Day 14

Ok, I'm finally back on schedule with writing this blog. We were able to sleep in a bit today and the kids spent some time visiting the resident bison that live at this hotel They were even able to pet them... well, the babies anyway.

We had big plans for today that we have been looking forward to this whole trip ~ whitewater river rafting! As you can see, we were successful at meeting this goal, even though we just scheduled it this morning. This photo is from the end of a HUGE rapid we went through. But I'm jumping ahead of myself.

We headed back into Jackson Hole and had lunch at the Wort Restaurant, which is one of the oldest hotels in town. When Brenna's kid's meal was delivered, a woman from the hotel came to us and asked Brenna if she would be a junior sheriff for the town. She said yes and was sworn in right there. She received her badge and a chocolate silver dollar as payment. It was really cute and she loves having a new souvenir.

We then hurried over to Mad River Boat Trips for an 8-mile whitewater trip and dinner. To be honest, I was a bit nervous since I'm not a real strong swimmer and Brenna was nervous as well. We loaded onto the bus and headed down to the launch spot. We were divided into boats and were lucky enough to have really, really nice people on our boat. A family from Kansas City. We got our life-jackets on and loaded into the boat. I headed to the back, Dan and Brenna were in the front and Alex was behind them. We took off and pretty quickly, Brenna fell completely in love with rafting and basically became the hood ornament for the boat, hanging over the front to get soaked. Alex was such a stud on the boat and paddled with the best of them!

I soon relaxed and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Our guide was awesome and let us try lots of fun things. Everyone jumped overboard and floated for a wee bit... and by everyone I mean, not me! But Brenna was the first in and loved it. Since I hadn't jumped in, our guide made sure to turn the boat at the next rapid in order to ensure that I was completely christened with river water. My sinuses are clear, thank you.

We stopped partway and climbed up a hill to a setting with tables and a bbq. As we dropped our life-jackets off, Brenna wasted no time and ran straight to get a cheeseburger, salads, brownies and a drink. It was pretty good but only enhanced by the ability to sit overlooking the river and watching other rafts and kayaks tackle the big rapids. We saw plenty of people pop out of their boats or flip their kayaks, which brought my nerves back.

We got back in the raft and headed for the big rapids. This was the only time that Brenna sat on a seat and had me hold the back of her jacket. It was just a-m-a-z-i-n-g!!! We had so much fun and the biggest smiles on our faces.

It ended all too soon and we have all decided that another rafting trip is on our list! The people we rafted with had a waterproof camera and took pictures of us saying they would send them to us so hopefully they don't lose our address!

We start heading home in the morning. We're going to hit part of Idaho just to say we did... not sure where we will end up Friday night but if there is WiFi, I'll update this blog.

Day 13

This is being written the day after but..... I was just too tired when we finally landed to write.

Wednesday saw us leaving Montana and entering Yellowstone for the third day. We were lucky enough to be camping at the edge of the campground and awoke to a herd of horses right next to us. It was so pretty to see all these horses on the hill with miles and miles of beautiful scenery behind them. The kids had a great time petting and feeding them.

Today our plan was to cover the lower part of Yellowstone and head out to the Grand Tetons. We pulled over on many side roads and saw incredible geysers, paint pots, etc. It is just impossible to describe everything we saw and give it proper justice. The colors and sights are just unbelievable.

We also fell in love with the funniest sign and Alex requested that I post it here for your enjoyment. We especially love the dad who is completely oblivious to his children... hmmm, please notice it's not a mom....

We eventually made it to Old Faithful. Of course, as we pulled in there was a huge crowd leaving so we knew that we had just missed the eruption. No problem. It was 2:00 and we still hadn't eaten yet so it gave us a chance to pick up some really great sandwiches and picnic near Old Faithful. It was a cloudy, rainy day so the impact of Old Faithful doesn't show up as well in photos as it does against a blue sky. Still, we thoroughly enjoyed it.

It was also a great chance to observe human expectations now ~ we are such an instant gratification society that when it didn't erupt exactly at the predicted time, people started grumbling. Like someone is flipping a switch or something! Anyway, on to the Grand Tetons.

On our way out of Yellowstone we crossed the Continental Divide three times. But we were too tired to stop, get out, pose and take pictures next to the sign. But I did get pictures of complete strangers next to it!

