Sioux Falls

Sioux Falls.

Our intention was simply to overnight in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, but we discovered to our surprise that there is a fair amount to do in this mid-western city, so we decided to spend a few nights. There was a thunderstorm of note during the night, and the damp, steamy morning was not conducive to touristy activities, so we caught up with laundry and set out after lunch to find the free trolley bus in town that takes folk around the down town area past all the major tourist sites.

  The trolley runs down the main street, and the first thing we noticed were the sculptures that lined the street

  the local artists each place a sculpture on a designated corner, and it stays there for a year, while members of the public vote for their favourite
 which is then purchased by the town management and placed on permanent exhibition in the park at the waterfalls that give the town its name.

 We really enjoyed our trolley ride as there are many lovely old buildings in the town, made from the rock that was originally quarried near the river.

 The Falls, though not very high, are beautiful, tumbling down several cataracts before flowing away, and the water was at record level thanks to the heavy rains of the previous evening,

 so we spent several happy hours wandering around with our cameras, taking photos and chatting to friendly folk, before boarding the trolley back into town.

That evening we arrived back at camp hot, sticky and exhausted, but discovered, somewhat to our surprise, that despite that, we had thoroughly enjoyed our day!

Chicago

On Sunday Greg and Cherie arrived at Elkhart Campground – how wonderful to see them after so long, and in no time at all it felt as if they had always been near! After an afternoon of catching up and an early evening braai, they spent the night in a cabin in the park, and next morning we parked our rig in a storage area at the campground and showed them some of the Amish villages before heading for Chicago.

We really enjoy Chicago each time we are there, and found, to our delight, that we remembered our way around rather well, so that while Greg and Cherie were at work we were able to go walking and shopping without getting lost. Sitting quietly on the deck each morning, drinking tea and watching the antics of Cyril Squirrel and the birds in the big overhanging tree, with no rush and no pressure, was a welcome respite from traveling. We have spent time sight-seeing in Chicago before, so we were able to simply relax and enjoy walking on the lake shore with our children, or sitting on the deck watching the red bishop bird digging in Cherie’s flowerboxes, and revelling in the pleasures of family time and quiet rest before continuing on our journey, refreshed and ready once more for the joys of the road.

Elkhart – The Heritage Trail through Amish country

  After Niagara Falls, we began to feel as if it is now time to begin moving towards Chicago, where we plan to spend time with Greg and Cherie. One of the wonderful blessings of this trip has been the opportunity it has given us to spend unhurried time with our children – we saw Gary and Veronique briefly on our way over and will see them again in a few months for a longer visit, we had a wonderful visit with Jane and Victor, and now have the opportunity of staying with Greg and Cherie for a while too. While researching our route back towards Chicago, we happened upon something that suits us both really well – there is a Jazz Festival in Elkhart, Indiana, special interest for Sid, and Elkhart is the heart of the Amish Heritage Trail, where they have a Quilt Flower Garden project around the countryside, combination of gardening and quilting interests for Penny! Throw in beautiful countryside, a famous flea market, and – bonus- the Shipshewana Annual Quilt Festival which is being held as we write, and the Elkhart RV Campground seemed like a really good option. The Park is quiet, the sites are level and the fees very reasonable, and it is only two hours away from Chicago, so it is easy for Greg and Cherie to fetch us after we have moved truck and trailer into storage here for the duration of our visit , thus saving us from the fearful task of negotiating Chicago’s metropolis in our rig!!

 

The concept of the Quilt Garden project is a fascinating one – each of seven villages in the county has selected a different quilt design, and then planted a flower garden of different colored flowers to make up the designs. What a job, and how beautifully it has been done, especially as the gardens are all tended by volunteers! There is a signboard at each garden, with a photo of the chosen design and details stating which flowers have been used to make up the pattern in the garden – I was fascinated!.

The first weekend we were in Elkhart, we heard that there is a weekly Sunday afternoon cruise down the river on a paddleboat, so we packed a picnic, consulted town map and Garmin and headed for the river. The River Queen is a pretty good replica of the original river boats, and we had a lovely relaxing afternoon cruising down the river, enjoying the scenery and marveling at the huge houses that line the banks.

  

Driving from town to town on the Heritage Trail, we soon realized that the extra, rather narrow, lane along the side of the road had a very specific function, and that it serves the needs of the Amish community that live in the area. Time appears to have stood still for the Amish, who seem to have rejected all modern technology. They still wear simple, home-made dresses and caps, with the men in dungarees and wide-brim hats, and they drive to town in horse-drawn buggies that stay in the lanes at the side of the road. There are no modern implements, and fields are ploughed using horses too. It is almost surrealistic to drive along the road and see a huge truck approaching, passing a horse and buggy, and the horses do not react at all to the noise or the threatening presence of the trucks. These folk are very creative, and we saw some beautiful hand-crafted furniture, quilts, and large quantities of fresh fruit and vegetables for sale at the flea-market in Shipshewana

While we were browsing in the Shipshewana flea market, we saw banners advertising the annual Quilt Festival. My heart beat faster, and I do believe Sid’s heart probably sank, as he imagined fabric and twittering females! He was quite philosophical about my inevitable interest, however, and was amply rewarded for his patience – when we arrived at the display venue, we found that it was situated in the Town Centre, a huge hall where the modest entrance fee gave access to not only a most magnificent display of quilts, but also an antique quilt section, displayed amongst an extensive collection of Vintage Hudson cars, ranging in date from the 1920’s to much later! The cars were all beautifully restored and the quilts superb, and we both browsed to our hearts’ content, awestruck by the wonder of what we were seeing and inspired by the creativity of so many people.

