The Adventures of Go-Butt

28/08/2024

This year I've been to so many places: Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Florida, scenic Western Michigan, Chicago (Architectural Boat Tour and Wrigley Field), Alberta Canada and British Columbia Canada. It is the year of a milestone birthday for me and I wanted to spend it with people that I love and care about, as well as spoil myself just a tiny bit. I decided about mid-year to give myself one more "gift" - a solo trip to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. It is one of my favorite places, and I still haven't seen that grizzly bear that I have been chasing after the last 9 years.

Flying into Jackson Wyoming's airport is truly at treat in itself. I always tell people "sit on the right side of the plane by the window". When the plane starts to descend to the runway at the only airport in the US that is located inside a National Park, you are rewarded with a view of the Grand Tetons right outside your window! It's looks like you could just reach out and touch them. It's an experience I just never get tired of.

My first day I grabbed my rental car and spent a lazy day driving north first through Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) and then Yellowstone National Park to Gardiner, Montana. Gardiner is where the North Entrance to Yellowstone is located, and it was the first Yellowstone entrance. The historic Roosevelt Arch is located there, dedicated by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1903. Gardiner is also close to the gateway to the Beartooth Highway, which I planned to drive the next day. I spent most of my day just enjoying the scenery and looking for wildlife. I headed first to Leeks Marina in Moran, WY to have pizza out on the deck of their restaurant, which overlooks Jackson Lake and the Tetons just behind it. It is an absolutely magnificent place for lunch; the pizza is good but the view is spectacular. My plan was to drive the eastern side of both the Lower and Upper loops of Yellowstone and then head west to Gardiner. During my drive that first day I saw elk, eagles, bison, deer, a moose, and prong antelope.

I got up before sunrise on Saturday and headed out to Lamar Valley to try to view wildlife on the way to the Beartooth Highway. It was an absolutely beautiful weather day! I saw many bison, prong antelope and deer on my journey to the "Top of the World". The Beartooth did not disappoint; while I didn't see much wildlife on my way to Red Lodge MT and back, the scenery was spectacular and the ride as exciting as ever (switchbacks, hairpin turns, narrow shoulderless roads). If you have never been on the Beartooth Highway, which runs through Wyoming and Montana, it is considered one of the most beautiful scenic drives in the US. At the end of my drive, since I was already somewhat close to Interstate 90, I decided to head west to Bozeman, MT to see the Museum of the Rockies, managed by Montana State University and the Smithsonian Institute. Located in Bozeman, the museum has an extensive collection of dinosaur fossils, and is an active research facility in addition to being a museum. I love fossils, so it was right upo my alley! It also houses the Taylor Planetarium, where I watched a show about inhabiting and mining hydrogen on the Moon. After spending two hours there, I traveled back to Gardiner for a quick meal. At dusk, I drove back out to Lamar Valley with my binoculars to search for wildlife.

Sunday was my day to travel south again to eventually reach Jackson WY where I would be flying home from on Tuesday. I decided to take the western side of the upper Loop of Yellowstone, head east where the two loops meet, then drive south again on the eastern portion of the Lower Loop which goes through the Hayden Valley. I try to avoid the western Lower Loop because it is where some of the most visited tourist spots are, such as Old Faithful. My drive did not disappoint; there was plenty wildlife to see, especially when I passed through the scenic Hayden Valley. The Yellowstone River runs through that area, and it is one of the places that herds of bison are found (and where idiot tourists misbehave). I also stopped at the Upper and Lower Falls of Yellowstone before I hit Hayden Valley; I think that is one place I could never get tired of visiting.

I spent Monday traveling all through the Grand Teton National Park ... just enjoying the serenity and the quiet of being there. Tuesday morning I got up early and did a float tour with Solitude Float Tours down the Snake River from Deadman's Bar to Moose Junction. We didn't see a lot of wild life (birds, a few American Bald Eagles, and a beaver) but it was heavenly to just float lazily down that river, with the Tetons in full view from our raft. It was the perfect way to end my stay in Montana and Wyoming. And again, if you haven't been here, I would highly encourage you to come. You will not regret it, it's a very special place. Until next time ...

24/07/2024

The Icefields Parkway is considered to be one of the most scenic drives in the entire world, and I had the opportunity to finally explore it this summer. It runs from Banff to Jasper in Alberta. I knew I wanted to tour Canada, from Banff to Jasper, from the first time I saw photos of Lake Louise. I had made reservations last year to go there as the tail end of my Oregon vacation; unfortunately, my passport didn't come in time so that portion of my trip to the Pacific Northwest was cancelled.

