Alaska Trip fini 9/28/08

Wall Drug, Wall SD: what can I say. You'll just have to stop in. We counted 64 billboards advertising Wall Drug from Rapid City to Wall, about 50 miles. I was so overwhelmed that I didn't take any pictures. We left Wall SD at 8:30 Thursday morning and drove our longest day by a long ways, 640 miles. Dad and I tagged teamed drove, switching every 2 hours. The beauty of this is that we got to Ames at 8:15. That is, in the parking lot of Hickory Park at 8:15 for a celebratory Saucy Southern. The waitress was a bit, well really quite a bit, surprised to be taking our picture. It was a good end to a remarkable trip.

The next morning, after getting Cinderella, from Betsy and James, that I said good by to Mom and Dad and drove for Hutchinson. I stopped in Manhattan to see Zoe, and Trevor who was visiting her from the USAF. I was home by 9:45. I knew that I had been gone a long time when I missed 2 of my turns getting off the highway and into my neighborhood. Paul was happy and grateful to see me. 8388 miles. That was the length of the trip not counting the 4 days/5 nights that we spent on the ferry. It was amazing , remarkable, awesome, stunning, fun and a good trip. I would do it again, but not next week.

Mountain sheep

Mountain sheep. We went to Alaska and back and saw them in South Dakota! This trio was right beside the road by Mount Rushmore. They are furry fluffy and I want to hug one. But I'm afraid that they would not like that. I see those small horns. And I'm guessing that they are used for butting complete strangers who try to come up and hug them.

Today we saw deer, prong horn antelope, mule deer, mountain sheep, cattle, horses, sheep, ground squirrels, brown squirrels and bees.

South Dakota 9/24/08

Crazy Horse Mountain. A lot of carving has been done on the mountain since 1970. If you look closely, you can see his nose and eye.











George, Tom, Theo and Lincoln:
Mount Rushmore. Begun in 1927 and completed in 1941. WW II started then for the US and the sculpture had just died. There were several changes that happened during the design phase. First, he wanted to do WASHINGTON AND LINCOLN. Then he was going to add Jefferson. But Jefferson was going to be to the left of Washington and Lincoln was going to be to the right of Washington. And there was going to be a dedication where Lincoln is now. There wasn't enough room to the left of Washington, do Jefferson so he got moved to the right of Washington and Lincoln was moved to where the dedication was going to be. This left a blank and Roosevelt was carved in the opening. You ask why Teddy? Borloug thought he was the all American president and had done positive things for the US, Panama Canal and National Parks.

The allee of states leading up to the viewing area. Dad is pretending to be a moose. (On our whole trip we only saw 1 moose. It was on the highway in Fairbanks. It looked lost and lonely.)

Animals 9/23/08

Elk.











Bison. (These were very close to Old Faithful Lodge.)













More Bison. This small herd walked right beside Earthie as we sat inside. We were stopped on the road and just watched them come, surround us and leave. Totally, totally memorble. They are such big animals.

Lots of warnings about bears, but no bears sighted. Or moose for that matter.

Old Faithful 9/23.08

What is a trip to Yellowstone without seeing Old Faithful?


Old Faithful Lodge is a beautiful historic building. Lovely. Inside is huge. And it is made of wood and branches and trunks. The yellow tour buses out front are just plain nostalgic and cute.












Old Faithful spouted right on time. Kind of fun to see. Also quite fascinating.



















We must have all been fascinated, all 300+- of us, waiting and watching. And taking pictures. I took a few and then put the camera away and just enjoyed the sight. I think that this is really importan. To enjoy with our own eyes and mind and not try to capture what ever it is through a camera lens.

Yellowstone National Park 9/23/08

It was a clear cool morning in Montana and Wyoming. Finally sunshine. We were greeted with rising steam as we drove into Yellowstone. Awesome! Geysers, mud pots and steam vents. They are all pretty amazing. I don't remember any of this from when I visited as a child.



The sound of the mud pots surprised me. Blurp blurp. And choochoochoochoo.

Highway 12 9/22/08

This is a lovely drive. Highway 12 from Lewiston ID to Lolo Pass.

We are in Belgrade MT. Janet R. where does you daughter live? I think that we drove past earlier today.

In Montana there was a sign that we saw for the Testicle Festival. I'm assuming that they are bull testicles commonly called rocky mountain oysters. That is a tripple yuck from me.