Rocky Mountain Highs (a non-Disney Trip Report) - COMPLETE 2/17

[Captain_Oblivious]

Awww, I'm honored to be recoginized!

You are going to have a great trip! I just have to guess the super secret Nebraska location.....Nebraska Furniture Mart?

Well, a) it was great to have pizza with you, and b) you were so helpful with directions and tips for seeing the area! A shout-out is the least I could do.

Mark, thanks so much for sharing all of y'all's adventures. I so enjoy Julie's photos and all the stories. Can't wait to join in on your next TR.

Thanks for reading along, Connie!

love reading your trip reports and this one was just as great! The area you visited is beautiful. Your trip report has me thinking about taking a similar trip out west soon with my kids. My oldest is a HUGE Broncos fan, so he would be over the moon if we ever made it to Denver. I was there many, many years ago after college and I loved driving from Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak, Denver, Estes Park, and then through to Jackson Hole and Yellowstone. It is some breathtaking scenery.

Hey, aboard and thanks for coming out of lurkdom to say hi! I really appreciate you reading my TR's. That's such a gorgeous part of the country--I hope you and your family gets the chance to go!

I'm looking forward to reading about your mid-west trip this coming summer. The mid-west can be equally as beautiful....just a different kind of beauty. And you can't ever go wrong with starting your trip off with a baseball game. That is also on my families bucket list...make it to every MLB stadium. We have a lot to go on our list, but there is just something so enjoyable about spending an afternoon or evening at the ballpark.

I think we'll see some cool stuff this summer. And I'd love to see every MLB stadium as well! My only problem is that I've been very unlucky with timing. For years it seemed like every time I would travel to a new city, the home team would be out of town. I've caught up with a few via stadium tours, and those are fun as well. This time I noticed that my Phillies would be in Minneapolis, so I tried to time the trip to take advantage of that. My boys will be thrilled! The girls...not so much.

 

[wasnotafan]

Chapter 21: Farewell And Adieu To You, Fair Spanish Lady......

Well done, and congrats on not killing each other. I don't think we could have ever done it as kids which is why our vacations were short, few, and far between. As an adult I don't think I can do it either. My hat is off to you

 

[franandaj]

I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise, then, that Sarah has some restless nights in our hotel rooms. She is a good sport, and most things roll right off her back. But she did tell me that occasionally, as she’s lying awake in our room at 2:17 a.m. and listening to snoring, grinding teeth, and general chaos, she’ll just yell out, “Everybody SHUT UP!!!”


It doesn’t work, but it makes her feel better.

This is hilarious! And sad. I've wondered how you can pack so many folks into a room like that. My parents could never deal with me and my sister. We didn't take many family trips like you do. Mostly they shipped us off to my grandparents every summer, back in Boston and let them handle us for a couple weeks. Then they came out for the last week. If we ever took family trips they made sure my sister and I had a connecting room. I don't think we every shared a hotel room if my Dad was involved.

With that, let’s close the book on the Rocky Mountain 2015 vacation. Here’s the updated U.S. map of our travels:

That's pretty impressive, but I do notice a huge gap in the middle of the US.

We’ll be spending slightly over 2 weeks in the Bor—uh, the Heartland of America. Here is the itinerary:

That isn't the heartland that I would have thought of, but I guess it qualifies. We really like Texas, if you're looking for ideas. Chicken Fried Steak, real barbeque, what else can you need?

As always, I want to thank you for taking the time to read this, or any, of my Trip Reports. I’m stunned, flattered, and thankful that so many of you take the time to read them. I really enjoy writing them, because it’s a way to keep the memories alive. I always hope that it either inspires you in some small way to have your own adventure, and that it helps with your planning. And I absolutely love reading the comments and feedback, and having conversations with all of you. It’s a joy. Thank you for sharing the adventure with me.

You definitely inspire me with your unique destinations, and I have placed several of your locations on our "do list". Your adventures are quite amusing and not having kids, it gives me an interesting look into a lifestyle that I will not ever be a part of. Sometimes it makes me miss the choice of not having children and other times it reinforces my decisions. Regardless your family is always delightful and I enjoy hearing about your adventures. I'm glad you get joy from writing about them. I like that too. Also I don't have to print out my pictures and subject our 3D friends to looking a photo albums of our trips when they visit. Fran used to hate that, now you guys do it so I totally relate!

 

[FreezinRafiki]

I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise, then, that Sarah has some restless nights in our hotel rooms. She is a good sport, and most things roll right off her back. But she did tell me that occasionally, as she’s lying awake in our room at 2:17 a.m. and listening to snoring, grinding teeth, and general chaos, she’ll just yell out, “Everybody SHUT UP!!!”

The crown has been passed.

2. Any Super 8 motel, which as Scotty says, are “definitely NOT super.”

After experiences in Kalamazoo, MI and Niagara Falls, Evan completely agrees with Scotty.

Worst Drive: I-25 during rush hour, Denver, CO

2nd Worst Drive: West Grand Loop Road under construction, Yellowstone N.P., WY

3rd Worst Drive: Rt. 191, western Wyoming

You ain't seen nothing yet. On the bright side, you can count the number of Wall Drug billboards. I think we averaged about 5 per mile.

I now present my Poor Man’s PTR for our 2016 Road Trip.


We’ll be spending slightly over 2 weeks in the Bor—uh, the Heartland of America. Here is the itinerary:


Tuesday: Fly from BWI to Minneapolis, MN. Attend Phillies/Twins game at Target Field that evening.

Wednesday: Explore Lake Superior Coast, Minnesota. Spend the night in Duluth.

Thursday: Voyageurs National Park, Northern Minnesota. Spend the night in Bemidji, because it’s fun to say.

Friday: Boring driving day all the way across North Dakota. Possibly made more interesting if @pkondz is free and can meet for lunch in Fargo. Spend the night in Dickinson, ND.

Saturday: Theodore Roosevelt National Park, ND in the morning. Devil’s Tower National Monument, WY, in the afternoon. Collapse into bed in Rapid City, South Dakota.

Sunday: Explore Minuteman Missile National Historic Site and Badlands National Park. Don’t forget to stop at Wall Drug. Spend the night in Custer, SD.

Monday: Jewel Cave National Monument and Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Black Hills, SD.

Tuesday: Wind Cave National Park in the morning. Drive to Nebraska with a stop at a secret major cultural site in the afternoon. Spend the evening in Scottsbluff, NB.

Wednesday: Scottsbluff National Monument in the morning. Long drive across Nebraska in the afternoon, driving the Oregon Trail backwards. Spend the evening in Omaha, NB.

Thursday: Visiting WWI Museum and Federal Money Museum in Kansas City, MO (and Kansas). Stuff faces with BBQ at night. Possible DIS Dad meet-up pending.

Friday: Drive to St. Louis, MO. Possible tour of Busch Stadium. Definite tour of Jefferson Memorial Arch. Spend night in Springfield, IL.

Saturday: Drive to Chicago, IL. Visit Museum of Science & Industry. Maybe Willis Tower as well? Spend evening north of Chicago.

Sunday: DIS Dad meet-up with @FreezinRafiki and family in Wisconsin. Spend evening in Green Bay, WI.

Monday: Tour Lambeau Field in morning. Drive to Minneapolis, MN in afternoon. Watch July 4 fireworks somewhere.

Tuesday: Spend day visiting friends/swimming in Minneapolis.

Wednesday: Fly home to BWI. Crash.

That's a lot of words to say "Mostly Wisconsin"

4)Are you doing an underground tour of the launch facility at the Minuteman site? It's the one thing I regret not doing on our trip. When we went, you had to get there at opening to get tickets for one of the tours ... so we did not even try, but I understand they were working on an online reservation system for tours starting this year (although I think Drew is too young, maybe?). The visitor center was still pretty cool and we did drive out to the Delta-9 facility to stare into a silo, but I would have loved a tour of the Delta-1 facility. It was a short stop and very easy to fit in after the Badlands.

Agreed - get there very early. We got there around 10am and they had most of the tours for the day booked. The tours are limited to 6 people - because that's all that can fit in the elevator down to the launch bunker. Drew won't be able to do it, because you need to be able to climb the emergency escape ladder in case the elevator breaks. Get to the visitor center off Exit 131 first thing to get your tickets and check out the displays. We got a tour for later in the afternoon, spent several hours across the highway at Badlands NP, then went to the Launch facility for the tour. The actual missile is several miles away in the middle of a cow pasture.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Nice wrap up! 32 states down and 18 to go! Will you save Alaska for last, or haven't you planned that far? My kids tell me we should have saved Hawaii for #50 ... they think our #50 will be Kansas or something anti-climactic. LOL. We stopped at the visitor center in Fargo this summer and they have a photo-op bench with a sign above it proclaiming "50th state visited" ... I guess ND is last for a lot of 50 state trekkers?

