Well it's that time of year again. We hit the road this morning at 7:14am for our next big adventure. This time however there is one noticeable difference. Mom and dad are tagging along behind us. After meeting up in Eastport, our first order of business was to head for Darrow's in Mackinac for breakfast. From there we began our trip across the Upper Peninsula. Around 1pm we stopped at Sequins to pick up some cheese and stretch our legs. We then decided to make our way to Oshkosh for the night. When all was said and done, we traveled 425 miles before settling into our rooms at the Holiday Inn Express.
We left Oshkosh about 7:15am with no other plan than to make it as far west as possible. The weather was absolutely beautiful, sunny with temperatures in the 70's. There wasn't a lot to see so we just made the best of it and made our way out of Wisconsin and into Minnesota. By early afternoon we decided that we needed to settle on where we wanted to hold up for the night. I was fine staying in Minnesota, but I was quickly overruled and the decision was made to head for Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The thinking was that this would put us within striking distance of the Badlands and Wall Drug on Monday. After 468 miles, we finally pulled into Staybridge Suites in Sioux Falls around 4pm. Since none of us felt like going out for dinner, we decided to order from Ruby Tuesdays. I had no idea that they delivered. It was wonderful. After dinner we were entertained by mother nature. Severe thunderstorms moved into our area along with flash flood warnings. To help us sleep, we opened all the windows. It must have worked since I don't remember a thing after that.
We got up this morning, had coffee and discussed our plans for the day. Craig suggested that we take the scenic highway through the Badlands National Park, then stop by Wall Drug. From there he suggested that we head to Rapid City so that on Tuesday we can go to Mount Rushmore. It all sounded reasonable so we called ahead and made reservations in Rapid City at the Super 8. Everyone packed up and we hit the road by 7:30am. It was interesting to watch the terrain change the further west we traveled. Mom and dad both seemed amazed by the fact that they could see for miles in any direction, but nothing could have prepared them for the Badlands. We pulled over at the very first scenic overlook so that mom and dad could get a better look. Both seemed awestruck. Dad and Craig starting challenging each other to see who could get the best picture. After taking several pictures, we got back on the road and proceeded to travel through the park. We made our way 8 miles to Wall Drug. Things were much more crowded this time so parking was a little challenging, especially when mom drove by the first parking space we pointed out. Oh well, we found her another and took the first spot for ourselves. We wandered around a little, then stopped off for ice cream before deciding that it was time to head for Rapid City. We wanted to get in early enough to do a couple of loads of laundry tonight and maybe play a hand or two of cards. When all was said and done, we traveled 381 miles today and arrived in Rapid City around 3:45pm. Dad and Craig ran to the store so that mom and I could start laundry. When the guys got back, we just sat around talking and having a great time. Later we ordered in Chinese, then went back to our own room for the night. Can't wait for tomorrow.
We got yet another early start this morning thanks to the fire alarm that went off in the hotel at 4:30am. Apparently some gentleman was making toast and it got away from him. Mom and dad have been real troopers getting up early, packing up and hitting the road. Our itinerary today included Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Deadwood and Devil's Tower. Unfortunately sometimes things don't work out quite as expected. I have been fighting off a nasty headcold for the past 24 hours, and temperatures today reached 97 degrees. I just couldn't take anymore so we skipped Devil's Tower. We tried to book rooms in Sheridan, Wyoming, however there must have been some big event happening so we had to spend the night in Buffalo instead. If you ever get the chance to book a hotel in Buffalo, Wyoming you will find the experience quite comical. The agent I spoke with kept trying to book our rooms in Buffalo, New York. Been there done that. Oh well, everything worked out fine. After unloading everything, Craig and I set out to find an IGA to pick up some things before calling it a night ourselves. When all was said and done we had driven 291 miles.
This morning we got up anticipating a rather laid back day. Our plans included visiting the Little Bighorn Battlefield, then heading straight for Cooke City, MT. By 8:30am temperatures were already in the high 70's, so much for any relief from the heat. We stopped for a quick bite to eat in Sheridan, then proceeded to the Little Bighorn. After walking through the museum and cemetary, we drove around the battlefield before stopping off to buy some more t-shirts. Temperatures were now in the mid to high 90's, so we headed out for Cooke City and the cooler mountain air. On our way, we encountered a house being moved down the road and the crew moving it having absolutely no clue what they were doing. Yet another delay in our days journey. After a short delay, we were able to make our way around the obstacle and continue on our misson to Red Lodge. Craig's only goal for this trip was to go over Beartooth Pass. He has been trying for a while now so he is very anxious to see what road conditions are today. I am happy to report that as we made our approach, an LED sign stated that Beartooth Pass was open all the way to Cooke City. Finally, we were going to conquer this pass. Beartooth wound up being one of the most gorgeous routes Craig and I have ever taken. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that we started out at 97 degrees at the base and dropped to 51 degrees at the peak with extremely intense wind gusts. Snow banks on either side of the road reached heights of 15' in places. It didn't matter the views were spectacular. Just before arriving in Cooke City, we encountered a mule deer crossing the road. About 4pm, we arrived at the Super 8. We no sooner got things unloaded, and dad and Craig were covering the bike when a brief rain storm swept through town. Wind gusts were so strong that they ripped part of the roof off the Trading Post in town. Dad was a little beat so mom, Craig and I headed to the Prospector for dinner before coming back to settle in for the night. I can't report on the exact miles traveled because Craig was checking this when the rain came in, but we figure it was about 300 miles. Tomorrow we are planning to visit Yellowstone National Park. Almost forgot to mention, we have no cellular service up here.
