Days 76-84: Playing Catch-up, Part 4

I'd like to know how many of our readers have actually driven across the United States...Because for those of you out there that have, you know just how incredibly long and (mostly) boring the drive from the Midwest to the West really is.  And that's where we left off, our journey into the Wild West.

After saying adieu to Mike's cousins in Moline, we headed west with a destination of Mt Rushmore.  Now,  in my 29 years prior to this trip I never particularly cared whether I saw Mt Rushmore or not, but when looking at the map and roughly planning this journey, I thought the grand monument might be fun to see.  After all, what road trip is really complete until you see a large sculpture of four of our great presidents carved into a rock in the middle of nowhere?  Plus, having not stopped at the Four Corners at the beginning of our trip (I really wanted a photo of Bailey, looking irritated and embarrassed of course, with each of her four paws in Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico), I wanted to make sure Mt Rushmore wasn't as easily bypassed.  The problem with the Mt Rushmore location however is that it's miles and miles from anything worth seeing; the plains are beautiful, don't get me wrong, but there are so many hours of seeing plain after plain that it just gets "plain" boring :)  Luckily for us, a couple entrepreneurs years ago realized how dreadful of a ride this was and started some awfully interesting stops along the 815 mile drive.   

Stop 1: The Mitchell Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota.  Honestly, I don't know much about this building except that it's covered in dried corn and that the corn is replaced yearly.  Crazily enough, they started this tradition about 100 years ago.  Apparently corn has been quite the staple for the Midwest for years... Nevertheless, it's a good stop to stretch your legs.

Day 76, Stop #1: The Mitchell Corn Palace, Mitchell, SD.  This is about exciting as it gets here folks.

Stop #2: Wall Drug Store in Wall, South Dakota.  What makes this drug store such a tourist destination has got to be the billboards stretching for 300 miles up and down I-90 prior to this town.  Seriously, there are a lot of billboards.
Wall Drug itself is basically just a huge store; it's part amusement park and part Walmart, but overpriced and done in the fashion of an old western town.  The actual store takes up about 2 city blocks, which means the rest of the town is just banking off it's popularity as a destination.  Not bad--no advertising costs and all the profits.

Day 76, Stop #2: Wall Drug Store, Wall, SD.  The free ice water given at Wall Drug is about as exciting as it gets here.

Unfortunately Mitchell, SD, and Wall, SD, are pretty close to one another, and also, close to Mt Rushmore, so the last 300 miles from Moline, IL, to Mt Rushmore are relatively "stimulating".  As a master planner back in the 1900s, I would've have spaced all this excitement more evenly over the 800 miles so as to give modern-day travelers something to look forward to every four hours...But alas, we made it to Mt Rushmore.  

Having seen the monument, I probably won't need to take future vacations to the Black Hills, which means our parking pass is up for grabs for the remaining 2012 year if anyone is interested.  All kidding aside, although I will happily sell our *overpriced* parking pass at a ridiculously low rate, it was very impressive for the scale in which it was carved.

Day 77: Mt Rushmore National Monument, Keystone, SD.  

On the edge of Mt Rushmore (and Crazyhorse, another granite monument which we saw but were too cheap to pay for), is a great state park called Custer State Park.  It's a little expensive after all the non-resident and day-use fees, but it's a nice place to camp, swim and take in the local wildlife.  We only spent one night in the area, but we got a great campsite just steps from a cold, fresh lake, and in the morning we took a drive through the Wildlife Loop where we saw pronghorn antelope and the world's largest publicly-owned herd of bison, and where we were accosted by a herd of greedy burrows.

Day 78: The Wildlife Loop, Custer State Park, Custer, SD.  For a fee, usually a carrot, this burrow/road-keeper will let you pass.

After another long day of driving, we finally we made it to Yellowstone National Park, the first National Park established.  I've heard great things about the park, and of course, have been interested in seeing Old Faithful, but I'm not sure we visited at the right time.  Apparently the park has been through a few natural disasters in the past 20 years and isn't the same: a huge wind storm first came through in the late 1980s, and then a fire in the mid 1990s.  A loss of so many trees killed off a large number of their moose and has made some of the valleys of the park a little unsightly.  Yes, it's the course nature takes, but if anyone is using this blog as a guide for your future vacation, let me recommend pushing back your visit a few years.  I'm sure with a little more time for regrowth, the park will be up to par with Yosemite (and yes, I'm biased).

