Day 24--Home Sweet Home

Well, after 24 days, 15 states (counting California), and 5,650 miles, we made it home. It was a trip of a lifetime. The kids loved everything, except being in the car so much. Here are some facts about our trip:
•The kids are now Jr. Rangers of 9 more National Parks/Monuments
•Texas took forever to drive through
•Erin and Dan now know how to talk with a "Southern" accent, or at least they think they do
•24 days of togetherness is a lot of days
•Sleeping in a covered wagon is cool
•The kids think that Dairy Queen's blizzards are now a part of their daily diet
•Dan did an awesome job driving all 5,650 miles (and we just thought he was nice to look at)
•Kyle found or was given license plates for his collection of all the new states we were in, and are already up on his wall
•The entire family listened to several of the Little House books on CD during the trip
•Everyone except Wendy, had the best steak of their life in Ft. Worth, Texas, and Wendy will always regret not ordering one too

I hope everyone that followed us on our trip enjoyed it. Now Wendy needs to get busy and work on the scrapbook for this vacation--hopefully it will not take all year!

Day 23--Tombstone

Boothill Graveyard

OK Corral

Today we were transported back to the cowboy days of Tombstone. We walked all around the town, and learned about the OK Corral. We also went to Boothill Graveyard. We watched the re-enactment of the famous shoot-out too! We then drove about 3 hours to get some dinner. On our way there, we encountered an enormous dust storm. Cars were stopped everywhere. On top of the wind blowing dust sideways, so we could only see a few cars ahead, it started raining! The right side of the car was a muddy mess. During the storm, Erin was hoping to see a tumbleweed. Not sure why, but she wanted to see one! Her wish came true, and she was very excited. It made us laugh and ease some of the tension of the dust storm. Dan's uncle has a house in Arizona and they let us stay in it for the night--thank you Billy and Diane:)

Day 22--Carlsbad Caverns

At the Cave Opening

Today we visited the Carlsbad Caverns. It was amazing. When we entered the natural opening, instead of taking the elevator down, there were Cave Swallows flying all around. We walked for about a mile looking at different formations, until we got to the elevator and the "Big Room". Then we walked another mile around the "Big Room". It was huge and filled all different  formations including the "Lion's Tail" and the "Bottomless Pit". Then we drove for 7 hours to Arizona. It was a very long drive. Tomorrow is Tombstone.

Day 21--Ft. Worth

Erin and Kyle's New Friend

Ft. Worth Stock Yards

Today we got an early start with going to the Federal Bureau of Engraving, where they print all of our paper money. It was amazing to see all of that money being printed. We even saw the new 100 dollar bill, which isn't in circulation yet. Sorry, but I couldn't take any pictures there. Then it was off to the stock yards of Ft. Worth. We saw the cattle drive down the street, plus Erin even got to sit on one! We knew that we were definitely in Texas. We ended our time in Ft. Worth with a steak lunch. Dan said it was the best steak that he had ever eaten! Then it was in the car for a very long drive...about 7 hours. Texas is a very big state. It seemed like we were never going to get to New Mexico for the night.

Day 20--More Texas...

Today was a much needed day of relaxation. We started off by sleeping in until after 8:00. We then had a leisurely breakfast. Then we headed to a water park, since it was going to be around 100 degrees today. We enjoyed ourselves in the lazy river, wave pool, and going down water slides all day long. The evening ended with dinner and more hanging out with Lisa and her family. The kids enjoyed playing with someone other than each other for a change!

Lisa and her family

Day 19--Texas

"X" Marks the Spot

Sixth Floor Museum

Today was on to Texas! We went to the Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas. It is a museum about the shooting of JFK. It was very interesting. Then outside the museum was the "Grassy Knoll", and they have put an "X" in the street--where Kennedy was when he was shot. Then we went to our friend, Lisa's house for the night. We haven't seen her in years. It was fun to hang out and catch up.

Day 18--Independence & Fayetteville

Kids as Frontier Boy/Girl

Family with Grandpa Roberts

This morning we went to the National Frontier Trails Museum in Independence, Missouri. It explained all about the wagon trails. Kyle knew about a lot the information since he learned it in fourth grade. We also went inside an old railroad station and learned about how it all used to work. Then we headed to Kansas for lunch/dessert--to go into another state! Then it was on to Fayetteville, Arkansas to see Wendy's dad and cousins. We had an enjoyable time visiting.

