Home, sweet, home!

Dragon's Mouth at the Mud Volcano - hot steam that smells really nasty - rotten eggs anyone?

The Magnuson 4 at Mammoth Hot Springs.

Here we are again on the float trip down the Snake River!

The endless plains of Kansas or Missouri or Illinois!!

Well, we got home last night about 9:15. It was good to drive in, but still sad to see the trip come to an end. It is hard to believe that we were gone a month and it is already time to get back to work! We were certainly blessed with all things good on this trip. We had pristine blue skies for most of the journey, no one got sick or was injured, no traffic issues - except for those bison at Yellowstone - and the truck ran like a charm! It was definitly the trip of a lifetime!! We will treasure these memories forever! Now I have to get going on the scrapbook before all of the little things fly out of my head!! I am going to try and get the kids to contribute their part.

We did not make the stop to see the Lincoln Library. Melissa felt that she was good to go with her Mt. Rushmore adventure. I did forget to mention that we stopped in Cody, WY one night between Yellowstone and Mt. Rushmore to see the rodeo. We sat in the Buzzard's Roost. This allowed us to see the cowboys and girls get ready for their event, saddle up and move out into the arena. It was fun, but a little strange because we did not know the rules, scoring, etc. Definitely worth the stop!

We want to thank you all for your support and best wishes thru this journey! Thanks to Will and Katherine for all that they did to look after the house and the kitties! We could not have done it without you!

Winding down!

Blue Lupine - grows in abundance in the higher elevations.

May be very familiar shot. This is the Lower Falls in Yellowstone. It is the most photographed scene in Yellowstone.

Mount Rushmore in the evening. Very awe inspiring. Seems somewhat unrealistic when you are there. Something that you have seen for years and never thought you would have the opportunity to see in person.

Rick, Stephen and Melissa in the snow at the base of Avalanche Cliff in Eastern Yellowstone!

Missy and Missy after a very fun weekend. Little Missy was very sad to see big Missy leave!! We all were!

Auntie Missy came with us to Yellowstone, as I stated before. We walked all through the Mammoth Hot Springs area. Very spectacular despite the fact that is was a "dry" year. That night we came back and made dinner followed by smores! This was our first smore episode of the trip! We have actually eaten very well and kept the junk to a minimum - I even think I have dropped a couple of pounds!! Sunday morning we just hung out with Marissa and she left around 12. We were all sad to see her go and camp was very quiet after she left. Melissa retreated to the camper for a while to cry and think about Auntie Missy. She slept with her pillow that night!

Monday we packed up and headed for East Yellowstone and out of the park. We felt that East Yellowstone was the most beautiful of the areas that we explored. I think I talked about our trip thru the Bighorns in my "Reflections" message.

Rick and Melissa enjoyed their trail ride. Rick was a little sore as he has never been on a horse before. We headed over to Wind Cave NP that afternoon. Spent a couple of hours 200-300 feet below the surface touring the cave. The tour was 1/2 mile while the explored part of the cave is 125 miles. They have no idea how far it actually goes. It is the 4th largest cave in the world. Mammoth Cave in Kentucky is #1.

Then we made our way to Mount Rushmore. We spent a couple of hours looking around before the lighting ceremony. Ronica - it was named Mt. Rushmore before they decided on the location. Tin was discovered in Keystone in the late 1800's. The company from NY sent their attorney to find out all he could about the area. A local took him around and answered all of his questions. Apparently, he was relentless in his questioning and the guide got very tired of him. When he asked, "What is the name of that mountian?" The guide said, "Well, I guess we'll just name it after you!" So, unofficially, it was Mount Rushmore(attorney's last name) until 1930 when it became official. When they decided to start work on the sculpture, they wrote to him and asked if he would like to make a donation. He donated $5000 and became the largest private donor to the project! Probably way more info than you wanted!!!!

The lighting ceremony was very emotional. They had a ranger program, a movie, some music and then a flag ceremony after the mountain was illuminated. They asked all active military and all veterans to come up front. They passed the flag from person to person! There had to be 200 military folks up there!

