Just a little Zak Brown ‘Free’ lyrics to get you into the mood for our next leg of the trip….the flat lands (not), the Midwest, the flyover states, the prairie…. It was anything but flat.
We came as three couples with three trailers and left as two trailers. One couple headed to Yellowstone and back through Idaho to Oregon. Our next leg took us southeast through Wyoming and across the upper Nebraska region.
This route allows us to traverse the upper hill country of Nebraska and stay off the interstates. We were then able to head through the sand hills area on our way south.
Again, we try to only drive for four hours before hitting an overnight spot. We don’t much like the thought of parking -lot stays….Walmart, Golden Corral, truck stops, etc. So, we use RV Park Reviews and Harvest Hosts for planning our stays. The reviews help choose the better campgrounds and show which have full hookups.
We headed off toward Nebraska along the Wind River Canyon. It is narrow, it is breathtaking, it is awesome! The views of the river along the road are terrific. Periodically, there are small signs that say “Tables Ahead”. And sure enough, there is a pull out with tables.
Toward the end of the canyon are a series of 3 tunnels…..Yikes! I hadn’t expected them and hoped they were large enough. But fear not, the tall bus RV ahead of us made it through just fine… We are 9′ 6″ tall so I pay special attention to heights of tunnels, bridges, branches…anything overhead.
The best part of doing a trip off the interstates, is to go through small town America. So we did.
We came upon a sharp left turn and entered a town of 325 folks, Meeteetse Wyoming. It was Labor Day and the whole town was out for their pancake breakfast and getting set up for a parade. We slowed to about 10 mph, rolled down our windows and started waving at the folks lined up along the main drag…two red trucks pulling shiny Airstreams. They were all looking at us and waving wildly back. We had our own small parade up main street… a lot of fun….
Okay…I may have mis-spoke about the flatness of the land. I guess there are places where your dog can run away and you can still see her running 3 days later….what is absent from the vistas are mountains…tall mountains.
Our destination was a campground in Chadron State Park in Nebraska. It was quiet, clean and a great overnight stop. From there we headed to Nenzel Nebraska and the Niobara Winery. I may be a bit snobbish about wine but the wine maker, in his farming bib overalls and work boots, told me he started growing grapes to make vinegars for his brother. I don’t think he changed his recipe for the wine though. This was our first Harvest Host site and it turned out terrific. We knew we would be boondocking (dry camping meaning no water, power or sewer). This is where our new solar panels did their trick. They kept the batteries charged all day as we ran fans, refrigerator and water pump. I was duly impressed and can’t wait to use them again….in cooler weather. They cannot run an air conditioner but all else is fair game.
Our next stop was a disaster. We had to divert due to flooding in the campground we had chosen. The Midwest has recorded the most rain in years which explains everything being green. We opted to stay at the Pioneer Village in Minden Nebraska. Sorely in need to a few dollars infusion, the campground was tucked behind a motel that had seen better days. While there, we toured through the Pioneer Village museum and was amazed at all the log buildings, the full-sized train engine, their collection of cars and even a collection of salt and pepper shakers. Quite eclectic.
We left early the next day so we could reach Beatrice Nebraska by lunch. There we chose a terrific little county park but the sites were full so onto the next park….and thee we found all sites full as well. Out came our cell phones and we frantically looked for another option. I found a lake about 15 minutes out of town so off we trekked. The campground was terrific in that we were the only ones there save 2 others. Lots of room, quiet, gorgeous.
Our friends back home recommended going to lunch, a real farm lunch, at Jeanne’s Place. It was around 20 miles out, on a dirt road, with a few houses sprinkled at an intersection. A little sign on a fence said we were there… Jeanne’s Place. She cooked lunch for her brothers who work their 1400 acre farm. One day she thought, “maybe others would pay her for her cooking”. So, she had a larger dining room added to her house and put a sign out. Jeannie’s Place, in Pawnee City (actually a crossroad of two gravel roads and a half dozen or so homes) is listed on Trip Advisor as 5-stars with great reviews. This was a truly feast…a shared meal of corn dressing, chicken, mashed potatoes, hot fresh rolls, green beans and homemade ice cream and peach pie. Wow. We got to talk with the brothers who said they were frustrated with the price they get for their crops due to the government’s tariff war. They were not too supportive of the current administration to say the least. After the brothers left, Jeannie sat herself down and said let’s talk politics. She was a hoot!
After Beatrice NE, we headed to Lawrence Kansas, near Kansas City. The special place to visit here was Nell’s Hill, a destination interior design store my lovely bride wanted to see. She has followed this store online for years and has a couple of books they produced. We had to check it out. Our friends were not too sure, but they ended ordering 2 chairs!
From here, we continued east toward the great Ole Miss. We made it. A couple thousand miles east, no issues, a great crossing.
