Thursday, June 30, 2011

Day 31 Freemont, IN to Ashtabula, Oh

Our plans for today included the nominal goal of traversing most of Ohio from west to east, stopping for the night in the Lake Erie town of Ashtabula, a few miles south of the Pennsylvania border.  The off the beaten path adventures planned included a visit to Satek winery in Indiana that Gloria had spied while looking for a shortcut around the barricaded approach to our hotel, a trip to the Tiffin Glass Museum in north/central Ohio about 150 miles from our hotel in Idaho, a trip to Seneca Caves not far from Tiffin, and the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential library we had noted was on the road to Tiffin. 
Readers of this blog won’t be surprised that we didn’t make all four, or that the two we chose were the winery and the museum. But leaving out the others wasn’t our fault, honest we just ran out of time. We left the hotel late, 10:00 am because the winery store didn’t open to then and it was only ten minutes away.  When we arrived it looked like we were going to need to settle for this picture of  me next to a bottle sculpture by the locked door.  However, a few minutes of pounding on the glass produced the contrite owner who let us in.

Here is Gloria taking full advantage to the offer to taste ten of Satek's signature wines. I was the designated driver of the day.  They carded her! Their wines are a cut above the ordinary and prices are a few dollars lower than I would expect to pay for wine of this quality, definitely worth a look if you are in the area.

After buying a half dozen bottles we asked if we could visit the work room where some wine was being bottled.  Shean, at the machine, says that the back of his head is one of the most photographed objects in the county.

We loaded up our purchases and were off to cross a corner of Michigan (our first foray) that looked a lot like Ohio, where we spent the balance of the day.  Today was another off the map free for all where we made our own route to Tiffin, allowing the GPS to guide us only for the last couple of miles. 

The Tiffin Glass Museum and gift shop were staffed today by two volunteers, one of whom spent several hours introducing us to the extensive collection of glass produced by the now defunct Tiffin factories. Our guide was very knowledgeable and backed up by a modest collection of books and documents containing the history of these items. 

The gift store contained a large number of Tiffin glass objects for sale, most on consignment from area collectors.  We learned that the town of Tiffin is also home to two universities, several other museums, a restored theatre, and other attractions. Tiffin was definitely worth the drive.  This is another of those destinations that is worth a day or two, rather than the three hours we had. 
Regrettably we overstayed in Tiffin and road construction delayed us on the way in and  back.  At Gloria’s urging (she is really becoming somewhat of a daredevil) I took a shortcut down a road with a big “Road Closed” sign in front of it, skirted around the construction crews who no doubt now have a dim view of the literacy skills and judgment of Connecticut drivers.  However, the route worked and we were soon blissfully cruising along country road 303 across north Ohio, avoiding the interstates and moving east at 55 mph with little traffic.  Of course that doesn’t include countless little and some not so little towns we crossed as we approached the southern limits of Cleveland all of which had 35mph speed limits through their town centers. 
We arrived at Ashtabula after 8 in the evening.  This is the first time we had to refuse a room because it was unclean.  A replacement was found quickly.
Tomorrow we are looking forward to some more vineyards and the Jello Museum near Rochester, NY and whatever else we find along the way.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Day 30, Peru, ILL to Freemont, IN


Laid down this tower is longer than the town

Today broke sunny and warm.  The folks we talked with in Illinois were pleased to finally have two sunny days in a row after all the rain (from the thunder storms we stayed in Wisconsin an extra day to avoid).

Something new - wheat fields.
We tried a different approach to navigation today.  Road Trip America, the web site I use a lot for traveling gave us a 249 mile route smack through Chicago, Ill, Gary IN, all on major Interstate highways that we greatly disliked on the way west.  Magellan gave us a “Least Use of Highways” route that was more than a hundred miles longer! Undaunted by this, Gloria drove (the first two hours) and I navigated as we made our own route through the corn, soybeans and fields of golden wheat via Illinois RTs 18 and 17 and finally routes 6 and 120 in Indiana.  The end result was around 260 miles through little towns and small farms along roads with 55 mph speed limits and often no traffic at all. We drove by more massive wind farms, but the air was still today and few of the windmills were turning.


A nice little cash only independent restaurant in rural Indiana.

