It took a couple hours to get to the RV in St. George, UT, an hour to learn about it, and then another 2 hours to get HERE –> Hatch, Utah.  RVs are TOO COOL!  It has enough seat belts for 8, sleeps 10, and has enough cabinets to squirrel away your things so as to never find them again!  We are staying at Riverside Ranch on the Sevier River.  Daddy and son can roll out of bed and go fly fishing first thing (while I sleep!)  Grateful for the shelter, though – it’s another 28 degree night.  Brr.  Our plan was to hit Zion NP but the tunnel to the park is closed due to falling rocks.  Yikes!  It doesn’t matter – it’s God’s country here.  All beautiful.  Can’t wait to see what we see!!

  

Left Jackson in the snow (again!) this morning.  We had hoped to drive to Jenny Lake/Grand Teton NP but decided against it.  Visibility is poor with the snow.  ?? So … we headed south to Beaver, UT.  Lots of mountainside letters here – landmark tradition of towns and schools alike.  There’s still rain in horizon but I think we’re finally out of the snow.  The most exciting sight today was the Osprey-Eagle squabble we witnessed.  Pictures could be sharper but they sure capture the memory!

 

  

 

Fell asleep to rain and woke up to snow.  Brrr. It made getting up and packing out much harder.  Had a quick breakfast and were ready to go by 8:30.  We went to the Old Faithful Inn, Visitors Center, and gift shops while hubby made his conference call.  Then it was time to see Old Faithful erupt.  It was still snowing and the paths were very slippery so we decided against any of the walks.  And to top it off, all the roads but the West Entrance were closed.  So we bade farewell to Yellowstone and headed to Jackson, WY.  We managed to find a loftroom with a balcony so we spread out the tarp, tent &fly, and sleeping bags.  It’s like a refugee camp in here!

I love town squares and Jackson has one.  It’s surrounded by shops and shops – tourist haven.  My favorite memory today – Yellowstone snow covering the trees,  the mountains, and the bison.   Awe inspiring.

      

We headed to Yellowstone NP this morning.  We drove the Yellowstone southern loop (northern loop was closed), picnic-ed on the lake, walked the Prismatic Spring,  and saw the Yellowstone Grand Canyon.  It’s not quite spring here – we even saw snow flurries – twice!  We also spotted herds of bison, elk (even in our campground) and a lone coyote.  We’re camping tonight.  It’s raining now but we may still get snow.  Hoping we all stay warm and dry…

         

  

We’ve moved on to our next wild west town – Cody, Wyoming.  Home to Buffalo Bill.  A long drive but not as long as the others.   We stayed in cute log cabins at Cody’s Cowboy Village.  Complete with spa and bunnies.  We’re here before the summer rush so no rodeos.   Another visit, I guess. It’s time for our first visit to the local laundromat – hamper is full. ?

Happy Mother’s Day!  We tried Biscuits and Gravy at the Cowboy Corner for breakfast.  It was good and, thankfully, filled our bellies for a while.  We walked and drove, exploring the Badlands.   Unbelievable!  Words can’t really describe this area.  The formations, the crevices, the size.  We saw bison, deer, prairie dogs (totes adorbs!), a big horn sheep, and a mountain goat.  Even got pictures to prove it!  We drove through Wall and Keystone, SD (kitschich!) on our way to Mount Rushmore.  We said “Hi” to the presidents and then headed to Deadwood, SD.  This town is full of saloon casinos and is where Wild Bill Hickcock was assassinated.  Not really family friendly – kids were kicked out by 8:30 – but it was a neat town.

      

Another early morning.  We left at 5am for Interior, South Dakota, a 13+ hour drive through Wisconsin and Minnesota.  We got our first view of The Badlands near sunset.  Incredible!  Town is a generous way to describe Interior but the room was clean and views amazaing.  Dinner was pizza at the Wagon Wheel.  Local flavor.

What to do when you’ve only got one day?  Well, you take a river tour of Chicago’s architecture, of course!  And a quick drive around Wheaton College.  Or, maybe you shadow your buddie at school.  😉   Evenings are for watching your friend in Spotlight’s performance of Godspell, listening to Tessa Afshar (award-winning Tyndale House author) with the ladies, or playing TopGolf with the boys.  Either way – it’s making memories with friends.

 

It was Thursday morning – 4am – with clear skies and a bright moon.  The sun was still sleeping but we were awake and ready.  It was time to hit the road – north into Maryland, rainy Pennsylvania, then west through Ohio and Indiana, until we finally arrived.  We drove 12 hours and crossed 1 time zone to West Chicago and a quick visit with good friends.  🙂