And then, and then, and then, and then, and theeeeennnnnnnnnnn

I hope y’all get my title reference. I normally do not like stupid humor, I have more of a dad joke sense of humor, but for some reason I find the movie "Dude, Where's My Car?" stupidly hilarious and find myself quoting it all the time. I don't know what's wrong with me, lol, probably a lot! At any rate, seems like I get the bug to write once every two years or so. For some reason, my last blog post was never published so I just published it today, and it kind of made me sad to re-read it. And well, in two years, a lot has happened again. Things change and things remain the same. Let's play catch up one more time shall we... As I finished the last post, we were in Colstrip Montana. We left there at the end of June. I got home and had a few days with my dad before he passed away July 7th 2022. Two days later I turned 50. Ok, let me give you a brief rundown of the past two years. Eventually in Colstrip the weather did turn nice, I was taking our dogs, because we adopted two dogs during this time frame as well, but I had been out walking the dogs, up and down hills in Montana. I woke up one morning with pain in my lower back. I just figured it was sciatica, this has happened before, a few days’ rest, and I will be fine... NO. I came home, back still hurting, my dad died, I turned 50, and July 21, I was hospitalized with pancreatitis. Y’all, let me be real clear, I DO NOT DRINK ALCOHOL!!! This is something that excessive drinkers tend to get. They tested everything and could not figure out why I had gotten this. Well, I was there for two days, until the pain came down and I could attempt to eat again without pain. So, ok, that was that. But I still had pain in my back that was not going away. Fast forward to December, I woke up one morning with a crick in my neck, or so I thought. As the day went on, it just kept getting worse and worse, and manifested in my left shoulder blade. It was beyond painful. So, I thought, well it's a pinched nerve, it will be ok. Not so much. I tried everything, EVERYTHING! I saw so many Chiropractors and massage therapists no one could make any improvement in my pain. At one point I was trying decompression therapy and that created a fresh new hell that I have since dealt with and no one can fix (but GOD). We were in North Dakota and I decided to try acupuncture, FINALLY!!!!! Finally, something worked! My shoulder was no longer in pain. I decided to have her try to fix the pain in my lower back...IT GOT WORSE!!! I don't know how, but it got worse and more than that, I started having spasms in my legs and could barely walk. I finally got back home to Colorado, to my Dr. who sent me for so many tests, including Lyme disease as there had been ticks in Montana. And I think I had at least 7 MRIs to rule out MS. So, what they found is that my spinal cord in my neck was so pinched up, they were surprised that I was not paralyzed. The insurance keeps asking what happened, because surly, I must have been in an accident. I keep telling them, I literally just woke up with a pinch in my neck one morning! I turned 50 and my body rebelled, I don't know what else to say. So February 2024, I had spinal surgery to decompress my spinal cord and replace two disc's and fuse three vertebrae and guess what.....my lower back STILL hurts!!! They told me it could take up to two years for the nerve damage to repair, after that, it is what it is. Well, it's December 2024 and I am slowly, VERY slowly, seeing some improvements. I am slowly being able to walk short distances, albeit painful and leaving me out of breath, but I'll take it. I'm still traveling with my husband. We have been to so many places over the past two years, both very good and not so good. We are currently in Moriarty, New Mexico but I'll save that for another day. Hopefully in the near future and not two years from now...No guarantees though! Jennifer

And Then...

