Around the country trip!

Starting Point!

Location: 42.698586, -83.133545
It took me forever to get out of here! lol I wanted to leave at 10 but didnt get out till 11:45 and then off!!

Chicago

Location: 41.580525, -87.311096
Sooo I was going to take the 94 north here and dad warned me about Chicago traffic... never doubt the dad!

Des Moines, Iowa

Location: 41.654445, -93.576050
This was my goal point but it was only 8 hours and I knew I could go farther than that. So onward I went!

Lightening

Location: 41.498293, -94.762573
I believe I saw what I thought was lightening in the horizon because it was so dark. hmmmm!

Lightening is coming my way!!

Location: 41.902277, -96.102905
Its starting to get brighter ans I actually saw bolts shoot across the sky now! OMG I looove it. But its getting late.

Souix City, Iowa freeway sign

Location: 42.504503, -96.328125

Soiux City, Iowa

Location: 42.490327, -96.418762
I finally copped to stopping and not trying to make it for Sioux Falls, South Dakota but when I pulled off... ummm... no. It was ghetto and I somehow got directed down skank central main street where in my delirious state they appeared to have the demeanor of hookers. Its about 1 am EST (whatever that is here I am not sure I believe its an hour behind). So I say no and continue on.

North Sioux City

Location: 42.545998, -96.509399
So originally I was upset that I was stopping and didnt make it to South Dakota like my plan was... but that hellacious storm started to literally drop Shamu's tank on me and the lightening its incredible! But I decided it was probably not going to be a good idea to try and drive through that so I pulled over and when I finally found a motel... I couldnt find my toothbrush being caught in the rain! haha damnit! BUT there is always handy spongebob toothbrush waiting for me in my car! And when I looked at the reciept- it said South Dakota!! hahaha yaaaaaaaaayyyy I made it!! Morning: Ugggh. haha nasty. Dying bug on teh bathroom floor, looong black hair in the fucked up shower, the power in the bathroom went out and I couldnt get it back on. Like 1 light worked lol This should have been half off. lol Some would be inclined to want a biohazard delousing shower after this. grrrr.

Super gross Super 8 motel

Location: 42.587466, -96.446228

Sioux Falls

Location: 43.566462, -96.756592
So I though this was gonna be a waay bigger town but it wasnt at all! Im glad i didnt aim for that the other night!

A giant metal Bull sculpture

Location: 43.675818, -97.514648

Mitchell, South Dakota

Location: 43.810747, -98.107910

Me and an Indian statue

Location: 43.818675, -98.107910

Corn Palace!

Location: 43.850375, -98.140869
hahaha seriiously there is a corn palace and yes I had to stop there.

Me and a Corn on the cob

Location: 43.802819, -98.009033

Exit 260 Trading Post

Location: 43.807774, -99.405670
So I had been seeing billboards all around the freeway for miles advertising for this place adn it sparked my curiuosity!! :) hahaha what I bought here is a surprise but once I get back I will post pictures!

Wall, South Dakota

Location: 43.986886, -102.227783
As you drive the 90 west across the entire state... you see billboards for over 200 miles with ads for "Wall Drug" and absolutely none of them make sense! haha so damnit I dont have the time but I stopped anyway. Money wise- I wish I never did, but collector wise... HOLY SHIT IM SO GLAD I DID!! hahaha i bought even more awesome things here that shall remain unnamed because they are just too damn cool and need to be a surprise for when I get home!!

My exploDer in Wall

Location: 43.990468, -102.239113

Me n my new Jackalope!

Location: 43.990098, -102.237740

Designated Driver

Location: 43.992321, -102.243233
hahahaha

Rapid City

Location: 44.112240, -103.234406
So I had no idea just how much time you can waste in South Dakota, but once I got past all of my adventures... I see billboards for Bear Country USA! Its a drive through bear ranch and I went 85mph to try and get there in time before it closed. :( I didnt

Fur Bearing Walleye

Location: 43.991086, -102.240486

Fur bearing walleye explanation

Location: 43.991209, -102.242203

Sturgis billboard

Location: 44.406316, -103.524170

Sturgis, South Dakota

Location: 44.402392, -103.515930
It started raining up here gettin to the mountains adn I had to stop for gas. (my windows had been up for a while and I get out and its cold!!) Blink and you miss Sturgis, South Dakota. I dont know how many bikers they claim to house... but I didnt see it AT all.

