There were far too many photos taken of the amazing Badlands National Park formations, so I had to spend a little time whittling down (and straightening out the ones I shot crookedly – occupational hazard in the back seat on a bumpy road). Such a variety of color, texture, lines and shapes we saw. Fortunately, we didn’t encounter rain or snow in our short tenure there (but there was wind!)
And after two weeks of novice blogging, I realized there’s a slideshow option on this site, so here’s your slideshow!
Koby’s still sifting through his GoPro images (he can NEVER complain about how many pictures I take again!)
We woke up to snow in Billings. I kept looking at my calendar to make sure that we hadn’t slipped into some time stream that carried us back a few months. This place did not meet the criteria for Spring!
The good news was that the snowflakes finally dissipated and they’d frosted the ground and the trees into a Winter wonderland with December vibes. (But the calendar STILL says April)….
The snow started phasing out and was shooting random shots with my camera out the back window. I didn’t know until I downloaded that I’d captured a natural tunnel. (I love the surprise element of what I didn’t see, but still manage to capture).
We went to the Missouri Headwaters State Park in Three Forks, MT. Warren and Koby got out and wandered around for a few minutes. I sat in the Xterra and tried to capture a picture of a hawk that I saw flying above a field. It was an exercise in futility and our tenure in that particular locale was brief.
We wandered through Montana and I know now why it is “Big Sky” country. Not only was the sky vast, it contained about every type of weather imaginable.
Day 14 – Missoula, MT – Kamiah, ID
The Missoula morning greeted us with slushiness.
But also more frosted trees, nature’s own version of powdered sugar sprinkled liberally over everything.
But the slush finally hushed and I was able to to get some shots that weren’t impeded by wet stuff on the windows.
The white stuff finally was overtaken by green stuff. Which meant it was warmer. We moved along into eastern Idaho. Farmland, but with trees. Koby has determined over the course of our years together that I REALLY like trees, and the lack of them does not spark joy in my spirit.
We went down and up White Bird grade, because if there is a windy road, then Koby is compelled to drive it. This one also has almost no guard rails.
Idaho decided we needed to see a little more weather. We experienced rain, snow, sleet, hail, sunshine and more than one of them at the same time in certain stretches. The cloud formations were magnificent though (when they weren’t bombarding us with rain or snow).
Day 15 – Kamiah, ID – Happy Valley, OR
We ended up staying at this wonderful lodge in Kamiah (and I’m still not sure on the pronunciation – as it’s not phonetically logical). Warren was especially enamored with it and he left a note on our departure that declared it was the nicest place we’d stayed in 11 states. And that was true. I’d definitely stay there again!
We also woke up to no snow! The day started out without snow. Yes, I could not believe it either. We followed a river for awhile and it was serene (I like water as much as I like trees.)
We did lose trees from the landscape, but the water soothed me adequately to just sit back and enjoy. Even in the “people-y” parts.
We went through Oregon on our way to Washington (don’t ask me, Koby was driving and navigating), but we stopped for a minute in Umapine, OR at a corner with an old school across the street. I got fascinated with the pigeons that were hanging around the roof so snapped a few shots while Koby got his bearings.
Koby had scheduled a side trip to Stonehenge WWI Memorial, and it wasn’t cold, windy, raining or snowing when we got there.
While Warren and Koby read the history, I exercised my freedom from the confines of the Xterra and took pictures. I wanted a picture of the bridge in the distance. There was a guy standing on a rock and he only moved to change positions slightly. So he became part of the photo and it gives it scale.
We stopped at a rest stop and while the guys did their thing, I watched a barge being pushed down the Columbia. It amazes me that such a small boat can move that large an object.
Back into Oregon and to Happy Valley for a delicious dinner and conversation with family and friends (Kelly and Jeff, Karen and Dennis, and Aunt Ruth) – with whom we shared details of the haps and mishaps of the journey over our meal (still craving Karen’s cheese pastry thingies!). We settled down in our room in the basement, Warren was back in his room, and got a good night sleep.
Day 16 – Happy Valley OR – Sacramento, CA
Jeff made us coffee, oatmeal and toasted up some of the artisan bread we brought from the lodge-owned bakery in Kamiah.
Then Koby and I repacked the Xterra for the last time and said our goodbyes. And we took off in the rain on our last leg of the journey.
The further south we traveled, the lighter the sky became. Mount Shasta greeted us with blue skies and puffy white clouds.
