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Posted by Maggie 

We have a few blog posts to catch up on, but for now I will just say that after 7 weeks away, we are home. Home! It’s hard to believe. 

We had the most fantastic time making a mountain of family memories and I can’t wait to catch up with you all!

Madison Wisconsin

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After our visit to plum creek, we continued on a lengthy drive to Madison, with nothing other than endless miles of Monsanto cornfields to look at, making us all the more appreciative of the efforts by the walnut grove people to present small sections of the prairie grasslands as how they were meant to be.

Arriving in Madison, we were graciously welcomed by old CT friend Lyn Macgregor and family. Soon we were feasting on local favorite Brats, and beer from a state that knows a thing or two about beer, while the kids had fun playing with daughter Jillian.

The next day started with van logistics, having a broken windshield finally repaired, and an overdue oil change.

Being a city know as bike friendly, we borrowed / rented bikes from progressive Bcycle bike exchange system, and while we had a decent ride along one of the lakes, soon discovered that the rising was more gear toward adult commuters and errand running, than leisurely family bike outings. There were no other kids on bikes where we were, they were all at the municipal pool / waterpark which is where we spent the remainder of the warm afternoon. A nice dinner out at Asian ramen / bun eatery, where the kids put on a clinic on how not to eat slippery noddles and other difficult to chop stick foods. I think some food might have actually made it into their mouths though, in the end. 

Great to catch up with Lyn, Ted and Jillian, and looking forward to seeing them again soon, maybe in Maine, NH or perhaps a bluegrass festival!!

  

some random thoughts

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1. This is a driver’s country. The roads we have driven have been, in general, superbly maintained, achingly scenic more often than not, and generally, largely devoid of traffic. We have had exactly two traffic holdups since our first overnight leg from maine. The first due to bison rubber-necking in yellowstone, which is quaint enough that it shouldn’t count, and some Sunday night weekender traffic yesterday coming into madison. I have not taken for granted that we chose to drive a vehicle, that while certainly not a sports car, is a heck of  a lot more enjoyable to drive than a sluggish, loping RV or a truck hauling a large travel trailer. Sure there have been a couple nights where the RVers had a better night sleep, but that is no big thing in the end.

2. This trip has been like a trip around a large, lavish buffet table. You’re hungry, the food is splendid, you need to take a walk around the table in order to figure out which sections to return to fill your plate. I’m looking forward to an opportunity to take a closer look at some of these places, someday. I can’t count the number of sights and attractions we have blown by at 70 mph that we all would have liked to visit, but just didn’t have the time. Yellowstone alone could take months to experience properly.

3. The challenge of age, activity level, family situation, and fitness. There were moments of great difficulty from time to time presented by watching people who were generally, younger, fitter, and not constrained by children, and who didn’t have a comprised knee who were embarking on much more ambitious adventures than we could hope for on this trip. Longer hikes, backpacking, biking, fishing, kayaking, boating, white water rafting, etc. – it all looked amazing, in spectacular country suited perfectly for the purpose. They were mostly much younger.

We did almost nothing that involved getting out of each other’s site. (I tried that once or twice, Maggie made it clear that such plans were not acceptable, unless for a very short period of time!). But I have no complaints about what we accomplished of course, our plans we made based on what could achieve as a unit, without an unacceptable level of misery. This trip has been designed to foster in the kids a curiosity of travel, a sense for the size of the country we live in, and an unanticipated benefit I had not considered, an excellent backdrop for their further education in history, geography, and earth sciences. I have no doubt the experience with enrich them, in at least a small way, for the rest of their lives.  

By the Banks of Plum Creek

Posted by Maggie

Fans of the Little House books have opportunities in Missouri, South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, and I think San Francisco to see some evidence of Laura Ingalls Wilder having lived there. We got our chance this morning in Walnut Grove, MN.

Arriving to “Nellie’s Cafe” on Main Street, Walnut Grove, we ate breakfast before driving north 1 1/2 miles to the Gordon Farm where the Gordons allow you to drive past their house, deposit $5 into the cash box on the honor system and park along Plum Creek. 

The Gordon’s Farm was built in 1900 and it wasn’t until 1947 or so that they realized the history.

  
Here you can walk through 30 acres of restored prairie, 

  
  
dip your toes into Plum Creek 

  
  
  
and view what’s left of the Ingall’s homestead.

  
I met Mr. Gordon as we were leaving. He and his wife were mowing the paths.

Then we went back to town to go through the Laura Ingalls Wilder museum which was hands-on and great fun for the kids. It detailed frontier life in general, the specific lives of the Ingalls and the Wilders, the history of Walnut Grove, and lots of information on the tv show, it’s cast and the reunions that have occurred there.

  
  
   
 

  
  
  

Badlands

Posted by Maggie

After we whizzed through Mt. Rushmore we took the road through the Badlands and camped just outside the park in Interior, SD. Arrived just before sunset which means the kids had time to swim in the pool. We ate a quick dinner and Andy and I had a couple suds as the blue moon rose and the kids got ready for bed. Next morning we walked in the Badlands on the Notch Trail then continued by car along the loop road, badlands to the south and grassy prairie plateau full of prairie dogs to the north. Pics and more detail to come.

My. Rushmore

Posted by Maggie 

Yesterday morning we left Cody, Wyoming wondering how many of the 1.5 million motorcycles expected for the Sturgis Festival we would see as we approached Mt. Rushmore near Rapid City, SD. We saw enough.

Mount Rushmore was almost exactly as I remembered it, only with improved boardwalks and trails. There were kids taking pictures of chipmunks just like I did 32 years ago.

We attempted a few selfie shots with presidents in the background, but the light was all wrong. Hee hee!

  
  
  
Here they are on their own…

  
  

Old School

Posted by Maggie

We have seen so many of these old school merry-go-rounds across the country. 

  
  
I thought these were all scrapped long ago!

Wall Drug

Yes, we went.

Since we didn’t pass it on our westbound leg we saw fewer billboards.

  
 

Andy would have skipped it, but I think the ice cream and kitch were worth it.

😄 

Yellowstone Day 2

Posted by Maggie 

Day 2 at Yellowstone was a very full, fun, adventure filled day!

Steam vents

Bubbling mud pots

 

Riverside hot lunch

  
Steaming, Grand Prismatic Pool (photos don’t do it justice)

  
  
Geysers

First Old Fairhful viewing:

  
Grand Geyser (most impressive)

  
Second Old Faithful viewing:

  
Yellowstone Lake

 

Bears! Black bear mama and two cubs

  
  

  

A shootout in Cody!

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3 budweisers down, working on a fourth, here in Cody Wyoming on a hot day, at the Irma hotel. 

A Hokey gunfighter skit as out entertainment for the evening….

Today, a visit to the outstanding buffalo bill museum. What a surprise, and highly recommended as a mandatory attraction for anyone with an interest in the unique history and custom of the western states.

 
 Loving Wyoming, the drive out of Yellowstone yesterday through the wapiti valley was another unexpected surprise and some of the most spectacular scenery so far!