Yes, the plan is to save Alaska for the end. I have been to 49 states and Alaska is the only one I need. But the kids don't want me to hit 50 before they do, so they want to catch up and then all claim the 50th state together. We figured Alaska and Hawaii were the toughest ones to get so we took advantage of extra funds to cross Hawaii off the list a couple years ago. Hopefully more extra funding will come in before Alaska!

ND sure is hard to reach. And there are relatively few major tourist draws there. So yeah, I can see where that would maybe be the last one people reach!

I feel for Sarah and her sleepless nights! My Dad snored like crazy and I remember more than a few frustrated, sleepless nights as a kid on our family road trips.

Yeah, I feel bad for her, too. But there's not a whole lot we can do about it.

Your itinerary for this summer looks very familiar and mighty ambitious! I am always amazed at how much you guys accomplish each day. We did a similar trip this summer when we went to Yellowstone (with many of the same stops - Target Field, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Devil's Tower, Badlands, Minuteman Missile Site, Wall Drug, Mt. Rushmore, Wind Cave) starting from our home in Michigan. I do have some thoughts to share:

Maybe too ambitious? then again, looks like you accomplished quite a bit yourself!

1) Target Field is really nice! I'm not a much of a baseball fan, but the Tigers happened to be playing when we were going to be in Minneapolis and my DH loves baseball. I really enjoyed myself. We sat in the "Our Family" section and the ticket price (which seemed pretty reasonable) included a hot dog and a soft drink. I was expecting a Dixie cup and a little hot dog, but the drinks were quite large and it was a regular hot dog. The section has a no alcohol policy and lots of kids ... very family friendly, but not so good if you want a beer with your baseball. We took the light rail from our hotel.

That sounds great! I like a beer every once in a while but I'm perfectly happy to go without it. And I'm always happy to go without the antics of those who have had too many. I'll have to check that out when single-game tickets go on sale.

2)Whew! Theodore Roosevelt to Devil's Tower to Rapid City sounds like a long day! We had short stops in both places and could have used more time - my kids really liked Theodore Roosevelt - prairie dog watching and bison poop never get old, I guess. Plus, it was early in our trip and everyone was filled with that initial excitement energy. Devil's Tower was a last minute addition as we were driving from Cody to Keystone after visiting Yellowstone... it looked pretty close on the map and I remembered stopping there as a kid and wanted to go back. Ha! It was a pretty big detour & my whole family was grumbling about that one (especially the 13 year old who decided that flip flops would be good for walking the trail around the base of the tower) ... but there is a little store right at the park entrance that sells ice cream, so we stopped there on the way out and they forgave me.

Thanks for the ice cream tip! We may need that one. That's one of the days I'm most worried about, because that drive from TR to Devil's Tower to Rapid City is along one, and mostly on 2-lane roads through absolutely nothing of interest. I'm hoping to get a very early start at TR to preserve daylight hours. Devil's Tower is a bit out of the way but I thought this would be our best chance to see it. We may just pop into the visitor center and not bother with the trail around it--depends on when we get there and how much we need to stretch our legs. From there, it's about 2 hours to Rapid City and mostly on the interstate, so the second leg shouldn't be too bad.

3) Have you considered just staying in Custer the entire time for your Badlands, Wall Drug, Wind Cave, Mt. Rushmore stop instead of moving from Rapid City to Custer? We stayed in Keystone and found it was pretty easy to get to all of those spots and it was nice to have a home base for 3 nights after all the moving around.

I did consider that, because we would love to be in one spot for 3 nights. Unfortunately, most of the hotels in Custer and Keystone are over $200/night, so this was more of an economic decision. The other factor was trying to do Rope Drop at the various sites--like you said, I expect crowds, and most of the tours of caves/missile sites are first-come, first-served. So the idea is to stay in Rapid City the first night to give us a shorter drive to the missile site in the morning, and then Custer for the shorter drive to the caves the next two mornings.

4)Are you doing an underground tour of the launch facility at the Minuteman site? It's the one thing I regret not doing on our trip. When we went, you had to get there at opening to get tickets for one of the tours ... so we did not even try, but I understand they were working on an online reservation system for tours starting this year (although I think Drew is too young, maybe?). The visitor center was still pretty cool and we did drive out to the Delta-9 facility to stare into a silo, but I would have loved a tour of the Delta-1 facility. It was a short stop and very easy to fit in after the Badlands.

I definitely want to do the tour of the launch facility. That looks really cool. Drew is too young, but it looks like some friends of ours will be in the area at the same time and the mom doesn't like underground/enclosed spaces, so she volunteered to watch the baby during this and the cave visits. Woohoo! I haven't seen an online reservation system yet but I'll keep looking for it.

5) Wind Cave is definitely something you will want to "rope drop" or it could seriously delay your travel plans for the day ... the tours fill up quickly. Tuesday is one of their busiest days of the week - ask me how I know ... LOL!

Oh joy! I was hoping Tuesday would give us a break! So how early do I need to be there? Do I need to be in the parking lot waiting for the rangers to open up?

I guess that's all!

Looking forward to your couples trip to WDW at Christmastime!

Thanks again for taking the time to share your adventures with everyone!

Thanks for taking the time to read and comment!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

What a great wrap-up to an awesome and adventure filled trip report! My Mama has made a stop at many of the places that you are going to be vising on your next trip. I've heard the tales of their trip over and over and over again so it has got to be a great area to visit.

It really is a gorgeous part of the country. I hope I get to go back multiple times!

One day you need to plan a trip to Louisiana and Arkansas as both have National Parks that the kiddos could mark off them off their list of parks to visit. You could visit the salt mines and Tabaso plant in South Louisiana, take a swamp tour and in Arkansas, Hot Springs National Park is a where Al Capone used to go to ease his aches and pains and there are some beautiful caves to visit. Oh and you can dig for diamonds in field after field in Arkansas too. Plus, if you were to ever come this way, maybe I'd get to meet you all!

Well, we definitely need to pick up the Deep South as evidenced by our map. I think that will most likely happen in summer 2017. Not that summer is the best time to be down that way, but with school we don't have much of a choice. Hot Springs and Crater of Diamonds are definitely on the list, and I would love to get as many tips as you are willing to offer! Meeting up would be pretty sweet as well!

Looking forward to hearing about the weekend trip to Walt Disney World.

I'll try and get that started soon!

Just want to say I have thoroughly enjoyed your trip report. I don't think I commented, just lurked, but enjoyed seeing places I may not get to ever see. I think it's great you do these big vacations while your kids are young. We're tackling a big road trip through CA this summer with our 20, 18, and 15 year olds. Talk about killing each other!

Thanks for coming out of hiding to say hi! And thanks for taking the time to read along. As far as CA goes...good luck!

Well done, and congrats on not killing each other. I don't think we could have ever done it as kids which is why our vacations were short, few, and far between. As an adult I don't think I can do it either. My hat is off to you

Thanks! It's really not so bad. If we didn't have fun doing this, we wouldn't do it. I think the positives far outweigh the negatives. I just like to be honest about the whole experience. Any time you have more than one human being involved, there will be issues to deal with. I'm thankful that our family gets along well enough to work our way through them!

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

I’ve been somewhat detained from making my normal gratuitous assaults upon your otherwise informative and entertaining updates, so I’m going to be attacking… errrr… discussing a chapter that all the rest of ya’ have already picked over and abandoned.

I will try to catch up with everyone else later on though.


Scout’s Honor!





First off…
There’s old business that needs to be tended to…

That means a lot, actually.

It was meant to.
I wouldn't have quoted one of your heroes otherwise.

Ok, I'll bite. What are the first two? Never get involved in a land war in Asia?

1. No one is superior (especially not you)
2. Life’s not fair (and it ain’t going to be; now, tomorrow or ever)

That land war thing (while sound wisdom) is mealy the greatest blunder as opposed to being a true fact of life.

But you could have used baseball quotes from that movie instead.

There I go, thinking about baseball again.

Statistically…
We do so about once every ten minutes.

You’re excused.





OK, now onto the chapter that the rest of you have already left in the rear view mirrors …

Chapter 20: Yeah, But John, When Pirates Of The Caribbean Breaks Down, The Pirates Don’t Eat The Tourists.

God help us, we're in the hands of engineers.

This is the beauty of running a dictatorship.

Gee, the lack of humility before nature that's being displayed here, uh... staggers me.

Then I can do a wrap-up and move on to a TR for my weekend getaway with Julie to Disney World, which you have all been clamoring for over the last few weeks.

Hold on to your butts

so I can keep these things spaced out. Some of you folks do multiple TR’s at once, and I honestly don’t know how you manage it.

Well if you’ll recall, I couldn’t pull it off.

Also, today (February 5) is Sarah’s 14th birthday. So now we have both a 14-year-old girl and a 2-year-old boy in the house at the same time. Because we are idiots.

I do believe there was at least one other process occurring beyond being idiots that resulted in this set of circumstances.

Now there’s nothing to look forward to except the trip back home.


I hate that part.

Me too, sir. Me too.

We had a full day of driving ahead of us, so naturally we made our first stop after about 20 miles

Excellent plan!
I approve.

