I Heart Chicago!

Sue the Tyrannosaurus Rex. I think I captured the movie logo, no?

We finally made it to Chicago this afternoon. The drive from Des Moines, IA proved to be a fairly quick one in comparison to yesterday. Our first stop was a Chicago Style hot dog in Museum Park just outside of the Field Museum. Then, we were treated to the exhibits of the museum.

We saw “Sue,” the world’s most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton. More than 90 percent of this skeleton is real dinosaur bones. She totally reminds me of the Jurassic Park logo from the movies.

Also at the Field Museum are the Tsavo Lions. These ferocious creatures ravaged the workers of the African train system by killing more than 140 workers before they met their own demise. To get to the exhibit, we had to walk through the Asia Mammals exhibit. What a creepy experience! The hall is dark except for the light coming from the exhibits, and all the animals are arranged so that they stare out at you. When we finished at the Field Museum we went for a LONG walk. Here’s the view from the museum.

You can see Lake Michigan out beyond the trees.

It was a glorious day for a walk, and walk we did. I think about 3 miles all said and done. We walked up Lake Shore through Grant Park to see the Buckingham Fountain. Many of you will recognize it from the opening credits of “Married with Children.” In the 15 minutes or so we were there, I counted four wedding parties and one quinceañera taking photos.

David at the Buckingham Fountain.

Because it was such a wonderful day to be outside, we continued walking North and eventually came to Millennium Park. Here, we saw an amazing fountain that looks like monoliths called the Crown Fountain. And, the most fun piece of art in the park is the Cloud Gate. It’s so shiny that everything is reflected in it. My favorite photo of the day:

It's me reflected in the Cloud Gate.

Tomorrow, we’re staying in Chicago and will do some more exploring of the city. Stay tuned!

Silly Tourist Stop

Today brought a long drive from Rapid City, SD to Des Moines, IA. We were on the road pretty much all day. And thank you to David who drove the whole 660 miles!

Our first stop of the day was at Wall Drug. A few friends of ours told us that we would HAVE to stop by the time it came along. And boy were they right! We left Rapid City, SD heading east and immediately started seeing signs for Wall Drug. Every gimmick you can think of:

  • Free Ice Water – Wall Drug
  • 5¢ Coffee – Wall Drug
  • Wall Drug Rocks

The signs were colorful and the humor was inviting. So, of course, we had to stop. Wall drug is two things 1) the largest drug store you’ve ever seen and 2) the biggest tourist trap EVER.

Yep, we went to Wall Drug.

Most of the day, weather wise, was gloomy. Here’s my favorite photo of the sky while we were driving.

Cloudy skies in South Dakota.

Tomorrow, Chicago.

Dynamite Presidents

Today was another long day of driving that had a quick detour to Devils Tower for David and ended in Rapid City, South Dakota to see Mount Rushmore.

The highlight of David’s day, this odd shaped rock that jets out of the ground in the middle of nowhere, Devil’s Tower.

Devil's Tower - Oddest shaped rock I've ever seen.

And, we ended the day with the spectacular views of Mount Rushmore. Did you know that the faces were almost entirely – 90 percent – carved using dynamite? There’s a great trail that goes around the amphitheater at the park, giving unique views of the faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Here’s my favorite of the photos. More on Flickr.

As up close and personal as you can get to the President's on Mount Rushmore.

Tomorrow, we’ll be driving toward Chicago. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s fun.

Old Faithful Rocks

The Grand Tetons viewed from Jenny Lake.

It was a long day today, so much driving. yesterday’s word of the day “ginormous” applies again today. I think we drove approximately 100 miles, and we never left Yellowstone.

The first highlight of my day (there were four) was driving through Grand Teton National Park. We stopped just inside the park at Jenny Lake, named for the Native Indian wife of one of the original explorers of the Grand Tetons. It was a brisk day on the Lake, but we were treated to a gorgeous view of the Grand Tetons with some mist around each peak.

The second highlight of my day was watching Old Faithful erupt for the second time in two days. The video is up on my YouTube Channel and shared below. I have not yet mastered the editing software that came with my camera. Expect something better when I get home from this amazing trip.

The third highlight of my day was the Fountain Paint Pot. I have some fascination with the “P” sound right now. I will randomly yellow out “paint pot” while we’re driving, just because it’s fun to say.

Fountain Paint Pot in Lower Geyser Basin Yellowstone. It gurgles like boiling paint might do.

And finally, the last highlight of my day was seeing a heard of Bison on the way to the East Entrance of Yellowstone. They were hanging out in a meadow near the Yellowstone River. Up until this point we had only seen Bison hanging out in ones and twos, but not a heard. This was also the absolute highlight of David’s day. He insisted this photo be included today.

