We’re back in Cincinnati, and with Bret returning to DC and Emily staying in Ohio a bit longer, the Dream Trip of 2011 is officially over.  We traveled 5,897 miles, camped seven nights, visited five National parks, stayed in six motels, spent $625 on gas, saw zero bears, and drove through 15 states (Nine new for Bret who has now seen more than half the states in the Union, and four new states for Emily who has about ten states to go).

All in all it was a great trip; America did not disappoint.  There are great adventures to enjoy, and plenty more to see and experience.  Many people have asked what the highlight of the trip was, but we really can’t pick just one.  One memorable image for Bret was simply driving long distances on open highways, with 75 MPH speed limits and vast big skies in Colorado and Wyoming.  Emily was especially taken with Glacier National Park—the mix of gorgeous clear blue water, snow-capped mountains, and a diversity of landscapes from old-growth cedar forest to wildflower-filled meadows.

If we had to give any advice for others taking a long drive we’d recommend the “America the Beautiful” National Park pass (it saved us $70), staying in the small local motels along the interstates and outside of major cities, packing the cooler and picnicking at rest stops, and visiting information centers stationed at state lines where you can pick up hotel coupon books and find other interesting information about the state.

One thing we learned was how different each national park is, and we ended the trip with a desire to visit more parks in the future.  We had unique experiences and saw different sights each place we went; even Grand Teton and Yellowstone, which are so geographically close, are very distinct in terms of what they have to offer to visitors.

Thanks for reading—we’ve enjoyed the chance to share our stories and pictures throughout the trip.

-Bret and Emily

My first time ever to Chicago and therefore first time to Wrigley Field; it was even better than I expected.  To begin, the Saturday game was during the day, as it should be but one of only a few that day in the majors.  The old stadium has kept its small stature, so despite buying the 2nd cheapest seat in the house, I was surprised to be sitting low to the field and looking straight down the first base line. There are no bad seats at Wrigley (well, there are more “obstructed view” seats in a place like Wrigley, but everything is close to the action). With no attempts to pump up crowd support with loud speaker lead chants or songs playing intermediately between batters, you actually felt like you were watching a baseball game with the other 40,000 people packed into the rows. 

A lot of it contrast with Citifield, where I would have paid almost double for the same sight line, and where the large stadium carries an empty feel to it even though it averages over 30,000 a game.

So despite seeing the two teams with the absolute worst records in baseball, it was a good time.  Wells pitched out of some jams for the Cubs, who held the Astros to one run despite out hitting the home team.  All is good when the home team wins

-Bret

Yesterday, we talked about how much cool tourist stuff there is in western South Dakota.  Well, it turns out that eastern South Dakota has something to offer as well. Namely, the world’s only Corn Palace.  When I saw the sign along the highway, I pretty much insisted we stop, even though neither of us knew what ‘corn palace’ actually meant.  Plus, unlike other random tourist attractions, this one was proudly displayed on state Department of Transportation signage along the road.

I was not disappointed.  Mitchell’s Corn Palace has been around since 1892, and it’s redecorated each year with a plethora of different kinds and parts of corn.  Inside, there’s a multi-purpose performance hall/sports arena, complete with stage and large scoreboard.  When there aren’t events, the arena serves as a large gift shop, with all manner of South Dakota kitsch and cornaphanalia.  All proceeds go to the yearly redecoration, so I made a few purchases and sampled some of the wide variety of flavored popcorn.

Close-up of part of the mural outside.

The Corn Palace is still a work in progress!  If you find yourself in South Dakota, I recommend it— it’s close to the highway, and admission is free.

Cornily,

Emily

We have been driving east for almost two days now.  Not to worry, Emily and I were never intending to go west for as long as the frontiersmen and the like long before us. While the direction is less iconic, we are still making the most of it, yesterday we stopped at Mt. Rushmore and and Badlands National Park in western South Dakota, marking the 8th new state I had never been to.  

If you thought there was nothing in South Dakota except Mt. Rushmore you were probably right, until Mt. Rushmore was carved in.  Basically the whole western portion of state thrives on summer tourist.  It is kinda like Cape Cod packed with hotels, motels, mini-golf, water parks and exciting restaurants albeit with no beach and a lot more camping, caves, and specialty zoos (i.e. Bear Country USA or Reptile Gardens).  What was interesting to learn is that the original idea of carving monuments in the mountains was that of the South Dakota State Historian in 1923, who wanted to promote visitors to the Black Hills.  Mt. Rushmore alone gets 3 million a year, and it clearly has spawned much more in the private tourist industry.

The photos below are of Badlands, which is an interesting mix of prairie lands and geologic formations.

-Bret

Yesterday, Bret and I woke up in Great Falls, MT and visited the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I thought it was really great: informative, interactive, and very interesting.

I learned the correct pronunciation of “Sacajawea” (sah-ka-gah-we-ah); about the various native tribes the expedition met; and that traveling west at the turn of the 19th century was really, really hard. Waterfalls are cool, but portaging around four of them with all your boats and supplies? Yikes.

I came away with renewed respect for the intrepid explorers who documented their findings for their country. They brought back maps, plant specimens, drawings of new animals encountered, and a wealth of words in the form of daily journals that Lewis and Clark and others on the journey kept, like the excerpt from Lewis’ journal in the photo.

-Emily

PS- reading Lewis’ take on grizzlies, I’m extra glad we haven’t had any bear encounters on our trip.

Ducks on Swiftcurrent Lake

It was a beautiful sky tonight as we finished our drive through Montana.

Many Glacier Hotel, a national historic landmark that opened in 1915.