Final Thoughts [8.6.11]

It has been my dream to take the girls on a ROAD TRIP ever since they were babies. I loved my own ROAD TRIP so much in 1993, and that trip ended with meeting Brian a week after I returned! Shea and Rowan are the perfect age for this... they are able to do lots of things but they didn't miss their friends too much (until the last week or so!) That said, here’s what I’m thankful for on our trip:

• Keith for taking care of Jessie, Zelda and the barn during the first part of our trip when Brian was with us.

• J.K. Rowling, Rick Riordan, Christopher Paolini, and the other authors who kept us entertained with their stories for hours and hours of driving.

• Games on the iPod and DS that kept the kids entertained in the car for HOURS while listening to stories!

• WIFI at McDonalds, which we used almost EVERY DAY.

• Friendly people across the country.

• Sunny weather... it only rained twice at night while camping!

• Shea being tall enough to ride in the front seat so the girls could be separated and bickering kept at bay.

• The friends and family we saw along the way and the time that we were able to spend with them.

• Showers at campgrounds (did I just say that??)

• Plan B, which many times was better than Plan A

• Kermit the Frog for making this trip with me... AGAIN!

• The 2 tent fans I bought that SAVED US on those really hot nights down south.

• Time with Shea and Rowan on a wonderful journey that I hope they’ll always remember.

• And mostly Brian, for supporting me in doing this trip, because I wanted it so badly.

THANKS for traveling with us!

Welcome Home [8.5.11]

Today we drove home from Buffalo! I woke the girls up at 8:30 am and they slowly got out of their hotel beds. We started the day with breakfast at IHOP... something they kept talking about the whole trip. Of course I left it until the last day!

We drove, drove, drove and arrived at the Crown Point, NY ferry dock at 4:30.

FINALLY we crossed Lake Champlain and we were SO HAPPY to see the “Welcome to Vermont” sign at the ferry landing.

Oh, so close to home...

When we started our road trip we pulled out of the driveway listening to “Roam” by the B-52s. Today, once we started driving on Tyler Bridge Road just 5 minutes from our barn, Shea put on the song “I’m Coming Home” performed by P. Diddy, Dirty Money & Skylar Grey. It was great music for ending our trip.

We arrived around 6:00 pm... our neighbors Barbara and Hannah left us a beautiful sign by the front door.

Is this not a moment of happiness?

It took Jessie a few minutes to figure out WHO WE WERE, but then after giving her a good scritchin’ she realized her peeps were back.

Then Brian came home from work and got some great hugs from his girls.

It’s really REALLY nice to be home again!

Niagara Falls, NY [8.4.11]

This morning was spent eating a DELICIOUS breakfast of blueberry pancakes, swimming in Omena Lake (which is Marilyn and Al’s backyard) and visiting. 

After loading up our cooler with all sorts of food from Marilyn and giving lots of hugs, we were on the road by 11:00. THANK YOU Marilyn and Al for letting us visit, even though it was for such a short time. 

We then continued on I-90 through these states. There is a lot of road construction on this stretch, so we did drive by photos!

By 7:30 pm we arrived in Niagara Falls.

We ended the evening with OUR LAST shopping adventure in a souvenir shop and arrived at our hotel by 9:00 pm. Tomorrow we drive to Vermont!

Minnesota to Michigan [8.3.11]

Minnesota is definitely the land of wind turbines. We loved seeing them as we drove along I-90... especially the ones in the corn fields!

We spent the day in the car driving through these states on I-90...

... and experienced rush hour traffic in Chicago!

Then we drove through...

... and finally arrived in Sturgis, Mi!

We’re spending the night with Kara’s parents Marilyn and Al...

... and looking forward to comfortable beds!

Bison and Badlands [8.2.11]

Custer State Park has a HUGE herd of bison. They were quite elusive in Yellowstone and Theodore Roosevelt National Parks, but not in this park. Here are some of our favorite photos:

We visited Badlands National Park today after we left Custer. This is another one of those magical places.

While driving out of the Badlands we saw this HUGE prairie dog... I couldn’t resist giving her a hug.

We passed by a billboard advertising the world’s biggest Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD. I wanted to go and check it out but the girls said “NO, WE WANT THE HOTEL ... NO MORE STOPS!”  I’m starting to think that they are getting tired of this little trip. So, we kept driving and arrived in Minnesota by late afternoon. 

Tonight... clean sheets and a bed in Fairmont, MN. Ahhhhh........  :)

Wind Cave National Park, Crazy Horse and Mt. Rushmore [8.1.11]

What a day! After a hearty breakfast of camp pancakes we drove to Wind Cave National Park, just down the road.

We went on the Natural Entrance tour (even though we didn’t enter through a natural entrance).

We walked through tunnel after tunnel... it reminded us of the labyrinth description in one of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians books.

"Boxwork" is an interesting rock formation on the ceilings of the tunnels ...

... and this formation is called “popcorn”.

We went back to Custer State Park and after lunch we learned about the Gold Rush here in the Black Hills and did a little panning for gold ourselves.

The temperature rose to 97 degrees so we spent the rest of the afternoon swimming in Legion Lake and relaxing on the beach (yes, you read that correctly, RELAXING on the beach!) 

After an early dinner we drove to the Crazy Horse Memorial.

This is what it will look like... a prototype by the sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski, who started work carving out this section of the Black Hills in 1948.

And this is how it looks now, a work of art still in progress by Korczak’s children (he passed away in 1982). 

Kermit learning about Crazy Horse... he found out that the 4 heads from Mt. Rushmore would fit inside Crazy Horse’s head alone... that tells you the magnitude of this project.

We left Crazy Horse and arrived at Mt. Rushmore just in time to see the faces in the daylight...

... we stayed for the Lighting Ceremony which was very patriotic. Quite a day in So. Dakota!

Custer State Park, SD [7.31.11]

I woke up this morning before the girls (which is usual) and drove a few miles to a prairie dog town in the park. I just sat on a bench, with my cup of coffee, and watched these playful animals run around and talk. They talk, talk, talk and I have to say this has been the best part of this park for me. I’m not a rodent person, but I could definitely have a few of these little guys living on our front lawn (although that would make it more challenging for Keith when he mows!)

While driving back to the campsite there was a HUGE bison on the side of the road. It took me a while to get up my courage to pass him because he was bigger than the Prius!

We drove into So. Dakota by early afternoon...

... and arrived at Custer State Park by 4:00. Jen Bradford let me borrow a very cool and fancy tripod that you can wrap around things for taking self-timed photos. I’m still trying to figure it out!

Shea took this shot of a bighorn sheep on the side of the road while driving to the campground.

Legion Lake is right across the road from our campsite. After pitching the tent we cooled off after a day’s ride in the car.

I’ve got to say that we’ve had INCREDIBLE WEATHER for this trip. On the days that we camped, it only rained ONCE in New Mexico, and that was a mild sprinkle for a few hours. Well, that luck turned around this evening! We had HEAVY rain, LOUD thunder and BRIGHT lightning. Rain started dripping in from the roof of the tent while the wind was blowing the rain sideways. I remembered the extra tarp that we brought, went out into the storm and strapped it to the tent. That wonderful piece of blue plastic saved us!

Relaxing in the tent with Monty Python and the Holy Grail and then a little reading before bed.