Besides my disappointment in not stumbling upon a moose, we did see plenty of bison, which are truly a site, and male and female elk.  Unfortunately or fortunately, as I haven't decided, we did not see any bear.  In fact, I'm thoroughly impressed with the way in which the Park Service handles humans in the home of so many wild and dangerous animals.  The rangers are extremely strict with visitors to the park to store one's food and personal items properly to eradicate any dependency the wildlife could develop with humans.

Day 79, am: Yellowstone National Park.  This bull was just walking along the side of the road in the middle of nowhere.  Thankfully, we saw his herd a few miles down the road, so we figured he just took the scenic route.

Day 79, pm: Yellowstone National Park.  Bailey chillin' in front of Old Faithful.  Nothing new for this US traveler.

Since Yellowstone is so close to the Grand Tetons, we took a day trip through the gorgeous park.  Here the foliage changes within a handful of miles from the lodge pole pines of Yellowstone to groves of quaking aspen, birch, and various conifers, not to mention a plethora of wild berries, in the Grand Tetons.  With wide empty meadows and soaring mountains, the park is absolutely breathtaking--I wish we could have been there in the fall!  Plus, at the south entrance of the Tetons, sits the quaint town of Jackson, Wyoming.

Having expected a much snootier town, I was surprised how down to earth people were there.  It is very touristy, with lots of souvenir shops, but a couple blocks off the main square we found some some great stores and a nice outdoor, vegetarian restaurant where everything was decently priced.  The only downside of our day trip was when we got in a minor fender bender (not our fault thank god!) and when Bailey was attacked by a non-leash-wearing shepherd mix.  We were all a little shaken after our run-ins, but thankfully we had the Grand Tetons to drive through again so we instantly relaxed.

Day 80: Grand Teton National Park.  A calm beginning to a hectic day. 

Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks were worth seeing, but were really time-killers in our overall journey, as a visit to our friend in Whitefish, Montana, and Glacier National Park were our real destinations post-Mt Rushmore.  So after visiting another stinky geothermal site in Yellowstone, we packed up and headed out of the park and into Montana.

Now here is where it really occurred to me how desolate the Wild West is.  All along the drive to NW Montana I was thinking about the cowboys of the 1800s: how in the world could they live in such vastness?  How did they know how to get to the nearest "town"?  The Wild West is HUGE and WILD!  And those men and women were tough.

Day 81: Saying goodbye to Yellowstone NP and hello to Montana.

*Travel tip: Go visit Montana!
I was unprepared how much I'd like Montana, and I am not what anyone would call an outdoors-woman.  I don't like dirt, I don't like to be cold, and I don't like heights.  You have to prepare yourself for all of those things when traveling to Montana.  The whole state is just a huge wilderness carved from a glacier thousands of years ago: dense green forests, huge jutting mountains, crystal clear water, sparse civilization.  It really is God's country.  So go.

Our first day in Montana was spent learning to fly fish.  Our friend Dylan took us on his raft down the Flathead River where Mike spent the afternoon casting hour after hour and I held Bailey back from jumping in after his line hour after hour.  (Where I lack in outdoor-woman abilities, Bailey makes up for...)  It was a peaceful day spent catching up with our good college friend, enjoying PB&J sandwiches, sitting in the sun and wading in the freezing water.  Sadly it wasn't a day for fishing, but both Mike and Dylan did catch (and release) a fish each.  And the highlight was that we wore out Bailey--not an easy feat.

Day 82: The middle fork of the Flathead River, Flathead National Forest, MT.  The ladies sunbathing.

One of the best things about Glacier is it's size--it's actually manageable.  To see the sites, you don't have to spend all day driving from one side of the park to the other as you do in Yosemite or Yellowstone.  However because of it's size there are also not the modern conveniences that you tend to get accustomed to as a traveler.  Like a gas station.

Well, our first day in Glacier was a little of a bust.  We took our time leaving Whitefish in the morning and leisurely rolled into Glacier National Park by early afternoon.  We checked out the spectacular lobby of McDonald Lodge and then had a tasty, local lunch within it's Swiss-inspired architecture.  We then set off for  our hike via Going-To-The-Sun road, which by it's title suggests a climb.  Well, despite my suggestion of getting gas before we entered the park, my lovely husband "misread" the gas gauge and up we went to  Going-To-The-Sun road.  And about quarter-way up the terrifying road, Mike states I was right to have suggested getting gas and that he didn't think we'd make it to the top....eeek!!  Then half-way up we turned around and coasted down the mountain.  Thankfully the clouds came in just as we reached the base of the mountain and looking up at the menacing clouds, we decided the gods were on our side in forcing us to retreat.  So instead of the hike we stopped to read and watercolor and enjoy the calm of the valley, then proceeded safely to a gas station to ensure we got home ok.