Mt. Lassen did the same.
The last hours of our journey were uneventful, though I saw about a dozen hawks I couldn’t get pictures of, and a few hundred bugs gave their lives up on our front windshield. But we made it home.
And so did NatGeo – happily installed back with his buddies!
And so ends the Skelton Going Postal tour. It meant so much for Koby and Warren to have this time together, and I learned a lot about Skelton family history, regional history, and weather. I learned that the wind blows way too much in that middle section of the states!
The start of the return trip! The Xterra is lighter, sans boxes and we left our slightly decrepit and problematic hotel in Sandusky. There was also a creepy lamp post covered with vines near where we parked. These are the things that plant the seed for nightmares, just sayin’… so I was happy to leave it in Sandusky.
Koby decided to avoid the toll roads again, so we wandered – I managed to see yet another bald eagle, and failed to be able to capture a picture of it. Sigh.
I did see a nest of some sort of raptor or other large flying creature and managed to catch a picture of that.
There is also a plethora of white flowering trees that grow in Ohio, Illinois, Iowa and Indiana (and probably other places), but they are prominent here. I have no clue to what they are – some day I’ll get motivated to research them. Not today.
The day got cloudier as we traveled west, and then started to rain, sort of. Koby kept scolding the weather – either rain, or don’t! The weather paid him no mind. My view was pretty much the following:
I did manage to see a little bit of Chicago skyline, but only had my phone out and things moved quickly – for a bit.
Then it rained more and we hit a major traffic jam as we got through the city and even NatGeo was getting weary.
Koby got off the highway and it took us a bit to navigate our way back to where we wanted to be. And we even checked into our hotel before dark for maybe the first time this trip – (but not before cold – 38 degrees – and windy!). But the hotel gave us a warm welcome!
Day 11 – Loves Park, IL to Rapid City, SD
We woke up to snow in Illinois. NatGeo seemed very confused of what that white stuff was on the car. And Koby says the hotel room key works quite well in getting it off the windshield. Good thing we packed layers!
I asked for a minor stop, feeling the urge to do something very touristy (and it was free) at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD. It was cold and windy (but not snowing).
And Warren and Koby decided to be silly tourists for a minute..
We stopped at a rest stop somewhere down the road that overlooked the Missouri River. It was cold and even MORE windy. But there was the most amazing sculpture depicting a Native American woman titled “Dignity”.
From there we headed to Badlands. I didn’t know much about it, but it was amazing in many ways. But I need to backtrack in my tale. Virtually every store we went into on this trip, Warren looked for a Big Hunk candy bar. It became a quest, and looked like it might become a futile quest – clerks shook their heads, shrugged, and claimed they’d never heard of it. We walked into the Visitors Center at Badlands National Park – and on a shelf almost as soon as we entered, like a homing beacon drawing him to the prize, Warren’s quest concluded. He bought two (just in case they were the only ones available on the trip.)
I have a ton of pictures from Badlands, but still going through and I’ll post a few later, or link to my Flickr account (when I post them there), but for now I will share the fruits of my own quest – wildlife!!
We were exhausted (again) as we got to Rapid City and conked out for the night.
Day 12 – Rapid City, SD to Billings, MT
We woke up to yet another cold, windy day – but it wasn’t raining or snowing, thank goodness. I’m not sure this part of the world understands what “Spring” means – the trees don’t leaf, there is rain, snow, cold, wind. But we braved it all and our efforts were again rewarded.
And my patience through a land filled with red barns, silos, water towers emblazoned with town names or advertisements and general flatland-itude was rewarded with something I didn’t know how much I value – hills and trees (and some beautiful blue sky).
Koby had a hankering to see Mt. Rushmore, so our path led us there. It might have been the coldest, windiest place on the journey. I snapped a few pictures and dashed into the warm, wind-free, welcoming gift shop. It may have had the biggest collection of mugs and socks and long sleeved shirts I’ve ever seen. If they’d filled the mugs with coffee or hot-chocolate, I’m sure they could have sold a ton of them!
On the road again, we headed for Wyoming (not the part we’d already been to), because Koby had a notion to see Devil’s Tower.
And I got another shot at the wildlife!
Then with Koby humming the 5-note melody from “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” – we were off again – this time to Montana.
Somewhere along the way I saw antelope (I have seen those elusive critters a number of time but haven’t been able to capture them). Koby gallantly made a U-Turn and gave me time to unearth my longest lens.
