November 2023

• Website link: Rocky Mountain National Park
• Note: a timed entry system may be in effect, so plan ahead for your visit.
• Accommodations: Campgrounds for RVs and tents, as well as backcountry camping in the park. Additional hotels, campgrounds, and other amenities, including restaurants, available in Estes Park, Grand Lake, Lyons, and Loveland.
• What to do: hike, bike, climb, backpack, fish. Spectacular scenic drives. Horseback riding is also available in the park (seasonal).
• When to go: Anytime. Summer and early fall are the best times to go, however, the park is most crowded during these times.

It’s no wonder that almost 4.5 million people visited Rocky Mountain National Park in 2021, with almost one million people visiting in July alone! The park is spectacular from top to bottom and everywhere in between. We can’t figure out why it took us so long to get there, but we’re so glad we finally went. In fact, we didn’t want to leave, even after spending several days in the park. Rocky Mountain National Park is a UNESCO international biosphere reserve and is home to a multitude of animals and birds, as well as glaciers and one of the few alpine tundra ecosystems in the lower forty-eight states. So, pack your bags and hop on board for our tour of one of the great treasures of the national park system.

Rocky Mountain National Park is approximately:

70 miles from Denver, Colorado — 470 miles from Salt Lake City, Utah — 500 miles from Amarillo, Texas — 515 miles from Albuquerque, New Mexico — 740 miles from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Our trip is going to start from Denver, Colorado, the closest major airport city to Rocky Mountain National Park.

⇒From Denver, take E-470 (toll road) to I-25 north toward Longmont, Colorado. Continue north to Loveland, Colorado. At Loveland, take US Highway 34 west to Estes Park. Drive time between Denver and Estes Park via this route: 1.75 hours.

Travel tip: the drive from Loveland to Estes Park is very scenic through the Big Thompson River Canyon. The road was rebuilt and reopened in 2018, and the scenery should not be missed.

⇒At Estes Park, continue on US Highway 34 west to the Fall River entrance and visitor center OR take US Highway 36 to the Beaver Meadows entrance and visitor center.

⇒Alternate route: from Denver, take I-25 north to Highway 66 west toward Lyons, then take US Highway 36 to the Wild Basin entrance station and continue north to Estes Park. Drive time between Denver and Estes Park via this route: 1.5 hours.

Travel tip: the Fall River entrance (US Highway 34) leads to Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuously paved highway in the U.S and designated All-American Road. Weather permitting, this road is a must-do while visiting Rocky Mountain National Park. For spectacular views, stop at all of the pull-outs along the road, as well as the Alpine visitor center which is about half-way between the east and west sides of the park. A cafe is available at this visitor center seasonally.

View from Alpine Visitor Center

We are taking the Highway 34 (Fall River entrance) to start our tour. First stop: Sheep Lakes area for a little elk watching. Elk rutting or mating season occurs during the first few weeks of fall, and we were able to see several elk bulls with their harems during our time in the park. What a thrill to see nature at it’s best! The ones above are young bulls.

Our next stop is at the Alluvial Fan. This fan was created during a natural dam break at Lawn Lake in the 1980s, which sent trees and boulders tumbling four miles down the mountain and flooded the surrounding park areas and the city of Estes Park with millions of gallons of water. Today, this is a popular hiking and picnicking area featuring the Roaring River, cascading waterfalls, and huge boulders.

Alluvial Fan

Now we begin our climb to the top of Trail Ridge Road, along which are several scenic pull outs with amazing views. Here are a few of our favorites taken from below the treeline.

Ypsilon Mountain (13,520 feet)

Fall Colors

And our favorites from above the treeline in the alpine tundra as we make our trek up to the Alpine Visitor Center.

Late summer on the tundra (Sundance Mountain – 12,466 feet) Terra Tomah Mountain with glacial cirque and icy remnants (12,723 feet)

With only about a six-week summer season, it is amazing that wildlife and plants can survive at this elevation, but they do. Did you know that the cute little animals below spend 80 percent of their lives hibernating?

Yellow-Bellied Marmot Pika

In addition to these animals and the elk, we also saw big horn sheep, deer, wild turkeys, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, many different birds, as well as trout in the clear water of the alpine lakes. And speaking of alpine lakes, Rocky Mountain National Park has a lot of them. We loved hiking to and around several of the lakes on the Beaver Meadows side of the park. There are numerous hiking trails throughout the park, providing adventures for every level of hiker, backpacker, or climber.

Sprague Lake with Hallet Peak, Tyndall Glacier, and Flattop Mountain in the background Bear Lake with Hallett Peak Reflection

Bear Lake with changing trees

Nymph Lake with water lilies

Dream Lake

Emerald Lake and Hallett Peak

The hike from Bear Lake to Emerald Lake took us about four hours round trip, including stops. There is about a 600 foot elevation gain along the trail. The elevation at Emerald Lake is 10,110 feet.

Travel tip: the parking lot at Bear Lake fills quickly during peak seasons. Arrive early in the morning to secure a parking space, or take the shuttle from either the Estes Park Visitor Center or the park and ride lot near Glacier Basin inside the park. Don’t forget that a timed entry ticket is required for the Bear Lake area and most other sections of the park.

Bull elk and part of his very large harem

It was wonderful getting to see the park as it was changing into its fall colors. Doesn’t the picture above remind you of autumn? This bull had about twenty cows in his harem, plus their calves.

Over on the west side of the park, which is accessed via Trail Ridge Road, there are many pull-outs and scenic vistas, along with several trailheads and the Holzwarth Historic Site, which is open from mid-June through September. Here’s a link: Holzwarth Historic Site. Drive time between Estes Park and Grand Lake via Trail Ridge Road: 1.5 hours without stops.

Bonus stop: Estes Park. This beautiful mountain town is the eastern gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park. It features unique shops, wonderful restaurants, and a multitude of lovely hotels. The most famous hotel, The Stanley, opened in 1909 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. A stay at The Stanley inspired Stephen King to write The Shining. We recommend taking one of the interesting tours of the hotel. Parking is $10.00 plus the cost of the tour.

The Stanley Hotel

During peak seasons, parking can be difficult in downtown Estes Park, but there is a large free parking lot next to the police station. The restaurants we recommend are Claire’s on the Park – 225 Park Lane, and Hunters Chop House – 1690 Big Thompson Avenue.

⇒Side trip: Loveland. This city has a small town feel with big city amenities. Loveland has great shopping (The Promenade Shops at Centerra), a state park, beautiful city parks, and natural spaces. There are also many nice hotels (Holiday Inn Express and Hampton Inn, among others) and RV parks (Riverview RV Park, which is located next to the Big Thompson River). Take an after-dinner stroll around Lake Loveland, or take a Sunday afternoon walk through the Benson Sculpture Garden. (Website link: Benson Sculpture Garden.) One of our favorites was an early evening hike on Wild Loop trail at Devil’s Backbone Open Space. (Website link: Devil’s Backbone Open Space.) The restaurant we recommend is McGraff’s American Grill -1602 E Eisenhower Blvd. Drive time between Estes Park and Loveland: 40 minutes.

One of the beautiful sculptures at Benson Sculpture Garden

Devil’s Backbone Open Space

We will end this post with one last picture. Below is Longs Peak, the highest mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park, standing at 14,259 feet.

Thank you so much for joining us on our visit to Rocky Mountain National Park! We always love having you along for the ride. Until the next trip…

Travel safe, travel smart, and we will see you down the road.

Mike and Kellye

As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true vendors and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own. ©2018

Where is Cahokia Mounds?

Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site is located at 30 Ramey Street in Collinsville, Illinois. The grounds are open to the public daily from sunrise to sunset. The site features:

• Interpretive Center, museum, and gift shop
• Hiking trails
• Guided tours – reservations required
• Self-guided tours of the site

Cahokia Mounds is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a National Historic Landmark, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Here is a link to the website: Cahokia

This view of the grounds shows some of the smaller mounds which may have been used for individual residences.

Why is Cahokia Important?

Dating to 1000 AD, Cahokia Mounds is the largest prehistoric Indian site north of Mexico. The site encompasses 2,200 acres of what once was an even larger ancient settlement occupied by a culture of people who were farmers, hunters, and traders. At one time mound complexes reached as far as current day St. Louis, Missouri. Today’s site contains 120 mounds. The Mississippians who built the mounds did so by digging earth from “borrow pits” and hauling it in baskets on their backs or by hand. Cahokia’s mounds contain an estimated 50 million cubic feet of borrowed earth. As the mounds grew, so did the community, and Cahokia became a center of Mississippian life and culture.

Mound view at Cahokia. This may be one of the twin mounds shown at the bottom of the grand plaza in the image below.

Cahokia’s Mounds and Buildings

Most of the mounds at Cahokia are rectangular pyramid shapes with flat tops although there are some round mounds that were used for burials. The people buried in the round mounds were probably chiefs or others of great importance to the community. Cahokians were usually buried in cemeteries. The exception to that point may be Mound 72, which is covered later in the post.

This artist’s rendition shows what Cahokia might have looked like at its peak.

Buildings at Cahokia were constructed of poles and thatch though some were also overlaid with a combination of clay and grass. Archaeological excavations have uncovered lodges, grain storages, and communal buildings. Evidence also shows that residences usually housed one family. The tops of the largest mounds were reserved for ceremonial structures or the homes of rulers.

Another site image showing what the buildings may have looked like as Cahokia grew.

Interestingly, professional anthropological studies and archaeological excavations did not begin at Cahokia until the 1960s. So in the grand scheme of things, what is known about the site is relatively new. Studies continue today, so there is a near constant stream of up-to-date information and theories. Undoubtedly, the examination of Cahokia will go on indefinitely.

Monks Mound

Monks Mound is the largest prehistoric earthwork in the Americas. Its name comes from the French Trappist monks who lived nearby and farmed the terraces of the mound in the early 1800s. The Cahokian chief, Great Sun is said to have ruled from the top of Monks Mound, therefore, Cahokia is sometimes referred to as City of the Sun.

Monks Mound

While construction of Monks Mound began around 950 AD, workers continued to enlarge it over the next 300 years. The building on the top terrace measured 48 feet by 104 feet and some believe it reached 50 feet high.

Monks Mound:

• has a base that covers 14 acres
• is 100 feet tall
• contains 22 million cubic feet of earth

View of Monks Mound from the second terrace looking toward the stairs that lead to the top. In all, 156 steps lead from ground level to the top. The “Birdman” is now the historic site’s logo.

Monks Mound once had four terraces. The artist’s rendering below shows how it may have looked at Cahokia’s peak.

Cahokia’s Stockade

The stockade was a two-mile long barrier, most likely used for defense. However, some theorists believe that it may have served as a barrier to separate the elite from the other residents of Cahokia. The portion we see today is obviously a replica, though the Stockade Trial follows the boundary line of where the eastern part of the original stockade stood.

Cahokia’s stockade probably looked similar to this but on a much larger scale.

Mound 72

While Monks Mound is the grandest because of its size, Mound 72 is probably the most anthropologically interesting of all of Cahokia’s mounds. In 1967 excavations of Mound 72 revealed 270 ceremonial burials. The majority of the bodies were discovered in mass graves and were determined to be young women who died sacrificially.

Cahokia’s Mound 72 was reconstructed after extensive excavations.

Excavations of Mound 72 also revealed two bodies, probably great leaders, atop a cache of 20,000 marine shell disc beads formed in the shape of a large falcon. Six additional bodies, which anthropologists determined were elite men, were found with a large number of burial offerings. Offerings included arrowheads, jewelry, and other artifacts, some of which came from as far away as the areas that are now the states of Tennessee and Oklahoma. Further excavations revealed the bodies of 39 people that, unlike the others, had met a violent end. Anthropologists studied their teeth and determined that those 39 unfortunate souls were probably immigrants or enemies of the Cahokians and not locals.

Cahokia’s Woodhenge

Woodhenge is a solar calendar that the ancient Cahokians used to determine the equinoxes and solstices for agricultural purposes and ceremonial dates.

Reconstruction of Cahokia’s Woodhenge

Excerpts from the site’s information board:

“At least five large post-circle monuments were built at this location from AD 1100 to 1200, each with a different diameter and number of posts. Woodhenge III is the circle most extensively excavated and is the one reconstructed here, in the original location.” “The most important alignments are the winter and summer solstices, marking the southernmost and northernmost sunrise positions, and the fall and spring equinoxes, when the sun rises due east, midway between the solstice posts. Also, at the equinoxes the sun appears to emerge from the front of Monks Mound, perhaps confirming a link between the sun and the chief who ruled from the top of the mound.”

Chief Great Sun atop Monks Mound at sunrise

Cahokia’s Demise

Scientific evidence finds that Cahokia’s inhabitants had begun their departure by 1250; however, the city had been completely abandoned by 1350 – 1400. The once thriving City of the Sun had been home to an estimated 20,000 people at its peak. No one really knows what happened to the Cahokians, but one theory suggests that flooding led to the demise of the great city. Another theory suggests that drought caused the residents to move elsewhere to grow their crops. Still others believe that disease or a 13th century earthquake may have been factors. Most likely, we will never know the reason, but the ancients did leave us with their legacy, one that piques our curiosity and inspires our desire to know more.

Trail and small mound

Our visit to Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site was great, but it would have been even better if we had been able to visit the Interpretive Center to learn more about the site. Unfortunately, the center which houses the museum is closed for renovations until the spring of 2023. Therefore, in our quest to “pass along the knowledge”, we have included a link to the introductive video from the interpretive center here.

Thanks so much for joining us on our tour of Cahokia Mounds!

We have more Native American history! Check out these interesting sites:

Pecos National Historical Park

Washita Battlefield National Historic Site

San Antonio Missions

Travel safely, and we will see you on the road.

  Mike and Kellye

As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.

©2022                  

Featured

Today we’re sharing some interesting vehicles that we have come across during our travels. We hope you enjoy seeing them!

USS Cairo gunboat. One of the first ironclad warships built during the civil war, she was sunk by a torpedo (or mine) in the Yazoo River while helping other ships sweep for mines in 1862. Luckily there were no casualties. Having been raised in the 1960s after lying in the silty bottom of the river for over 100 years, she now resides at Vicksburg National Military Park. Tour bus in Yellowstone National Park. Beginning in the 1920s, these “National Park Buses” carried visitors on various excursions through the park, with some of the buses still running in the 1960s. Eventually all of these classics were all sold. Several of them have now been relocated and refurbished so that today’s visitors to the park can experience what it was like back in the early days – with modern amenities and roads, of course. USS Constitution. Nicknamed Old Ironsides, she was initially launched in 1797. She is the world’s oldest ship that is still afloat, and she is the oldest commissioned ship in the U.S. Navy, which means she is still served by U. S. Navy officers and crew. Her home is the Charlestown Navy Yard in Charlestown, Massachusetts. This truck is called a Peacekeeper. They were once used by security officers who patrolled near minuteman missile silos. These armored Dodge trucks were usually outfitted with a machine gun turret on the roof. This one is at the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site in South Dakota. This is a rail truck at the World Museum of Mining in Butte, Montana. The unusual vehicle was an important part of the Butte, Anaconda & Pacific Railway (BAP) which was the first railroad to convert from steam to electricity. Built in the early 1900s, this truck was used to maintain the overhead wires of the railroad. These huge ships are docked in Baltimore and are Military Sealift Command (MSC) ships used to preposition or move supplies, vehicles, and other cargo needed by the military. Interestingly, MSC ships are served by civil service workers who are employed by the Navy and are not active military personnel. We captured this shot in the rain thus the monochromatic image. Old snow blower train in Skagway, Alaska with a rotary snowplow on the front. This is President Lyndon Johnson’s Jetstar, nicknamed Air Force 1/2. The runway at his Texas ranch couldn’t accommodate Air Force One, so this smaller plane would carry him from a larger airport (usually in San Antonio or Austin) to the ranch. The plane is on display at the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park (LBJ Ranch) at Stonewall, Texas. Here is a shot of the Goodyear blimp which we captured on a gorgeous fall afternoon in our own city. Did you know that up until 2005 (with a couple of deviations) Goodyear named its blimps after the American winners of the America’s Cup yacht race? Now the public gets to submit suggestions for naming the blimps.