The Grand Tetons are just spectacular. What an amazing range of mountains that look like they just erupted out of the earth. Still covered with snow, they are a sharp, dramatic range overlooking meadows and lakes. The rain started again and gave us some beautiful images. We checked a few places there for lodging but didn't find anything that really suited us. We pushed onto Jackson Hole...

Remember the 'loose' trip that this is? Well, we hit Jackson Hole and there was NO WHERE to stay. No where. Not even the gross, scary places. We headed to campgrounds... booked. Headed out farther. No vacancy. By this time it was getting pretty late. The kids were starting to stress and we were a little... We continued heading out through the canyon towards Alpine. Found a cute place that said Vacancy... phew. Nope, we need two nights and they only have one. She was nice enough to direct us to another place, much farther down the road. We booked it sight unseen, with me worried to death that they might also be renting rooms by the hour... kidding. Anyway, we finally find it ~ the Wolves Den. By now it's after 9:00. Turns out to be a great place. New, big rooms and very, very clean. We all are thankful for a hot shower and big comfy beds. Ahhhhh.

Day 12

Today began with breakfast at the campsite and then we headed back into Yellowstone. This time we were heading north towards the Mammoth Hot Springs area.

Again, stinky but the colors and formations are so beautiful (Alex demonstrates 'stinky' above). We spent a lot of time hiking here, checking everything out. It still amazes me how these dramatic landscapes butt up against soft meadows of yellow, purple and pink wildflowers. You'll see delicate yellow daisies growing alongside this white sulfur material that looks like snow or a moonscape.

This journey has made all of us appreciate the intricacies and immense power of nature. Despite the many hours spent in the car, the kids keep telling us how much they are enjoying this trip. And notice Brenna's new pink cowgirl hat. She loves it!

After spending time at the hot springs, we headed over to the visitors center and lunch! Actually decent food and very reasonable prices. Seems like when the park system is running it, as opposed to big hotels, they are more realistic about prices ~ kind of surprising but very much welcomed! And lunch of course finished with huckleberry ice cream. Yummmm!

It was neat to view the hot springs from this new location, lower than the springs and to see how it causes formations over the sides. We then headed South, towards the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and had a chance to check out all the falls. Everywhere you turn here is beautiful. We found a huge geode that had split in half with crystals in it but being the good citizens that we are (and the fact that it was pretty darn big and a ranger was nearby) Dan and the kids took it to the ranger who said they will display it in the station/visitors center. So there you go, we are now part of Yellowstone's history. Trying to get it out would have required Dan looking like the second pregnant man so it wasn't worth it!

We crossed west again, heading back to the campsite. Dan has done all the driving and was feeling pretty tired at this point. We saw more wildlife on the way back and stopped for pizza in town before stopping for the night.

So far we have seen the lower west side, upper loop and east side. Tomorrow will be our third day in Yellowstone and the day we head towards Old Faithful and the Grand Tetons.

Day 11

Monday began our journey into Yellowstone. Prior to this opportunity, Dan and I never thought we'd get to Yellowstone so we are very excited!

We started our day with all-you-can-eat pancakes at the KOA, one last jump on the jumping pillow and said goodbye to the most incredible cabin... for a KOA.

First stop was the Buffalo Bill Dam. Wow. We were able to walk over the dam and looking towards the 'lake' side was good, looking over the dam edge made me nauseous... still does just thinking of it. Blah! Nice visitors center, took pictures and hit the road.

There is a huge fire at this entrance to Yellowstone and traffic was down to one escorted lane, alternating with the opposing traffic. We were actually close enough to see huge flames and after the fire we had back home last year, this made Brenna nervous. They have made a huge effort in Yellowstone to talk about the fire that occurred in 1988 and how much stronger it makes the forest, naturally reseeding itself. There had also been a neat exhibit in the Bill Cody Museum, including the smell of smoke. Now Brenna is a bit obsessed with it, wanting to learn more and writing notes of thanks to the firefighters that she wants to deliver. This is much better than the fear she had for a while.

We hit Yellowstone Lake and were rightly impressed. And surprised to see seagulls... although I guess that would make them 'lakegulls'?

