Wednesday in Sheridan, Wyoming

Tomorrow we'll finally arrive in Missoula. It has been a long trip, but actually alot of fun. We woke up this morning in lovely Wall, South Dakota.....famous home of Wall Drug Store. We stayed at a mom & pop hotel that looked like something we stayed in as kids.....but it was very clean and nice. We popped over to Wall Drug to have breakfast & the requisite visit thru the tourist trap. I got some great shots of Roger being eaten by a T-Rex, the kids riding a giant Jackalope, covered wagon, trains, etc....

We continued on through the Badlands......wow, was that an amazing place! Oh my gosh.....it is such an alien landscape and incredible. Just incredible. Natalie earned her 2nd Junior Ranger badge there. Then it was on to Mt. Rushmore (Nat earned her third badge there!) Another incredible sight. It was FREEZING up there & foggy/misty....so my pictures won't be great, but I think some will turn out ok.

Then on for another long drive to Sheridan. We're at a brand new Hampton Inn and it is heavenly.....and we had a great meal at a local pub, so that was fun.

Most folks might dislike the trek across the Dakotas and Wyoming, but we found it incredibly fascinating. The Dakotas have enormous farm lands and it appeared very clean and neat. The prairies are so vast. And Wyoming has been interesting too.....it starts out green and with little hills....then turns into prairies, mountains, hills, canyons and every other landscape you can imagine. It changed topography many times. And you can see forever.....and I do mean forever. It is an awesome country we live in.

While we have enjoyed our long journey, we have finally reached the point where Roger and I are anxious to arrive at our destination. We will get up early tomorrow morning, get breakfast here at the hotel and head for Billings, Bozeman, Butte and finall Missoula. It will be about an 8-hour drive. I suppose I'll drive some tomorrow. Can you believe that Roger has driven every single mile of this trip? He has let me unwind and rest and I have appreciated it so much. And those of you who know me will find that amazing because I am ALWAYS the one who drives in our family. See --- I CAN let go of my control! ha! An new life.....and I've already begun!

See you in Montana! And I promise to post some pics or some slideshows as soon as possible.

Kickin' it in Iowa

Hey y'all! (Gotta say that before I lose it :-) Blogging here from lovely Council Bluffs, Iowa. It was a great drive from St. Louis to here (outside Omaha, Nebraska). We left late after a huge brunch that kept us filled up for most of the day (Thanks Brad & Rockie!) We stopped in Kansas City....this was another fun-filled train day for Roger. He's a happy camper!! We spent a few hours at the Union Train Station in KC. It was built in the early 1900's and was the second largest train station in the US. It is so grand! We had a nice late lunch there and then toured the train museum....Roger is truly in heaven.

We then went across the road to the Liberty Memorial...which was so fitting since it is Memorial Day. It was a very beautiful monument erected after WWI.

We hit the road & just before we got out of the great state of Missouri, Roger was pulled over for speeding....darn! He had been watching his speed very carefully & unfortunately got side tracked as I was looking at the map for tomorrow's adventure. He was going 81 in a 70 zone....the policeman was very nice though and knocked his speed down one MPH, so his ticket would be slightly less :-) Nothing like setting a great example for your kidlets as you sit in the patrol car ha!!

We just had a light dinner & I saw this computer available at the hotel....perfecto! I really do love hearing from all of you...it is so nice to know my friends are out there encouraging us (cuz boy howdy do I need it from time to time!)

Hugs and kisses from the creat corn state! Onward ho tomorrow to Sioux City and beyond! Up next is the World's Largest Prairie Dog, the Corn Palace, etc.! And maybe, just maybe, if we're LUCKY....another train station/museum! Woohoo!

Nighty night!


I'll post pictures later.

Paying Homage to the King....

...of Beers :-)

On Saturday, we toured the Anheiser-Busch facility in St. Louis....we had alot of fun, and of course the best part was the beer sampling at the end of the tour :-) I have a much great appreciation for Bud now!

On Saturday, we also visited Union Station train station in downtown St Louis.....wow was that a beautiful place! I can't wait to play with my photos & post some in black & white of the architectural details. It was really a lovely structure. There was also a shopping mall attached...Natalie and Jilly decided to jump on this trampoline/rope thingy. Nat was not exactly thrilled once she got on it, but she gamely jumped for the duration of her ride. Jilly had a great time and jumped higher and higher!

We visited with neighbors on the block & sat for hours visiting during the evening and then into the wee hours....the kids had a great time playing in a gazebo, chasing rabbits, and playing inside a big cardboard box. Who needs toys?

Monday morning we hit the road again, headed for Omaha, NE then hope to make it to Sioux Falls, SD, Rapid City, SD, Sheridan, WY, and finally, our new home in Missoula Montana!

I probably won't have access to a computer this week, but I'll be sure to blog after we arrive. I can't wait for our trips to Mt. Rushmore, Badlands, the Corn Palace, the Ice Cream Museum, etc etc etc. Bye for now! (And thanks for the comments! I love to read them and hear from you!!)

Gateway to the West (Friday)

We arrived safely in St. Louis on Thursday afternoon.....St. Louis is known as the "Gateway to the West", as it was the starting point for the Lewis and Clark Expedition. We feel a kindred connection to them, as we're making a similar journey (especially evident if you see all the stuff in the car :-) Lewis and Clark journeyed westward from St. Louis - one of their camps was in the Missoula area.

On Friday, we visited the Lewis and Clark Museum, and also visited the St. Louis Arch - known as the Gateway to the West. We rode to the top of the structure in this tiny pod-like contraption. Quite a feat for those of you who know me.....and my intense fear of heights! The good thing about the trip to the top was that it was very fast and there was not a window to the outside heights! Once we exited the pod, we looked out these tiny viewing windows. Incredible views....and an amazing structure. I was in awe of the Arch everytime I looked up at it, or viewed the Arch from a distance. And I was in awe of myself for sumbitting to be hauled up to the tippy top of that thing! And I'm still alive!

Our St. Louis friends are so dear and sweet to us....they have welcomed us with open arms and we've had a wonderful visit. She is quite the gourmet cook, so we have been completely spoiled rotten by the fabulous meals she has served....everything home made....eggs benedict, fresh fruit, pancakes, quiche, pecan pie, pork roast with mashed potatoes, and on and on! Yum! Tonight's fare is an artichoke appetizer, a great-smelling meatloaf and veggies, to be followed by a creme brulee. Heaven.

And nothing like being greeted with fresh flowers in every room. They're so sweet to us!

And nothing like having your children play together with their daughter....running for hours in the grass and playing "restaurant" outside. I love that the girls are being creative and running off their energies.

We're having a great time.

Loaded down and truckin'....

.....and my computer is the last thing to be loaded on the truck. The kids are at their last day of school for the summer....the moving truck is almost finished being loaded (the last stuff is the ABSOLUTE worst!).....then tons of errands today to be finalized before we head west tomorrow morning.









So far things have gone pretty smoothly....which is kinda scary. Hmmm





Leaving you with a few parting photos.....see you on the flip side!!

- Natalie and Anna at N's hip hop dance recital -

- Natalie on her way to her last Brownie campout -

- Anna at our last trip to Fairhope -

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Later!