Month: January 2019

Formally known as, “not California,” this Famous Potato State did not disappoint. When I think of the West Coast, I am not gonna lie, Idaho is never the state that comes to mind. Cali, Washington, and Oregon are often everyone’s “idea” of the West Coast. So poor little Idaho just kind of sinks into the background.

Well, hopefully through this post, I can shed a little light on what a wonderful state Idaho really is. Honestly, it should be known for so much more than it’s potatoes.

Our first stop in Idaho, was Boise. A lot of our friends have visited or preformed in Boise, and we were anxious to see what the hype was all about. To our pleaseant surprise Boise is packed with things to do and see.

We decided to start at the Freak Alley Gallery, which is a collaboration of outdoor murals. This art gallery is quite a few blocks long, with mural upon mural upon mural. It’s really incredible and well worth the little walk.

This gallery was started back in 2002, and now has grown into an ever changing display of local talent. The gallery features over 200 artists, and allegedly there are new paintings ever time you visit.

There are very realistic paintings, abstract murals, play on words, and even spin offs of well known T.V. shows. Make sure if your passing through you take your time and take in all the various characters that come to life throughout this alley.

Most of the painting are on a brick canvas, which I think adds to the character of the various pieces. The life like characters and animals really stood out to me, like the wolf posted below. There really is something here for everyone!

The alley is located between N 9th and N 8th street, on the block of W Idaho St. so be sure to check it out. Also a fun tidbit is the Freak Alley Gallery is also free and open 24/7.

We checked it out at night which really added to the whole experience. Being the only ones there, we had plenty of time to mosey through without wrecking anyone’s selfies! 🙂

After getting our art fill, we began to wander the streets and do a bit of window shopping. There are a lot of cool little stores in downtown Boise, so it’s really fun to just walk around and take everything in.

We found a neat little mall that had a lot of indoor walkways. There was a balcony at the top of the shopping center, and walkway bridges to cross the street without going back out into the cold.

In the middle of the downtown center, there was a giant Christmas tree and a lot of unique light patterns playing off the buildings. I was really happy we visited during Christmas time because everything was very festive. We enjoyed all the trees wrapped in lights and the Christmas music that played throughout the streets.

There are lots of little parks and modern art as you wander throughout downtown. We passed a lot of interactive pieces. Some even displayed how downtown Boise looked back in the early 1900’s. A lot of the buildings were made fully of glass. Many were filled with bright colorful lights indoors, to make the entire building appear red or purple (for example). It was much more artsy than we expected, and we even found this awesome little snowman outside a fancy Mexican Restaurant.

Although the Mexican food smelled DELICIOUS, we had our minds set on one thing: Potatoes. So naturally we looked up the best potatoes in town. Our searching lead us to the Westside Drive In.

The Westside Drive In is basically just a retro Sonic with better food. We were drawn in by the vintage vibe and the fun neon lights. And of course the potato hype!

After seeing the advertisements, we could not resist ordering the Ice Cream Potato. Honestly it was quite good. They take the ice cream and coat the entire outside in coco powder to give it the potato appearance. Then they load it up with whipped cream that gives it the appearance sour cream. Behold the fully loaded Ice Cream Potato. Yummy!

After spending a full night exploring Idaho, we decided to call it a night and get some rest for the morning. Bright and early we continued our journey East. We drove for a couple of hours, through some really beautiful land and through a few mountain ranges.

We drove through Twin Falls, and then finally hit our destination: Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve. Which is now one of our favorite National Parks.

Craters of the Mood National Monument and Preserve is normally a collection of lava flows, dried igneous rock formations, craters, and strange rock formations creating a Mars-like mountain range.

Since we were visiting in the Winter, we had a unique oppertunity. With about 10 inches of snow, the rock formations were completely covered and created a Winter Wonderland.

This time of year instead of offering tours, the Visitors Center gives out snowshoes. With a recommended donation of $5 the snowshoes are yours till dark!

Being a week day, and maybe due to the cold, we had the whole park to ourselves! It was beautiful. There are little paths already trudged into the snow, but with your snowshoes you can venture just about anywhere.