We (my sister and I) flew to Calgary, Alberta, Canada, rented a car, and made the 1 hour 15 minute drive along the Trans Canada Highway to Canmore, Alberta, which is about 20 minutes from Banff. Canmore was a really good choice: while Banff is very beautiful, it is also very crowded with tourists from all over the world. Traffic can be congested. Canmore is a bit more laid back, and has its own beauty and charm. It is a town of approx 15,000 people just south of the entrance to Banff National Park. We spent six glorious days exploring not only Banff and Jasper National Parks, but Kootenay and YoHo National Parks which border Banff NP but are actually in British Columbia.

We hiked, kayaked on the Bow River in Banff, took a float trip on the Bow River in Canmore, and wandered around the four parks in our car. The scenery was magnificent! Photos don't do it justice. There were mountains on both sides of us as we drove, some with glaciers clinging to their peaks. The waterfalls and glacial lakes were many and also quite beautiful. Peyto Lake, Bow Lake, Lake Louise and Moraine Lake were spectacular. There were so many beautiful lakes and waterfalls it was difficult to keep them all straight; it didn't help that both of our Iphones decided that almost all of our photos were taken in Lake Louise. Of course, this made it a bit difficult for us to pinpoint where we were without doing a bit of homework.

I met people from all over the world, what fun it was! In addition to tourists, many of the summer workers in Canmore, Banff and Jasper are young people from all different countries looking to broaden their horizons before "settling down to real life" as one young man told me. Our one day tour stopped for lunch and there wasn't much room to sit and eat; my sister and I invited a couple from Australia who were on our tour to share our table and eat with us. Whether it was kayaking, hiking, rafting, or exploring, it was a joy to get to share the experiences with so many different folks.

While exploring YoHo National Park, we came on the Spiral Tunnels; these are an amazing feat of engineering that designed a way for rail travel to ascend and descend the Kicking Horse Pass which had a very steep 4.5 percent grade. We stopped to watch the trains climb down the mountain, and while I parked the car my sister explored a bit. She found a bear den not too far from our parking area. She said "I want to show you where it is!" and I said "oh no, we're not going NEAR it." I did walk over far enough to see that it did indeed look like a bear den (and I looked it up later - yep) and announced once more that we were not going any closer. Although I've been wanting to see a grizzly bear, that was NOT the way I want to lay eyes on one. Luckily for us, no bears appeared.

We also took the Banff Gondola up to the top of Sulphur Mountain - the views were breathtaking. I had seen photos of the view from the Sky Bistro, one of the four restaurants up on the mountaintop. They were booked well in advance but we took a chance, walked in, and got seated. Great place for lunch or dinner. Our hotel offered "Breakfast to Go" which consisted of a croissant, jelly, a slice of banana loaf, an orange, and a bottle of orange juice. It was so convenient - many of the breakfast places are not open at the crack of dawn when folks want to get a head start on hiking or driving to trail heads, or to just see if they can find wildlife. We also found a wonderful place called Chez Francoise that was recommended to us by our hotel staff that had a wonderful breakfast.

Would I go back?? Absolutely. It is truly one of the most beautiful places in the world. If you choose to go ... make reservations early, and know that just like some of the US parks, some sites are packed with tourists and parking is scarce (Lake Louise, Moraine Lake). Get out early to see the most popular ones; you may also be rewarded with wildlife sightings due to the animals being mostly visible at dawn and sunset. Bon Voyage!

07/03/2024

One of the great scenic areas of the United States is the American Southwest; it has spectacular landscapes and scenery like no other. A friend and I had lunch last year and I mentioned that one of my next trips would be going to the Grand Canyon. She commented that she also wanted to go sometime, so I told her I would let her know when I was ready to go. As luck would have it, we were both able to get the same days off and flew to Las Vegas this past weekend to begin our adventure. Our flight landed at 11:45 pm so we headed to our hotel to crash and get some sleep before starting our whirlwind tour of some of the great sights of the Southwest.

Our journey took us to Hoover Dam and Lake Powell, the Grand Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Mead, Marble Canyon, the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, Zion National Park, and the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada.

I was in awe of Hoover Dam - what an incredible engineering feat! I was unaware that tourists have to go though a security check point to visit the dam; I was a bit surprised to see a security check point we had to pass through to get to the viewing area. We passed the security inspection and headed out to see this famous landmark. It is located right on the border between Nevada and Arizona because, of course, the Colorado River makes up part of the southeastern state line between the two.