It has been a long time since I have been in here to write. The last time I wrote anything was 2 years ago, we had just finished up in Miles City Montana. And guess what, here I am in Montana again! This time I am about an hour away from Miles City in a small town called Colstrip. But I will get to that in a bit. First let’s play catch up, shall we! I think the best way to do this is to just kind of walk through the events of the past two years. October 2020, I came back to Colorado from Miles City. I had a wonderful holiday season spent with my family. January 2021, the grandkids were homeschooling and the oldest was really having a difficult adjustment to it. I made the decision to stay home during that time and work with him one on one. End of May 2021 and through the summer, hubby was on jobs in La Junta, CO and Canon City, CO. These places are within a couple hours’ drive from the house so I traveled back and forth a lot and spent a great deal of time with the grandkids. We welcomed our newest grandson on the 31st of August this year and I stayed home to help mama and daddy and get to know my sweet new grandson. During the Autumn of 2021 our family went through a very dark time. Everyone started getting sick with Covid. It was the strangest thing, just all of a sudden, it seemed like everyone was testing positive. One of my brothers was diagnosed too far into his illness and he was not able to make it through. Right now, that is all I can say about that as I am still grieving and just can't go through the details. During this time, we had been in Cheyenne, WY and we had been traveling back and forth as Cheyenne is only about three hours from our home. We went home for Thanksgiving and, of course, we ended up with Covid. Mine was pretty mild but hubby was very ill. We went back home to Colorado so we could be in our house and near our Dr during his recovery. That takes us through the end of 2021. Now for this year of 2022! Hubby has been to Texas and Colorado, I stayed home for the most part because he was so close to home. We were thrilled when we learned he was coming back to Montana as we really enjoyed ourselves here last time. So far, we have been here for 7 weeks and this has been a very difficult trip for me. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly... I’m actually going to work that backwards because I like to end things on an upbeat note. So let’s start with the Ugly. The Springtime weather here has been, well, ugly. Since we have been here, we have had two major snow storms dumping about a foot of snow on us each time. Most days are cloudy and cold and even when temperatures are reaching into the 60's, there is still a cold breeze which makes it very uncomfortable for me. Yes, I am going through "the change" and I should find this weather delightful, but I don't. I do not like being inside so much. And I am more often cold (freezing) than hot! Last time we were in Montana, we enjoyed a beautiful Autumn and I was able to go for walks every day and sit outside to do my bible study each morning. Here not so much. The Bad, I hate to classify Colstrip as Bad, but it's pretty bad here. Not in a crime sort of way mind you, but in a, there is nothing here sort of way. I will explain in just a minute. The other bads: the nearest Walmart is just over an hour away in Miles City. Now I know that sounds like a petty first world problem, and it is, but when I get to my description of Colstrip, well it will make more sense. And the closest actual city is Billings, about two hours away. And with gas prices as they are, well, it just stinks to have to go anywhere. The Good, well, the good is right here in the camper. I was able to get private internet hooked up to the camper, not a campground Wi-Fi but actual internet service through a local company. That is really exciting because we can stream all we want with no issues! And I have been doing a lot of online classes this trip. I have an area set up in the camper now with a desk and lots of my crafting supplies. On previous trips I have tried to bring so much with me and there just is never enough room. This time I was very selective in what I brought and I have been learning how to paint with watercolors. It's been my own sweet journey! I found a group that does devotionals and doodling together online and that has been a huge blessing to me on this trip. Ok, let’s get to the fun part! Welcome to Colstrip Montana! Colstrip is a, wait for it... coal mining town! You either work at the mine or you work at the power plant. We are currently staying in the man camp belonging to the power plant. It's really not that bad here but it is not a public campground, you must have some kind of tie to the power plant. But that is a story best left for another day. We have a lovely view of the ginormous power plant right out of our back window! Actually, you can pretty much see the power plant from anywhere in Colstrip, but I digress. There is one gas station here and a small, but surprisingly convenient grocery store that is sinking into the ground, shopping is a bit like walking through a funhouse. There is an Ace Hardware, but as with all Ace's, you will pay twice what you would pay at Walmart for anything, but the owner is a wonderfully kind man. Oddly enough, there is a Subway here and that is it for fast food chain restaurant type places. They have a bar restaurant but that's not really our thing so we have not been. They have a community center but I have not gone there either. They have a walking trail and they boost over 30 parks, but there is no trail head to park at and no parking at any of the parks which suggests to me that these are strictly for the people that live directly in the community of said trails and parks. Now they do have a lovely lake with a trail around it and it has been nice enough one time for me to go take a walk there. Otherwise, it's just cold and windy here. Now I realize that maybe I'm not giving it a fair shake as it is Spring and maybe it's not a "normal" Spring and I'm a sissy lala when it comes to the cold. But hey, I'm just sharing MY experience. But, as we were told by a resident, don't drink the water here, it's contaminated, and indeed it does smell a bit off, I thought it was my camper, but y'all, even the dogs will not drink the tap water here! We buy them bottled water because they refuse this water. And I have read news stories of all the COPD problems older people have here from working in and living around the mines and power plant. Just informing and reporting my own opinions. Maybe Colstrip is actually a lovely town to live in or visit. We have another month here so if something changes in that time, I will let you know, otherwise, see you in the next town! Jennifer

Missions 4, 5, and the Intermission

 Well hello there friend!  It's been awhile!  2020 has been and continues to be a year of challenge for all of us.  Grab you a cup of coffee and pull up a chair, lets visit for a few.

