June 2007 Road Trip Week One [week two]

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Journals: 6/18 | 6/19-20 | 6/21-23 | 6/24 | Week 2

Albums: 6/18 | 6/19 | 6/20 | 6/21 | 6/22 | 6/23 | 6/24 Travel | 6/24 MN |

Monday, June 18, 2007 (Lake Oswego to Twin Falls, ID)

I discovered on Saturday as I was taking care of last minute details that I (actually, my car) had an alignment problem causing wear on the inside of the front passenger tire. This resulted in an unexpected tire purchase and an appointment Monday morning for an alignment, so before I got going I had to stop by Les Schwab so they could work me in. Naturally, they were gracious and helpful and got the job done within an hour.

I also had to run an errand for Laura at Crate and Barrel, and the store, or course, did not open until 10:00 a.m. Les Schwab was too efficient so I ran a couple of non-essential errands and arrived at Crate and Barrel at 9:55. I felt like a television commercial, waiting impatiently for the store to open. Not being an enthusiastic shopper, I felt especially ridiculous. Anyway I raced into the store when they opened the doors and corralled a clerk. Again, I encountered gracious assistance and was out again in 15 minutes with my mission accomplished.

On the road at last. Lovely weather and a John Sandford novel on the cd player. What could be better. The trip through the Gorge is always gorgeous and eastern Oregon has its own beauty. I had planned to take photographs along the way and stopped a few times to do so, trying to notice the countryside and not just the miles and the clock.

This occupied my mind and kept me awake as I cruised through eastern Oregon, until I realized that I had forgotten the one essential road trip activity: keeping an eye on the gas gauge. It had obviously been too long since my last road trip and I was out of practice.

Now I was looking for signs of civilization instead of admiring the countryside. The next “big” city was Ontario and it was still in the far distance. I checked my cell phone for a signal and was wondering how long it would take AAA to come and rescue me. Not really a crisis as the light wasn't on and I probably had at least 80 miles left in the tank. Sure enough, rescue arrived in the form of Farewell Bend: a delightful presence in the middle of nowhere. My last chance to have someone else fill up the tank, and onward again.

I had originally hoped to get to Pocatello on Monday, but the late start forced a change in plans to “as far past Boise as I could manage.” I stopped at a Best Western in Caldwell to check on room availability in Jerome and discovered that Jerome was booked up. My next choice was Twin Falls, which worked out fine. I sat in the Caldwell Best Western lobby with my computer and located a Motel 6 in Twin Falls, called for a reservation, and continued driving. I love electronic toys.

I arrived in Twin Falls around 9:00 p.m. and crashed shortly thereafter, after checking in on the Oregon State baseball game. Go Beavers.

Monday's Album

Tuesday-Wednesday, June 19-20 (Twin Falls, ID to Lander, Wy)

Rather than stick to the freeway, I was advised to take the more scenic route: through Victor, ID and Jackson, WY, coming into Lander from the north.

The first part of the drive in Idaho was pretty desolate but it got more interesting as I headed into the mountains.

The valley in which Victor is located is quite beautiful but the only pictures I took were at a store and a gas station. I got a couple driving back out of the valley toward Jackson but did not really get a good view from the road.

This was not true coming into Jackson. The whole valley is visible from a viewpoint. I tried to get photos of the town but still had a long way to go and did not want to take the time to park and wander around so was limited to photos while stopped in traffic: not a very effective technique.

There is a wildlife refuge bordering Jackson with a tantalizing peek at the Grand Tetons. Then driving out of the city the view hits you in the face as you round a bend. Breathtaking.

It was a great drive but road construction added considerably to the time. I was pleased to see Lander and was ready to get out of the car, stretch my legs, and, shortly thereafter, go to bed. I was going to stay at the Best Western, but it was full so I found a room at the Maverick Motel.

Tuesday's Album

I stayed in Lander on Wednesday, visiting and touring. I drove up into Sinks Canyon and spent the morning wandering around and taking photos.

Wednesday Album

Thursday, June 21-24 (Lander to the Black Hills)

Thursday morning I left my little home at the Maverick Motel and proceeded to my original destination when I began planing this trip: South Dakota. It was a hole in my map, having touched all of the surrounding states, and I had some time off from work, so it seemed like a good idea.

