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!