Our first day on the road, we were met with rain and winds from just east of Denver all the way to Ogallala, NE, where we stopped at Lake Ogallala State Recreation Area for the night. We opted for the West side Campground as it was less crowded, and we had our choice of beautiful Lakeside Pull-Through Camp spots where Mike proceeded to check and tighten any loose bolts on the trailer. After giving Sierra a much-deserved walk, we settled in for a beautiful sunset followed by an amazing lightning storm.
To clarify our camping situation. We are staying on the boat on the trailer while traveling. It is set up to provide us a warm, dry place to sleep, eat, and get out of the weather. Sierra even has her own little cubby. While on the trailer, we use a step ladder to get on and off, and Sierra now waits for us to lift her on and off after she learned the hard way about boat-to-ground distances…she is OK.
Our 2nd day driving we were still challenged with both wind and a little rain but made it just outside of Nunda SD where we experienced the very best of what Harvest Hosts is all about thanks to our hosts George and Linda Fenwick — the private tour of the Waterfowl Production Areas, dinner at the Nunda Bar & Grill (rated 4.8 stars, by the way — clearly a gem), souvenir t-shirts, and a storm shelter offer during a tornado watch. That’s hospitality you don’t forget. Linda’s elective collection of yard art along her walking paths made exploring their property fun. It was a pleasure spending time together.
On our 3rd day, we pulled a 12-hour drive day with rain again and several detours. We arrived in Baudette, MN. While exploring our choices for boat launches and a place to leave the truck and trailer, Sierra met a western painted turtle and saw her first beaver at Zipple Bay State Park She was enthralled and wanted to swim after it but it slapped its tail and dove under the water. Nothing quite like a tail slap to establish the pecking order!
We pulled into Warroad City Campground around 8:00pm and found one of their larger camping spots with electricity available. With the wind still out of the NW at 18 – 20mph with rain expected, we settled in for a couple of days. We talked to the ranger the next morning and were told it would be no problem leaving the truck and trailer. The Campground itself is extensive with many of the long-term campers looking like they have been handed down through generations. After 2 nights at the campground we decided we could wait no longer, so with the wind and waves finally letting up a little we readied Bearcruzer for her aventure onto Lake of the Woods. We felt secure knowing this boat was built to handle wind and waves. With over 14,500 islands straddling the US/Canada border there is no shortage of places to explore….so where to now? Come along and find out!
Living the Dream 