Packed up the camper for the last time on the trip this morning and headed out. Very mixed emotions! We made it as far as Sioux City, SD. These midwest states are quite large!! We may stop in Springfield. IL tomorrow and check out the Lincoln Librabry, etc. Melissa said she wanted to do this early on. Now she says she feels satisfied with seeing everything about Lincoln last night. So, we'll play it by ear. Now that we are on the way home, I think everyone is ready to be done driving. Almost 5,000 miles so far.

Will probably do one last post after we get home. I hope you guys have enjoyed reading about the trip as much as we have enjoyed sharing it!

Reflections

As our last days of the trip approach, Rick and I have spent a lot of time talking about the great diversity in our country and the open areas that are still left. When you live in suburbia, you tend to forget the tranquility that is out there for us to enjoy. President Roosevelt certainly had a great vision for future generations!

We have seen everything from the mountains of Virginia, to the plains of Kansas and Missouri, to the rocks of Zion, the Grand Canyon, the red rocks of Lake Powell and the glorious blue waters that she has to show. Then we hit the Tetons and Yellowstone with all of their beauty. The Tetons showed us mountains as well as lakes and meadows full of the most gorgeous wold flowers. They had a record breaking 600" of snow this year. As a result, they have had many more flowers and they have lasted a lot longer than normal!

Yellowstone was a mixture of emotions. They had a fire in '88 that burned over half of the park. You can still see the ravages of that destruction. But beneath is all, there is lush vegetation springing up. Maybe when the kids come back someday wtih their kids, it will be a full forrest once again! When we got to the Eastern side of the park, the trees were huge with no evidence of the fire. There were herds and herds of bison as well as coyote, deer, and elk. No bears for us on this trip!! Once we were out of the park, we were able to see the absolute splendor that is Wyoming! Ali, you never told us how amazing it would be! I think Wyoming was my favorite state, so far! The Big Horns were unbelieveable! What an awesome drive! Then to see the open ranges and the real cowboys out there rounding up the cattle...it gave me chills. The terrain looks so flat, but there are all sorts of hidden ravines and small canyons. Kind of brought some of the books I have read in the past to life.

The other big change that we have experienced is the weather. Hot and humid in Virginia to the dry heat of the southwest! Then in Yellowstone we had temps below freezing one night - Auntie Missy's washcloth froze!!!! Last night we had some gentle winds come thru the valley and change things from chilly to downright balmy in a matter of a few minutes! Hard to believe that we are in the same country all of the time. Melissa says she feels like she is living a dream!

We are now in the Black Hills. Rick and Melissa are currently on a trial ride. When they get back, we will do Wind Cave and then do Mt. Rushmore tonite for the lighting ceremony. It is hard to believe that we will be finishing up our trip in a few days and be back at it! Rick and I have decided that we were born to vacation/travel. Now how can we make that work?

Tomorrow I will send some more pictures. Need to sign off for now. Thanks for hanging in there with my rambling!

Pictures

At Mammoth Hot Springs

Terraces at Mammoth!

Bison in the park

Auntie Missy and Stephen on the Float Trip
Old Faithful in all of her glory!!

Auntie Missy is here!!!

OK...I was chastised today for waiting too long in between blogs! Sorry about that. Poor internet at the last campground and then the arrival of Auntie Missy have put me behind in my work!!

Anyway, Auntie Missy arrived safely on Thursday afternoon around 4:30. We weren't expecting her until much later, so it was a wonderful to have her here a little sooner. We just hung out and visited that evening.