As we traveled we saw a bison here and there (and sometimes really close!), which was exciting and then a herd of a hundred or so bison. It's amazing to me how stupid people can be and how close they try to get to a HUGE wild animal. While the bison looks sleepy and slow, it can actually run 37 MPH, which is faster than I can run! But as we learned, you don't need to outrun the wild animal, just the guy next to you!

One of the most incredible spots we visited was Dragon's Mouth Spring. This is an area with mudpots and sulfur springs. Very awe-inspiring and VERY stinky! But this particular spring was amazing and it's name suits it very well. You can hear the boiling water churning and roaring within this cavern with steam pouring out of it.

We then ventured farther north and visited the Lower Falls of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. It was so pretty! We are planning on hitting the rest of this area tomorrow.

We headed west towards West Yellowstone where we were staying. Along the way we saw Elk, Canadian Geese, more bison, etc. Beautiful hot springs from the roadside caused us to stop several times but we pushed on.

And into ANOTHER state ~ Montana. It was so crowded and a bit pricey but cute. We camped at... the KOA, which was a bit disappointing. They had messed up our reservation and it was really crowded but we weren't spending that much time there so it was all fine. The view from our site was spectacular and the stars at night... amazing. I understand why they call Montana 'Big Sky Country'.

Day 10

This is being written many days after the fact so I'll do the best that I can....

We left Greybull and headed to Cody. It is such a nice town! We enjoyed a great breakfast and were tempted by their huckleberry muffins. Too bad they were all out..BUT, they did have them at the buffet, which Brenna was eating. The waitress told us to have Brenna grab them there and give them to us... so much better when what you're planning to do is endorsed by an employee! Yummy muffins. Turns out that huckleberries are a big deal here ~ you see them in ice cream, chocolate, etc.

We headed off to the Bill Cody Museum, which consists of 5 separate museums. It is such a well done museum. Great displays, information and activities. Our favorite was the wildlife museum which included a 'passport' program for kids which Brenna loved. The Indian museum also consisted of great methods of displaying and communicating the material, very interactive. After the museum, we decided we'd start looking for a place to stay (remember, loose trip). We were shocked at the prices we were coming across and decided we'd check the local KOA again. Turns out to be the best decision. We got a 'bunkhouse' for about 1/3 of the price of a Comfort Inn room and it consisted of a living room, kitchen, table, bunk beds, bedroom, and bathroom. Now, for those for you unfamiliar with KOA's this is unheard of luxury. Plus, it was brand new. There were 2 pools, jacuzzi, a 'jumping pillow' (basically a huge inflated pillow/trampoline in the ground that Alex now thinks we need at home), etc. Plus, an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast for $2!

We ran back into town to go to a special store ~ "Because of Brenna" but it wasn't open on Sundays. We did manage to take a family photo... at an old-fashioned photo store. We all got dressed up and had a lot of fun. Then we headed back to our 'bunkhouse' to make dinner, swim and watch a movie. It was a great evening!

Day 9

Today was the first day of the second half of our adventure. We loaded up the camper and headed northwest towards Thermopolis, WY. This city is home to the world's largest mineral hot springs and we were really looking forward to a good soaking.

As I said before, this is the 'loosest' vacation we've ever done which means, we basically are stopping when we see an interesting place. Well, Thermopolis looked interesting and we 'assumed' (I know, I know) that we'd be able to get a cheap hotel easy. Wrong! This weekend is rodeo weekend in Thermopolis and there was no room at the inn. We have learned this past week that rodeo is a huge event in Wyoming. We drove through another small town and everyone was heading to a rodeo there.

But before leaving, we decided to check out the Wyoming Dinosaur Center. We got there with less than an hour before closing. We walked into a large gift store section, saw the prices for the museum and sent Dan & Brenna in for a look. Being the Scot that I am, as soon as I realized that I could still see the dinosaurs through an large opening, there was no way I was spending $16! Brenna LOVED it!

We set off again heading north and finally reached Greybull, WY. We found a KOA with a Kamping Kabin (like we stayed in when we visited Laramie) so we're staying here for the night. Since we are heading to Cody in the morning, it's just too much work to set up the tent, etc. These Kabins are perfect, there is a pool and I was also able to do a load of laundry. This is one of the nicest KOA's that we've stayed at over the years. It even has a nice restaurant, which could be helpful but it closed just before we were ready to eat. Anyway, if you're passing through Greybull and interested in camping this is a nice place.

