Las Vegas - Day 6 - September 1, 2015

Today was our last day in Vegas. Our flight wasn't until 11:30pm so we were able to enjoy our day without rushing. We went to Fat Burgers for breakfast as usual. Saw some action going down on the sidewalk, which included a dude with six bottles of perfume in his pocket, a maid and some security guys. After breakfast we went to the pool and enjoyed our last day of sunshine. The girls did laps in the lazy river and stopped to soak up the sun in our "usual" spots. After the pool we walked the strip, visited the gardens at the Belagio and collected poker chips from a bunch of different casinos. We ended up at Ceasar's Palace and walked through the mall. The ceilings and statues there are pretty cool. Had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory again!! Another delicious dinner!! Couldn't finish my Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake. After dinner the guys went off to TI to gamble a bit more and the girls headed back down the strip. We did make one last pit stop at Marshall's - lots of great deals there. Then it was back to the room to get ready to head home. On the way to the airport we had a shifty cabbie who long hauled us to the airport. He took the tunnel to increase his fair which is illegal. We called him on it and he was pretty quick to lower the rate because if we report him he can get a pretty big fine. Technically we don't have to pay him at all. Got to the airport and the rest is history .... Had an awesome trip!! Now it's back to reality. 

Hangin at the pool. 

Gardens at the Belagio. 

Cool ceiling at Ceasar's

Crazy eyes ... Totally thought this guy was real ... Found out he's actually a statue!!

Don't take this cab ... Shifty dude!!

Las Vegas - Day 5 - August 31st, 2015

Long but amazing day today ... We got up early to catch our bus to the Grand Canyon. The bus arrived at 6:15 to take us on our way. It's a four hour drive each way so a bus tour worked out well and allowed for some relaxation along the way. We watched some funny movies on the bus - RV Vacation with Robin Willams and Vegas Vacation with the Grizwalds.  Our guide Mark from 1-800-4-Canyon was great and very knowledgeable. We stopped in Williams for lunch at the Grand Canyon Railway & Hotel. The buffet lunch was minimal but it filled my belly. We stocked up on candy at the Dollar General because it's way cheaper than candy on the strip. We travelled along Route 66 for a bit and I would love to drive it start to finish one day ... What's left of it anyway. We finally arrived at the Canyon just after lunch and my first glimpse of it was breathtaking. We saw the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone earlier this summer but this was just WOW!! Our tour took us to the South Rim and we walked along the trail to Angel Stone, which was about a 5km walk. I'm pretty proud of myself as I got waaaay closer to the edge than I thought I would. My husband on the other hand had to go out on the edge of every cliff, hang over the edges and climb out to some crazy places. I'm happy to say that he also came home in one piece. Again, my pictures will not do justice to the beautiful scenery but I got some stunning shots. The bus ride back was pretty quiet and uneventful. Although, there was an accident on the other side of the highway which started a brush fire that we drove through. Stopped at Carl Jr's on the back for dinner - meh! Saw the Hoover Dam light up at night which was pretty cool. It's twelve stories high and pretty breathtaking to look at. Finally, arrived back at our hotel at about 9:30. The guys went out gambling again and I'm exhausted. Night all!

Our travels took us onto Route 66 for a bit. 

The Grand Canyon

Crazy ... ?!?

Not as close as it looks!

The Grand Canyon

Las Vegas - Day 4 - August 30th, 2015

Today it was a little easier to get up as our neighbours partied themselves out last night. Got up, claimed our spots at the pool and then it was back to Fat Burgers for Breakfast, which was yummy as usual. We went to the pool until just after lunch, and left before things got too crazy. We headed out on the Deuce to the outlet mall which was just okay. No great deals out there especially with our dollar in the toilet!! We had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory which was fabulous!! I'll need to go back there again a bunch of times so I can try everything!! After the outlets we headed to Old Vegas on the Ace and walked down Freemont Street. It's pretty spectacular lit up at night. My biggest disappointment was that I didn't get to "zoom", which is a giant zip line that goes from one end of Freemont to the other. You get to fly like superman seven stories above the crowds. It would have been awesome but the wait was too long and it probably wasn't the best idea with a belly full of cheesecake!! We saw some "interesting" sites as we walked along. We took the Ace and headed back to the Strip. The guys ditched us and went to Treasure Island to try their luck and the girls headed back to the hotel, completely exhausted! Up early tomorrow morning to go see the Grand Canyon ... Excited!!

