Aishling the Airstream Update No. 087

 Chahinkapa Zoo Campground

 in Wahpeton, North Dakota

AI PHOTO - LOL -

 

From the internets: "Chahinkapa Zoo allows visitors to camp right next to zoo animals... Gives RVers a truly unique experience camping next to a zoo, with spots where you wake up beside zebras and rhinos, making it great for families and anyone wanting something out of the ordinary. RVers call out the convenience to the zoo and other local attractions, clean shared restrooms, and friendly management. The park gets praise for being peaceful at night..."

Craig did a GREAT JOB finding this fun 

and unique campground for our overnight stay! 

This is a small zoo with a sweet little campground practically in the parking lot.

We arrived in time to enjoy walking around the zoo to see the animals...

They had lots of different animals ... some I'd never heard of before. 

I loved the bears! 

There was a guy there who was going around playing music for the animals

 

 and the bears REALLY seemed to loved it! 

 

I loved the zebras too -

and was surprised to see them in the same enclosure as the hippos - 

Who knew? 

 

We could see them from our campsite - which was pretty neat! 

And y'all know I always think it's cool to have a few airstreams parked together... 

 

We also took the time to ride the Prairie Rose Carousel... 

I can't EVEN remember the last time I actually RODE a carousel.

SO FUN. 

 

Internet info: "The carousel is an exquisitely restored 1926 Spillman carousel. Twenty handcrafted wooden horses, two chariots, and an enchanting calliope are a fun filled reminder of happy childhood memories. The carousel is open to the public daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day."

It was a treat.

 

This night was just what we all needed.

We ordered pizza... did a water taste-test [ha] 

and just sat and visited until it was too dark to stay out.

It was a wonderfully relaxing night after our busy-busy time at International.

Chahinkapa Zoo Campground:

Great for a quick stay!

[I actually wish we'd had another day to explore the sweet city!]

Excellent internet, clean bath houses,

welcoming atmosphere...

AND ZOO ANIMALS nearby.

What's not to like?!?

#HardwickAdventures 

Aishling the Airstream Update No. 086

 Okay --> This is THE BIG ONE

 

the INTERNATIONAL RALLY in Minot North Dakota - 

  Airstream holds a large gathering each year in different parts of the country and usually has 800-1000 trailers attend...

 

So, okay - I probably took 600+ photos this week - 

and I just grabbed a few to share... in no particular order -

  

This photo probably sums up camping in Minot for me - We were in a fairground with at least 1,000 other trailers and constant wind and a fine dust in the air 

All. Day. Long.

That bandana is not a fashion statement - it was a needed accessory as I'd had a little asthma thing going on since June....

 

International is a convention of sorts with great vendors available to check out things on your trailer, sell you stuff [why not?!] and generally answer any questions you might have. [Truly a great resource!] There are workshops, and gatherings, artsy classes, and lots of fun activities. Here we go -->

 

It always starts with opening ceremonies - where each club president is introduced as they bring in their flag - Craig did a great job and wore the traditional white shirt, dark pants, and blue beret.

 

It was a fun evening.

 

This is Craig with other presidents from our region -

Region 6 = Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, 

and the panhandle of Florida. 

 

Another evening we had Theodore Roosevelt come up from his National Park to visit with us and share how much he loved this land...

Of course that was the evening of the big storm - SO MUCH WIND and flooding... we got there late... and were so glad we were able to see him! 

 

Craig and I did a presentation about hosting a rally [a camping weekend] at the local level - called Let's Flamingle - ha 

 

This is our second year doing this and they were NOT quite prepared for our classroom of 60+ [we had seats for maybe 15 - but kept bringing chairs in from rooms close-by.] We just do a fun overview that people seem to enjoy [Craig says it's mostly because we aren't' trying to sell them something - lol.]

 Side Note: We rode our bikes everywhere.

LOVE THEM.

We also met up with friends from our Alabama Club throughout the week - and enjoyed hosting them at the Prairie Sky Breads for breakfast one morning was so fun! 

 

But that wind - y'all.

Plus a reaction to the meds I was given...

It was A LOT - ha. 

i eventually got some over-the-counter stuff that worked. [yay.] 

 

Another fun night we enjoyed was the Airstream Prom from 7-9.

Complete with Prom Photos! 

Truly - at 9 pm the lights came on, the magic disappeared,

 and they shuttled us out the door. 

#OldPeopleProm 

Of course we had to get photos together too!!

[Confession: The dress is a thrifty find [8$] and the bow tie, corsage and boutonniere are from The Amazon. Pearls are my mama's.]