Well, except for the siren that goes off at 9:00 p.m. The story they told us is that it is an old curfew and is now is use for the volunteer firefighters. They say the average age of their firefighters is 78 so they use it to test their hearing. If they can hear the siren, they can stay, otherwise...

Speaking of fire, we smelled smoke and now have learned that there is a fire in Yellowstone, at the entrance we are planning on using. We just checked the news updates and they have reopened the road but there are certain areas that you cannot stop in right now. I'm sure it will all work out fine!

Again, really neat scenery. Farmlands running right up against volcanic upshoots. WOW. We passed through an amazing canyon that is an Indian reservation. A river ran next to the road and a train track ran along the other side of the river. They posted signs along the road that described the age of the rock formations.

Too bad our kids were more interested in looking for roadkill... Actually, they are really enjoying everything but still, they are weirdly interested in animals that have met car bumpers. What can I say... they are Dan's kids!

Tomorrow we head to Cody to explore the Wild West and Yellowstone Park on Monday. Not sure where we are staying but as usual, we're looking for pools and WiFi!

Day 8

This posting will be short and sweet... well, 'sweet' probably isn't the word...

Friday was spent playing 3 softball games. The first game was early and the outcome wasn't great. This dropped us down into the 'losers' bracket and any subsequent loss would eliminate us from the tournament. Who do we end up playing against? The team we lost to on Thursday. We were so proud of the girls ~ they came out swinging and scored 5 runs in the first inning! The tide started turning towards the end of the game and the other team started coming back... this was followed by some major drama, wrongly so, which made the game even more dramatic. Long story short, our team won!

This lead to a game at 7:00 p.m. Again, a team we had played before! Good and bad news ~ we lost the game. Hate to lose but it means we can start heading up to Yellowstone.

Cheyenne has been really wonderful. We met some really nice people, the girls made friends with several teams, and we had some fun adventures. We're anxious to see what the other parts of Wyoming look like. I'm not sure what internet availability we will have so I will try to post as often as I can (as I'm sure reading this has become an important part of your daily life ~ha ha!)

So bring on the second part of the Adventure!

Day 7

I can't believe we are on Day 7. We weren't quite sure what to expect on this trip, I'm so glad we did it and more importantly, did it without a set schedule... well, except for the games. We've been able to see, experience, and appreciate so many new and exciting things, beautiful and varied scenery, and such nice people.

Today began with the second game of the tournament. While it's being called 'pool play', which usually means it determines your positioning for elimination play, in this tournament it actually means 'exhibition' games. While they won yesterday, today's game wasn't quite as successful. Since it doesn't count, it's okay but still, it's always nice to win.

After the game, there was some free time (so I worked) and the girls swam. I had made arrangements for the team to experience something they never had ~ a trip to a ranch. We visited the Terry Bison Ranch, a 27,500 acre ranch with bison, camels, horses, etc. It spans both Wyoming and Colorado and has a train ride that takes you out to see the animals. Seeing a bison (buffalo) is amazing. What enormous creatures! The train stopped in one location for quite a while and really let us get a good look at these animals. On the other side of the train, 4 camels came up and the kids were able to feed and pet them. Even the teenagers, who are of course 'too cool', got into it and enjoyed it.

After the train ride, we went up to the ranch for dinner ~ beef or buffalo burgers. We tried the buffalo burgers and I have to say, they were really good. Very low fat and very flavorful. Being a weakling when it comes to trying new things, I'm really pushing myself to experience all that I can. The team, siblings and parents all had a great time and it made me happy to have arranged it.

Tomorrow will, hopefully, be a very long day at the fields. We know we have two games tomorrow and are hoping to have three. If so, that would put us at the fields from about 8:00 a.m. to about 9:00 p.m. with breaks between the games. Hopefully enough time to go check out the Capital Building and Governors Mansion. There is also a botanical garden here that I am really anxious to go and check out. If so, I'll have some beautiful pictures to post.

Day 6

The first day of the softball tournament games began today. Alex's team played a team from Livermore, Ca. We were a bit worried about today because we were playing with the minimum number of players due to three players arriving tonight. Well, the girls played awesome! They won 7-1 and Alex caught the entire game... actually, Alex will be catching every game in this tournament. It was about 93 degrees today which made it a bit tougher.