Day 83: McDonald Lodge, Glacier National Park,  MT.  Our first experience of the "Swiss" American Alps.

Day 83, evening: McDonald Creek, Glacier National Park.  Looking at Going-To-The-Sun road.

Our second attempt up Going-To-The-Sun road proved much more successful, however a little bit scary, too.  The road is frightful not due to it's steepness, which it's not, but the simple fact you are on a road no bigger than the width of two cars (sometimes it's not even that wide!) and you are roughly 5000 feet from the valley.  Add in some thunder, lightning and rain, and it gets even sketchier.  Thankfully the heavens didn't open completely until we were safely parked at the top...

Having had lunch in the car, we waited out the storm comfortably while others around us were scrambling for cover.  Once the heart of the storm past through, we bundled up and braved the rain, wind and 45 degree temperatures to make the final ascent to Hidden Lake.  Despite an uncomfortable first half of the hike, we made it to the top only to be greeted by two mountain goats perched on a cliff sunbathing.  All and all, the cold was a small price to pay for such a beautiful hike.  Glacier is amazingly so similar to what you'd see in the Italian/Swiss Alps.  And to think, this beauty is within our own backyard!

Day 84: Hidden Lake trail, Glacier National Park.  A peaceful run-in with some of the locals.

From the American Alps to the Northwest...

Days 69-75, Playing Catch-up, part 3

From the country to the city, we next journeyed to the Chicago suburbs to spend time with Mike's maternal side of the family.  Having never traveled to Chicago before (except for O'Hare airport), I was so excited to take in all the sites and to finally spend time with the legendary Zayner/Hernandez families.  Having heard so many stories, it was great to meet everyone and put faces and personalities to names!

Mike's mom is originally from the South side of Chicago, and lived in a predominately Lithuanian neighborhood.  Since the Zayners are 100% Lithuanian, and Mike half Lithuanian, it was great for both Mike and I to experience more of the culture.  The neighborhood has changed, yes, but there is still such a strong cultural presence.  We ate a delicious, potato-filled, dinner at Grand Dukes, saw the house Mike's mother grew up in, the schools and church that the Zayners attended and even visited the Lithuanian cemetery where I finally met Mike's grandmother, Bernice, who I've heard was quite the lady.  

Day 69: Summit, IL.  Uncle Ted & Mike at a traditional Lithuanian eatery.  

Day 70: St. Casimir Cemetery, South Side Chicago.  Meeting Mike's grandparents.

We then headed into the big city.  I've always wanted to visit Chicago, having heard so much from friends and of course, Mike's family. The city surely didn't disappoint!  It's gorgeous and surprisingly quiet.  Compared to other big cities we've visited recently, Chicago is so calm--no honking horns, no yelling, it's actually quite serene.  Plus, with the beautiful Lake Michigan just blocks away from the heart of the city, it really is unlike most large metropolises.  And there is so much to do!  We only spent a couple days exploring, so what we did see was like a teaser, but we had very full days: the Willis Tower (more commonly known as Sears Tower), the Art Institute of Chicago, a White Sox game, walking around the financial district, the Magnificent Mile, Millennium Park, and even a walking tour of Frank Lloyd Wright's famous Prairie-style architecture....

Day 71, #1: The Ledge at Willis Tower, Chicago, IL.  A pane of glass protects you from 1353 feet from the sidewalk--one of Robin's most nerve-wracking experiences! 

Day 71, #2: The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL.  One of Robin's favorite pieces of art!  "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of  La Grande Jatte" by Georges Seurat.

Day 71, #3: Buckingham Fountain, Chicago, IL.  You can't help but hum Sinatra's "Love & Marriage"...

Day 71, #4: White Sox game, Chicago, IL.  Hanging out with the cousins at their beloved "Cell".  

Day 72: Oak Park, IL.  The Frank Lloyd Wright tour.

Day 73: Relaxing with the family. Mike's Uncle Ted and cousin Amanda and her family. 

