Jul 2004Black Hills, Keystone, SD, United StatesCeci Browne "Les Girls", their Grammy's term. We 3 decided to get to Harbor Beach, MI that year by car rather than to fly... 2,400 miles, Road Trip!
This is a tiny image of Natalie and Abby at the base of Mt Rushmore, my Kodak Instamatic?, whatever, but we were overwhelmed by its enormity and feeling small. This one photo unleashed a myriad of memories for me and for Natalie during this time.
Some ramblings, we saw all sorts of towns along the way, America, one had a population of 150, whereby one daughter asked, do they count the babies too?, haaha.
Yes dear.
The biggest city where we stopped early on and spent a couple of nights was at the lovely Peery Hotel there in Salt Lake City, the Mormon capital there and which is situated near the Temple City.
'Mom, what does Mormon mean?'. Hmm, I tried my best to explain all the different beliefs that I could, but of which all of it was very interesting to my daughters and to me.
We did enter the historic Mormon Tabernacle the next day, and while there, we remarked to each other on the handcrafted woodwork throughout, which took decades to complete. It was remarkable.
Then there was the Great Salt Lake. I pulled over, 'girls get in your swimsuits and hop in'. Really Mom?! But they did and I see them smiling, then eww, it's salty and it is burning our eyes (from both accidental and intentional splashing). They got out immediately. They've always been great troopers.
On one unplanned side trip, as we drove on the I-80, was because we saw on the exit sign, "Wild As*es". Oh my, girls, ya wanna go? Laughingly they both said, 'Yess'. We took the exit. More fun. Among the other roaming animals there, we did see a grizzly bear too, Big, and also those 'wild as*es' ;)
Oh and the little prairie dogs in southwestern SD at the Badlands. More fun and memories.
We saw many parts of America that many don't get to experience.
We also stayed in Yellowstone, at the iconic Yellowstone Inn, because we had to see Old Faithful do its thing periodically and we really wanted to see a moose.
Nope not there anywhere, but alas, not until we continued out of the park did we see one. Alright!
I pulled over, we watched that big animal calmly drink and chew greens in a stream by the side of the road and who was just looking at us all the time.
Check that one off.
