August 2011
20 posts
Day 13: 150 miles
Our last day on the road, except for my flight home tomorrow (assuming I can get out of Dulles). No sightseeing today, just driving through cloudy mists and a little rain. More to come tonight, but the local attitude is that we are well west of the areas that Irene will hit hard. We hope for the best for everyone along the eastern seaboard and inland.
Day 12: 130 miles
Stacie rode a horse today and thanks to Hannah, Diana, and Cinde (who lent us the horse), she now is convinced that she wants to take riding lessons. Hannah is an awesome teacher. After visiting Diana’s farm, walking the horses, and feeding the goats, and contemplating the views, Stacie has become even more of a farm enthusiast. Tomorrow, we leave for Virginia – our final destination.
Day 11: 460 miles
Yesterday while driving from Mammoth Cave to Lexington, Kentucky we tried to stop at the Wild Turkey bourbon distillery, along the Bourbon Trail. Unbeknownst to us, the time changed just east of Cave City. We were breaking all speed limits to make the tour and get our tastes, when Stacie suddenly noticed that it was an hour later than we thought – and we had missed our window. So, this morning,...
Day 10: 250 miles
I didn’t mention this before, but yesterday we saw a truckload of pigs on the freeway. Many of them were standing, snouts through the slats in the big rig, gazing hopelessly and anxiously, seemingly resigned, into the great beyond – for that one last look at the world. My eyes met a few of theirs, and I got the distinct impression that they knew their future. Now there is no more bacon for...
Day 9: 780 miles
A portion of the I29 that we wanted to travel on was closed, so we had to take some detours to get to our destination. The 2012 hard copy road atlas came in handy because the car’s GPS was going a little crazy – it kept trying to get us back to the original route despite our kind words letting it know that this was impossible. Give it up, we said, it ain’t happening – but that little GPS kept...
Day 8: 485 miles
We refreshed some more geology memories today, and were reminded that the Great Plains used to be a shallow sea. Then continental plates pushed and shoved, mountains were raised, and the sea drained. First it became a subtropical forest, then a savannah, and then the grasslands that we see today. Rain, wind, and erosion shaped some of the landscape into the Badlands. Touring the area by car,...
Day 7: 60 miles
Our goal today was to see wildlife. The means for our success was the Wildlife Loop Road in Custer State Park. First we spied a lonesome buffalo, ambling along the side of the road, then an entire herd blanketing the prairie. When the white man came to the prairie, the buffalo numbered 30 to 60 million, and lived harmoniously with the Indians. Within several decades, thanks to the white man,...
Day 6: 62 miles
Our day in and around Custer included Jewel Cave, Crazy Horse Memorial, Mt. Rushmore, and a foray into Custer State Park. Frank and Albert Michaud discovered Jewel Cave in 1900 when they noticed some vigorously moving bushes on the side of a mountain. Ever the explorers, they climbed up to the area and found air spewing from a small hole. After trying and failing to climb into it, they...
Day 5: 620 miles
Thank you Mac Daddy for fixing our ride! Until today whenever someone talked to me about their car, all I heard was “blah, blah, blah,” kind of like Charlie Brown’s teacher. Now, I know what a thermostat does, why it is important, and how and where to add coolant. We also know where to buy about 40 acres of land with an orchard and farmhouse for less than $300,000. And we got a great tip on...
Day 4: 149 miles
We started the day with lattes from our favorite new café, The Peace Tree Café. Then off to Colorado National Monument. Luckily we arrived around 9 am, before the heat was in full force, so we got in a few hikes. Today we learned that river guides cannot be trusted when it comes to geology. So here goes, the basement rock is Pre Cambrian, overlain by the 210 million year old Chinle formation,...
Day 3: 7 miles
It is another blistering day in Moab. We scheduled a river rafting trip in the morning. We put in at the poetically named Higgle Bottoms and put out at Ida Gulch. Although the scenery was beautiful, the Colorado was sluggish, low, and didn’t live up to its reputation of being a river runner’s feisty dream. Oh, and did I mention that it was hot? We heard about all the movies made along the...
Day 2: 282 miles
We started off the day with a great breakfast at the comfy Parowan Café. Kurt, you should have been with us, because for only $1 you can enter the raffle to win a Savage Axis Bolt Action 30-06 rifle! Only catch is that you have to be there to win. After filling our bellies, we headed to Arches National Park. Once on Highway 70, we saw absolutely nothing living for about 30 minutes – no cars,...
Day 1: 462 miles
We set off at 6 am to avoid the southern California traffic. A short stop at Starbucks for my latte fix and we were on our way. A couple of weeks ago, I was told “Mom, I think it would be best if I did most of the driving on this trip.” So, I steeled myself to be the co-pilot, music changer, and snack provider. But, after 3 hours, and a gas stop in Baker California, Stacie needed a nap, and I...