ever National Park and it has been truly amazing. We have timed our visit just right as the park will be closed completely in just 3 days. We have learned much but for all the scientists and researches in the world this is a treasure land with so much more to offer. Dare I say it, we have put a revisit on that bucket list. We finally settle for the night in a hotel overlooking the river to relax before our drive towards Glacier National Park.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album WYOMING.

MOUNT RUSHMORE, CRAZY HORSE, BLACK HILLS AND BIGHORN NATIONAL FORESTS

Another day and yet another amazing National Park.  We enter into the spectacular Black Hills National Forest, home to a National Monument that has been seen by billions of visitors from USA and around the world, Mt Rushmore. The heads of the Presidents George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and Thomas Jefferson are carved into the granite mountain.  Gutzon Borglum, a sculptor who had studied with Rodin, started the project. These heads were actually mostly dynamited out of the rock, about 90%. In fact after 18 months of work on Thomas Jefferson it was decided to dynamite him away and move his position.  The whole work was completed in 14 years for the cost of just under $1,000,000.  Borglum’s son, Lincoln, often supervised the work as Borglum himself was often away. It is quite inspiring to stand below these powerful faces of history.  We opted to not pay the high parking price to get right to the base, as do many that visit this site, they are quite big enough to admire from the roadside.

Having taken it all in we move on to a new work in progress, that of a carving of Crazy Horse just a few miles further into the Black Hills near Custer. This memorial, to honour the North American Indian, was the brainchild of Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski and Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear. On June 3, 1948 work began on this most impressive granite sculpture of Crazy Horse, an Oglala Dakota warrior, riding his horse and pointing in to the distance.  This complex is not just the worlds largest rock sculpture, all be it a work in progress of now 66 years, but a complex with a museum, and an education and cultural centre dedicated to the North American Indian, an Indian University and when possible a Medical Training Centre for Native Indians is planned. This is a life long project that shows the power of devotion and dedication. Korczak lived and breathed this project until his death in 1982.  During his life, together with his wife Ruth, he had educated and inspired his 10 children, 7 of whom, together with the grandchildren, are still working to achieve this most amazing dream.  This is a success story of mammoth proportions.  Hopefully one day we will come back to see the finished project, but perhaps the magic of Crazy Horse is the journey.

The surrounding mountains are just spectacular to view with their massive granite spires and deep, tree filled gorges and ravines. It’s worth visiting regardless of seeing Mt Rushmore and Crazy Horse.  We love our time in this area and soak up the rugged beauty before moving on through Wyoming.  These North Highland Plains are just awesome, so beautiful with rich colours and rolling hills.

We move on to an area in the north of Wyoming, stretching up into Montana, the Bighorn National Forest. It is truly the wild, wild west and one of the most gorgeous areas we have come to so far, a range of spectacular mountains. The route we take traverses along the west side of the mountains and then a winding road that takes us up and over the range. We find out later that this road is usually closed in the winter and our day there shows us why.

We have an interesting journey over the higher reaches with steady snowfall. The snow on the ground has been ploughed earlier but the fresh fall sees us making a slow and careful crossing of this beautiful land. The road to the Medicine Wheel, an ancient Indian sacred place likened to Stone Henge, is beyond our reach as the snow is thick on the ground so this is one spot to come back to another time.

As we make our descent into the valley and we snake our way down through magnificent cliff faces, sunshine comes out and the temperature goes up. We pass a logging truck and marvel at how they drive these vehicles on such winding roads with certain death if ever they plunge over the edge. We stop to take in the view and watch two of these vehicles meet and cross paths and negotiate on a bend below us, careful boys. We descend into a wildlife reserve area around a massive lake and the Bighorn River.

We see many signs for opportunity to watch the wildlife at night and realize what a rich variety there must be. We stop at the visitor centre nearby and meet a very helpful young woman who shows us that we have not finished our adventure in this area. She sets up a movie for us to show us the Bighorn Canyon and all the wildlife that abounds in this area and we are very lucky to see what time does not permit us to stop and experience ourselves. We have mentioned that our ultimate aim is to reach Glacier National Park and while we are watching our movie she does some extensive research for us and gives us very valuable advice that we will be very grateful for in the coming week. Thank you so much to this lovely girl, I think she was just pleased to have something to do as we were her only visitors.