When I left off, we were finishing up in Williston, ND.  So far that has been my favorite place.  I had come home for a couple of weeks to visit my Dr. for some routine stuff and take care of a few things at home, like getting the kitchen remodel underway so we can eventually, maybe, sell the house. Maybe.  Meanwhile, hubby went to Mission 4, Killdeer, ND.  

Killdeer, ND

Obviously I was not on this job but for the last week of it.  But I can tell you there is some great fishing in the area.  Of course this is coming from my husband so they could just be fish tales!  No, he actually sent pictures to me. One of the places he went to was Lake Ilo  . This is a beautiful lake but the shore fishing was just ok.  The place he really caught A LOT of fish was The Little Missouri Public Use Area. 

The last week he was there I rejoined him. This was the week after Labor Day weekend. We went in to the small town of Killdeer for groceries and that was all I did there.  Except pay a crap ton of money to fix our heater!  Oh the joys of RV living! But you live and you learn and you let go.  On to Mission 5.

Almost 600.00 later and we have heat back!

 

Miles City, MT

Welcome to Miles City!

 

This is a place I would love to go to during non-Covid times. Unlike North Dakota where everything was open all summer, most everything that had to do with tourism was closed down in Miles City, Montana. First things first.  There is pretty much ONE campground in Miles City. Thankfully, it's a beautiful KOA!  But there is more to that story and I will explain in just a bit.

I went to the chamber of commerce and had a wonderful visit with a lovely lady there. Unfortunately, again there was not much happening at this time.  They do put out a great visitors guide, but because of Covid, they had not done one for 2020, so I have the 2019 book. We had planned on bringing our grandchildren up in mid-October but, going back to the KOA story...that didn't happen. I will get to it, I promise.  First, I'll tell you of the places I wanted to visit, but was unable to. Then I will tell you what we did do, and finally, I'll tell you my KOA experience.

What we wanted to do:

 I really wanted to go to the Range Riders Museum. This is a collection of 13 buildings that began back in 1941. The museum is a history of Southeastern Montana. 

Another place I wanted to visit is the WaterWorks Art Museum. This unique place is located inside the old 1910 water plant. This museum sits at the confluence of the Yellowstone and Tongue rivers. It's actually on the opposite side of the Tongue from where the KOA is. There is actually a place we went to that is on the river kind of behind this place, I'll get to that in a minute.

They do have a winery you can visit called the Tongue River Winery.  We did not go as neither of us drinks alcohol, but they do sell their wine at the Walmart, so I brought a few bottles back for my daughters.  I'll be honest. They did not like the wine and I wasted a lot of money for them to try it.

 

OK, so WHAT DID WE DO?  Great question!  I walked A LOT. He fished a little. WE rocked hunted like crazy!  

So, what is the great Miles City past-time?  Looking for agates! Yup, that is what you do when you are in Miles City Montana! Why, I don't know, but if the bug bites, you can't help yourself, you are searching for them everywhere. I have 2 five gallon buckets and then some, of rocks we brought back from Montana. Some really are agates, others are just really neat rocks and a few pieces of jasper and we found quite a bit of petrified wood, which is always cool to find.

Big Agate

Big Agate

Where did we find all of these cool agates? Another great question!  Most of them did come from hubby's job site, which all the dirt/rock for that came from a local quarry, so that's kind of the bummer because that is on private property. But some of our largest agates came right off the Yellowstone River! 

Yellowstone River

 

The coordinates I've given in the previous link are for an island that is accessible in the late summer into the fall when the river is low.  If you look at it on the satellite image on google, it would seem impossible to get to. We were there Sept. into Oct. and while we did have to cross over a shallow stream (take your galoshes) it was easily accessible.  This is the location that is behind the Waterworks Museum. 

