Day 90 (Aug 14) – Driving

Well this was an interesting day.  We had a 5 ½ hour drive from Wall, SD to Mandan, ND and weren’t sure where we were going to camp when we got there.  I-94 runs east-west in ND and I-90 runs east-west in SD.  NOTHING runs north-south between ND and SD.  OK, there are a few n-s roads.  They are farm roads that turn into gravel roads if you stay on them too long.  No wonder there were nuclear ICBMs out here.  There’s nothing else!  (Just lots of farmland).

But first, before we left Wall, the girls and I headed to the drug store for one more treat.  This time we skipped the donuts (that was hard) and got the breakfast buffet.  We were all craving biscuits and gravy.  It was very yummy.

THEN we left.  We stopped in the middle of nowhere when we finally found a gas station, and a man walking through the parking lot said to Brad, “You lost your window, eh?”.  Brad said, “What?” and glanced quickly at the pick-up and then looked over at the MPG.  The front window was gone.  Well, it was actually all over our bed and shelf and kitchen counter and floor, inside the camper.  Hmm.  We had driven down a road that was being resurfaced.  There was lots of gravel and even a warning sheet we had to read stating the risks (specifically chipped paint).  When trucks would drive past us going the opposite direction there would be a quick shower of tiny rocks hitting our truck.  I guess one popped up and hit the camper window.  It all turned out just fine.  I was thankful it was the MPG window instead of the truck windshield.  I was thankful it was the only solid (one-piece) window in the MPG.  (The other 3 all have screens and are odd shaped and slide or crank open.)  The first glass place we went to in Mandan (Jake’s Auto Glass – shout out) said they could fix it before 6:00 and it would be $50.  I was thankful for both of those things!  We left the camper there and went down the road to an RV supply store to buy a new bathroom faucet.  They were also incredibly nice and recommended a campground and a place to wash the trailer.  We headed to Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park to reserve a campsite, but they wouldn’t sell us one without an RV or tent.  ???  So we turned around and went back to town for groceries.  Brad ran back over to pick up the camper when they called.  We headed for the campground a second time and this time made it in.  They have hook ups and showers.  We got here at 7:00 which is much later than our normal arrival time.  I made a quick dinner and we roasted marshmallows.

Interesting day, but it truly made me more thankful for “little” problems.  We have had several small hiccups on this trip, but nothing unmanageable.  I feel like I am getting a better perspective on what is worth getting worked up over.  Definitely not a broken window.