Our lunch break is over and we head off to the Bighorn Canyon. We thought we had already experienced the magnificent sights this area has to give but we were wrong. The canyon is a series of jaw dropping views over the gorges carved by the mighty Bighorn River. Below is the water that is dammed further on through the gorges It is a clear green colour and is so far down below us, with towering rugged cliffs of rocks of many colours bordering its sides. We try to throw stones to reach the water but I think so many have done this that a beach of rock is formed and the water can’t be reached. In some spots one can see the animal trails snaking there way down to the waters edge, a dangerous journey. Our only wish was to be able to jump in a boat and take a tour along the snaking waterway to experience the view back up. No boat available right now so something else to come back for.

Our heads are absolutely overloaded with sights of beauty and nature at its very best that we are quite exhausted. We drive on to Cody, a wild west town devoted to Buffalo Bill. We are lucky to find very nice accommodation with a very helpful host as we have to stop still for an extra day for Georgia to do some very important work for her return to Perth and also to get a computer glitch fixed. We are relieved to be all sorted and rested as we head for our next adventure into Yellowstone National Park, a highly anticipated event.

THE BADLANDS AND WALL DRUG

Our journey continues to Badlands National Park and we enter into the park on the West side and are immediately awestruck at every turn.  This is a much anticipated place on our journey and it is a million times better than we ever imagined.  Words can not describe the rugged beauty and incredible diversity of this land.  It is jaw dropping, amazing.

The orange/pink rock formations tower upward in a sea of pinnacles that you just have to see to appreciate.  We set off on a couple of short trails to take in the view, especially enjoying a magnificent sunset over these extraordinary edifices, absolutely gorgeous.  As darkness sets in we find the camp ground and set up in a rather chilly wind.  We are sharing the sight with a small group of boy scouts and also a father and daughter whom we begin to chat with.  They are up from Kansas City to explore the Badlands, pretty much on a revenge trip as the previous journey they were literal blown away and had to leave short of their plans. Tonight is a little windy but nothing in comparison, though they warn us what could happen overnight.  We again love exchanging tales of our adventures but the wind wins in the end and we settle into Jetson to sleep.  Luckily the wind does die down and on a trip to the loo we all enjoy the night sky, reminding us of those wonderful star filled nights back in Gidgegannup.

In the morning  we are treated to a spectacular sunrise as we pack up and head off to do some more trekking over this fantastic landscape, our new Kansas friends doing the same. Our hike takes us through, up and over some spectacular rock formations and the from their tops are stunning, once again we are lucky to get a perfect blue sky day.  Some hours later we have stopped for a drink and who should pop up but the Kansas guys.  We are surprised to realize that we have literally crossed paths by only minutes but still not heard or known of the others presence.  These structures are incredible and would be very easy to lose your way amongst them.  Within seconds you can be lost to sight and hearing of the rest of your party.  You can understand how this area got its name, especially when you read the history of the difficulty to cross this jagged plateau in days gone by.

The other phenomenon we had all noticed was that the rocks sounded hollow, like honeycomb.  The rock is actually similar to a whole lot of Lego blocks and it seems to be loose between the lines, in fact if you try you can actually remove pieces.  It is an ever changing face and eventually the whole thing will wash away to the rivers below.  Lucky we are here right now to enjoy it.

I think it is fantastic that people can still get up close and personal with it all and that it’s not roped off, I guess because the elements are more destructive than anything. I would rename them the Magnificent lands.  We continue through the park in a hunt to see more wildlife and spot a family of Big Horn Sheep, rabbits, and hundreds of cheeky and cute little Prairie dogs in “Prairie Dog Town”.  Still we hunt on for the majestic Bison and, as our luck continues, we come across a small group right on the road.  What a creature this is, their huge heads with those gorgeous eyes and wooly coats, we just want to hug them though that would not be wise. What an end to an extraordinary experience that is the Badlands, it truly is out of this world.