We decided to hike the North Crater and out to the Lava Flow Fields. Thankfully, our snowshoes had good grip to get up some of those steep parts of the mountain. With the inches of snow, there would have been no chance that we would have made it that far, (without our feet being drenched and snow up to our knees, which nobody wants!) without those life saving snowshoes. Do yourself the favor and grab those snowshoes on the way in. Trust me, you will be grateful! You’ll want to donate more than 5 bucks.

It was so beautiful hiking out to the middle of nowhere, and being surrounded by silence and nature. Daniel and I had a lot of reflection time out there in the middle of Narnia. The snow just stretched for miles and miles, without the noise pollution of neighboring cities. It is a truly tranquil and humbling experience.

At first, I was a bit disappointed about the snow because we wouldn’t be able to see all the rock formations. Honestly though, it was so beautiful, if we were to visit again I would push to do it in the winter! There’s no crowds and the view is incredible covered in all the glistening snow. If we were to do it all over again, I would not change a thing.

After trudging around for a few hours, we decided to head back towards our car. To our surprise getting back was easy and QUICK! We leaned forward and used the metal rim of our snowshoes almost like skis, and slid most of the way down the mountain. It took us about an hour to hike to the top and 12 mins to come down! Hello, snow surfing.

Once we arrived back at our parking lot, we shook off our icy boots and realized how cold we really were. Thankfully, the stomping through the snow had kept our bodies really warm. But once we stopped moving, we were FREEZING! We booked it to the shelter of our car to thaw out of toes and melt Daniel’s ice beard.

Once we de-thawed a bit, we decided the perfect ending to our day of hiking and Winter Wonder would be a nice bowl of hot soup! So that is exactly what we did. With our handy dandy pot and boiler, we whipped up some hot chili and wild rice soup! It is was the perfect ending to a perfect day.

With our water refilled from the Visitors Center, and our stomach full of warm soup, we kissed Craters of the Moon goodbye. From there, we drove off into the sunset: Utah bound! Salt Lake City, here we come!

Thanks for reading the blog this week. Hope y’all are staying warm! God Bless,

McKayla

Home sweet home, and it had been too long! The last time that we were in Oregon, it was a wonderful-yet stressful time. The west coast wedding had many ups and downs, to include the missing wedding dress fiasco and some bridesmaids that almost didn’t make it. The wedding turned out beautifully, but we were looking forward to some relaxing family time and some delicious home cooked food. As much as Mickey and I love cooking out and making our own meals on the road, nothing beats my dad’s turkey or my auntie and Nana’s homemade pies. We made our way south from Seattle after spending some time with the Hoovers, and after celebrating my birthday in Edmonds (McKayla got me the Nintendo Switch for my birthday!!!) towards the city by the falls: Oregon City. It was so nice to see our family, and we were so relieved to have finally finished the first leg of our journey. The last time we were in Oregon, we did not have much time to sightsee, so I was ready to show off what the Northwest had to offer to McKayla.

We spent a lot of time with my grandparents new puppy, Mia-who is now best friends with McKayla. ‘The Queen’ spent more time in McKayla’s lap than she did on the floor during our stay in Oregon; she is one spoiled pup! She’s cute, and she knows it. We were in Oregon City just in time for Thanksgiving, and we could not have been happier to spend this special day with loved ones. 2018 was a monumental year for us, and it was nice to have a moment of serenity to reflect on our times together with the family. We had ended our careers in the military, we had two weddings, and we embarked on a journey through our  glorious country that has been life changing so far. We have a lot to be thankful for.

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After we stuffed our faces with a mountain of morsels, we headed out to find THE SAVINGS on Black Friday with our good friend, Austin. Like always, the mall, Walmart, Gamestop, etc. was a madhouse. Clothes and consoles were flying off the shelves everywhere, and the lines were going nowhere and nowhere fast. We found a few good deals, but good ol’ Auz got a brand new Nintendo Switch that night and he was pretty pumped! We spent the rest of the night playing it before passing out and sleeping in for what felt like the first time in a while.

