The vacation saga continues....

Greetings from California. 
I didn't blog in Nevada because we stayed at Harrahs and they charge $10.95 to use the internet...and little by the road motels and McDonalds has it free!  Give me a break.

So last time I promised Salt Lake City, and here it is...

We first stopped in Morgan for the Browning Outlet and dinner at a chicken place Alex loves.  See pictures under what we ate...

Then on to SLC, where we stayed in a really lovely hotel that was not very expensive. They provided a great breakfast and free internet...

We went out to the Lake, once you get across the causeway to Antelope Island, it doesn't stink at all.

We went to the visitors center and got some great pictures... and a great view.

These rocks are ledges that mark the shoreline of the glacial lake that once covered much of this area and formed the salt lake.

We visited the ranch that was worked on this island until the 1980's.

The Ranch house

This is the bunkhouse

There is a bell on that post

The barn - it was a great barn!

There are supposed to be a lot of antelope and buffalo on this island...this is the only antelope we saw...and these are the only buffalo we saw...

It was an interesting and awesome place...very ancient.  I was so glad to be able to see it!

That afternoon we went downtown to Temple square and visited the tabernacle, the outside of the Temple and the grounds, which are truly lovely.

The Tabernacle

The Temple

The back

The front of the Temple with the reflecting pool in front

The statue dedicated to the seagull.

Then we left the next morning and drove across the state of Nevada to Reno, which is the next post.

Dead skunk count unchaged

Dead jackrabbit count = 6

antique stores we have passed by = 6,545,999

SG

We enter UTAH

Then it was....

Utah has some pretty incredible scenery,and we went through mountains that took my breath away.  Maybe it was so overwhelming because we were driving through the base of the mountains, not the tops and ridges as I am used to.

This is called Devil's Slide.

Next post, Salt Lake City.....stay tuned!

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Dead Skunk Count = 9

Antique stores we have passed by...5,345,899

Browning Outlet Stores we have passed by...none..

SG

Vaca....Day 5 and 6???

I think this is day 5 and 6.  We left Rushmore...on the way down the mountain, I saw a buffalo...

He was dressed up for July...

Then we did this...

Wyoming has some pretty scenery, lots of ranches and then mountains...We stopped at a little gas station to get some water and the bathroom, and I bought Gaga an antler chew toy.

We spent the night in Laramie.

SG

Vacation and I forget which day it is, they are all running together!

Days are starting to run together, but we drove across South Dakota, and we stopped off at Wall Drug.  What a cool place!  We had lunch there, Alex bought him a Stetson hat and I got a T-shrit.

Alex found a friend...I think maybe he had to pay to do this....

And this was just too funny..

By the way, rest areas in SD have big concrete teepees...

Then it was time for the biggie...Mt.Rushmore....

It was pretty awesome!

SG

Vacation Day Two and Three - Iowa,Minnesota and Wisconsin - and TAYLOR HOME INN!

Day 2 and up at the crack of 8 am...breakfast in the breakfast room with other people's annoying children...such is traveling.

Then we were off, up through Iowa.  Then we came upon:

Welcome to Minnesota.

The trip through St. Paul was harrowing at best, construction everywhere, and we were dumped onto local streets with no idea where we were or where to go.  After purchasing a map, and checking out another one, driving around a while, I figured out where to turn and we were on our way, a different route than Google said, but it worked and we finally pulled up to the Taylor Home Inn.  This is a wonderful B&B that is a reproduction of the Andy Taylor house in The Andy Griffith Show. 

I was totally unprepared when I walked in.  I had seen pictures of it from groundbreaking on...but it just hits you when you walk in.  It is just indescribable.

We were greeted by Marsha and Ellie Walker, the cutest little black miniature schnauzer ever. Ellie spends a great deal of time with a golf ball in her mouth, which she will let you throw for her if she decides she trusts you.

We stayed in Aunt Bee's room, had a pop at Wally's , went over to a lovely town called Amery, were I ordered the spaghetti and meatball, and was presented with a meatball about the size of my head.  See pictures under what we ate.

I will post more later on this wonderful place and the lovely hostess, Marsha, when we stay at a place with a better internet connection.  This one takes 5 minutes to upload a picture!

So after a trip back across Wisconsin, Minnesota, and we crossed over to:

While here we stopped off at the Corn Palace

Where I had my picture made as a corn, and Alex refused to cooperate.  I told him, he needed to lighten up and have some fun with it.  He said he didn't like having his picture made...so I pointed out that I don't either, but if you don't, it won't even look like you were there!

 

We drove through some beautiful farmland, lots of corn, flat land but just beautiful.   Rain storms and sunshine, then we topped a small hill, and right in front of us, unexpectedly, was a breathtaking view of the Missouri River and hills on the other side.  and that's were we stopped for the day.

More in a day or two, when the internet is better!

Dead Skunk count is now 5. 

Should have done coons,cause that number is about 5000

Number of antique stores/flea markets that we have passed by = 4,642,899

Later,

SG

Vacation Day One!

Day one - we start out after a wonderful breakfast at McDonalds.  Then go by Colliers, then we are off!
First potty stop - Bentonville.

Then we are off again!  For some reason some of these pictures came out in
B&W so just ignore that.

We are chugging on toward KC, and we notice the old highway next to the interstate...I am pretty sure the last time I went to KC, it was on this highway....and by the way, it's really hard to take pictures from a moving car...

And lots of corn for some reason.

And then it was...

We made a pit stop at this visitors center/Amish Country store, where I over paid for some kitchen towels with crocheted cherries hanging off them and bought Alex some chocolate covered cherries so he would pose for this picture...

Then we made a stop at Exit 52, St. Charles, where we found this...

One of the Bridges of Madison County..(it was raining)

Then went down the road to Winterset, the county seat of Madison County and the birthplace of John Wayne....

And apparently this church, now the St.Charles visitor center, was in the movie I'm not sure how...

Now we are in lovely Akeny, Iowa at the ever popular Days Inn...heck $69 and they throw in breakfast! Dinner at the Village Inn, check out what we ate on the What We Ate tab. 

tomorrow is day 2!

Dead Skunk Count = 2

See you later...

SG