Next stop is a complete contrast as we reach the very much advertised place of Wall Drug, Wall.  This is a town where, in 1931, a young married couple, he a pharmacist and she a high school teacher, decided to purchase the drug store in Wall.  They were a small community of 326 people that called this spot in the wilderness home.  Though many people passed by on the highway very few stopped and business was really bad.  They had set their limit to a five year stay to make a go of it.  Not long before the deadline Dorothy had the idea of offering free iced water. What started with few signs offering free cold water  has grown into a tourist mecca of the wild west.  Look it up and read more of the beginnings of this empire that is Wall. It is fun to see and we end the day with a burger at Wall Drug, where else, then drop into bed at a nearby hotel exhausted.

MITCHELL CORN PALACE AND THE INDIAN STORY FROM CHAMBERLAIN

On we go and our next stop is the famous Corn Palace in Mitchell.  This is a multi use stadium built back in 1921.  It is of a Moorish Revival design and makes an interesting canvas for mural art of, you guessed it, CORN.  It is surprisingly detailed work of different scenes of the wild west; its culture, flora and fauna, all topped by the light up, golden domes that are also decorated in corn. Though it is a little corny (haha) it really is quite a magnificent work of art.

When we are there it is a work in progress as the murals are renewed, and the inside is to being revamped to be quite a spectacular venue.  The courts have been recently resealed ready for the upcoming Basketball season.  There is much activity redoing the entrance with photos of the predicted finished project adorning the walls and it looks like it will be fantastic.  The corn murals also surround the inside of the arena, I imagine they have been here for quite a few years as they’re protected from the elements and are just fantastic.  We enjoy our time here and the ladies from inside the box office help us with information for the next leg of our journey.

Next stop, Chamberlain, an oasis in the planes.  This is a relatively small but vibrant town situated on the banks of another mighty river, the Missouri, and connected by the Highway 16 bridge to its sister town of Oacoma on the other side.  Our destination here is the Akta Dakota Museum and Cultural Centre.  This is a part of the St Joseph’s Indian School and is such a wonderful detailed look at the history of the Lakota Sioux native to South Dakota.  We are here for some hours enjoying the exhibits and learning of the history of the indigenous tribes.  The connection of the people to the land, the way of life and the culture are just so connected to all that is natural.  Why in the world did a race of people decide that it was OK to invade and destroy this way of life?  We have learned along our travels that when white man invaded they decided to eliminate the Bison and it turn the Indians would be destroyed too.  They were right and almost succeeded in wiping out a most magnificent beast and an ancient culture, all in the one stroke. It is the same the world over, greed brings war and bloodshed and we state again, when will we ever learn?

We spend a long time talking with an Indian man who is obviously an active leader within the community.  He is very knowledgeable and passionate about his people and is all about reconciliation.  He rightly believes that without education this can’t be achieved.  The young must understand the happenings of the past to move on to the future.  By reconciliation he means primarily that his people learn and forgive what has happened in the past to their ancestors, reconciliation with themselves to give healing. He was so wonderful to talk to and we learned so much from him in just a short time. He is a great achiever of his time.

His next adventure on the calender is a growing annual event, the Dakota 38+2 ride.  This event has been held since 2005 and is growing in its supporters from all over the world, joining together to try to heal and honor the 38 Dakota men who were ordered to be hung by Abraham Lincoln back on December 26, 1862, the largest ever mass execution in the USA, with many others sent to prison and two more men hung days later..  This ride is the fruition of a dream had by Jim Miller, a powerful spiritual messenger who envisioned this ride of healing and prayer for the Lakota people.  It starts on the banks of the Missouri and travels a 330 mile path to Mankato, the scene of the hangings.  From the first ride to today there has been no advertising but the word of mouth or “moccasin telegraph’ sees many riders and runners, men and women from different tribes join together with their wonderful horses to make this difficult journey, made more so by extreme weather conditions in December.