We also went to this place. Again, looking at google maps satellite, you'll wonder how, but I assure you, this one you can drive right out onto when the water is low.  There were tons of people using this as a boat lunch. When we visited this little island, we had no idea what an agate is, so we didn't take the time to look for them here, but I'm sure they are there. 

On the Yellowstone River

There are also piles of rocks right next to the campground so we searched those several times and there are several places along the Tongue river that you can access very easily. There is a road that runs along the Tongue that makes for a nice walk and you can walk right down to the water.

A short walk from the campground

 

OK, enough with the rock hounding, because for real, I could probably talk about searching for rocks all day long. It's silly, but it's a super relaxing hobby!

A place that I really enjoyed going for walks is the Spotted Eagle Recreation Area. This is a beautiful little lake with tons of activities from swimming to fishing to kayaking. There are so many well maintained walking trails all over this recreation area. 

Another nice place to visit is 12 Mile Dam. Again, hubby fished, I walked. It is worth it to make the short trip out here for a picnic!

 12 Mile Dam

There is a State Park called Pirogue Island, we actually drove out here but did not go in. It was seven dollars to get in which is fine, but we were just there to take a walk and didn't feel like paying to go for a walk, lol.  If we had the grandchildren and/or were making a day of it, then definitely! But just for a walk, nah, I'm good.

As with all places, there is always so much to see and so little time to see it all!  Again, I hope we get the opportunity to come back to Miles City post Covid and really have some fun!

 

Are you ready for the KOA story I promised you?  Um, you didn't forget amid all the cool happenings in and around Miles City did you?

OK, this is what happened. As you know, hubby travels for work and I travel with him as much as I can. Duh. USUALLY, we stay in work camps (livin' the glamorous life!).  This time however, we got to stay at a KOA.  LIVING BIG!  And this spot is GORGEOUS!  There's grass and huge cottonwood trees, inexpensive laundry facilities (because seriously, you never know what you're going to get at a laundromat), the river is right there!  This is glorious!

KOA Miles City

And under new ownership.

Two days prior to our arrival.

By people who have never owned a campground before.

And who apparently have zero hospitality skills.

But, I am full of grace for these people. Hey, who doesn't love a new adventure!  And as great as making new lifelong friends would be, I'm kind of used to work camps, people don't really socialize. I just do my thing, mind my own business, keep my campsite spotless, usually I would sit out at the picnic table and do my bible study and smile and wave at the people coming and going. They pick up the trash daily but I don't mind the walk over to the dumpster. I take the dog out for a daily walk anyway.  Ohhhhh yeahhhhh, I completely forgot to mention the dog!  I'll get to that.  

Anyway, a little bit about their back story as I was told from the owners mother: Their son, who appears to be in his mid to late 30's, was injured in a lawnmower accident as a child which resulted in the loss of one of his eyes. They sued the person who had been mowing and won. They set up a trust fund for their son. Before the last of it was gone, they decided to invest it into something for him, long term, so they purchased this KOA. They are from Nevada. They all moved here together, the son is the owner and the mother and father are helping him run the place.

We arrived Sept. 10th with a month long reservation until the 10th of October. We actually wanted to stay even longer but, and here is a key part to the story, the old owners were ok with this. The new owners wanted to close the campground on the 15th of Oct. Their reason was that they wanted to shut the water off before any freeze could damage the lines.  And while that is fair reasoning, we were told by the old owners it would not be a problem because they could keep the side near the residence open and close the other side of the park. The new owners however, just had no clue.  So we just kind of figured we would take it one day at a time and see how it went. 

BUT THEN...

