Sunday at Longmont

On Sunday morning long time friends Dan & Karen Gust picked us up at the Winnebago to go for a hike in the mountains.  We had a great walk in the woods and then came back to freshen up for dinner at the home of the Gust's.  Dan and I worked together at Winnebago of California in the late 1970s.  We don't get the chance to spend time together nearly enough.  Their daughter Kristen and her husband Manny and their son Logan joined us for dinner.

Dan on Trail

Karen & Mary on Trail

View from Trail

View of Creek from Trial

Tomorrow morning, Labor Day, we head for the Great Sand Dunes National Park.

Boulder with the Walkers

Yesterday we spent with our good friends the Walkers, Jim, Angie, Nelson and Adam.  We shared a lot of old memories and created some great new ones.  We even got to meet that famous model Benjamin Swanson showing off on of the dress designs of Jorg Bivendorf.

Benjamin Swanson wearing a Jorg Bivendorf Creation

Lunch was a picnic of Snarf's subs at Left Hand Creek.

Picnic with the Walkers - Nelson, Jim, Angie & Adam with Mary

View at Left Hand Creek

Jim & Adam in the Creek

Buying the Sunday Paper

Another Left Hand Creek View

After lunch we shifted our party to Pearl Street in downtown Boulder.  We discovered great bookstores, coffee shops, candy shops, ice cream stores and entertaining street performers.

Didgeridoo Players

Jim & Nelson at Coffee Shop

We finished this mighty fine day with a barbecue at our Winnebago.

Loveland

We had a great day of driving today...no wind.  Yesterday was like riding a bucking bronco with the side winds blowing so hard.  We established in the Loveland RV Resort before 1:00 PM and had a nice salad for lunch.

Our long time friend Adam Walker came over for a visit in the afternoon and we went together to the Benson Sculpture Garden in Loveland.  What an eclectic and interesting array of sculptures.

Adam and his 86 Areola

Mary with Sculpture

Funky Rabbit

Rocking Lady

Kids on a Croc

Cowboy

Ravens

Adam with Sculpture

The Benson Sculpture Garden is definitely worth a visit if you are in the Loveland area.

Adam's brother Jim and his wife and son Angela and Nelson treated us to dinner at the Tres Margaritas in Loveland.

Pierre

On Monday morning we hit the road once again with Pierre, South Dakota as our destination.  We arrived at our campsite in the Oahe Downstream Recreation Area at 2:00 PM.  We were soon settled in to the beautiful campsite on the shore of the Oahe Stilling Basin.  We then drove into town for a visit and dinner with dear friends Jim and Karen Stein.

Winnebago at Oahe

Oahe Morning

Heron at Oahe

On Tuesday with Jim & Karen we made a tour along the Missouri River including a stop at a Buffalo Museum.  The museum is a creation of a local Indian tribe where the primary exhibit was created by the students from the school in Brule.  

Doll at Buffalo Museum

Buffalo Bladder Used as a Water Container

We continued our journey along the Missouri with great views of the prairie and many herds of horses.

View of Prairie

Horses on Prairie

We celebrated our adventure with a picnic lunch of a nice imported Brie cheese, a Pate Forestaire, a French baguette and a nice bottle of French wine.  We did this in memory of a great time we had in France with Jim and Karen.

Picnic on the Missouri

We finished off the day at the Winnebago with a dinner of barbecued lamb chops.

On Wednesday we had another picnic with Jim and Karen on the shore of Lake Oahe.

Picnic on Oahe

After lunch we visited the Casey Tibbs Cowboy Museum which chronicles the rodeo history of South Dakota.

Casey Tibbs Museum

Colorful Buffalo

Thursday morning we continued our eventual return to California with a very windy drive to Ogalalla, Nebraska.

Watertown

On Saturday morning we pointed the Winnebago west and journeyed to Watertown, South Dakota for a couple of days with brother Carl and his wife Rose.  The closer we got to South Dakota the stronger the wind was.  Once there we settled in to our RV park we went to Carl & Rose's for cocktails and then went to dinner at Charley's restaurant.

On Sunday morning we joined Carl & Rose and their friends Clay for breakfast.  Then Rose's sister Mary  and her husband Chuck joined us for a ride on the Watertown Trolley and a visit to the Mellette home.  Mr. Mellette was the last governor of Dakota Territories and the first governor of the state of South Dakota.

Rose, Carl, Mary, Mary, Chuck, Mary and Clay

Mellette House

Watertown Trolley

Maple Grove

On Tuesday morning we moved the Winnebago to the Minneapolis Northwest KOA in Maple Grove for a marathon of visiting with good friends.  Our first guests were Rodger Loberg, a friend from our early days in Floodwood, MN and his lady friend Linda on Tuesday evening.  Our campsite had zero afternoon shade so we requested a change in location.  The new campsite was perfect for entertaining even though it didn't have sewer and only had 30 amp electric.

Wednesday evening was an enjoyable meal of barbecued salmon and a long visit with Bob and Diane Reid from our days in St Peter.  Thursday we drove to Shakopee for lunch with Russ and Bev Swenson more old friends from our Alumacraft days in St Peter.

Russ & Bev with Mary

Russ & Jack

 Thursday evening Ron and Paula Teig, Bruce and Leila Hagen and Jennifer Emmerman joined us for dinner and great conversation.  Ron and Paula are friends from Riverside.  Bruce and Jennifer are Paula's brother and sister.

Yes, I know I should have taken photos of all of them but I am old and can't remember everything.


I did manage a couple of early morning bike rides in Elm Creek Preserve.

Foggy Morning in Elm Creek Preserve

Friday we went on a nostalgia adventure by visiting a few old homes we lived in during our time in the Minneapolis area along with a great lunch at Pracna on Main where we dined from time to time in the 1970s.

My Abode in Early Mpls Days

The Next Home

The 4-plex in Crystal Where We Lived When Jon Wa Born

Where We Lived When Karyn Was Born

Mary at Pracna on Main

Mpls from Nicolet Island

Mpls from St Anthony Falls

We finished our visiting marathon on Friday evening when my nephew Keith Kantola and his new bride Adrienne joined us for dinner at the Winnebago.

Today we depart for our eventual return to Riverside by heading west to Watertown South Dakota for a visit with brother Carl and his wife Rose.

Cottage Grove

On Monday we drove the CRV to Cottage Grove, MN near Hastings to visit friends Ted and Diane Fredrickson.  Diane, a Master Gardener, toured us through her beautiful gardens and then we went for a ride on the Mississippi River on their pontoon boat.  We finished the evening off with a great dinner of barbecued salmon and veggies from the garden.

Diane's Garden Shed

Hibiscus

Ted & Diane

Mississippi River

Hastings Bridge

Tug Entering Lock #2

Tuesday we will move to Maple Grove, MN for a few days before heading west.