Rolling West – The First Stretch of Our Great Northern Expedition

Prepping and then there's "Prepping"

This year we left Sarasota a little earlier than usual to make a special stop in Kentucky for an important family event.

Braden River Raiders Mixed Team 2nd In Nation!

Our grandson’s Raider team had qualified for the National Raiders Competition at Fort Knox, and we were grateful to be able to cheer him on to an amazing 2nd place in the nation win in person!

One of the hardest parts of extended travel is missing family moments, so being able to work this into our route made the trip feel even more meaningful.

We are also looking forward to another special family experience later in June when our grandson flies into Calgary to spend 11 nights traveling with us through Banff and Lake Louise. We cannot wait to share part of this adventure with him.

Getting our Travel Rhythm

After Kentucky, our focus shifted westward. Our goal was to reach Yellowstone before the Memorial Day crowds arrived, but timing became a balancing act because our next major stop — East Glacier National Park — would not open until May 21. We wanted to arrive early enough to enjoy Yellowstone without peak season traffic, but not so early that we spent more time there than planned.

So we settled into what has become our favorite kind of travel rhythm — moving steadily west while avoiding as much interstate traffic as possible and choosing scenic secondary roads whenever we could. Along the way we crossed through rural Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and South Dakota, discovering beautiful countryside, quiet small towns, and stretches of America we had never really experienced before.

No Big Rigs Allowed

Of course, no RV trip would be complete without at least one “what have we done?” moment. Somewhere along the route we accidentally turned onto a road that our rig absolutely did not belong on — no turnarounds, no pull-offs, and no easy escape. Thankfully it all worked out, but it definitely added one more memorable story to the adventure.

Favorite Stops Along the Way

Little Tallapoosa State Park — Georgia

Our first standout stop was Little Tallapoosa Park, which became part of our wide loop around Atlanta. We were pleasantly surprised by how peaceful and wooded the campground felt despite being relatively accessible from major highways.

The sites were spacious with full hookups and 50-amp service, yet it still felt like real camping rather than simply parking in a lot. We enjoyed a little hiking, quiet evenings under the trees, and agreed it was absolutely worth the detour. One night there was enough for this trip, but we would definitely return.

Fox Ridge State Park — Illinois

One of the biggest surprises of the trip was Fox Ridge State Park. We intentionally routed ourselves through this area to stay on quieter roads, but we never expected to find such scenic terrain in Illinois. The deep wooded ridges and river valleys almost felt Appalachian in places.

We explored the hiking trails throughout the park and also visited the nearby Lincoln Log Cabin Historic Site, where Abraham Lincoln’s father lived on property Lincoln himself purchased for his parents.

Part of the fun of traveling slowly is wandering through nearby small towns that seem almost untouched by time. Some looked like they had changed very little in decades.

One especially memorable stop was lunch at the famous Moonshine Store — essentially a rustic general store and burger stop in the middle of nowhere. The food itself was simple, but the atmosphere was unforgettable: eating in a metal shed open to the breeze while a friendly local dog wandered from table to table hoping someone would throw a stick for him.

Marceline, Missouri - Home of Walt Disney!

We spent a night at a small locally owned campground called Lodder Up and Camp in the charming town of Marceline, best known as the childhood home of Walt Disney.

The town proudly embraces its Disney connection, and local lore says Marceline’s Main Street helped inspire Disneyland’s famous Main Street U.S.A. There is even a Disney museum in town, although like many small towns, things close early and we narrowly missed getting inside before it shut down for the day.

Still, wandering the quiet streets filled with vintage storefronts from the 1950s and 1960s gave the town a nostalgic charm that fit perfectly with the slower pace of this trip.

Prairie Rose State Park — Iowa

Another peaceful overnight stop was Prairie Rose State Park. Nearly every campsite overlooked the lake, making it a perfect place to relax for an evening.

There was not a great deal of hiking, but sometimes a stop is memorable simply because of the setting. Watching the sunset over the water and drinking coffee while birds drifted across the lake the next morning was exactly the kind of quiet travel moment we enjoy most.

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Beatutiful Waterfall Park and River Right through Town - I suspect the River was there first

Our first longer stay of the trip was in Sioux Falls, where we spent four nights at Big Sioux Recreation Area.

Sioux Falls turned out to be a fascinating and surprisingly vibrant city. The campground itself sits outside town in a more rural setting with trails and bike paths, yet downtown is only a short drive away.

The centerpiece of the city is clearly Falls Park, where dramatic waterfalls flow directly through the middle of downtown. The park combines beautiful views with walking paths and historical exhibits, making it much more than just a quick scenic stop.

One interesting piece of local history we learned is that Sioux Falls became known as the “Divorce Colony” during the late 1800s because South Dakota had some of the country’s most permissive divorce laws at the time. Later, in the 1980s, Citibank helped transform the city’s economy by relocating major credit card operations there after changes in banking laws.

Today Sioux Falls feels modern, prosperous, and family-oriented, supported by a surprisingly diverse economy that includes healthcare, finance, agriculture, and biomedical industries.

Another highlight nearby was Palisades State Park, where we enjoyed hiking among towering pink quartzite formations rising dramatically above Split Rock Creek. The combination of rushing water, cliffs, and scenic overlooks made it one of the most visually unique stops so far.

Looking Ahead

Now the trip begins moving into the landscapes we have been especially excited about for months:

• Badlands National Park — 3–4 nights exploring the dramatic rock formations and prairie landscapes

• Spearfish, SD — 5 nights enjoying Spearfish Canyon, scenic drives, hiking, golf, and one of our favorite small downtowns of the trip so far