TICKed Off!

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What an amazing (yet exhausting) trek across the country!

Before getting into the dirty details, here are some some stats from the journey across America. We have arrived at our extended destination, Yellowstone National Park.

  • 3,170 kilometres
  • 46 hours (including gas and rest-stops)
  • 5 days
  • Average of over 9 hour per day
  • 13 hours were driven on Day Three

But don’t worry… We still got in a little exercise.

  • Nearly 60,000 steps over the 5 days
  • Almost 60 kilometers walked
  • Close to 150 floors climbed
  • Averaging over 11,800 steps per day
  • 17,300 steps were taken on Day Three (coincidently the same day we made it to a ‘real’ Wal-Mart)

However, rules WERE broken

  • Don’t set an alarm (unless catching a plain/train)
  • No bread or pasta in the camper
  • Never arrive to a campsite after dark
  • No more than 8 hours of driving
  • Never feed after midnight
  • Stick to the designated trails

Our journey in photos…

Our first night across the border was spent at Tahquamenon Falls State Park in Michigan. We did not get too much exploring in before the sun set but were up bright and early in the morning to catch the sunrise before hitting the road. It was amazing! A couple of downed trees on the way to the Lower Falls but the larger Upper Falls trail was very well maintained. A few stairs, but totally worth it!

We drove through Christmas and were thoroughly entertained by the podcast Grownups Read Things They Wrote As Kids.

We couldn’t help but notice the clever names of hotels on the way through Wisconsin and area. The favorites were “AmericINN” and “C’mon Inn”. Super cheesy! Right up my alley!

Upon nightfall, we found ourselves at Crow Wing State Park. During our early morning stroll Harley just HAD to take a dip in the Mississippi River. Who were we to deny him? We couldn’t quite tell was going on at our next scheduled pit stop, Buffalo River State Park, so decided to pass. I hope it is okay.

Matt had officially declared North Dakota the most boring state ever so we decided to have a little fun in Jamestown. We swept through the Frontier Village, home to the World’s Largest Buffalo! Super tacky tourism at it’s best AND Harley’s reaction was priceless! Unfortunately the GoPro battery kicked it a few minutes before and due to my terrible video skills I managed to botch the one I tried to get with the camera. Just take my word for it! It was awesome!

The sun set over Theadore Roosevelt National Park which absolutely changed our minds about this state. It was stunning. We did not have a chance to stop for photos during our race against time but would have liked to see more. We woke up the next morning in Makoshika State Park, Montana.

Makoshika = totally cool! We loved the short hike we took on Cap Rock Trail. (Yes, Matt is wearing a toque… Eh)

Even our alternate mascot, HAM left the truck to check it out. We drove through as much of the park as we could but some of the roads were closed. Too early in the season, I suppose. But seriously… the weather we have had! Thumbs up!

Back on the road again we noticed that we had picked up a hitchhiker! A TICK! I found it on my neck and it had indeed bit me but was not embedded! Dfgjjngyfsaerykljngt! Naturally, I spent the next 4 hours in the truck scraping what information I could of the Internet using an ever fading cell signal. So here goes my important TICK INFORMATION plug for anyone who loves to spend time outdoors. Our tick count is up to 8, all three of us involved in the catastrophe. We have now heightened our prevention protocols and are on alert for any serious symptoms. And of course, Harley’s pricey meds were on that lovely list of things we left at home…

When we arrived at our destination, hot showers and laundry facilities were overly welcome. But… the most exiting thing… “we don’t HAVE to drive in the morning!”

Be sure to check out the instaham.adventures Instagram account for regularly updated photos. (You do not need an account to view them.)

I assure you there will be a video posted this week! Sorry for my monstrosity of a blog. A long post for a long drive!

AS

TICKed Off!

11 thoughts on “TICKed Off!”

  1. I enjoyed reading your post. I took my first trip across the entire US last Fall and it was quite an adventure to be sure. I agree with your comment about keeping the drive each day to 9 hrs or less, preferably less, especially if camping. Setting up camp in the dark is a pain!

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    1. Where did you stay along the way? What was your favorite part?

      We totally blew the 9 hour drive limit and arrived after sunset most of the days. We do have a trailer which is nice. However, it is considerably harder to back it into the space at night. Pull throughs so are so dreamy!

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      1. I drove a friend and his dog and all his stuff from Virginia to Portland, OR. There were many favorites places, especially as we got out west and the terrain was so different. The surreal landscape and the amazing night sky with blazing Milky Way overhead created a magical environment. Tent camping was a pain at times when I was tired of driving and yet we had to set up camp before the relaxation could begin. However, I think sleeping in a tent brings you closer to the environment and there is something very satisfying about that. My first blog was written specifically to document this one adventure. I haven’t decided whether to continue it with new adventures, leave it be and start over, or quit writing altogether. I’ve had pretty good traffic to the site since I made it public, but very few comments, and thus it’s difficult to determine the best course of action.

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      2. It really is neat how the landscape changes so much from one place to the next. I am more of a tent camper myself but we thought it would be easier with the dog if we went the camper route this time.

        I guess if you just treat the blog as a personal documentation of your adventures for yourself, friends and family then it doesn’t matter how much traffic or how many comments you get. I feel ya though… It is nice to know that people are responding and enjoying the work you put into it.

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  2. Dan Parle's avatar Dan Parle says:

    Hey Angie I really enjoyed your blog. I am jealous because Yellowstone is one of my favourite places and I would like to go back. Also enjoyed Teddy Roosevelt Park. Have fun, stay safe and keep on blogging!

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    1. Thanks! We are hoping to have some new GoPro video up for him on YouTube this week. Harley’s Tale is the channel name. Check it out if you have a chance! Have you swung by our Instagram account?

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