Then off we traversed to Billings – the temperature kept hovering between low and lower and to the south the clouds got more and more ominous.
It finally decided to blow up our way and we drove a little while with flakes descending on the windshield. Koby did not scold the weather this time. I think he was too tired to try and put up a fight.
We have settled in Billings for the night and are going to play tomorrow by ear as we all are pretty much fried, frayed and filleted.
I had no idea the Mid-West was so windy! I’m trying to remember the last stop that was windless. And I can’t. But we managed to make up a little ground today, so we’re due in Bellevue, OH tomorrow evening. as originally planned. But I’m beginning to not have a grasp on which state I’m in anymore. I just know that Nebraska is all about beef and Iowa is about pork.
But despite the wind, we dined on our Skeeter Barnes (mmm BBQ!) leftovers on a picnic table at a rest stop near Underwood, IA. Koby accused me of inhaling my food and that I must have an ulterior motive, but it was the first time I had been out of the car except for potty breaks or food stops and I was lured by the siren songs of birds. Camera clicking was suddenly more important than picnicking. In Ohio I managed only to see a few crows, turkey vultures, and one lone pigeon – and got no pictures. I needed a break from “landscape” pictures and view, especially since the landscape hasn’t had too much variety for the last several hundred miles. There’s another silo, another windmill, etc.
At the rest stop, the Robins were out in force… rockin’ it all over the ground and up in the treetops (presumably all day long) – they were hoppin’, but not bobbin’ or singing their song though… And the 1st one seems to be thinking intently about something…
But a few House Sparrows did sing out – chirping up a storm… I managed to get pics of both a female and a male..
And one male who decided to hang with a Grackle for a bit – definitely rocking different wardrobe styles, but managing to coexist despite their differences.
I also managed to see (and not photograph) my 3rd bald eagle of the trip from my own perch in the back seat. Maybe the opportunity will still come!
Days 8 -9 – Davenport, IA to Sandusky/Bellevue, OH
Long long trip from Davenport. We decided to avoid the toll roads, and ended up not getting to our hotel in Sandusky until after 9pm (and we are now in Eastern Time Zone, so we “lost” hours. Not much downtime on Friday – just windshield time. And not much unique scenery, but did see some nice cloud formations and a glimpse of the sunset.
There was a train going nowhere in a field – ok that was kind of unique…
And the sky was pretty cool…
It was so nice not to pack up Saturday morning and spend the day in the Xterra. We traveled down to Bellevue for Warren’s Postmark Collector’s workshop and donated his boxes of postmarks..
We now have lots more room – even more, as we inadvertently left a bag of dirty clothes in Davenport. Oops.
I dropped the boys off at the workshop site which was located in the historic Lyme Village, and wandered around a little before I skedaddled off..
My skedaddling took me to the Sheldon Marsh Preserve. I was hoping to see birds – mostly I heard birds – they are good at hiding here! But I got a cool squirrel – and a red-winged blackbird.
I went back to grab the guys for lunch. Koby had homemade rhubarb ice cream for dessert (Warren was a little less adventuresome with chocolate), then took them back. While Warren sorted postmarks with the others – I think the median age was about 85 of the group, Koby got roped into doing all kinds of fetching and carrying boxes, moving stuff and other manual labor. I escaped back out to the grounds ands snapped some more pics..
Finally Warren was tuckered out from all that fine print and sorting, and I suggested we detour to Marblehead Lighthouse on the edge of Lake Erie before we headed back to the hotel. (That’s them standing in the right lower corner!)
And I found more birds….
On the drive back to the hotel we crossed over Sandusky Bay with the sky threatening a change…
And now our journey is halfway through, and we start home tomorrow on a different route.
They say the best laid plans…… We did not predict (nor plan) a 2-hour delay just east of Boise, ID – there was a major incident on I-84 that closed it for several hours. But we finally detoured and got moving again…. Though the morning was late, it was pleasant, and at first the snow was at a distance (where it is best)… Even though it was closer, the roads were dry.
We traveled through some farm and ranch country, which added some character to the texture of the landscape… and sometimes the landscape contained enough natural character by itself…
We went to Crater of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, but being covered in snow, it wasn’t very crater-y, so we toured the visitor center, and we did NOT sit outside…
Heading to Wyoming, I saw my first frozen snow-covered lake – Palisades Reservoir…
And we ended our loooong day in Jackson Hole.
