9ish- Wake up and head downstairs for breakfast tacos- California style. I’ve had Tex-mex most of my life so it’s cool too see how different the Mexican food is here. These tacos were simple but yummy. 

10ish am- Head to North Shore of Lake Tahoe. Wow! We drove around the lake and explored the shops a bit. Very idyllic and family oriented with big trees and a gorgeous lake. I can see why it is a top destination. I had pictured something much more frou-frou but it has a much more down to earth nature vibe than I expected. Definitely my favorite part of Nevada. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Plus we got the coolest California/bigfoot tees and sweatshirt at a funky little tourist trap/shop and had ice cream) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back on the road again, final destination in the evening was in very Northern Ca. 

1:35- PIt stop at The Pizza Factory in Janesville. Good Pizza and the best salad bar I’ve had since Pizza Hut when I was a kid. 

3:45- Drove through North Volcanic Scenic Hwy. 

3:50- Lessen National Forest with amazingly tall and old (300 years!) pine trees. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Passed by Mount Shasta – ominous looking and the spot for several ufo sightings,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lovely Sunset on the road. 

Stopped for dinner in a small town in Oregon and had sushi and Thai food in the car. A very welcome break from fast food and burgers. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cosmo at a rest stop in Ashland. Sitting on Oregon. 

After this we embarked on the road to Hiochi Motel. It was up a very twisty mountain road and pitch black at night along cliffs  so I was very nervous. Saurabh handled it like a pro, but I was very relieved when we finally pulled into the parking lot. 

 

Miles Traveled:

States Visted- Nevada, Oregan, California 

On the road again. 

Checked out of the air bnb in Clinton. Go back to air bnb because I forgot my meds. 

Had brunch with family,

First Stop- Salt Lake City and my second large troll. (His name is Hoodah and he was a bit smaller than Mimi and not created by the same artist but I love his details!) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to family because I forgot my meds again. Whoops! 

Finally on the road and passed the Salt Flats- Wild! Otherworldly and slightly spooky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3:30- Pit stop West Wendover, NV. 

Drive through a thunder storm (no tornado, thankfully) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Double rainbow! 

This drive was a lot of flat nothing so we were excited by the rainbow. 😉

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8:15 arrive in Reno, not my style but fun to see all of the lights at sunset/night. During the long drive, Ifell into a rabbit hole about art created during Burning Man. I’d love to see more pieces in person. And I get how hanging out in the desert for days could inspire such amazing and huge pieces of art. Maybe we’ll check it out when the kids are all in college/on their own.

We drove by the Space Whale which was created out of stained glass and is on display in Reno, but she (they- mom and calf) were not lit up yet. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8:30- Check into Element Reno Experience District. All were exhausted but we did go to the roof top pool and I won a free glass of wine, so a decent ending to a long driving day. 

 

Miles Traveled: 545 

States: Utah, Nevada 

 

These days were the reason that we thought of our big trip.

My husband’s aunt and uncle celebrated 65 years of marriage. It was a lovely few days of family and food. 

9:30 am Left Big Diamond Ranch Air bnb, headed for Utah and family!

Last coffee on the porch. 

Drove through a bit of Grand Teton and saw heard of bison crossing, a bit closer this time. We could see the big bulls (?) leading the way, and the calves trotting behind them. 

11:30- Jackson- lunch at The Clementine Cafe 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Afterwards, we did a bit  of shopping in Jackson at the Valley bookstore. Always support local bookstores! 

1:45- Headed to Utah, drive through the Targhee National Forest 

Star Valley Scenis Byway- in my top ten of favorite drives. Follows the amazing Snake river where er saw people kayaking and rivers rafting 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Ansel Adams agrees) 

Pioneer Historic Byway through the Caribous National Forest and the National Forest Scenic Highway. 

Lots of farm lands, green fields and the occasional Sasquatch crossing. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6:30 pm – Arrive in Clinton Utah 

 

MIles traveled: 321 

States: Wyoming, Iowa, Utah 

Morning- Decided to explore the town of Dubois and grab coffee at Perch Cafe then head back to Grand Teton.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(The friendliest store in Dubois.)

Teton Park Road 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First stop- the dam. Beautiful! The peaks in the background were lovely. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We took the scenic drive thru the park and stopped at one of my favorite places for the entire trip…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jenny Lake! AMAZING

We hung out by the lake for a bit, hopped back in the car and hit the scenic drive again.

We saw a lot of cars pulled over and stopped to see. (This is how you see most animals at the parks, stop and see what people are looking at.)

We got to see our first big animal- A Female Moose in the water. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

we headed to Teton Village and Jackson Hole, a very cute shopping center with hotels, spas and restaurants. 