Our Jazz experience  in Elkhart was a joy – we spent the afternoon on the patio of one of the old historic homes in the town, being entertained by a group of musicians from Chicago, who were excellent at their music and also very friendly. During their breaks, they made acquaintance with

the folk listening to them and resumed playing after having had a good chat to us – it was great to meet them, and they made us feel really welcome. We had a wonderful afternoon and drove back to camp humming happily!

Greg and Cherie arrived at our camp on Sunday and we spent a relaxing afternoon catching up on the missing years, really grateful once more for the opportunity being afforded us on this Great Trek, to spend time with our far-flung family! 

Niagara Falls

 After much discussion about the possibility of traveling east to New York first, we decided that, as Niagara Falls was one of the “wish list” places on our trip, we would head straight there from Nashville (truth be told, we were both a bit daunted at the prospect of navigating the vast traffic volumes in that enormous metropolis!)  It was quite a long drive, so we divided it into three one-night stopovers, which worked quite well and almost had us stop for good! We both fell totally in love with Ashtabula, the last stop before Niagara falls, and would easily have put down roots right there, in the Hidden Lakes RV Park, where the lakes, with trees, birds, squirrels, chipmunks and rabbits made an idyllic setting for the chalets set about the grounds. We decided on a two night stop there, and after a delicious pancake breakfast on Sunday morning and a quiet day strolling around the park and relaxing, we were ready once more for the road to Niagara. We avoided the toll road and took the older, quieter district road, which gave us a break from the endless onslaught of the HUGE trucks that barrel down all the major highways in the USA. These monsters seem to hold other road traffic in total disregard, and can present quite a challenge as they roar past one at speeds far in excess of the limits set on the road, so it was a pleasure to travel through villages and enjoy the scenery for a change, instead of dodging trucks!

After setting up camp at the Niagara Falls RV Park, we followed the map in to town, to the Falls, which the campground host assured us was easy to find – just follow the road. What he did not tell us was that the road leads to the border post that crosses the bridge into Canada, and that when one is anxiously trying to navigate a new city, it is SO easy to end up in the wrong place! The signs were confusing and unclear, and we found ourselves in the parking lot at the Duty Free shop, where we discovered to our consternation that it is impossible to turn around as there are really nasty tyre-ripping teeth in the road! We approached a security guard in the parking lot, who confirmed our fears – we would have to cross over into Canada, despite the fact that our passports were securely tucked away in the Camper back at the RV Park!! We were instructed to purchase a token in the duty-free shop, cross over the bridge, and then tell the Canadian border officials that we did not really want to enter their country. The man assured us that they would simply turn us around and send us back, but we had some anxious moments crossing the bridge, as all sorts of dramatic movie scenes flashed through our minds! In the end that was exactly what happened. The Canadian border officials were wryly amused, kind and courteous, assuring us that this happens regularly, and to our great relief, once we returned to the American side, the US folk were just as helpful. Life certainly is never dull!

And then, finally, Niagara – what an overwhelming, awe-inspiring experience. One sees the pictures, but they do little justice to the majesty of this magnificent natural wonder. Our ride on the Maid of the Mist was one of the highlights of this whole wonderful trip, and my heart was pounding as we boarded the tiny boat and laughingly kitted up in the bright blue plastic raincoats that we had been given. The Maid of the Mist set off into the turbulent water, and soon we were surrounded by the roar and spray and mist of that mighty waterfall – an indescribable, exhilarating sensation of “OH MY GOODNESS”!!! 

The trip was over all too soon, and we left there feeling grateful that we had been privileged to experience something so very special.

Nashville, Tenessee

 After our nasty experience of Memphis, we actually considered skipping Nashville, but eventually decided that we would stop over there, seeing that we were in the area – and were we glad we did!! Two Rivers Campround was great, sites level, pull-through, and trees, alive with the song of the cicadas that had made their 14-yearly appearance just prior to our arrival, and we decided to stop for two days, which eventually extended to five.

 On the day we arrived there we had the pleasure of meeting a South African couple about our own age, who actually live in the park – Pieter and Margie du Toit were generous with their time, showing us around places in Nashville we would never have found on our own. We also spent some time chatting to Judy, my friend met in the laundry room at the Park,  and when we left we felt that we were saying goodbye to old friends!

