Half-Way to Where?

We enjoyed our stay in Rapid City, SD, by doing a variety of errands and spending some time cleaning and detailing Nessie for her (hopefully) new owners. We still had a lot of Nevada and Wyoming mud on the motorhome and car from a couple of very interesting thunderstorms that we ran into, but the time got away from us and we left "Rapid" with a fairly clean interior, but a really messed up exterior!

About half-way across South Dakota, near the hamlet of Reliance, we ran into a great example of the Great Plains.

We pulled into Mitchell, SD, about 4 in the afternoon. We found the R and R campground to our liking, and at $20 a night for Passport America members, we were happy campers (!). We spent a pleasant hour chatting with our neighbors, who are from Cape Girardeau, Missouri. We visited the Cape last year and enjoyed comparing notes. Of course, we learned about a dozen things that we should have done when we were there, so we'll have to go back!

The last day of our journey with Nessie took us 285 miles northeast into northwest Minnesota. Our destination was Steinbring Motorcoach in Garfield, MN. Now you gotta know that Garfield has a population of ...... 354 souls. However, just a few miles southeast is the tourist area of Alexandria, which has a population of just over 11,000. Alexandria is the county seat, and the name refers to Alexandria, Egypt, once a center of learning and civilization. Today, Alexandria is a hot spot for tourism with over 40 navigable lakes in the area. Many families have summer homes around the lakes, and boating and water sports are huge. Many of the local stores advertise that they have "cabin delivery" of their products, so I guess you never have to leave!

Along with all the restaurants, hotels, and sporting goods stores that you would expect in the area, there are a number of museums and parks that we've been advised to visit. We haven't had a chance to get out except for an average dinner at the restaurant that is part of the local Holiday Inn (chosen because it was close and we were hungry and tired!)

We pulled into Steinbring on Friday afternoon after a leisurely trip along the backroads and byways of Minnesota. Interstate 29 heads north from Sioux Falls, so when we left Mitchell we cruised east on I 90 and picked up I29 north. Then we had a decision to make: continue on I29 to Fargo or save 50 plus miles by cutting off into the buccatoolies. Well, no brainer.

Somewhere near Toronto (MN), we bailed off the interstate. Thirty miles north on SD 75, then thirty miles east on US 212, then twenty miles north on MN 119, then east on US 59....well, you get the idea. Eventually, we arrived at Steinbring Motorcoach in Garfield, Minnesota.

We were assigned site number 269713(a), which is just in front of the propane tanks and adjacent to the service bays....we have an electrical connection, and....nothing else. We'll be doing the dump station tango every few days, along with filling the water tank. There has been a bit of a timing snafu, so we'll be here for at least a week. Months ago, when we arranged with the purchasers of Nessie to have an inspection done here, we were expecting delivery of the new coach at the same time. Well, best laid plans and all that. N2 (her temporary name) won't be delivered until Friday earliest, so we have some time to kill. As I write this, Nessie is going to get her inspection tomorrow, and the new owners are scheduled to arrive on Tuesday for their inspection. Fortunately (or unfortunately), they cannot pick her up until August, and will store her here in Minnesota for a short time. They have generously allowed us to stay in Nessie for a week or so, at least until our new coach arrives. Thank you, Mike and Julie!

So, in a few days, after some of the excitement is over, we'll have a chance to explore the area. If we see anything interesting, I'll let you know, y'know?