This morning they had practice and Brenna's friend came to the hotel and played with her in the pool. It is a really beautiful pool, huge! Brenna has learned to do flips into the pool so she's pretty proud of herself.

The entire team then headed into downtown Cheyenne. It's near impossible to walk in with 20 people and hope to get seated. Let's just say, the evening didn't go as smoothly as we would have liked and leave it at that.

Now I'm running between the room and the lone washing machine here, cleaning Dan and Alex's uniforms for tomorrow. I should mention that Dan is assistant coaching this tournament. I'll have to ask Alex how she feels about it but it appears she's happy he's in there.

Tomorrow will be a fun day. There is a game at 11:00 a.m., we'll return to the hotel to swim, etc. and then we are all heading out to Terry Bison Ranch for a train ride out to the Bison herd and then back to the ranch for dinner. We're looking forward to it! Especially after tonight's dinner fiasco...

Good night!

Day 5

Today is the official beginning of the Western National Softball Tournament 2008. Alex and Dan had to head out for practice this morning ~ we are at 6000' which is a change for most of the teams at the tournament. No sense in Brenna and I being punished so she and I spent a lovely morning at the hotel, enjoying a really nice breakfast, took an exploratory walk and spent some time at the pool where Brenna made some new friends from Denver.

This afternoon was the Opening Ceremony and an opportunity for the girls to meet players from other states. They do an informal pin exchange, which involves each girl from each team having a bag of pins from their team or city and trading with girls from other teams. It seemed to start slow and then really took off. It was so nice to see the girls laughing and talking with these new friends, who they hope to clobber on the field tomorrow! They then all lined up and paraded onto the field into a wagon wheel shape (I had to make a western reference!). Two teams were then introduced and would come down the first and third base lines to meet at homeplate. There they exchanged gifts with the other team.

Our team was able to exchange gifts with the team from Cheyenne and received really, really neat Western-styled frames that had a thoughtful card inside the frame welcoming them to Cheyenne and the tournament. Really well done and an awesome memory for our team to take home with them.

This was followed by skills games, similar to what occurs at MLB All-Star games. Homerun derby, speed, and fielding drill. Alex was asked to participate in the homerun and fielding challenges and did well. The hitting was tough with a strong wind blowing towards homeplate. She hit well but not quite a homerun. Oh well! Most of the girls ahead of her struggled greatly with the effects of the wind and failed to connect but she hit everything that came her way.

Long story short, they did well but didn't win. Then a band from Denver performed ~ Boogie Machine. HUGE afros, 70's garb, disco music.... a lot of the girls got into it and had fun dancing with their friends, new and old. Our team made a nice connection with the Cheyenne team and were extended an invitation from the host team to get together and see Cheyenne with them. We'll try to make it happen!

Now, we were kind of disappointed today that we missed the earthquake! The funny thing is that I was working and talking to Rich in Texas when the earthquake occurred. While Rich was talking to me, he was also talking to Luke in our office in Laguna Hills who told him that an earthquake had just occurred, which Rich shared with me. Just seemed funny to me that even in Cheyenne, I knew about the earthquake almost as quickly as if I had been in the office! And knowing that the earthquake was just 5 miles from my dad, I was able to quickly get on the phone and check on him (things off shelves and walls but he's ok, thankfully!)

So, we figure that since we missed the earthquake at home, we at least deserve a really great lightning storm, don't you?

Day 4

Another fun day. We got the chance to explore Cheyenne today and learn so much more about the history of both this city, state and the Wild West. Before starting on our Walking Tour of Cheyenne (again, my favorite price ~ free!), we had breakfast at the Luxury Liner, a great restaurant constructed in a diner train car. Had a really yummy breakfast and fueled our systems for walking many blocks, something that California kids are just not used to doing.

We started at the Depot Station/Visitors Center which provides you with a great booklet detailing the tour map and providing detailed descriptions of each location. We saw buildings from the 1800's and learned much about how life was when Cheyenne was founded. At one point we met a policeman on horseback who made a point of coming to us so that Brenna could see the horse (Morgan) up close. Along the way we found a really fabulous western museum and spent some time exploring it. After a few hours of walking and seeing museums, the kids had their fill of history and just wanted the pool. So, we plan on going back to complete our tour, including the Capital Building and Governors Mansion (who, by the way, we saw at the rodeo yesterday).