Bison in a meadow Fishing Bridge.

Next stop Mount Rushmore in Keystone near Rapid City, South Dakota.

Yellowstone is Beautiful

We made it to the North Gate to Yellowstone.

The words of the day were “beautiful” and “ginormous.” Everything we saw today was something for the eye to feast on. So many wonderful scenes to see, we didn’t quite know where to look. All of the photos are up on Flickr. There also are a few geyser videos up on YouTube. The highlight of the day was seeing Old Faithful around 7 p.m. tonight. It really is an amazing sight.

Here’s an embedded video of one of the Artists Paint Pots for your enjoyment.

It Was a Three State Day

The day began in Seattle today with the goal to drive to Missoula, MT more than 450 miles away. The beginning stretch of Washington through the Cascades was beautiful and green with trees everywhere. The overcast day quickly gave way to blistering sun once we crossed through the Cascade Mountains.

Leaving Seattle drving through the Cascade Mountains.

The terrain from the Cascades to Idaho was full of brown fields and rolling hills. We had a quick drive through the panhandle of Idaho, and before we knew what hit us, we were welcomed into Montana.

Welcome to Montana!

While it was a long day in the car, we enjoyed the scenery and the fresh air. At one point, we had the windows rolled down and the fresh scent of pine blew in to tickle our noses.

Tomorrow we’re going to Yellowstone. I can’t wait to see Old Faithful. Another early day with lots and lots of driving.

What a Day!?

I don’t quite know where to start with today, we did so much. So, before I get started, I’m posting all of my raw photos as I go to my Flickr stream in the Road Trip Extravaganza set.

The day began with a quick walk from our hotel to the monorail at City Center. Being the SoCal girl that I am, when I think monorail, I think Disneyland. Well, this looked more like a really long city bus on a rail. Not quite what I was expecting. The ride downtown was short and left us in the middle of the shopping district. Good thing everything was closed.

A quick walk took us Pike Place Market where we saw rows and rows of fresh flowers, stalls full of fresh produce and the Pike Place Fish Market. Yes, they really do throw fish at each other. And each time something is purchased, the workers call out to each other. A very lively place indeed.

Rows and rows of flowers at Pike Place Market.

After Pike Place Market, we walked along the waterfront on Puget Sound. We passed by the Seattle Aquarium, a Norwegian cruise ship ready to set sail and more. The walk brought us to the Olympic Sculpture Park, which features modern outdoor sculpture.

The Eagle at the Olympic Sculpture Park

But, the highlight of my day was the Space Needle. So many majestic views. Here’s a few of my favorites.

Puget Sound from the Space Needle.

Puget Sound from the Space Needle.

The afternoon ended with a lovely bike ride down the waterfront. For dinner we found a delightful New Orleans style bistro called Toulous Petit. If you’re ever in Seattle, it’s a must try. Great atmosphere, great service and, most importantly, great food!

I Remember …

By this time of day, I think we all have been bombarded once again by the images of Sept. 11, 2001. It was all over the news today as it was for several days on and after that tragic day.

Aside from the news, and even while traveling far from home, it was unavoidable. Early this morning in the Seattle City Center, David and I walked by the International Fountain. This was the site for a memorial service. At 8 a.m. the mood was quiet and somber. A group had created a small memorial and were handing out breakfast. There was a man walking the ring around the fountain with a sign reminding us to “never forget.”

8 a.m. at the Seattle Center International Fountain. A quiet affair.

Later today, approximately 2 p.m., it was quite a different story. The fountain was alive with huge spouts of water and children playing in the water. The overwhelming message – LIFE MARCHES ON.

2 p.m. at the Seattle Center International Fountain. Lively and happy.

What will you always remember from this day, the 10th anniversary of 9/11?

We Made It!

We made it here to Seattle. The day started at home at the Long Beach Airport. We knew it was going to be an interesting day when they began boarding with rows 11 and higher. We were on a small airplane for the two hour and 15 minute ride north. Thankfully, it was smooth sailing.

We're ON the tarmac at SeaTac.

David called some friends and we began our trip with a very pleasant sunset boat ride on Lake Union. We saw a few sea planes land on the water. It was quite a sight. It almost felt like they were going to land on the boat. We had some great views of downtown Seattle from the water.

Downtown Seattle from the middle of Lake Union.

Tomorrow the Space Needle and more.

The Adventure Begins Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the day. We leave on our cross-country road trip in the afternoon. First stop Seattle, WA.

Ask me … Have I packed? Does this answer your question?

Leaving tomorrow. Still empty.