We’re going to close the post with a shot inside a hot air balloon while it’s deflating – just because we think it’s a cool pic.

We hope you enjoyed our post and will come back again for more exciting road trip destinations, a Quick Stop, some tips and tricks, or another Wish We Were There Wednesday. Better yet, come back for all of our posts, and join our family of followers so you never miss one! We can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Happy hump day, everyone!

Mike and Kellye

As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true vendors and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.

©2022

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We covered Yellowstone National Park in a seven-part series several years ago. This is an enhanced and updated single post highlighting the sections of the magnificent park which is also UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Getting There

Our journey began by flying to Salt Lake City, Utah and renting a car for the road trip. The distance between Salt Lake City and West Yellowstone, Montana, which was our home base, is 320 miles/4.5 hours via I-15. We chose to break up the trip by spending our first night in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

⇒From Salt Lake City, take I-15 north toward Ogden, Utah. Continue north toward Pocatello, Idaho. Stay on I-15 to Idaho Falls.

Drive time between Salt Lake City and Idaho Falls is 3 hours through gorgeous scenery.

Falls on the Snake River, Idaho Falls, Idaho

⇒From Idaho Falls, take US Highway 20 north toward Rexburg, Idaho. Continue north to West Yellowstone, Montana, which is the west entrance into the park. Drive time between Idaho Falls and West Yellowstone: 1.75 hours.

⇒Must-do stops in West Yellowstone include the Museum of the Yellowstone and the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center

Destination – Yellowstone National Park

The scenic Grand Loop Road through Yellowstone is laid out in a figure eight as shown on the map below. The highest speed limit we saw was 45 miles per hour, but that doesn’t mean much. When there are animal sightings, traffic stops. Bison jams are common, and visitors are at a standstill until the big beasts decide to move out of the way. Heavy traffic also slows travel, especially in the summer months.

Madison Area

The Madison River meanders lazily past Mount Haynes

Trivia: the Madison is one of the three rivers that converge near Three Forks, Montana to form the headwaters of the Missouri River. The other two rivers are the Gallatin and the Jefferson.

Gibbon Falls Steamy water and brilliant colors from the runoff of Blood Geyser in the Artists’ Paint Pots area of the park

Other points of interest in the Madison area of the park include:

• Terrace Springs
• Fountain Paint Pots
• Midway Geyser Basin
• Fairy Falls
• Firehole River
• Madison Information Station

Norris Area

The Norris Geyser Basin is the hottest area of Yellowstone National Park, in volcanic terms that is. Visitors will find geysers, hot springs, mud pots, steam vents, pools, and lakes at Norris. Steamboat Geyser, the largest geyser in the world, is also located here, though its eruptions are irregular and unpredictable. Hiking and walking trails are the best way to see everything this area has to offer.

Porcelain Basin, Norris Geyser Basin Green and yellow thermophiles (hot water loving bacteria) create a spilled paint effect

Other points of interest at the Norris area of the park include:

• Norris Geyser Basin Museum
• Norris Bookstore
• Norris Campground
• Museum of the National Park Ranger

Canyon Village Area

The canyon village area is home to the Upper and Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. These are some of the most popular sights in the park.

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone Lower Falls

Trivia: Lower Falls is 308 feet tall, which is twice as high as Niagara Falls, and it is the highest waterfall in the park.

Points of interest in the Canyon Village Area include:

• Overlooks on North Rim Drive and South Rim Drive
• Uncle Tom’s Trail – 328 stairs to a Lower Falls viewpoint
• Canyon Lodge and restaurant
• Campground

Driving south from Canyon Village toward Lake Village and West Thumb Geyser Basin, visitors will pass through Hayden Valley. This area of the park is a great place to see wildlife and early mornings and evenings are best for sightings.

The Yellowstone River meanders through Hayden Valley

Just past Hayden Valley is Mud Volcano and Dragon’s Mouth Spring. The area is super interesting and super sulphur-y! Take it from us, the intriguing sights will make you forget all about the smell.

Mud Volcano’s pit of boiling mud of is difficult to see in this shot because of the steam

Some of the sights on the Mud Volcano Trail include Mud Cauldron, Mud Geyser, Sizzling Basin, Cooking Hillside, Black Dragon’s Cauldron, Grizzly Fumarole, and Sour Lake. All are aptly named, but don’t be afraid of the smells. This where Yellowstone shows off some of its best volcanic features.

Dragon’s Mouth Spring. This spring not only spews steam and emits boiling water, but it also roars!

Six miles south of Mud Volcano is the Lake Village area which includes the Fishing Bridge, Visitor Center, Lake Yellowstone Hotel, and marina.

West Thumb Geyser Basin Area

The West Thumb Geyser Basin and Grant Village areas of the park are located approximately 28 miles/30 minutes southwest of the Lake Village area. Located on the banks of Yellowstone Lake, West Thumb, which is a small caldera, has some of the most colorful pool features of the park.

Lots of shades of blue, and not a cloud in the sky – Yellowstone Lake

West Thumb features hiking/walking trails (boardwalk), a bookstore and information station, as well as a campground. Grant Village includes a hotel and visitor center.

Bluebell Pool Black Pool Abyss Pool

Upper Geyser Basin Area and Old Faithful

This area of the park sits halfway between West Thumb and Madison and is the most popular section of the park.

Old Faithful Geyser

While it is not the biggest or most frequently erupting geyser in Yellowstone National Park, Old Faithful is certainly the most popular. Visitors flock to the grandstand viewing area to watch it erupt, which it does about every 90 minutes.

Built in 1904, the Old Faithful Inn is a National Historic Landmark

Things to do in the Upper Geyser Basin:

• Hiking/walking (boardwalk) trails
• Old Faithful Visitor Education Center
• Gift Shop
• Eat – there are five restaurants and/or grills in the area
• Biscuit Basin
• Black Sand Basin
• Morning Glory Pool

The Upper Geyser Basin has over 150 hydrothermal features and approximately half of the geysers in the world!

Trivia: the chalky white substance around the geysers in Yellowstone is called geyserite.

Midway Geyser Basin Area

Grand Prismatic Spring, which is the third-largest hot spring in the world, is the star of the Midway Geyser Basin.

Nature’s art. Up close view of the thermophiles – Grand Prismatic Spring Excelsior Geyser

Excelsior Geyser once spewed hot water hundreds of feet into the air, but it hasn’t erupted since the mid-1980s. Today 4,000 gallons of boiling water per minute pour from its crater into the Firehole River.