Friday morning, we got everyone up early, showed Auntie Missy how to put the camper down and headed out. We took a scenic float trip down the Snake River thru the Teton Valley. It was a glorious morning and our guide was very informative. We saw some bald eagle and a couple of other things - deer, crane, etc. No big wildlife! We really enjoyed being on the water. After the trip we headed out to Yellowstone. When we came into the park we stopped at Old Faithful. We were lucky and got there about 20 minutes before she was predicted to errupt. It was beautiful. Melissa said that she felt like she was living a dream! On our drive to the campsite, we were in a little traffic jam because there was a herd of Bison on the road. Despite all of the warnings, people were out of their cars and trying to get up close and personnal! Idiots!

Once we got to the campsite and got set up, Auntie Missy pulled out the Carne Asada, fresh avocadoes, raw tortillas, etc. ! We were definitely happy campers at dinner!!! Tthen this morning she made breakfast burritoes with the leftover tortillas. YUM!!! Were have been very spoiled!

Today we went up to Mammoth Hot Springs and did a little site seeing. It was a walk up and down the terraces, thru the springs, pools, etc. It is a dry year, but we still saw lots of color and formations. After a picnic and a walk thru the Visitor's Center, we went to Norris Geyser Basin. We saw some steam vents and a couple of active geysers. All in all a great day! The pictures do not do it justice, but we tried.

God's awesome beauty!

The site of the Golden Spike!!

This is the stream below Hidden Falls.

The pictures do not do the falls justice, but they were amazing!

The boys with a saloon gorl in the town square.

Mr. Moose!

Hi, All!



We are currently just south of Jackson Hole, WY! It is beautiful here! If it didn't snow 11 out of 12 months, I might consider extended time here! We arrived here on Monday afternoon. Just hung out for a few hours. Today we got up and went into Grand Tetons National Park. Coming around the curve in the road and seeing the snow peaked mountains known as the Tetons was unbelieveable!! Stephen and I agreed that it is as if we are in another country. How can this possibly be USA? We are so fortunate to have all of this preserved for us and our kids!



We headed to Jenny Lake, took the boat across and did the hike to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. I should say that Melissa and I went a bit above the falls and then watched Stephen and Rick climb the rest of the way. Again, I am height challenged and did not feel up to the part of a billy goat this afternoon. The falls were breath taking. As you neared them, you could feel the great change in temperature as the water is the snow melt coming down the mountain. The lake itself has a temperature of 60 in the top 10 inches and then who knows where it goes from there!?! The walk to the falls was probably the most beatiful thing I have seen in a very long time. I tried to take some pictures, but of course they don't do it justice.



After we finished at the lake, we meandered our way up thru the park. We got to see a moose and a white pelican near the Jackson Lake Dam. Pretty cool! After another hour or so, we headed back to Jackson for the shot out in the town square. Very entertaining. Melissa was very upset that I took a picture of her brother and dad with one of the saloon girls!!



It stays light here until almost 10:00. The sun went down a long time ago, but still have daylight. Here are a couple of pics for you. Anxiously awaiting Auntie Missy'a arrival on Thursday!! I think Melissa would sit at the camper and just wait, if I let her!

Welcome to Idaho!

Hey, All!

I guess since the last time we communicated, we had just arrived in Zion. The next day we spent at the pool...107 degrees. Not really hiking weather. We got up on the 4th and went up into the canyon early. That way we could do a few things before it got too hot. The canyon was actually nice and cool in the morning. We did 3 different hikes...Riverside Walk, Emerald Pools and Weeping Rock. By the time we finished Emerald Pools it was HOT! So, over to the Lodge for lunch and lounging in the shade. Only got up to 102 that day. We hung around for the Ranger talk on the geology of Zion and had some ice cream!! :) Came back to the pool for a while. No fireworks. Fire danger was too high - everyone had a ban.

Oh, forgot to mention that we went for a walk on the 3rd in the evening and Stephen got bit by a dog! The owners swore the dogs were sweethearts, but one of them took a dislike to Stephen. Luckily, he has quick reflexes otherwise it could have been a disaster. Just a small puncture on the front of his ankle.

