One of the biggest changes for us with this year’s travel plans is having scheduled ahead. When we took off for Alaska in 2019 we had only 2 reservations set enabling us to set our course as we explored. This year we know nearly every night’s place through the first week in September. While it’s nice to know we won’t have the police bonking on our door some morning for boondocking in a parking lot, it can be limiting in a way.

Governor Dodge is LOVELY. The entry into the park is a long road with hills and valleys and trees galore opening up to a lake. The campground we were in, Cox, was up on top of a valley where we were flush with trees, privacy and a cool breeze in the sun.

We wanted to STAY and we felt a bit cheated on this one.

Nearly 2 months ago we purchased a new mattress online to replace the one in our motorhome. The poor thing did not stand up to regular use and needed to go. The website and all subsequent emails said it would arrive in 7-9 days. We thought.. that is ambitious! but we had 6 weeks before leaving. And it arrived 5 days after we left.

We used the excuse of picking up our new mattress to make a mad dash back to IL on Tuesday this week to check on the house, do laundry, take real showers, restock, pick up things we’d forgotten, and visit Jim’s mom for her birthday. All in all a packed and successful day.. except for the mattress being an inch too long one way and an inch too short the other.

Never believe what you read.. always measure twice.

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To make up for this lost day we skipped a night at the Potosi Brewery and extended our stay at Governor Dodge. We still hope to see that brew museum someday. (https://www.potosibrewery.com/)

This adjustment left us time to take in The House on the Rock, just 6 miles down the road from Gov. Dodge’s entrance. (www.thehouseontherock.com)

I have always wanted to see this famed Wisconsin gem of an attraction, but it just never happened, so we ponied up the 30 bucks a pop and entered the Ikea-like self guided one-way follow the arrows tour. And then walked for the next 3 plus hours.

It would be impossible to explain what the full experience is like, and their website has better images than we could take in the semi-dark conditions.. but I will say this. If a collection of 3 is good.. then 300 must be better. Everything in massive quantities, everything oversized… EXCEPT for the ceilings… the houses he built are a nightmare for claustrophobics.

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Towards the end of the tour your brain turns to mush and you’re left staggering out into the sunlight wondering what the hell just happened to you. I think we’d do it again.

Back on the road meant an hour rolling down Hwy 18 to Wyalusing State Park and the Mississippi River. We thoroughly enjoyed the drive through some of the most idyllic rolling hills farmland we’ve ever seen.. ALL the cows seem insanely happy.

More on this later.. were off to hike to the river!