Julie and I took turns walking around the visitor center to get a view of the lake. We both determined that it was still there.

And still quite beautiful.
I’d have gotten out of the van for a bit to see it.

No PB&J today—it was time to treat the family right!


We stopped at McDonald’s.

You are a truly benevolent dictator.

Here’s the best dam photo we could get from there.

And knowing you as well as we do, it was inevitable that there’d be one.

Approaching late afternoon, we arrived at our destination for the evening: Vernal, Utah. I chose this place mostly because after we’d been roughing it in the most remote areas of Wyoming for several days, I wanted to re-enter civilization with a touch of class.

Not as much neon as over at “Pedro’s”, but it’s certainly got its charms.

The wood-fired pizza shop down the street was closed, but Domino’s was open. Hey, it beat Chuck E. Cheese.

Rather a low bar, wouldn’t you say?

There could be a dead elephant floating in the middle of live great white sharks surrounded by pond scum in there, and they’d still want to go swimming in the hotel pool.

My, but that sounds just like the all the “hotel pools” I ever encountered as a kid.
And of course, we wanted to jump in.
Some things never change.

(Like the absolute certainty that kids will not make wise decisions.)

So I sucked it up and jumped in, too.

Because you never bothered to grow up either.


And we all love that ‘bout you.

It doesn’t take long to complete a visit here, but I think it was worth the effort. I know I use the word “unique” quite a bit, but really, where else do you get to see actual dinosaur bones embedded in a hillside?

So then…
after some consideration, you've decided that you will endorse this particular park.

The lower floor of the building has several exhibits. You can compare a dinosaur’s femur to, say, an 18-month-old toddler (toddler not included).

Not included? You mean they don’t rent those?
The NPS is really missing out on a potential revenue bonanza here.

Many of the bones that were found belong to the allosaurus, modeled in plaster here.

Interesting….
The skull there is a good bit smaller then I’d been led to understand in relation to Allosaurus.
There must be more variation then I was previously aware of.
That, or I’m simple wrong.

In either case… always good to learn new things.

I’m sure he’ll remember this experience forever.

Unquestionably…

the bathing suits hadn’t yet dried out from the pool the night before, so we needed to give them some time in our redneck dryer.

Never question sound solutions to pressing problems.

Even when said solution arrives shirtless, wearing a stained “trucker-hat” backwards, speaking with an unmistakable drawl and invariable holding a crappy beer in its hand.


(just make sure to stop listening once that idea asks you to hold its beer and watch something.)

We’re hoping that one day, we’ll have photos of the welcome signs for all 50 states and can put them together into a collage or something. Just for fun.

It's a fine goal, to be sure…

Anyway, I can once again confirm that I-70 through the Rockies is one of the best interstate drives in the entire country. Just gorgeous scenery.

So long as you don’t get caught in one of the land slides.
Unquestionable worth the rick though.

Our dinner destination was the 5280 Burger Bar

Didn’t see that one coming.

I do love a place with a sense of humor.

And I do believe that qualifies.

Luckily, they had an “I Can’t Decide” option on the menu where she could get 2 sliders in different styles for $12.95. Perfect.

A bit pricy, but I’d probably have done the same.
Seems a good option for those who aren’t likely to return anytime soon.

Now, you may have noticed in an earlier photo that not only are they a burger bar, but they have their own ice cream shop as well. As painful as it was, I decided I would be derelict in my duty as a Trip Reporter if I did not sample this for you.

Your selflessness knows no bounds.

My kids like to make fun of me because whenever we get ice cream, I will almost always order cookies & cream. They say it’s because I’m “boring” or “unadventurous”.

Most young’ens generally order some variation of chocolate. Just how adventitious are they?

And one should never underestimate the unimaginable complexity of the thirty thousand plus compounds that make up true vanilla, especially when combined with slightly over baked chocolate cookies and copious amounts of scientifically synthesized “cream” filling.

Nevertheless, Sarah loves to get in line with me and say, “So, Dad, are you going to walk on the wild side and order cookies & cream?”

“Clever girl.”

Yes, and I’ll pay with my own money. How will you pay for yours?

Touche…

I doubt you’d follow through on it so it’s not much of a deterrent, but…
conceptually, a nice dodge and parry on your part.

And so it came to pass that on the last night of our vacation, after covering approximately 3,000 miles, 5 states, and 10 National Park sites, we spent our final moments eating homemade ice cream on a pleasant summer evening in downtown Denver.

And all was right with the word.


.

 

[afwdwfan]

Well, I believe in being honest. Tell it like it is, warts and all. And you guys know better, anyway. When you spend this much time together in mostly confined spaces like rental vans and hotel rooms, things aren’t always going to go smoothly.

What??? No!!!! Don't ruin the illusion!

At night, we typically have two beds in the hotel room. Julie and I take one, 2 of the kids share the other, and 1 big kid sleeps on the floor. We had a little pup-tent contraption for the baby. The kids rotate each night so no one has to sleep on the floor two nights in a row.

Well, this is better than I had it growing up. I have 2 sisters. They're twins.

Guess who got the floor.

Every time.

For starters, I snore. Apparently very loudly. This is not news to me, as sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night after a particularly vicious shove in the back from my adoring wife, trying to get me to roll over or change positions. In return, Julie steals the covers. It’s not uncommon for me to wake up (again) to find that I’m completely out in the cold while Julie basks in a cocoon of warm blankets. It takes a lot of work to re-claim my territory.


Scotty grinds his teeth at night. If you happen to be awake, that’s a sound that will drive you absolutely nuts. The baby fusses and cries out occasionally. And David…well, Dave’s sleeping habits have been well-documented here.

I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise, then, that Sarah has some restless nights in our hotel rooms. She is a good sport, and most things roll right off her back. But she did tell me that occasionally, as she’s lying awake in our room at 2:17 a.m. and listening to snoring, grinding teeth, and general chaos, she’ll just yell out, “Everybody SHUT UP!!!”


It doesn’t work, but it makes her feel better.

So you share everybody else's quirks and dirty secrets. I can't imagine Sarah just sleeps still, calmly and quietly all night. Well, you know, once she can actually sleep.

Sometimes it’s frustrating. Sometimes it’s exhausting. But on balance, the rewards outweigh the trials. If they didn’t, we wouldn’t keep doing this.

Well said.

Any Super 8 motel, which as Scotty says, are “definitely NOT super.”

No Super 8's or Priceline on this trip, right??? Right???

The big kids are now up to 32 states visited, while Baby Drew got to visit 18 before he even reached 2 years of age.

Cool!

Tuesday: Fly from BWI to Minneapolis, MN. Attend Phillies/Twins game at Target Field that evening.

That should be fun. You'll get to watch at least one good team play.

Yes, I know... the Reds are fielding a AA team this year, but I'm still going to make fun of other bad teams.

Saturday: Theodore Roosevelt National Park, ND in the morning. Devil’s Tower National Monument, WY, in the afternoon. Collapse into bed in Rapid City, South Dakota.

A return to WY??? I thought you'd already crossed that one off.

Thursday: Visiting WWI Museum and Federal Money Museum in Kansas City, MO (and Kansas). Stuff faces with BBQ at night. Possible DIS Dad meet-up pending.

If you don't eat well in KC, it is your own fault.

Friday: Drive to St. Louis, MO. Possible tour of Busch Stadium. Definite tour of Jefferson Memorial Arch. Spend night in Springfield, IL.

Busch Stadium? Why? Who would want to do that?

Stupid Cardinals.


Actually, I'd probably be tempted to just stick to the educational stuff there. You could spend a few hours at the Arch and riverfront area if you wanted to see the movie of how it was built and look at some of the displays and tour the old courthouse that is by the arch.

Monday: Tour Lambeau Field in morning. Drive to Minneapolis, MN in afternoon. Watch July 4 fireworks somewhere.

This should be awesome! Is the Rafiki family joining you for the Lambeau tour?

I really, really hope we’re not biting off more than we can chew with this one. As you can see, we’re covering a huge amount of ground. So we’ll have a lot more quality time in the minivan with each other. Let’s hope the DVD player works well.

It is definitely ambitious, but do-able, I think. I wish you the best of luck.

And get Sarah some earplugs or her own room. I assume the earplugs will be cheaper though.

I also tried to find a way to add the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa to the agenda, but it’s just too far out of the way for it to make any sense. Also, my fellow DIS Dad Barry (FreezinRafiki) pointed out that when we’re visiting, the corn will only be ankle-high, so it would kind of ruin the effect there.

He doesn't know corn... There's an old saying about corn... "knee high by the 4th of July." It might not be full height, but should be more than ankle high. You'll be there during the time of year where its really doing some serious growing. Could be knee high, could be shoulder high... and it could make that jump from knee high to shoulder high while you're driving around the Midwest.

As always, I want to thank you for taking the time to read this, or any, of my Trip Reports. I’m stunned, flattered, and thankful that so many of you take the time to read them. I really enjoy writing them, because it’s a way to keep the memories alive. I always hope that it either inspires you in some small way to have your own adventure, and that it helps with your planning. And I absolutely love reading the comments and feedback, and having conversations with all of you. It’s a joy. Thank you for sharing the adventure with me.

