What a wonderful whirlwind we've had these last 6 days, 3,300 miles, 12 states. What a beautiful, crazy, wonderful country we have that I never really knew about!
Last Friday-- Chicago to Minneapolis via Madison, WI, my alma mater. I got to briefly show the kiddos around the campus-- great memories. Then we drove on to the Twin Cities, where we stayed with a great old friend of Elyssa and mine, and had brunch with more good friends from our youth.
Saturday we reluctantly headed out from Minneapolis to Rapid City, SD via Jim's Apple Farm, Minnesota's largest candy store (the sign which caught my eye was 20 feet tall and advertised 57 varieties of root beer and 86 varieties of licorice-- we tried them all), and a fabulous stop at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD.
Sunday 8/8 we had a fantastic day, spending time in Badlands National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, and Mt. Rushmore for their evening ceremony-- we saw the monument all lit up in the dark. It was a remarkably inspiring patriotic moment. Along the way that day, we came to learn that we had happened upon the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, which brings in literally hundreds of thousands of bikers from around the country-- what a scene!
On Monday, we drove on to Devil's Tower National Monument-- a dream of my rock-climbing wife. We walked the loop trail around the monument and saw a slew of prairie dogs. On the road again, we passed Sturgis, SD and witnessed the incredible events taking place there. Driving into Wyoming, we first passed endless coal trains and oil rigs. Then, we ascended a stunningly beautiful 9,000 foot pass through the Big Horn Mountains, seeing cows, horses, sheep, mule deer, and more, plus rock formations that were 2.5 billion years old.
Leaving Cody, WY on Tuesday morning, we stopped at the Buffalo Bill Dam and then continued on what has been called the 52 most beautiful miles in America on the way into Yellowstone National Park. And then, what DIDN'T we see? We saw tons of bison, waterfalls, weird and smelly mud volcanoes, beautiful and amazing geysers, hot springs, and fumaroles (my favorite new word!) at the Norris Geyser Basin. What a surreal place! Then we made camp at a great site at Madison Campground and, discovering that I had forgotten to pack the camping stove, I proceeded to make mac and cheese in a frying pan over a campfire I built! Call it German stubbornness; call it primordial impulse of the caveman to feed his family at all costs; call it what you will-- they all seemed to enjoy it. Some Apples to Apples in the tent, and then, our first night camping as a family ever, in Yellowstone of all places, went so very well-- we all slept!
Today we started out at Old Faithful Geyser because we felt we had to, being in Yellowstone and all. Truthfully, it was a disappointment after the Norris Geyser Basin. O.F. is so commercialized, and, to us, not nearly as impressive as some of the other sights we saw elsewhere in the park... We drove out the west side of the park, up through Montana and into Coure d'Alene, Idaho. We stopped at some pretty other worldly gas stations and stands; if you ever need a place to hide in the woods, I can see why Southern Montana would be a good place to do so. We COULD have purchased fried chicken gizzards at a gas station, and we nearly tried to buy sodas at a place that, upon closer inspection, was readying itself for the "Testy Festy"-- a celebration of what I can only presume to be the delicacy of some part of the bull. Oy. I knew that we weren't in New Jersey anymore, Toto!
It's been an incredible journey so far, and, despite the predictions of some of our friends, we're all still talking to each other. Tomorrow, it's on to Portland, OR, where we'll actually stay for a whole week. Will I miss driving 8 hours a day? Stay tuned to find out!
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So excited for you guys and your amazing adventure! Our longtime neighbor Kathy (who lives in Florida now) and her parents own a vacation home right on Lake Pend Oreille (which I think is near where you were in Idaho.) She's always said it's gorgeous out there.
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