Along the way we chatted up locals at small independent eateries and chain fast food places.  We had lunch another little place that found they could do just fine without accepting credit cards and once again the food was inexpensive and good.  We appeared to be the only non locals in this very much off he beaten path eatery. A common theme with most people we talked to was how everyone who has a job is working harder to get by. Those who can find work often have two jobs or more.  Another common theme was the smiles in their eyes when the subject of quitting time came up. Some things are universal.


Fast moving horse drawn vehicle on Rt 120 near Freemont

The end of the trip in Northeast Indiana passed through Amish country (Mennonites more properly).  We were alerted to this fact by the Mennonite churches, manure on the highways, and the occasional horse and buggy on the shoulder of the road. Those rascals move pretty fast- I caught the back end of the rig in the picture as he burned up the miles at four or five mph.

Gloria and I switched off driving every two hours as has become our custom, and she drew the last two hours as we approached our destination in Freemont, IN.  The GPS was back on and noted that the hotel was right on route 120 (Which runs right along Lake Erie, just under I 90 with almost no traffic).  Just as I was complaining to Gloria that she gets all the easy drives, we came across the barrier in the picture.  We could actually see the hotel a quarter mile away across the blocked overpass.  We spent nearly a half hour on the wild side trying to get over the highway and back to the hotel. 

Gloria opted to try a tiny rural road that kept getting smaller and smaller, and finally became a dirt track before merging with the road we needed.  However, her instincts were good and we arrived intact.
A little independent restaurant not far from the dirt road provided an excellent meal and introduced us to some excellent local wines.  The vineyard is nearby and we plan to stop in tomorrow if they open early enough. 
Speaking of vineyards, we are changing our route home (yes, again).  We opted to head toward Ashtabula, Ohio and drive along Lake Erie, before turning inland to spend a night in Syracuse. Along the way, south of Rochester, NY is the Jello Museum that some folks in Wisconsin said we should visit. There is also vineyard and orchard country and we want to check out what is growing (please, let it be something other than corn!).
Along the lines of corn, I noticed a great compulsion to start a garden when I get home.  I have been dreaming about corn and soybeans and wheat and I am beginning to draw plants when I doodle.  Sort of like the movie featuring Devils Tower. (Strange Encounters...?) 
Buffalo Bob, if you are reading this, expect a call from us on Saturday afternoon when we are in your area to get together for a cup of coffee.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Day 29 Onalaska, WI to Peru, Il


Today broke with the perfect blue sky and mild temperatures that we waited for.  More importantly the national weather maps show clear sky at all our destinations for the rest of the week.  It was worth waiting a day.
We left La Crosse via I 90 with Gloria at the wheel. The plan to stop in Sparta at the Space and Bicycle Museum were abandoned because the museum opened at 10 and we were well past it long before that thanks to an early start.  Instead we set our GPS for Middleton Wisconsin (just west of Madison) and the National Mustard Museum.

Magellan announcing the first of three successive roundabouts
Magellan took us off I 90 at West Baraboo (subject of an earlier blog) down state highway 12 which is the business route that parallels I 90 but goes through dozens of little towns and farms between.  Magellan got her revenge on Gloria for our unkind remarks in the last post.  No sooner had we left the highway when we were thrust into not one, or two but three rotaries (roundabouts they call them) one right after the other.  Those of you who know Gloria are aware how much she dislikes this particularly insane highway feature.  To make matters worse, the three rotaries were connected by less than 100 feet of road. Personally I think the Wisconsin DOT mistook three crop circles as survey marks and paved over them.
Gloria navigated these obstacles like a pro.  To reward her the next instruction was to make a left turn on a highway that would eventually put us in Canada (as opposed to Illinois were we were headed), but we’re beginning to know when to ignore the GPS and follow the maps and our instincts. 

Food related museums have provided some of our most enjoyable moments on this trip, and the National Mustard Museum in Middleton, Wisconsin was no exception.  As tends to be true of life in general, the intellectual aspects of the visit were secondary to the social and gustatory ones.
The museum was enlightening, fascinating and ultimately tasty.  We viewed a couple of films describing how mustard is made, ogled what had to be thousands of jars of different mustard and studied hundreds of examples of advertisements.

Gloria, Barry & Patti in front of a small portion of the collection of mustard.
We had the great pleasure of bumping into the curators Barry and Patti Levenson and had a pleasant time discussing the history of the place, and the extensive collection of mustard on display.  Our conversation was interrupted by a call from a couple who wants to be married in the museum, apparently not an uncommon request.  Check out the museum website mustardmuseum.com for the details. 