Welcome sign on Freemont Street

Salted Caramel Cheesecake ... Yum!

Not me Zooming along Freemont Street

The lights on Freemont Street

Day 3 - Las Vegas - August 29th, 2015

Today was a little slower paced. Woke up a bit later due to the party room next door. They came crashing in around 4:30am and the returned again after round two at about 6:30am. Not to thrilled to share in their party!! We had the all day buffet at the hotel today. So headed down for breakfast at about 8:30am and ate waaaay to much as you normally do at an all you can eat buffet. Headed to the pool early and spent most of the day pool side. Made many visits to the lazy river to cool off and of course for the entertainment!! Finally, had enough sun and headed back to the buffet for a late lunch. Learned my lesson and had a much smaller meal. Went up to the room for a nap and shower (rough day so far) after that. Then it was off to Treasure Island on the Duece bus to see Cirque Du Soliel's Mystere. It is the original Cirque show here in Vegas and it was amazing!! The acrobatics were unbelievable. I can't say I've ever seen a bad cirque show!! Had to stop and play the slots for a bit. Had a gentleman come up to us and ask if he could take a picture of our feet for his Facebook page ... Ummm, no!! That's a bit creepy!! Headed back to our hotel for a very late dinner, then it's off to bed for the girls while the guys head out to win big!! Fingers crossed ... I cashed out a biggie today and increased my winnings by .25 cents, yup ... Big winner!! Night all!

Cool motorcycle at Treasure Island

Cirque - Mystere

Big winner!! Oh yeah!!

Having fun!!

Las Vegas - Day 2 - August 28th, 2015

Busy day today ... Woke up around 5:30, but managed to fall back to sleep until 6:30. Got up and went to our favourite breakfast spot Fat Burgers on the Strip and had some bacon and eggs. Did a little shopping, went into Ross, Famous Footwear, Marshalls and the M&M store. The slots weren't as nice to us today and I lost all my money I put in but after my big win last night I'm still up $2!! Went to the pool for the afternoon because it is hot, hot, hot here ... The pool was good and very entertaining - if you know what I mean!! Did laps around the lazy river to stay cool and to people watch ... More entertainment!  Went to 800 Degrees and ate some delicious pizza for dinner. The girls were going to go see a show but the one we wanted to see wasn't on so we decided to go to the Aquarium at Mandalay Bay and check out the Sharks. The guys went to the Belagio and Caesar's to do a little gambling. Lots of walking today, I'm exhausted ... Night all!

M&M Store

Mandalay Bay Aquarium

The Strip

My view of the Strip from our room. 

Las Vegas - Day 1 - August 27th, 2015

We left home around dinner time and arrived in Las Vegas at 10:30pm (1:30am our time). Our flight was uncomfortable but uneventful. After the third hour I discovered the head rest folded out to support you head and I was able to nap peacefully! We had a great cabbie from the airport who recommended dinner at The Top of the World restaurant in the Stratosphere and to go see the Cirque du Soliel show Mystere. The Monte Carlo is not as grand as the MGM but it's a nice spot. Once we put our stuff in our rooms we headed down stairs in search of a snack. For a city that never sleeps they don't keep their food outlets open late ... Alas, no snack for my rumbling tummy!! However, I did double my money already ... Bet two dollars and won $5 on the Big Bang Theory slot machine. Pretty excited!! Let's hope my winning streak continues ... If I keep going like this I could come home with an extra $40 bucks!! It is now 4am at home so time to hit the hay and call it a night!! The guys are still out gambling ... Win big, boys, win big!!  Sweet dreams everyone ... 😴

Favourites ... Summer Road Trip

Trip Song: Honey I'm Good by Andy Grammar

Favourites ...