Turquoise Pool can also be found in the Midway Geyser Basin

We are including Fountain Paint Pots as a sub-area of the park because we thought the area had some interesting sights, especially the geysers. The area is located between Midway Geyser Basin and Madison.

Silex Spring Clepsydra Geyser erupts almost constantly

Trivia: a clepsydra is a water clock, and the name in the Greek language means water thief.

Mammoth Hot Springs Area

The springs in this area have created a series of travertine terraces. A boardwalk trail takes visitors through this amazing wonderland of minerals, water, and thermophiles.

Minerva Terrace Palette Spring Rustic Falls can be seen from an overlook near Mammoth Hot Springs

Other highlights in the Mammoth Hot Springs area include:

• Historic Fort Yellowstone
• Albright Visitor Center – museum
•  Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel
• Gardiner, Montana
• Heritage and Research Center (in Gardiner)
• Historic Roosevelt Arch at the North entrance to the park

Roosevelt-Tower Area

Note: As of 2022, parts of the north and northeast sections and entrances to the park may be closed due to flood damage. Check the website for information about road and trail closures.

The northern part of the park has rolling hills, meadows, and wildlife – what a thrill!

Bison jam!

Trivia: Yellowstone’s bison were once on the verge of extinction due to unenforced hunting in the early years of the park. The current genetically pure (haven’t been bred with cattle) herd, which now numbers in the thousands, are descendants of the original twenty-four that were diligently preserved and carefully bred by the park.

Calcite Springs and the Yellowstone River Columnar basalt decorates the cliffs overlooking the Yellowstone River. Tower Fall, 132 feet tall

The Roosevelt area of the park features Roosevelt Lodge and Cabins, a campground, and restaurant. A general store with fast food and a gas station can be found at Tower. The Tower Fall trailhead is next to the store.

Lamar Area

Unfortunately, we were unable to visit this section of the park. The Lamar Valley is reportedly one of the best viewing areas for wolves and other wildlife at Yellowstone. Located in the Northeast corner of the park near the Cooke City entrance, the scenic drive features mountains, the Lamar River, and trailheads for several trails. The drive from the northeast entrance to the Roosevelt-Tower area is 28 miles/1 hour.

Thank you for staying with us through this long post. Yellowstone is the one U.S. National Park that everyone should get to see at least once in their lifetime. And it’s the only one we want to revisit because once wasn’t enough for us! We are going to close the post with an up-close shot of one of the formations at Palette Spring.

Travertine icicles drip from a ledge while tiny water droplets create dangling strings of pearls. The icy-looking landscape is enhanced by the cascading colors of the thermophiles.

Looking for more national park adventures? Click on these:

Death Valley National Park

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park

Travel safe, travel smart, and we will see you down the road!

Mike and Kellye

As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true products, vendors, and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own. Photo copyright infringement is not intended. Our written content and photos are copyrighted and may not be published without our permission.

©2022

Tiffany Glass Window – passing the torch to future generations

• Website link: Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park
• What is it: it was the home of three families who were passionate about preserving and protecting our lands and resources for future generations to enjoy
• Where is it: Woodstock, Vermont near the bank of the Ottauquechee River
• We recommend purchasing combination tickets for the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller estate and the also-must-see Billings Farm & Museum, which is across the street.
• Accommodations and restaurants in Woodstock, Vermont
• When to go? June through October. The visitor center is open and guided tours of the mansion are available 10:00 – 5:00 from Memorial Day Weekend to October 31.

Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller Mansion

What a beautiful property! Full of history and the stories of the three families that called this place home.

Exquisite gardens

Charles Marsh (1765-1849), a Woodstock, Vermont lawyer and later a US Representative, built the original house in 1805. His son, George Perkins Marsh (1801-1882), was also a lawyer and member of the US House of Representatives. George was appointed as a US Minister to the Ottoman Empire and then to the Kingdom of Italy, where he died in 1882.

One of the carriage roads on the property. Can’t you imagine hitching a horse to a buggy and taking a ride through these beautiful grounds and woods?

George Perkins Marsh was concerned with conservationism and land stewardship. He advocated passionately for preservation of the natural environment, and in 1864, published a book, Man and Nature, which spoke of the importance of minimizing man’s impact on our natural resources.

Pool, Belvedere, and Greenhouse

In 1869, the estate was purchased by another lawyer, Frederick H. Billings, who had gained his wealth by handling land claims during the California Gold Rush. Billings was also a founding partner of the Northern Pacific Railroad. The Billings family enlarged the home and transformed the previously boxy, Federal-style home into the trend-of-the-era Queen Anne Victorian that remains today.  The Tiffany Glass Company designed several stained glass windows for the home as well as some of the wallpapers and fabrics that remain in the home today.

The belvedere: a summer house or cottage, usually with a view. We loved this tiny treasure.

Billings, also a passionate conservationist, reforested the surrounding woodlands that had been stripped of their trees, and established the dairy farm that lies across the road from the mansion. While not part of the national park (although, they partner with each other in many ways), the Billings Farm and Museum is owned by the Woodstock Foundation, Inc., which was formed by Laurance and Mary Rockefeller.

Looking out from the porch. At one time, there were very few trees in this view due to deforestation. Thankfully, Frederick Billings was good steward of the land.

 Mary French Billings Rockefeller, the granddaughter of Frederick Billings, inherited the estate in 1951. She and her husband, Laurance, another passionate conservationist who was an advisor on preservation and conservationism to several presidents, were the last owners of the property. They donated the house and surrounding land to the National Park Service in 1992. Mary died in 1996, and Laurance died in 1997.

Outstanding gardens and plantings at every turn

Trivia: Laurance’s father, John D. Rockefeller donated the land that would become Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. Laurance donated the land, an 1,100 acre ranch that he and his father acquired over the course of several years, that is now the Laurance Rockefeller Preserve, which also lies within the boundaries of Grand Teton National Park.

Another view of the beautiful grounds

Now for a few shots inside the mansion. General tours cover the first and second floors. Special tours, such as the “art tour”, are given during certain times on select days. Check the website link above for details of these additional tours.

Another Tiffany Glass window as seen in the parlor/music room. Note the fabulous Tiffany wallpaper. This textured wallpaper has been on the walls of this room since the Billings’ renovation in 1869! The Dining Room. The woodwork in this home is outstanding. The parquet floors are works of art in themselves, and all of the other woodwork is breathtaking. One of the bookcases in the library.

The home remains as the Rockefellers left it when they donated the property to the National Park Service, even down to the family pictures sitting on the mantel in the library and Laurance’s pipe sitting in a tray in the bedroom.

Master bedroom sitting area. (We’re pretty sure that fan is not orginal to the house)

The mansion is home to an extensive art collection. The collection contains paintings by renowned artists, such as Albert Bierstadt and Thomas Cole, who were associated with the Hudson River School art movement, which, through art and advocacy, promoted conservationism and also led to the establishment of the national park system.

Albert Bierstadt’s The Matterhorn (date unknown)

Many other paintings, sculptures, and photography are also part of the extensive collection of art in the home. We were disappointed that the “art tour” wasn’t offered on the day that we were there. Perhaps another trip to Vermont is in order.

We’re going to wrap up here. Thank you so very much for touring the Marsh – Billings – Rockefeller National Historical Park with us. We love having you join us on all of our travels! Please stop by our site again for more exciting destinations, parks, or maybe just a Quick Stop. We appreciate your “likes” and comments.

We will close this post with a look at the Ottauquechee River as it flows through Quechee Gorge about five miles from the park.

Quechee Gorge

Until the next trip…

Travel safe, travel smart, and we will see you down the road!

Mike and Kellye

As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true vendors and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.