Quite a few of the girl's from Alex's team finally arrived so she's out running around with them, being teenagers. Early practice tomorrow at 8:00 a.m., check-in for the tournament and then Opening Ceremonies. It should be fun but now the work begins...

Day 3

Sunrise in Wyoming.... again, amazing! I woke up early and sat outside the cabin on the porch swing and was given a beautiful purple and pink sunrise.

We headed out from Laramie to Cheyenne, our primary destination. The short trip provided such a range of scenery again. Stretches of plains where the horizon goes on and on then rocky mountains (and the real Rocky Mountains off in the distance) with lush forests. We got to Cheyenne and headed to Cheyenne Frontier Days, a HUGE deal in Wyoming. It is the world's largest rodeo and Western festival. We got there in time for the 'Beyond the Chutes' tour, a free (!!) 45-minute tour that took us into the stockyard area where we got to see the animals up close. We learned about all the rodeo events and even got to walk through the arena and have our pictures taken in a 'chute' (where the horses, bucking broncos, etc. get released for the events). We got a special commemorative pin and badges. It was a really neat experience at a great price! ha ha

There were lots of booths and attractions, giving us a chance to learn more about our Western heritage (and eat the most incredible hot, roasted, candied cinnamon almonds ~ yummm!) Turns out that today was the championship round of the rodeo and we were told that there probably wouldn't be any tickets left. Not discouraged, we went and checked it out and did get tickets for the rodeo.

We all thought is was an amazing experience, something totally new for all of us. We loved every minute of it and cheered along loudly, especially for the occasional California cowboy!

Lightning and a bit of rain started so we headed to the hotel to check-in. It's a really nice place and if you're ever in Wyoming, I highly recommend Little America hotel.

They had a big barbecue tonight to celebrate the last day of Frontier Days so we we knew we couldn't pass up this opportunity. It was so good! Loads of food and self serve so Brenna was having a ball trying everything.

It was the perfect end to a really great day.

Day 2

Saturday began Day 2 for our adventure. We woke up early in Green River, Utah, had a quick breakfast and hit the road again. We thought about exploring Arches National Park but decided it would add about 4 hours to our journey so we by-passed that and headed for Colorado and Dinosaur National Park.

We're trying to stop at all of the "Welcome to NAME YOUR STATE" signs at each state border, sometimes with success, others.. not so much! But the Welcome to Colorado sign was huge and easy to spot before speeding past it. While we were standing there taking pictures, a car pulled over and a man came running towards us. Odd, we thought. Maybe he's a police officer and we shouldn't have pulled over on the side of the road? Nope, he ran up saying "I have to take a picture of all four of you. I came from Indiana just to take your picture." And the suspicious part of the Southern Californian in us thought "he's gonna steal our camera!". No, he was just a really nice man and it's been so nice to be around such friendly people... not that our friends at home aren't all friendly! By the way, the sign for Wyoming was stolen ( ___ Welcomes You) so we'll try on the way out!

So now we're in Colorado. We continued on, heading for Dinosaur National Monument. We hit a fork in the road. Hmmm, Right or left? Left. Proceed on, see a sign 'Dinosaur National Monument - 22 miles'. Yikes, a little farther than we thought but we've come this far. Wait! Another sign... 'Welcome to Utah'. UTAH??? Didn't we leave there a few hours ago? Oh well. Get to the Visitors Center and find out that the main museum is closed. Bummer! So we turn around, get back to that fork in the road and proceed straight. We find that 1/2 mile from there is an awesome Museum and video on... Dinosaur National Monument!! Ahhh!

We saw the most incredible and varied scenery in all these states. Some so barren and harsh yet beautiful and shortly afterwards, a thick forest filled with the most lovely wildflowers. We all have such an appreciation for the beauty of our country.

We went though Steamboat Springs (wow!) and pushed on to Laramie, Wyoming. We got there a few hours later than we had planned but that's the nice part of this trip ~ the freedom to stop and checkout things that catch our interest. Anyway, we finally got to Laramie and found the KOA we were staying at that night.