About a week and a half before the 10th (now mind you, we were hoping to stay at least until the end of October, our grandchildren were planning on coming to stay for a week on the 17th), I walked into their little gift shop to get some postcards to send to the grand kids to get them excited. I was deciding which cards to buy when the father says to me "I just wanted you to know that we received a bad review because the people were complaining about some long term tenants that were up partying half the night being loud and smoking pot and coming out early in the morning and fighting and yelling." I said to him "well I can assure you it was not us!  I am usually in bed by 8pm, we don't even drink alcohol let alone smoke pot! I am sure it was the other campers on the other side whom your wife had told me were a problem!" And then he starts in on telling me they are a KOA Journey, that means you only stay one or two nights, not long term! And how he is doing us a favor because we are essential workers in allowing us to stay!  Y'ALL!!!!!  My mind was BLOWN! We paid in full, at the time of reservation WITH THE OLD OWNERS! There are no other campgrounds in the area! I still just cannot with this!  And you know, it wasn't even that he round about was accusing us of being unruly people, it was the fact that he made me feel so unwelcome. That hurt. I had done nothing wrong.

Our site at the KOA

 

I went back to my camper teary eyed and proceeded to pack anything and everything that was out, like our rug and chairs and our little portable gas fire pit. I packed it all away. I felt dirty and ashamed and like I didn't belong. It was such an ugly feeling. I called my husband and through tears explained to him what happened and he was MAD to say the least. His company had two other men coming in to the campground in just a few days and now they were not so sure. I am guessing the secretary called and gave the people a piece of her mind because the next day, the father came to my door and apologized saying he doesn't even know why he mentioned that review to me. I spoke boldly instead of just saying "it's ok" because truly it wasn't, I said, you really made me feel unwelcome here! His head snapped up like I surprised him by saying that. But darn it, he needs to know! He apologized again and I said thank you and closed my door. After that, I didn't sit outside, I didn't make one move to bother those people. I went on my walks and made no eye contact. And on the morning of the 10th, we packed everything up and left. 

A couple of other things worth mentioning about the KOA topic... when he apologized, he said we had been model tenants. Now, let me set the record straight here.... We are NOT tenants!  We are paying guests at your facility!  Maybe that's his biggest mistake. Like I said, zero hospitality skills. The other thing is in regards to the two other people from the company that had come to stay.  Hubby took me and the camper home and went back and stayed in a hotel. The other two people who were in the campground from our company told us this: Exactly on the 15th, they shut off the water. They said NOTHING to our two guys. Just shut it off. Furthermore, they locked up the laundry facility and the bathroom/shower facility, but continued to charge the regular rate to them. These are not my facts though, only what I was told. 

I have yet to leave them a review because I just don't know what to say. I mean, they are new to this, I am sure they are overwhelmed with everything, but at the same time, why did you choose something that takes people skills if you have none?  By the way, I read the original review he mentioned to me, they were CLEARLY talking about the other people, they spoke of a FAMILY, and yes, those other people have children. Whereas, for us, it's just me and hubs and the dog...oh the dog. 

Dwight

 

My son got out of the US Air Force in August.  When hubby brought me home from Williston, he picked up our son to go to work for him. And our son's dog became my dog, for the time being. Because our son stays in hotels with the other workers who do not camp, he cannot have the dog with him, even if he could, that's not fair to keep a dog in a hotel room all day alone. Especially this one who whines if I close him out of any room I'm occupying. Mind you he does not need to physically be in the room with me, but if I separate him from me with the door, that's a no-go. Except at night, he has accepted that I close my bedroom door, because he will sneak in and he is not allowed in my bedroom. I draw the line there! He is a sweet boy who believes that it's ok for an 80lb dog to crawl onto your lap. Again, I draw the line, lol. He sheds like mad and that is hard for me because I cannot stand dog hair, but he is a great companion. 

And now for the intermission!  I have been home since the 10th of October. The kitchen renovations have been going on, so very slowly. The backsplash will be done next week and that should be it! Hubby finished the Miles City job, then took a week off, thank God, I needed help with stuff around here and now he has taken the camper and gone to Cheyenne. Which is only three hours away, so he can come home on the weekends. Since we have reno's and holidays, I have opted to stay home for the time being. In to the new year, I am hoping we head someplace WARM, like back to Texas!  I'll keep you posted!  Thank you for visiting and God Bless!