Upstairs is a mustard tasting and purchasing gift shop with dozens of exotic mustard available for the tasting, on either pretzel sticks (free) or hot dogs (modest cost). Gloria caught me sampling horseradish mustard on a hot dog.  The mustard was the only item allowed on my diet, and clearly the tastiest. We now have several jars to add to our collection of cheese and Spam. If you ever have a reason to be in Wisconsin near Madison, this is worth stopping in.
We decided not to backtrack to see Sissy the Cow at yet another cheese factory. As it is we have a little picnic cooler with us and start every day tracking down ice to cool the cheese we already have.  It may be time to eat some! 

Instead we kept moving south avoiding the highways (it would have been I 39 if we cared to  blast through.) Instead we followed Rt 14, 26 & 52 south through Illinois until we reached Peru, our destination for the day.  We noticed that this is not the west anymore.  There are people everywhere, and stores and bathrooms and traffic and , well, civilization!  That said some of the towns were so small that you could literally miss all of the town center driving at 25 mph if you sneezed.  The pretty (I think) little of town of Story Creek was so small that we are considering writing to them and suggest that they rename it Short Story.
At points the drive to Peru was through corn fields so flat and vast that they seemed to stretch to the horizon in every direction.  At other points the countryside is very hilly.  At one fairly deserted point we encountered a detour that sent us down narrow farm roads that stretched arrow straight into the unknown.  At several points the GPS said go left and the detour signs said go right, and we went straight (a mistake).  It ultimately worked out when we decided to trust the locals and follow their signs.
The Hampton Inn at Peru is very nice. We needed to rebook because of our delay in Onalaska, so the simple room we wanted was unavailable.  Instead we got a king suite with tons of room, places for both our computers, and a wet bar (basically useless since we rarely drink in our room).  Supper tonight was at a Red Lobster adjacent to the hotel-not much of an adventure.
Speaking of adventures, tomorrow we head due east.  Geographically Peru is just south of Chicago so we are poised to head across the eastern half of Illinois and push on to Fremont Indiana, a distance of about 235 miles.  The challenge will be finding a route that keeps us south of Chicago, off the highways, and provides a few attractions along the way.
Here is a quick shout of thanks to Carolyn who has been faithfully commenting for most of our trip.  Thanks to Buffalo Bob who not only follows daily and comments occasionally, but who has joined our son Andrew’s staff.  Likewise thanks to Jim for the quick wheelchair repair for Andrew. Good luck to Kristi who is on her way to Florida today. To Aunt Edie M. in San Antonio, it is nice to have you aboard. We are nearing 1,000 page views, so keep checking in.
I know from the stats that lots of family and friends are viewing regularly and it is nice to have you along.




Monday, June 27, 2011

Day 28, a second day in Onalaska (La Crosse), Wisconsin


After a careful monitoring of the meteorological profile along our route east we decided to spend a second day in Onalaska.  Severe thunderstorm warnings and prediction of tornadoes were posted for our stops tonight in Illinois, tomorrow in Indiana, and the following day in Ohio.  Our eastern travel has caused us to catch up with a storm front that is moving eastward across the lower great lakes and mid west.  The front is moving pretty fast but there appear to be three sunny days between this front and the one behind us so we decided to give the bad weather a head start and hang out here another day. 
Besides general relaxing, writing and reading, we scheduled three field trips today. In this part of the world every trip is a field trip, usually through corn or wheat. There are more dairy coops and cheese showrooms in this state than there are Duncan Donut shops in Connecticut, or so it seems.   We picked out a small farmer’s coop in Westby Wisconsin on the basis of its proximity to a cute small town and a winery and travelled about 30 miles south of Onalaska for a visit.


