Heading east from Whitefish, our first overnight was in Cut Bank, Montana. The small Sunset RV Park is situated on a plateau above Cut Bank Creek.

Remnants of the creek’s clay banks stand like hoodoos around the campground. The meandering river cut through the soft sandstone banks, creating these mushroom shaped sculptures.

Meriwether Lewis stopped near here on the return portion of the Lewis and Clark expedition. The explorers had hoped, but were unable, to confirm the headwaters of the Marias River, which was important to their mission of mapping the Louisiana Purchase territories. Tragically, their encounter with local Blackfeet Indians ended in a violent confrontation in which two Blackfeet died. So, Camp Disappointment was aptly named.

For us, it was a quiet, uneventful, night in a small Montana town. The next day, we continued on. As we drove, the view of the snow-capped Rockies grew smaller and smaller, until vanishing altogether.

North Dakota

The mountains of Montana gave way to the farm fields and lakes of North Dakota. We Easterners don’t realize how much we depend on the agriculture of the Midwest. We passed acres and acres of sunflowers being grown as multi-use crops.

We paid a return visit to Graham’s Island State Park. It’s not flashy, but this park is one of my favorites. It’s a bit of a hike off the main highway, but worth the journey.

The sites are shady, grassy, and spread out under the trees.

There are mowed walking trails along the water, and an interpretive nature trail winds through a prairie preserve.

Various types of native grasses sway in the breeze, bugs and birds abound, and it’s peaceful.

Minnesota

We also paid a repeat visit to Sauk Centre, Minnesota. This time around, the city-owned park was crowded with families and lots of kids on bikes, scooters, and skateboards. So much busier than last time, but still a lovely spot on the lake with a bike trail nearby.

Always on the lookout for an interesting public garden, we headed to St. Cloud to see the Munsinger Clemens Gardens. What a serendipity! Sitting side by side, along the Mississippi River, these very different gardens partner for a great visitor experience.

The Munsinger Gardens are formal display gardens, filled with masses of annuals, fountains, and themed gardens. So many roses, that I got lost in the sniffing and didn’t take photos!

The Clemens Garden is a riverside garden stroll with hostas, hydrangeas, and lots of shade-loving plants. Our timing was perfect for hydrangeas. Serious eye-candy for gardeners.

Fun facts: This property began as a sawmill in the 1890s. In 1926, Campfire Girls planted the first pines that continue to shade the gardens today. In 1930, Joseph Munsinger, who was Superintendent of Parks, enlisted the CCC and WPA to build the parks. For more images and info about the gardens, events, and classes see Munsinger Clemens Gardens

Wisconsin

Door County: From Cheese Curds to Cherries

We’ve wanted to visit Door County for some time. Friends had recommended a visit, so we decided to make it happen. Door County is a Wisconsin peninsula north of the city of Green Bay, with Lake Michigan to the east and Green Bay to the west.

We stayed at Peninsula State Park and used it as a basecamp for touring the peninsula. With 300 miles of shoreline, five state parks, and old-time resort towns, this is where locals have vacationed for generations.

Our Welcker’s Point campsite was in the woods, but close to the shoreline and bike trails.

With super sunsets

And an intriguing bat house. Crowds gathered each evening at dusk to stand silently waiting for hundreds of bats to emerge for their evening flight. We gathered, too, but so did the mosquitos. So, we slipped away from the watch party a little early. Next time: bug spray.

Our campground was a short bike ride from Fish Creek with its town beach, marina, shopping, and restaurants.

In Sister Bay, we found a complex of buildings with turf roofs.

The grass comes with a mowing crew:

Quite the attraction!

Wisconsin license plates proclaim Wisconsin is America’s Dairyland. The supermarket dairy sections are huge; they have all the cheese products you could imagine. Cheese curds are a big thing here. We tried them. They taste okay, but we don’t quite understand all the fuss over cheese curds.

However, when it comes to cherries, I do understand all the fuss. As far as I’m concerned, you can’t go wrong with cherry anything. Jam, cider, salsa…all good. With such a spotlight on cherries, I was surprised to learn that Wisconsin produces 60% of the cranberries grown in the U.S. It’s Wisconsin’s official state fruit. Who knew?

Wisconsin is a mix of cultures. It was a popular destination for immigrants, especially those looking for farmland. During our brief visit, we saw every kind of restaurant and food store you could imagine, It’s all here: from Swedish pancakes to German schnitzel; Polish sausages to sushi; Friday Night Fish boils to pizza and paella.

Of course we had to try some pierogi!

Racine, Wisconsin

We wrapped up our Wisconsin adventure with a stay at Cliffside County Park, near Racine. We found good bike trails, including one which led to Wind Point lighthouse.

These impressive foghorns’ Ah-ooh-gah could be heard 10 miles out into Lake Michigan. The photo below is the shoreline at Wind Point. What a great place to spend a sunny afternoon.

Our bike ride back to the campground included a stop at Everly’s Ice Cream. Please understand that we were just doing our part to support Wisconsin dairy farmers.

Never one to shy away from a challenge, John conquers a “mudslide.”

We left Door County and Wisconsin knowing there was still so much to explore. And that we’d be welcome back anytime.

PS
If you’re ever passing near Owen, Wisconsin, be sure to stop at the Cozy Corner Cafe. Their pancakes are the biggest ever! There is a dinner-size plate hiding under these pancakes.

Next Up: September Camp hosting in Ohio