As you may or may not know, my family-more specifically my brother, my dad and I, are huge Timbers fans. My dad was keen enough to have landed some playoff tickets for their upcoming match against Sporting Kansas City, and we were just in time to watch them. This was exciting because it was McKayla’s first Timbers game, and I could not wait to see her reaction to the Timbers Army! The Timbers Army are the greatest supporters of any sports team, period. Their relentless devotion, infectious energy, and die-hard mentality for the Timbers is unmatched, and a sight to see. The TA did not disappoint for this home game. A sold out crowd echoed their chants throughout the Rose City as the Timbers and SKC grinded out to a 0-0 tie-but a great game nonetheless. We did put a ball in the back of the net, but it was waived offsides… questionably. Overall, it was an amazing experience and we were so happy that we got to spend the day in Portland with my dad.

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Multnomah Falls, the spot of our west coast ceremony, is famously set near the Columbia Gorge, which is a beautiful home to many hikes, views, and hidden treasures. We decided to go on a hike one day with our friends Austin and Kalee in the gorge, to get lost in the wilderness for a day together. We chose a small hike to Dry Creek Falls, a small waterfall located in the vast area that is the Columbia Gorge. Along for the trip came Kalee’s puppy, Fezzik, the Giant. He is an adorable Golden Retriever who loves to hike and do basically anything outdoors. He is one good boy. The trail was a quick 4 and a half miles to a beautiful amphitheatre-like effect with a waterfall cascading down upon the end of trail from about 70 ft up in the air. The deafening roar of the waterfall drowned out all other sound, and in a sense, the gorge was silent from where we stood. The area had been burnt due to a forest fire, but it was recovering well from what we could see. The Gorge is a truly magnificent experience, and I recommend that all who are able, to check it out.

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Once our time in Oregon City was up, we bid our family farewell, and headed east to Bend, the High Desert. My mom lives out there, and it is night-and-day different from the Willamette Valley. Bend is dry and cold, with pine trees everywhere and people scarcely placed throughout the area, which makes for a nice city. There are a lot of breweries in the area and all of them are amazing. When we got my mom’s house, there was little snow on the ground.

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The next few days, however, we would get a few feet of fresh powder, which made my mom’s house, located by Deschutes River, a winter wonderland. Barley, her golden retriever, loves the snow, I mean really loves the snow. We went on many walks and bike rides while we were there, and no matter what the temperature was outside (even well below freezing at times) this crazy canine would run and run, and then jump into the river to cool off (again, it’s freezing outside) and then hop out, roll around in the snow to dry off (dog logic), just to repeat the process over again.

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We were in town just in time for my 24th birthday, and my mom surprised me with a tour of Deschutes Brewing Company, which brews one of my favorite IPAs: Fresh Squeezed IPA. It was a great time, and I was fortunate enough to have Austin and Kalee drive down and spend the day with us. Shout out to the homies, they went the distance and I love them very much.

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While we were in Bend, we went to Smith Rock to hike, and it was grueling.  We chose to hike a path labeled Misery Ridge, and the name did not disappoint. Smith Rock is basically a giant lava plume pushed up from the earth’s crust to create this towering, gargantuan structure that is famous for its hiking and bouldering areas. The hike to the top, was a rough one-even Barley was struggling! The view at the top made it all worth it in the end, and you could see for miles-it was breathtaking. On the way down, we stopped to watch some rock climbers in action, and I must say, we were very impressed with what they were doing. There were faces of the rock covered in chalk from previous climbers, and some of those routes looked impossible. There was smooth rock for the majority of these hikes, and I could not believe how strong these climbers were. If you are reading this and have bouldered at Smith Rock, I applaud you.

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Once our time in Bend was at an end, we said goodbye and headed east, towards Idaho, with Potatoes on our mind and good memories made that we will forever remember. Oregon, you’re still the best state in my books, never change.

Cheers,

-Daniel-

Ahh we finally made it to the Pacific Northwest! We were finally on the West Coast. Not that I don’t love the East Coast (Virginia born and raised baby) but the West Coast does have a beautiful factor that is hard to get around. NO HUMIDITY. Of course there are gorgeous views, incredible hikes, mind blowing mountain ranges, and tons of adventure, but my absolute favorite is the humidity thing. You can just breath forever without risk of drowning like some of my East Coast people I am sure have experience on a deathly hot August day. But regardless of your Coast preferences, we made it Washington.