On Saturday morning, we packed up and left for Salt Lake. We can honestly say that this was the first big disappointment of the trip. The campground was nasty and the lake was disgusting!!! The shoreline was littered with trash and the water was very muddy. There is a reservoir of some sort, so that the salt does not affect the "public access" areas!! So, we got up this morning, packed up and headed out. Rick has always wanted to got to Prominotory Point and the place of the Golden Spike where the railroad connected the east to the west. So, off on another adventure out into the middle of nowhere! It was a great little National Monument. They had exact replics of the two trains, did a demo, etc. We also went to a Ranger talk about expressions that we got from the railroad like being "called on the carpet", "Not a Chinaman's chance in Hell", "Red Light District", etc.

Then off we headed towards Idaho Falls. We got here this afternoon and decided to take a hotel to commemorate the half way point of the trip. We are right across from the Falls, have a bed for everyone and a real shower...no quarters necessary!! There is a little kitchen, so we BAKED dinner! Tommorow we may head west for a little bit to Crater of the Moon National Park and Arco, ID to see a nuclear plant. Then back east t0 Jackson. We called and the campground there could take us for an extra night, so that is were we will be until the 11th. Auntie Missy will arrive on Thursday sometime! YEAH!! We are very excited for her arrival and look forward to the time we will share with her! Roninca, we will be doing the Solitude river trip on the morning of the 11th, so that she can go with us! So much to do, so little time!!

Greg and Lisa, we talk more and more about moving up to the bigger pop-up with the extra storage, etc. We may need to talk when we get home !! :)

OK, I am going to go and enjoy the creature comforts that the hotel can offer!! We are enjoying our outdoor life, but a long shower is definitely a luxury!

Stephen's Thoughts

Hey everyone, it's Stephen. Well I haven't done this blog thing before so here I go. So far the trip has been worth it. All the campsites have been amazing (at least I think so). The places we've been to have been amazing too. Mesa Verde was cool. It's hard to believe that people built villages into the side of canyon walls. Then comes the Grand Canyon. Well, lets just say that they got the name right on the money. Then Lake Powell was unbelievable. We learned how the Glen Canyon was built and how it fromed the lake. The boet ride was tons of fun too. Sitting out on the bow of the boat and going up and down and up and down and up and down was fun. And now we're at Zion National Park. We haven't done much besides go to the pool but I'm sure it'll be enjoyable too. The hardest part of the trip is having to leave the places we've been to. But then we just think "We're going somewhere else new and exciting." Well thats what I have to say about our trip. Keep checking the blog for new and exciting entries. See you lata!!

Missy, again!

Hey everyone in virginia we are in Zion river resort and it is hot.Today it is supose to be 107 degrees. yowww! Anyway we where at Lake Powell last and we rented a sped boat for the day and when you sit up on the bow it is really bouncy. Of course for those who know I am fair skinned and I got a sunburn on my shoulders and boy does it hurt. Hey Auntie Missy you your response that you gave me last time I wrote yes my answer is yes I would love to search through your quarters and find some that I need. Today we are goin to the pool and it is a small pool but it is not as crowded as smoketree and for those who go to smoketree you will not see me anymore next year because we are going to our old pool Evergreen. A shout out to all my friends back home HEY YA! to CLAIRE, SARA, EMILY Y., EMILY M.,LAUREN, and of course OWEN. Hope you do well in your new school owen. shout out from MELISSA MAGNUSON from ZIon river resort. SEE YA ALL REAL SOON.

Stepping back in time

Our first view of the Grand Canyon. We drove in the East Entrance and stopped at Desert View.

Stopped at Four Corners. Was part of the Navajo Nation, so had to pay $12 to drive in. Had a little picnic and then moved on. Many Indians there trying to sell their wares.

This is what sunrise at the Grand Canyon looks like!!

This was sunset at the canyon. The light really plays up all of the red colors at dusk!

Rainbow Bridge at Lake Powell.

Well, here we are at Zion National Park! We had a couple of great days at Lake Powell. Brought back alot of memories from our honeymoon! It is unbelieveable how much things have changed with all of the developement, etc. There was only a small little hotel there when we took out our houseboat, but now it is a thriving resort area. Can't keep anything a secret!