I always enjoy them. The good and the bad. The Holiday Inns and the Super 8's. It's all good and I look forward to the next one!

 

[FreezinRafiki]

This should be awesome! Is the Rafiki family joining you for the Lambeau tour?

Joining? Heck, I'm LEADING the tour! Well, I'll let the guy with the keys to the stadium actually lead, but I'll be repeating everything he says in my best "frozen tundra" voice. That won't get old at all!

He doesn't know corn... There's an old saying about corn... "knee high by the 4th of July." It might not be full height, but should be more than ankle high. You'll be there during the time of year where its really doing some serious growing. Could be knee high, could be shoulder high... and it could make that jump from knee high to shoulder high while you're driving around the Midwest.

"He" appears to have been misquoted by a city dweller from the east coast.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

This is hilarious! And sad. I've wondered how you can pack so many folks into a room like that. My parents could never deal with me and my sister. We didn't take many family trips like you do. Mostly they shipped us off to my grandparents every summer, back in Boston and let them handle us for a couple weeks. Then they came out for the last week. If we ever took family trips they made sure my sister and I had a connecting room. I don't think we every shared a hotel room if my Dad was involved.

I'm sure the kids would love to have their own room, but that's just not economically feasible for us. So we all just have to suck it up!

That's pretty impressive, but I do notice a huge gap in the middle of the US.

Yep, it kinda sticks out, doesn't it? We'll start working on that this summer.

That isn't the heartland that I would have thought of, but I guess it qualifies. We really like Texas, if you're looking for ideas. Chicken Fried Steak, real barbeque, what else can you need?

We'll get to Texas! Probably in 2017. We're taking care of the northern half of the Midwest first.

You definitely inspire me with your unique destinations, and I have placed several of your locations on our "do list". Your adventures are quite amusing and not having kids, it gives me an interesting look into a lifestyle that I will not ever be a part of. Sometimes it makes me miss the choice of not having children and other times it reinforces my decisions. Regardless your family is always delightful and I enjoy hearing about your adventures. I'm glad you get joy from writing about them. I like that too. Also I don't have to print out my pictures and subject our 3D friends to looking a photo albums of our trips when they visit. Fran used to hate that, now you guys do it so I totally relate!

Thanks, Alison! It's been fun to get to know you these last couple of years and I really appreciate your encouragement. I hope you know I would never dream of making you question your life decisions! I just want you to have fun!

The crown has been passed.

Dang it. I didn't even get to hold onto it for a week.

After experiences in Kalamazoo, MI and Niagara Falls, Evan completely agrees with Scotty.

So it's not just us, then?

You ain't seen nothing yet. On the bright side, you can count the number of Wall Drug billboards. I think we averaged about 5 per mile.

Yay! I still can't believe you didn't stop there.

That's a lot of words to say "Mostly Wisconsin"

Then I'll say this: we're mostly going to see Wisconsin.

Agreed - get there very early. We got there around 10am and they had most of the tours for the day booked. The tours are limited to 6 people - because that's all that can fit in the elevator down to the launch bunker. Drew won't be able to do it, because you need to be able to climb the emergency escape ladder in case the elevator breaks. Get to the visitor center off Exit 131 first thing to get your tickets and check out the displays. We got a tour for later in the afternoon, spent several hours across the highway at Badlands NP, then went to the Launch facility for the tour. The actual missile is several miles away in the middle of a cow pasture.

Looks like they open at 8:00 a.m. in the summer, and they're an hour away from Rapid City, so getting the family up and moving will be a lot of fun!

 

[MNtwinsplus1mom]

Baby Drew got to visit 18 before he even reached 2 years of age

Wowee!! Okay, does this include Hawaii? I feel like I've really been letting the kids down. Our kids have been to, like, 11 (all boys), 12 (Sam). Better get crackin'... We've got the bug now. Our road trip last fall to 6 states was outstanding. I can see why your family has made it a priority. If not for the lure of WDW, I would be doing better...

the Boring States

Hey!

the Bor—uh, the Heartland of America

Hey, again!

Attend Phillies/Twins game at Target Field that evening.

Love Target field! We did a tour of it a few years ago and loved that, too. We also like stadium tours. Did the Metrodome just after the roof collapsed and last fall we saw Lambeau. Lambeau was fantastic, even though we are most definitely not fans. Three of our guys wore Vikings jerseys and the tour guide gave us extra-special treatment. We really loved it. The gift shop is ENORMOUS and hilarious. We took a ton of pictures, including everyone in the family doing the Lambeau leap into a statue out front.

Explore Lake Superior Coast, Minnesota. Spend the night in Duluth.

Great choice! I don't know where you are staying there, but we like to stay in Canal Park (We live in the Twin Cities, so it's not a bad drive for us). From the Comfort Inn & Suites there, we had an easy walk (sometimes run) to the lift bridge to see the big boats pass underneath. We would keep an eye on the schedule so we knew when to be there. You can find it online easily at duluthboats.com. You can really see the boats well in Canal Park and our kids loved it.

Sunday: Explore Minuteman Missile National Historic Site and Badlands National Park. Don’t forget to stop at Wall Drug. Spend the night in Custer, SD.

Monday: Jewel Cave National Monument and Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Black Hills, SD.

Our first big road trip as a family was this area. Another good choice! That's the first time we did the Junior Park Ranger program.

Chicago, IL

We did something fun in Chicago - an architectural tour of the river. It was fantastic. The cost can add up with a family, I guess, but we thought it was well worth it. Fun way to see the city and the tour guide was hilarious. We laughed a lot.

Let’s hope the DVD player works well.

Yes! We like having a DVD player when we rent (we're mean, so did not get one when we bought our own minivan 11 years ago).

lame-o PTR.

Hey! Lame-o because of the lame destination?? Hmm...

If you have any ideas or suggestions for this upcoming trip, I’d love to hear them!

For food, we like Grandma's in Duluth. Fun décor and tasty food. Also, and more importantly, we like Bettys' Pies, a place just north of Duluth for pie. Amazing pie. So good.

I always hope that it either inspires you in some small way to have your own adventure, and that it helps with your planning. And I absolutely love reading the comments and feedback, and having conversations with all of you. It’s a joy. Thank you for sharing the adventure with me.

Thanks so much for sharing your family's adventures with us all. It really is a treat to read your reports. You and Julie have such a lovely family. And funny! We have used many ideas I have gotten from your reports in our recent trips, and continue to plan to do so. Soon, when we go to California...

Next up, I will start a Trip Report covering our one magical weekend in December, when Julie and I ditched the kids to go to Disney World…

Yes, please! Can't wait to read about it. Couple trips are good things to do, as we just learned on our trip.

 

[Dugette]

So, I was just about to go to bed, then said, "Hey, I'll just peek at this TR..." and here I am up late with lots to say.

Catching up on the end of your trip first:

Some of you folks do multiple TR’s at once, and I honestly don’t know how you manage it.

Slacking off works. But I'm pretty sure there are people pulling it off better than I am.

Also, today (February 5) is Sarah’s 14th birthday. So now we have both a 14-year-old girl and a 2-year-old boy in the house at the same time. Because we are idiots. I honestly can’t believe 14 years have passed by already. Anyway, I’m so proud of this young lady. She’s such a sweet, easygoing person. She’s priceless to me. It’s a privilege to be her father.

I obviously am late, but happy birthday to Sarah! How wild that you have a teenager and an impending threenager all at once.

I wish I had a way to make the rest of Wyoming interesting, but there’s just nothing there.

I must be weird. I rather liked driving through Wyoming (I lived in Rapid City for a few years, so would take day trips to see the area). I think I liked that I could see for a long way and it wasn't all covered in trees. Funny thing is, I was once driving through Wisconsin with a couple people from Wyoming and they were like, "Trees! Look at all the trees! Amazing!" And that was just a normal drive to me. Perspective, I guess.

We actually made it a full 10 miles before I had to hit the gas pedal again.

Impressive!

It doesn’t take long to complete a visit here, but I think it was worth the effort. I know I use the word “unique” quite a bit, but really, where else do you get to see actual dinosaur bones embedded in a hillside?

That does look really cool! Izzy and Dug would definitely love that.

And so it came to pass that on the last night of our vacation, after covering approximately 3,000 miles, 5 states, and 10 National Park sites, we spent our final moments eating homemade ice cream on a pleasant summer evening in downtown Denver.

Sounds like a perfect ending. And those burgers sounded great too. Thanks for sharing your adventures!

On to the PTR plans:

Tuesday: Fly from BWI to Minneapolis, MN. Attend Phillies/Twins game at Target Field that evening.

HEY! You'll be in our neck of the woods! And, also, Target Field is great. And they have many excellent food choices as well. You could actually do this whole day without a car (depending on where your hotel is, I guess). Light rail would go from airport to Target Field. Also goes to downtown Minneapolis one way and Mall of America the other way.