©2019

Featured

Christmas is our favorite time of year, and when we’re not traveling, we love welcoming family and friends to our home. Today we’re sharing some of our decor and entertaining tips and tricks as well as a few of our favorite party food recipes. Come on in and stay awhile!

Christmas tree full of memories. Not all of the ornaments are from our travels, but we stopped counting them somewhere around 2,000.

Let’s Party

Decide what type of entertaining you want to do, pick a date, and send out the invitations! We enjoy having our friends and neighbors in for come and go open house type parties which avoid meals but include heavy hors d’oeuvres along with drinks and sweets. Our timeframe is usually from 7:00 – 10:00 in the evening, but with open houses anything goes. Think: brunch, cookies and cocoa, s’mores in the back yard, desserts only, or let your imagination run wild. In the following sections, we will show you how we do it at our house.

Photo by Nubia Navarro

The Bar

We put a table in an out of the way area of our living room away from the food and non-alcoholic drink tables. This is to keep traffic flowing and keeps the hard stuff away from the kid-friendly areas. Keep extra ice in a cooler hidden away in the garage, or outside. Tucking a box containing extra mixers under the bar makes them easy to replenish and keeps the bar top from being cluttered with too many bottles and cans.

This folding table bar works well for us, but a bar can be set up anywhere. Think: kitchen counter, entryway, patio or back porch, laundry room, or use a card table or bar cart.

Our bar includes one bottle each of scotch, blended whiskey, bourbon, tequila, gin, vodka. Mixers include still water, tonic and mineral water, ginger ale, and mini cans of Coke, and Sprite. Add cups, a bucket of ice, straws and/or swizzle sticks, napkins, a bar mat, and lemon and lime wedges for a great self-service bar.

Ranch Water: In a highball glass pour 1 shot of tequila, add ice and mineral water (Topo Chico is the brand we use), then finish with a squeeze or two of lime juice, stir and enjoy.

Photo by Timur Saglambilek – Pexels

We serve chilled wines in the kitchen, along with reusable acrylic wine glasses, napkins, and a corkscrew. Finally, we fill a galvanized tub with ice and beer and keep it in the kitchen too, along with an attached-to-the-tub bottle opener, a towel to wipe down the bottles, and plenty of napkins.

Party tip: Don’t chill bottled water. We have found that it cuts down on wasted bottles when guests have to pour it over ice in a cup.

Non-Alcoholic Drinks Bar

Hot cocoa bar along with iced tea, and cookies.

One of our newest holiday traditions is a hot cocoa bar, and now we’re including it in our parties. Try this delicious hot chocolate recipe. (Thank you, Diane!) Keep cocoa hot in a crock pot on low or warm but stir occasionally, then transfer to an airpot for serving. Accompaniments include Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips (it’s possible that you will never drink hot chocolate without them again!), peppermint stick stirrers, and mini marshmallows. Serve unsweet iced tea (or hot tea, cider, or coffee) and add a tray with sugar, artificial sweetener, and spoons for stirring. Provide guests with a dish in which to place used spoons.

Party tip: Bar mats under your drink dispensers will keep messy drips off of the table.

Bring On the Food

In this section, we’re sharing some of our favorite dishes to serve on a Christmas open house buffet along with their recipes. Nothing we serve requires silverware.

Christmas party buffet

Hand Helds

• Mini shrimp cocktails served in shot glasses. Pipe about a tablespoon of cocktail sauce in the bottom of the shot glass, add two chilled shrimp per shooter, and serve on a tray of ice.

Mini shrimp cocktails

• Make ahead mini cheese balls with pretzel stick handles. Buy ready-made cheese balls, then use a spoon to scoop out enough to make a 1″ ball. Roll into ball with your hands. Insert pretzel sticks just before serving. Two medium store-bought cheese balls should make about 2.5 dozen.

Caprese Skewers

• Make ahead caprese skewers. Alternate grape tomatoes and mozzarella balls on bamboo skewers. Just before serving, drizzle with store bought balsamic glaze (not vinegar) and sprinkle with fresh chopped or dried basil.
• Cocktail Meat Balls: 16 oz jar of grape jelly, 16 oz bottle of Heinz chili sauce, 32 oz package of frozen meatballs. Mix jelly and chili sauce together in slow cooker, add frozen meatballs and stir until coated. Cook on low 3-4 hours. Provide toothpicks for serving.
• Smoky bacon wraps: 1 lb sliced pre-cooked bacon, 16 oz package of little smoky type sausages, 1/3 cup brown sugar. Cut each bacon slice into thirds and stretch to wrap one piece around each sausage. Secure by poking a toothpick through the sausage to hold bacon in place. Place bacon wrapped sausages in a large foil lined baking pan or cookie sheet and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until bacon is crisp and sausage is heated through. Note: we use the pre-cooked bacon because it crisps better and faster than uncooked, but uncooked bacon may be used with a longer cooking time. (Consider doubling the recipe because these will be gone in a flash.)

Party tip: Place a large, labeled tray near your kitchen sink where guests can set reusable items such as the shot glasses and wine glasses.

Grab a Plate

• Meat and cheese tray. Serve along with mustard, mayonnaise, and slider buns for make-it-yourself sandwiches.

Party tip: If guests will be making their own sandwiches, leave a space on the buffet table for them to set their plate down.

Veggie tray with ranch dip

• Veggie Tray with store bought ranch dip. We slice the vegetables and arrange them ourselves. Try carrot and celery sticks, three different colors of bell peppers sliced into sticks, mini cucumbers, radishes, sugar snap peas (blanch then refrigerate sugar snaps before adding to the tray).
• Seven-layer Taco Dip. Layer: one large can of refried beans, one large tub of guacamole dip, one large container of sour cream mixed with 1 package of mild taco seasoning, 2 cups of shredded cheese of choice, chopped tomatoes – blotted dry with paper towels, large can of sliced black olives – drained, sliced green onions including tops. Serve with tortilla chips. (Can be made a day ahead and refrigerated but wait until just before serving to add the tomatoes, olives, and green onions.)

Chunky Cranberry Salsa

• Chunky Cranberry Salsa: 12 oz package of fresh cranberries, 1 cup sugar, 6 green onions – chopped, 1/2 cup cilantro leaves – chopped, 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and finely chopped, 8 oz package of cream cheese – softened. Pulse cranberries and sugar in food processor until coarsely chopped. Stir in onions, cilantro and jalapeno. Refrigerate at least two hours but better if refrigerated overnight. Place cream cheese block on serving plate, drain salsa then spoon about half of it over the cream cheese. (The remainder will keep for a few days in the refrigerator, but don’t expect it to last long because this stuff is addicting!) Serve with crackers and/or tortilla chips.

Party tip: Place a lined trash can near each drink and food area so guests can easily dispose of their trash.

Other Buffet Table Ideas

• Mixed nuts and/or mints
• Chips and salsa
• Dips, spreads and assorted crackers
• Pickle/relish tray

Desserts – Photo by Laura James

Oh, How Sweet

Desserts don’t have to be fancy, so we keep ours hand-held and simple. Here are some of our favorite store or bakery bought desserts.

• Assorted chocolates arranged on a tiered serving tray
• Brownie bites or fudge – place in pretty Christmas themed paper baking cups and arrange on a tray
• One bite petit fours or mini cupcakes on a cake stand or tiered tray
• Christmas cookie assortment

We are fortunate to have a little countertop in our dining room that works perfectly for a small dessert buffet. Dessert buffets can be set up anywhere though. Think: kitchen countertop, coffee table, entry table, desktop, bookcase etc.

Thank you so much for allowing us to share our Christmas entertaining tips and recipes. Whether you celebrate Christmas or other holidays, we hope we’ve given you some ideas that can be used for any party or family get together.

