Mt. Rushmore and Local Events

July 28th found us at Mt. Rushmore, or Mountain Rushmore as Benjamin calls it, outside of Rapid City, South Dakota.  In case you were wondering, the faces are of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.  Jerry came here on a road trip after college graduation with his Grandma Pullen in 1981, but for the rest of us, it was our first time.  The day before and after were stormy with some hail, but on this day, we were blessed to have good weather.  

We happened upon The Event at Rebecca Farm on July 27th in Kalispel, Montana, the only Olympic Qualifier for horse riding in the United States.  It was a fun (and free!) event held on a lovely farm in Montana.  We loved watching the horses move quickly around the cross country course and make such graceful jumps.  

We also happened upon Evel Knievel Days in Butte, Montana that evening where we saw incredible jumps by motocross riders.  Butte is apparently the daredevil's hometown.  Nothing like experiencing a bit of local culture.  

The hot spring pools with a water slide in Fairmont, Montana were a hit with all of us after long days in the car.  

North and South Dakota have lots of bison, prong-horned antelope, and prairie dogs . . .  and very few people.  Did you know that their combined population is comparable to that of Jacksonville, Florida?  

North Dakota also has an awful lot of wheat that we saw as we drove and drove across this very wide state.  Nothing against the great state of North Dakota, but we were more than ready to cross into Minnesota today.     

As we pulled into Detroit Lakes, Minesota, we saw that today, July 30th, was the opening day for the Berke County Fair.  We enjoyed the animals and Benjamin was thrilled to "beat" his sister in a carnival water pistol/balloon race to win a stuffed dolphin.  

Glacier National Park, Montana

Glacier National Park is right on the border of Canada, but so worth the effort to travel to this remarkable place.  There was a morning rain on July 24th that washed all the dust and haze out of the air and allowed us to see this amazing scenery at its very best.   

The numerous lakes reflected the mountain peaks just like mirrors.  

We felt transported to the Swiss Alps during our day in the park.  Several of us burst out singing excerpts from the "Sound of Music" throughout the day!

Our family loves to see wildlife and we hit the jackpot here at Glacier.  We had the opportunity to see a Grizzly bear, a Black Bear, Longhorn Sheep, and Mountain Goats.  

While on a hike, Benjamin was thrilled to find snow to make a snow angel.  He even carried a handful of snow all the way back home and it's in our freezer now to "save".   The rest of us just savored the gorgeous views.   

You must go to a rodeo while out west, so we took Benjamin to the Columbia Falls, Montana rodeo on July 24th.  He loved seeing the fast horses and angry bulls.  Eight seconds on a spinning and whirling bull sure seems like a long time.  

Seattle and Friends

While visiting Seattle, Washington, we happened upon the huge complex of Microsoft and the very first Starbucks ever built.    

We also learned that on beautiful summer days, Pike Place Market can be incredibly crowded.  

It's always good to visit with friends and we had the opportunity in Washington to see the Gillihan family, former co-workers from Kenya.  Their daughter Heidi and her husband Doug kindly hosted us at their home on July 15th in lovely Longview, Washington.    

While camping with Tim and Joan in Lynden, Washington on July 19th, they introduced us to scrumptious Washington raspberries and a Dutch restaurant for a delicious breakfast.  

 

It was the perfect time for harvesting berries in Washington and we had a lot of fun picking (and eating) raspberries and blueberries.   

 Leaving Washington state on Monday, July 2oth, we drove through the majestic Cascade Mountain Range towards Idaho and Montana.  

Mount St. Helens, Washington

As you can see from our pictures, we've been blessed with excellent weather for this entire trip.  On July 16th we were up close and personal with Mount St. Helens under a brilliant blue sky. Benjamin was fascinated with the movie and photos about its catastropic eruption in 1980 when 57 people were killed.

Viewing Elk in the Valley

What a pleasure to travel to such amazing places in our little home on wheels.  

If you look closely, you can even see the steam rising from the still active volcano.

Our family made its mark on Mount. St. Helens!

Oregon Adventures

 

We had a blast in Oregon! It's a state full of natural beauty, with lots of animals and very few people.  We were able to see a herd of elk, many deer by the side of the road, and Gray Whales right off the coast.  

 

Penny and Benjamin took a very fast and thrilling dune buggy ride through the Oregon sand dunes. Some were 500 feet tall.

  

Jerry and Katherine went sky diving. They jumped out a plane at 13,000 feet and lived to tell all about it.  The crazy things people do while on vacation!