Day 74: South side of Chicago, IL.  We explored the local Lithuanian museum.

And as all good things must come to an end, we left the big city and headed east towards Mike's cousin's (Amanda's brother, Chris) home in Moline, IL.  Moline is a very cute river town, but it's best known as the home of John Deere.  We took a quick driving tour around the world headquarters, then visited the John Deere Pavilion, which is really a big playground for farmers.  They have a combine and other tractors (sorry I am vague here; from a non-farmer's perspective, I don't know the difference between one tractor from another) in a huge indoor facility that you can "play" in.  Sure the tractors are turned off, but it was crazy to actually sit in such a state of the art piece of machinery; they really are so much larger than you expect.

Day 75:   The John Deere Pavilion, Moline, IL. 

From the Midwest to the Wild West...Part 4 coming soon!

Days 57-68, Playing Catch-up, part 2

We decided to take our trip international!  Since Vermont is right on the US-Canada border, with Walden, VT, only an hour from border patrol, we decided Bailey should have a stamp in her passport to really round out the journey.

The Parkers couldn't stop raving about the province of Québec, in particular Québec City, so of course we made the drive there first.  With the cobblestone streets, inclement weather and French cuisine and language, you can't help but feel like you are walking along the Seine in France, not just hours by car from the US.

The walled old city is truly spectacular to see, with it's immaculate gardens and flower boxes, pristine churches, glorious hotels and entertaining street performers.  What was icing on the cake, however, was the Image Mill, a huge outdoor movie "projected" onto the grain silos along the harbor--a great way to beautify these daytime eyesores.  

From one French-speaking town to another, we next drove to Montréal.  As gorgeous as Québec, Montréal has more of a modern feel to it, with all the same French character.  We spent the day admiring the sites and of course, photographing Bailey the tourist. 

Day 57: Québec City, QC, The Image Mill.  This is a free show that the city of Québec puts on nightly during the summer months.  The history of the city in images is set to music & transforms these huge silos into the world's largest screen.  See a little of what we're talking about in this quick video.

Day 58: Driving day from Québec City to Montréal.  Our beautiful Bailey in the morning light.  

Day 59: Montréal, QC.  Just another day, just another country for this international traveler.  

Day 60: Camping in the "suburbs" of Montréal, QC.  

 
Knowing our next big destination would be Illinois, where Mike has a lot of family, we figured the most monumental drive from Canada to Illinois would be through Niagara Falls.  Really, what road trip across the United States would be complete without seeing the most romantic place in America?
Thankfully my sister, Sara, gave me the advise to stop first at Niagara-on-the-Lake, a quaint town on the shores of Lake Ontario, famous for it's wine and ice cream.  Of course we would stop there!  We had a picnic on the shore, then Bailey got to play in the water, displaying her stick-fetching skills to all the American and Chinese tourists.  Then it was off to the falls!
What's most spectacular about the falls is the lack of safety barriers for negligent tourists.  Honestly, being from the US, where any oversight for the safety of the public is a lawsuit waiting to happen, it was refreshing to be somewhere so natural.  There were places along Lake Erie so easily accessible by foot, and yet, just yards away from a 175 foot waterfall.

Day 61: Niagara Falls, ON.  Such a beautiful site...maybe not the most romantic with all the tourists & getting wet from the mist, but beautiful.

From Niagara Falls, we headed to a great campground on the outskirts of Buffalo, NY.  Typical of our trip, we arrived to the campsite late at night, unknowing what the facilities held in store, but were happily greeted in the morning to camping almost waterside to Lake Erie.  Bailey was able to, again, show off her stick-fetching skills to a crowd of about 10 adoring children, then we were off on a long days drive south.
With not much to see or do on these long stretches of road, Mike and I tend to take any and every available detour that may be interesting.  Sometimes the detours are a waste of time and gas, but sometimes we have a great time and find the gems of America... We decided therefore to take our chances and head into Pennsylvania in the hopes of coming across some Amish country.  After about an hour of aimless driving, once again cursing our US guidebook for misleading us, we came upon this:

Day 62: Pennsylvania Amish country.  What a different site for 2 Californians!!  I truly appreciate how they've been able to keep their culture, their morals, yet live in such a modern world.