We spent the night in Spokane, Washington and in the morning had an absolutely beautiful drive to Seattle. The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest and Snoqualmie Pass looks beautiful in the fall, and the greenery will absolutely amaze you. Driving through these National Forest and by the waterfalls are defintely something that should be on your bucket list, if it isn’t already.

Once in Seattle, we wasted no time and hit the number one attraction: The Space Needle.

It’s a little pricey to get up there but definitely something you should do if you have the time and are in Seattle. We decided to go right at sunset so we could see the city at day, see a really beautiful sunset, and then see the city at night.

You are given a certain time to board the elevator, and then one quick trip up and vola you are on the top of the world. The exhibit at the top is quite larger than I expected, and they have glass everything. There are glass benches, huge glass walls, and even parts of the floor is glass. They have little stations set up so you can capture the perfect selfie. So you don’t have to worry about asking strangers to snap a quick picture for you.

The part I thought was the coolest is the “downstairs” viewing center. This part of the observation deck is actually spinning. It is spinning so slowly you almost don’t even notice. It’s actually pretty incredible. They have bars, seats, and places to eat so you could sit and see the whole city without even having to move. After exploring the upper deck, the spinning section, and watching an amazing sunset we decided to see what else Seattle had to offer.

Once we arrived back on a more solid ground we continued our Seattle exploration. We found ourselves down by the river and explored all along the boardwalk area.

We got some various snacks with our favorite being these little fried fish balls. They were almost like hushpuppies, but filled with fish and then deep fried. They are served piping hot with a creamy dipping sauce. Delish!

We ventured through all the little touristy sections and admired the themed spots. There was a lot of westerny vibes going along and we even found some Oregon Trail themed people. It’s a fun quirky little spot down by the river, and it’s beautiful at night with everything lit up.

We were lucky enough to have some friends Emily and Sam Hoover give us the insiders tour. They both went to college in Seattle so they knew all the local spots. We saw some neat little parks, the best places in town to eat, and even a nice overlook of the city at night. It was a nice late night adventure with a really fun couple!

In the morning, we decided our first stop HAD to be Public Market. It is well known for tossing the local catch of the day, but it is so much more than a fish tossing marketplace.

It is a community of vendors, fresh food, and basically a giant flea/farmers market. Definitely worth a visit, and if you get there early you can even witness them auctioning off the stalls or selling tables of the day.

You can walk the many different floors and find everything from street musicians to local art displays. My favorite section were the many booths selling fresh flowers and the unique bouquet arrangements.

Behind the Market there is a nice little picnic area where you can go if you need to take a break or a nice spot to eat lunch with a view.

There are tons of quirky little details you can find hidden all over the market. From sidewalk art to intricate building designs, keep your eyes peeled for some fun little treasures. Some of our favorites were the scattered light men hidden in unique places all over the market holding different lights as lanterns. See how many you can find!

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Another major attraction of the Public Market, is the First Starbucks. That’s right the world renowned coffee place was started in a tiny shop right outside the Public Market.

Usually you have to get there right as it opens to avoid hours of waiting in line, but we got lucky. It probably had a lot to do with us visiting on a week day in the middle of the off season, but we only waited about 10 minutes before we were helped.

All the original floors and logos are used in this Starbucks, so you get a really authentic feel for how it was back in 1912. There is a special version of Pike’s Place blend that is only served at this location, so naturally that is the one we had to try. We decided to get it as a pour over and it was a delicious rich deep blend of beans.

With our coffee in hand, we decided the only thing to complete our brew would be a treat. Thankfully just a few doors down is the delicious bakery Piroshky Piroshky. This tiny bakery makes their pastries fresh every single day and they are to die for! We got the pumpkin cinnamon rolls, but from the smell of it, anything would have been delicious. If you have a sweet tooth, this is the place to go!

From there we decided to head a few blocks down to the well-known Gum Wall. You can smell it even before you can see it, as all the rubbery sugars melt into one.

The alley is exactly what it sounds like, just a bunch of gum stuck on a wall. It is kinda gross if you think about it, but it’s pretty impressive the amount that has been collected over the years. Its a very colorful place to take pictures, but be careful not to stand too close. If you’re really brave you might even add a piece for yourself.