Happy Birthday Dad!! This morning we had to change our plans a little, and make a trip into West Park Hospital in Cody, Wyoming. Dad was feeling slightly fatigued and short of breath, so our concerns were that his hemoglobin was low and he would need a transfusion. Cody had the closet hospital at only 76 miles away via the Chief Joseph Memorial Highway, so we headed out about 8:30am. About 10:30am we arrived at the hospital. Would someone please show me a hospital that isn't under construction. Oh well, the facility itself was pretty small and they had everything clearly marked. Unlike Munson, West Park had no other patients in the ER so we were able to get right back to see someone. Jennifer was the nurse that we dealt with. She said welcome to frontier medicine at its best. We then got introduced to Dr. Polley. Both of them were terrific. They made mom and dad feel completely at ease. After reviewing all of dad's medical records, they drew blood to check his hemoglobin level. Because the results were going to take a while Craig and I decided to take off to get the bike washed and pick up a few things. After about 45 minutes we made our way back to the hospital to see what was going on, only to discover mom and dad sitting in the parking lot waiting for us. Apparently dad's hemoglobin was 8.6, and Dr. Polley and Dr. Gordon felt that a transfusion was unnecessary at this time. Both believe that the problems dad is experiencing are related to the altitude. I never even thought about that, but it makes perfect sense. So with that information we headed back to our hotel in Cooke City for the night. Friday we will make our way through Yellowstone, then try to stay in the lower altitudes. Total miles traveled were 174. I almost forgot to mention, dad's windshield got broke while in the ER. We guess that it was related to the heat.
This morning we got up early so that we could get an early start in the park. As a farewell gesture the fire alarm in the hotel started going off. Thank goodness we were already packed and outdoors. At the first ranger station we were informed that the road from Cooke City into Yellowstone had just reopened on Wednesday following a landslide. Good thing. I would hate to think that we traveled all this way for nothing. We stopped and snapped a couple pictures of mom and dad at the Yellowstone sign, then proceeded into the park. As we traveled through the park we encountered mule deer, buffalo, a wolf, a black bear, two grizzly bears, elk, a coyote, and several prairie dogs. In fact we had several encounters with buffalo in the park. On two separate occasions we had to wait for a buffalo to cross the road, then we got stuck in a long line of cars because a whole herd of buffalo were making their way around the mountain. A park ranger finally had to clear the road so that traffic could proceed. After the almost hour delay, we made our way to Old Faithful just in time to see it erupt. We stopped by the gift shop for a couple more t-shirts, some ice cream, and some pleasant conversation with a gentleman from Alabama. Because we still had quite a distance to travel, we decided to head out through Yellowstone to Teton National Park. Once through the park, we proceeded to Jackson Hole. We drove through downtown so that mom and dad could check it out, then we headed off to Pinedale for the night. When all was said and done we had traveled about 294 miles, most at 45 mph.
This morning we decided to hit the road at 7am. Our goal was to make Cheyenne around 2:30pm so that we could get some laundry done and then relax before heading off to bed. The first hundred miles of our journey was spent on two lane highways. We stopped off briefly for some breakfast and shopping. Dad needed to replenish his supply of soup and breakfast cereal, then we picked up the expressway and proceeded on our way. We pulled into the Super 8 in Cheyenne right on time.
This morning we hit the road at 6:45am. The first destination on our way home, Lincoln, NE. The weather was beautiful the entire day. Temperatures were in the high 70's, low 80's. We pulled into the Staybridge Suites about 3:30pm after having traveled 477 miles. I can't wait to get unpacked and settled in for the evening. Tomorrow is another big day. We are hoping to get back into Traverse Tuesday night or Wednesday morning at the latest.
Today is going to be another long day. We got up early so that we can make fairly good time getting to Princeton, IL. Along the course of our 457 mile journey, we made one little detour into Winterset, Iowa, the birthplace of John Wayne. Dad was completely surprised. He had no idea that this existed. We took the tour of his home, which was full of family photographs and movie memorabilia. We learned lots of interesting tid-bits, then went shopping in the gift store. On our way out of town, dad stopped to take photos of the bronze statue in the park, then we gassed up and headed down the road. Around 4:30pm we pulled into Princeton, IL. Some of us were miserably hot, but a quick shower would provide relief.
This morning is our final day on the road. We got up at 4am so that we can get on the road by 6am in an effort to avoid some of the heavy traffic around Chicago. We should be home by early afternoon. It will feel good to wake up tomorrow in our own beds, but it will be a little sad at the same time. Oh well. Better get moving, we have 418 miles to go. Yeah! We made it home about 2:30pm. Beemer was very happy to see us. Total miles traveled on this trip were 4,082.