The coop was a bust as a tourist destination (small store only, no watching endless rows of cheese blocks on the production line as in Tilimook) but we did pick up a small quantity of Wisconsin extra sharp cheddar and some unique sunflower brittle which Gloria pronounced unlike peanut brittle but excellent.
Westby is a nice little town with the Scandinavian influence apparent in the faces of the residents and the names on the streets.  In Borden’s Café on Main Street the food is a bit unique but good and inexpensive.  There was some stuff on the menu I couldn’t pronounce (or understand). Lunch came with locally produced cottage cheese (excellent) and three cubes of cheese curds and a grape on a toothpick as a garnish.  They also had honest-to-goodness sugar free apple pie which tasted amazingly like apples rather than sugar or grape syrup.  The young people in the café all looked like models on vacation and were bright and polite.  
Unlike the roads that snake around the sides of hills, the nine miles to the vineyard climbed straight to the top of each hill and then plummeted to the valleys like a rural roller coaster.  We arrived at the remote vineyard to find that the website had been incorrect and the store was closed weekdays. The countryside was almost pretty enough to overcome the disappointment.

What does this mean?

Back in La Crosse we tracked down our last quarry of the day, a brewery that boasted the world’s largest six pack and a tour.  We smelled the place a few blocks before we found it and it was not pleasant.  Parking was non existent, and the rough looking guys hanging around near the only on the street parking were not reassuring.  I drove on and took an impromptu tour of the city waiting for Magellan to come back to life with our next destination.
Speaking of our intrepid GPS navigator, she has developed a disconcerting trait (in addition to finding exits too late, and issuing meaningless instructions like “stay on the current road” when the only option is to drive into a corn field).  She speaks to herself.  Frequently after issuing a voice command (“Right turn in two miles on Swenson Road”) she will ask us to clarify our voice command but the only voice in the car was hers. I chalk this up to the many hours the device has been on. Sort of like the computers in The Terminator. Magellan is developing consciousness. Next she will be arguing with herself and criticizing my driving.
According to weather.com we now will have sunny sky at our next three destinations, and the bad weather behind us won't catch up until the evening we are in Scranton by which it should have weakened considerably. More important, I feel rested and ready to take on the challenges Gloria has been researching all day.  Tomorrow on our way to Peru Ill we plan to visit a space and bike museum in Sparta, Wisconsin, the National Mustard Museum in Middleton, Sissy the Cow in Deforest, and whatever else pulls along the way.
 Thanks again for checking in and commenting.  In case you wondered how to comment, just click on the word "comments" at the end of any days posting and then scroll to the end of any comments already posted. You should find a screen that invites you to comment.  Just type something in, choose anonymous as your persona (unless you have a net identity) and then scroll down until you see the post comment button.  If blogger is working OK your comment should be added in a few minutes.
BTW we are closing in on one thousand page views! I will let you know when we make it. 

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Day 27, Cross Minnesota


The day began in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where we emerged from the hotel into a heavy mist. Our plan was to cross all of southern Minnesota today and sleep in Onalaska Wisconsin with stops at whatever caught our interest along the way.  It was like driving through a thin, damp cotton ball.  Occasionally a giant, sleek windmill appeared out of the mist, turning in absolute silence above the corn fields. As the mist lifted we found ourselves in the middle of an enormous wind farm with rows of spindly machines that stretched to the horizon in all directions. 

This southern part of Minnesota consists of miles and miles of farms punctuated by little towns.  Gloria spotted our first herd of domesticated buffalo. I was staring into another section of fog and missed the herd and our turns to a couple of attractions.

What am I doing here?

A guide at an information center along the highway suggested several out of the way adventures in southeastern Minnesota.  We opted to leave I-90 at Austin for a most unusual attraction, the SPAM Museum on the campus of the Hormel products company.  We had already visited museums for potatoes and corn, so spam seemed to complete the big three. The museum is a combination of a history of the Hormel brands, meatpacking technology, recipes, historical artifacts related to early 20th century manufacturing and farming, and a gift shop.  The tone was understandably self congratulatory, but the creators also had a sense of humor about the iconic brands and their own history.  We had a good time and I was able to buy four exotic flavors of Spam that are not available in stores as gifts for family members who like span.  Gloria refused a free sample of Spam on a pretzel pick (sorry, she can’t stand the stuff). I enjoyed mine and would have taken hers too had I thought of it sooner.

Our second foray off I-90 was at exit 193 in the middle of yet another enormous wind farm.  We joined scenic route 16 which runs through Amish country, a beautiful gorge, and past some reputedly spectacular caves.   We followed the scenic route as far as Harmony, but were just too tired to drive to Niagara Cave on the Ohio border.  Instead we traveled back northeast through more farming country and arrived in Onalaska which is a suburb of La Crosse.