Nashville is a beautiful city, full of trees, with the Tenessee river winding around it, and two years ago it  was badly flooded, with the RV campground next door to where we were, completely flooded out, big rigs covered up to roof level. The same flood drowned the Grand Ole Opry, Nashville’s famous Country Music hall, and the magnificent Gaylord Opryland hotel that is in the same grounds, and the damage ran into millions of dollars. The folk of Nashville rallied with amazing resilience, and rebuilt their city, and when we went to the Grand Ole Opry on Thursday evening there was no sign of the damage – in true showmanship style, the performance was polished and most entertaining, with various well-known Country Music stars appearing, and by the response from the full house, they are much loved! We also had the pleasure of going twice to the Nashville Night Life Supper Club, right next door to the RV Park, where the ticket included a delicious, true Southern-style meal and a music show, really rocking, with the artists chatting to everyone in the lobby after the show. The Country Music artists are nowhere near as sad as their songs would have one believe – they are lovely warm, friendly folk, and we were privileged to make the acquaintance of the entertainers at the supper club, and were made to feel really welcome.

Our new South African friends took us on a tour of the Gaylord Opryland hotel, a well-known Nashville landmark, and we could not believe that it had been flooded only two years ago – the opulence and splendor of the place is breathtaking – it covers something like nine acres under cover, and the whole hotel is a giant terrarium under a glass roof seven stories high, with controlled temperature and humidity and its own river, gardens and musical fountains. We spent two hours wandering through, amazed and fascinated by the sights and sounds we experienced there.

The weather continued to be extreme, with daily temperatures soaring to 103’F (39’C) and only dropping a few degrees in the evening, with the humidity at 106%, but this  did nothing to deter the enthusiasm or the influx of visitors to the RV parks and the city in general, in preparation for the annual CMA music extravaganza, when all the famous Country & Western artists return to Nashville to perform in their home town and mingle with their fans. We watched the preparations, with barge-stages being built in the river and streets closed off for free street concerts, and were sorry that the park was fully booked, so we were unable to stay and left the day it all began. Nonetheless, we left with our ears ringing with country and western songs and our hearts warmed by the friendly hospitality and joyfulness of Nashville!

Memphis

 Our stop-over spot on the way to Memphis was the town of Little Rock, Arkansas, and we arrived in extreme heat and spent the afternoon in the clear, cool waters of the pool before getting back on the road the next day for Memphis.

And then there was Memphis – hot, humid, run-down and unfriendly. Despite all this, we walked down to Graceland about a block away from where we were camped, intending to stroll through Elvis’ famous home or even just the grounds, to take some pictures. Well, that was not to be. The entrance fee was a staggering $30 each (about R210 each) and then the only access was via a shuttle bus. Change of plan – we would cross over and see what we could see through the gates, so we waited for the pedestrian sign before crossing the road at the light. Imagine our horror when, halfway across the road, we looked up to see a shuttle bus bearing down on us from the Graceland gateway!! I could not believe that it would not stop, called out to it, but on it came – at the last minute my disbelief gave way to action and I leapt out of its path, as it brushed by within inches of me. Sid ran over to confront the driver, who apologized and said she had been chatting to her passengers and didn’t see us!

We never did get to see Graceland. We caught a passing bus downtown, and spent about an hour looking round there, but the shock of near catastrophe hung on and was really difficult to overcome, so after a short trolley-bus ride around the river area, we headed home, hot, tired and shaken. Memphis, for us, was a place best left as soon as possible.

Dallas

Wichita Falls, on the way to Dallas, was lovely. The park is on the banks of the river, with trees, birds, and the friendliest camp hosts imaginable. The only downside was that we spent the afternoon and evening nervously studying the weather reports, as we were on a tornado watch for 9 hours! We had instructions as to where to shelter in the event of the sirens sounding, as they apparently do when the tornado watch becomes a tornado warning (which means that one is on its way!!) We don’t often live in other lives, and at times like this, I was really glad about that!

Driving to Dallas was pleasant – no steep hills, and the countryside became pretty and pastoral, trees and rivers and green grass, a lovely change from the desert scenery. We were looking forward to seeing Sharon Nel, (one of my Grey Junior Library Moms) , and her family, who moved to Dallas Texas 7 years ago, and what a wonderful welcome we had.

 The whole family hosted us with Texan generosity and kindness, and we spent a really special few days with them, seeing more of the lovely city of Dallas than many of the locals!  We went sight-seeing, amazed to learn that there is a network of shops and restaurants beneath the streets of Dallas, as it is just too hot to be outdoors in summer, when the daily temperatures soar to 104’F (40’C) regularly.

 We met a number of other South Africans who now live there too, and were treated to real (enormous) Texan Ribeye Steaks, grilled to perfection out under the wide night sky, a meal that left us hardly able to stagger to our beds!! We were sad to leave our friends when the time came, but have memories that will entertain us for many a long year