Campfire Meal

S - pancakes & bacon

M - dorrito nachos 

J - dorrito nachos

A - meatballs 

Campfire Dessert

S - s'more cones

M - s'more cones

J - campfire popcorn

A - banana boat

Dinner/lunch out

S - Magpie & Stump Mexican in Banff

M - Magpie & Stump in Banff

J - Taco Del Mar, Washington

A - Paradise Valley in Medicine Hat

Favourite Place

S - Yellowstone - geysers, hot springs

M - Yellowstone - Upper & Lower Falls

J - Badlands & Mount Rushmore

A - the pool at Kitsilano Beach

Favourite animal siting ...

S - Buffalo or bear

M - Buffalo

J - elk at Banff campground

A - Buffalo

Favourite state/province

S - Montana

M - Wyoming 

J - Alberta - Banff

A - Wyoming - Devil's Tower

Best Campsite

S - Saskatchewan Landing PP

M - Rainbow Falls PP, Ontario

J - Banff - chasing the elk

A - KOA Coloma, Michigan - bounce bubble

Favourite Memory

S - seeing hot springs & geysers for first time at Yellowstone

M - seeing Nan & family out west & walking in the Glacial River. 

J - seeing the McManus clan

A - seeing the McManus clan

Top three

S - seeing friends & family, Yellowstone, Morraine Lake, Badlands

M - seeing family, Morraine Lake, Big Horn Scenic Bypass, Glacier

J - Outlet Mall, chasing the elk, Badlands

A - Blue Lake Park, the bounce bubble at the Coloma KOA, The Local Public Eatery at Kitsilano

Favourite song on the radio

S - all the classic rock

M - Bad Blood - Taylor Swift

J - Walk A Miracle?? - new Fall Out Boy

A - Fight Song - Rachel ...

One thing you learned ...

S -  Don't walk close to the Hotsprings & geysers because there is a thin crust. If you fall through you can be burned or killed. 

M - our glaciers are beautiful but disappearing quickly

J - Buffalo is the largest land animal

A - Kodak bear prints are huge

Things I Learned ...

Summer Road Trip - I Learned ...

(In no particular order)

1. Classic rock brings back memories of younger years. We can still rock it out in the car and look cool doing it! 

2. Nature makes me feel peaceful. 

3. Free wifi doesn't mean fast or reliable. 

4. I need more than one sweatshirt regardless of what others say. A light weight winter coat and a toque too!

5. I need to pack less clothes - yup, I said it and put it in writing!

6. Steep mountain roads terrify me, especially when there is no shoulder or guard rail. 

7. The pictures I took are beautiful but cannot capture the beauty we saw. 

8. I need more photo storage for trips like this. 

9. That Canada & the US are absolutely beautiful countries but we've only scratched the surface. 

10. People will do anything, I mean anything to make sure they're not driving behind someone pulling a trailer. 

11.  KOA is conveniently located next to the highway, you can hear the highway ALL night!! 

12. If the bathroom doesn't meet my standards I won't shower and will use the bathroom sparingly. 

13. Always remember the 30amp plug when leaving the campsite. Buy a bright yellow one to help!!

14. Things happen - deal with it and move on. 

15. Enjoy the good times, forget the problems. 

16. When I say let's stop at the outlet mall ... The car usually accelerates and we miss the exit!

17. Eating lunch out of the car saves a lot of money. 

18. Spending time with friends & family is priceless, even if it is a short visit. 

19. Headphones, DVD players and iPads make the car ride bearable for kids and saves the sanity of parents. 

20. Screens are banned when in National Parks and where the scenery is breathtaking - children need to look out the window!!

