Across the Midwest

        We'd had a great time in Las Vegas, but it was time to move on to our next campground.  We stayed in Cottonwood again (see my previous post, Caverns, Sand Dunes, and Red Rocks); which is such a cute town in a great location.  We didn't have anything planned at this campground, which gave us the chance to chill at the campground and make some new friends.  We really enjoyed hanging out, and leaving them was sad; but we hope to see each other again soon.  

        We had a long trip to St. Peters, just outside of St. Louis, starting Friday the 14th.  On our first day we drove from Cottonwood to New Mexico.  The next day we drove from New Mexico to Kansas (this was my first time in Tornado Alley!).  And on our last day we went from Kansas to St. Peters, Missouri.  This was definitely our record for back-to-back travel days and one-night stays.  Needless to say, we were ready to reach our campground in St. Peters, where we'd be staying for a week.  

Travel day #1

Sunrise at our New Mexico campground

At our campground in Kansas, there was this adorable cat I named Kit. He was very comfortable around us and loved to be petted and loved on. 

We stayed in St. Peters Lakeside Park, where we were treated to water views from our camper during the day and beautiful sunsets in the evenings

          We only went to St. Louis one day: Wednesday. Of course we went to the Gateway Arch, and spent almost our whole day in the city there.  My mom and I took the tram up into the Arch (my dad and Mia are afraid of heights, so they opted to stay on the ground and enjoy the free museum).  If you aren't afraid of heights and aren't claustrophobic, you have got to go up into the Arch.  It's so cool, looking down at St. Louis from its most famous landmark. From up there you've got a bird's-eye view of the courthouse, where the infamous Dred Scott case was settled in 1857; as well as the St. Louis Cardinals ballfield and the Mississippi River.  

The courthouse is the green-domed building in the middle, and on the right-hand side of the photo you can see a glimpse of th Cardinals ballpark. 

The shadow of the Arch made for a cool photo as well

        

        We also decided to visit the historic small town of St. Charles, which was only about twenty minutes from our campsite.  I instantly fell in love with this town, and if you come to the St. Louis area, St. Charles is a must-do.  This town has lots of local shops, restaurants, and boutiques.  It's a great spot for photos as well.  We went during fall of course, which was a great time to be there .  On the weekends, Lanterns and Legends is in full swing.  This is an interactive experience featuring some Halloween-related celebrities such as the Van Helsings, Lizzie Borden, and The Phantom of the Opera.  But if you're more in the mood for shopping, be sure to stop in Two Simple Sisters, Main Street Books, and Happy Camper Clothing Company.  On a historical note, St. Charles is famous for its part in Lewis and Clark's exploration of the Louisiana Territory.  The Louisiana Territory was purchased by Thomas Jefferson from France in 1803, and encompassed many of today's states such as Nebraska, South Dakota, and Oklahoma.  Naturally, Jefferson wanted to know more about this new land, so he sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore it.  Their starting point for the daring journey was St. Charles, Missouri!  

Railroad tracks just on the other side of Main Street make for fantastic photo shoots

Main Street in downtown St. Charles

        When we left Missouri, we stopped in Casey, Illinois on our way to our Boondockers Welcome.  This town is known for being home to several "world's largest" and "big" items.  After all, their motto is "Big Things, Small Town." This was also the day my mom drove the rig for the first time, and she did a great job!

Mia and I in the big birdcage

The big pencil!

We got stuck in the big mousetrap

World's largest golf club!

World's largest wooden shoes

World's biggest mailbox, which you can actually go up into

World's biggest wind chime

While we were walking around town looking at big items, we saw some beautiful nature that I had to take pictures of

Mom driving the rig for the first time!

        We had a Boondockers Welcome in Illinois booked for three nights, and it was such an amazing BW. Our host was super accommodating and the property had a great backyard.  We visited Garden of the Gods in Shawnee National Forest on our second day in Illinois, and the fall colors were in full glory.  Though the views in this area of the national forest would be wonderful at any time of year, they were incredible in fall.  

We were in the parking lot at Garden of the Gods when I turned around and saw a little armadillo! Mia and Dad had both been wanting to see an armadillo, and this one was so cute!!

We hiked the Observation trail, which is only 0.5 mile but gives you wonderful views of the forest below

Mia climbing up to a small cave that tunnels a few feet further on the trail

Mushrooms on a tree on Indian Point trail

        We left Illinois on the 23rd of October and drove to Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky.  This cave's claim to fame is that it holds the record for longest cave in the world, with more than 400 miles explored.  We stayed there for a week, and in that time got to do some hiking, a cave tour, and a visit to Nashville. 

The entrance to Mammoth Cave

Back in the days of earlier tours, tourists were encouraged to carve their names on the rocks. We found this carving by Earl Allen who visited in 1867

J.N. McDowell, 1839

The hiking trails in Mammoth Cave National Park were lovely with the autumn leaves

People used to dig for saltpeter in the caves, which was used in guns. 

Giants Coffin

On the historic tour, there are several parts where you have to crouch down because of the low ceiling of the cave

The Parthenon in Nashville is so cool! 

Printer's Alley in downtown Nashville is great for pictures

Gymnastics in front of the Parthenon

        Our next two stops after Mammoth Cave National Park were ones I was especially looking forward to.  Our campground for the first stop was in Cincinnati, Ohio; but we spent all of our time at the nearby attractions: The Ark Encounter and The Creation Museun.  We only spent three nights in Cincinnati, so our two full days were each spent at the museums.  Going to these museums was such a wonderful experience, and I learned so much.  Be sure to make a trip to the Ark Encounter and the Creation Museum, and you won't be disappointed. 

        

The rainbow represents that God's promises are everlasting

The Garden of Eden exhibit in the Creation Museum

Mom and Dad surprised us with friends at the Ark Encounter, and we were so happy to be reunited after several months of separation. 

        Our next stop (and last one before we reached home in NC) was in the little town of Dandridge, Tennessee.  We had a great week here, playing with friends, sharing meals, and enjoying the lake life.  We also got to watch the lunar eclipse while here, which Mia was so excited about. 

Mia and her best friend, Maddy

Playing at a creek in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Grotto Falls 

The sunrise was gorgeous on our last morning in Dandridge

        After a trip across the Midwest, we reached my grandpa's house on Saturday, November 12.  We would be in NC visiting friends and family, catching up on appointments, and enjoying the Thanksgiving season for the next couple weeks before heading to Florida for the winter.  Warm weather and palm trees, here we come!