Ellie's Great Adventure: The North Road.
Introduction
This trip kicks off Ellie’s Great Adventure.
- Part 1: The North Road
- Part 2: Northwest to Pacific
- Part 3: Highway 1 and 101 to San Francisco
- Part 4: Exploring the Southwest
- Part 5: Homeward Bound
Ellie was eleven and a half, about to turn twelve. As a Golden Chowboxador, I knew she might not have many years left, and I wanted to take her on the adventure of a lifetime.
In this first part of the trip, she and I travel from Ohio to Devil’s Tower in Wyoming, seeing many sites along the way.
Strategy
This was a pre-points and miles trip, and we didn’t have much of a cost savings strategy.
- Pay cash in dog friendly hotels like La Quinta, Best Western and Red Roof.
- Camp at the more remote and scenic locations.
- Drive a Prius V (wagon) to save on gas, big enough for us to sleep in.
- Start in mid-October to avoid the heat and crowds.
The Journey
We started the trip in Columbus, OH, but sped through Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.
Last Stop in Ohio
Our last stop in Ohio was at a rest area along I-30, just northwest of Van Wert. It had a wide open field with lush, green grass, and mushrooms. It was a perfect for rolling, and a nice farewell to Ohio.
Waukegan Harbor and Marina, IL
After driving through Chicago, we both needed a break and stopped at Waukegan beach. Unfortunately, there were lots of signs warning dogs to stay away. It didn’t look like a very nice beach anyway, so we went for a walksy around Waukegan Harbor.
As you can see from the pictures, the sun was getting pretty low so we stopped for the evening at a La Quinta a few miles west of the harbor.
Wisconsin Dells
The next day, we stopped for a hike on the Chapel Gorge Trail in the Wisconsin Dells. The Dells are a glacial-formed gorge where the Wisconsin River cuts through sandstone formations. The town itself reminds me a little of a Pigeon Forge lite, beautiful scenery, lots of outdoor activities, lots of family oriented attractions.
Mississippi River, MN
A few hours west of the Dells, we stopped at the Mississippi River, off I-90 near US Lock and Dam No. 7. When Ellie was a puppy, her first time swimming was in the Mississippi under the St Louis Arch. We hiked around, and she got to dip her toes into the waters before moving on.
We stopped for the night 2-3 hours west at an AmericInn in Jackson, Minnesota.
Falls Park, SD
Located in Sioux Falls along the Big Sioux River, Falls Park is a 128 acre city park along the river’s famous falls. It seemed fairly dog friendly and Ellie got to hike around and wallow in the river. It’s a pretty town.
Corn Palace, SD
The Mitchel Corn Palace is about an hour and a half west of Falls Park. From 1887 to 1930, at least thirty-four corn palaces were built across the United States. Today, only the Mitchell Corn Palace remains. Ellie couldn’t go inside, but she was able to walk around town, see murals and lick butter off all the corn.
Dignity of Earth and Sky, SD
An hour west of the Corn Palace, we reached the Missouri River. Just before crossing, there is a rest area on a bluff overlooking the river. On it sits a 50-foot statue called Dignity of Earthy and Sky, depicting a Native American woman holding a blanket. The blanket features a design in stained-glass, and it catches the sun perfectly. It was designed and built by South Dakota artist laureate Dale Claude Lamphere in 2016.
We drove a few more hours this day, through a light snow, past a hundred billboards for Wall Drug. Eventually, we stopped for the evening in Wall itself, in an EconoLodge right next to the infamous Wall Drug.
Badlands National Park, SD
The Badlands are right next to Wall. The wintry mix had made the badlands extremely muddy, so we only did a little hiking. We spent most of the time driving the scenic loop through the park, stopping for lunch at a picnic area lower in the park near a stream that was enjoying sucking up all the snow melt. Along the way, we saw a lone bison and a herd of goats.
Minuteman Missile Silo National Historic Site
Attached to the national park, near the eastern exit, sits the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site. This consists of a museum and two delta missile silos you can tour, with a ranger. I just popped into the museum for a few minutes, but the rangers wouldn’t let Ellie near the thermonuclear weapons.
From the Badlands, it took a few hours to reach Devil’s Tower. We took a road that wound through foothills. It was a few hours before sunset, and we must have seen close to a hundred deer.
Devil’s Tower National Monument, WY
We arrived at the Devils Tower KOA campground in the last days of their season and were the only campers on the grounds if you ignore the twenty or so deer in residence. The groundskeeper greeted us and said we could have any spot we liked. We ended with a perfect view of Devils Tower.
This was Ellie’s first time camping in nine years and there were lots of animal sounds: coyotes, prairie dogs, and other unexplained sounds. At one point in the night, she became very scared, terrified, shaking, looking out the tent window and sniffing. We moved out of the tent and spent the rest of the evening in the car, where she quickly settled down. There are black bears in the area and I still wonder what scared her.
The next day we explored Devils Tower, getting a close up look and seeing lots of prairie dogs.
Lodging
Hotel prices generally exclude a $10-$25 pet fee.
EconoLodge Wall
Sketchy but serviceable motel a stones throw from the famous Wall Drugstore.
Devils Tower / Blackhills KOA Journey
A beautiful well maintained campground with views of the tower.
Cost Summary
Gas $130s
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