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Published: August 31st 2008
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It's Unanimous--Badlands Most Impressive
In a trip full of stunning landscapes, the Badlands made all of our lists for "top sites seen." Mysterious, otherworldly, engaging. We'd all go back for another visit. The boys are back in school now. JJ is a senior and Scott, a sophomore.
You asked about a Road Trip? What Road Trip? Oh, yeah …. THAT Road Trip.
People ask: What were the Best Places? The Best Things to Do? Before it all fades into history, we’ve blogged them in this post: First, we give our Thirty-Nine Travel Lessons Learned, then the kids’ Five Travel Lessons Learned. Then: Best Places Visited, Twenty-two Common Everyday Sights, Best Travel Guides, Best Hotel, Questions to Ask Hotels, Funny Lines, Signs and Bumper Stickers, Voice and Data Connectedness, Best Diversions, Best Meals, Animals Seen, Parks Visited, Favorite New Wine. The final trip notes are in the second post, detailing the trip across Pennsylvania, back to home, and the weeks since.
Thanks to all for joining us. Thanks to Susan M. in San Francisco for her extended hospitality. Thanks and thanks again to Baboise and Wolfe, our friends who cared for the house better than we ever have! Thanks to our office staff, Dianne, Ann, Sonya, Valerie, Jessica, Andrea for being everything they are—smart, efficient, fun, hardworking. The best co-workers a Floonian could ask for.
Hail, Floonia!
Thirty-Nine Travel Most Flowers Seen
At Yellowstone, there were miles and miles of Alpine meadows in full bloom during the later half of July. Lessons Learned:
1. Every team effort is susceptible to sagging in the middle. That’s where the leader comes in.
2. Every trip needs a leader.
3. Sometimes the leader sags in the middle.
4. When in doubt, ask a park ranger.
5. Packing is highly overrated: We never really finished packing and we're already back.
6. The US is smaller than we thought
7. Once you get rolling, everything is close.
8. Keep your pace lively. It keeps “them” off guard.
9. Leave the “must see” and “must do” at home.
10. A double bed is not a queen bed.
11. The road looks different when it's in the rear view mirror.
12. Once you’ve bought the ticket, don’t force everyone to make the most of it.
13. There is a difference between a trip and a guilt trip.
14. If someone can only take a little, they can only take a little.
15. There’s always more to see.
16. Learn to take the local bus.
17. If someone wants to sit in the car, they should sit in the car.
18. Mother Nature isn’t under contract to the cruise lines.
19. Mother Nature isn’t bound to perform according
The Power of Up-Close
Wolves and bears up close have a power that photos can't portray--though Scott and JJ both did their best to capture the feeling on camera. to cruise advertising.
20. The Captain does not turn around for shopping emergencies.
21. Go where the crowds are not.
22. In search of beauty, you get some truth.
23. Get a trip mascot. Treat him nice.
24. Humans on vacation are so-o-o-o ... human!
25. If someone wants to play their music loud on the car stereo, play their music.
26. If someone wants you to help them spell a Scrabble word just as you’re getting to an interesting part of your audio book, spell the Scrabble word.
27. Is someone is tired, stop.
28. Sometimes you just have to slow down, even at Yellowstone National Park.
29. You can only digest so much in any given unit of time.
30. One person's spiritual experience can be another's Scrabble opportunity.
31. One person’s boring topic can be another’s burning question.
32. Censorship does not work in a carload of guys.
33. Moderation in all things, including travel distances.
34. When living from suitcases, get a first floor room.
35. When traveling with kids, occasionally pay for a separate room.
36. Park in the shade.
37. Carry plenty of quarters.
38. Bring a car charger for your electronics.
39. Sometimes,
Most Spiritual Place--for Some
Was the Medicine Wheel the most profoundly spiritual place we saw or was it a high altitude Scrabble opportunity? Paul and Kathy found the Medicine Wheel most awe-inspiring. It was built by Native Americans over several hundred years at nearly 10,000' elevation in what is now the Bighorn National Forest. Scott walked all the way up and back playing Scrabble on his cell phone. riding in peaceful silence for long stretches says it all.
Kids’ Travel Lessons Learned: 1. Never travel with your family
2. If you have to travel with your family, bring a friend.
3. If you have to travel with your family, bring your iPod.
4. If you have to travel with your family, ditch ‘em somewhere in South Dakota.
5. If you have to pick a hotel with free breakfast, ask about the breakfast before you book.
6. Trip mascots like the Prairie Dog and Ainoolf won’t work unless you have a dad like ours.
Best Places—“I’d go back in a heartbeat!” 1. Badlands
2. Redwood forests
3. Alaska and northern Canada
Places not visited, remaining for future excursions: 1. Grand Canyon
2. North Dakota
3. Grand Tetons
4. Rest of World
Twenty-two Common, Everyday Sights 1. The Fat Food Four: McDonald’s,Burger King, Wendy's, Taco Bell, plus miscellaneous others
2. Casinos
3. Harleys
4. Cigarette smokers
5. Starbucks
6. T-shirt shops
7. Miscellaneous hamburger and ice cream stops
8. Signs promoting corn and soy for power
9. High prices—there were no bargain spots.
10. Toyota Prius hybrid cars
11.