The horse is so spiritually significant to the Lakota people.  I have always had a connection to the horse as many people do around the world but to this culture they are so important. In talking about this and other ways to make a peaceful future of united peoples, no matter what colour or creed, I was inspired to research more and would suggest that our readers do the same.  Just look up Dakota 38 +2 and you will also find the Big Foot Memorial ride, a similar ride of healing for the massacre of 1890 at Wounded Knee of Chief Big Foot, Chief Sitting Bull and his horse and many men.  There is a simply made movie that can be viewed for free, Dakota 38 that is well worth the viewing. Both rides are working on the healing for all the descendants of these dark days.  Please read and learn. In time I will research more myself. I would like to think that one day I could join this ride but I am probably too soft to handle the conditions but I will add it to the bucket list and put it out there and see what happens in the future.  One thing for sure I will follow the progress of these rides in years to follow and hope that the healing process of these wonderful people will be the result. They have been suffering for years and have many social issues today and hopefully events such as these will see a change, a change that must come from within each individual soul.

We have found the whole visit very inspiring and finish with lunch on the banks of the grand Missouri River soaking up the bright sunshine and thinking of how it may have been back in the times when the Indian races were undisturbed and living in harmony with the land and the river. We can’t go back however, today is the day so make it count.

FURTHER WEST TO DES MOINES AND MADISON COUNTY

Des Moines was incorporated in 1851 and is now the State of Iowa’s Capitol. It is home to the largest State Fair in the country that happens in August, sadly missed that one, that attracts over a million visitors.  We are only here for a short visit and take in the Capitol Building.  This is a spectacular building full of gorgeous detail from the tip of its golden dome, down it’s spiral staircases to the sculpture filled memorial gardens surrounding it. The Library is just wonderful and all rooms are a pleasure to behold. We thoroughly enjoy our visit before pushing on towards Madison County.

We decide to take an exit to Adel to look for a camping spot and located a couple of dodgy looking grounds.  It is late so we decide they will suffice but that we will treat ourselves to a meal out and find the Italian Villages Restaurant.  Put this one on your list if you are in the area.  We were greeted by a lovely young woman who we find out later is the owner of this establishment with her father and brother.  We could not have been welcomed any better as she sat down to hear a little about Australia and our travels.  A couple at a nearby table soon joined in on the conversation and in due coarse another couple moved tables to join us.  We all chatted and we entertained both our new friends and ourselves with tales of our travels.  We remembered all the funny and sometimes sticky situations we had got ourselves into and so enjoyed the chance to relive them with these new friends. Our host  spoiled us with a traditional sticky treat that was quite delicious. We were also given some valuable advice by everyone on what to see and do along our chosen path.  It was a fabulous evening that eventually had to come to an end.  After a group discussion on our camping plans everyone decided we should move on to a much nicer KOA campground and Dawn kindly convoyed us to it.  What lovely people we meet along our way, Dawn was not happy until we were checked in and safe, and that she had a photo of us.  Hopefully we will now keep in contact via email and maybe we will be able to welcome them to Perth one day.

Having caught up on the washing and sorted the car out we are ready to explore for another day.  Off we go to find the Covered Bridges of Madison County, made famous by the movie Bridges of Madison County adapted from the novel of the same name by Robert James Waller. The area once had 19 covered bridges but only 6 now remain.  They were built between 1870 and 1884 by Benton Jones and Eli Cox.  They were covered because it was thought the amazing timber of the bridges was actually worth so much that the extra cost was warranted.  We managed to see 4 of the 6 and enjoyed every one.  They are an engineer and architects dream, each a thing of beauty and ingenuity that the builders must have been very proud of.  The covers actually do a fantastic job as when you enter it is obvious that the old timbers are dry.

It is also obvious that they are frequented by lots of lovers as words of devotion are written over the walls.  It is quite funny to read and then see where some people have actually returned to cross out their pledges of love or just changed the name on the other side of the heart.  It is also apparent that some parts are painted out on a yearly basis as they only have 2014 pledges, whilst others are carved into the timber to last forever.  Paris has it’s bridge of padlocks, as do other copy cat cities of Europe, while Madison County has its bridges.  We also swing by the birth place and childhood home of John Wayne.  Such a lot in a small town, such fun. The rest of our day is spent putting some miles underneath us.