Ate at The Mangy Moose (cute outdoor seating with a view of the tram going up and down the mountain.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Husband and kids decided to take the  tram up to Mountain. (I decided to stay with Cosmo. I’m not great with heights,)

(View from the peak) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We drove about 20 mins away to a nearby park to see Mama Mimi, my first giant troll sculpture. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was time to head back to the ranch house air bnb but on the way, we encountered a heard of bison crossing the road.

So, where were we driving to late the night before? And where was I nervous about walking in the dark? In Wyoming, outside of Yellowstone?

Pure Heart Retreat 

When we pulled into the guest parking area, thunder rumbled and lightening flashed in the distance,  flashing purple and blue. I rushed the kids out, afraid of a downpour as we tried to find our way to the domes. Thankfully there was a well lit path and the owner came out to greet us (even though we did not arrive until 10 pm). And, Wow! The domes were amazing.  Beautifully furnished, comfortable beds and sleeping under the stars but you know…glamping style. 

This was our view in the morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We took our time walking around the property and giving everyone a relaxed start to the day. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cosmo enjoying the view. 

Yellowstone

10:54 We drove through the Shoshone National Forest to the eastern entrance of Yellowstone. Saurabh purchased the America the Beautiful card and we’ve used it at several National parks.

One of the first stops was Lake Butte Overlook- so Incredible! It overlooks the east side of Lake Yellowstone (which is HUGE) and you can see for miles. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Around 12:30 we stopped at the Fishing Bridge Visitor center for lunch and souvenirs. We browsed the gift shop for 10 minutes (and purchased several things) while the lunch counter made 5 hot sandwiches to go. It is very charming, large and there is a gas station near by. Great place to stop. 

We continued on the eastern loop and saw bison, the sulphuric caldron, upper falls, countless beautiful waterfalls- my favorite being the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We saw Old Faithful then picked up pre packaged sandwiches (very tasty) from Flagg Ranch Information center and drove out of the park through Grand Teton (!) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our first sighting of the Tetons

8:30 arrived at our airbnb outside of Dubois WY

Parks visited: Yellowstone and (and a small part of Grand Teton) 

Mt Rushmore to Yellowstone (almost)

9am- Hotel Breakfast then headed to Mt. Rushmore. I wan’t sure what to think. I had heard that you couldn’t get close to the carving and that it was a bit underwhelming. I was pleasantly surprised! Getting glimpses of the faces while driving through the beautiful Black Hills was very cool. There were small tunnels to drive through and the Black Hills forest is one of my favorites. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The actual monument. (Outside of the gate, no dogs allowed,) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10:00 am Got gas at Keystone across from the largest Bigfoot chainsaw carving in the US. (Or so they say) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drove along the Needles Hwy in Black Hills Mountain for a few lovely hours

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saurabh decided to check out Devil’s Tower National Monument. I was stressed about time, but it was worth it. There is traffic when you are close to the park and parking is tight, but we got to see two (very tiny) people climbing up and hear about the creation myths and (possible) ufo activity. Spooky fun. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By this time, it was around 7:00 pm and our next location was a dome in Wyoming and I was (weirdly?) stressed about tracking through the wilderness in the dark.

But we had another forest to drive through and this one was also amazing. It blows my mind how beautiful these national parks and forests are. Thank goodness for the National Park Service. 

Bighorn National Forest vis hwy 14  (8,347 elevation) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then on to Shell Creek (where I was still unsuccessfully trying  not to stress about bears and darkness) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The drive from Shell Creek to Cody and Wapiti was beautiful, the sun was setting (still scared) and a storm was brewing in the distance. But we pulled in @ 10:00 pm and made it into the domes without rain or bears. Yay! 

Miles Travelled: 512.5 

Cities: Rapid City, Mt. Rushmore, Keystone, Devils Tower, Cody, Wapiti

9:00 am- Breakfast at hotel in Sioux Falls, South Dakota 

10:00 am- Went to Falls Park, the waterfall in the middle of Sioux Falls. It’s a lovely place for a stroll before it gets too hot. Areas of shade and the air around the falls was nice and cool, especially for Cosmo.

10:30 am- Sculpture Walk in Downtown. Lovely and unique sculptures on the corner of every block, very fun. 

I could definitely spend more time here, it was a lovely city but on we go to Mitchell, SD and..the world’s only corn palace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The interior is a basketball court, so we drove by but it was incredibly well done. Who knew building decorated with corn could be beautiful?