We rented a motor boat for the day on Monday. We didn't realize that kids had never been out on a boat like that before. Melissa sat right up on the bow and took all of the bumps and turns her dad could give her. She had her hands up in the air and was whooping it up! The bigger the bumps, the better! Stephen was up there, too. But, being the cool 14 year old that he is, wasn't quite so demonstrative!! I think Rick really enjoyed being back at the helm of a boat. Our campground overlooked the lake and was full of little lizards, jack rabbits and road runners! This along with the tumble weeds gave a very western feeling to it all! Daytime highs were about 101! Nights got cooler, but had to use the air conditioning.



We left yesterday and headed to Zion. We came down thru the eastern entrance which brought us through the tunnels and swithbacks that are such a part of Zion. Coming thru all of that rock is unbelieveable. Again, if you are afraid of heights - cover your eyes. This trip is challenging me in many ways!!! We found our campground and headed to the pool! It was 103 yesterday! So much for thinking we would get away from the heat...supposed to be 107 today. But it did cool off nicely last night. Couldn't get the propane to work last night, so had cereal for dinner. Apparently, if it gets too hot, that can cause a vapor lock and no propane. Working fine this morning! We will go and explore the park today or tomorrow. I see some more pool time in our future.

No cell phone coverage here, too deep in the canyon. So, Happy Belated Birthday, Jackie!!

But, it is a dry heat!

Good morning from Lake Powell! We arrived yesterday afternoon after a couple of great days at the Grand Canyon.

We arrived at the Grand Canyon on Friday evening. Came in the East Entrance. These parks get ya! You think you are there and then you have another 27 miles to go till you destination. The drive was gorgeous. Parts of it were right at the rim. Others were thru the scrubby forest that is the typical site up there. Our campsite was right in the park. It was a quick walk or shuttle ride to any of the outlooks. Rick and I had been at the North Rim 19 years ago. Neither of us had ever been to the South Rim. It is much busier, but still gorgeous! The kids were amazed. When we were driving to the park, we drove past Little Colorado Canyon and they thought that was our destination. They couldn't imagine what they were in store for!

We woke the kids up at 4:30 a.m. on Saturday to go down and watch the sun rise over the canyon. It was amazing how many people were doing the same thing! They decided it was well worth it. On our shuttle ride to El Tovar Hotel for breakfast - oldest in the park, we saw bull elk and mule deer out for their early morning munch. There had also been a chorus of coyote the night before at the campground. We did a little bit of hiking along the rim that day. In the evening we went to a Slide show and presentation - the 18th Annual Grand Canyon Star Party. Atronomers from all over the country were there. One gave a half hour talk and then they had about 75 telescopes set up in the parking lot. We got to see Saturn, Jupiter, star clusters, binary stars, etc. The Milky Way was just amazing up there away from all of the city lights. So, the kids got to see the sun rise and the sun set that day!

Then yesterday we left for the short ride to Lake Powell. I think Stephen is mesmerized by all of these canyons and rocks. He just sits out there and watches the sun play on the rocks! The lake is much lower than it was when we were here for our honeymoon. They have told us that it is a mile and 1/4 walk to Rainbow Bridge now. Before you got off the boat and it was right there. We are leaving early this morning to go up there. It was 101 degrees yesterday and supposed to be the same today. Want to get there before it is too bad. That way we can park in a canyon somewhere and enjoy the water during the worst heat of the day.

Kids got to experience coin operated showers for the first time yesterday! Pretty funny!

We have a change of itinerary. We have scrubbed Moab and are going to Bryce and Zion instead. Moab was a long drive and out in the middle of the desert and 110 degrees. Not sure we want to do that in a pop up. We were lucky enought to get a campground near Zion for the 3 nights over July 4, so will be there the nights of July 2, 3, 4.

Well, off to get the boat! Will try and do more pictures next time!

