Through the Windshield

Sometimes the view through the window is so awesome, you have to try to capture it, even though the lighting and movement may not be conducive to photography.

On I-90, from Belle Fourche, SD to Sheridan, WY, we had our first glimpse at the snow-crowned Rockies.

  

From Reed Point, MT, we continued west on I-90 and had even better views of the mountains.

At aptly named Three Forks, MT, the Missouri River is formed at the confluence of the Jefferson, Madison and Gallatin Rivers.

  A couple days later, we were headed north from Helena,Mt on I-15.  The Interstate roughly parallels the Missouri River and goes through some fantastic landscape.

  

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Then, almost before you realize it, you have pulled away from the mountains, and returned to farmland.

Very seldom do you see the landscape along Interstate highways as outstanding as it has been for us the past few days.

As I write this, we are camped at Cut Bank, MT where the curiously named Cut Bank Creek River has cut a winding gorge.  We camped here last year in August for several days.  If you would like to see the blog posting for that visit, CLICK HERE.

Lewis and Clark Information Center near Chamberlain

Mitchell to Wall, South Dakota

Occasionally, you just happen onto an unexpected treat while traveling, and such is the rest stop on I-90 near Chamberlain, SD.  The state has transformed the rest stop into a Lewis and Clark Information Center.  According to the displays there, the building sits very near the spot the expedition crossed the Missouri River.

The rest stops along I-90 have all had huge concrete tee pee sculptures on the grounds.  The one here overlooks the river with informative displays beneath. As you enter the building, your eye is drawn upward to the keelboat extending from the wall.  The imaginative designer planned it so the stairs ascend through the bottom of the boat to the viewing deck above.Even the crates upstairs have lids that lift up to displays.

The deck overlooks the crossing of the river towards Chamberlain.Several other displays were in the center.

Crossing the river, we drove through rolling hills

seeing cattle and hay fields.  Iowa and South Dakota are high wind areas, and are using many of the modern windmills to provide energy.  The size of the windmill blades always amaze us when we pass a truck transporting one. Mitchell seems to be a place that attracts cheesy tourist attractions (more about that in the next blog) but you never know what you might spot next, such as this sight, (almost missed it)or these

       

On the Road through Iowa

We were pleasantly surprised as we traveled through Iowa, first on US 34, then on I-35, I-80 and I-29 to  the Woodland Campground near Little Sioux.  We remembered Iowa from traveling previously only on I-80 as being flat land.  Today, the gently rolling farmlands were a delight to the eyes.  After the recent rains, everything looks so fresh and green.

A couple of shots I couldn’t resist was this water tower near Adair,

the sign for the town of Anita (which someday we’ll have to take time to explore),

and this wonderful metal sculpture of Iowa’s big crop, Corn.  I found a website listing it as the World’s Largest Cornstalk.We’ve stopped for the night at the confluence of the Little Sioux River and the Missouri, both of which have recently flooded.  Woodland Campground is an unusual summer fishing camp, made up primarily of permanently set RV’s of every shape, age and size.

 

 

 

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We took a walk through it’s many winding streets, walking over 3 miles according to the pedometer, but still didn’t see all of the 700+ sites.  The back of the park borders the rivers.  We tried to walk there, but the recently flooding has left everything very muddy.  The water of the rivers is still flowing rapidly.