21. When trip planning we need to add an extra hour a day for bathroom & lunch stops. 

22. When trip planning leave a down day every 3-4 days where we can just relax and hangout. 

Day 20 - Coloma, Michigan

The Another long driving day today. We drove across Wisconsin, Illinois, a quick jaunt through Indiana and we have arrived in Coloma, Michigan. We decided to detour around Chicago because of all the toll roads. Due to construction and detours we had a lovely tour of one of the suburbs of Chicago. I'm pretty sure if the GPS could swear, she'd be swearing at us by now or maybe completely not talking to us ... But she is persistent and doesn't give up on her chosen route. It was a long day and I'm not feeling great ... Summer cold - maybe? We arrived at the Coloma KOA around dinner time. We have a nice site with lots of trees. Bathrooms ... Won't be using often and the showers - nope! They had a cool bounce bubble that the three 'kids' played on and I got some good pics. Then off to the pool for a swim before dinner. Looking forward to getting home tomorrow and sleeping in my bed, having clean clothes and downloading hundreds of pictures. Off to dinner & our campfire. See you tomorrow!! Just woke up ... Wow! Really loud here. Between the firecrackers going off at 10:30, the highway traffic and the train that I thought was passing through the trailer ... Not a peaceful sleep last night.

Bouncing bubble

 

AR's Post on Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Today we drove about 7 hours. We stopped at McDonalds we had the big breakfast it was delicious🍟. Then we got to the camp site and went on this bubble, it's really bouncy😊. Then went swimming straight away. Then we had dinner it was pasta-yummy! Then we went back to the bubble for a while. Then came back roasted marshmallows, played soccer and went to bed. That's all today. BYE BYES !

JR's Post on Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Today was a not as long day. We travelled from Rochester, Minnesota to Coloma, Michigan. We had McDonald's for breakfast we shared the Hungry Man breakfast. Once we arrived at the campsite we went on a bouncy house with no walls, then we went for a swim in the pool. It was warm. One day left till home. Yay!

AR's Post on Monday, July 20, 2015

Today we stated driving it was a 10 hour drive - so long! Then we got to the camp site got the camper up and went swimming the pool. They had tons of balls to play with. Then we came back and had dinner we had craft dinner - yummy🍩. Then we went to the park and played. Then we came back had a fire and I don't know if we're playing skip-Bo. That's all today. BYE BYES

JR's Post on Monday, July 20, 2015

Today was a long long day, we traveled 10 hours today and 7 hours tomorrow. We stopped for gas twice and rested three times including lunch at one of rest stops. We arrived at the campsite and went for a swim we had fun at the pool we are home in two days. Yay!

Day 19 - Rochester, Minnesota

Well, today was a long driving day. We drove across South Dakota and Minnesota. We saw deer, fields of corn and grass ... That's it! Arrived at the Rochester KOA and got set up - glitch free!! We're getting pretty good at getting things set up. Everyone has their jobs and total set-up takes maximum 15 min. It's a nice spot but the owners are wound a little tight ... We didn't park properly, we got our wood from too far away ... Yikes!! Once we got set-up the kids got their suits on and off to the pool we go! KD and hot dogs over the fire for dinner ... Then s'mores and some Skip-bo. Heading for Michigan tomorrow and then home. 

That's all I've got for pics today ...

Day 18 - Badlands, South Dakota

Today we explored the Devil's Tower. It was a really neat place with a scenic trail around the base. We watched some climbers climbing up the tower. I got some great pictures of the kids today. We went back to our camp site and packed up the trailer and headed for South Dakota. We went to Mount Rushmore - meh! Huge tourist trap, very busy ... Not my favourite stop. The carvings of the four presidents in the rock was impressive but we were in and out quickly! Then we headed to the Badlands KOA, set up the trailer, the kids had a swim, Dorrito nachos for dinner and then off to the Badlands for sunset. I'm a bit of a nerd with rocks! I love them, I love taking pictures of them so I'm sure I took about 100 rock photos but they kept changing colours as the sun set. It was beautiful. We climbed up almost to the top in one area and had a breathtaking view of the area. Returned to the campsite around 9:00pm and that's it folks!! Our major site seeing is over (unless we come across something really neat) and now our goal is to continue east and head home. Tomorrow we'll be sleeping in Rochester, Minnesota. Off to roast some s'mores! Night all ...

Devil's Tower

Mt. Rushmore

Badlands

JR's Post on Monday, July 20, 2015

Today was a good day we visited the Devils Tower their were rock climbers who climbed up to the top. We went to Mount Rushmore we saw four of the presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Once we arrived at the campsite we went for a swim then had dinner. Now we are off to the Badlands. The best thing about the Badlands was climbing up a mountains and going back down. We went to the pinnacles they were huge. We had a good day.