On the way out of the alley, there is tons of graffiti, wall art, and posters plastered on every inch and surface. It is pretty neat to spend some time checking out some of the creative posts.

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From there we decided to view a very different form of art and headed to Troll Ave. Under the Fremont Bridge is a huge troll sculpted into the sand. There is little parking, but its a fun quirky little thing to see before heading out of the city.

This massive sculpture was just the icing on the cake of a wonderful visit to the Emerald City. The troll pretty much wrapped up our time in Seattle, and we decided to head south to Oregon!

Thanks for reading my post this week, and I hope you get the chance to explore Washington for yourself.

Until next time, God Bless!

-McKayla

Douglas Chadwick said it best when he described Montana as, ” The Last Best Place,” in America. Montana is home to over 100 mountain ranges, and its’ name is derived from the Spanish word, “montaña” meaning mountain. There is a reason they call it the Big Sky Country, because the endless skies gave us a sense of exploration and freedom that we hadn’t experienced up to this point. With Montana being the 4th largest state in the US, we were excited to explore the adventurous “Treasure State.”

Eager to explore this land, our first stop was in a little town called, “The Sleeping Buffalo.” This town is named after two large boulders that seem to almost be cuddling together, resembling two buffaloes.

Thus the name of this cute, simple town, was born. The people of this little village have even built a little shelter for these “sleeping buffaloes.” Now they can sleep in peace out of the rain, snow , and anything that the Big Sky dishes out.

The highlight of this town is BY FAR the Sleeping Buffalo Hot Springs. For only $5 per person, you can enjoy the multiple pools, sauna, shower, and hot tubs. They sell beer, wine, iced tea, and various other drinks, so you can sip a drink of your liking, while relaxing in the hot springs. They even have a small pool filled with natural spring water that runs at the natural mountain temperature. The water is about 50 or so degrees, but its rich in natural minerals. The main idea of the hot springs is to soak in the hot water for about 5-10 minutes, and give your pores a chance to fully open up. From there, it is encouraged to jump into the natural springs pool and try to remain there for about 45 seconds. This gives your body the chance to absorb as much of the natural minerals as possible. It is encouraged to do this as many times as you can for maximum benefits. The hot springs process does wonders for sore muscles, releases positive endorphins, energizing the body, enriches skin nutrients, and increases joint flexibility. Daniel and I did the pool jumping about 8 times, and we could feel the car soreness just melt away.

Unfortunately, I left my phone in the locker room, so I didn’t snap any pictures. The best I can do is show you the unique Montana IPA we were lucky to find. This IPA is actually named after the trail we planned on hiking later in the state, so we had to stock up for our hiking adventures. With our bodies relaxed and our car loaded with local brews, we continued our way through the Montana Mountain Ranges.

It was getting late as we approached Glacier National Park, so we decided to call it a night, in order to get an early start in the morning. Glacier National Park was one of my most anticipated National Parks. So we woke up early, bright eyed and bushy tailed to hit the trails. With it being mid November, some of the park roads were closed, but many trails were still available. THANKFULLY.

Half of the Going to the Sun road was closed, so we decided to drive to the point where the closure began and hike any of the trails along the way. We started with the John’s Lake trail.

It was an easy mile hike that was mostly wooded, until it opens out to a small lake called: John’s Lake. The mountains in the background make even the small lakes very impressive. It is such a beautiful park to hike through.

Being from Virginia, I really wanted to hike to the Virginia Falls, but it was essentially inaccessible with the road closures. We decided to settle with hiking up to the McDonald Falls instead.

Although it was more of a combination of multiple rapids verses a waterfall, it was still beautiful. We hiked down to the rocks that bordered the river and it was so peaceful down there. Listening to all the rushing water, and admiring the frozen sections, it was a very tranquil location. All the evergreens and snow caps, just added to the natural beauty of this rushing water.

We sat there for a while, just watching the rushing water and falling in love with Montana. From there, we decided to hike down the river known as the Sacred Dancing Cascade. There were many tunnels and changes in the path, which kept the hike exciting.