Wow!  How crazy is that?!  And not that I wanted to stare, but stare I did, so intrigued with their truly unique way of life.
As Mike and I sat parked in the Amish Peddler parking lot, watching carriage after carriage go by and hearing the click, clack, click, clack of horse hooves, I found myself daydreaming what their daily lives must entail: no cell phones, no television, no getting caught up in the consumption that the majority of Americans live with daily, just having a pure and simple life dedicated to one's family, land, community and God.  For a moment there I think both Mike and I entertained this lifestyle...but then a young Amish man and his family pulled up in their carriage, and as I tried not to stare, I noticed something that connected our two worlds: a bag of Doritos, in which the children were hungrily feasting on.  I guess our lives aren't as foreign to one another as I thought. Well, maybe....

And finally, after one last long day of driving, we pulled into the Land of Lincoln...

Day 63: Illinois state line.  We made it!!

Since Mike's parents are originally from Illinois (Mike's father's family were farmers in Southwest Illinois and Kathy, Mike's mother, was born and raised on the south-side of Chicago), we knew we had plenty to see and do.
We made our way first to South Jacksonville, IL, to stay with Mike (Mike's namesake) and Mary.  Mike and Mary live in a beautiful old turn of the century home right on Main Street.  In stories past, they'd always talk about the annual 4th of July parade in their small town, where all they had to do was set up their lawn chairs on their front sidewalk; there was no "staking out your claim" here.  Well, the parade no longer runs along their stretch of Main Street, but what finally occurred to me, as it hadn't anywhere else in the US before, was that I finally was on Main Street, USA, the heart of America.
Mike and Mary had a full schedule for us: we first visited Springfield and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library.  It was spectacular!!!  We learned so much about his tenure as president and the Civil War that I had no concept of before, plus the museum was very interactive, so every exhibit was engaging.  Then we headed to an area of Springfield that the National Parks is restoring--four blocks of Lincoln's neighborhood.  Sadly we went when all of the homes were closed, but the area was well-preserved and of course, very interesting as well.
The next couple days were spent relaxing, eating (we ate way too much!) and being chauffeured around the Illinois countryside, all awhile learning of Mike's family's history in the area.  We visited the family farm which Mike still owns a portion of and even spent one day in Hannibal, Missouri, the boyhood home of Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twain.  And how could I forget to mention the surprise visit to the Redneck Fishing Tournament in Bath, Illinois!  Yep, 'merica.

Day 64: Springfield, IL.  The home of Abraham Lincoln sits to the right in this photo of his neighborhood.  It was nice to read that Lincoln was very good friends with his neighbors..made me a little homesick for our awesome neighborhood!

Day 65: Hannibal, MO.  Mike, Mary, Mike & Bailey posing in front of the "Blue Bunny" Studebaker.

Day 66: South Jacksonville, IL.  Our day of rest: Bailey's favorite pastime is to stare squirrels down.  Maybe one day she'll make a friend, but squirrels are as uptight in Illinois as in California.  Sorry Bailey.

Day 67: Chandlerville, IL.  Mike checking out his bounty on the family farm.  Yep, they grow soybeans & corn.

BONUS Day 67: The fruit of the rednecks' bounty.  The reason behind the tournament is that Asian carp are very invasive to the area, so locals pride themselves on ridding the species from the rivers.  There are many ways of doing so, some of which I don't condone; check it out yourself on YouTube. 

Day 68: Grafton, IL.  Our last day with uncle Mike & aunt Mary.  Here we're enjoying lunch on the patio while checking out the Mississippi & Illinois rivers' convulance.  

  

Days 44-56: Playing Catch-up, part 1

Hello all!  I'm so embarrassed that we are this far behind in our blogging :(  We got off track due to two reasons: initially we were having too much fun to spend the extra time at the computer, but then we had no way to post as we had very limited internet access.  In fact, before today we haven't had wireless internet for about 18 days...

Anyway, we've seen a lot since our last post when we were last heading into Philadelphia for the day.  My parents met us in New York City where we saw what we could in 2 days, then we got out of the craziness and headed up the beautiful Hudson River Valley.  We were anxious to get some seafood though, so we headed towards the coast of Connecticut to a little town my parents remembered from years past, Mystic Seaport.  And what east coast trip wouldn't be complete without driving along the beautiful Cape Cod, of course with mouths open in awe at all the large, spectacular homes.  Daydreaming aside, we had to haul up to Boston so that my parents wouldn't miss their flight out! 

Day 44: New York City, NY.  Mike's first time in the craziness of Times Square!!  We also checked off on Mike's NYC trip: biking in Central Park, walking around the Diamond District & 5th Avenue, Grand Central Station, a walk along the beautiful High Line & dinner in SOHO. 

