ROAD TRIP OVER

BUT I'LL NEVER FORGET IT'S BEAUTY

THEIR WERE FALL COLORS LIKE I'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE,

IN MONTANA,

YELLOWSTONE,

 THE GRAND TETONS,

AND EVEN RIGHT OUTSIDE OUR HOTEL ROOM IN
MISSOULA MONTANA.

THE COLORS WERE GORGEOUS

IN COEUR d' ALENE IDAHO

AND SPOKANE WASHINGTON.

THE CITIES ALONG THE WAY 

WERE WORTH A STOP.

BUTTE MONTANA, A MINING TOWN,

FULL OF HISTORICAL BUILDINGS.

 JACKSON HOLE 

JUST LOOK AT THIS ARCH

MADE OUT OF ANTLERS.

CODY WYOMING

AND IT'S OLD TOWN MUSEUM.

CAN YOU IMAGINE WASHING CLOTHES ON THIS?

CODY ALSO HAD A GREAT OLD HOTEL
WITH THIS WONDERFUL CHICKEN POT PIE.

JUST LOOK AT THIS CUTE STORE AND CAFE

JUST OUTSIDE THE BADLANDS OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

COULDN'T RESIST GETTING A PICTURE
OF THEIR HORSE
WITH THE BLACK HILLS BOYS.

WALL DRUGS, A MUST STOP.

 YOU'RE SUPPOSE TO STOP HERE FOR 

THE FREE GLASS OF WATER,

BUT WE CHOSE A DOUGHNUT AND ICE CREAM.

STURGIS, WHERE ALL THE HARLEY RIDERS GATHER.

AS WE ENTERED DEADWOOD, A SIGN SAID,
"WHERE THE WEST WAS WON."

ALONG WITH BEING STEEPED WITH HISTORY,
IT HAS TURNED INTO QUITE A GAMBLING TOWN,
WHERE PEOPLE ARE STILL WINNING.

A PIT STOP IN MONTANA,

AND LOOK WHAT WE FOUND.

THE WALLS WERE COVERED WITH 66,542 SILVER DOLLARS.

 COEUR d' ALENE WAS A THING OF BEAUTY

WITH IT'S PARK ALONG THE LAKE,

THE FLOWERING BASKETS ON THE LIGHT POSTS,

AND DARYL'S FAVORITE,
THE FLOATING GREEN AT THE GOLF COURSE.

IN YELLOWSTONE, AND THE TETONS

THERE WERE ANIMALS A PLENTY,

RIGHT ALONG THE ROAD,

AND ON THE ROAD.

THEY WERE EVERYWHERE YOU LOOKED,

 RIGHT OUTSIDE THE CAR,

AND IN THE BRUSH.

THEY WERE IN HERDS,

AND ALL ON THEIR OWN.

I'M GUESSING THESE WERE PRAIRIE DOGS,
POPPING UP OUT OF WHAT LOOK LIKE GOFER HOLES.

ON OUR TRIP THROUGH CUSTER STATE PARK,
THESE DONKEYS THOUGHT THEY OWNED THE ROAD.

CUTE!


THE GEYSERS IN YELLOWSTONE,

WITH OLD FAITHFUL BEING THE HIGHLIGHT!

 MT. RUSHMORE,

THE REASON I WANTED TO TAKE THE TRIP.

IT DIDN'T DISAPPOINT!  

WE EVEN CAME BACK FOR THE NIGHT TIME
LIGHTING CEREMONY.
IT WAS SPECTACULAR, BUT MY CAMERA WASN'T.

YOU CAN'T BE IN THE BLACK HILLS WITHOUT SEEING THE MOUNTAIN CARVING, STILL IN PROGRESS, OF CRAZY HORSE.

 

 THE BADLANDS, AND THEIR LAYERS OF SENTIMENT, 

 VOLCANO ASH, AND MATTER,   

.

HAD A BEAUTY OF THEIR OWN.

SPEARFISH CANYON AND IT'S WATERFALLS,

AND MINER'S GETAWAY TUNNEL,
NEAR MT. RUSHMORE

WERE OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST.

 OUR HOTELS RANGED FROM THIS BEAUTIFUL ONE ALONG THE SPOKANE RIVER,

 

 TO THIS RUSTIC CABIN, IN THE GRAND TETONS,

YOU ALL KNOW HOW I DON'T LIKE CAMPING.
 THIS CABIN WITH IT'S SINK AND MIRROR
OUTSIDE THE BATHROOM, IT'S SLANTED FLOORS,
AND IT'S DOORS THAT DIDN'T QUITE LOCK,
WERE JUST ONE STEP ABOVE CAMPING.

IT WAS WORTH IT THOUGH, BECAUSE OF THIS SPECTACULAR VIEW

 FROM THE BACK DECK.

 WE SPENT OUR LAST NIGHT OF VACATION IN

YOU GUESSED IT, SEATTLE,

 WITH IT'S FAMOUS PIKES MKT.,

AND ALL THAT FISH!

 

 IT ALSO HAD ALL THESE STAIRS, 102 TO BE EXACT,

THAT LED TO THE WATERFRONT WHERE WE HAD DINNER.

FROM THE LOOKS OF THE SCALE THIS MORNING,

THEY DIDN'T BURN OFF MANY CALORIES :)

 IT WAS A GREAT VACATION 

RIGHT FROM START, 

TO OUR BART RIDE HOME!