Catching My Breath

It's been awhile since I've posted.   I've been enjoying my time and jumping into the computer calls for more focus then I've felt like doing. Still, I'm grateful for the emails and the Facebook replies, and I don't want to lose contact with you all.

I've got some future posts in my head - like how magical North Dakota was (yes, North Dakota!).  And I even found a little corner of Nebraska that was just beautiful.  Oh, and the nice people I met in the Black Hills of South Dakota.  And how Utah just took my breath away and touched my soul. 

But those will probably need to wait until early next week.  In about half an hour, I'm going camping with my friend Lynn and her boyfriend Dan.  I've known Lynn since elementary school, and when she offered up her place in Denver to stay on my sojourn I was happy to accept.  I was going to say: I'm not sure she knew what she was getting herself into.  But in fact, I think she did know.  She knows this area well and has told me it's a great place to explore a lot of the country from.  And that's just what I did last week when I went to Utah.  And next week I will take some forays into more of Colorado. 

And let me tell you, my little travel companions are very glad to have a place to stay for a bit.  They were getting mighty travel weary.  And quite frankly so was I.

So, I guess what this post mostly is, is a gratitude to Lynn for giving me a place to catch my breath.

On My Own for the First Time

I’m somewhere in Minnesota.  I’ve been working quite hard at avoiding Storm Achilles.  I seem to be mostly staying just a few hours ahead of it – literally.  Tried a scenic route today.  It was pretty for about the first hour.  The next 6 were tedious for me and Scottie and Maddie.

I spent my first night at a hotel two nights ago.  Motel 6 in Duluth.  It looked pretty rough – but the price was right ($43.99 a night before taxes)  and the dogs weren’t a problem.  Signed myself up for two nights.  But after the first night I had to get out of there.  My next door neighbors had at least two kids in there, two of the men got super drunk – maybe the woman too.  I called the front desk, they said they’d call the room.  The fighting spilled out into the hallway.  I called the front desk – Call the cops!  Already called.  10 minutes later – no cops and they drunk guy was trying to break into my room via the connecting door.  I called 911 – they weren’t that concerned.  I was!

Long story short, the cops finally came – they were nice and very gentle with the woman, the only adult left.  (“Do you know you have blood on your shirt?”).  And sweet and rather tragic to the kid(s).  (“Do you remember me?”  and “You didn’t finish your burger.”)

I checked out the next day.

Last night’s hotel was my favorite.  The Cliffdweller in Tofte, MN on the North Shore.  Right on Lake Superior and rate was $49 a night, plus an extra $10 for each dog.  That was fine.  It was a nice hotel and they had just replaced the carpet.  I slept to the sound of Lake Superior washing up against the shore.  Tonight’s is pricier than I wanted – but it came down from $99 a night to $74.  If it weren’t so friggin’ cold, I would camp.  But on my way here I saw three men ice fishing on a frozen lake!  Ack, where is spring?!

Tomorrow I should hit North Dakota.  But first I'm going to see the headwaters of the Mississippi River and then a native grass prairie.