Day 45: New York City, NY, 911 Memorial.  For anyone traveling to New York soon, this is a must-see.  The memorial isn't totally complete yet, but it's very well done & very emotional, of course.  There are no words to describe the impact the two footprints of the missing WTC towers leaves on you.

Day 46: Glen Ridge, NJ.  We had the pleasure of staying with Robert & Elizabeth (my brother in law, Justin's, cousins) in their gorgeous home in picturesque Glen Ridge.  Besides the wonderful accommodations, Bailey had a blast playing with their two dogs & the location couldn't be beat: a 30 minute train ride took us right into Penn Station!

Day 47: Mystic Seaport, CT.  A great seafood feast at a bare-bones local restaurant, Abbott's Lobster in the Rough.  We're always excited to find a place that Bailey can join us, but this place couldn't be beat: an inexpensive meal eaten on a covered outdoor patio in the dripping rain, where you can watch the fishing boats come in for the day, all along drinking your own beer/wine (with no corkage fee)!  Plus, we met some local couples (one family had a Eurovan) who gave us the inside scoop on an amazing restaurant for dessert :) 

Day 48: Mystic Seaport, CT.  We started off our east coast adventure with this view from the porch of our bed & breakfast.  Although the four of us were trying to be frugal & camp every night (ok, Mike & I were the frugal ones), the rain was too heavy to enjoy a night sleeping in a tent.  Thankfully there are great websites out there for dog owners, that recommended this dog-friendly inn right on the harbor.

Day 49: Provincetown, MA.  A typical Cape Cod scene, but something I can get used to daily...

(If you'd like to read/see more of our adventures with Rick and Nan, please see my mom's take on the road trip here.)

After a very early morning drop off to the airport shuttle, Mike, Bailey and I spent the day exploring the historic city of Boston.  I've been to Boston before, but I think it's a city you never get tired of seeing, it really is so beautiful.  It's also one of those places that you become a nerd from experiencing--after walking the streets and learning about all that has occurred in that city, you can't help but want to read all you can about our nation's history and the role Boston played in shaping what our country is today.  (I know, totally a nerd thing to say.)

With only a little over a day to explore, we took a trolley tour to quickly see all the historic sites.  And thankfully we had that protection from the elements, as we got caught in another crazy thunderstorm!!  But, what we've learned from these summer storms is that if you can safely ride it out (and hopefully someplace dry), then it most likely will clear up into a beautiful day.  After getting caught twice, we finally were able to explore the city on foot and treat ourselves to some delicious cannelloni from the famous Mike's Pastry.  

Our time in Boston was capped off with walking through Boston University, home of the Boston Terriers, and of course, around Fenway Park.  

Day 50: Boston, MA.  Bailey staking her claim on her hometown.

Day 51: Boston, MA, Fenway Park.  Bailey was such a star in this town!  Not only did we get stopped by two separate local policemen who had to have lengthy conversations with us about their own Boston terriers, but Bailey's photo was taken in more places than I have ever seen.  Here you can see another tourist capturing the allure that is Bailey.  Just another day for this superstar...

From Boston, we headed straight to Vermont, aka the land of diary & Robin's Happy Place.  Here we met up with our good friends and neighbors from Chico, the Parker family, who try to spend the summer away at Julie's father's home.  

Of all the places we have stopped so far, I'm not surprised that it was in Vermont that I consumed the most amount of amazing food--the majority dairy of course.  And the most wonderful part of all the amazing food we ate is the fact that it's all produced locally & responsibly.  I've never been to a place that had such a collective, positive approach to the food industry, the treatment of it's animals & the health of it's people.  Without getting political, I'll simply state that Vermont has a lot going for it!  Not to mention the state's beauty--it's gorgeous!!

Day 52: Walden, VT.  Just one of the many quaint barns on a small country road in Vermont.

Day 53: Organic dairy farm in Sutton, VT.  We tried milking cows!!  Neither of us could actually milk the ladies, but it was a neat experience, that is until our lady "used the restroom" right next to us.  This photo was taken after we cleaned up.

Day 54: Bread & Puppet Theatre, Glover, VT.  We experienced this amazing "political theatre" put on by the Bread & Puppet troupe in the middle of a green cow pasture on a beautiful, sunny day.  Then we explored their museum of retired puppets, some of them life-size to 5x life-size.  Quite the experience!!!

