travel

Freeways, highways, and other roads as we move the coach from one site to another. Plus cat pics.

Spending a month exploring New Zealand

A heads-up: we will be visiting my family and exploring New Zealand for 30 days from November 7th to December 7th.

Blog posts will continue while away, since the posts are a couple of months behind real-time. Though I may not cross-post to Facebook during this time, since that has to be done manually, so if you read the posts via Facebook, you’ll need to visit the Sinclair Trails website directly if you don’t want to miss my thrilling content.

We’ll continue the RV lifestyle in NZ: we are renting a campervan and driving around the country. Here’s our route, starting in Auckland, and finishing in Christchurch (the southern loop is in a clockwise direction):

New Zealand route

Not sure yet if I’ll have blog posts about our NZ adventure; no doubt I’ll take lots of photos, so I probably will. Stay tuned!

Travel from Maple Grove, Minnesota to Mitchell, South Dakota

We drove our coach 350 miles, about six hours of driving, from Maple Grove, Minnesota to Mitchell, South Dakota.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading south then west:

Map

An interactive map, with potential stops pinned:

Joining I-94 East:

Joining I-94 East

Spotting our coach on traffic cams:

Spotting our coach on traffic cams

Spotting our coach on traffic cams

I-35W South:

I-35W South

Barge:

Barge

“The Corn is High; Drivers Shouldn’t Be”:

The Corn is High; Drivers Shouldn't Be

Rest area:

Rest area

Spotting our coach on traffic cams again:

Spotting our coach on traffic cams

Spotting our coach on traffic cams

Spotting our coach on traffic cams

Owatonna Degner Regional Airport:

Owatonna Degner Regional Airport

“SPAM Museum; Where Hawaiians go on vacation”:

SPAM Museum

I-90 West:

I-90 West

Three cherry pickers working on a power line:

Three cherry pickers working on a power line

Rest area:

Rest area

A wide line on I-90 marking where eastward and westward construction of the freeway met in 1978:

A wide line on I-90 marking where eastward and westward construction met in 1978

Interesting building:

Interesting building

Wall Drug in 355 miles:

Wall Drug in 355 miles

Welcome to South Dakota:

Welcome to South Dakota

Fuel stop:

Fuel stop

Fun with zoom:

Fun with zoom

Bull and horse sculptures:

Bull and horse sculptures

Wide load:

Wide load

Exit:

Exit

Arriving at a KOA:

Arriving at a KOA

Guided to our site:

Guided to our site

Travel from Kabetogama to Maple Grove, Minnesota

We drove our coach 283 miles, about five hours of driving, from Kabetogama to Maple Grove, Minnesota.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading south:

Map

An interactive map, with potential stops pinned:

Following the coach down the steep road in the campground:

Following the coach down the road

Probably should have a flag on that:

Probably should have a flag on that

Route 53 South:

Route 53 South

Rest area:

Rest area

Paddler statue:

Paddler

I-35 South:

I-35 South

Flat tire:

Flat tire

Wyoming, Minnesota:

Wyomning, Minnesota

Rest area:

Rest area

Exit to route 610:

Exit to route 610

I-94 West:

I-94 West

Crossover intersection:

Crossover intersection

Arriving at a KOA:

Arriving at a KOA

Guided to our site:

Guided to our site

Travel from Cloquet to Kabetogama, Minnesota

We drove our coach 143 miles, about three hours of driving, from Cloquet to Kabetogama, Minnesota.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading north:

Route map

An interactive map, with potential stops pinned:

Paladin on the dash while leaving the campground:

Paladin on the dash while leaving the campground

A gas station designed by Frank Lloyd Wright:

Gas station designed by Frank Lloyd Wright

Gas station designed by Frank Lloyd Wright

Saunas for sale:

Saunas

Route 33 North:

Route 33 North

UFO and aliens:

UFO and aliens

Route 53 North:

Route 53 North

“Dirty Dreams”:

Dirty Dreams

Rest area:

Rest area

Towards Route 37 West:

Towards Route 37 West

Route 53 North:

Route 53 North

“Welcome to Orr”:

Welcome to Orr

Lake Kabetogama:

Lake Kabetogama

Arriving at the Pines of Kabetogama Resort:

Arriving at the Pines of Kabetogama Resort

Dusty:

Dusty

A steep single-lane road up the hill:

Steep single-lane road up the hill

Steep single-lane road up the hill

Travel from Hancock, Michigan to Cloquet, Minnesota

We drove our coach 235 miles, about five hours of driving, from Hancock, Michigan to Cloquet, Minnesota.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading west:

Route map

An interactive map, with potential stops pinned:

Our coach leaving our site:

Coach leaving our site

A campsite with tents, a boat, and a portable sauna; must be Finnish:

Campsite with tents, boat, and portable sauna

Drawbridge:

Drawbridge

Roadworks:

Roadworks

45 South:

45 South

Enter Central Time Zone:

Enter Central Time Zone

Ski Capital of the Midwest:

Ski Capital of the Midwest

Rest area:

Rest area

Wisconsin Welcomes You:

Wisconsin Welcomes You

Highway:

Highway

Bad River:

Bad River

Industry:

Industry

An interesting building in Ashland, Wisconsin:

An interesting building in Ashland, Wisconsin

Faceplanted Paladin:

Faceplanted Paladin

Bridge over Saint Louis River:

Bridge over Saint Louis River

Minnesota Welcomes You:

Minnesota Welcomes You

Train overpass:

Train overpass

Fuel stop:

Fuel stop

Guided to our site:

Guided to our site