Five of the reasons our Christmases are merry and bright!

We hope each and every one of you are blessed with a joyful and safe holiday season.

Mike and Kellye

As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!)

©2022

Featured

We originally made this post in 2019. Nothing has changed with us since then as we are still very thankful – perhaps even more so. For those of you who are not celebrating Thanksgiving this week, we hope that you find time in your busy schedules to reflect on what you are thankful for.

We are thankful for our freedom, and grateful to those who have served and sacrificed to keep our country free. We are proud to be Americans. We fly the flag proudly, and we pray for the wisdom, judgment, and vision of our leaders so that we and future generations can continue to live happily and peacefully in this land of the free and the home of the brave.

We are thankful for the freedom to roam. Free to travel with a sense of security. To see for ourselves the beautiful and historic lands that our forefathers preserved for us to admire and explore. Why leave this country when we have such magnificence in our own back yard?

Hoodoos of Bryce Canyon on a crisp September morning

We are thankful for our home. We are blessed with the good fortune to have a place to land after a trip. A place where we feel at peace after a long day’s work. A place for family to gather.

We are thankful for you. One for the Money Two for the Road blog would not be worth the time and effort if it weren’t for our friends and followers. Words can’t express how appreciative we are for your support of our site and our posts.

We are thankful for each other. After forty-six years together, neither of us can imagine being without the other on this crazy journey we call life.

We are thankful for our friends and family. Our lives are so very blessed with our children, our grandchildren, Kellye’s mother, our siblings, our in-laws, our nieces and nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins, as well as all of our other wonderful extended family, including good friends who we consider part of the clan.

We give thanks and praise to God. We would have nothing to be thankful for if not for His undeniable grace. May each and every one of you be blessed with a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Mike and Kellye

©2019

Featured

Happy Halloween everyone! I’m Kellye, and today I’m sharing Halloween at our house. Since Mike’s job really gears up during the fall months, we can’t do much traveling. So, I thought I would invite you into our home to see some of our Halloween decorations. Also in this post, I’m going to tell you about our house. Our spooky house, that is, but my tales aren’t very scary, just strange. Come on in and visit for a spell…

Not-so-spooky dining room tablescape

One of my favorite things to do is decorate for holidays, and I decorate for almost all of them. When we’re not on the road, writing blog posts, or planning trips, I also enjoy creating tablescapes and crafting.

Is there a better Halloween centerpiece than a big bowl full of eyeballs?

The eyeballs came from Grandin Road last year. I bought the pumpkin salt and pepper shakers at Pier One years ago to use at Thanksgiving, but I would love to have these for Halloween.

Our breakfast room table

This tablescape had to be simple and easily movable because our lives practically revolve around that table. The ceramic pumpkins and striped plates are from Hobby Lobby. The Halloween confetti trees were purchased from The Holiday Barn several years ago. I bought the harlequin print table runner and matching napkins last year.

Close up of the place setting.

Our house

We built our house in a brand-new subdivision in 1988 and have lived in it for 34 years. When we moved in our son was six and our daughter was two. I won’t tell you how old we were back then, but we were practically babies ourselves! Soon after we moved in strange things started happening…

A 10-minute vignette

This Halloween decoration started with a cloche planter that I retrieved from the back yard. Then I added a plastic skull. A couple of crows and some reindeer moss finish the look. The two white pumpkins came from the grocery store. I simply sat them on top of the candlesticks to complete the vignette.

Footsteps on the carpet

Not long after we moved into our house, we began hearing what we thought were footsteps. If you’ve ever had plush carpet, you know that you can actually hear when someone is walking on it. Anyway, this only happened late at night, and they weren’t heavy, thudding footsteps. The sound was more of a soft swish, but it woke us up. Naturally, we figured one of the kids was up, but after checking, they were always sound asleep in their beds. This went on for a few years, and we convinced ourselves that we were just imagining things. Until Mike went out of town and the dog started acting like he was seeing someone in our bedroom…

Big brick fireplaces were the style in 1988. And this one is still in style at our house because we’re not too keen on tearing it down. It’s fun to decorate it for Halloween and Christmas though.

On the mantel we have spooky candles, bottles of poisons and potions, and creepy covered books. I made the book covers and the spooky candles using my computer and printer. Look for a link on how to make the candles farther down the page. I also made the bottles, and the how-to is at the end of the post. Stick-on bats fly out of the fireplace and other Halloween decor rounds out that part of our living room. Incidentally, we’ve never had a real bat fly out of our fireplace, but we have had a dove get trapped in there. Luckily, Mike was able to catch it and put it outside. I’m sure the poor thing was traumatized – the dove, not Mike.

Coffee table decorations

Scary books along with a vase full of black roses and sparkly spiders sit on a tray with black tealights. I also made the books and the vase. See the tutorial on how to make them here.

The man in the doorway

One night while Mike was out of town on a business trip, I woke up in the middle of the night to find our then 11-year-old son standing next to my bed. When I asked him what he was doing, he very calmly said that he had seen a man standing in the doorway of his room. I told him that he was just dreaming and followed him to his room where I tucked him back into bed. After climbing back into my own bed, I never thought another thing about it. Well, let’s just say I didn’t think about it until the dog kept acting weird and we had a thunderstorm. Then I started putting two and two together…

Big brick fireplace detail. The wreath is just a garland that I wired to a separate grapevine wreath, and then I propped the 31 October sign on it. The 31 October sign and the plaid stuffed pumpkins came from Etsy a couple of years ago.

“On the Street Where You Live”

When we have heavy thunderstorms and lightning strikes near our house, our intercom plays a very eerie, minor-key version of the song “On the Street Where You Live” from the movie “My Fair Lady”. No, I’m not crazy, and yes, we have an intercom. (We’re talking about a 1988 house, y’all!) Anyway, for a long time I was the only one who heard this weird music, and of course everyone, including our sweet little daughter, made fun of me. That is until our son’s baseball coach brought him home during a thunderstorm and they heard it too. We have no idea why this happens, but it still happens occasionally. Maybe if we ever get around to getting rid of the big brick fireplace, we will get rid of the intercom too. If that isn’t creepy enough, just wait, there’s more…

Antique look potion bottles sitting on top of a couple of Stephen King novels along with a pumpkin and black candelabra make this a fun little Halloween display in our library/study/office.

Get the tutorial for the spooky candles here.

The basement door

Our basement door is in our living room right next to the big brick fireplace. When the kids were younger, the basement was their playroom, and the door was always open. So, one night we were sitting around in the living room discussing where we were going to eat. (I never have cooked much, and that’s probably why two of our son’s first words were burger and king – no lie!) Anyway, all of a sudden, the basement door just closed by itself. Really! It was if someone had pushed it all the way closed to keep someone or something from entering or exiting the room. The door didn’t slam, and we all saw it happen. Miraculously nobody freaked out – probably because we were too hungry to worry about it. That never happened again, but we don’t leave the door open anymore either.

Our entry hall table

We have an entry hall because we’re not fancy enough to call it a foyer. A demilune table and mirror are the only things in the entry hall, but I like to dress them up for the different seasons and holidays. My favorite thing to decorate with is a tiered tray – I have a thing for them. This one has a gnarly Halloween tree with three crows perched in it, a few figurines, and some ceramic pumpkins. The Ouija board is a relic from my childhood (surely that makes it a bona fide antique), and the wooden figurines are Primitives by Kathy that I’ve collected over the last few years. A trick or treat sign, black candles in little star candle holders, and a bowl of candy fill the rest of the space.

Detail of the tiered tray with some vintage-looking mini trick or treat bags and tiny skulls hanging from the tree.