There is a horse and buggy behind the post, trust me.

Just outside La Crosse we crossed the very swollen Mississippi river.  It seemed to have three or four huge branches, all full.  We didn’t hear any reports of flooding in the area, but it might be worse further south.

The Mississippi River at La Crosse, Wisconsin
We decided against the ferry over Lake Michigan.  It is pricey, doesn’t exactly go where we want to, and there is the risk of high wind and severe thunderstorms and tornado’s in the Lake Michigan area the time we would be crossing.  I don’t want to be caught out in the water during that!  We are watching the weather and will try to slide in after the front that is rising toward Chicago. If the front stalls we may add a day to our trip so we can ride the patch of clear sky behind the storms.  We will know better tomorrow morning.
Thanks to all of you who have posted comments. We miss you and it is great to hear from you.  If you are following this blog and haven’t posted a comment, please do. If you are shy or don’t have an Internet personality, you can always use the anonymous option.
I look forward to visiting with you again tomorrow.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Day 26, Wall, Sd to Sioux Falls, SD

Too big for the car and way too stubborn!
Today started with breakfast with in Wall.  The Days Inn, which we liked very much, provided a free breakfast which was run as nicely as the rest of the place.  We had a pleasant conversation with manager Theresa about running a tourist hotel in a town of 800 in the middle of nowhere.


Gloria should have taken the one that tried to climb in the Window.

Since a lot of the guests descended on the breakfast room at the same time space was at a premium, so Gloria invited another pair of travelers, Jim and Maryanne, from Wisconsin to join us.  We had a pleasant conversation and got a tip about a little Wisconsin dairy that makes its own cheese and sells it on the premises.  It is a little off the path, but you know us.  Stay tuned on this one.

This one is definitely out of reach.
As many readers of this blog know, my good friend Bob asked me to bring home a buffalo after seeing the picture of Gloria chasing the one away from the window in Yellowstone.   Sorry Bob, but none of these would fit in the car.  We will keep trying.

On the way we stopped at a little South Dakota town called Ocoma.  Ocoma is on the Missouri river which is above flood stage and rising.  The local Sheriff told us that they were fighting to save the town, and other residents across the highway at Al’s Oasis reported that four homes were being sandbagged already and that an additional two and a half feet of water was expected by Saturday.  Those of you who are addicted to the weather channel probably already know about the flooding in North Dakota which has already broken hundred year records for flooding.  Our best wishes go out to these good people. Speaking of Al’s Oaisis, it is a little like Wall Drug, on a smaller scale.  A large restaurant with very good and inexpensive food and lots of interesting gifts and crafts compete with a grocery store and lodge for space.


View of the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD from Main Street

However, the really big off the road adventure was totally unplanned (we missed our exit for the planned attraction, 1880 Town).  On the way west we had seen a sign for something called the Corn Palace.  We saw a sign again on the way east and since the time corresponded to the need for a break from the highway, we descended on the town of Mitchell, South Dakota to find out what a Corn Palace was.  After all, we visited Idaho’s Potato Museum, so it seemed only fair.

One of dozens of corn pictures found inside and outside the Corn Palace
What we found was one of the most inspiring examples of civic pride and creative artistry of the trip.  The Corn Palace is a cross between an arena and an art museum featuring huge murals formed from colored ears of corn. The town started the project before WWII as a way to establish Mitchell as a destination, and every year the special colored ears of corn are grown in the area and used to fashion new murals.  High school student Emilie gave us an outstanding guided tour of the murals and facility.  I wonder if my friend artist Martin Bloom has considered this form of collage.

Gloria goofing around with the corn mascot in the gift shop.
Mitchell has a lot of other attractions to offer.  This would definitely be a place for a longer stop next time we are out this way.  Once again, the spontaneous off the beaten path triumphs.
We may be reworking our trip back.  There is the out of the way dairy in Murdo, Wisconsin and the possibility of a water route through the great lakes.  It seems that there is a ferry boat across Lake Michigan that goes from Milwakee Wisconsin to Muskegon Michigan.  If we can track that down and it is not too expensive we may take that route home.  Stay tuned.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Day 25 Wall, SD


The picture above is of two old codgers to be found in the backyard of Wall Drug. The little town of Wall is located about 90 miles east of Rapid City and more than 200 miles west of Sioux Falls. On our trip west we stopped briefly after our tour on the scenic road through the Badlands for much the same reasons that early travelers did- for a cold drink and relief from the long road and heat. 