This is a large country and to get from East to West requires that a good portion of the day needs to be behind the wheel.  But being Australian we are quite used to this and enjoy the subtle changes in the scenery.  We hit the end of Iowa near Omaha and turn right to head up through Sioux City, touching Nebraska, but our real destination is South Dakota.

We are moving from the Prairies to the Great Northern Planes and are reminded of the remote area of Western Australia out past Mt Magnet into the Great Sandy Desert, one of our favorite areas. The natural landscape is just gorgeous with the rolling hills, flat prairies and a river running through.  There is just one thing that spoils it and that’s’ the touch of people.  Because it is a road well traveled it is full of huge advertising signs.  By the time you have read them all and get to the destination you are over it and just pass by.  I guess it works for some but for us it would be much better to just enjoy the natural landscape.  Perhaps the signs should be limited to a 20 mile radius of the destination, this would be more than enough to warn you of the coming attraction.  Still, we were keen to have a couple of stops and chose a couple of interesting spots to stop to break up the days.

HEADING WEST WITH A STOP ON THE MISSISSIPPI

The trees give way to farming lands as we cross the most fertile soil in America, The Great Plains. We drive through wide open spaces, corn fields and crops and small towns still showing us trees of splendor.  We pick a trail that is going to give us a taste of the states of Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and beyond.  We have passed through Detroit and Chicago, some will wonder why we have not stopped for longer to explore these famous towns.  We have had so much big town time, and can it get any bigger than NY, DC and Boston, that we need to get back to the small towns and open spaces.

We plan a short trip along the famous and mighty Mississippi River from Davenport, one of the ‘Quad Cities’ to the oldest town in the state of Iowa, Dubuque. We manage to find a spot on the river to have our lunch and it turns out to be a State run camping ground.  It is hard to drag ourselves away from such a gorgeous bend in the river but it is too early to stop, sadly.

Dubuque is on the banks of the Mississippi and was once considered the gateway to the West, the ‘Key City”, by the immigrants who settled here. After its founding by Julien Dubuque in 1785 and his work with the local Indian Tribe a thriving trade market began attracting the new settlers.  We are keen to learn of the mighty waterway that bisects this town and the entire country from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.  We spend a day learning of the history of the early explorers, the paddle steamers, the timber industry, Mark Twain, the floods and the power of the river, the civil war, the Bayous, the locks, the wildlife and the general importance of this life line to all the river touches. One over-ruling theme is that this river gets into the blood of those around it and becomes a major part of their lives.

Whilst here we have sat on and walked along these shores we can understand the magnetism that draws you in and bewitches you. Dubuque is just one of many spots along the river that you can learn and experience life close to this mighty waterway. We would like to come back one day and maybe take a canoe trip to paddle it’s length, what a journey that would be, one put on the bucket list.

We spend the night in Dubuque and wake up to a crisp sunny morning and head off to Eagle Point Park, slightly North of Dubuque.  This is a park right up high overlooking Lock and Dam #11.  Along the upper reaches of the Mississippi the river drops 420ft in just 669 miles so to tame the river and make it work for all those people that relied, and still do rely upon it, a series of 29 locks and dams were built.  This particular system was built in 1937 at a cost of $7,500,000 and is today near to finishing a $60,000,000 revamp.  It is the last one to be restored to its full capacity.

Whilst we take in the view over three states (Iowa, where we stand, Wisconsin to the North and Illinois across the water) we watch the lock in action. A series of 5 barges, approximately 120m in length total is pushed against the lock gates and the tug is pulled up against its side whilst the gates are closed behind it.  The lower gates are slowly opened after the water has dropped and the tug pushes the barge through into open water, the whole process taking about an hour. It is common that three sets of these barge “trains'” be pushed together by the powerful tug boats up and down the river carrying in the region of 1500 tones in each barge. This load would take a train 3 miles long or a line of trucks stretching 35 miles to transport. No wonder the river is so important.  What a genius engineering feet this was in the early 1900’s, and still a most effective system nearly a hundred years on and for into our future.

Although the river agrees to work with the people for much of the time it still occasionally stamps its authority by flooding, just to show who really is the boss. Nature can never truly be tamed can it? From Eagle Point Park we set off on another driving day, our next destination Des Moines, Iowa.