Creepy things at our house today

We haven’t had any strange occurrences in our house for years, except for the occasional eerie song from the intercom. Whoever or whatever was trying to spook us is long gone. Now days the creepiest things around our house are the fence eating squirrels and the geckos that move in during the summer months. Recently I found a gecko living in my car – it was on the odometer, believe it or not – but he ran off (probably because I screamed) and I haven’t seen him again. Just hope he doesn’t run up my leg while I’m driving because I will have a wreck. There’s also a tailless one living under our refrigerator. I accidentally cut its tail off when I tried to catch it and he ran under the refrigerator. Haven’t seen him since either, but I hope the little guy is living his best tailless life under there.

How to make spooky potion bottles

Supplies:

• Clear glass bottle or jar with labels removed
• Medium grit sandpaper
• Metallic black acrylic paint
• Metallic silver acrylic paint – optional if you want to add highlights but water it down before using as a highlight color
• Medium artist’s paintbrush
• Label – make your own design or click here for free printable copies
• Glue – I like tape runners
• Natural jute twine or string
• Brown kraft paper or grocery sack

How to:

• Use the sandpaper to sand the glass in all directions to give it a beat up, vintage look. You will probably want to do this outside.
• Once you achieve your desired effect, take it inside and paint it lightly with the metallic black paint, evenly stroking from top to bottom. This makes the bottle look similar to mercury glass. You don’t want a completely black bottle. If the paint goes on too thickly, add a little water to thin it down. If desired, highlight using the metallic silver paint. Drying should take less than an hour.
• When the paint is dry, glue on your label. I tore and burned some of the edges of my labels to make them look old and peeling before I glued them to the bottles.
• For the top of the bottle, tear off a piece of the grocery sack or kraft paper and crumple it in your hands for several minutes until it starts to soften and feel like leather. Place it over the top of the bottle and secure it to the bottle by wrapping the twine around it several times until you get the look you want. Tie or glue the ends of the twine at the back of the bottle so it doesn’t unwind.
• I embellished some of my bottles by adding chains and Halloween charms, but those are optional, and the bottles look great without them.

That’s all I’ve got for today, but I hope you enjoyed hanging with me on this first venture outside of my road tripping comfort zone. I plan to do another decor post or two for Christmas. In the meantime, look for more travel posts because Mike and I have some great destinations to share with you. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Kellye

Feature photo courtesy of Pixabay.

As Amazon Affiliates, we may earn a small commission on items that are purchased through our website with no additional cost to our readers.

As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) Our opinions are our own.

©2022

Featured Wyoming Capitol Building

Bored? Stuck at home? Rather be on the road or camping? We are right there with you. To fill the void at our house, we’ve been using our spare time to take different kinds of virtual road trips. In this post, we’ve put together a list of ideas to help end the boredom. We hope some of these resources will “get you out of the house” and help you start planning your next big adventure.

Bridge at Acadia National Park

YouTube

Some of our favorite folks to virtually travel with are full-time RVers. These folks travel all over the country giving tips on where to go and what to do and see. They also give reviews on great camping spots, and we promise that you’re going to see some amazing scenery and points of interest along the way, too. In random order, our top six picks:

• Changing Lanes – best for higher end camping and motorcycle rides.
• Embracing Detours – best for free camping spots and traveling with pets.
• Grand Adventure – best for boondocking in very scenic places.
• Traveling Robert – best all around for travel, RV camping, hiking, and scenery.
• Less Junk, More Journey – best for traveling the country with small kids.
• Long Long Honeymoon – best for tips and tricks along with great destinations.

Texas

Texas

We love for others to see what adventures await in our great home state of Texas. Some of our favorites:

• The Daytripper – Chet Garner and crew travel to a new Texas city or town every week – PBS – check listings for times.
• Texas Parks and Wildlife – travel to state parks and recreation areas and view our state’s amazing wildlife – PBS – check listings for times.
• Texas Country Reporter – ride along with Bob Phillips for amazing places in Texas – various channels – check their website for more information. Here’s a link: Texas Country Reporter
• The Texas Bucket List – learn about the people, places, food, and fun that Texas has to offer with host Shane McAuliffe – various channels and times – check their website for more information. Here’s a link: Texas Bucket List

Good Ol’ Buoys

Netflix

We thoroughly enjoyed the two shows listed below. The only problem: they weren’t long enough!

• Expedition Happiness – join Salima and Felix as they travel North America in a school bus turned RV – movie – 1.5 hours.
• National Parks Adventure – documentary narrated by Robert Redford – 42 minutes.

Water Diamonds

Prime Video

While some Prime Video selections have to be rented, the following are included with an Amazon Prime membership.

• The National Parks – America’s Best Idea – 12 part documentary by Ken Burns
• America’s 58 National Parks – documentary series with 57 episodes
• America’s National Parks – 8 part documentary series
• Best Parks Ever – America’s National Parks – 10 part documentary series
• America’s Treasures – 8 part documentary series
• RV – hilarious 2006 movie starring Robin Williams – 1.5 hours
• National Lampoon’s Vacation – 1983 movie starring Chevy Chase – the ultimate guide for what you don’t want a road trip to be – definitely worth another watch

West Texas Sunrise

Books

There’s nothing like a good book. Pick up the hard copies or download a couple of our favorites are listed below.

• Dear Bob and Sue – three book series covering Matt and Karen Smith’s adventures while visiting all of the national parks. These are a great read for any national park or travel enthusiast – couldn’t put them down! They have written a couple of other travel-related books, too, so check those out as well.
• 50 States 5000 Ideas – National Geographic publication which also includes the 10 Canadian Provinces – where to go, what to see, what to do. This is a fun book!
• On the Road – classic Jack Kerouac novel published in 1959. If you have never read it, now is a great time.
• Any road atlas – yep, we mean that old fashioned paper map book. Atlas trips are a favorite pastime of ours. Pick a state and see what all it has to offer by “traveling” its highways and backroads via map.

Fat Prairie Dog

Around the Web

The possibilities are endless for navigating travel related sites on the web. Here are some of our favorite stops:

• RoadsideAmerica.com – pick any city and state to see what quirky attractions await.
• AtlasObscura.com – enter a destination in their search box to see what interesting sights can be found there.
• Explore.org – a collection of live webcams and webcam videos from around the world. Kids will love this!
• OnlyinYourState.com – enter a state in the search box to find out about people, places, and things in the state of your choosing.
• TripAdvisor.com we like to search “things to do” in a particular city and state to see what Trip Advisor comes up with.
• DearBobandSue.com – check out their website for podcasts, photos of their adventures, and more.
• One for the Money Two for the Road Blog – you’re already here, so look through our archives and revisit some great road trip ideas, itineraries, and photos!

Reflections of Boston

We hope our ideas will help you escape for a few minutes or a few hours. Remember to count your blessings, wash your hands, and turn off the news. Stay safe and well, and we will see you when we can get back on the road.

Mike and Kellye

As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true vendors and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.

©2020

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When we bought our travel trailer, we decided that in order to get the most use out of it we would implement what we call “minimal trip prep”. Minimal trip prep for us meant outfitting the trailer with everything we needed so we wouldn’t have to pack or unpack every time we went camping. Now, with the RV completely outfitted, all we have to do is throw a few clothes in the closet, round up our food, and hit the road. Hopefully, by seeing how we roll, you will be able to do the same!

