Fair Winds and Following Interstates
August 16, 2025
Each year we make it a point to visit Badlands National Park. This year we went the day after our arrival. The sunflowers were in bloom, and I was hoping to catch some good photos of a field that I remembered near the Wall entrance. The field was not there anymore. Our photos taken on the drive from Mitchell to Box Elder would have to suffice. Even so, we enjoyed our drive through the Badlands.
August 15, 2025
Pioneer Auto Museum is one of those places we kept saying that we'd stop there someday. Since we had a fairly easy travel day from Mitchell to Box Elder and a time zone change was working in our favor, we decided to stop on this trip.
The place is a hodge podge of buildings housing a single family's collection of cars along with some motorcycles and tractors and a few other things such as toys, lunch boxes, pinball machines and other assorted items. The buildings are loosely labeled to indicate what is housed within.
It's somewhat dusty and some of the autos look like they haven't been run in years. Even so, to our surprise, we saw a couple of unexpected and rather unique vehicles. If you like old cars and need a stretch break, you'd probably enjoy walking around for an hour or so.
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| The billboard car |
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| Screen used General Lee |
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| My dad had a '78 Lil Red Express |
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| Early motorhome |
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| Sliding doors on a car |
August 14, 2025
It had been a couple of years since we stopped in Mitchell, SD. The Corn Palace, which admittedly sounds a bit, well, corny, is actually kind of interesting to see. Each year students from Dakota Wesleyan University submit their drawings for the murals. The winning designs are formulated into a paint-by-number art, only the "paint" is corn cobs. Somewhere around 325,000 especially grown corn in twelve different colors are used for the giant murals. Different grains are used to frame the murals. It's worth a stop if you're traveling through the area.
August 12, 2025
With the Jeep finally fixed, we headed further west for a four night stay at Offutt AFB famcamp. The famcamp is actually located off base at the far end of the runways and about 15 minutes from the main gate. We took the opportunity to explore the Union Pacific locomotives display in Kenefick Park. Nearby Council Bluffs, IA, has a former Carnegie library that they turned into a Union Pacific Railroad museum with free admission.
August 4, 2025
From Indiana we headed west towards SD. Our first stop was in the Lake Coralville area near Iowa City, IA. Our stay ended up being an extended stay due to a rather expensive Jeep repair. It's been a rough month for repairs. Ugh!
One of the reasons we stopped in the area is that I wanted to see the Amana Colonies. I had heard of them and was curious at to what they were. They are not Amish as so many mistakenly believe. The Inspirationists fled Germany, settled in Ebenezer, NY, then moved to Iowa as they grew. They maintained a communal lifestyle until the early 1930's. At which point the communal way of living was abandoned. A corporation was formed, and the Amana Colonies preserved examples of their former lifestyle.
Today the area consists of several quaint and picturesque villages with plenty of shopping. I was most impressed with the woolen mill offerings of blankets and throws. Wow, I wished I needed a blanket.
Yes, Amana appliances are from this area. Whirlpool (current owner) maintains a factory in the area. If you say Radarange when someone says Amana, you're right on track.. Amana developed the first microwave oven for residential use in 1967. No factory tours are available, but the Amana Heritage Museum has the first microwave oven on display.
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| American White Pelicans on Lake Coralville |
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| First Amana Radarange |
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| Amana Woolen Mill |
July 17 - August 3, 2025
We are so thankful to have family in the Nappanee, Indiana, area. Once again, my cousin Steve opened his home to us while repairs were being made to our coach. While coaches being serviced at Newmar are allowed to stay in the service campground for free, the convenience factor does have a couple of drawbacks.
The first drawback for most customers is that you need to be ready for the technician to pick up your coach at 6:00 am, slides in, services disconnected, and ready to roll. Ugh! The second slight drawback is that the technician needs to stop his service work early at the end of the day to drive your coach from the service bay back across the street to the campground. Our technician was quite thankful not to have to do this. We're fairly certain that not having to constantly move the coach resulted in a shorter stay.
So again, we're thankful to have family in area. We enjoy spending time with them, although they are definitely more energetic than we are!
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| Elkhart County Fair |
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| Harness Racing |
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| Harold makes a friend |
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| Working on the Jeep |
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| Wood pellet fired pizza |
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| Time to eat! |
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| Steve cruising on Lake Wawasee |
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| Mulling over North Trace Campground plans |
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| Perfect Twist Pretzels |
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| Josh buffing up the countertops for us |
July 17 - August 3, 2025
During the Newmar International Rally in June, service technicians noted that we had serious water damage in the floor of our fullwall slideout. The issue could not be resolved in the field, and we scheduled repair service at the mothership in Nappanee, Indiana.
Someone must have cancelled since we were able to get in for service approximately six weeks later as opposed to the typical twelve to sixteen weeks out. They allotted three weeks for repairs and annual maintenance items. At peak summer labor rates, we joked that we were buying a small car without getting the car.
I kept saying that we were the poster child for making sure you stay on top of your maintenance and have knowledgeable people doing the service. We had had our roof inspected, but apparently, the technicians did not know all the trouble spots where damage could occur. Scheduling at the mothership may be challenging, but it's worth it!
Repairing the floor and locating the source of the damage and fixing the issue involved over 39 hours of labor. Two more water intrusion areas needed addressing as well.
Our technician took one look at our roof and decided that the best course of action was to reseal the whole thing. He scraped off the four years of accumulated caulk, removed the awnings and brackets, and resealed everything on the rooftop. Add 26 more hours of labor.
Annual maintenance items for the air conditioners revealed damage that we suspect came from last year's hail storm. All the slideouts were tested for any adjustments needed for operation. Any seals that were showing wear were replaced. Bolts were tightened. The entire coach was put through the rain bay several times to test for any water intrusion.
After a much needed wheel alignment, ride height adjustment, and four-corner weigh, we were ready to go. We even made it out several days ahead of schedule. Our credit card took a beating, but we should be in good shape. Plus, we feel good about the repairs being made by the most knowledgeable folks about our coach - the ones who built it.
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| Locating the troublespot |
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| Check out how the scaffolding allows different work heights |
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| Checking for hidden damage |
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| Rotten floor bottom |
