Alma Center, Wisconsin

When we woke up in Alma Center, Wisconsin, I was lobbying hard to cut bait and start toward Illinois and one day closer to home. Luckily, Tom said he would like to take a day's break from driving and talked me into just hanging out.

We're out in the middle of nowhere so we looked on the Roadside America website to see if there were any "uniquely odd" tourist attractions to check out while we were in the area. Sure enough, there was something just a few miles away in Black River Falls.

Introducing the Orange Moose.

Black River Falls and their famous Orange Moose.

Of course, we had to have lunch at the Orange Moose Bar and Grill. I asked the waitress what was up with the giant orange moose and she was really vague about it. "Just some old legend about an orange moose." She was so sketchy on the details that it almost made me think there was more to the story.

Heck, since this is the first moose I have seen on this trip. For all I know, all moose are orange!

Anyway, we also found out from our campground newsletter that the orchard up the road was open for pick-your-own blueberries today. The kids have never done anything like that and Andrew loves blueberries so we thought we would check it out.

We grabbed a few containers and headed over to the orchard. We all had a blast and Andrew was especially happy when the guy told us to eat and taste test as much as we wanted while we picked. Tom was happy when he heard the blueberries were only $1.50 per pound. It was probably the cheapest activity (and the healthiest come to think of it) we've done on this whole trip.

Part of the blueberry orchard.

Kaitlyn picking Wisconsin blueberries.

Andrew was more interested in eating than picking.

Kelly's caught eating on the job.

Almost 2 pounds of fresh blueberries for less than $3.00.

Bloomington, Minnesota

When we hit the road in Fargo, we decided to drive to Minnesota, make a stop at the Mall of America and then continue on to Wisconsin. That would shave three days off of our itinerary and get us home earlier than planned. :-)

The Mall of America was a really fun place to visit. The kids had no idea what the place was other than a huge mall (Andrew's worst nightmare). Once they saw the amusement park in the middle of the mall, they were happy campers again.

Of course, I rained on their parade a little and told them they could only ride three rides. I was having flashbacks to the day I had to spend at the Torture Dome, I mean the Adventure Dome in Las Vegas. I just couldn't do that again. In the end, they were able to ride four rides and everyone left satisfied.

The Ferris Wheel at the MOA.

The LeFevre's with Ang, the last Airbender.

It was a quick visit and I would like to come back another time but skip the amusement park and do some serious shopping. Maybe a girls' weekend? Anyone interested?

Fargo, North Dakota

Fargo. I got nothin'.

By the time we made it to North Dakota, we were fading fast. We had trouble finding a campground to stay at and we finally found a former KOA. (Emphasis on former.) Let's just say there wasn't one redeeming quality about this place so we spent the night and took off early in the morning.

The only funny thing that happened was Tom forgot to take off the parking break in the car. So when we took off towing the car down the gravel road, the wheels were locked up. We actually drove like that for about a mile before the gravel turned into a paved street. That's when we heard the squealing tires and realized what he'd done.

I'm sure North Dakota is beautiful and probably Fargo too. We were just more focused on moving toward home than discovering the diamonds in the rough. Maybe next time.

Mitchell, South Dakota

We were still travelling across I-90 in South Dakota which brought us to Mitchell, South Dakota, the home of the Corn Palace.

Yep, a palace made from corn. And we were there. Who comes up with this stuff?

The front of the Corn Palace.

One of the corn murals decorating the palace.

Another corn mural. Gets old fast, doesn't it?

Wall, South Dakota

Driving across South Dakota, we started to see the endless billboards and signs for Wall Drug so we decided to make a quick pit stop in Wall, South Dakota.

One of the many signs on the way to Wall Drug.

Wall drug was a place I had heard about many times and I guess now we can say we've been there. The drug store really started to take off years ago once they started offering FREE ice water. Now the store takes up an entire city block.

Kait & Andrew enjoying their free ice water.

 It's mostly just a tourist trap but they have some neat things to look at and it was a fun place for us to stretch our legs. And where else can you get your picture taken on top of a six foot jackalope?

Not something you see everyday.

Hill City, South Dakota

Leaving Yellowstone was bitter sweet. We could have stayed there another week and still wouldn't have been able to see everything but leaving meant we were heading closer to home.

