Road Trip 2014- Week 1

School ended and we left town on an epic 2 week road trip.
I had decided at the beginning of the year that one goal was to make it back to Illinois to visit family during the warm season. We also decided that we didn't want to just drive across the country on Interstate 80 or Interstate 70 because we've done that a lot over the last 12 years that we've known each other. So our itinerary involved family as well as a few random stops that wouldn't have been thought about 5 years ago.
We made it into Wyoming and to Rawlins on our first day.

 It wasn't our planned stop, but we left later than planned so we found this place. Super windy and kind of cold. But the boys were on an adventure and they enjoyed it anyway.

Day 2: We left I-80 and headed north. Another unplanned stop was the Martin's Cove Visitor's Center.

 But it was fun and a good place for the boys to get out and run.

It was also here that we realized Oliver had forgotten to pack his binoculars. We drove just a little bit further and found Independence Rock where we learned that its not overly isolated or independent, but it was a landmark usually reached around the 4th of July or Independence Day. Who knew?

We also arrived into South Dakota today and made our way over to find a campground near Mt. Rushmore.

We found a spot we liked (when I say "we" I mean Oliver & myself-Ryan wanted to stay at the Koa Kampground we stopped at first) at the Horsethief Lake Campground. We set up camp, walked around the boardwalk built around the lake and had dinner. Our biggest mistake was not going to Mt. Rushmore this evening.

Day 3: I woke in the night to lightning flashes and raindrops. At a more reasonable hour, we got up and got some breakfast. Then Oliver went to hike the highest point in South Dakota, Harney Peak, while the boys and I went on another walk and then hung out at the campground.

Harney Peak, taken on Monday, June 2.

Harney Peak, taken on Tuesday, June 3, while on the peak.

Oliver discovered the mist and fog  on his hike and it eventually reached the boys and I at the lower elevation before Oliver got back. But Oliver definitely kept me a little saner by literally running down the mountain in order to get back to us faster. We decided to pack up camp and head out. Mt. Rushmore was...interesting. Perhaps it would have been more interesting if we'd actually been able to see the monument or if we could even have the seen the large model in the artist's studio-but alas, there were stairs along that path so we didn't make it over there either. But a bonus is that the parking pass is good for the entire year so perhaps we'll try to make it back there before the end of 2014.

Ooo...aaa...(yeah, that's a vending machine in the parking lot)

After we walked around a little and Oliver bought a magnet for his door at work, we got onto I-90 and drove east across a very beautiful and rainy South Dakota. We hit our 1000 mile marker near Mitchell, South Dakota, and eventually stopped at a hotel in Sioux Falls.

Day 4: A much brighter day woke us and we continued east.

We spent a short time driving in Minnesota before heading south into Iowa where we found the state high point near Sibley, IA, called Hawkeye Point.

While exploring this high point that has been developed by the county, we learned that until 1971, a different location was considered the high point of Iowa and wasn't too far away. We followed the map and found Ocheyedan Mound(apparently pronounced o-chee-dan). It was a fun little mound to climb. Evan wasn't satisfied in letting Ryan and Oliver go by themselves, so we followed them up the hill.

Then we kept driving and turned west again in order to get to Bellevue, Nebraska(just below Omaha) to spend some time with Oliver's parents. We even went with them to walk around the Base Lake and get some ice cream.

While in Nebraska, we went to the Omaha Zoo which was very fun and very tiring. We also got a tour of Grampa's office on base and explored a local privately owned forest called Fontenelle Forest. Ryan was also given an early birthday present of Book of Mormon Bingo and we played Aggravation which Ryan liked a lot.

On Day 7, we drove across Iowa and into the northwest corner of Illinois. We were looking for Charles Mound, the high point of Illinois. This property is only accessible on the first full weekends of June, July, and August because it is on privately owned land. It was a long walk for our complaining 5 year old, and due to the bugs that, despite bug spray, had the desire to fly into our faces, noses, ears and mouths. But the view was nice and we met 5 or 6 others who were wanting to see the high point of the state as well.

After we checked off Oliver's 5th state high point and the boys' and my 2nd, we drove south to Galesburg and my family. And thus began my desire to eat things  that I can't eat other places. The first of these was a torpedo and garlic bread from La Gondola's. Mmmm....so good. We spent the night in the bus.