Wednesday: Explore Lake Superior Coast, Minnesota. Spend the night in Duluth.

Good choice, we love the North Shore. Make sure to drive up north along the shore. If you want to do a touristy/historical kind of thing, visit Glensheen Mansion. You can also take the Skyline Parkway in Duluth for some views (but kind of annoying driving to follow the signs and cross weird intersections). Saw it mentioned, but you'd enjoy Betty's Pies in Two Harbors. I second Grandma's in Canal Park as a favorite. We discovered a new place last time we were up there - also Canal Park area - called Northern Waters Smokehouse. Just a small place, but really tasty! Not sure if you have a hotel booked, but depending on your plans, you could stay outside Duluth, further up the shore. When we were kids, we stayed in cabins at Cascade Lodge regularly and there are many other places like that up there.

Devil’s Tower National Monument, WY, in the afternoon. Collapse into bed in Rapid City, South Dakota.

Been there, lived there. I did Devil's Tower on one of my free days while living in Rapid (that's what the locals call it ). Nice destination, but I don't think I spent a ton of time there. People were climbing it, I do remember that. I think I hiked around a bit. If you need any advice on Rapid or the Black Hills area, let me know. It's been a few years (I lived there in the late '90's/early 2000's!), but I made an effort to get out and see as much as I could. Beware the whole area is VERY touristy, though. I felt like I was on vacation all the time, since I was always surrounded by tourists and attractions. Especially summer.

Don’t forget to stop at Wall Drug. Spend the night in Custer, SD.

I know I've been to Wall Drug, but pretty sure the only thing I remember is the excess of signs. Not really an exciting stop, if you need to cut something. Badlands National Park is worth a stop, though. And all this talk of corn in the comments reminds me that you can visit the Corn Palace in SD.

I love Custer State Park and I think you would too! I remember hiking Harney Peak (highest point in SD - but a wimpy hike by your standards, I'm sure ), driving all the scenic roads, hiking the scenic trails. Probably my favorite place to visit when I lived out there.

Not that you'll have time, but there are some interesting places north of Rapid too, like Deadwood, Sturgis, etc.

Wednesday: Scottsbluff National Monument in the morning. Long drive across Nebraska in the afternoon, driving the Oregon Trail backwards. Spend the evening in Omaha, NB.

So, you thought you had some boring drives on your last trip? I-80 across western/central Nebraska is the worst of the worst! I have literally driven to other states to avoid it (once drove through northern Kansas to Colorado to get from my grandparents in Kansas back to Rapid, just to not have to drive through Nebraska). It is flat, straight, and there is NOTHING. Like not even gas stations or restrooms. Maybe it's improved, since it's been several years, but SOOOO boring!

Not sure if you would have time while in Omaha, but the Henry Doorly Zoo there is excellent - probably my favorite zoo. Also, for what it's worth, when I used to go down to KS regularly to see my grandparents, we discovered the Hampton Inn off of I-80 near Lincoln (not too far from Omaha). Really nice and it had very good rates. Not sure if that's still the case, but it was our go-to a few years back.

Monday: Tour Lambeau Field in morning. Drive to Minneapolis, MN in afternoon. Watch July 4 fireworks somewhere.

Wow, that's a long drive. No stops in WI Dells, huh? If you get hungry on your way, Moosejaw Pizza in the Dells is quite tasty. If you run out of options for the fireworks, we usually sit out on our front porch and watch multiple shows at once in the distance (we are high enough up to see quite a ways). You are welcome to crowd our patio. Too bad you won't be in Rapid on the 4th - I once watched fireworks over Mt. Rushmore, which was amazing.

Sounds like a good trip! Funny to see plans involving places I know!

 

[Steppesister]

Hey There... Great wrap up! Loved every minute of Family Fun and every minute of Not-so-Much-Family-Fun. If there wasn't any of that, you've have had about 3 pages worth of updates and not much chatter. The pictures were amazing; thanks for sharing those too! You'll have to send a bat signal when you start the next one; I'm not very good about just cruising the titles anymore. I'll be there for sure!

Anyway, still ready and willing to host your sweet family here in the PNW. It'll be your waterfalls, good coffee, good microbrew, beachy-themed kind of trip.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

I’ve been somewhat detained from making my normal gratuitous assaults upon your otherwise informative and entertaining updates, so I’m going to be attacking… errrr… discussing a chapter that all the rest of ya’ have already picked over and abandoned.

I will try to catch up with everyone else later on though.


Scout’s Honor!

The place hasn't been the same without you, Rob. Glad you're back.

It was meant to.
I wouldn't have quoted one of your heroes otherwise.

Again...thank you, sir.

1. No one is superior (especially not you)
2. Life’s not fair (and it ain’t going to be; now, tomorrow or ever)

That land war thing (while sound wisdom) is mealy the greatest blunder as opposed to being a true fact of life.

Gotcha. Words to live by.

Statistically…
We do so about once every ten minutes.

You’re excused.





OK, now onto the chapter that the rest of you have already left in the rear view mirrors …

God help us, we're in the hands of engineers.

That's my least favorite line in the whole movie.

Gee, the lack of humility before nature that's being displayed here, uh... staggers me.

Coming from the character who displays little humility himself...

Hold on to your butts

Standard rules for this TR.

Well if you’ll recall, I couldn’t pull it off.

They're just delayed. We're waiting patiently for the resumption of duties.

I do believe there was at least one other process occurring beyond being idiots that resulted in this set of circumstances.

I was seduced, ok? What am I supposed to do?

Me too, sir. Me too.

Someday we'll figure out how to cope with that.

Excellent plan!
I approve.

That's all I need to move forward!

And still quite beautiful.
I’d have gotten out of the van for a bit to see it.

I think it was worth laying eyes on.

You are a truly benevolent dictator.

I dunno. It's McDonald's. We'll pay for it later.

And knowing you as well as we do, it was inevitable that there’d be one.

Dam right.

Not as much neon as over at “Pedro’s”, but it’s certainly got its charms.

Those were really the only tacky items. It was a normal town otherwise.

Rather a low bar, wouldn’t you say?

Yes. Yes, it is.

My, but that sounds just like the all the “hotel pools” I ever encountered as a kid.
And of course, we wanted to jump in.
Some things never change.

(Like the absolute certainty that kids will not make wise decisions.)

Too bad we're pushovers.

Because you never bothered to grow up either.


And we all love that ‘bout you.

Growing up is so overrated.

So then…
after some consideration, you've decided that you will endorse this particular park.

Sure! I think it was worth the visit.

Not included? You mean they don’t rent those?
The NPS is really missing out on a potential revenue bonanza here.

Maybe we should rent him out. We could use both the break and the enhanced revenue stream.

Interesting….
The skull there is a good bit smaller then I’d been led to understand in relation to Allosaurus.
There must be more variation then I was previously aware of.
That, or I’m simple wrong.

In either case… always good to learn new things.

Or, it's always possible that I've mis-remembered it. I'm doing this without notes, you know.

Unquestionably…

Good, then we won't have to make that drive again.

Never question sound solutions to pressing problems.

Even when said solution arrives shirtless, wearing a stained “trucker-hat” backwards, speaking with an unmistakable drawl and invariable holding a crappy beer in its hand.


(just make sure to stop listening once that idea asks you to hold its beer and watch something.)

Better than being the one to attempt whatever it is.

It's a fine goal, to be sure…

Always good to have goals!

So long as you don’t get caught in one of the land slides.
Unquestionable worth the rick though.

Yeah, that sounded pretty scary. Glad we got through long before anything like that happened.

Didn’t see that one coming.

Sorry, I should have waited until you were sitting down.

And I do believe that qualifies.

A bit pricy, but I’d probably have done the same.
Seems a good option for those who aren’t likely to return anytime soon.

Yep, nice to be able to try different parts of the menu.

Your selflessness knows no bounds.

I'm here to serve you, dear reader.

Most young’ens generally order some variation of chocolate. Just how adventitious are they?

And one should never underestimate the unimaginable complexity of the thirty thousand plus compounds that make up true vanilla, especially when combined with slightly over baked chocolate cookies and copious amounts of scientifically synthesized “cream” filling.

They'll generally go for vanilla, chocolate, anything with cookies, cookie dough, brownies, or mint. So they're normal kids.

“Clever girl.”

Gotta keep an eye on her.

Touche…

I doubt you’d follow through on it so it’s not much of a deterrent, but…
conceptually, a nice dodge and parry on your part.

I can't let her win. Dad Code.

And all was right with the word.

Except we had to go home the next day.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

What??? No!!!! Don't ruin the illusion!

Well, you already saw the "behind the scenes" photos.

Well, this is better than I had it growing up. I have 2 sisters. They're twins.

Guess who got the floor.

Every time.

I have to cry foul on that. What happened to women's lib?

So you share everybody else's quirks and dirty secrets. I can't imagine Sarah just sleeps still, calmly and quietly all night. Well, you know, once she can actually sleep.

