Day 6: Take Me Out to the Ballgame
After a late arrival in Seattle Wednesday night and with nothing specific planned until the Thursday evening game between the Mariners and the LA Angels, I’d decided to turn it into a rest day. Good idea, but I was too hyper to just sit in the room. My solution was simple: select activities that didn’t require a lot of activity. I did a search and found a movie theater close by the motel where I was staying that had an early afternoon showing of “Belle,” which I’d been unable to see at home. After the movie, I’d get something to eat and then drive to the game, which had a schedule 7 p.m. start. It turned out to be a pretty good plan. The movie was excellent (when you can get me to cry, you’ve accomplished quite a bit), and I found a restaurant that served pseudo-Cajun cuisine–tasted fine, it…
Day 5: There’s More Than One Washington
Having made the decision to forego visiting Glacier National Park, saving over 200 miles of travel, RB and I set out from Missoula early and headed west. The 600-mile drive took us through the upper portion of Idaho–unfortunately my first time in that state didn’t include any stops. There was a state park off the interstate, but it hadn’t opened yet and I wasn’t willing to wait. I did get a few pictures. It didn’t take long to cross into Washington State. Under the category of unplanned stops, I ran into an exit that took me by Grand Coulee Dam, and the route went by Chief Joseph Dam, both on the Columbia River. I didn’t tour either facility, but I did get in a few shots. Rather than choosing to stay on I-90 and take the direct route to Seattle, we turned north and sent the day in the North…
Day 4: Yellowstoned
Yellowstone National Park has been on my bucket list for years, and I’d missed two previous opportunities to visit. With this in mind, and looking forward with concern that the visit would not live up to expectations, I left Billings earlier than usual and without visiting the two sites I’d added to my list for the town because I wanted to spend as much time as possible at Yellowstone. The park entrance was in Montana, but I shortly entered Wyoming during my driving tour. (This was not my first visit to Wyoming. In 2008, one of my nieces and I crossed briefly into the state during the first Goin West adventure–our visit to the Black Hills in South Dakota. A couple, who were also there to tour Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse, suggested we should see The Devil’s Tower since it was only about an hour’s drive further west. …
Day 3: Memorial Day at Little Bighorn
Before hitting the road, I headed to the nearby zoo but didn’t go inside. The weather was a little cool, and I was still getting over the flu. So, I visited the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck. They had just concluded a Memorial Day program, and there were WWII posters on display in the corridors. The main displays featured animals from prehistorical eras and Native American artifacts. There was also a small display of gemstones. My next scheduled stop was Billings, Montana. I heard, however, that the Little Bighorn Battlefield was not far from my planned route. Since this was Memorial Day, it seemed like a most appropriate place to visit. This visit was indescribable, seeing the many markers where soldiers had fallen and imagining how many Sioux must’ve died there, too. Drove into Billings, Montana–also a first visit for me (this was the second of four states…
Day 2: A Little Bit of History
Although this is not my first visit to Minnesota, I want to stop somewhere new in each state, whether or not I’ve previously visited the area. This time, I visited the Runestone Museum in Alexandria. They have historical displays of cultures that developed in the area. Town’s getting ready for Memorial Day, but I’m hoping to be at least a state away by then. RB and I crossed into North Dakota–my first visit to the state. Got as far as Bismarck before calling it a night. The full range of pictures I took during the first six days of what I’m calling “North by Northwest-2014” is available at http://singin1.com/piwigo/index.php?/category/north-by-northwest-2014-days-1-6. To see those from specific parts of the trip, click on the indicated regions on the map at the top of the album.
Day 1: Off to a Quiet Start
Left Grinnell at 10:00 to make a hair appointment in Des Moines before hitting the road. My car, Red Barron (hereafter called RB), was packed and ready for the trip. I reset her trip mileage gauge so that she could keep track of how far we actually travelled. My journey is minimally planned to allow me maximum opportunities to be flexible. This is the proposed route, which Mapquest indicated was just over 5598 miles: This first day was primarily spent driving. After taking care of business in Des Moines and filling up RB’s gas tank, we headed north. Once outside the Des Moines area, the traffic became surprisingly light for the Memorial Day weekend. This allowed us to make very good time. We crossed into Minnesota and drove until tired, so there’s not much on the picture front. Yet. But I’ve got a digital camera with a 16GB SD card…