 

We took the time to visit around Minot...shopping, eating local, and enjoying their Scandinavian Heritage. Pretty cool area - 

 

There is always a fund-raiser tea and this year's theme was the mad-hatter.

Everyone attending wore a fancy Alice themed hat / outfit.

 

Peter and Craig dressed as Boy Scouts 

and gave roses out to some of the attendees.... 

  

I love this crazy man of mine!

[they came up with the idea on their own!] 

 

Alas... the week was BUSY and went by quickly...

We enjoyed visiting with good friends, friends we don't see often enough and new friends that we know we'll keep in touch with... 

 The moon the night before we left was gorgeous.

 

And the rainbow the next morning was perfect.

Minot is called The Magic City and earned this nickname because a tent town of around 5,000 people sprung up practically overnight in 1886 when the Great Northern Railway paused track construction for the winter. Its explosive, near-instantaneous growth made the development seem like magic.

 So many friends were headed on to National Parks... but we needed to go towards home. So glad these guys were headed in the same direction! 

[I'll share more about our next stop soon!]

So - Fairground Camping: We've done it before with no problem - so I know my issues were my own [breathing] situation - We actually had a great area with a tent for all the Vintage Airstream events to happen right across from us [I was volunteer coordinator for most of those things...] and we had a bath and shower house within waking distance that stayed mostly nice and clean.

We'd definitely go back to this venue. 

This part of North Dakota is beautiful. 

#HardwickAdventures 

 

2026 - Week - 44 Thursday Three

1. We had a wonderful weekend in Natchez with our Airstream friends -

2. Rode our bikes on the river trail AND on the levee - beautiful weather!

3. And we watched deer meander along the water at dusk at Persimmon Hill - one of our [new] favorite places!

 

PS --> soc photo bc a fresh haircut is always nice.

Aishling the Airstream Update No. 085

 

 Ft. Stevenson State Park

Garrison, North Dakota 

 

It's Rendezvous time 

for the Vintage Airstream Club! 

And Garrison welcomed us with open arms! 

 

They even sent the Wally Trolley out to greet us! 

Which we loved because the ACI is really the Wally Byum Caravan Club International... Of course their trolley is named after the walleye FISH that is caught in the waters surrounding the park... 

 

Rendezvous is a the VAC's camping event that is held each year just before the BIG Airstream International Rally. Our VAC Officers did a good job pulling it all together this year in spite of some of the challenges faced -

 

 

And I just have to say that one of THE BEST things about rendezvous  

is gathering with friends you haven't seen in A WHILE and  

dropping back into conversations like we talked just yesterday. 

 

It's just pretty cool to see...

And we gave everyone plenty of time to visit during the  

meal gatherings we had on-site.

 

The weather was PERFECT -

even the flies and bees loved being out with us! 

 

And, OMGOODNESS - Ft. Stevenson State Park is GORGEOUS!  

We took some time to ride bikes around the park  - it's huge! From their website:

  

Fort Stevenson State Park is nestled in the bluffs along the north shore of Lake Sakakawea. With miles of trails, a wide variety of rental equipment, breath-taking views, and year-round special events, there is always something fun to do. Known as the “Walleye Capital” of North Dakota, Fort Stevenson is a preferred spot for sportsmen to experience a great day on the lake. Boaters will find excellent facilities, including two marinas with boat ramp access, boat rentals, and fish cleaning facilities. The park is named after a late 1800’s fort that served as a supply depot for other military posts in the Dakota Territory. Park visitors can learn about the military past by visiting the park museum... They have 174 full hook-up camp sites, 302 electric only sites, as well as tent sites, yurts and cabins for rent... 

And - PRAIRIE DOGS!

How fun is that?

 

And Buffalo!

[Just kidding!]

These are sculptures at the museum... 

 

We also enjoyed the countryside around Garrison... 

 

corn and sunflower fields EVERYWHERE!

 

And Happy anniversary to us - They have a Dairy Queen in town so we took a moment to get a blizzard and enjoy the sunset together - 

 

Although sunrise was pretty also!

Our busy days started with this weekend and continued for the next week - 

All wonderful and fun - 

 

It was nice to have a few days to relax with friends... 

Ft. Stevenson State Park - 

Clean and beautiful - sites were great!

The marina and pavilions were wonderful - had a snack bar and ice cream on site... Cell and Internet was great... The town is nice and the park had a couple of gift shops too. We'd definitely stay there again should we ever be in the area again!  

PS - the bandana is not a fashion statement - lol - my cough was almost continuous from the wind and dust bowling around and I had to do whatever I could to protect myself...