Our next stop was the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, and it did not disappoint. The day we happened to be there is the same day that huge storms and high winds were moving through California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona; Las Vegas had wind damage and many flights were delayed or cancelled that day due to high winds. There was a bit of a wind chill at the Canyon and we were glad we had brought our winter coats with us. It was truly spectacular and we walked the rim for a bit until we couldn't take the cold any longer. Near the end of our walk, at the edge of the canyon we could see a rock column with ledges that had no railing to keep tourists back, and there were actually people out on those ledges climbing down to smaller ledges below. I wondered if we would hear about them on the news the next morning "Tourist gets blown off ledge at South Rim of the Grand Canyon." (I did check the next morning, no news reports.)

Third stop of the day? Horseshoe Bend, sometimes referred to as the "east rim of the Grand Canyon." This beautiful meander of the Colorado River is located about 5 miles downstream from the Glen Canyon Dam. It was a 0.7 mile hike down to this very beautiful horseshoe shaped bend of the Colorado River. Still very windy, I knew coming back was going to be a more tiring hike as the trail to the river was all down hill. The wind was pushing against us and at times we actually had to lean in. It was SO worth the hike! While there were no kayaks down on the river, there were two tents pitched down at the bottom on the inner shore. I was amazed that anyone would even consider camping there! We stayed for a bit and then decided to head back. As luck would have it, the wind was at our back for the return hike, at times really giving me that extra push I needed when I was getting tired.

I found a hotel in Page, Arizona, a town in northern Arizona that we really liked when we actually got to see it the next morning (we arrived after dark). I hadn't realized that it was right across the street from the Glen Canyon Dam, so that was a nice little surprise for us! I had told my friend when I made the reservation that I wondered what the "lake view" was; well, it was the Colorado River/Lake Meade. After we checked out we walked across the street and took pictures of the dam, then drove across it before heading north to some of the scenic drives: we drove through Marble Canyon, the Vermillion Cliffs, and ultimately Zion National Park. I wanted to tour Bryce National Park too but the winter storm that was passing through was still dumping snow there and it was removed from our itinerary. I had read that the Zion-Mt. Carmel road (Highway 9) was scenic and a great entryway into Zion National Park, so we headed that way. It was very pretty, as only desert and rocks can be. The road through Zion National Park from the east entrance to the south entrance was spectacular; I was so spellbound I hardly took photos, I was too busy looking. After Zion we headed to Moapa Valley to spend the night and visit the Valley of Fire in the morning before heading to the airport.

Valley of Fire State Park, located in the Moapa Valley of Nevada was also amazing; I think it was one of my favorites. It consists of 40,000 acres of bright red Aztec sandstone outcrops nestled in gray and tan limestone. Valley of Fire State Park also contains ancient, petrified trees and petroglyphs dating back more than 2,000 years. So many different rock formations, desert sand, bighorn sheep. I found it all fascinating. There were so many different colors of rock; cream colored, pink, red-orange, grey, brown. I have to admit though, I'm glad I went in March. After all, it IS part of the Mohave Desert; I can only imagine what it would be like to drive through or attempt to hike there in the late spring/summer months.

We never did experience the Las Vegas Strip. We could see the Sphere, the Allegiant Stadium where the Super Bowl was held, and some of the famous hotels while driving to and from the airport. Maybe some other time? Nah ... I still have National Parks to see!

23/02/2024

With unusually warm weather for Chicago and NW Illinois for February, I was getting itchy to spend some time outdoors. When I read that the high temperature was going to be 57°, I checked to see if there were any "free days" (free museum days) in Chicagoland. The Art Institute of Chicago is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so that option was out; however, it was free day at the Brookfield Zoo so I jumped at the chance to spend the afternoon outdoors at one of the places that has always had fond memories for me (my boys and I spent a lot of time there when we lived in Chicago, they had a free day every week).

It is also worth mentioning that the Zoo is in the process right now of putting up a Ferris Wheel which will be there until the end of 2024; it opens March 15th. Did you know that the first Ferris wheel was invented in Chicago for the world’s fair, the 1893 Exposition? This ferris wheel is being erected to help celebrate Brookfield Zoo’s 90th anniversary this year!