Pictures at last!

The boys relaxing back at the campground after a long day on the road - Durango, CO.

Small findings that show us all the different kinds of beauty out there. This was a small cactus about 6 inches tall at one of our picnic spots in Mesa Verde.

Rick, Stephen and Melissa at "Cliff Palace" at Mesa Verde. Ruins are about 800 years old. Many theories as to why the Indians left, but no one knows for sure.

These are the ramps to the casinos along the Mississippi RIver in St. Louis. No gambling going on for a few days.

Missy Moo here!

HELLO PEOPLE OF VIRGINIA THIS IS MELISSA SPEAKING TO TELL YOU ABOUT OUR AWSOME TRIP SO FAR! YESTERDAY WE WENT TO MESA VERDE AND SAW CLIFF DWELINGS. IF YOU ARE AFRAID OF HIEGHTS DO NOT DO IT. I WAS SCARED AT FIRST BUT SOON GOT OVER IT AND SAW SOME WAY COOL STUFF LIKE A CORN COB THAT HAS BEEN THERE FOR MORE THAN 800 YEARS. BECAUSE WE LIVE AT SEA LEVEL YOU MIGHT GET A LITTLE ALTITUDE SICKNESS. THAT IS HOW I WAS. TOMORROW WE LEAVE FOR THE GRAND CANYON STATE - ARIZONA. SARA AND OWEN LISTEN. I THINK THIS IS PRETTY COOL. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WILL I AM COLLECTING STATE QUARTERS AND I HAVE DELAWARE, PENNSYLVANIA, NEW JERSEY, CONNETICUT, MASSACHUSETTS, MARYLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, VIRGINIA, NEW YORK, TENNESSEE, LOUISIANA, ILLINOIS, ARKANSAS, TEXAS, CALIFORNIA, OREGON, NOTH DAKOTA, SOUTH DAKOTA, WASHINGTON, WYOMING, IDAHO, NEW MEXICO, AND ARIZONA. I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL I HAVE ALL 50 STATES. THE HARDEST ONES TO FIND ARE GOING TO BE HAWAII AND ALASKA. SO I HOPE YOU GUYS ARE DOING WELL AND CLAIRE AND EMILY I WILL SEE YOU AT ORIENTATION.

I BID YOU ALL A WELL AND HAPPY SUMMER.
MELISSA MAGNUSON!!!

Awesome beauty!

I guess we last posted in La Junta, CO. We left there and headed for our first camping spot. Coming into CO and the foothills of the Rocky Mountains was amazing! Once we were up in the mountains, we estimated that we could see at least 50 miles. The sky was a deep blue and NO junk in the atmosphere. We ended up having to pull off at a scenic lookout to cool the truck and camper brakes. While we were there, the clouds came in and the heavens opened up: wind, hail, sleet, rain and 30 degree drop in temp! The semi brakes were just steaming from the cold water as they went down the mountain!

Our campground is about 12 miles outside of Durango. Our site is right on the river and it flows quite quickly - wouldn't want to try and swim in it. The sound is great for sleeping. There is a ton of stuff to do in the campground, but we ventured out to Mesa Verde. Thanks to Randy and Erbie for the campground recommendation!

Mesa Verde is gorgeous, but not for the feint of heart! Melissa and I had some issues with the heights, roads, etc. But, we conquered! Once you enter the park, it is another 15 miles to the main Visitors Center and then another 5-6 to the guided tours. The road winds along the side of the mountains and goes up and down many times. Overall, at least 1000 foot change in elevation as you wind thru the park. Wasn't at all sure we were going to get Melissa to do the tour, but she finally agreed. Mostly because I wanted to go so badly! She gained a new confidence in herself and is very proud of her accomplishment. She was even the first down the Kiva at our next ruins.

So, now we are back at our campground and getting a fire going. Stephen did some of his "homework" and declared that the high schools must not realize that they have a life!! Tomorrow may be a day of rest for us since we have been on the go for the last 5. May venture into the town of Durango, but may wake up and decide that we need to go up yet another mountain and explore the silver mines!!

