Day 7: From Olympia towards Rainier
Got off to a later-than-usual start. What the heck, I’m on vacation, aren’t I?! Any way, I decided to try to get in two national parks that day since both were near the Seattle area (greedy state–four national parks?!?). Really, the plan was to see one and complete the drive to the other so I could have all of the next day there. I made it to the outskirts of Olympic National Park and after chatting with the ranger at the visitor center, I realized there was no way I could do more than a cursory visit of the beach area on the park’s outer edge and still make the drive to Rainier that day. So, RB and I drove to Ocean City and a couple of other beaches. We had journeyed 2451 miles to see the Pacific Ocean. I didn’t get out, though. The air that afternoon was quite…
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…
Where the H*ll Is Grinnell?
Tuesday seemed to be a continuation of Monday’s mishaps when the GPS mis-directed me to a wildlife site about 30 miles west of Omaha. Looked interesting, but I had a ticket for the zoo and was already going to cut the visit short. On the way, I passed a gas station with a sign that made me laugh, so… Finally got to the zoo and very quickly realized that a two-hour drive-by wouldn’t be enough. Started with buildings closest to the entry then took advantage of the sky ride, train, and tram services to see as much of the park and its denizens as possible. Saved my favorite for last. I love aquariums!! After the zoo closed at 5:00, decided to get dinner rather than subject myself to rush-hour traffic. One last fill-up of RB–gas was 16 cents-per-gallon less than the best prices along the route through Iowa. Pulled into…
Stretching for Home
Got up really bright and really early Sunday morning and took Momma to the airport. Sad to see her go, but the long drive was more wearing than expected for her. After she left, I realized she was not the only one worn out. So, Sunday, I camped out in a motel room and caught up on my blog entries and my sleep. Thought this was the safest thing I could do for myself and for those who would be sharing the road with me. On Monday, when I finally got out, I could see the roof of the Cowboys Stadium from the motel parking lot. I’d reserved a room in Omaha, Nebraska, with a stop each in Oklahoma and Kansas. Wanted to visit museums, but Monday tends to be closing day for most museums. So, recalling that I had not had the opportunity to take a picture standing on…
Two Pilgrimages for the Price of One
Momma and I got off to an early start on Saturday. Although the drive from Las Cruces to Dallas certainly could be completed with plenty of time to spare, I didn’t want to take any chances that we wouldn’t arrive in time for Momma’s early flight the next morning. Plus, I wanted to make a brief detour to Roswell. After all, as a Star Trek fan, it somehow seemed wrong to be that close and not make pilgrimage there. No pictures, though, because I didn’t see anything other than another small town. However, I did get the unpleasant surprise of having to go through another checkpoint after leaving town, where both my mother and I had to announce that we were American citizens before we were allowed to continue onward. As we neared the Dallas area, I again told Momma about touring the new Dallas Cowboys stadium. She mentioned that…