My fishy

Location: 44.043550, -102.353439

South Dakota Badlands

Location: 43.841461, -101.898193
AHHH I wanted to stop soo bad so i can go hike them but it was nearing sunset (which made them even more beautiful) but I want to spend a lot of time here (with my baby!) so I didnt go!

Crazy Woman Creek!

Location: 44.249933, -106.430011
haha damnit I have to steal this sign!!

Beautiful Wyoming sunset

Location: 44.425934, -104.306946
I drove through the mountains here and the sunset was dipping down below storm clouds, the pine trees were glowing just enough green and I had Eric Church - I love Your Love the Most going.

Buffalo,Wyoming

Location: 44.341530, -106.731491
I wanted to make it to Cody, but apparently the 16 here goes over a major mountain pass and it is SNOWING!!! haha effff that at night. I get off the exit for Buffalo and its allll broken dirt roads through main street right now. I called every motel i saw (I have LiseSearch downloaded on my blackberry adn its aweesome) and the Super 8 motel was $90!! WTF?! haha I was like ohh im sleepin in my car tonight. Then a lady pointed me to the Mountain View motel and its back off the 16 so at first I was skiddish and then I said ok because its gonna get in the 40s last tonight! Well. The reallly nice grounds keeper told me alll about Yellowstone and how beautiful it is and where to see things and fish. Then a guy came in asking for something, and then we looked at the map he has up with a push pin for everywhere people have came from that stayed at their motel! and another guy came in and they were cookin trout! I had previously asked about fishin spots so we talked and they invited me to eat the trout they caught tonight! :) It was so good! So I went to go to my room to get settled and are little individual log cabin things! OMG I fell in love haha! But we all ended up drinkin n tellin stories then staring at the stars- then low and behold... they have to work at 4:30am!! haha Good night! They are highway construction workers and we discussed stealing the "Crazy Woman Creek" sign! haha I am already thinking of how the hell to do that. I also tried Moose Drool beer. haha Ive got the bootle. :)

Mountain View Motel, Buffalo WY

Location: 44.341100, -106.753807

Courtyard where we ate trout last night!

Location: 44.341959, -106.754065

my little log cabin :)

Location: 44.341898, -106.754236

more cabin pictures

Location: 44.340977, -106.752348

My exploder out in the woods

Location: 44.282724, -106.924074

The Reservoir

Location: 44.282309, -106.923451
OMG soo beautiful!! I went fishing without a permit. I knew it was wrong, I did it anyway! I got a couple of bites but have mostly bass lures!

Tie Hack Reservoir

Location: 44.282233, -106.924353
Tony, Earl, and John from Mountain View motel told me this is where they caught the trout!

Fishin illegally :)

Location: 44.282786, -106.923194

more fishin

Location: 44.282586, -106.922507

:)

Location: 44.281948, -106.923366

Cody, Wyoming

Location: 44.525885, -109.057159
This seems like a great place to find some cabin decor!

Yellowstone National Park

Location: 44.489158, -110.003357

First steam vent I saw!

Location: 44.524416, -110.284195
I put my boots on and hiked down there which maaay not have been smart now that I think of it so dont do this. Id hate to discover a new blazing hot steam vent by falling through it!

Steam Vent

Location: 44.523804, -110.281277

Forest fire

Location: 44.499444, -110.201111
This was one of the saddest things ive ever seen and whoever started this a while ago should be life in prison!

Le hardy Rapids

Location: 44.599452, -110.386763

Buffalo!!

Location: 44.602813, -110.385475

Yellowstone traffic jam...

Location: 44.603852, -110.384789
but not this way. hahaha I came up from hiking down the river and saw traffic and I was pissed because I didnt have time to stop!! Well I see what was causing the traffic jam!

Buffalo herd

Location: 44.603668, -110.396462

Lower Falls

Location: 44.896012, -110.388222
I didnt go hike to it because it was too far for my time limit, but I did take a picture and hike to the Upper Falls!

Upper Falls

Location: 44.901362, -110.389595
Soo beautiful! There is a 600ft cliff climb down there but you are about to go around a right turn and look to the left to see a lookout point! Well its hardly a lookout point but I know the best pictures are off trail! And boy was I right!

The Upper Falls!