Day 15, 16, and 17--Family Reunion

The cousins

Pancake Boy and Girl

Friday started off with breakfast in DeSmit. We had pancakes in the shape of a man/woman--just like Ma made for Laura in Little House in the Big Woods. After breakfast, we headed to Yankton, South Dakota for our family reunion. We had a fun weekend with all of Dan's aunts, uncles, and cousins. We ate, talked, ate, swam in the lake/pool, ate, and ate some more!! There were over a 100 people at the reunion. We can't wait until 2015 for the next one. On Sunday, we headed for Independence, Missouri, and had a restful night at the hotel.

Day 14--More Little House

Getting the horses ready

Ingalls Home

Last night was fun sleeping in the covered wagon. It was a very windy evening, but we survived it fine. This morning started with the kids getting to help get the horses ready for the Homestead. (Thanks, Judy, for telling us to ask the night before—it was only our kids!) They got to feed, brush, and harness the horses. They then ran around some more with some new friends they had made. We then went to town and took a tour of some of the homes—the surveyor’s house, and the house pa built—all from the books! It was neat to see the actual places that we have been reading about in the books. Tonight we are staying in a bed and breakfast, two doors down from the house pa built. It was a great trip to Little Town on the Prairie, DeSmet, South Dakota. Tomorrow we head to the family reunion, so no internet again…you will all have to wait until Sunday night to read our blog. 

Day 13--Little House on the Prairie

The Corn Palace

Is that Erin or Laura?

This morning we decided to try and find some more wildlife before we left the Badlands. We only managed to see some big horn sheep, but that was fun. We then drove to Mitchell, South Dakota—home of the famous Corn Palace. What is the Corn Palace? It is a place that decorates the outside each year with ears of corn. It actually is amazing to see how they do it. We reached the Ingalls Homestead by early evening. We started with a wagon ride to “school”. We were met at the schoolhouse by our teacher. She dressed the kids up in “pioneer clothes” and then told us all about how school was during Laura Ingalls’ time. The kids got to participate in a little spelling bee and ring the school bell on their way out. We have free reign all over the homestead where the kids ran from barn to barn across the prairie. The best part of the adventure was spending the night in a covered wagon!

Day 12--Badlands

A Jackalope

Badlands

 Today started out very interesting. Wendy wanted to go back to Mount Rushmore because she didn’t have any pictures of her or the entire family in front of the Men. It was just going to be a quick stop. As we were walking in the parking lot, Erin realized that she left Flat Suzie in the car. Erin and Dan headed back to the car to retrieve her, while Kyle and Wendy walked ahead. It was taking a long time for Erin and Dan to catch up. Apparently, Suzie had decided to run away and was not in the car. They went into the visitor center to see, if by some small miracle, she had been left there, two days before. She was there, safe and sound. Suzie had been helping the rangers out and learning a lot, they even took pictures with her. Erin was happy to have found her. Back on the road, we stopped at the famous Wall Drug. It was a fun place. The kids even rode a jackalope! We then went to the Badlands. It was actually pretty, in its’ own way. The kids loved climbing all over the rocky landscape. We are staying in a nice little cabin for the night.

Climbing on the Badlands

Day 11--Bear Country and Jewel Caves

A Grizzly Hanging Out

Alpine Slide

 The day started with a car ride through Bear Country, USA. We saw elk, artic wolves, bighorn sheep, and of course bears, lots of bears! After the driving part, we walked around baby island where there were about 25 baby bears. They were so cute---playing together, climbing trees, and swimming. Erin has now decided that she wants to work here when she is older. We then went to the Alpine Slides—take a chair lift up to the top, sit on a sled, and slide down a 2000 ft. slide. It was lots of fun. Later we went to Jewel Caves National Monument. We went on a tour that went almost 400 ft. underground. It was interesting. The kids added to their Jr. Ranger collection. As we were walking to our car, Erin got stung by a yellowjacket several times! She is now in the swimming pool, hoping that it will help her feel betterJ

Day 10--Devils Tower and Mount Rushmore

Devils Tower

Dan the the "Big Heads"

 Today was another incredible day. It started with going to Devils Tower. We went on a "Ranger Walk", and our ranger was a Lakota Indian. It was a neat to hear his point of view about the legends and myths of Devils Tower. There were several rock climbers actually climbing the tower—they are crazy! On our way to Mount Rushmore, we made a little detour to the geographical center of the fifty United States, in Belle Fourche, South Dakota. We were too close not to stop. Then it was on to the “Big Heads”. Wow, is all I can really say! We stayed for an evening program about Mount Rushmore, and then they illuminate the presidents. It was beautiful, but what was even more special was that they asked all veterans and active military people to come up on stage. There were over 75 that went up on the stage. They lowered the flag for the night, and then we all sang the “Star Spangled Banner”. We were able to meet up with Dan’s cousin, Deb, and her family at Mount Rushmore also. It was fun to hang out with them for a few hours. (We didn’t get to our hotel until around 11pm, so that is the reason for the delay in this blog posting.)

