Brake Lights & Bug Bites

The past few months have looked a little different for us. Our camper was undergoing warranty work in St. Louis, so we spent a few weeks at a hotel in Ohio and some time Up North while the boys attended camp. As is often the case, the work took longer than anticipated. We had planned to pick up the camper on Friday to embark on a weekend drive to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. However, it wasn’t ready until Tuesday, which meant we had to break our trip into several 3- to 4-hour driving days after Ken finished work. Along the way, we passed through many states: Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, and North Dakota!

Along the way, we stayed at a fantastic campground and enjoyed wonderful Harvest Hosts as well. Highlights included a beautiful campground on a lake in Iowa, a charming vineyard and winery in Iowa, and an amazing goat farm in North Dakota. Of course, we managed to spot a few college football stadiums along our route as well!

After several days of driving, we finally arrived at Theodore Roosevelt National Park and were thrilled to settle back into the camper and ease back into our routine. Everyone was happy to have their beds and toys back, rather than living out of suitcases!

While living in Silver Lake, we had a neighbor who loved exploring national parks with her grandson. She told us that her favorite park was Theodore Roosevelt, making it a destination we eagerly anticipated. The park preserves three areas of badlands in southwestern North Dakota and was established to honor the landscape’s influence on Theodore Roosevelt, who hunted and ranched in the area as a young man. The national park, along with the surrounding town of Medora, highlights Roosevelt’s impact on the National Park System. We not only enjoyed exploring the park but also learning more about Theodore Roosevelt’s life. We stayed at Medora Campground, conveniently located just outside the main entrance to the South Unit of the park. Given that our camper is quite large, we usually can’t fit into the campgrounds inside national parks, so finding a spot so close to the entrance was a real treat. Our pull-through site was situated right across from the playground, Gaga Ball pit, and basketball court, which the boys absolutely loved.

Here are a few highlights from our time at Theodore Roosevelt National Park:

– Scenic drives and hikes in both the North and South Units.

– An abundance of wildlife! We saw bison, wild horses, elk, prairie dogs, and various birds. This was definitely Tate’s highlight, with the “bizane” being his favorite! He also found the prairie dogs hilarious, racing towards their chirping sounds only to peer down their holes, wondering where those cute little creatures had disappeared. The bison, which we adored during our visit to Custer State Park in South Dakota, captivated us again, prompting us to stop in our tracks whenever we encountered them! There is nothing better than being stopped in a bison jam!

– We attended “The Teddy Roosevelt Show,” featuring Joe Wiegand, the world’s best Theodore Roosevelt impersonator. He shared stories about Teddy’s time living and ranching in the Badlands. Grant and Miles were even called up on stage to help illustrate Roosevelt’s impact on American football! It was an incredible performance.

– We also enjoyed “Medora the Musical,” a high-energy outdoor show filled with horses, singing, dancing, and fireworks, which told the story of the town of Medora.

-A special visit from Uncle Jake!

Theodore Roosevelt National Park did not disappoint! It brought back memories of the Badlands in South Dakota, but with so much more greenery. We’re always blown away by the incredible variety of landscapes in our country. Our journey will take us next to the mountains of Glacier National Park in Montana!