Jennifer, The Elegant RV'er

One of many "hauls"

Mission Two and Three - Williston, North Dakota

I am calling this Mission Two and Three because job-wise, there have been two different job sites, location-wise, we have been at the same campground since May 19th and this is possibly moving into Mission four as well, but here’s the catch with that one; I will most likely be taking a break from the road and going back home for three weeks while he is on this last minute job.  Of course, as is par, nothing is ever set in stone. We aren’t moving until we are moving!  But I do have some things that need to be taken care of at home. So, a break is needed. 

Williston, N.D. 

I have loved this place much more than Texas. Part of the reason this was so much easier to handle was that my grandchildren were able to stay with us for a total of 4 weeks!  Two weeks from May into June and two weeks from June into July. That was a huge blessing to me and I hope they were blessed by it too. Covid restrictions have not been as bad in North Dakota, probably because there have not been as many cases here. We were able to visit and play at all of the parks as well as go to a water park several times!

Be forewarned, this post may get long winded as I’m about to tell you all of the things I have found in and around Williston that will probably make you want to visit…. I definitely think you will want to visit! And I’m still trying to get caught up to date on our adventures for this blog.  I am going to attempt that with this post.  Be prepared, lots of places and lots of pictures are headed your way!

Local Parks

As I mentioned in previous posts, I am a parks person. I simply love them. And Williston does not disappoint! You can visit the Williston ARC (Area Recreation Center) website or just click here to go directly to the parks page. While my grandchildren were visiting, we made it a point to go to a different park every day and then return to our favorites.  The parks are maintained with excellency and pride!  We were all blown away not just by how many parks there are here, but also by the quality of each park.  Every park is above average, everything is clean with well-placed layout and the latest and greatest equipment. We especially loved the inclusive Western Star park that is geared specifically towards children with special needs. 

The grandkids gave nicknames to the parks they loved the most. Harmon park became known as the “Sculpture park” due to its many beautifully carved tree trunks. Cote park, which is currently listed as not having a playground but it actually does, they called this one the “Joker park” because the colors are purple, green and grey. The Western Star they dubbed, the “Alien park” because of the space theme and the cute little green guy who welcomes you! Spring Lake Ponds parks, were the “Tall park” and the “Zip Line park”. No there is not an actual zip line here, but rather a great children’s track line. And we also have the “Farmers park” which is formally known as Davidson park which also has a great splash pad the kids loved while they were here. 

A few more things about the local parks before I move on. My personal favorite park with or without kids is Spring Lake Ponds. There are two small fishing ponds here with walking trails around them and there is a formal walking trail around the park, I believe it is a mile to a mile and a half. I think the sign says 1.5 miles but my walking app says it’s less than that. You can also walk or drive up to a small bluff that overlooks the ponds. When I’m in the mood to boost my walk, I go for it with this hill, but I love going up there to write or watch an online sermon or just to think. It is very peaceful. This dirt road is located right at the parking lot with the really cool little water wheel that actually is running from time to time. 

Water Fun

If swimming is your thing, you are going to love this area!  Inclement weather or not there is something for everyone here. Right in town, we found the places mentioned above that have great water fun.  The Williston ARC has an amazing indoor water park for all ages. They even have a flowrider in this facility!  The staff is mostly teens and young adults as to be expected at a pool. But these kids were wonderful at instructing the grandchildren on how to use the flowrider and improve their skills with it.  I am pretty sure if my grandson could have stayed with us all summer just for this one feature, he would have. In addition to the water park, they have a pool where they give lessons, and a third area with an Olympic sized pool.  Williston is not lacking when it comes to park and rec activities!

As I said previously, there is a splash pad here at Davidson park that was great fun for the kids.  Also, at Spring Lake Park, there is a swim beach. We did not partake of this particular place just because of the lack of time but I often see people enjoying the water here.  You can also rent paddle boards here.  I have not gotten brave enough to try this and do not see it in my near future either.  A swim beach we did go to, however, is located at the Lewis and Clark State Park.  This is a cozy little park along the Missouri River.  The cost is 7.00 per vehicle. We spent an afternoon here with the kids and with life vests in place, we let them brave the swim beach.  The major downside to this is the rocks. The entire beach is made up of small rocks.  We found lots of petrified wood here and some really fun rocks if you are into that sort of thing,which of course we all are, but it would have been nice to have had a bit more sand for lounging on, rather than rocks.