I also purged another item off my bucket list; I have always wanted to visit the gravesite of Al Capone. Why? It seems that any time Chicago is mentioned to visitors, his name always comes up sooner or later. I actually lived just a few miles (in Oak Park, IL) from Mt. Carmel Cemetery which is his final resting place, but during those days I was busy working and raising young children and just never made the time. The cemetery just happened to be on my way home from the Zoo, so I took the opportunity to pay my respects to Al and his family. Mt. Carmel cemetery has over 228,000 people who have been buried there. Many of them are Italian; I did see a few Eastern European names here and there. The monuments throughout the cemetery are works of art themselves, many with photos of the deceased right on the tombstones. Apparently this is a tradition for Italian Catholics (so I read). There were quite a few other Capones buried near his monument; I don't know why but it surprised me. I went online while I was there to read about other famous people laid to rest at that cemetery: Roman Catholic Cardinals, Bishops, Archbishops, MLB baseball players, actors, and a few who had the same career (organized crime/mobster) as Al did. One of those career men was Sam Giancana. As an excerpt from Wikipedia lifted today explains: "According to some sources, Giancana and the Mafia were involved in John F. Kennedy's victory in the 1960 presidential election. During the 1960s, he was recruited by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in a plot to assassinate Cuban leader Fidel Castro. Conspiracy theorists consider Giancana, along with Mafia leaders Santo Trafficante Jr. and Carlos Marcello, to be associated with the assassination of John F. Kennedy. In 1965, Giancana was convicted of contempt of court, serving one year in prison. After his release from prison, Giancana fled to Cuernavaca, Mexico. In 1974, he was deported to the United States, returning to Chicago. Giancana was murdered on June 19, 1975, in Oak Park, Illinois, shortly before he was scheduled to appear before the Church Committee."

Gotta love Chicago.

21/02/2024

When was the last time you visited the Brookfield Zoo? They are celebrating their 90th anniversary this year!

Starting March 15, you can rise to the skies at Brookfield Zoo! For this year only and in honor of the Zoo’s 90th anniversary, guests will be able to ride our Anniversary Ferris Wheel, a towering new 110-foot Ferris wheel located just east of the Zoo's newly landscaped Roosevelt Fountain. It's the perfect way to experience a new view of our captivating animal habitats, stunning gardens, and breathtaking Chicago skyline. Tickets are $8 per person, $6 for Zoo members, and free to Unlimited-level members and those with redeemable attraction vouchers.

18/08/2023

Every few years I like to head to the East Coast where I grew up. My plan was to drive, and since I haven't been to Niagara Falls yet, I thought I'd drive through Canada, see the Canadian side of the falls first, then head to my destination in New Jersey. As the time to go grew closer, I was dreading the drive. Since June I had driven over 4100 miles in three vacation trips and just could not get motivated to do another 2000 miles. So instead I decided to fly to Harrisburg PA, rent a car and drive to Philadelphia, hit the Philadelphia Museum of Art, then continue on to my friend's home in New Jersey. The very next day we got up and went back to Philadelphia to the Barnes Foundation, another art museum, to see their collection. I have been wanting to visit these two awesome museums for quite some time, and finally figured out a way to do it!

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is home to over 240,000 works of art. I am a huge fan of impressionist and post impressionist paintings,, and I had heard this museum had a really nice collect (they do!). Outside, it's also home to the famous "Rocky" stairs, and yes, there were many kids and families running up those stairs just as Rocky did in the movie. The Barnes Foundation was originally in Merion (or Merion Station) located on the west boundary of Philadelphia, but was moved near the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Rodin Museum in 2012. It houses an amazing collection: 191 Renoirs, 69 Cezannes, 59 Matisse paintings, 46 Picasso works, as well as many other pieces done by familiar artists. I just read that the collection at the Barnes Foundation is worth $26 billion dollars. I am not surprised, I was literally in awe of what I had the opportunity to see and look forward to going back to BOTH places again.

After two days of art museums, it was time for some hometown fun. My hometown has a 'canoe carnival' which has taken place every year since 1931 (except for when the flood happened in 2004 - dams broke and the lake emptied). It's a great time for the "Lakers" who live there, and it's nostaligic for many of us who ended up moving away to be able to come 'back home' and see it. Different groups build floats, being allowed to use only two canoes to hold that float up - and they are paddled around the lake. People who live along the lakefront have big parties and invite others to watch from their back yards, and there are also other public viewing areas for folks to watch this big, eagerly anticipated event each year. The floats are quite creative and are built in all different sizes. They have lights and sounds, moving parts and even animation. I was so glad I got to go, and we had a really GREAT time.

I also got to spend time with friends and family before driving back to Harrisburg. I think that's the BEST part of going home. Meeting folks for breakfast, or even just for coffee, sharing hugs, sharing old times, and catching up on each other's lives. It's just what this traveler needed.

