August 4 - Return to Lexington

We arrived back in Lexington on August 4, driving pretty much straight through from Niagara Falls.

I tried to drive all the back and arrive with an empty tank, but was nervous about running out of Gas so I filled up on Mass Pike in Natick, about 15 miles from home.

Here's some useless stats:

Total Distance Traveled:	6,753 miles (10,868 km or 427,870,080 inches)
Total Days:	27 Days (July 8 to August 4)
Most expensive Gas:	July 22 and July 19, both in Yellowstone NP $3.90
Cheapest Gas:	August 1st, Wisconsin, $3.25
Longest Driving Day:	July 12th, 747 miles from Hamilton, OH to Lincoln, NE
Gas bought that day:	74 gallons
Number of gas stops that day:	6 stops
Total $$ spent on gas:	$2,192.76

The map of our journey is here:

http://bit.ly/1nlyECY (note, google maps sometimes gives an error, choose "Devils Tower" and it will work)

(Note, the distance on the map is abut 1,000 miles shorter than the total because the map doesn't include all the side trips, the drives to and from campsites, the days in Ohio, Salt Lake City, Yellowstone, etc.)

Screenshot here:

Finally, Grandpa Roy tickling the ivories in Bonanzaville, ND

August 3 - Last Night - Niagara Falls

Rather than spend the last few days just driving and complaining, we decided to make one last stop - the ever-in-our-minds Niagara Falls.

I had been told that I had been there as a kid. But I had no memories of it. I'm sure my own kids will say the same, except that I have photographic proof that we visited!

It was a Sunday night and on Sundays there are fireworks over the falls. So we quickly set up camp at the KOA in Buffalo and drove to the Casino near the falls to park.

We walked to the falls and checked out various viewpoints and then we got to see the awesome fireworks.

A well dressed couple got engaged just before the fireworks started. Kind of cool.

And that pretty much capped off an awesome trip.

August 2 - Toledo Whorehouse and Drug Den and Poisonous Water

I know I'm going to get flack from my fellow travelers for describing the Motel 6 we stopped at outside Toledo as a whorehouse and drug den, but we can agree to disagree.

After a brief stay (15 minutes) at a sleazy Motel 6, we skedaddled across the street and found nicer accommodations at a Red Roof Inn.

I have no photos of this day.

Also, the entire city of Toledo including our new hotel was on water restrictions because of algae, or maybe they knew we knew everything was skanky and they knew we'd tell everyone so they wanted us out. In any case, we left early.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/07/science/cyanobacteria-are-far-from-just-toledos-problem.html?_r=0

August 1 - Wisconsin Dells and Donuts

I'm writing this nearly 7 weeks after we got home because....lazy. No excuses.

We left Fargo early in the morning still not knowing if we were going to north of the Great Lakes through Canada or south, perhaps back to Hamilton, OH and Roy's farm.

Regardless, we drove through the Wisconsin Dells which are uber pretty and ended up staying at Stoney Creek RV resort.

http://www.stoneycreekrvresort.com/

We saw another vintage camper and had a great time swimming in the pool and chatting with the other vintage camper owner (see red Shasta below).

The new owner of Stoney Creek delivered our picnic table at the site just after we arrived. He and his wife had just bought the place. His wife had worked for many years at a Jellystone Park RV resort nearby.  In the morning he and his family made donuts for all the campers.

The other vintage camper was owned by a retired gentleman. He and a buddy were driving slowly south following the Mississippi River and attending a vintage camper event in Missouri.

It was relaxing, though our campsite was a bit far from the pool.

July 30 – Grandpa’s Exclusive Club -Fargo, Fargo movie props, script, Def Leppard, Cutest Trailer Ever, Fargo Air Museum, Couch seats at the theater,

BEST. DAY. EVER.

There’s a song on our ipod called “Best Day Ever” bySpongebob Squarepants.

This was Grandpa’s best day ever.

You may not know this, but there are so many people that visit all 50 States and leave North Dakota as their last visit that the North Dakota Visitor’s Bureau has a special certificate for these people.

Grandpa has joined that club.

Also in the Fargo visitor center: signed walkway with lots of 80s and 90s rock bands and Bill Gates - no idea why really but the explanation is below. Fargo movie props - eg, the Chipper and the script.  Took photos below.

Also, some people walking by our trailer as it was parked in the HoJo parking lot, "That's the cutest trailer ever!"

We also went to the Fargo Air Museum and bought souvies and then saw a movie at a brand new movie theater with couch seating...

July 29 – driving to Fargo, Pioneer Auto Museum, ammo on the counter, wild rice by the Interstate

We were sad to leave Badlands, or at least I was sad to leave Badlands. Certain teenagers and soon-to-be teenagers were itching to get home.

Maybe it was sleeping in the camper. Maybe it was the parental oversight. Or maybe everyone just wanted to stop living out of duffel bags…

We enjoyed Badlands a lot. In the next site over was a French family, driving from New Hampshire and headed for Yellowstone. We shared a coffee in the morning and chatted camping tips.  In the site across from us was a family with a 1962 Winnebago. It was in original condition and was roomier than ours. They were on their way to the Black Hills.

So we said goodbye to the Badlands and started our first long drive in a few days – to Fargo.

We were tired of the car so instead of stopping at places like the Corn Palace – we skipped it and simply drove.

However, since we had to stop for gas, we stopped at the Pioneer Auto Museum, which has a pretty awesome collection of old cars...

On the way we stopped at a rest stop where, on the counter next to the Snickers bars, were boxes of ammunition - just in case you get a craving I guess.

As we entered North Dakota, we started seeing endless small lakes covered with wild rice, which is pretty cool since Binh and I both love wild rice...which has to be hand harvested....

Even with fewer stops, we still didn't arrive in Fargo the Howard Johnsons until 8pm or so. My dad was already in town at the Radison.

The pool at the HJ is huge with a 10 foot deep end. Audrey and Danny had a great time and we went to bed.