We had originally planned to head north from Yellowstone and go back through Montana but after travelling in the park, we knew we could drive through Yellowstone in the RV one last time on our way out. It took a couple of hours to get through the park but it was worth it.

Our next stop was Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota. We were able to get a few days at the Mt. Rushmore KOA which is just a few miles from both Mt. Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial. The  kids were ecstatic to discover the campground had two pools, a water slide and a splash park. Not to mention a pizza shop, an ice cream parlor and horseback riding stables. Everything they could ask for and more.

Kait & Andrew going down the slide together.

I knew we were going to have a difficult time getting them to leave the campground so we had to make a deal. Visit Crazy Horse first in the morning and they could swim in the afternoon then in the evening we would head over to Mt. Rushmore for the nighttime lighting ceremony. The catch was that they couldn't complain that they were too tired to go to Mt. Rushmore! Andrew said he would "try not to whine."

The Crazy Horse Memorial was incredible. This memorial began back in 1948 and has not accepted federal funds to help pay for its construction. Not only is the story of Crazy Horse an inspiring story but the back story of the sculptor, who died in 1982, and how his family continues to work to complete his vision was really moving.

The model of the Crazy Horse Memorial (foreground) and the
final piece being carved into the mountain (background).

The Crazy Horse Memorial under construction.

I told the kids that someday, when they get old like Mommy and Daddy, maybe they would bring their kids to see the Crazy Horse Memorial and can tell them about how they saw it when Crazy Horse was only a head in the side of the mountain.

The kids are also bringing home two hunks of the mountain with them. There is a big bin of pieces of rock that were blown off the mountain during the explosions. Of course, Andrew picked a big piece of granite but he regretted it when he found out that we weren't going to carry it for him!

Crazy Horse rocks soon to be on display at LeFevre Lodge.

When you see Mt. Rushmore right after seeing Crazy Horse, you realize just how big the Crazy Horse Memorial is going to be. It's huge, Elvis!

However, Mt. Rushmore and the lighting ceremony was just as inspirational. Every night they have a ranger program and then show a short movie about each of the Presidents and what they represent and why they were chosen to be on Mt. Rushmore. Kaitlyn and Andrew completed the Junior Ranger program so they have another badge to add to their collection.

Tom brought the good camera and was ready to shot some good pics of the monument. After taking a few shots, he realized that I had forgotten to put the memory card back into the slot so all the pics he had taken weren't saved. Oh well. ;-) At least I remembered to stick our little digital camera in my purse. Here are a few not so good pics of Mt. Rushmore. LOL

Mt. Rushmore

Another Junior Ranger badge for their collection.

West Yellowstone, Montana & Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Our trip to Yellowstone was a "two-fer" that is two states for the price of one visit. We were able to mark off Montana and Wyoming with one stop. At this point, I'm all about checking the states off the list. LOL

Tom and the kids at the Yellowstone entrance.

We arrived in West Yellowstone on Kaitlyn's 11th birthday. I pointed out to her that she had breakfast in Idaho then lunch in Montana and then spent the afternoon in Wyoming! Exploring Yellowstone was a great way to celebrate her birthday.

We stayed at the Yellowstone Grizzly RV Park which is only four blocks from the west entrance of Yellowstone National Park. It was super convenient and the campground was really nice. When we come back to Yellowstone, we will definitely be staying here again.

Yellowstone scenery.

Yellowstone was an incredible place to visit. I can't decide what was more exciting, the beauty of the scenery with the wild animals sprinkled throughout the park or the geysers and hot springs.

Once minute we were driving along and bam there would be a huge elk or bison grazing next to the road. Then the next minute we would stop and hike a path to some geysers and hot springs that were so different than anything I've ever seen. Sometimes it felt like we were walking on another planet.

We saw lots of cow elk (female elk) and a few bull elk (male elk). We had been in the park for less than 20 minutes and we saw three cow elk grazing across a river so we stopped to take some photos. The kids and I were walking ahead of Tom who had the camera and then all of a sudden we heard what sounded like a couple of sacks of potatoes dropped on the ground. Sure enough, it was Tom. He had stepped in a prairie dog hole and twisted his ankle and fell.

