Day 4: Tuesday, July 28, 2009: Rushmore, Crazy Horse, and Devils Tower Leaving Wall, Sophie (etc.) and I sauntered our way through the Black Hills National Forests, largely filled with sweet-smelling pine trees. The goal for the day is to visit all three National Monuments, beginning with Mt. Rushmore in the Black Hills National Forest, then 17 miles to the Crazy Horse Memorial, and finally, approx. 150 miles to Devils Tower, forever linked to the image of Richard Dryfess in Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The site is in Wyoming. Ranking the three monuments from “favorite” down: Devils Tower, Rushmore, and Crazy Horse. Mr. Rushmore, obviously an iconic tribute to four U.S. Presidents: Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln (and, hopefully, they left room for Obama after he works his magic). The site does not ... read more

Day 2: Fort Pierre National Grasslands, 20 miles south of Ft. Pierre, South Dakota As previously mentioned, Sophie (le dog) and I had, in just 24 hours gone from the city of big shoulders to the middle of South Dakota. I had made a good dinner, consisting of Zataran’s cheddar rice, dried Trader Joe lentils, and peanuts, drizzled with hot sauce. Excellent, and really allowed me to think seriously about lying down on a grassy bed. I had repacked the truck twice, taking a general inventory and bringing some needed items closer to the back. I now had enough room to work of the back tailgate. One item about the west is how quickly the weather can changed. The hot sun and dry conditions produces quick weather—I’ve seen a 30 degree change in temperature. During the ... read more

Sunday July 26, 2009: Day 2: Sioux Falls, S.D. It’s 10 a.m. and Sophie (the traveling blog dog) and I are in a dog park in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Very nice—at least 25 dogs all running around here off-leash. She certainly earned it after the all-night drive from Chicago on day two of our Chicago to Salt Lake City trek…she also earned the remains of my breakfast at a diner here (veggie omelet: $7.99; coffee $1.99) It was bittersweet leaving Chicago—sweet to leave the city and bitter that it takes so much to get out of town; the traffic was terrible all the way from Bronzeville (our base), through the city and out past O’Hare. It continued onto the tollway, where they managed to both get money outta' me and hold me back/slow me down. ... read more

Sat. July 25th In Which the Author States his Travelblog’s Statement of Purpose: Firstly, thanks for viewing my travelblog, which covers a summer cross-country driving trip originating in Chicago, Illinois (U.S.) on July 25, 2009 with a final western destination occurring on August 14th in Salt Lake City, Utah, with various yet-to-occur adventures in between. I invite comments, suggestions, grammar corrections, etc. As I’m beginning, it’s certainly relevant to provide a “state of purpose” for the blog—to seek and state the objectives of not only the trip, but the notion of believing that it’s important/interesting enough to want to share with others. I certainly want to capture the “nuts and bolts” of traveling, adding travel tips that I find useful and that others may find helpful. In addition, I’m allowing myself room for “sidebars,” thus freeing ... read more