Fishing

If fishing is your type of fun, you will find multitudes of places to fish in and around this area.  My husband loves to fish, I on the other hand, love to catch!  And so I let him test the waters and throw in his line, if he is having success, I will fish with him, if not, I’m content to read. I’ve done a lot of reading on our fishing trips.  I’m not saying there are no fish here, but I will say they seem to be few and far between. He says it’s just because we are used to fishing in Colorado for trout so most of his supplies are geared toward that and he has to buy the right stuff to catch fish here…sounds a little fishy to me. The one time he got into a mess of fish and caught several shiners, I was not with him. He could have been sending me multiple pictures of the same fish. You know, men and their fish tales. I was with him when he lucked out and caught a small walleye one day. He was very excited; it was his first. And I was so very excited for him. Another time, we went fishing with one of his co-workers and that guy caught a northern pike. The teeth were crazy!  

Having told you all of this, there are many places here both formal and informal for fishing. Among the ones we have been to is the Lewis and Clark State Park. While we were here, hubby took his small one-person pontoon boat, nicknamed “The Yacht” out around the marina but was unsuccessful.  They encourage these smaller boats and kayaks to stay within the protected marina as there is a potential to get swept into a stronger current in the river and have a difficult time getting back. 

Another place he likes to go to is a set of ponds located in the Lewis and Clark Wildlife Management Area. You follow a road called Shooting Range Road, and yes, it does end at a public shooting range, if you’d like to partake of that too. These ponds are popular!  Really popular!  On a good day it will be difficult to find a place to park on the very narrow land bridge between the two ponds. This is the location that the Northern Pike was caught at. 

We have fished at the Spring Lake Ponds several times with no success.  He has even taken the yacht out here to no avail.  The reason we believe this is such a difficult pond to catch fish at is because they are shallow and a lot of the fish die in the winter and must be restocked each Spring. We are not sure of the last date these ponds were stocked but if we believe the posted signs, it’s been a verrrrryyyyy long time.  

One of his favorite places to fish is along the Little Muddy River, this is where the walleye and shiners were caught. The river runs along the east side of Williston and there are several locations to fish at where the roads cross the river. These are all informal fishing locations where people have created dirt parking lots. However, there is a formal boat launch area but there are more people fishing on the other side of the highway at one of the informal fishing spots. I've done my best to drop pins for you here, here, here, here, and here.

A few more places we have been to in this area are Blacktail Dam, he took the yacht out here but caught no fish, it is a really beautiful spot for a picnic though. One major note for going to Blacktail Dam, DO NOT just google it and rely on google maps to get you there.  Use the map only to get you as far as turning off of Hwy. 85 onto 69th St. NW. (or us my link above). After that toss your phone aside and follow the signs, if you foolishly trust google maps after I tell you this, you WILL end up in the middle of a farmer’s field, ask me how I know! 

We went to Epping Dam. This is a nice little lake, but again, no fish were to be had here. Cottonwood lake, we did not fish here but drove out there, and Kettle lake.  We did not fish here either, but interesting fact: 

"Kettle lake basins were formed as the glaciers receded. While this was happening, a block of ice broke off the glacier, and just sat there. As the glacier continued to melt, the debris from the glacier (soil, rocks, stones, gravel, etc.) filled in around the block of ice. When the block of ice finally melted, all the debris surrounding it fell into the hole, creating the kettle type basin, which when filled with water, became a lake as we know it."  Michigan State University, Dept. of Geography

This is actually a pretty neat place, even if I did have visions of drowning as my truck brakes failed and we slide down into the dark depths of this kettle. It is located in a depression in the earth and as I eluded, you must drive down a steep hill to get to it. It is small and round and had I not been so freaked out; I might have taken some cool pictures of it.  Maybe I’ll brave it again on another day, or at least go to the top of the hill and photograph it!

