Prairie Sunrise, School in the Truck, and Crossing the Mississippi
“There was only the enormous, empty prairie, with grasses blowing in waves of light and shadow across it, and the great blue sky above it, and birds flying up from it and singing with joy because the sun was rising.”
Laura Ingalls Wilder
We drove from Badlands KOA in South Dakota to Oakdale KOA in Wisconsin today. Knowing we had such a long (619 mile!) drive ahead, motivated us to start early. We were up at 4:30am and out of our campground by 5:15. Not bad! We agreed to have breakfast on the road, brewed some coffee, and loaded up two sleepy kids. We were on the road in time to see the beautiful sunrise over the prairies.
Today was our first attempt at remote learning from the truck. Before we left home, I ordered backseat organizers for all the kids’ school books and supplies. I packed headphones for Ariel and made sure my laptop and iPad were charged, so long as cell service held up, we’d be fine. We ROCKED IT. Both kiddos had a full day of lessons. During Ariel’s independent learning times we worked on her reading.
I was also happy to get some photo editing and blog writing done. Working on our blog really helps pass the time. I’d forgotten just how long these prairie stretches can be! It reminded me of family road trips growing up driving through parts of Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The scenery is beautiful, and Ron and I discovered a new crop that we didn’t know was grown here: Sorghum. We learned it’s an incredibly versatile crop, one of the top five cereal crops in the world, and among the most efficient for solar energy conversion and water use. Wow! It also looks very pretty growing in the fields with its red-orange tops.
We travelled across Minnesota and into Wisconsin. Once we crossed the mighty Mississippi River, the scenery changed. The prairies and rolling hills turned into deciduous forest. The leaves are just giving the slightest indication that fall is coming, so I am hopeful that by the time we reach the east coast, the colours will be on full display. I am so excited to show Ariel, Wyatt, and Ron the rich fall colours I loved as a child.
Our early start helped and we arrived at our campsite just after 4pm. I had time to do laundry while Ron ran the dogs in the dog park and the kids played. They enjoyed the playground at the KOA, and the owner here even blew up the bouncy castle for them. For an easy dinner, we ordered pizza from the main office. They delivered right to our campsite within 15 minutes, and it was delicious!!
The kiddos are now tucked into bed and Ron is wrapping up work for the day. I’m sipping a little glass of wine while I wait for my last load of laundry to finish. It’s nice to have a quiet night—a somewhat quiet night, LOL. One of Ron’s listings went live today so his phone has been blowing up—very exciting, but it really hasn’t been quiet at all tonight.
Goodnight from Wisconsin!