Day 9--Little Bighorn Battlefield Monument

At the Battlefield

Marker of Fallen Warrior

Today has been a long day. We drove over 400 miles. We left Yellowstone, bright and early this morning. On our morning drive, we saw another herd of elk, complete with a baby. As we were only a few minutes from being out of the park, we saw a grizzly bear on the side of the road! Yes, I said grizzly bear. It was very exciting. We then had a "cowboy breakfast" in Cody, Wyoming. We made it to Little Bighorn Battlefield in the early afternoon. It was very interesting. Dan and I didn't know very much about this battle, except that it was "Custer's Last Stand". It was amazing to hear about all of the details about the battle. They have actually put markers all over the field as to where soldiers and indian warriors had fallen during the battle. Apparently, it is only one of three places in the world that has done that. The kids' highlight of the day was when we reached our hotel--there is an indoor mini water park, complete with a few slides and a lazy river! Tomorrow is off to South Dakota.

Day 8--Even More Yellowstone

Our Black Bear!

Today was a wildlife adventure! Everyone was in the car at 6:00 this morning, eager to find some animals. We didn’t have to wait too long before we spotted some elk by the side of the road. Then we came upon a moose, which apparently is a rare thing here. Later we saw a coyote walking out of the fog, down the middle of the road, right next to our car. After about 3 hours, we were pleasantly surprised by a black bear. He was just digging in fallen trees for some bugs by the side of the road. We were able to sit in the car and watch him for a while. We also saw some pronghorn and of course lots and lots of bison. We drove about 200 miles inside of Yellowstone to see all of the animals. We also stopped at “Yellowstone’s Grand Canyon” and took a little hike to the edge of one of the waterfalls. It was a fun day!

"Yellowstone's Grand Canyon"

Day 7--More Yellowstone

"Old Faithful"



"Morning Glory" Pool


Today was a relaxing day in Yellowstone. After we slept in, we went out to the balcony of our hotel to view Old Faithful erupt again. Then we had a leisurely breakfast and went for a walk around all of the geysers and hot springs near Old Faithful. There were some incredible ones: Morning Glory, the Grotto, and many more. We then made our way back to the Inn to sit and read some books and relax. Later we drove to our next destination within Yellowstone, Grant’s Village. The ranger told us to go to the West Thumb Basin to see some elk and more springs/pools. There was a small herd of elk, about 12, and they were fairly close. The kids got their Jr. Ranger badges for Yellowstone. We spent the evening relaxing in our hotel—reading, writing, and playing some games. Tomorrow we are planning on getting up very early to go to the northeast part of Yellowstone to find some more wildlife!

Day 6-- Yellowstone National Park



Yellowstone!



Mama and Baby Bison

Our first day in Yellowstone was great! We drove all over the place looking for wildlife. The first place we stopped, Mud Volcano, had a few stray bison. It was amazing to be so close to them. We went for a little hike through the forest, and then walked around some hot springs. On our way to Old Faithful, we came across some more wildlife. There were three elk off in some trees, so we had to investigate, along with everyone else. Dan wanted to get really close, so he ventured across and into some marsh mud. He definitely got a closer look, but also ended up in mud up to his knees! We then saw a herd of bison  near the road. We pulled over and watched the baby bison run around, and eventually the entire herd walked across the road, a few even right in front of our car. It was an experience of a lifetime. Later, we finally made it to the Old Faithful Inn where we are staying for the night. We saw Old Faithful erupt once, but are hoping to see it again tomorrow, and are looking forward to more fun tomorrow.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Day 5--More Grand Tetons

Our "Tent Cabin"

Hiking

Another enjoyable day at the Grand Tetons. We started the morning with taking a boat across Jenny Lake, and then hiked up to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point—both were beautiful. Later we listened to a small woodwind group playing music at Colter Bay. We went on a few more hikes near Jackson Lake/Colter Bay. The best part of the day was finding out what our accommodations were for the night—we were staying in a “tent cabin”. This was basically a combination of a tent and a cabin—two sides were a log cabin, and the other two sides and roof were a tent, all around a cement slab, complete with a wood burning stove, and bunk beds chained to the walls. Dan and the kids thought this was hysterical—they laughed and laughed. It made for a fun adventure.