Eventually, the river lead to the McDonald Lake, which is a HUGE mirror lake. The stillness of the water is really incredible. You could sit at this lake for hours, and just stare at the beautiful reflection from all of the nature wonders that surrounds you.

Eventually, enough time passed that we needed to start our drive back, in order to get out of the park before it closed. On the drive back to the park’s entrance, we discovered why they call it “Going to the Sun” road. It was bright, incredibly bright, like the heavens were opened and God was reaching out his right hand bright. The roads were pretty icy, so the reflection from the road made it even more intense. There are parts of the road that had steep drop offs, so Daniel drove very carefully as a blind man. Unfortunately, we passes an accident where someone had driven right off the edge. Thankfully everyone was ok, but it will take a really LONG time to ever recover that vehicle. It was at the bottom of the cliff, so I can not imagine trying to fish that SUV out.

After what seemed like an eternity, we finally exited the park. To our tired eyes benefit, we were greeted by the Old Whiskey Barn. Of course we had to stop!

As soon as we entered the distillery, we were promptly met by this little sweetheart. Since we were the only guests there at the time, we got the pups full attention. Our dog people heart were full! We decided to do some flights, so we could try multiple different Montana Whiskies.

The tables were made from whiskey barrels, the Glacier Distillery brand was on almost all the wooden decor, and the rustic vibe really added to the whole experience. We enjoyed sipping, munching on pretzels, and petting the good boy doggo. We were impressed with the various whiskies, the bold flavors, and variety this Montana Distillery provided. Overall, Glacier Distillery seemed to be the perfect ending to such a beautiful state.

From there, we drove into the Big Sky sunset and continued west: Washington bound. Thanks for reading my post this week.

God Bless and Cheers,

McKayla

Traveling from one Dakota to another meant taking a right on that one major South Dakotan highway and hopping onto smaller routes northbound to go straight into the heart of the Upper Dakota. Here, The roads were just as bland as the lower ‘friends’ roads-minus the Wall Drug signs every 6 inches. ‘Dakota’ is actually derived from a Sioux word roughly translated to ‘friend’, in case you didn’t know. Any who… Mickey and I were planning to stop at the Fort Union Trading Post in Northern North Dakota, which is right on the border of ND and Montana. Other than that, our goal was to keep our eyes open to anything else that ND might have to offer.

Well, most of ND was much like the last state we visited: Flat. Occasionally, a rolling hill would lazily meander its way into the routes we were on, but mostly, it was a straight, flat shot to our destination. About halfway through our travels, a light dusting began to cover the roads we were on with a very dry, forgiving snow powder. These roads would give way to some of our longests legs of driving-about 7 hours or so. Normally Mickey and I like to cut our drive times around 4 hours or so at the max, to break up the mundane grind of straight highway driving. The past state, SD, was great for that, with interesting areas to explore perfectly spread out across our route. ND, however, was not like this. We found little to nothing of interesting enroute to the Trading Post up north. After what seemed like days of driving, we finally reach our destination.

It was a cold, sleety, and windy November morning when we reached our destination. It was kind of funny; MT and ND are right on the brink of a time change. The road leading to the Trading Post winds back and forth in between these time zones, so every minute or so we would jump back and forth an hour. It’s the little things, I suppose. We pull into a water soaked parking lot that is completely empty except for a few ranger trucks. It is not nice outside. The frigid 20 degree weather was made even more poignant by the bitter, eastern winds peppered with sleet and sideways rain. This day was not a good day to be outside. We ran our way up to the Trading Post as fast as we could with our hands clasped tight together and our jackets zipped up as far as they could go.

The entire trading post was a square structure covered in white paint with red roofing and minimal decoration on the four outer walls. There was a gravel path that was partially frozen over, that we slid together on to the entrance of the fort. The entrance was headed with a mural of Native Americans and fur traders exchanging goods and shaking hands as a sign of unity. Inside the fort, various machinery used in previous centuries for tanning hides and other fur trade related tasks were displayed aside each wall, and even some cannons and other weaponry were out and about for visitors to look at. We huddled our way towards the visitor center to get our National Park Passport stamped, and to warm up for a few crucial moments.

