It was cold this morning. So cold we had to turn on the heater to bring the RV up to a comfortable temperature. We all slept late for a change. Our typical morning has begun between 6:30 - 7:00. Today we languished in bed until 8:30 - a real treat for those of us who savor sleeping in late! After booking an evening lake cruise and perusing the gift shop for Grand Teton mementos, we moseyed down the road for yet another horseback riding adventure. Only we didn't realize when we set off that we'd be going back country, practically off-roading in our 30-foot vehicle for the last 5 miles of the trip! Billy kept lamenting that we were too noisy and bound to scare off any wildlife we might otherwise encounter. We arrived at the ... read more

Sorry for the missed post, but we stayed at Fishing Bridge Campground in Yellowstone last night and had no cell phone, no Internet, no connectivity of any kind. Totally unplugged. Really missed being able to post at night, too! The drive from Cody to Yellowstone National Park was filled with twists and turns through valleys and gorges lined with enormous mountains of varying composition, from rock and clay to evergreen forests. As we weaved our way through them, I couldn’t help seeing them as sleeping giants, completely oblivious and undisturbed by the temporary and pesky existence of humans. Despite only having one day here, Yellowstone completely lived up to its reputation. We began with Old Faithful, watching the geyser from the balcony of the Inn, which in itself was a sight to see. The towering lobby, ... read more

How do you celebrate a 12th birthday when staying in an RV touring National Parks? Horseback riding, of course! Maggie's wish for her birthday was to go horseback riding, and Todd worked non-stop in the morning to make it happen. After a brief tour of Bedrock City for Sean and Maggie (complete with a ride on a go-kart powered Flintstone-mobile), we ended up at Palmer's Gulch Stables, part of the KOA Campground in Hill City, SD. What a gift - for all of us! The boys had never been, and Maggie had limited experience. But the gentle horses were perfect for our novice group, the scenery peaceful and rejuvenating for your spirit, and the guides for our group entertaining and capable. We rode the Buckaroo Loop for about an hour, with Marcia and the kids in ... read more

What a day! We started with a leisurely stay at our hotel this morning in Colby, KS, swimming in the pool and (mostly) hot tub after a terrific breakfast. Hitting the road later than expected, around 11:45 am, we were psyched to pick up that extra hour when we crossed from Central to Mountain time! Saw a lot more amber waves of grain on this drive than yesterday - fields that went as far as the eye could see, dotted only by the occasional silo or windmill or house (very, very occasional). The drive seemed quick enough, though, and before long we were spying the impressive mountain range in the distance through the haze. Finally, something worthy of our admonishments to the kids to look out the window! Even they couldn't be unimpressed by the soaring ... read more

We made the most of our unexpected stay in Louisville by checking out the Louisville Slugger Museum (well, at least the gift shop) and then swinging by Churchill Downs for a quick pic before heading west once again. After a 20-minute wait in a Dairy Queen drive-thru, we finally hit the road in earnest around 12:30, passing the gateway to the West just after 3:00 pm. Gotta love that westward time change when you gain an hour in your day! Happily, the car top carrier is now a silent companion! But by far the highlight of our day was gathering with extended family here in St. Louis at Pete & Mary Watts' house. We spent hours visiting with Travers and Koboldt family members, while the kids grew gills in the pool. It was a truly spectacular ... read more