AR's Post on Monday, July 20, 2015

Today we went driving and stopped at the Devils Tower - it's pretty cool like AWESOME!! There were rock climbers, way up near the top. Then we went to Mount Rushmore and saw the faces of George Washington,Thomas Jefferson,Teddy Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. Then we got to the camp site and went for a swim at the pool. Then we had dinner and went to the badlands. We climbed one of the mountains. We heard there's rattle snakes mom got scared. After that we had a fire. That's all today. BYE BYES!

AR's Post on Sunday, July 19, 2015

Today we drove 10 hours, such a long way. We saw beautiful sceneries. Then we went to the big horn scenic bypass. Then we went grocery shopping at Walmart, me and J always get candy every five days. Then we had dinner at Subway. I had meatballs for dinner and I had strawberry Fanta for a drink. Then we got to the camp site and met people because there was a fire that everybody can join in. That's all today. BYE BYES!!

Day 17 - Devil's Tower, Wyoming

Today was a driving day. It took a little longer than we thought as we didn't account for the two hours it took to get through Yellowstone. However, we did see grizzly bears, not up close but it still counts!! We drove through Shoshone National Forest just outside Yellowstone and the scenery was amazing!! Every turn brought completely different landscapes, colours and views. I wish I had taken more pictures! The other highlight was driving Big Horn Scenic Bypass. It started by driving through a narrow canyon filled with steep pink cliffs and then we climbed, and climbed and climbed. At the top we were at 9000 feet above sea level - Wow!! The views - unbelievable!! Again, I sat in the passenger seat - terrified!! As we wound around the switchback turns, this time pulling the trailer behind us. Of course if you go up, you must also come down! Equally terrifying!! To put it in perspective, the mountains we saw in Banff were on average around 5000 feet. Again we learned that the GPS does not know all ... She told us it would be a ten hour drive and she planned a ridiculous route, we took our own route and when she finally gave up and agreed with us it ended up being much shorter. But she did keep trying to re-route us. Tonight we are staying at the Devil's Tower KOA in Wyoming at 4000 feet. Bathrooms don't compare to the Yellowstone ones - just okay. But it's a nice spot and we can see the Devil's Tower from our camp site. Didn't make it in time to see it tonight but we'll head over first thing in the morning. Met some people at the community fire tonight and got some suggestions for tomorrow. Night all!! 

Devil's Tower

JR's Post on Sunday, July 19, 2015

Today was a long day of driving, we took a 2 and a half hours to drive through Yellowstone, but we saw plenty of animals. We drove Big Horn Scenic Bypass, it was awesome looking down that drop. We stopped at Walmart and got some groceries, we also had Subway for dinner tonight and it was delicious. Once we arrived at the campsite we checked in and parked in our spot. Mom and I visited the shop and looked for a bumper sticker for the trailer I got a Bear Claw necklace. We had a community fire, we sat down and talked to everyone we had a fun and long day.

Day 16 - Yellowstone National Park

Today was a jam packed day, we left our camp site at 8:00am and returned at 9:30pm only to make dinner and go to bed. It was a cooler day today, went down to six degrees last night and was only ten degrees by lunch. By the end of the day it had warmed up to around twenty. So again my touque came in handy in July! Animals we saw today: elk (lots and lots of elk), Buffalo (also pretty abundant), bull deer, bears ( yay!), a marmot, mouse and chipmunks. I got some great pictures of the Buffalo and elk, sort of a picture of the bear (if you look closely you can see Mamma's head in the grass but no Cubs - I wasn't getting out of the car for that one!) and the others I missed but ... Still thrilled to see them! We saw so many amazing places today I can't even remember them all or the order we saw them in so my top three were: Ol'Faithful Geyser, the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and the Mammoth Hot Springs. Ol'Faithful wasn't so faithful today, she was late and only spewed water up about 25 feet. However, I was still impressed and loved the boardwalk around the site. The visitors centre had really neat displays and a fun area for the kids. The geysers, hot springs, etc are my favourite part of Yellowstone. The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone was impressive and terrifying at the same time. We walked down to one of the viewing platforms by going down a narrow path, perched on the edge of a cliff, with switchback turns because it was so steep. I'll admit to a few panic attacks and moments when my heart may have stopped. It was especially panic inducing watching the kids going down the trail looking over the edge without a worry in the world. Luckily, I had J by my side helping me along and holding my hand on the way back up. The end result was spectacular. My very favourite part of the day was Mammoth Hot Springs. The colours were unbelievable and the scenery was breathtaking. As we wandered along we had some elk cross our path. We stopped and watched them for a bit and one of them even walked across the top of one of the hot springs. I wish I was at the bottom to see him peering over the edge. It was a long busy day but we made the most of our time in the park. I need to come back for a week or two to really enjoy everything that Yellowstone has to offer. Next time I'd stay at our KOA Campground or stay at Mammoth Hotsprings. Tomorrow off to the Devil's Tower in Wyoming. Night!