View from Bighorn Medicine Wheel
Probably the highest elevation we reached on this trip, Native Americans carried stones from many places to create the meditation circle. You can see three states from the site, perhaps 100 miles distance. Windmills
12. Bicycles
13. Signs advertising Internet access, even on the loneliest country roads.
14. Cabela’s—a sport shop with an emphasis on fishing and hunting—under construction at exits coast to coast.
15. Adult marts
16. Endless trains carrying coal
17. Regional wineries
18. Sunflowers volunteering along the road
19. Too few recycling opportunities for bottles, cups, bags and car trash
20. Satellite dishes
21. Wyoming State Police
22. Video surveillance at every highway exit
Best travel guides: 1. 1000 Places to See in US and Canada
2. AAA regional maps
3. Scenic Drives in US and Canada
Best overall hotel stay: Marriott Residence Inn at Independence, OH, outside Cleveland. (family suite).
Questions to ask hotels before you book: 1. If they claim to have a pool or hot tub, is it operating?
2. Double check the size of bed. A few times we were told we were getting queen beds, but found doubles on our arrival. (“Honey, I think they lost part of the bed.”)
3. Family suites are the best for a traveling family: two separate rooms, one kitchenette. (Gotta’ love these opportunities to cash in airline miles!)
4. Ask
Most Impressive Sunset
Sunset at the Yellowstone geysers is like no other sunset. Congratulations to Scott for one of the best shots of the trip. for rooms on the 1st floor.
5. Is there a free breakfast? (Scott says: Ask for details about the breakfast! No more bad breakfasts!)
6. Ask about free internet.
Lines, Signs and Bumper Stickers:
- Best Road Signs:
A picture of young Albert Einstein at a school desk carried the following message: "Even Einstein Wasn't an Einstein."
- Most Disturbing Bumper Sticker
"God Bless Our Marines, Especially Our Snipers."
- Best Bumper Sticker:
"My Other Car Is a Bicycle."
- Most Incongruous Site:
Family with prayer book, praying next to slot machine.
- Funniest salad menu:
At the Crook County Saloon, the salad section of the menu said the following: “Okay, order a salad if you must—but wouldn't it be better to feed your veggies to a cow and order a burger?”
- Funniest Hotel Name:
Ho Hum Hotel in West Yellowstone
Voice and Data Connectedness: 1. Lower your expectations. There’s poor cell phone service along much of the road
2. Internet access is dicey—most hotels have free access, but some not. Some don’t have wireless, so only one computer can use the Internet at a time. Some
Best Lunch Stop: Skylon Tower
Mr. Cool sips from a Skylon Tower glass while we lunch at the revolving restaurant 525' above the drama of Niagara Falls. hotels had good Internet support, some not. This was an occasional source of tension.
3. We did subscribe to mobile Internet access, which is essentially the same as cell phone service for your laptop. Therefore, the service was spotty.
Best Diversions 1. Imaginary travelers—the Prairie Dog, Ainoolf, a naming contest, the Jackalopes, the King of Floonia
2. The License Plate Game
3. The Alphabet Game
4. Scrabble & puzzles
5. Blogging
6. iPods
7. Text messaging
Stimuli to Valuable Conversation: 1. Road signs
2. Conversations overheard in restaurants.
3. People's outfits
4. Billboards
Favorite New Wine: Avery Lane Vineyards, from Columbia Valley, Washington
Best Meals: Breakfast: Mitchell’s Family Diner in Idaho Falls, ID. Biscuits 6” high, a three-egg omelet that looks like a six-egg omelet, fresh cheddar cheese, baked apples, and all the coffee and tea you can drink.
Lunch: Skylon Tower at Niagara Falls, CN—Delectable French cuisine 525’ above one of the world’s great destinations, Niagara Falls.
Dinner: Carino’s in Missoula, MT—For $14.95, you get exquisite Italian dishes of such quantity you could feed two for each dinner ordered.
Best new plant: Dwarf Buckwheat, plant adapted to growing
Casino Madness
We were amazed at the number of roadside casinos, like this one at Elko, NV. in pure lava at Craters of the Moon National Park.
Animals Seen: Prairie dogs
Eagles, at Yellowstone, in Washington, and in Alaska and Canada
Bear
Wolf
Osprey
Mule Deer
Buffalo
Coyote
Whales of various sorts
Seats dolphins
Cattle
Horses
Sheep
Llamas and alpacas
Hoary marmot
Miniature squirrels
Huskies
Mountain goats
Parks visited: Mt. Rushmore
Yellowstone
Badlands
Windy Cave
Redwood National Forest
Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park
Craters of the Moon
Mt. Rainier area
Muir Woods
Alcatraz
Medicine Wheel
Mt. St. Helens
Yukon National Preserve
Custer State Park
Little Bighorn National Park
Devil's Tower
Tracy Arm
Misty Fjord
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