Days are warm and in the 80's, last night was down in the 40's. Had to turn on the heat for a few minutes this morning. If we rest tomorrow, will try and figure out how to post pictures!

Finally connected!!

Oy! First we don't have internet for a few days and then I can't get into the blog!

So far we have driven close to 2, ooo miles. Forget to check final mileage for tonite! The drive has been great up to this point. Mostly clear skies, except for a severe storm this evening just as we came into Colorado. We sat for about 1/2 hour as the worst of the storm passed. Then plowed on to La Junta, CO.

Our first night we stopped over in Evansville, Indiana. The manager showed the kids a magic trick and now Melissa thinks he is the nicest manager. The second night was in Fort Scott, KS. It was dark, not a nice neighborhood and not a new hotel by any stretch of the imagination. But, we have discovered that there is very little for very long distances in the "Bread Basket" of the country!! When you find food, you eat. When you find gas, you buy it. When you find a hotel, you sleep. Unbelieveable how much open space there is in Missouri, Kansas and so far eastern Colorado. Tonite, we are in a nice hotel and Pizza Hut delivered. So we did not have to get in the car again!!!

There are times when you can see for miles and miles and the road is as straight as a pin! The farms and ranches are huge! I can't even imagine how many acres. Many of them have a few oil rigs drilling. There have been a couple with windmills. I thought there would be more of those with the wind thru Kansas. There are huge cattle farms and they are right down the road from huge slaughter houses. You know when are approaching a town because you can see the grain/feed silos from miles away.

We tried to stop at the arch in St. Louis, but there wasn't any parking anywhere for folks with a camper. Quite a bit of the parking along the river was under water. Perhaps that was where we supposed to be. The ramps into the casinos were under water as well. No gambling for a couple of days!! So, we took pictures from the car windows and moved on!

We did make a little side trip to Mansfield, MO to see the Rocky Ridge Farm. This is where the Little House books were written. It was a pretty little farm. The kids thought it was interesting that they added rooms as they could afford them. Ronica, your post card is on it's way!!!

Today we drove thru Greensburg, KS. This is the town featured on the Discovery Channel that was flattened by a tornado last year. They are rebuilding a comletely "green" town. Still lots of devastation, but they are making progress.

Tomorrow we leave the plains and move into the mountains. We have about 6 hours to go tomorrow before we get to Durango. The drive has been pleasant. The kids have even enjoyed the scenery. Not as tough to sit still when you have such beauty to look at!! Til next time!!

The Countdown begins...

Well, the camper is packed, the kids are packed, the truck is running great and I have finished work for the next month!!! It is strange to think that I will not be back until July 21! Now I have to let go and relax. I have an awesome staff and know that they will be just fine. Such a mother hen! Next thing is I need to pack. Lots of piles...no organization. Rick decided that he did not want to leave until tomorrow morning, so that gives me a bit of a reprieve.

Will and Katherine have been briefed. The cats did not even hide from them while they were here. Pretty amazing! Stephen just mowed the grass and dirt, so Will may not even need to mow during the next 4 weeks.

Well, more errands, more packing and then we are off. Will post again from the might Mississippi!

Anticipation!

Well, we have packed the camper and are making piles, lists, etc. to be sure that we have everything. You would think that we will be out in the middle of Siberia and there won't be stores, people or food!! I have a feeling that Rick will get home from work on Friday and say, "OK, let's go!" I'll be ready just in case.

Melissa is walking around the house with her Camelback on and worrying about the cats being without us for so long. Stephen is getting in lots of last minute texting because his phone is staying home. Just found out the other day that Auntie Missy will joining us in the Grand Tetons for a few days! We are all very excited about that!

Hopefully, we will be able to figure all of this blog stuff out and send pictures of all of our adventures! Stephen will probably be able to take care of that.

Thanks for visiting our Blog. Keep checking back!!