I'll have to drag her down in the mud with the rest of us sometime. She'll slip up sooner or later.

Well said.

No Super 8's or Priceline on this trip, right??? Right???

Not so far! I learned my lesson. Plus, I think the kids would revolt.

That should be fun. You'll get to watch at least one good team play.

Yes, I know... the Reds are fielding a AA team this year, but I'm still going to make fun of other bad teams.

If nothing else, being a Philadelphia sports fan means you can never, ever accuse me of being a front-runner.

A return to WY??? I thought you'd already crossed that one off.

Of course, but we haven't seen Devil's Tower. And it's so far out in the middle of nowhere, I don't know that we'll ever get another chance.

If you don't eat well in KC, it is your own fault.

I was talking with Aaron about a meet-up. He suggested a possible Iron Chef-style comparison of the various KC BBQ joints. I did not discourage this idea.

Busch Stadium? Why? Who would want to do that?

Stupid Cardinals.

I thought you wanted me to watch good teams.

Anyway, I do think their stadium looks cool.

Actually, I'd probably be tempted to just stick to the educational stuff there. You could spend a few hours at the Arch and riverfront area if you wanted to see the movie of how it was built and look at some of the displays and tour the old courthouse that is by the arch.

But this is the kind of intel I was looking for! I had a suspicion in the back of my mind that a stadium tour + the riverfront/arch was too much for one afternoon. My first look at the riverfront just told me there was a museum and the arch, so I figured that's probably just a couple of hours. Will it take longer than that? What all is there to see and do?

This should be awesome! Is the Rafiki family joining you for the Lambeau tour?

As of now, they are. Unless they finally come to their senses and realize it would mean more time spent in our company.

It is definitely ambitious, but do-able, I think. I wish you the best of luck.

And get Sarah some earplugs or her own room. I assume the earplugs will be cheaper though.

Darn right. You've seen the lengths I will go to in order not to pay for 2 rooms.

He doesn't know corn... There's an old saying about corn... "knee high by the 4th of July." It might not be full height, but should be more than ankle high. You'll be there during the time of year where its really doing some serious growing. Could be knee high, could be shoulder high... and it could make that jump from knee high to shoulder high while you're driving around the Midwest.

Well, we'd be there on July 2. I did feel like it would be a little disappointing not to do the "I'm melting" bit with the fully grown corn in the outfield.

Also, there was the driving factor. St. Louis --> Dyersville --> Racine is just not an easy drive. I had tried to frontload most of the crazy driving days toward the first half of the trip when we're feeling a little fresher. Putting a driving day like that into the later part of the trip, especially if the place won't look exactly like the movie, felt like it wasn't worth the effort.

I always enjoy them. The good and the bad. The Holiday Inns and the Super 8's. It's all good and I look forward to the next one!

Usually the bad experiences lead to the best stories. Everybody can relate to a crappy hotel. Thanks for being a faithful reader, Andy!

Joining? Heck, I'm LEADING the tour! Well, I'll let the guy with the keys to the stadium actually lead, but I'll be repeating everything he says in my best "frozen tundra" voice. That won't get old at all!

Oh, come on! That joke has a wealth of material!

<John Facenda Voice> I'm taking a leak in a urinal...in the MEN'S ROOM of Lambeau Field. </John Facenda Voice>

"He" appears to have been misquoted by a city dweller from the east coast.

To be fair, Barry did originally guess "knee high". I may have undersold it a bit to the family in order to sway them towards not attempting that drive. Either way, though, it's not going to look like the movie.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Wowee!! Okay, does this include Hawaii? I feel like I've really been letting the kids down. Our kids have been to, like, 11 (all boys), 12 (Sam). Better get crackin'... We've got the bug now. Our road trip last fall to 6 states was outstanding. I can see why your family has made it a priority. If not for the lure of WDW, I would be doing better...

No, the baby doesn't get to include Hawaii, as he was only a passenger inside mommy for that trip. So, unfortunately, we'll just have to go back someday. Which states did you hit last fall?

And believe me, I get the appeal of returning to WDW...

Hey!

Hey, again!

I was mostly thinking of the long stretches of empty nothingness in the Dakotas, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas...not your fair state, of course.

Love Target field! We did a tour of it a few years ago and loved that, too. We also like stadium tours. Did the Metrodome just after the roof collapsed and last fall we saw Lambeau. Lambeau was fantastic, even though we are most definitely not fans. Three of our guys wore Vikings jerseys and the tour guide gave us extra-special treatment. We really loved it. The gift shop is ENORMOUS and hilarious. We took a ton of pictures, including everyone in the family doing the Lambeau leap into a statue out front.

That sounds fun! I'm sure they LOVED having Viking fans along. Somehow I doubt they'd give Eagles fans as much grief.

Great choice! I don't know where you are staying there, but we like to stay in Canal Park (We live in the Twin Cities, so it's not a bad drive for us). From the Comfort Inn & Suites there, we had an easy walk (sometimes run) to the lift bridge to see the big boats pass underneath. We would keep an eye on the schedule so we knew when to be there. You can find it online easily at duluthboats.com. You can really see the boats well in Canal Park and our kids loved it.

Thanks! We are staying in a hotel just across the way in Superior, WI. I had been looking at a restaurant on the shore for dinner which I thought could be followed with a walk along the park/lakeshore, but I'll check out the places you recommended too.

Our first big road trip as a family was this area. Another good choice! That's the first time we did the Junior Park Ranger program.

I was saving the Black Hills for this trip as one of the highlights. We needed a reward for the boring drives!

We did something fun in Chicago - an architectural tour of the river. It was fantastic. The cost can add up with a family, I guess, but we thought it was well worth it. Fun way to see the city and the tour guide was hilarious. We laughed a lot.

Julie and I did an architectural tour there several years ago and we also loved it. We learned a lot about the history of the city! Like you said, though, I don't know if I can do it with 6 people. That would drive up the price quickly.

Yes! We like having a DVD player when we rent (we're mean, so did not get one when we bought our own minivan 11 years ago).

We have a little portable one we pack along. It fits the bill. And it's a lifesaver!

Hey! Lame-o because of the lame destination?? Hmm...

No, lame-o because I just tack mine onto the end of a TR and cover the plan in one post, rather than doing a full-blown agenda on the PTR boards.

For food, we like Grandma's in Duluth. Fun décor and tasty food. Also, and more importantly, we like Bettys' Pies, a place just north of Duluth for pie. Amazing pie. So good.

I will do a lot for good pie! Thanks for the recommendations!

Thanks so much for sharing your family's adventures with us all. It really is a treat to read your reports. You and Julie have such a lovely family. And funny! We have used many ideas I have gotten from your reports in our recent trips, and continue to plan to do so. Soon, when we go to California...

Thank you so much! That's actually the best compliment you could give me--that you've been inspired and helped out by these in planning your own vacations. So thanks for saying that, it really builds me up!

Yes, please! Can't wait to read about it. Couple trips are good things to do, as we just learned on our trip.

I'm glad! I think they're invaluable to a healthy marriage.

So, I was just about to go to bed, then said, "Hey, I'll just peek at this TR..." and here I am up late with lots to say.

Little did you know...

Slacking off works. But I'm pretty sure there are people pulling it off better than I am.

It's just taking a timeout, that's all.

I obviously am late, but happy birthday to Sarah! How wild that you have a teenager and an impending threenager all at once.

Don't remind me! This is why I have less and less hair every year.

I must be weird. I rather liked driving through Wyoming (I lived in Rapid City for a few years, so would take day trips to see the area). I think I liked that I could see for a long way and it wasn't all covered in trees. Funny thing is, I was once driving through Wisconsin with a couple people from Wyoming and they were like, "Trees! Look at all the trees! Amazing!" And that was just a normal drive to me. Perspective, I guess.

Yep. Don't worry, when you're as well-traveled as me, you can get bored by both empty plains and trees.

Impressive!

That was fun!

That does look really cool! Izzy and Dug would definitely love that.

I just wish it was easier to get to!

Sounds like a perfect ending. And those burgers sounded great too. Thanks for sharing your adventures!

And as always, thanks for reading along!

HEY! You'll be in our neck of the woods! And, also, Target Field is great. And they have many excellent food choices as well. You could actually do this whole day without a car (depending on where your hotel is, I guess). Light rail would go from airport to Target Field. Also goes to downtown Minneapolis one way and Mall of America the other way.

I grabbed a hotel just north of the city. My guess is that we probably won't be able to stay for the whole game due to young ones with us, a night game, and the time zone change. But I'm sure we'll enjoy the park.

Good choice, we love the North Shore. Make sure to drive up north along the shore. If you want to do a touristy/historical kind of thing, visit Glensheen Mansion. You can also take the Skyline Parkway in Duluth for some views (but kind of annoying driving to follow the signs and cross weird intersections). Saw it mentioned, but you'd enjoy Betty's Pies in Two Harbors. I second Grandma's in Canal Park as a favorite. We discovered a new place last time we were up there - also Canal Park area - called Northern Waters Smokehouse. Just a small place, but really tasty! Not sure if you have a hotel booked, but depending on your plans, you could stay outside Duluth, further up the shore. When we were kids, we stayed in cabins at Cascade Lodge regularly and there are many other places like that up there.