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According to the park ranger on duty in the center, we were the only visitors of the day so far, and she did not expect to see many others-if any for that matter, the rest of the day. Fair enough, it was miserable outside. The visitor had many exhibits highlighting the importance of the fur trade, as well as the relationships of neighboring tribes and the fur traders throughout history. It was a beneficial trade agreement for both sides, with Native Americans offering fur to gain objects such as guns, medicines, alcohol, cookware, cloth, glassware, and other various trinkets and necessities from the east coast. They even had some authentic furs from various critters that would have been traded back in the day. We took the opportunity to dress ourselves in the warm garb, and it was very furry, to say the least.

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After we had defrosted inside, we decided to venture out into the elements once more to walk the perimeter of the fort. The view from the top yielded a nice vantage point of the missouri river, and the outlying plains that surrounded this historic site. It also gave view to the Lewis and Clark Trail, which was located near this fort. The Lewis and Clark Trail is obviously huge, and we have seen it throughout many states on our trips. It is pretty incredible to consider the journey they accomplished, and seeing their trail in so many states has put it into perspective like never before.

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After we finished atop the fort, we hightailed it to our car and blasted the heater on max and waited for our toes to get feeling back. While our journey in ND may not have been as flashy as it’s lower compadre, it was still a journey worth setting forth on. The snow, calm plains, and barren roads, and quiet settings gave way to a soothing and peaceful trip that allowed McKayla and I to unwind and set our eyes on the Big Sky State, Montana.

Cheers,

Oh yeah, in ND, they have this awesome stuff called Pickle Ice! It is a tube of frozen pickle juice that you can get at any gas station and it is really good! 10/10 would recommend.

-Daniel-

Mickey and I made our way from the state of 10,000 (frozen) lakes and headed west towards Sioux Falls. McKayla’s former coworker-and good friend of ours, Skyler Dick, calls this growing city home. He is in the Air National Guard, and life is much greener on the other side for him. We spent a night at his place before making our journey across this great, flat state-with no idea what was in store except for a few national parks. When I say a few, I mean two: The Badlands, and Mount Rushmore. If you’ve ever been to good ol’ SD, you probably know about the one major highway that runs straight through the middle. If you don’t know about said highway, refer to the previous sentence for any confusion.

There is a hidden gem, sorry, a hidden national treasure, in the grand town of Mitchell, SD, that needs to be witnessed by all who step foot on this earth. The Great Corn Palace of South Dakota. That’s right, you read that right, it’s a palace made of nature real gold: CORN. Shucked corn covers this place from toe, to ear (of corn) and it is truly a sight to behold. The interior is a basketball stadium/museum/theatre stage, and the exterior is decorated each year with a new theme, due to the masses of birds that come together to eat these beautiful murals of vegetables. This year’s theme was Military Heroes, and they had a giant kernel art wall for every branch, and they also had one for the Coast Guard (zing!). I mean it when I say, this was a palace of pure royalty. We all wish you were h(ear)! (of corn, get it?)

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Next up on our trip was the Badlands. Mickey and I both found ourselves wondering the same question: What is the Badlands? We had no idea what was in store for us, but everyone who’s been there, says you HAVE to go. Well, to be completely honest, The Badlands became one of many surprises that Lower Dakota had to offer. The Badlands comes completely out of left field, literally. South Dakota is flat, flat, flat, and then bam! You’re in the Badlands. The Badlands is an area of land that has been shaped by winds and water to resemble what I can only summate as a whole ‘nother planet. Beautifully bizarre rock structures jut out violently, surrounding a windy, weathered road. The way in which Mother Nature shaped this incredible land is astounding and breathtaking. I can’t put into words how pleasantly strange this place is. Just go see it, pls. We make our way out of the Badlands and head towards Mount Rushmore. Just outside of the Badlands, however, we drive by and small, closed up hut with a massive prairie dog statue out front. I immediately swerve into the vacant parking lot to see what this is all about.