National Park

Of course, I am not going to tell you about Williston without mentioning the fabulous National Park nearby! 60 miles south of Williston is the beautiful Theodore Roosevelt National Park. At least the north entrance is located here. The south entrance is located about another 60 miles further down the road and to the west. This is a unique park in that it is divided in two sections, a North and a South. Each area has unique features as well as similar features.  We have been to both sides and have a preference to the North. We have visited this side twice so far. If you have a chance to go it’s a must.  The views are stunning!  There are many hiking trails located throughout both sides and there are buffalo on both sides as well that can come up right next to your vehicle. Not that we wanted them there, they were just in the road as we drove through. They are majestic animals.

Day Trips/Weekend Trips

Historical Sites (day trip)

There are tons of historic sites around this area, of course because the town sits right on the Missouri River which was the fastest means of travel back in the day. Everything here is very much Lewis and Clark related, to the point that it is a running joke between hubby and me: "Hey this is the Lewis and Clark (fill in the blank)!" "Really? I can't believe they were here too!" Anyway, a couple of places worth noting are Fort Buford State Historic site  located at the Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence Interpretive Center (pro-tip: watch the movie they offer, it's great history) and the Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site. If you take kids to Fort Union, be sure to do the Junior Ranger activity!  We had a lot of fun.

Minot (day trip):

We drove over to Minot with the soul intention of taking the kids to the Roosevelt Park Zoo. This is a small zoo but it will forever be a remembered zoo. During our visit we were treated to the monkeys going crazy, (Just so you know, I really wanted to say going ape there, moms have dumb dad jokes too). Those monkeys were hilarious. It was so incredibly loud! This is a darling little park and well worth the trip.

Bismarck (weekend trip):

While here, we’ve managed to take a couple of weekends to go a bit further down the road. We made it over to Bismarck while the grandchildren were here. We went to the Garrison Dam National Fish Hatchery. They have lots of tanks full of different kinds of fish as you would expect, but we were all impressed by the large Paddlefish in the Sturgeon house.  The kids also had a blast feeding the trout and painting rocks for the rock garden here.

While in Bismarck we also visited the Dakota Zoo. This is a delightful little zoo that has a playground inside and a “train” to take you all the way around the zoo for an additional fee.  We did the train ride as well as walking around to see everything. It was a little on the expensive side but worth it as a one-time thing. You will see many native species to the North Dakota area, so it’s really great for those who are not used to seeing such sights.

Dickinson (day trip):

Another little trip we made was over to a town called Dickinson. We went to Patterson Lake where my husband fished unsuccessfully, again; I am thinking he might need to go with a guide at this point. He did however, get talked up by the Game and Fish guy. Yes, he had his license. Yes, I was sitting in the truck reading. Yes, they were laughing and joking by the time they were done talking. 

The most unique feature around Dickinson is just a bit further east on the interstate. There is a little highway called the Enchanted Highway. You drive out and back. Along the way are these enormous scrap metal sculptures!  They are definitely a sight to see. While these are not considered fine art, nor are the welds technically perfect, the story behind the sculptures is charming. For me personally, what draws me to this is that this man had a vision and he followed his heart to realize that vision, that is really powerful.

I believe God gives each of us a calling, he puts a hunger inside of our souls and while we may not understand why or how, his purpose always prevails. Sometimes we take a lot of detours in life before we finally end up on the path God means for us. Sometimes these are God lead detours meant to teach us something and sometimes they are of our own making. Either way, God knows every single twist and turn in our lives. Rest assured, no matter what, He is a good, good father, He is in control and there is a purpose to everything you are experiencing. You just have to trust the process.

Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.

Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

I hope you enjoyed this little tour of Williston North Dakota and the surrounding area. I am looking forward to our next mission and in the meantime, I’ll pop back in here to give you some more insight into the RV lifestyle.

With Love, Jen Fulks, the Elegant RV’er

More pics from this mission:

Well hello there!

I really did capture this shot somehow!  He had just snagged that fish from the pond!

I saw this little flower on the roadside as I stopped to take a picture of the church below. I later learned it is a Prairie Rose, the state flower!

This is an old abandoned church in the middle of all of these fields. As you can see, the church is in a state of disrepair but the grounds are immaculate. There is a cemetary here that is still in use.

This pelican flew so close to me I was able to get this shot!

My thinking spot at Spring Lake Park.

The road our campground is on.

A little piece of heaven on earth.

The view from behind our camper