The apparently true legend is that Dorothy and Ted Husted bought a pharmacy in Wall and were going broke until Dorothy came up with the idea of luring customers off the highway by offering free ice water on signs widely spaced along the highway. It worked and the custom persists to this day with signs along the highway hundreds of miles away. In addition to Wall Drug, which covers two city blocks, the main street is home to a dozen or so gift shops, restaurants and bars.   

In addition to the fun visit to the local stores, today is intended as a day to rest and reflect. We are staying in a pretty little Days Inn in Wall.  The only fault I can find with the place is that we are on the second floor and the property lacks an elevator (and we have a lot of bags to carry). I suppose that I could have asked for the first floor. But the room is clean, in excellent repair, and comfortable.  Of course this hotel costs about half what the Hampton Inn costs.  Part of that is due to geographic considerations and others due to the fact that the square footage is smaller here, and space equals cost.   I am going to need to do some systematic research on getting value from hotels and motels before I set out again.
One result of our reflection is that Gloria and I realize that we have been bitten by the travel bug.  We miss our family, friends, and our home, but we can’t imagine going for very long without being on the road again.  Maybe day trips or overnights using our express club or honors club points amassed on this trip will fulfill our needs.  There are enough fun places to visit in New England, New York, and nearby Canadian Cities (e.g. Montreal, Nova Scotia) to fill our appetites without breaking the bank.  Balancing travel with running our little rental business, renovating our home, keeping aging bodies healthy, and continuing our efforts as novelists is going to take some time management.
Sioux Falls, tomorrow's destination, is reputed to have quite a few attractions.  We will let you know what we find along the way.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Day 24 Sheridan Wyoming to Deadwood, South Dakota


The photo above was taken by the bartender of the Stockade, a country themed restaurant/bar in downtown Deadwood.  This was taken at our destination for the night, but more of that later in the blog.
We left Sheridan a little late in the morning, in part due to an inexplicably poor nights sleep.  I woke up gasping for breath several times, most likely something to do with allergies and the elevation.  After a quick fill up for the cheapest price this trip ($3.45 per gallon) and purchase of a few supplies we were on our way.

Eastern Wyoming is to me the archetypical ranching country.  Rolling hills, lush green fields, streams lined with cottonwoods and aspen.  This part of Wyoming is also home to gas and oil fields.  We passed dozens of wells and whatever the step between field and refinery is.

Our off the road adventure for the day was to leave the highway at route 14 and make a twenty-five mile trip north to Devils Tower.  As nature adventures go this one was top drawer. 

The tower itself is stunning and the park service has made it possible to hike around the rock fall at its base on a well developed path of about a mile and a half. Although the temperature reached 91 in the parking  lot, Gloria and I made the whole trek using photo breaks to catch our breath.  

If you are ever within a couple hundred miles of this place, make the trip-- it's worth it.  On the way out we stopped at a prairie dog colony which was also entertaining.
On the way back to Deadwood we were delayed while a rockfall was removed from the highway.  That makes two of these and three snow closures.  Of course Montana seems to eat roads as a spring treat, but the big sky state is behind us. 

Deadwood is a gambling Mecca, with cowboy bars and gift shops tied for second most compelling attractions.  Live music, gunfight reenactments, actors in costume (or were those tourists?) complete the scene perfectly.  Mike, if you are planning a trip this far east, I understand the opportunities for serious poker are substantial. 
Tomorrow we have planned a short hop to Wall, SD another town that makes a big deal about being authentically western, but emphasizes food and gifts rather than gambling.  We plan to spend the day recharging our batteries (it is only about a hundred miles away) and getting ready for a couple of longer jumps east.
We are missing all our new and old friends and family, but having a ball.  Great country, great people, long roads!
Stay with us, there are a few more adventures scheduled along the way.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Day 23 Bozeman, MT to Sheridan, WY.