Hmmm, what can I say about the KOA in Laramie? Weird location. Between two mobile home parks, one that was called The Estates and the other one, well... let's just say that Britney Spears in her WT days might have lived there! (Dad, I know you won't understand what that means. I'll explain when we get home!) But we had a nice little cabin and we were only there for about 13 hours so it's all good. We had an awesome dinner at a restaurant called Latitude. Great steakhouse and brewery. Glad to get back to the cabin and sleep.

Day 1

Wow. We are SO tired but had such a fabulous day. We actually left pretty close to 'on time' for us ~ aimed for 4:00 and left at 4:30 a.m. We have been in California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah already. Pretty good for one day's driving. Alex got to see Vegas but from the freeway. We just wanted to keep moving. It's also where we found the cheapest gas so far... $3.99, practically free!

Dan took us off the Mapquest path and what treasures we saw. Utah has such spectacular scenery, completely awe-inspiring! This is a picture of the girls in Utah.

One of the downsides of driving with Dan off the Mapquest path is ending up on roads that when we got to the end, had a blockade and the back of signs saying 'Road Closed"....Oops! And of course, it was pouring rain, thunder and lightning. But we still had fun! Rough road though....

We've landed in Green River, Utah for food, a quick swim and sleep! We're heading out early tomorrow to Laramie, Wyoming and checking out what that city has to offer.

Brenna wants to let everyone know that from our hotel room we can see a lightning storm. She also saw lots of animals. Oh! We went to a cheese factory! Kind of expected a tour but just had samples. We're trying to find the wackiest things we can. You know, the largest ball of twine, etc.

Sorry this is short... I'm beat and the bed is calling my name...

Lots of love,
Morag & Family

The Day Before...

Now the pressure is ON! We're "planning" on leaving between 4:00 and 5:00 a.m. Friday morning to begin our journey to Wyoming and as our girls will attest, leaving on time for trips has not been an easy endeavor for us in the past. We still have so much to do... laundry, packing, getting the player gift for the exchange, etc.

And now poor Brenna has a wee toothache so we're squeezing in a dentist visit before we head out. Hopefully it's just a new tooth coming in but I wanted to be safe rather than dealing with a problem on the road.

We got a small camper shell for Dan's truck in anticipation that we'd be going on this trip. It will be interesting and I am anticipating that it will make things easier when we camp.

This is the "loosest" trip we've ever been on. I have booked a hotel in Cheyenne where the team is staying (and I'm not sure I booked enough days!) Other than that, we are just going to go and stay where things look interesting.

Alex is excited about us going through Las Vegas Friday morning ~ I'm not sure what she is expecting but Vegas on a July mid-morning is not very impressive. Just HOT! From Vegas we'll head towards Utah and I think Dan will want to take us to Zion National Park. I'm looking forward to that and anticipate us stopping somewhere in Utah for Friday night.

This week is Frontier Days in Cheyenne so that is why we are pushing to get there as soon as possible. I've mentioned this trip to a few people and several have been to this event and proclaimed it to be really fun, a 'must do'! So, if we're lucky we'll get there and get tickets to the Rodeo. Again, just taking things as they come and enjoying each and every experience!

So, I'll do my best to update this daily and post pictures. I'd love it if you added comments so we can hear from you!

The Adventure BEFORE the Adventure

Thanks to the talent of our lovely eldest daughter, Alex, the Rich Family is heading to the Wild West, otherwise known as Cheyenne, Wyoming, for the 2008 Western National Fastpitch Softball Championship. We thought we'd document our adventure for those who might be interested.

Alex's team will be representing the Mission Viejo Girls Softball league in the 16-and-Under division (that's her, second row, third from the left). She's been back behind the plate catching and will get to catch all the games at the tournament. I feel sorry for anyone trying to cross homeplate...

This will be the first time Dan and I (and the girls of course!) have been to this part of the country so we're looking forward to it. Our plans include lots of camping, enjoying afternoon thunderstorms, rodeos, bbq, bison, cowboys, etc. After spending some time in Cheyenne, we're planning to head to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons. If we're lucky, we'll squeeze in some river rafting.

And if we're really lucky, Brian and Liz McAuley will be joining us on this trip. Wyoming won't know what hit them!

So now we're in the adventure of trying to get the camper ready, pack, make sure Brenna has lots to keep her entertained, phew! I'm exhausted just typing about it.

So follow along as I attempt to update this daily once the trip starts and keep us in your prayers are we spend wayyyy too many hours in a vehicle!