Day 55: The Ben & Jerry's Factory, Waterbury, VT.  Need I say more then UTTERLY DELICIOUS?!

Day 56: Walden, VT.  Farewell to Froggy Pond; a rare photo of the Cooper-Parker clan, with the Cook guests.  

Days 38-43

Wow!  We have seen so much lately, it's hard to choose what to share with all of you!

The last time I posted our daily photos we were in Raleigh, NC, just about to leave for the Outer Banks.  The Outer Banks is basically a large sandbar(s) on the coast of North Carolina.  They are about 2.5 hours away by ferry (roughly 30 miles) & they protect the mainland from hurricanes; although they are known as North Carolina's "Graveyard", because they get the brunt of all the storms & have a history of many shipwrecks, they are absolutely gorgeous & well-known, aka a bit touristy.
We set off in the afternoon to the southern-most town of Ocracoke.  The ferry was long & hot, actually pretty miserable, but the views: amazing!

Day 38: On the road to the Outer Banks, NC.  Here Bailey is showing off her personal air conditioner, a wet bandanna.  

We saw all the local sites of the islands, not hard to do considering some parts of the sandbar are less than a mile wide!  Below is the most famous of the many lighthouses on the Outer Banks, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.  Crazily enough, this lighthouse has been moved from its original location, while still intact.  I'm sure it was no easy feat to move the tallest brick lighthouse in America!!

Day 39: Cape Hatteras National Seashore.  

After too many days & nights of sweltering heat & humidity, paired with the constant bombarding of biting flies & mosquitoes, we finally paid for a peaceful night in a hotel.  Unfortunately when you get a hotel at the last moment, you don't always find a pet-friendly hotel...We had to sneak Bailey into the room by stuffing her into our duffel bag!  She was such a good girl though & never made one peep!

Night 39: Newport News, VA.  Our Stowaway.

Ahhh...One of my favorite cities in America!!  We finally made it to Washington DC after lots of hours on the road & truthfully lots of arguments, too.  (Life on the road it not easy.)  We finally got to stretch our legs though & had a wonderful long walk to the White House.  Because of the high humidity that evening, the three of us happened upon an almost empty sidewalk in front of this landmark.  Such a site!!

Day 40: Washington DC.  

Having traveled to DC before, I insisted our first day should include the Smithsonian's Air & Space Museum.  I just love how you walk through the doors & see full-size planes hanging above you!  There is so much history at all the Smithsonians--where else can you stand next to a Hubble telescope, then see one of Amelia Earhart's record-setting planes?

Day 41: Air & Space Museum, Washington DC.

Our final day in DC began with a sobering tour of Arlington Cemetery.  We watched the Changing of the Guards twice & Mike was amazed at the precision of the Army men: every step between three men is synchronized with utmost accuracy & its unreal that they perform this ceremony 365 days a year, 24/7.

Day 42: The Changing of the Guard at Arlington National Cemetery.

After a crazy thunderstorm, which thankfully we did not get stuck in, we ventured out late in the evening to walk the memorials.  We probably arrived at the World War II Memorial around 10:30 at night & we were surprised how many couples & families were still out as well.  The paths connecting the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial are so well lit & with secret servicemen constantly roaming around, one feels so safe.  Plus, with the lighting & the lack of crowds, nighttime seems like the ideal time for such a stroll.
Below, one of Mike's favorites..

Night 42: The Lincoln Memorial, Washington DC.

With so many wonderful things to see, Mike & I have decided to make a separate trek back to Washington in the near future.  Although we saw a lot in our two days, I know we missed too many sites.
Mike made a really good point about DC that I want to share with you all: Every American needs to come visit this wonderful city.  The endless history, the memorials, the architecture...everything in this city makes you want to learn more about your country & the key people & events that have made the world what it is today.  Please, please, plan a trip with your family!!


After tearing ourselves away from DC, we made the not so long trip to Philadelphia.  After seeing so much in DC, I have to say I didn't find Philly as exciting as I thought I would.  Maybe I have a biased opinion though...I did get yelled & honked at one too many times.  Hmmm, the City of Brotherly Love really doesn't have much love for Californians.
And hence the photo of the drive to Philly instead:

Day 43: On the road to Philadelphia, PA.  A fellow Silver Eurovaner!!

And the next post, New York & beyond, with some special guests...