Ol'Faithful

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone 

Mammoth Hot Springs

Elk on top of the hot spring

JR's Post on Saturday, July 18, 2015

Today was a busy day. We went to Old Faithful in Yellowstone, the eruption was fantastic. I liked how it shot straight up in the air. We visited the mud volcano, it only erupted in one corner of the hole. We stopped at Lower Falls we had to go down a whole bunch of switch backs, mom got a bit cautious about the drop off to the canyon but I held on to her hand. My top three things today were the Lower Falls, Mammoth Hot Springs and finally Old Faithful. We had a fun and long day.

AR's Post on Saturday, July 18, 2015

Today the first place we went was the Ol'Faithful geyser it was a little lazy today. Then we went to the water fall. Then we went to the mud volcano it's cool. Then we went to Yellowstone canyon pretty cool, it's better going down then up. It's really big you don't wanna fall down. Then we went to mammoth hot springs and there are bumps that look like candles. It would be fun to walk on but I don't want to its fragile. Then we headed back to the camp site but first we went to the grocery store to buy ice, chips, and hot dogs. Then we had dinner and had s'mores over the fire. That's all today. BYE BYES!!

AR's Post on Friday, July 17, 2015

Today we got on the road heading to Yellowstone. Then we stopped at a place called Earthquake Lake. At Earthquake Lake in 1959 there there was an earth quake. There were boulders of rocks and rising waters. A lady named "Grace Williams" was there the night of the earth quake and she heard it coming. She got out of her cabin and got away. 5 people in her family died. Then we got to the camp site and got unpacked and went to explore. We went to Fire Hole Canyon. Then we went to the geyser - pretty cool. On the way back a bison traffic jam was still happening and we had to wait 30 minutes. Then we went back to the trailer and went to bed. That's all today. BYE BYES

Day 15 - Montana to Yellow Stone National Park

Today we left Missoula, Montanna and headed for Yellowstone National Park. First of all no catastrophes with the trailer, everything seems to be working smoothly so fingers crossed!! The more we saw of Montana the more we loved it. All the wide open spaces, I can see why it's called 'Big Sky Country'. The ranches are beautiful and many have the homestead perched in the middle of a vast open space with views of the mountains, plains, rivers ... I could live here!! We will need to come back to Montana to explore more, especially the southeast part of the state. We did a lot of big climbs up "real" sized mountains and steep drops down. Some still had snow on top. We saw a herd of deer and a fox along the way. We took highway 287 down from the 90 and passed some beautiful countryside. The town of Ennis, (which needs to be explored again), was quite cute and we stopped at a great little coffe shop called Maples Coffee. When we got to the Gallatin area we stopped at the Earthquake Lake Visitors Centre. It was very interesting and we learned about the earthquake that took place there in 1959 and how it changed the landscape. The pictures we took were amazing. After that it was a short drive to our campsite at the Mountainside KOA. Very nice campsite and the best, cleanest bathrooms yet!! Once we set up the trailer (with no glitches). We headed for Yellowstone... There was so much to see and it was beautiful beyond words. We took a scenic route along Fire Hole Canyon and it was breathtaking. The waterfalls and steep cliffs were beautiful. At this point I was pretty excited to see a bison on the side of the road, we did manage to get a picture before the oncoming traffic blocked our view. We went to the lower basin geyser and it was spectacular. I think what amazes most about the scenery is all the beautiful colours. On the way out of the park we saw a herd of bull deer (is a bunch of deer a herd?) Then got stuck in a two mile long bison traffic jam. Everyone was still stopping and taking pictures of him. Returned to the campsite and had Dorito Tacos for dinner then showered and off to bed. Getting up early to go see Ol'Faithful tomorrow. Night all!

