Day 10 - Voila, Idaho II

I've decided that John and Nancy need permanent room mates. I think we should move in! Another glorious day on the ranch! We didn't want to leave the serenity of their estate. Most of the day we enjoyed the sites, smells and sounds of just being there!

Later in the afternoon we went to town to the Appaloosa horse museum. Nico got to see two Appy's and bought some horse toys to remember the visit by. We had a nice Italian dinner at a local eatery and spent the evening strolling down to the stables to feed the horses and tuck them in.

After everyone was in bed, we all got a good laugh from Bella who had started howling at the coyotes that had appoached after dark. She looked so proud of herself for keeping them at bay.

Day 9 - Viola, Idaho

I never knew that Idaho was so beautiful. It quickly became one of my favorite states. I don't know why, but I was expecting more flat land from Idaho Potato country. But, it is mountainous with gorgeous mountain ranges, dense forests and lush valleys.

Our destination was Viola where my brother and sister in-law have 80 acres. They built their home over the last 16 years from the ground up. The home is exquisite! We spent most of our time just visiting on their deck overlooking the rolling hills. For hours we enjoyed talking and relaxing which was a refreshing change from the last week and a half.

We did what seemed most natural in the company of our in-laws and went to the "feed" store to get Nico a real cowboy hat. He was so excited and by the time we walked out of the store, he was decked out with boots, hat and belt. It was a blast seeing him so enthusiastic about his new garb. Uncle Jon noted that he looked like a natural that had been riding all day.

Nico, then got to spend the evening as a ranch-hand for Uncle John feeding the horses and tucking them in to their 5-star stable (hand built by Uncle John & Aunt Nancy of course) for the night.

We then also all turned in for the night after a nice home cooked meal and looked forward to another day on the ranch with John and Nancy.

Day 8 - Clearwater National Forest

We spent 14 hours on the road today. Most of it was driving through Clearwater National Forest. It is simply the most beautiful forest that I have ever seen. Driving through it (the Lewis and Clark historical trail) is several hundred miles. The strong scent of pine is addicting. The aroma was like nothing I have ever experienced before. We arrived at John & Nancy's at 2:00 am after getting more than a little lost within 10 miles of their house for about 2 hours. Bob was not-so-happy but quickly recovered as soon as he saw his family.

Nico and Bella are getting along just smashingly!

Day 7 - Yellowstone II

We sleep wonderfully last night under the stars. But, have to admit the threat of black bears that have been lurking were a bit unsettling. We must have mastered the art of "bear proofing" since we still have all our fingers and toes!

Mammoth Hot Springs and the Norris Basin were our hikes of choice today. Tomorrow bright and early we are headed across Montana into Idaho almost all the way to Washington State to visit the "sprawling Bassman estate" of my brother-in-law and his wife.

Day 6 - YELLOWSTONE!

Wow! Yellowstone is unbelievable! I can't even put it in to words how extraordinary this national treasure is. The size alone is overwhelming. And, everywhere you go you get priceless views of bison, elk, moose, gysers, mountains, canyons and rivers. Today's highlight was Old Faithful! Yellowstone has been a destination of a lifetime! Here are just a few of the 175 pictures we took!

Day 5 - Yellowstone Bound!

Yesterday afternoon we visited the spectacular Crazy Horse monument that is near Mt Rushmore. What an awesome legacy! It is 60 years in the making and will be so large when completed that Mt Rushmore would be able to fit in the head of Crazy Horse.

We spent 10 hours driving on Day 5 through South Dakota & Wyoming to get to Yellowstone!

Day 4 - Mount Rushmore, SD

Whew! We have been on the go and I have lots of catching up to do. We were without cell and internet service for several days and it is actually day 9 and I am sitting in Starbucks in Moscow Idaho with my sister-in-law Nancy updating the Blog while Uncle John, Daddy and Nico go shopping for "guy" stuff!

On day four we visited Mt. Rushmore. What an awesome site. The day was so clear that the picture we took does not even look real. But, it is a Bassman original photo!

Day 3 - Minnesota & South Dakota

We were up at 6:00am and pulled out of Baraboo at 7:30am. We spent the entire day driving through southern Minnesota and South Dakota. It was amazing to learn that there are 500 mile stretches of just farm land. As far as you could see the entire 12 hour drive was farmland except for the last hour as we approached the Black Hills.

The last hour was hair razing curves and turns up the Black Hills to Spokane Creek Campground. And, I was the lucky one that had driving duty. White nuckled all the way, I just prayed that the camper stayed right behind the truck. If it swayed six inches, we were in deep, deep trouble!

Spokane Creek is beautiful, snuggled in a valley of the Black Hills. Tomorrow will be none stop. So, by the time we set up we all were fast asleep by 11:00pm.

Day 2 - Baraboo, WI con't

Nico and Daddy were up at the crack of dawn to go fishing on Devil's Lake. They came back with "big fish stories" and pictures to back them up! Here is Nico with a 9" Large-Mouth Bass that he caught all by himself.

We then spent the afternoon at the lake. I started and finished a book my Dad had recommended to me, The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls. Dad was right. This book is an extraordinary autobiography of the extreme hardships endured by Jeannette and her family as she was growing up. How, she survived to overcome unbelievable circumstances is an inspiration. I couldn't put it down and pass the recommendation on.....

Tomorrow we are on the road at 7:00 am sharp facing 12 hours of driving to Mt Rushmore. Packing in all the driving at once will be worth it though. We will be able to spend more time enjoying the park when we finally arrive.

Day 1 - Baraboo, Wisconsin

Well, here we are in Baraboo, Wisconsin at Devils Lake State Park. The trip here was relatively uneventful. We encountered a few pop up thunderstorms along the way but nothing major and we arrived on schedule! Alas, not all went smoothly however. The power went out in the park shorly after we set up which caused some consternation since we initially didn't know if it was our equipment or the park. After an hour or so, the power came back on and all is well now.

Devil's Lake is gorgeous, surrounded by what looks like mountains. Nico splashed in the water for awhile. And, we we returned to our huge campsite for dinner, he promptly crawled up to bed and was out for the night without eating.

Bella has been an angel the entire way. She has been very popular with the campers. As usual, so many have stopped to tell us that she is the prettiest dog they have ever seen. And, we of course - agree =)!

Roughing It?

I just heard from an dear friend of mine that said, "What are you doing? Roughing it??? Is this my Gina ...???".

So, just to set the record straight for all those that really know me and can't believe that I am camping all the way to Yellowstone and back, I am by no means roughing it! HA!

We are traveling in a brand new Starcraft Centennial equiped with everything this city girl is going to need. Including a shower, microwave, oven, kitchen sink, two king sized beds, heated mattresses, air conditioning, furnace and even lots of storage. Nico has claimed the one under the kitchen table as his "toy" box.

Enjoy the pics of our new rig!