We are back in Iowa! Minnesota is a great place to visit but not to stay. There are cheaper places to stay such as county parks or fairgrounds but you have to be quick. We like to explore as much as we can and when mom gets tired or we run out of daylight we go hunting for a place to stay. Half the time we got lucky and the other times we were flabbergasted. The last park we stopped at was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.
We are on a budget folks; sometimes we eat beans for a week in order to afford the luxuries of life. "Never complain, life is just a big old adventure and learning experience" is our motto. The folks at the last campground were beyond that.
Upon arrival I was asked, “How many in your party?” I told her 2. How many are in your van? I should have said “we are transporting 21 illegals and we have them stack up like firewood.” I didn't say it because I though might get in trouble for saying I was transporting firewood.
We found out there was a base rate, followed by “extras.” $5 per person that visited us or stayed with us, $2 for Internet, $2 for cable and list went on. I was told the showers were for rinsing off swimsuits and not for bathing. Then there was the trash issue. I was given instructions on how to deal with my trash and was told if I had trash I need to go through it. There was wet garbage, plastic, aluminum, glass, paper, dog droppings, and they were to be put in separate containers located somewhere. I stopped listening after a while. I figure I would take my garbage somewhere else where it was appreciated. After dinner I looked at mom and said “I am through with Minnesota.” Maybe when we stock up and save up we will venture back someday. Minnesota is a beautiful state with a wonderful history.
Meanwhile we are in northern Iowa. We plan to stay put for a few days in order for the mail to catch up with us. We are also staying in a park with full hook-ups, showers that you can get naked in, Internet, and has normal garbage procedures. Oh and a storm shelter. All of this for under $25 bucks – Life is good!
I have plotted out our adventures for a week and I happy to say the most I will be paying for a place to stay is $18. Woo Hoo
During our stay in Clear Water Iowa we had the most delightful neighbors. One of our neighbors that came in after us had a Great West Van, which they just purchased at an estate sale. They had asked a dealership how it operated and was told about the grey and black tank and which “knob” to pull first. They were two women with the cutest dog and we just had a grand time going through their van. Okay we were doing a tiny bit of male bashing but I swear that was it. It just felt good to explain how to hook up their sewer, and how it operates and what you need to get it to work. I was able to help with their electric and answer some of their questions. They just retired and were amazed that mom and I live in our van full-time. My advice to them was “take the back roads.” They were the ones that talked us back in Minnesota in the future and told us of a couple places that we could go on our way to Minnesota. I have my itinerary planned and we are so excited to be leaving for our next adventure. 