Before leaving Lander, I stopped to take a couple of pictures of the town to show my brother that is isn't the same "dump" that he encountered in his travels many many many years ago. These pictures included the new Northwest Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) headquarters building and a view of the town facing west.

Eastern Wyoming was a tough drive, similar to central Idaho, and I was apprehensive about my South Dakota destination. However, things started to look up as I approached the area. When I arrived at my motel I was encouraged by the surrounding countryside and much more optomistic about my planned stay in the area. One might have been discouraged by the thunderstorms that struck right after I arrived, as well as the tornado warning, but the forecast was positive so I crashed right after dinner so I could get an early start in the morning.

Mt. Rushmore. Friday morning I headed straight to Mount Rushmore. It was not too busy and parking was plentiful. I walked around the information areas and through the avenue with the flags of the fifty states. I took the time to find the Oregon pillar and flag. The presidents look down on you wherever you are.

I attended a presentation at the Studio, which contains a model of the sculpture. Then I walked the path to the base of the sculpture. I was going to take a Ranger guided tour but decided I didn't really need to take the time.

I probalby spent more than two hours and the monument and it was great. It was a pretty amazing accomplishment.

When leaving, I had a period of panic as the car wouldn't start. It turned over but was really rough. I was again checking my cell phone for a signal and wondering where the nearest AAA was located. However, I decided to wait and see if it changed its mind. Sure enough, a couple of minutes later it started just fine and I haven't had any problems since. I convinced myself it was the altitude. At right is a view from the parking lot.

Rushmore Cave. After Mount Rushmore I wandered into Keystone, the nearest town, looking for something interesting. I followed the signs to the Rushmore cave and went on a tour, but not without some concern about my fear of small enclosed spaces. I decided to hang back at the end of the line to avoid being surrounded by people inside a small space. There were a couple of difficult moments but overall it was great. Especially when I came out and discovered I had conveniently missed another thunderstorm.

Crazy Horse Monument. On the way back to Custer I stopped at the Crazy Horse Monument: the privately funded work-in-progress and is a tribute to Crazy Horse. I will be interested to visit again in 10 years to check on progress.

Custer State Park

At the end of the day I spent a couple of hours driving around Custer State Park looking for wildlife. It is a beautiful place, and the common goal of all the drivers results in a unique experience: friendly, tolerant, friendly drivers sharing the road, waiting patiently for other drivers to take photos.

Saturday: Jewel Cave. I headed in the other direction from Custer on Saturday and took a tour of Jewel Cave, the second longest cave in the world. (The tour doesn't go through the whole cave, only a small portion that is set up for tours: stairs, platforms, special lighting, etc.) Less structured spelunking tours are available, involving crawling and headlamps, but discretion was not difficult after I saw a display block representing the smallest space involved in that tour. I was not too worried about the main tour but am quite certain I the spelunking tour would result in screaming panic. It was a very cool cave with lots of nice large rooms.

More Custer State Park. After the cave tour I revisited Custer State Park, this time heading first for the Needles highway: constructed after the Monument it winds around the Black Hills and includes several one-way tunnels, some of which offer a view (long distance) of Mourt Rushmore through the tunnel.

After the tunnel highway, I returned to the wildlife loop, experiencing the attack of the killer buffalo ...

He was so close to the car I thought he was either going to turn and smash into it or run into the side mirror.

Thursday Album | Friday Album | Saturday Album

Sunday, June 24 (Black Hills to New Ulm to Willmar, MN)

I enjoyed my stay in the Black Hills but it was time to leave. I planned to meet Laura and Logan in New Ulm in the afternoon for some sightseeing and then dinner before I headed North to Willmar for the night and then Northwest to I-94 and North Dakota on Monday.

I passed the Crazy Horse again as I left and couldn't resist one or two more pictures. One of the cool things about the monument is that you can see it from so far away.

I As I headed east out of the Black Hills, South Dakota turned into the bleak landscape I had been expecting. The one fascinating place was the Badlands. I took a lot of pictures which are probably repetitive but are amazing as well.

The Badlands detour and the time zone change resulted in my arrival much later than I had planned. Laura and Logan and I just had time for dinner and it was time for them to begin their drive back to Minneapolis and for me to get on the road so I could find my motel in Willmar before dark. We had a nice visit nonetheless and I am glad I had the chance to see more of Minnesota.

Sunday, Badlands Album

Sunday, Minnesota album

Week Two Journal