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PRAIRIE DOG FEEDING CLOSED FOR SEASON

A big red sign covered the dilapidated building with disappointment, so we decided to move on. We turn back to get into our car, and notice something hilariously cute. Behind us, in what we thought was a massive empty parking lot, was hundreds of prairie dog mounds. Every hole, had a Prairie dog sticking his grubby little mug out of the top. The American Meerkats, or glorified gophers really, all had heard us pull into the parking lot. Just because prairie dog feeding was closed for the season, doesn’t mean that prairie dog eating was closed, and these fatties were hungry. We quickly dug into our food supply to grab something to feed them. The only grain we had on us were tortillas. I grabbed a stack of tortillas and cautiously made my way towards the mounds. I say cautiously because I didn’t want to scare away the dogs, not because I was scared. I just wanted to clear that up. Anyways, I walk up to the mounds with a stack of tortillas. The yips of the family(school? Pride? Group of prairie dogs, whatever that is) of dogs echoed throughout the plains as I crept forward towards them. The dogs were cautious, and many came up to me, about a foot or so away to sniff what I had to offer, and then would scurry back to the safety of their hole. That was how they all acted, until one brave, (hungry) fat little porkins went the distance. I mean, he really went the distance. The largest prairie dog in all of the colony (that’s right, colony. I looked it up. A group of prairie dogs is called a cotery. A group of coteries is a ward, and a group of wards is a town or colony. Thanks Wikipedia) came bounding towards me from what I estimate to be about 50 yards away. He plopped right up to my outstretched tortilla offering and snatched it out of my hand before hailing back to other curious dogs to gorge on his triumphant feast together. It was game on after that. I started tossing tortillas like frisbees to these chubby little critters and they ate it up like, well, pretty anyone who tastes a tortilla; they’re delicious! After the family fiesta with the prairie dogs, we headed westward, with Mount Rushmore on the mind.

Now, like I mentioned earlier, our route was to stay on the one major highway of SD for the majority of the trip. On this road, there’s not a lot to it. Its straight, and flat, and there’s barely any traffic. Not too much going for it, to be honest. Well, about every 15 minutes or so, we would pass a billboard-all for the same company.

COME SEE WORLD FAMOUS WALL DRUG

FREE ICE COLD WATER AT WALL DRUG

AS SEEN IN THAILAND, WALL DRUG

5 CENT HOT COFFEE ONLY AT WALL DRUG

We both looked at each after seeing about 50 or so of these ads and wondered aloud: What the Hell is Wall Drug? Well, apparently, it’s a drug store in the town of Wall, SD, that got big after it gave out a bunch of bumper stickers to draftees of the Armed Forces and asked them to take pictures of themselves in foreign and exotic places in order to market. This made them blow up, and their entire town is supported by this tourism mainly. It was a fun, quirky stop with an 80 ft dinosaur proudly erected outside of the entrance what is really a town of gift shops. They give out free coffee to veterans, and they have delicious donuts. Thanks for the stop, Wall Drug, and thanks for the bumper sticker-one free to every family that stops by.

We hit the road again to see the great mount rushmore. We found our way there, finally, and parked to go see the massive monument. Mount Rushmore was quite the engineering feat, and I am glad we stopped to see it. Ol’ George, Lincoln, Teddy and Jeffy look magnificent, and I am glad they have stood the test of time throughout all these years. The walk to the monument has the flag of every state beset each side, along with the year that each state joined the union of the United States. It was a beautiful, sunny day and we could see the faces of all four presidents perfectly. There was a group of Marines there while we were there, for some reason, and besides those people there annoying us, it was a perfect visit. Once we had our fill of this National Parks beautiful views, we headed westward once more.

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Before we ascended north towards, Upper Dakota, we stopped by the Crazy Horse monument. This stop, was a little disheartening for us. The sheer magnitude of this monument is incredible! However, I fear that we may never see it finished in its full glory, and that is truly a tragedy. Nevertheless, the goal is a noble one, and I pray that one day soon it is taken seriously and finished so that generations to come may come and pay their respects and appreciate the sheer awe-striking wonder that this unfinished monument could be.

For Mickey and I, we could not have been more happy with our journey through South Dakota. Wonderful sites, wonderful people, and good weather made this part of our trip very memorable and made us eager to bring our future family there someday. As we headed up north, we prayed that we may meet the same joys and thrills that we had in the Mount Rushmore State.

Cheers,

-Daniel-