Mmm...pie...

Thanks for the recommendations! We are looking to drive up part of the way--we'll stop at Gooseberry Falls and Split Rock Lighthouse. Depending on the time, we might be able to get to Tettegouche State Park as well. Part of me wanted to go all the way to Grand Portage but that draws us further away from Voyageurs the next day, so I thought we'd just get a nice taste of the coast instead and retreat to Duluth for more lodging options.

Been there, lived there. I did Devil's Tower on one of my free days while living in Rapid (that's what the locals call it ). Nice destination, but I don't think I spent a ton of time there. People were climbing it, I do remember that. I think I hiked around a bit. If you need any advice on Rapid or the Black Hills area, let me know. It's been a few years (I lived there in the late '90's/early 2000's!), but I made an effort to get out and see as much as I could. Beware the whole area is VERY touristy, though. I felt like I was on vacation all the time, since I was always surrounded by tourists and attractions. Especially summer.

Yeah, I figured it was basically an excuse to stop the car and get out and walk around, say we saw it. And look for UFO's.

I am planning on the Black Hills being very crowded. Not much I can do about that. And yes, please, I'll take any advice I can get!

I know I've been to Wall Drug, but pretty sure the only thing I remember is the excess of signs. Not really an exciting stop, if you need to cut something. Badlands National Park is worth a stop, though. And all this talk of corn in the comments reminds me that you can visit the Corn Palace in SD.

I love Custer State Park and I think you would too! I remember hiking Harney Peak (highest point in SD - but a wimpy hike by your standards, I'm sure ), driving all the scenic roads, hiking the scenic trails. Probably my favorite place to visit when I lived out there.

Not that you'll have time, but there are some interesting places north of Rapid too, like Deadwood, Sturgis, etc.

Wall Drug is basically an excuse to laugh at a tourist trap. I know what I'm getting there. I don't know that I'll have time to get to Deadwood--we wanted to concentrate on the NPS sites in the area.

So, you thought you had some boring drives on your last trip? I-80 across western/central Nebraska is the worst of the worst! I have literally driven to other states to avoid it (once drove through northern Kansas to Colorado to get from my grandparents in Kansas back to Rapid, just to not have to drive through Nebraska). It is flat, straight, and there is NOTHING. Like not even gas stations or restrooms. Maybe it's improved, since it's been several years, but SOOOO boring!

Not sure if you would have time while in Omaha, but the Henry Doorly Zoo there is excellent - probably my favorite zoo. Also, for what it's worth, when I used to go down to KS regularly to see my grandparents, we discovered the Hampton Inn off of I-80 near Lincoln (not too far from Omaha). Really nice and it had very good rates. Not sure if that's still the case, but it was our go-to a few years back.

I think it's hard to avoid long boring drives on this one. You have to either go across North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, or Kansas. Pick your poison! I remember Iowa being four hours of corn as well.

I think I already have a place close to Omaha, but thanks for the recommendation!

Wow, that's a long drive. No stops in WI Dells, huh? If you get hungry on your way, Moosejaw Pizza in the Dells is quite tasty. If you run out of options for the fireworks, we usually sit out on our front porch and watch multiple shows at once in the distance (we are high enough up to see quite a ways). You are welcome to crowd our patio. Too bad you won't be in Rapid on the 4th - I once watched fireworks over Mt. Rushmore, which was amazing.

Sounds like a good trip! Funny to see plans involving places I know!

Thanks! So what are the special events/fireworks shows in the Twin Cities on the 4th of July? I'm sure fireworks over Mt. Rushmore would be awesome!

Hey There... Great wrap up! Loved every minute of Family Fun and every minute of Not-so-Much-Family-Fun. If there wasn't any of that, you've have had about 3 pages worth of updates and not much chatter. The pictures were amazing; thanks for sharing those too! You'll have to send a bat signal when you start the next one; I'm not very good about just cruising the titles anymore. I'll be there for sure!

Yep, the hiccups and screw-ups are usually the best stories! I just wish so many of them weren't my fault.

I can never find anyone's TR's either, so I understand and will definitely send out the word! Thanks for taking time out of your insane schedule to read along, I really appreciate it!

Anyway, still ready and willing to host your sweet family here in the PNW. It'll be your waterfalls, good coffee, good microbrew, beachy-themed kind of trip.

Is this heaven? Or Oregon?

If you want to plan ahead, I'm looking at:

Midwest, 2016
Deep South/Texas, 2017
Pacific Northwest, 2018.

I wanted to save some spectacular scenery for the end of the journey.

 

[afwdwfan]

But this is the kind of intel I was looking for! I had a suspicion in the back of my mind that a stadium tour + the riverfront/arch was too much for one afternoon. My first look at the riverfront just told me there was a museum and the arch, so I figured that's probably just a couple of hours. Will it take longer than that? What all is there to see and do?

You could really make it whatever you want to make it. You could go to the arch, get a ticket, go up look out the window then come back down and be done in maybe half an hour if you really wanted to. It just depends on what all you want to take in. There is a small museum like display at the base that talks about the Lewis & Clark Expedition. You could walk through it in 15 minutes or an hour depending how much detail you want to see. There's a movie about how they built the arch, which I really like. I think it is maybe 20 or 30 minutes. There's also the Old Courthouse just a short walk away where the Dred Scott trial took place. I had to do a quick google search to check after you asked, but it looks like the courthouse offers Junior Ranger Badges. It isn't something I'd do every time. I think I've been to the courthouse maybe twice and it has been several years ago. But it is a beautiful building and full of history.

Long story short... you could be done at the arch in an hour, depending on the crowd and how long you might have to wait, or you could spend the better part of the day there going to the arch, the courthouse and enjoying the river front area.


ETA... and in my internet snooping, it looks like the Arch is currently closed until March for a refurb and they're adding "museum experiences" so there might be even more to do. But then again, it says the project won't be completed until spring 2017. I don't know how much of the new stuff will be open this summer or what you'll be dealing with when you get there.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Some of you had asked about the kids' junior ranger badges, so I took a photo of Sarah's display in her room. She also put her Disney pin collection on the same board:

As a bonus, here's Sarah's vintage travel postcard display on her closet door (with "vintage" Muppet postcards too!):

And Scotty has an impressive pin collection as well:

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

You could really make it whatever you want to make it. You could go to the arch, get a ticket, go up look out the window then come back down and be done in maybe half an hour if you really wanted to. It just depends on what all you want to take in. There is a small museum like display at the base that talks about the Lewis & Clark Expedition. You could walk through it in 15 minutes or an hour depending how much detail you want to see. There's a movie about how they built the arch, which I really like. I think it is maybe 20 or 30 minutes. There's also the Old Courthouse just a short walk away where the Dred Scott trial took place. I had to do a quick google search to check after you asked, but it looks like the courthouse offers Junior Ranger Badges. It isn't something I'd do every time. I think I've been to the courthouse maybe twice and it has been several years ago. But it is a beautiful building and full of history.

Long story short... you could be done at the arch in an hour, depending on the crowd and how long you might have to wait, or you could spend the better part of the day there going to the arch, the courthouse and enjoying the river front area.


ETA... and in my internet snooping, it looks like the Arch is currently closed until March for a refurb and they're adding "museum experiences" so there might be even more to do. But then again, it says the project won't be completed until spring 2017. I don't know how much of the new stuff will be open this summer or what you'll be dealing with when you get there.

Thanks for the head start!

I saw the same thing about the arch being closed, because I was going to try and reserve tickets. I think they'll open the system up again soon so I should be able to reserve a time to go up to the top. I'll have to research further on how much time we want to spend there. I know the boys would love to see the stadium and the girls usually tolerate the tours more than games. But the allure of a junior ranger badge might work too. Also, that would be less running around and therefore less stressful.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

That's my least favorite line in the whole movie.

And it should be.

They're just delayed. We're waiting patiently for the resumption of duties.

Ummmm... yeah...


I keep thinking that as well.

I was seduced, ok? What am I supposed to do?

You never stood a chance there.

Too bad we're pushovers.

Hello pot, my name's kettle.

Growing up is so overrated.

Yeah, I'd advise against it.
Especially that whole taking on responsibilities part of it.

Maybe we should rent him out. We could use both the break and the enhanced revenue stream.

Now you're talking.
Can't see a down side to that plan.

I can't let her win. Dad Code.

And yet, invariable, she will (and you know it).

Except we had to go home the next day.

Well, that stinks.



Now then, about your last update....

Chapter 21: Farewell And Adieu To You, Fair Spanish Lady...

For we've received orders for to sail back to Boston. And so nevermore shall we see you again.


And we’re gonn’a need a bigger boat.

Whether here or on social media, the temptation many of us face is to whitewash our experience.