Day 5 – Jackson Hole to Laramie, WY
We all got a decent night sleep at our very quiet hotel – perhaps because we were all soooo tired from a long day. I persuaded Koby to make a slight detour to the Elk Preserve – some fellow guests at our hotel (from Manteca, of all places) and the desk clerk were extremely helpful in guiding us to where we needed to go.
I think most of them in the last picture were “mooning” me!
And besides the elk, there were some mountain goats way up on a ridge..
Then off through Grand Tetons National Park – with its amazing peaks..
Then we wandered off to Laramie, still on delay-time. We got settled in our hotel and Warren (my father-in-law) had an issue with his foot, which resulted in a trip to Urgent Care. They checked him out, cleaned and bandaged him up, but wanted a re-evaluation in the morning…. (No need to share pictures or details, it’s not a pretty sight!)
Day 6 – Laramie, WY to Kearney, NE
Late start, since the clinic didn’t open until 9, but the staff were awesome both last night and this morning. Warren was gifted a beautiful “sandal” to accommodate his bandaged foot, bought some new socks – which will last awhile since he only needs one for a few days – picked up scrips, and jetted out of town. Today’s jaunt was not nearly so scenic – and the highlight of the day was a wonderful lunch at Estela’s in Pine Bluffs, which was topped off with even more wonderful sopapillas. Which I should have photographed – but I was too greedy! For those of you who have never encountered a sopapilla – and I mean a REAL sopapilla – you have been missing out on an amazing treat. Best served hot, with sugar and cinnamon, drizzled with honey. I don’t know where to get them anywhere except in the Southwest – and now in Pine Bluffs, Wyoming.
Today’s leg of the journey was windy. And warm. I’m not understanding why trees are not leafed out since it was 85+ degrees most of the day – maybe the wind is too strong and the trees are holding on to their new leaves so they won’t be blown away as soon as they unfurl.
It was also not the most scenic day… lots of flat land with not much breaking up the landscape. It was pretty anti-climatic after the Grand Tetons, majestic mooning elk, and yes, I hate to admit it, snow. But there were a few photo-worthy shots.. and there was sun… and wind… and a ton of windmill farms with whirling fan blades…
Packing, snacking and tracking where we’ll go. Koby is planted in Mill Valley at a job today and I need to ensure we pack what we need. Traveling was much easier before we got “old” – Now there’s meds and meters – no more packing light. This is our first long road trip together. And definitely my first one with my father-in-law.
Packing plans shifted when the weather did a detour. So much for a warm spring day to commence the sojourn – instead we’re trippin’ in the rain. Weather apps are about as accurate as media news meteorologists – frequently wrong.
I’ve invited Nathaniel the Geographical Navigator – aka NatGeo (one of my Real Musgrave Pocket Dragons) on the journey.
There were some awesome cloud formations as we left town.
We arrived in Redding and finished our day.
Day 2 – I-5’ing to Happy Valley
Breakfast of Champions = Mochas and pastries (and we split a blood orange mimosa) at From the Hearth Kitchen and Pie Shop in Redding and faced the long non-sunny day ahead. The clouds had met the mountains and settled into a peaceful co-existence
Further up the road, I finally persuaded Koby to stop so I could get a picture of Mount Shasta. Alas, Lassen Peak was covered in those co-existing clouds so nada on photo ops on that one, but here’s Shasta – still cloudy, but not obscured.
Then off to Grant’s Pass and lunch at Food Studio. Across the street from where we parked was a “mixed message” set of signs..
Now I’m not one to argue that candy, fudge (even furled up fudge) and popcorn might have some nutritious value, but House of Nutrition is a stretch.
The rest of the trip to Happy Valley was uneventful, except Koby’s GoPro had de-juiced (he’ll be adding GoPro stuff to this – eventually – maybe), so we had to detour to Target for an extra battery and memory card.
Dinner with Koby’s sister and dad, a much more restful night sleep… then
Day 3 – Happy Valley to Caldwell, ID
Anybody who knows me knows I’m not a fan of snow. Or long-time cloudy skies. Today had both until near the end of the sojourn. Snow is way prettier when there is some contrast, so these were late in the day when we saw the 1st blue sky – all taken from the back seat of the Xterra between bumps, shakes, and other road hazards. Locale was US Hwy 26.
Settled in at Caldwell, ID for the night after dinner with family friends.
Trippin' and Skippin' 