Location: 44.902821, -110.391998

Me n the upper falls

Location: 44.902092, -110.383415

Upper Falls grand canyon

Location: 44.903064, -110.392342

More upper falls

Location: 44.901605, -110.383072

Me at falls

Location: 44.901362, -110.381699

:)

Location: 44.903308, -110.395775

Female Elk <3

Location: 44.977792, -110.699101

Mammoth Hot Springs

Location: 44.975485, -110.702362
I saw 2 female elk just walking around adn they were 3 feet from me! Then when I tried to get pictures the local smokies came and said 25 feet away!! :<

Me at Mammoth Hot springs!

Location: 44.974514, -110.699616

Big Sky sunset

Location: 45.057638, -110.758495

Slept in my car

Location: 45.876625, -111.980896
Well good thing I brought blankets and pillows! It was a chilly night in the back seat! But I was literally about asleep at the wheel and there were no rest stops and even less exits for a while so this was teh first gas station I pulled into. I was going 75 and then a cop passed me and I realized I was only going 50mph! Couldnt keep the gas pedal down so thats when it was definitely time to pull over!

Flathead lake

Location: 47.800242, -114.288025
This is the longest drive in the world.

Kalispell, Montana

Location: 48.197218, -114.318237
This is actually way bigger than I thought it would be! Grandma Murray is here not doin so hot :/

Aunt Missy's House!

Location: 48.361724, -114.191895
I love my aunt Missy. We havent seen each other since I was definitely less than 10 years old. and we are sooo related... :)

Glacier National Park with aunt Missy :)

Location: 48.498180, -113.984699

Toilet Bowl rapids

Location: 48.659959, -113.836641
I believe this is where it is!

Beautiful Falls in Glacier

Location: 48.660185, -113.837071

Mah boootays

Location: 48.660356, -113.837156

Logan Pass

Location: 48.695833, -113.715620
it was pretty chilly up there!

Logan Pass wildflowers

Location: 48.695776, -113.717423

Coeur d'Alene

Location: 47.702369, -116.795654
I was told soo much about this and I accidentally drove right through it!!!

Cousin Earl and Jan

Location: 45.151053, -116.295776
Ive never met my cousins, they are my dads cousins actually so my 2nd cousins...? They aer awesome and soo interested in trying to get to know the family again! I love it!

New Plymouth, Idaho

Location: 43.975028, -116.814880
I havent been here in 3 years! I love this family to death n they are like my second family! Melanie and I floated down the Payette River (no pictures!) but they out phones went swimming in the beer cooler. So I had to get a new one before I left to Sacramento!

the 95 in Oregon!

Location: 42.220382, -117.773438
IS BORING AND DESERTY! Jeeze that was the longest stretch of desert with 2 gas stations ever! and supply and demand... tehy jacked up gas prices. DUMMB!

Reno 911!

Location: 39.537940, -119.816895
I am in love with that show!

Cousin Sean Baumgarten

Location: 38.674789, -121.346741
My dad's brother's son- I dont ever remember meeting but I dropped off his father's things from my dads sister in Montana. :)

Auntie Beth's house <3

Location: 38.700516, -121.363220
SURPRISE!!!! She cried i knew it! I love this family! They took me to mexican food yuuuummm!!! and beer!

WRONG FREEWAY!

Location: 38.182069, -122.173462
haha damn. I thought I was on the 5.

Had to cross back over to the 5 here.

Location: 37.709899, -121.920776
A bit out of my way

Fam time!

Location: 33.047594, -117.297935

Umm 117 degrees... is never ok.

Location: 36.142311, -115.197144

Slept for the night here

Location: 39.083172, -108.561401

Seriously... I missed the freeway

Location: 39.762103, -104.968872
And I ended up in Kansas

Caught this little road all the way north to South Dakota

Location: 39.210975, -100.876465

Mount Rushmore!!

Location: 43.882552, -103.470612

Rushmore caves

Location: 43.876613, -103.452072
Brought my new fascination to caving to light!! SO AWESOME

North Dakota

Location: 46.848921, -96.838989
I didnt get to explore as much as North Dakota as Iwould have liked.

Pretty little town of Wadena

Location: 46.441642, -95.136108

Poi 41

Location: 46.604167, -92.263184

Poi 42

Location: 45.782848, -87.033691

Beautiful sunset!!

Location: 45.811572, -84.729309

First time being pulled over in almost 8,000 miles.

Location: 44.294367, -84.353027
He let me go but not before hegave me a hard time at midnight after a 14 hour drive so far!!