The 'Gory' Details

Well, after three grueling days in the car and too tired at the end of each to write, I think it's time for an update. After Glacier we moved on to Nevada City and it's twin Virginia City....a mere 5 hour drive due to a 45 min. delay in road construction. Piece of cake day. If you don't know these are both frontier towns. Nevada City is a living history museum on the weekends and houses many original homes and buildings from all over Montana. Frontier House fans will recognize it as the training facility for the participants. We had our obligatory frontier photo done at a shop in Virginia City...I have to say my husband makes a good sheriff. Although as he pointed out the guy who was put into costume after him chose to be an outlaw and got the exact same outfit. I guess you can't tell a book by it's cover. The next day we headed to Yellowstone and did all that implies. I'm not one for touristy places with tons of people but it was ok. As noted in the photo above Buffalo are wild animals that have gored park visitors. Like me they can handle only just so much pestering and then they blow. (Lucky for my family I don't have horns) Apparently we were one of a select few cars who were given this ominous warning because as you may or may not be able to see in the other photo (of people running back to their cars as a buffalo tries to come up over the banking to gore aggressive photographers) people were indeed approaching the buffalo. Fortunately, like me, he changed his mind and returned to pacing the banking. As we left the park we took the northeast exit and proceeded over Beartooth Pass. This makes Glaciers' peaks look like a baby's stackable ring tower. As you can see in the photo I have aged 10 years since going over this treacherous poorly maintained, deathtrap of a road (free of guardrails for your viewing pleasure, so you can see where your demise might be). I will admit to one of the most stunning views I may ever see in my lifetime at the top, but I'm not at all sure it was worth it. It made me wonder how long you can actually survive with adrenaline constantly pumping through your body. Apparently long enough to stay conscious for the entire ride. After this we headed east again and into the Dakotas. We stopped in Rapid City only to find that the only hotel room available, being fourth of July weekend, was a fleabag place that had 2 cruisers in the parking lot trying to persuade an intoxicated man to vacate the curb near our door and a couple 2 doors down fighting with each other. This lovely non-smoking room almost knocked me over with the smell of nicotine drenched fabrics. I returned the keys, spirited my 8 year old, now wiser to the ways of the world, into the car and we had to drive 2 hours extra to get a hotel room in Kadota. Then yesterday we made another long haul from there to Des Moines where we thought we would visit a friend I haven't seen in 3 years. They were gone for the holiday weekend and so we swam in the pool at the Super 8 motel in Ankeny Iowa with no fireworks for the fourth. Definitely not happening next year! Today after 2 days of 10-12 hour days of driving we only drove 9-10 and landed just east of Indianapolis, IN. So we've basically crossed the entire prairies and saw a couple of farms here and there (lol). Who had any idea how much corn is needed for us to survive? I am thankful that God is allowing me to see the beautiful and diverse country I live in. His creation is wonderous. Tomorrow we are off to the eastern side of Ohio or western Pennsylvania, Wed. Frank Lloyd-Wright's house;Falling Water and Amish country, and then to our friend's place in Manhattan for a couple of days of rest, museums, American Girl Place and NO DRIVING. OK, maybe a subway or the cross town bus. So, sorry for the incredibly long post but I think we're caught up for now. Tune in next time!