Well, we knew from the time we left San Francisco last Sunday that the rest of the trip was all about heading east and getting back home. Grand Teton, Yellowstone, and the Badlands were part of that trek east, but that still left a few more days (and stops) to get there.
The first of those stops was in the Minneopa State Park, which is located just east of Mankato, Minnesota. Like I mentioned in the previous post, this was a place chose solely because it was on the way home and about 6-7 hours away from the Badlands National Park.
After driving on a bunch of back roads at times through South Dakota and Minnesota, the state park and campground seem to come out of nowhere. Our site was located in the back part of the campground, and with all neighboring sites unoccupied, it made for a very private site.
Despite the happy smiles on the faces above, we weren't too happy about the mosquito village we seemed to invade. The fire proved necessary to help keep some of those pesky bugs away.
The following morning, we got up, ate, and packed for a quick hike in the state park before continuing our trip east. That hike had us walk along and around the Minneopa Creek and check out its two waterfalls.
I think the hike ended up being no more than two miles (and it was probably less than that), but there was some beautiful scenery to take in along with a neat bridge that took across the creek and between the two waterfalls.
After crossing the bridge, the trail continues downward along some stone steps before you cross another bridge.
We didn't have a park map, so we just kept following the trail and assuming that it would circle back to the park entrance. That wasn't the case, however, as we climbed another set of stone stairs and saw that erosion has closed off part of the trail. So, we headed back the way we came.
It was a small park and a short hike. And although it was nothing like the California state park, Montana de Oro, it still added to the sights and sounds of our three-week road trip.
From this park, we headed southeast and eventually found ourselves in Clinton Lake, Illinois, which is another state park. We got in a little later than we thought on Friday, so there wasn't a whole lot to do at the lake.
I thought I had reserved a lake front campsite. And while it was lake front, there was a ledge and row of trees separating the the site from the lake. That meant there wasn't any lake access from our site.
After walking around, we found a beach access point, but the beach was closing and it didn't appear to be the cleanest of places.
Clinton Lake looked like a huge lake. Maybe if we had more time there or done a little more research, there might have been something fun for us to do. But we didn't, and with a nine hour drive set up for Saturday, the four of us left pretty early the next morning.
So, you can guess why I don't have any photos from this place.
From Clinton Lake, we headed east through Ohio and West Virginia into Pennsylvania. We stayed south of Pittsburgh and pretty darn close to the Maryland border at state park called Ohiopyle.
Cara and I had stayed here a few times before. It's a cool area with a small town vibe to it. The Youghiogheny River runs through the town and park. The river is known for its natural water slides, so we were all looking forward to a dip in the river.
Unfortunately for us, we ran into the very first rain of our trip when we got to Ohiopyle. As we arrived, we could see that it had rained quite a bit before we got there. It was dry long enough for us to set up camp at the Kentuck Campground and head into town.
We walked around a few shops, across the bridge to check out the river, which was high and moving quite fast after the rainstorms that day, and headed to a local restaurant for some dinner.
The place we chose for dinner was the Ohiopyle House Cafe, a local farm-to-table, place that was both reasonable priced and extremely delicious. During dinner, we talked about our favorite (and least favorite) parts of the trip, what parks we liked best, the coolest campgrounds, and funniest moments.
It made for a calm and relaxing way to end the trip. But by the time we were getting ready to head back to our camp, we could hear thunder and see lightening. Radar showed that we were about to get crushed.
We made it back in time to throw a tarp over the tent and do a quick 10-15 minute walk around the campground. Eventually the storm came, and it stayed for well over two hours. The tents held up pretty well at first, but moisture did make its way into both tents at some point.
As disappointing as it was to get rained on, we thanked our lucky stars that this was truly the first rain that we had encountered our entire trip (save for a small storm we drove through in Iowa).
But by morning, we were all exhausted and the site was soaked. We decided to pack up quickly and head home as soon as possible. That said, I wouldn't be surprised if we find ourselves back there again sometime. It's a great state park with a lot of stuff to do like hiking, biking, and swimming.
Ohiopyle is only three hours from Lewistown, so we were back before noon on Sunday. That wrapped up our trip, then. It took a while to unpack our gear and return the rental to State College, but it felt good to be back.
And I think I speak for all four of us when I say that last night, in our own beds, made for one of the best nights of sleep we'll ever have.
Overall, it was a truly wonderful experience. We are so thankful that we had the opportunity and time to do something like this. Getting to see so many parks, friends, and family along the way made for truly once-in-a-lifetime trip.
We got to see so many different places from big cities to rural towns to national parks to state parks. This is huge country with many landscapes, scenery, and walks of life. Despite it being a three week trip, we still feel like there is so much more to see.
So, who knows where we'll end up next on this journey of life. But I know wherever we end up, it'll be an incredible time with great friends and family.
And if you ever have the chance to travel, do it! With that said, I think that's where I'll leave you.
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