12:25- With a daughter majoring in archeology, we had to go see Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village, which has the only public active archeological dig in South Dakota. Situated near a lake, it was a great stop with a recreation of a living environment and beautiful grounds. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next up, one of the most awe inspiring statues I have ever seen. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dignity, of Earth and Sky, a monument to the Lakota tribe and the connectivity of people and nature. (Love, love, love)  

Next up- Badlands! (But first, adorable, chunky prairie dogs that you can feed,)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, Badlands. How do I describe this desolate, amazing- straight from a sci fi movie (perhaps inspiring many sci-fi movies) place? Photos don’t do it justice. It is otherworldly. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And our final destination… Wall Drug. After seeing a hundred (seriously) billboards advertising this granddaddy of tourist traps. 

Overwhelming, Packed with kitschy and off the wall things. It was…something. 

 

Miles Traveled: 375

Cities: Sioux Falls, Mitchell, Badlands National Park, Wall, Rapid City – South Dakota

 

Chicago to Sioux Falls SD 

9 am- Check out of Air BnB, load the suburban and hit the road.

PIt Stop at The Wormhole Coffee- retro 80s/90s quirky cafe with a Dolorian in the shop! Very kitschy and fun (and nostalgic for 80s kids like us) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The neighborhood around the shop reminds me of Austin, TX circa early 2000s, cool and fun. Lots of vintage stores, shops and puppies! (Very dog friendly) 

9:30 am Chicago Mural

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11:30 am Cross into Wisconsin

12:00 pm – Drive around Madison State House, annual art fair was happening so the main square was closed. If we had more time, we might have stopped.

12:30- Korben4 micro brewery for lunch. Tasty appetizers and personal pizzas, cute outdoor seating next to a highway

1:50 Pink elephant. We love the offbeat and slightly weird. We use two apps to find things along the way, Roadtrippers and Atlas Obscura. I saw a giant pink elephant statue outside of a gas station in Vienna MN and we had to stop. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Did I mention that it has glasses?) 

4:00 pm-ish Crossed into Minnesota. Amazingly beautiful and the first time I’ve been able to use the word Verdant in real life. We tried to drive into Great Bluffs State Park to se the Mississippi River overlook but there was a thunderstorm brewing so we turned back.

5:00pm- Pit stop at Fuzzy’s Italian Ice and Steam Coffee shop in Rochester, MN, very cute downtown area. We rushed back to the car, because it started sprinkling. 

Speaking of rain, holy moley.

Driving into the farmlands of MInnesota, all is peaceful with a few drops of rain, until every phone in the car goes off in an alert. A tornado WARNING. As a former Texan, I have had my share of tornado warnings and have been in a town where a tornado touched down and destroyed an unoccupied school. We pulled over into the only building around, a gas station. Not my first choice, but literally the only structure in sight.I hustled (and I do mean hustled) the kids out of the car, around the building and into-a locked door and temporarily closed signs. The wind whipped our hair, and the air crackled with the approaching storm. With nowhere to go, we ran back into the car and got back on the highway. We searched  but there was not a single public building anywhere. The rain started pummeling the car and the winds whipped so much that my husband struggled to keep the car in our lane. The tornado warning expired, only to be replaced by a severe thunderstorm warning. The rain was the heaviest I have ever seen (especially from inside a moving vehicle) We could not see more than a few feet in front of us, so Saurabh pulled under a very large underpass, along with a few other cars. We waited until it was a bit calmer and continued on the road (and through a lot more rain) until the sun finally came out again and we reached blue skies and…

The Green Giant in Blue Earth, MN 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We ate a quick dinner at Cedar Inn Drive-in, a charming little 1950’s drive up. 

10:30 pm- Arrive in Sioux Falls, SD (very thankful to be safe and in a sturdy building) and all is well. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Miles traveled: 609 

Cities: Chicago IL, Madison WI, Rochester MN, Blue earth MN, Sioux Falls, SD 

Cities Visited: Chicago 

Cool Things we Saw:

Chicago has a different vibe, could definitely spend a lot of time here. 

First Up- 

9:00 am- Chicago’s First Lady Riverboat Architecture tour- Loved it! The tour guide was excellent and we learned so much about Chicago’s history through its buildings.Every person who visited Chicago that we talked to recommended this and they were all right. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12:00ish- Lunch at Rosebud’s Italian restaurant near Millennium Park, This was an accidental find but very nice, especially after the walk up SO MANY stairs from the riverwalk to Millennium Park.

THE BEAN-It’s worth the hype. It’s as if a space ship dropped a souvenir in the middle of Chicago. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1:30pm Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures Museum- great small museum at The University of Chicago. It had several really amazing pieces, including two colossal statues. 

3-6 Rest at Home and order in Chicago Deep Dish, because when in Rome…

7:30 pm- Date night at the Nederlander (Which is so freaking cool, the most funky and amazing theatre I have ever been in.) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SIX- worth ALL THE HYPE. So very, very good. 

Miles Traveled- Does all over Chicago count?