Social media isn’t an accurate representation of actual life?


Well call me gobsmacked by this revelation.

She is a good sport, and most things roll right off her back. But she did tell me that occasionally, as she’s lying awake in our room at 2:17 a.m. and listening to snoring, grinding teeth, and general chaos, she’ll just yell out, “Everybody SHUT UP!!!”

I knew I liked that girl.

It doesn’t work, but it makes her feel better.
Very few attempts to relieve frustration work…

Doesn’t stop anyone from trying though.

I won’t lie to you and pretend that covering all of this ground and spending all of this time in enclosed spaces together in enclosed spaces is all peaches and cream.

More like cookies and cream then?

If they didn’t, we wouldn’t keep doing this.

I know of many folks who repeat the same actions in search of a different outcome.

Let’s take a look at the final numbers:

42?

Top 7 Most Spectacular Sights

Oh, number ”s”…
I missed the plural there.

Top 5 Meals
5. Paradox Pizza, Moab, UT
4. The Ale House, Grand Junction, CO
3. Steuben’s Food Service, Denver, CO
2. 5280 Burger Bar, Denver, CO
1. Bar J Chuckwagon, Jackson, WY

There’s the list that I need to write down somewhere.

Best Drive: Rt. 128, the “back way” into Moab, Utah

Will be cataloging that one as well.

Here’s the updated U.S. map of our travels:

Even more awesometastic than before

I now present my Poor Man’s PTR for our 2016 Road Trip.

As a poor man…
I approve of this concept.

We’ll be spending slightly over 2 weeks in the Bor—uh, the Heartland of America.

Boring?
Any place that boasts such marvels as CarHenge, a Squirrel Cage Jail house, and the Nuclear Waste Adventure Trail, can’t be categorized as boring.

Drive to Nebraska with a stop at a secret major cultural site in the afternoon.

Secret?
I - don’t – think - so… :

I really, really hope we’re not biting off more than we can chew with this one. As you can see, we’re covering a huge amount of ground. So we’ll have a lot more quality time in the minivan with each other. Let’s hope the DVD player works well.

Drew will be the wild card here.
At this age he’ll sleep less and be restless more. But y’all know that…
I’m looking forward to the hearing of the ingenious lengths to which y’all go to mitigate that issue.

I know I poked fun at these states, but I think we do have some interesting destinations on the agenda.

I believe that’s somewhat of an understatement

So, that’s the plan…

Basically a ring around Iowa then…




Quite the drive...
I like it!

If you have any ideas or suggestions for this upcoming trip, I’d love to hear them!

Now you know that you should never-ever give me that much latitude to respond!


There "might" be a few "plausibly" worthwhile site in this list. Not many, but some.
I suspect you're gonn’a be too busy seeing real sights, but you did ask. So....


** Minneapolis up to Lake Superior Coast:
. World's Largest Walleye - Rush City MN
. Aerial Lift Bridge - Duluth MN
. Bob Dylan's Boyhood Home - Duluth MN
. Lake Superior Railroad Museum - Duluth MN
. World of Accordions Museum, Superior WI

** Superior to Bemidji (via Voyageurs)
. Ellsworth Rock Garden, Voyageurs National Park
. Paul Bunyan's Grave - Kelliher, Minnesota

** Bemidji to Dickinson (VIA Fargo)
. Headwaters of the Mississippi River at Itasca State Park - Park Rapids, MN
. Fargo Air Museum and a Rocket - Fargo, ND
. Roger Maris Grave site and "Sultan of Swat" museum - Fargo, ND
. World's Largest Buffalo - Jamestown, ND
. State Capitol Building - Bismarck ND
. Salem Sue, World's Largest Holstein Cow - New Salem, ND
. Dakota Dinosaur Museum - Dickinson, ND
. Ukrainian Cultural Institute - Dickinson, ND

**Dickinson to Rapid City (Via Roosevelt NP and Devil’s Tower)
. Center of the Nation Monument - Belle Fourche, SD
. Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame - Sturgis, SD
. No. 10 Saloon - Deadwood, SD {just dont sit with your back to the door}

*Rapid City...
. Dinosaur Park
. Storybook Island
. Reptile Gardens
. Statue of Liberty beside a pizzaria
. Statues of American Presidents standing on 42 separate downtown street corners
. Putz-n-Glo Indoor Black Light Miniature Golf

{Because… it's Indoor Black Light Miniature Golf for Peat's sake!)​

**Rapid City to Custer (Via Wall and the big hole in the ground)
Hard to beat an ICBM Complex, but while you’re stopped in Wall SD, might as well see…
. The Six-Ton Prairie Dog - Cactus Flats, SD


**The general Custer/Hill city/Keystone, SD vicinity
Well, yes... there's that big rock carving of four old dudes.
But there's also:

. Painted buffalo statues standing on the various street corners in Custer
. Flintstones Bedrock City (may or may not open back this summer)
. Mini Dinosaur Park
. Big Thunder Gold Mine
. Chief Crazy Horse Memorial
. Borglum Historical Center
. Black Hills Institute (Dinosaur and paleontology museum)


**Custer to Scottsbluff
. Mammoth Site - Hot Springs, SD (an ongoing excavation site - mammothsite.com)
. Museum of the Fur Trade - Chadron, NE
. Carhenge - Alliance, NE {would this - perchance - be that "major cultural site"?}
. Dobby's Frontier Town - Alliance, NE
. Chimney Rock National Historic Site - Bayard, NE


**Scottsbluff to Omaha
. Front Street Museum - Ogallala, NE
. Ole's Big Game Steakhouse and Lounge - Paxton, NE

(Lunch surounded by "big game taxidermy")​

. Fort Cody Trading Post - North Platte, NE
. Sod House Museum - Gothenburg, NE
. Marble Museum - York, NE
. State Capitol Building - Lincoln, NE
. National Museum of Roller Skating - Lincoln, NE
. Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum - Ashland, NE
. Gerald Ford Birthplace - Omaha, NE
. Malcolm X Birthplace - Omaha, NE
. Statue of Chef Boyardee - Omaha, NE
. USS Marlin and USS Hazard at Freedom Park - Omaha, NE

{Ships in Nebraska? You betch’em.}​

**Omaha to Kansas City
. Pottawattamie County "Squirrel Cage" Jail house & museum - Council Bluffs IA
. Golden Spike Monument - Council Bluffs, IA {to heck with that other site in Utah}
. Union Pacific Museum - Council Bluffs IA
. C.W. Parker Carousel Museum - Leavenworth, KS
. Native American ancestral Burial Mound left in place in downtown Kansas City, KS
. Fritz's Railroad Restaurant (Burgers delivered by model trains)

{three locations in Kansas City area including near WW-I Museum}​

. the "At-At Walker" Mailbox, 5813 N. Lenox Ave, Kansas City, MO
. TWA Moonliner II - 1799 Baltimore Ave., Kansas City, MO

(replica of the rocket that once stood in Disneyland)​

. Negro Leagues Baseball Museum - Kansas City, MO
. The Workhouse Castle - Kansas City, MO


**Kansas City to St Louis
. Truman Presidential Library - Independence, MO
. Leila's Hair Museum - Independence, MO
. Budweiser Clydesdales Ranch - Booneville, MO
. BoatHenge - Easley, MO
. National Churchill Museum and Berlin Wall Pieces - Fulton, MO
. Nuclear Waste Adventure Trail and Museum - Weldon Spring, MO

*St Louis:
. Museum of the Dog
. Museum of Transportation
. Grant's Log Cabin
. The Flying Saucer Building
. The Red Tower & The White Tower
. Budweiser Brewery Tour
. Lemp Mansion - Haunted Tours


**Kansas City to Chicago
. World's Largest Catsup Bottle - Collinsville, IL
. Historic Museum of Torture Devices - Alton, IL
. Cozy Dog Drive In (Birthplace of Hot Dog on a Stick) - Springfield, IL
. State Capital Building - Springfield, IL
. Lincoln Home National Historic Site - Springfield, IL
. Prairie Aviation Museum - Bloomington, IL
. Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum - Pontiac, IL
. Old Joliet Prison Park (think: Blues Brothrs) - Joliet, IL {near the World's First Dairy Queen}


**Chicago to Green Bay
. Miller Brewery Tour - Milwaukee, WI
. Harley-Davidson Museum - Milwaukee, WI
. National Railroad Museum - Green Bay , WI


**Green Bay to Minneapolis
. Motorama Auto Museum - Aniwa, WI
. Harry Houdini Historical Center - Appleton, WI
. Bergstrom-Mahler Paperweight Museum - Neenah, WI
. Crystal Cave - Spring Valley, WI

As always, I want to thank you for taking the time to read this, or any, of my Trip Reports. I’m stunned, flattered, and thankful that so many of you take the time to read them.

And we’re stunned that you’re stunned.

Thank you! Adventure is out there!

The wilderness must be explored – Kaw! Kaw!... Rawr!

Just remember to pack chocolate…
You never know when it will come in handy.