Lisa & Nils On The Road

First off, thanks to Erika for making me realize that I had to do this and for setting it up for me.

Now, to get started with a little history.  Nils has sabbatical for the 2012-13 school year, i.e. it began in June.  Last year, in preparation for this possibility, we bought an RV trailer (and a truck to pull it with), sold the mini-van and started practicing our RV-ing skills with some smaller trips to nearby state parks.  Once the sabbatical was approved, the planning for "the big trip" commenced.  We wanted it to include a family wedding in Minneapolis at the end of July, and to be done before danger of RV water pipes freezing in winter.  After a lot of brainstorming and editing, we came up with the current itinerary which takes us (after the wedding) from the Badlands to the Grand Canyon, with stops at every state/national park we can visit in two months.

We left on July 19th for NE Ohio, and had our first experience with spending the night in a Walmart parking lot (in Mill Hall, PA).   Because we were in Amish country there were even a few hitching posts for horses and buggies.  All quite surreal but surprisingly comfortable and easy---we never had to unhitch, so getting ready to leave in the morning took just a few minutes.

We arrived in Canton (OH) around noon on the 20th and parked the RV in Nils's mom's driveway for the next four days.  While there we visited with Erik (Nils's brother), nephew Kyle and his family, college friend Doug Custer and Viva Cheek who used to take care of Nils when he was a baby.   We took walks with Inga at the Garden Center and the Malone campus, also found, behind Mercy Hospital, the tree planted in Andy's memory as well as his photo as the inaugural inductee into the Society of St Luke, also drove by the Poplar St house (where the Ahbels lived when Nils was born).
Our campsite at Mt. Gilead State Park...

On July 22nd (Sunday) we drove to Mt Gilead State Park outside of Columbus to meet up with Scott Linville (another college buddy) and his girlfriend Chris.  Spent two nights there, enjoyed hiking the woods and took it easy.  On Tuesday morning (7/24) we hitched up in the pitch darkness and were on the road by 5:30am. Drove well over 10 hours, through 4 states (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin).   Spent another night at a Walmart, NE of Madison Wisconsin and were joined by Mike Weber, and his sister Annie with her new husband Matt Taylor for a little parking lot party.  Fun!  On Weds morning we departed for Minneapolis.
Mike, Nils, Annie, and Matt in the Madison Wall Mart parking lot...

Arrived at the Lowry Grove RV Park (another new experience!) by 1pm on Weds 7/25 and proceeded to greet cousins, meet Carmen (at whose house we all gathered many times).  Greek restaurant, welcome picnic, Missouri River boatride, Psycho Suzie's, Italian feast, fun run, Tom and Jessica's lovely wedding at the Aster cafe, and then a final picnic at Carmen's house were some of the highlights (and it's no accident that almost all of the above involves eating and drinking).  Had a lot of opportunities to get to know Jessica and her lovely family, also to finally meet Emily and Matt and Carmen, and to see Kathy McG again.  The four days felt more like 2 weeks (but in a good way).   So great to be together with Erika and Bjorn, and for them to play with their 2nd cousins (most notably going to even more bars together after the "old folk" went to bed and the epic last night "Cousins Rules" Bocce Ball Variations.  It was so much fun to watch them from the kitchen window.  On Monday morning (7/30) we dropped the children off at the airport and were on the highway by 5am, heading west.  And so ends Part One of our road trip.