Not many scenic parks to visit on this part of the trip, but they are getting closer to Michigan, and there are some really great barns and shacks to see along the way. Of source they’re all going by at high speed. Then it’s over the bridge from Duluth into Wisconsin and the land of cheese. Tonight is spent in lovely middle America at the Apostle Islands. Tomorrow should have plenty of great photos. ...
Our lunch spot has a few big boulders with some really interesting formations. I’m thinking they’re some kind of fossils, but Matt and Brendan think it’s volcanic. Dirk told us the area is all old sea floor and primarily sedimentary rock with lots of fossils. Maybe I’ll figure it out sometime.
Yesterday was a bunch of driving through Wyoming, but today the ladies will be heading through South Dakota. This is going to be a very long day with a ridiculous number of photos. Hope you enjoy them. A break in the town of Deadwood was a good opportunity to check out the local history. The Adams Museum was very enlightening. Say hi to Wild Bill for me. ...
We’ll be leaving our campsite setup today for some day hiking up in the hills. I want to checkout a canyon that goes around the back side of the nearby mountains. It also makes for a great lunch spot.
The first half of the day driving through Yellowstone was excellent, but now the girls say goodbye to Wyoming and the park, and head to the Top Of The World. We couldn’t drive this far in the winter, but it sure looks like it was a scenic drive. I hear they really enjoyed visiting Little Big Horn Battlefield. Lots of excellent Native American history. Looks like the goodbye to Wyoming didn’t last that long, as they head to Gillette for the night. ...
The ladies head out early from their hotel in Gardiner just outside the entrance to Yellowstone. They actually stayed in the same hotel I was in this past winter. It’s really interesting to compare the photos from that trip here. They spent some quality time enjoying the Mammoth Hot Springs along with a couple of very cute birds. Check out this area in the winter here. Then it’s on through Lamar Valley, the really beautiful area of the park. Plenty of wildlife, including a shaggy black bear. And here’s the area in the winter. ...
Today we’ve made it to the Marsh Fork and Dirk’s first pickup point. We won’t be leaving from here, but it’s a nice sign we’re on track. This is an incredible spot with a great campsite overlooking the riverbed.
Following yesterday’s long drive to Salt Lake City, the girls start with an early morning run at City Creek Canyon. Then a bit of exploring around the capital, including this cool looking eatery called Spoon Me. Pretty cool logo. The billboards in Utah totally rock. A few other sights, but otherwise not much to see. Rolling into Idaho, it’s time for lunch and a frisbee break for Gracie. I’m sure Gracie was jealous of the awesome doggie trailer. Nice twist on the motorcycle sidecar approach. ...
Today is a bunch of riverbed hiking. The ice is a great walking surface, cools us off, provides a great water source, and cuts down on the bugs. What’s not to love?
After a short day yesterday, the girls are planning on twelve hours of driving through Nevada and Utah to Salt Lake City. Not much to see in Nevada on the first half of the day, except for a few oddities. Gracie gets a frisbee lunch break in Elko, while the girls get to stretch their legs. Gracie finds a stuffed traveling companion to keep her company the rest of the way. ...