For the record, I did not ask him 1. "Did you fall down?" or 2. "Did that hurt?" which is what usually tumbles out of my mouth before I can stop my lips from moving (much to Tom's irritation).

Being the trooper that he is, Tom got up and took the picture so I thought I better post it here in the blog.

Three cow elk grazing at Yellowstone National Park.

Unfortunately, we did not see any moose or bears. Lots of people we talked to said they had seen bears but we never did (which is sort of OK with me). Besides, the cow elk, we saw bull elk, bison and on the last morning we saw two wolves trotting off from the road into the woods. Here are few of the pic for you to enjoy.

A bull elk snacking behind a fallen tree.

A bison sunning along the side of the road.

A wolf running for the woods.

We also watched a bison swim across a river and emerge on the other side. Tom and I both thought it was a rock in the middle of the river until we notice it moving swiftly across the river, perpendicular to the current. We didn't know that bison could swim!?! Sure enough, he climbed out of the river, shock off and decided to eat some breakfast.

A bison emerging from the river.

There are signs all over the park saying things think "Wild animals are dangerous. Do not approach." Which we both shook our heads at and said that it's a shame that they actually have to post that. But I have to admit, when a huge bison or elk is just yards away on the side of the road, it is so easy to get swept up in the moment that you forget these are wild animals that could very easily kill you.

I probably wouldn't forget that detail if I was watching a bear but the bison, elk and, I imagine, the moose are so serene. It almost seems impossible that they would attack. But they would and do every year. We were lucky other than Tom's twisted ankle and some mosquito bites, we explored the park without incident.

The other dangerous thing about Yellowstone are the geysers and hot springs. I was amazed at how each spring or geyser was slightly different. They were such an assault on the senses too. Some of them smelled like rotten eggs. You could see the vibrant colors and feel the hot steam alternating with the cool breezes. And the sounds were just amazing. Some of the vents sounded like the devil himself was exhaling from the bowels of hell.

Andrew and Kaitlyn posing at a hot spring.

A geyser starts to blow.

Another steamy hot spring.

A bison naps by a bubbling mud pot.

We absolutely loved it here and are already planning our return trip! I f I haven't bored you enough already, here are just a few more shots of our stay at Yellowstone.

Kaitlyn strikes a pose by a waterfall.

Andrew & Kaitlyn at the Continental Divide.

Kait & Kelly enjoying the day at Yellowstone.

Kelly, Kait & Andrew climb into the roots of a fallen tree.

Tom & Kelly hand the camera over to Kaitlyn.

PS - Tom objected to me comparing him to two sacks of potatoes earlier but I didn't know how else to explain what it sounded like. ;-)

Island Park, Idaho

After returning from the cruise, we got settled in and then the next day started heading east. Finally, headed toward home!

We actually made a few stops along the way to Island Park. We spent the night in Spokane, Washington and took a short trip in the car over to Post Falls, ID. We found a park by a river that was crystal clear and it had a swimming area so we took the kids down there to check it out.

The kids and I waded out knee-deep in the water and I asked Tom to take our picture thinking that would make a cute picture for the blog. This is what I got:

Honest, we're in the water.

Of course, I didn't know this was my cute photo op until we were back in the RV. Bless his heart. (Love you, honey!)

Anyway, our route also took us through the eastern part of Montana. What a beautiful state Montana is. We spent a night in Butte, MT. Butte's not so beautiful but it was a good stopping point at the time.

When we finally made it to the Yellowstone area, we were a day ahead of schedule so we found a little campground in Island Park, ID called the Red Rock RV Resort. This place was next to Henry's Lake out in the middle of nowhere.

The lady who owns it, told us to be careful when we drove in because a bull moose and his family were living down the road you take to the campground. We really hoped to see them but alas, they were hiding out too well for us to see.

There were cows roaming around everywhere. I guess you would call it "free range beef". When we were driving down the road, Tom pointed to something along the road and all I could see was 3 big black butts walking into a shady area. I thought they were moose and I got so excited that I almost flipped the camera out the window! Tom looked at me kind of funny and then I realized that they weren't moose, just cows. He started to laugh because he realized what I did. Now, whenever Tom or the kids see a cow, they say, "Look, Mommy, it's a moose!"