Today was one of those sunny days with lots of highways, snowcapped mountains in the background, and rolling hills lining valleys, for miles on end (249 to be precise).  The trip from Bozeman to Sheridan progressed north of Yellowstone park, along the Montana, Wyoming border, dropping down to Sheridan across the final resting place of General Custer.
Before we left Bozeman we took a quick trip around town and cruised by the University of Montana campus located there.  UM is home to the Rocky Mountain Museum which has a huge collection of fossils.  However, we were looking for a smaller Computer Museum which is reputed to be excellent.  We arrived on the UM campus too early, did several loops looking for the computer museum and never found it.  Twice Magellan directed us to drive into a church parking lot. Taking that as a bad omen, we fled town, but Bozeman is worth a day or two to explore if you are in the area.   
Along the way around the Rocky Mountains we stopped at a little family diner off the highway for a breakfast which was tasty and inexpensive. This was only the third “cash only” place we encountered since starting our trip.  One restaurant in Portland CT failed to disclose their lack of a credit card option sending Gloria scurrying across the street to a grocery store to get some cash.  One in Cody Wyoming was very clear up front about the policy and we could afford their 25 cent coffee. The diner in Big Timber Montana where we stopped today posted their cash only policy.  In all cases the food was excellent and cheap.  Makes you think about the impact of credit card companies, doesn’t it? They add a surcharge to everything.

Both the Gallatin and Yellowstone Rivers are nearly at flood stage in this area where they are not stuck in deep gorges.  There is still plenty of snow in the mountains and the temperature is warming, accelerating the melt.  I saw another road closure sign for Beartooth Scenic Highway, which we have tried twice to access. Speaking of Bears, this statue is one of many that decorate the streets of Sheridan.  He too declined the gift of peanut butter.


The town of Sheridan has a quaint town center complete with several excellent craft shops selling high quality products made in America. The town also has excellent accommodations including a fine Holiday Inn where we stayed very comfortably.  

I have developed several more rules based on our experience.  1) There is no such thing as too many breaks – leave the highway often to stretch, hydrate, and explore.  2) Never store your toothbrush in the same compartment as a hair brush. 3) Use fast food chain restaurants the way dogs use fire hydrants (pit stops and local gossip). 4) With digital cameras there is no such thing as too many pictures, snap away. 5) Two hundred and fifty miles a day leaves enough time to explore the town you wake up in, one attraction along the way, and still arrive at your destination by supper.
Our calculations show Devils Tower to be about 200 miles along our route to Deadwood, down a short 25 mile detour.  The weather should be fine again, so we are planning the trip.  However, Deadwood is filled with so much history and color that we want to arrive early and take in the town.  We will tell you how it all turns out tomorrow.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Day 22, Idaho redeems itself, not in spades but in spuds


Idaho continued its rehabilitation today.  We couldn’t resist a highway exit sign that said POTATO MUSEUM.  We couldn’t see it from the exit, so we pulled into McDonalds where a local resident called a friend for directions. A few minutes later I was standing inside one of the largest potato sculptures that I have ever seen.  The museum staff were friendly and relaxed.  The exhibit combined a film, lots of pictures, displays, a great supply of tools and machinery (drool) and gift shop with potato related products and gifts.


Gloria in the exhibits

The free gifts from the Chamber of Commerce included a coupon to Rupe’s Burgers a few blocks up and over the railroad tracks.  The food (Chili stuffed baked potato for me) was great.  On the way back we were treated to nearly an hour of watching a freight train go back and forth loading new cars, before we could cross the tracks and resume our journey north.

The very full Gallatin River near Yellowsone National Park
We traveled north with the snow covered Rocky Mountains on our right, all the way to West Yellowstone, where our preferred Hotels have been all booked up for a week. We continued another eighty miles along the Idaho/Wyoming border mostly through the gorges that hold the Gallatin River.  The trip was halted for a while as crews dynamited a rockslide on RT. 191. The road weaves in and out of the western edge of Yellowstone Park with stunning views of mountains and valleys.  Yogi bear and his colleagues seemed to be away mooching off the many tourists we saw heading toward the other side of the mountain ranges.  Gloria will need to find some other way to get the peanut butter off me; the bears weren’t around to do the job for her.

Bozeman seems to be another of those great finds, a neat little city with lots to do and see.  After a less than stellar bit of city driving I found our hotel, a very nice Holiday Inn, without injuring persons or property (barely).  Thanks to a liberal amount of the produce from a local microbrewery, the stress of the road has faded and life is once again fun. 
I will check in with you tomorrow from Sheridan Wyoming which is our next major stop before Deadwood, South Dakota on Thursday.