Georgeous Montana

Maples Coffee Shop

Earthquake Lake

Fire Hole Canyon

Lower Basin Geyser 

Lower Basin Geyser

Bison - Caused a large traffic jam!!

JR's Post on Thursday, July 16, 2015

Today we traveled from Missoula to Yellowstone National Park. We stopped at Earthquake Lake where there was a big earthquake and 28 people died and over 1000 were staying at the campsite. Once we arrived at Yellowstone we went to a Geyser and during the drive we saw two bisons and at the end we saw eight moose. We saw the geyser and wow it stinks we kept blaming it on other people in the family, one of the geysers were erupting it was cool. We had Doritos tacos they were yummy.

AR's Post on Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Today we got on the road and saw horse statues at Moses lake. Then we drove but when we were in Idaho we had to get new wheels on the trailer. Then we got to our camp site we had dinner it was hot dogs, yum, yum. Then we went to the pool. Mom said the pool was open till 8:00, but it was actually open till 10:00. She was wrong! Then we got back from the pool and I wrote my blog, that I'm doing right now and we're going to play a game. I don't know the game we're playing but I want to play Quarto. So that's all today. BYE BYES

JR's Post on Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Today was a long day we went to Moses lake and saw a horse statue. Then we went to Coeur D'Alene, Idaho to get the trailer tires fixed they were worn out, so we had to get them swapped. While they were being fixed we went to Costco and looked around and tested foods, they were delicious foods, my favourite one was the Beef Jerky. Our tires got repaired and then we were back on the road to Montana. We had hot dogs and Cheetos for dinner they were good. We went for a swim in the pool it was chilly, we are going to play a game called Quarto.

Day 14 - Washington, Idaho & Missoula, Montana

So I'm going to start with the negatives today ... Figured out why we were vibrating - split tire!! Luckily, someone flagged us down on the highway and we stopped before it blew! Pulled over in a rest stop to see what was up and could clearly see one of the trailer tires wobbling madly. Took it to Les Schwab Tires in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho and had to to have it replaced, the other tire was also worn and beginning to split so why not replace both?? They were very helpful and had it all fixed and ready to go in an hour. Arrived in Missoula, and remember the "magic" I mentioned yesterday?? Trailer went up and down, first try. Not today ... Barely made it up... Getting really frustrated with all the issues with the trailer. Just to finish my list of complaints, the bees/wasps  are awful at our campsite and buzz around while we try to eat. The Misoula KOA is not my favourite. Huge and like a giant parking lot ... Could touch the neighbours trailers from ours - no privacy at all. However, it is in the town of Missoula but you wouldn't know it as it is its own little oasis. 

Back to the highlights of the day ... Stopped at a look out at Moses Lake in Washington ... Beautiful!! Still can't get over how dry everything is here. Totally parched and yellow. Drove through some very barren, flat land today. Saw some wind farms that reminded me of home. The closer we got to Idaho the more it reminded me of Muskoka but on a larger scale. Coeur d'Arlene Lake in Idaho was spectacular and I would come back to it and spend more time one of these days. Montana wasn't what I was expecting ... Lots of evergreens and mountains (much smaller mountains than BC though) but again very dry and still some barren spots. Lots of homes perched on hilltops all alone looking out over the beautiful landscapes though.  The scenery continues to amaze us and no matter what I just cannot capture the true beauty of the places we see with my camera. Some of my best pics are still stuck in my other camera but I'll post them when I find wifi that doesn't suck!! Fingers crossed for an end to our problems and a better day tomorrow. Off to Yellowstone KOA in the morning. 

Moses Lake Lookout

Moses Lake

Montana