The campground owner was so helpful and really encouraged us to look around the area. We went to Big Springs and saw the largest natural spring in the US. There were suppose to be large trout that live under the bridge. She said to bring bread and feed them but we only saw 2 fish there. Another woman said this is the second year that there have hardly been any fish around. (Maybe they all died from eating too much bread.)

A muskrat swam up and took our bread though along with some seagulls.

A muskrat at Big Springs in Idaho.

Kaitlyn & Andrew feeding the birds and a muskrat.

At Big springs there was a small log cabin built by Johnny Sack, a man who settled in the area in the 1800's. Johnny built everything himself, even his furniture. When you see the craftsmanship that went into the place and then find out that he was only 4'11" tall and he logged every tree by himself, you're just amazed at what this guy did.

Johnny Sack's cabin (upper left) and the spring house (lower right).

His kitchen stove had the shortest legs he could find.

Andrew is as tall as Johnny Sack.

After our visit to the spring and touring the cabin, we headed over to Mesa Falls to, well, see the falls. We walked down the path to the overlook and sure enough there was a snake sunning itself in the middle of the path.

No one saw the snake until I started screaming. Yes, I started screaming and jumping. I guess I get that honestly. My mom couldn't even see a snake on TV without freaking out. The kids can do a pretty accurate imitation of me the next time you see them.

After I scared the snake away with my little freak out, it was funny. Although I was shaking like a leaf the entire way back to the car. Tom wishes he could have gotten that on video. Not only would he have a video to laugh at the rest of his life, he is certain it would have won $10,000 on America's Funniest Videos.

Still laughing at Mommy and the snake.

As if that wasn't enough fun for the day, that evening we headed to a local rodeo up the road from the campground. It was actually a summer riding camp for kids. They got to show off their new riding skills and then they had local cowboys who rode some bulls. It wasn't the PBR but it was fun to watch. Now Kaitlyn thinks she should go away to riding camp next summer.

There was a large family from England there to watch the rodeo too. I had fun people watching and listening to them talk in their British accents. I told Tom it was like being at the rodeo with Harry Potter and his friends. LOL

Relaxing at the rodeo.

A bull rider at the rodeo.

The campers putting on a show at the rodeo.

Unfortunately, we were only able to stay at the Red Rock RV Park one night but this is somewhere we would come back to in a heartbeat. At night, there aren't any lights in the campground or the surrounding area so you can see a ton of stars and based on all of the pictures hanging up in the office, Henry's Lake is full of fish just waiting to be caught. We'll be back soon.

Our view from the campground.

Sitka & Ketchikan, Alaska

Our next two stops were in Sitka and Ketchikan, Alaska. By the time we made it to Sitka, Andrew was completely exhausted which put a damper on our sight seeing in Sitka.

Sitka was the capital of Alaska when Russia still owned it. So there is a lot of Russian influence in the area. The churches and artwork were interesting to look at but Andrew was having none of it so back to the ship we went. (I have to admit, we all were tired though.)

An eagle perched atop a church tower in Sitka.

In Ketchikan, we watched a lumberjack show and picked up some smoked salmon to bring home with us. Tom and I had visited Ketchikan about 12 years ago and the city seemed to have changed a lot from what we remember. We only had a four-hour stop here though so we had to make a quick pass through the city.

Kaitlyn said one of her favorite things about the cruise was dressing up every night for dinner. I have to admit, the kids looked cute and it was nice to see them in something other than shorts, a t-shirt and flip flops. Of course, dressing up was Andrew's least favorite part of the trip.

Kaitlyn posing on the veranda.

Sue and Andrew enjoying cocktails before dinner.

We had so much fun on the cruise. It was nice to get out of the RV for a week. Re-entry into the real world was a little challenging too. I was depressed the day we got back to the RV and I had to think of what I wanted to eat and then actually fix it myself! (Oh, OK. Tom probably fixed it for me but I'm sure it was hard on him too! LOL)

The one benefit of driving the RV to Seattle to catch the cruise was we were home in 45-minutes while Tom's sisters weren't even at the airport yet! And, an hour and a half later, we were done with five loads of laundry (washed, dried and put away)! I'm not sure the rest of the family had even boarded their flights yet.

On the down side....they have been home for a couple weeks now and we still have ten more days to go before we get HOME! I can't wait to get home.....