14/08/2023

To me, the Oregon Coast is one of the prettiest places in the US that you can travel to. Mid July I visited there again for the third time, accompanied by one of my sisters. Our original plan was to visit Banff and Jasper in Calgary, Canada, after finishing our road tour of Oregon. We had to save that for another trip since my passport didn't come in time. We flew in to Portland, Oregon, drove east along the beautiful Columbia River Gorge and then on Old Historic Highway 30 to see waterfalls. We saw Multnomah Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and Horshoe Falls. If you ever decide to see Multnomah Falls, take note: you now need a permit unless you just want to see it from the road. From there headed south through the mountainous countryside on the scenic byways to Bend, Oregon. Next morning we drove to Crater Lake; it was my second time, and I was just as thrilled to see it as I was the first time. There was plenty of snow around; I always think of what it must be like for travelers who live in the South who adventure here and are rewarded with snow in the summer, perhaps for the first time seeing the white stuff! We then headed southwest to northern California to see the Redwoods. I just love driving on highway 199 down through Jedidiah State Park; I am always spellbound by the redwood trees along the roadway towering above me. We spent the night in Crescent City, California, and the next morning we drove down to the Lady Bird Johnson Groves (redwoods) after driving the Nelson B Drury Redwood Scenic Parkway in Orick, Ca. Got lucky and saw a few elk. We also drove a bit further south to Humbolt State Park in Trinidad, CA, so that my sister could kayak on Stone Lagoon. It's a very pretty lagoon separated from the Pacific Ocean by only a thin strip of land. I toured the Native American museum there while she was exploring the waterway - the museum was very interesting. After kayaking, we hit the road again, said 'hi' to Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox on our way out of California, and made our way to Bandon, Oregon, where we spent another delightful evening with the Pacific Ocean as our view. Next morning we headed up the coast to Depoe Bay, Oregon, a year 'round home of the whales. Along the way we stopped at many of the viewpoints (overlooks) and admired the beautiful scenery, saw seals out on small islands, and tried to tide pool but the weather wasn't cooperating. Again we had a beautiful view of the Pacific for the night, and spent time out on our deck just soaking in the sounds of the waves hitting the rocks and the beach. Next morning we were out early for our Whale Excursion Tour - what a blast that was. It was my 2nd time heading out with Whale Research Eco Excursions - they are the best! Not only do you see the whales but you learn a great deal about them from the staff. We did have a whale surface right next to our raft ... it was pretty cool! I did not take many photos while out on the raft; I just wanted to 'be in the moment' and enjoy the adventure. The following morning we headed back to Portland via Ecola State Park and scenic Cannon Beach (the rock/beach that starred in the movie "Goonies"). We missed the mountain lion by one day ...

I can honestly say that if you have never done it, drive the Oregon Coast. Stop at every view point and state park. You will be well rewarded with incredible beauty. See Crater Lake, Multnomah Falls, the Redwoods. Go tide pooling. Take a whale excursion. It will be memorable and one of the best trips you ever take.

06/07/2023

I spent three days in sunny central Florida this week; one of my family members whom I love dearly has a chronic illness, and I just wanted to see him, say hi, and give him big hugs. So I did. Mission accomplished! I have also had on my bucklet list for quite some time: meeting the grandchildren of my late sister. That wish also came true this week; I had the privilege of meeting almost the entire clan of grandchildren and a great grandchild of hers all at once. They were having a family BBQ and invited me to stop by on my way back to Winter Park (where I was spending the night before flying home). They were gracious hosts and my sister would be so proud of her family! I know I was.

Any time I travel, I always try to find something different, unique, or unusual to see or do - and this time was no different. While searching for something to do in the morning before I flew home from Sanford/Orlando airport, I came across the Charles Morse Hosmer Museum, located in Winter Park, Florida. It's a museum full of Tiffany lamps, glass, windows, jewelry, vases, you-name-it. While researching I came across a 13 minute video (https://morsemuseum.org/plan-your-visit/legacy/) about Tiffany, the collectors, and the museum, and I knew I just had to go. It's Tiffany heaven, I was like a giddy school girl. Enjoy the photos!

18/06/2023

Harvest stems, make a craft or taste lavender-infused goodies at these picturesque farms.

16/06/2023

While on the scenic Needles Highway in Custer State Park ….