Day 4--Jackson, Wyoming

Today we spent all day in the town of Jackson, Wyoming. In the morning, we went white water rafting in the Snake River. It was a blast! To see any pictures, go to http://www.floatographs.com/, and put in the following information to access our pictures: Barker-Ewing Raft Co., July 2, 10:00, Andrea. There are a few pictures where you cannot see Erin because she is covered by water!
We had some time in the afternoon to just relax--the kids watched TV back at the hotel, while Wendy did some laundry. We took a little stroll in downtown--a very cute town. In the evening, we went to a chuck wagon dinner show. We rode in covered wagons to our destination. Then we enjoyed an "all you can eat" dinner, followed by a little show. It was a little hokey, but we loved it. At the end of the show, we all sang "How Great Thou Art"! How awesome is that!! It is good to know that some places in America still know what is important!

Town of Jackson

Our covered wagon

On our way to Grand Tetons again today. We are staying the night in a little cabin inside the park, so not sure about internet access--will update when I can.

Day 3--Grand Tetons National Park

Our hiking destination

After a very long drive, we made it to Jackson, Wyoming and the Grand Tetons. The drive through northeast Utah was gorgeous. On our way to our first hike, we saw a moose by the side of the road. This made Dan's whole day, maybe even his trip! He was so excited. We enjoyed a 3 mile (round trip) hike to a lake. We then headed back to Jackson for dinner and our hotel. Tomorrow we are white water rafting in the Snake River.

Day 2--More Zion...

Officially Jr. Rangers

Enjoying the cold river

We went back to Zion this morning to do some more hiking and wading in the river. We did several short hikes:  the Grotto to the Zion Lodge, Lower Emerald Pools, and Pa'rus Trails. Along the Grotto hike we saw several deer right next to the path. The kids loved that! We went wading and swimming in the river. It was very cold, yet definitely refreshing in the 100 degree heat. We took a little break from hiking at the Zion Lodge, where we sat in the shade on a bench and drew pictures of the scenery. The kids became Zion Jr. Rangers, complete with the "swearing in". In the early afternoon, we got back on the road and drove to Provo, Utah, where the kids are once again in the pool. Tomorrow is a long drive to the Grand Tetons.

Day 1--Zion National Park

Beautiful!

Well, we have started our big road trip. We left at 4:30 this morning, and arrived at Zion National Park without any problems. Zion is simply beautiful! The kids got started right away with the Jr. Ranger Program. We went to a Ranger talk on "Amazing Animals" where we learned all about the Black Bear. We went on several hikes in the 100+ degree weather. One of the hikes was the Riverside Walk. It was a nice hike along the Virgin River to the "Narrows". It was amazing to see God's handiwork in the sheer, straight up cliffs. We did a little wading in the river to cool off. We drove back to St. George, Utah for dinner and our hotel. The kids and Dan are enjoying the swimming pool right now. Tomorrow is back to Zion for the day.

Where in America are you going?

Everyone has been asking us, "Where are you going on your vacation?" We will be making a big loop across middle America. Here are some of the places we will be visiting: Zion, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Mt. Rushmore, Badlands, Little House in the Prairie "stuff", family reunion in South Dakota, Missouri, Arkansas, Dallas, Carlsbad Caverns (New Mexico), and Tombstone, Arizona. We will be gone 24 days! Here is our map of the main route we will be taking. Keep us in your prayers, please, as we leave Friday morning at 4am! I will try to post every day--some days we will not have internet access, so we will just have to leave you hanging, and catch you up when we do have service. We would love for you to comment too. The next post will hopefully be Friday night from Zion! Here is a link to the route: https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Rancho+Palos

Flat Stanley and Flat Suzie

Some of you may recall that we always take Flat Stanley and Flat Suzie with us on our road trips. This year we will only be taking Flat Suzie. Kyle decided that it was time for Flat Stanley to stay home! I guess he decided that now that he is in middle school, he is too old for Flat Stanley. I'm sorry Flat Stanley, that you will miss out on this family adventure, but we are glad that Flat Suzie is going with us.

What is this all about?

I have been wanting to do a monthly, family blog for a long time, but never got around to it. The only time I have ever blogged was when we went on road trip vacations. Well, we are once again going on a road trip, so this blog was created. This time I'm hoping to continue it after the trip--we will see if I do!