The Consumer Reports winnebago I’m living in this summer passed through Bowman, North Dakota yesterday, where we stayed in an RV park that was more like someone’s back yard. Our fresh water came from the owner’s personal outdoor hose, and the site number was painted on a makeshift wooden plaque. I’d give up luxury for character any day.

Our backyard for a night was the field of grain, above. I wanted to run through it and flop myself down, but figured I should respect private property. The scene made a normally mundane morning of fact-checking and email not feel like work at all.

So we’re officially in the West. Next stop: Thermopolis, Wyoming, home of the world’s largest natural hot-springs. Check out more of the photos I’ve been taking on the Cover America Tour website.

I’ve been on the road with a Consumer Reports Health project for more than seven weeks. We’ve filmed almost every day, and I’ve kept up with the video production as best as I could. As it write this blog, there are 49 videos on the Cover America Tour website!

Of those videos, I think I have a favorite: Dave of Asheboro, North Carolina.

This 64-year old used to do IT work for the military, then put in a few decades at a very well-known “global consumer goods” company. After 42 years he says, he was let go, and his retirement benefits went with the job. But Dave didn’t have the luxury of going into early retirement. At 64-years-old, he had to go into the job market looking for a full time job with benefits that would cover himself and his wife until she becomes eligible for Medicare.

We all know that life throws some blows at you sometimes. But this Ronald Reagan-loving Southern Grandpa says his health care woes are making him lose faith in our political system. I wonder how many other Americans are starting to feel the same way. We’re sure meeting a lot of them on this trip.