14/06/2023

The best laid plans of mice and men, often go awry ..... and mine did. I had made plans a while ago to visit my sister in Pennsylvania ... my friend of at least 63 years was driving in from New Jersey to spend the weekend with us; then, on the way home, I was going to visit another friend of almost 50 years in southwestern Pennsylvania who had just moved 'back home' from Arizona. I was really excited and looking forward to reconnecting with family and friends; however, Mother Nature and the smoke from the wildfires in Canada convinced me to reconsider my plans. The smoke severity at my sister's home was maroon on the maps... and she and I decided to postpone our visit.

I went on the computer and looked at the fire maps of the US and said to myself, "ok, where is it green (no smoke)?" It looked pretty good north west of here and I have been wanting to go to Mt. Rushmore for as long as I've lived here; it was time to make the journey!!!! I spent an evening doing my 'travel homework', learning about what I really wanted to see along with the best routes to get there in the shortest time. I set out Friday morning very early; there wasn't much traffic on the road and things went pretty smoothly. My destination for the day was Wall, South Dakota, home of the infamous Wall Drug Store. Wall Drug opened in 1931, and at the time it was a small town drug store in the middle of nowhere, offering free iced water to travelers as they came through. Nowadays, it's quite the tourist trap but it's still fun to just go in and see the variety of goods they carry. They have western wear, t-shirts, hats, jewelry, and all kinds of souvenirs. They offer a 5 cent cup of coffee and great donuts to go with it. Wall is less than 5 miles from one of the entrances to Badlands National Park, and a good stopping place to head to Devils Tower, Sundance, Sturgis, and Mt. Rushmore on Saturday morning.

I took Highway 20 through Iowa, as it was the fastest route to connect me eventually with I-90. Many people think it's boring; I find it an interesting drive. I saw a sign for 'Worlds Largest Popcorn Ball' in Sac City and made a mental note to stop on the way home to see it. I traveled across the state and continued on through Sioux City, IA, crossing over the Missouri River. It was my first time ever crossing that river, and I all could think of was the song "Shenandoah", and sang it silently to myself as I looked out over the river while crossing the bridge (and trying not to kill myself by taking my eyes off the road for too long while gaping). Entering South Dakota, I had a happy surprise: the speed limit was 80 mph!!! Legal speeding made the journey across the southern portion of South Dakota swift and enjoyable. The rolling hills were green and beautiful; there was very little traffic, and there were a LOT of cattle and horses. As I got closer to Wall I saw an occasional prong antelope out in a field and a female elk. I kept looking for bison; I didn't realize that it's not like Wyoming or Montana, where they seem to be just everwhere. During my time there I also saw prairie dogs and feral burros.

I arrived in Wall, South Dakota about 6pm, checked in to my motel, and headed back out to Badlands National Park. It was like nothing I had ever seen; the rock formations, to me, were spectacular and unique. I went from viewpoint to viewpoint, soaking it all in. It had been raining all day during my entire journey thus far, and was still partly cloudy with occasional sprinkles in the evening. Still, even without blue sky, it was all amazing to me. I went back to my motel room Friday evening so content, glad that I had made such a good alternative choice to my original plans.

Saturday was definitely a 'go-butt' day. I headed up to Devils Tower, Wyoming, which was about 2 1/2 hrs from Wall. It was raining cats and dogs, and I-90 was NOT a fun drive due to reduced visibility on the road. When I arrived at Devils Tower it was still sprinkling and there was a mist in the air. I had been wanting to see this ever since I saw the movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" in 1977. NOT because I believe in aliens/UFO's, but because it just looks geologically cool. Next destination: Mt. Rushmore!! To get there I traveled through Sundance, WY; Sturgis, SD, home of the yearly motorcycle party, and historic Deadwood,SD, home of the gold mining rush in that state. I arrived at Mt. Rushmore and parked in the parking garage, excited that I had finally arrived! Little did I know as I walked towards the iconic sculptures that I literally could not see George, Tom, Teddy, or Abe. Not even an outline! BUST! Not to be beaten by the weather, I made a 'note to self' to go back to Mt. Rushmore in the morning since I had to pass close by anyway to get to Custer State Park. I felt sorry for the folks who came from far away and would not have the opportunity to go back as I did.

Sunday was Mt. Rushmore, Sylvan Lake, Legion Lake (where I had a wonderful breakfast lakeside), Spearfish Canyon, the Needle Highway, and touring most of the scenic drives throughout the area that were recommended. I ended my evening at Badlands National Park - I wanted to see the sunset on the rock formations at a specific location where my son had said it was one of the most beautiful sunsets he had ever seen. He wasn't wrong, it was spectacular.