Here is a list of the basics that we keep in our RV kitchen:

Dishes – 4 place settings (Corelle – dinner plates, salad plates, and bowls kept in racks, like the Panacea Grayline rack shown here and purchased from Amazon, with squares of non-slip shelf liner between each plate/bowl)

Coffee mugs – 4 (we use this holder, by Grayline and purchased from Amazon, for our mugs and we’ve never had a broken one)

Plastic tea/water glasses – 4

Silverware – 4 place settings

Serving bowls – 2 medium-size Corelle

Cookie sheet – 1

13 x 9 pan – 1

Dish towels – 4

Assorted kitchen knives

Paper plates, paper bowls, plasticware, napkins, salt and pepper kept in a picnic caddy for easy indoor or outdoor use. Ours is wicker, but this one by WeRdeals from Amazon looks great.

Skillets – 1 large, 1 small

Sauce pans – 2 qt and 1 qt with lids

Toaster

Medium-size cutting board

Camco Refrigerator Bar

Cabinet and refrigerator bars

Gallon, quart, and sandwich size zip top baggies

Aluminum foil and plastic wrap

Coffee maker – 4 cup

Collapsible colander – medium-size

Squish Mixing Bowl

Collapsible mixing bowls – 3 quart and 1.5 quart (we like the Squish brand bowls that we purchased from Amazon)

Collapsible food storage containers for leftovers and for heating in the microwave

Collapsible measuring cup set

Measuring spoons

Folding silicone trivet 

Fruit bowl for the countertop

Ice cube trays with lids – 4

Plastic container for ice – 1 medium-size lidded food storage container

Refrigerator and freezer thermometers- 1 for each compartment

Long lighters – 2 – to light stove, oven, and outdoor grill

Potholders – 2 

Dish drying mat (we tried using a plastic dish drainer, but we found this to be much easier and it definitely takes up less space)

Rotating utensil holder that holds all of our cooking utensils, such as spatulas, slotted spoon, large spoon, tongs, ladle, peeler, etc., as well as our manual can opener, bottle opener, and kitchen shears

Standing paper towel dispenser for the counter top

Acrylic lazy susan like the one below for our cooking oils, cooking spray, balsamic vinegar, large seasonings, etc.

Dish washing detergent and scrubber

Small trash can and trash bags

Kitchen cleaning supplies

Tips:

• Our counter top kitchen items (coffee maker, toaster, lazy Susan with oils, etc., utensils and rotating holder, picnic caddy, paper towel dispenser) are stored in two large car trunk organizers which can be placed next to each side of our bed for travel. The organizers we use are the Trunkcratepro multi-compartment trunk organizers purchased from Amazon.
• Clean out your home kitchen before buying anything for your RV. Those extra knives, coffee mugs, or dishtowels that have been hiding in the back of cabinets and drawers might just save some you money. If you want brand new items, Amazon, Walmart, and dollar stores are the go-to’s for everything you need.
• Ask friends and family if they have any extras that you might be able to use, or go to estate sales and garage sales to pick up a few items.
• Don’t spend a lot of money for things that are unnecessary or that you won’t use. We promise that you do not need a stand mixer (or any mixer, for that matter) or gourmet cookware unless you are a full-timer or just want those things.
• When buying plastic items that will be used for food, make sure they are BPA free, and always buy USA made products if possible.
• The things that we could live without are the dishes, plastic tea/water glasses, serving bowls, and silverware. Paper plates and bowls, and plasticware work fine for us, especially if we’re just camping for a weekend. Seriously, who wants to do dishes?
• If towing weight is an issue, be conscious of heavy items such as cast iron skillets, ironstone dinnerware, and heavy appliances. Of course that Instant Pot is great, but you probably won’t need it on a shorter camping trip. Build a campfire or fire up the grill and roast some hot dogs instead! Invest in a set of telescoping roasting forks for cooking hot dogs and marshmallows over the campfire.
• Don’t take more than you need. Storage space is precious in an RV, so don’t fill it up with things you won’t use.
• WARNING: shopping for RV accessories (especially online) can be addictive and expensive, but it is SO MUCH FUN!

Visit our site again for more RV tips and tricks, as well as some great trip posts. Better yet, become a follower so you never miss any of the cool things we post here. Until next time…

Happy camping, y’all!

Mike and Kellye

As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true products, vendors and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own. Photo copyright infringement is not intended. Our written content and photos are copyrighted, and may not be published without our permission.

©2019

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Not far from the halfway point on the old Route 66 lies the city of Amarillo, Texas. Today, I-40 bisects the city which is hard to miss on any mid-America east-west road trip. Amarillo is a classic, from it’s Route 66 historic area to its museums and quirky Americana. Road trippers will want to spend a day or more checking out everything this city has to offer.

On the beaten path…

For those who aren’t horse people (we aren’t) and especially for those who are, this is a fantastic experience! Located in a beautiful building at 2601 I-40 east (I-40 and Quarter Horse Drive), this museum and hall of fame is definitely worth a stop for an hour or two.

Bloodlines from the first recorded quarter horse in America in the 1700s to present day are shown on the floor of the stunning Grand Hall.

Cadillac Ranch

Ten old Cadillacs (we only captured seven of them due to mud) buried nose down in a field just west of Amarillo on the south side of I-40. Bring your spray paint and leave your own mark on this American classic art installation.

Jack Sisemore’s Traveland RV Museum

Bring on the nostalgia – this place is fun and free! Located at 4341 Canyon Drive (off of I-27 and Georgia). Enter the RV dealership for an escort out to the museum. Below are some of the vintage RVs and motorcycles that are on display.

Trivia: Wally Byam incorporated the Airstream travel trailer company in 1931. Happy Max. 1948 Flxible used in the movie “RV” starring Robin Williams.

1918 Harley Davidson motorcycle with rare left-hand side car.

The Big Texan

Other points of interest on the beaten path:

• Route 66 Historic District – west of downtown, beginning at SW 6th Street and McMasters.
• Amarillo Zoo – 700 Comanchero Trail.
• Wonderland Amusement Park – 2601 Dumas Drive.

Off the beaten path…

Located at 2417 S Grand, this place has some of THE BEST BURGERS we’ve eaten anywhere! Love the laid-back atmosphere here, too. Arrive early for lunch. There are only twelve or thirteen tables and they fill up fast.

Helium Monument

Officially called the Helium Centennial Time Columns Monument, the 60-foot tall stainless steel structure was erected in 1968 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the discovery of helium. Four time capsules dedicated to the preservation and responsible use of natural resources are contained in the columns. The first capsule was opened in 1993, and the second in 2018. The other two will be opened on the hundredth, and thousandth anniversaries of the 1968 establishment of the monument. Amarillo is home to a former helium plant and the Texas panhandle once held most of the world’s helium reserves.

Other points of interest off the beaten path:

• Bill’s Backyard Classics. Classic car museum – 5309 S Washington Street.
• Texas Air & Space Museum – 10001 American Drive.

Quirky…

These “two vast and trunkless legs of stone” are located near the southeast corner of the intersection of I-27 and Sundown Lane, south of town. We suspect that people are using their leftover spray paint from Cadillac Ranch to keep this sculpture colorful.

Second Amendment Cowboy

This big (muffler man) guy can be found next to the Cadillac RV park at 2601 Hope Road and the south I-40 frontage road, west of Amarillo and just east of the Cadillac Ranch. The site also includes three old Cadillacs that have mannequins of Willie Nelson, John Wayne, and Elvis sitting in the driver’s seats, and a gift shop. The marker in front of the cowboy is a faux historical marker that touts our Second Amendment right to bear arms, but surprisingly the cowboy does not have a gun. Side note: the RV park is fabulous!

Nearby points of interest…

• Website: Alibates Flint Quarries
• Cost: free
• Visitor center hours: daily 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
• Where: approximately 40 minutes north of Amarillo off of Highway 136
• Hiking trails
• Ranger led tours of the quarries by reservation only

Come here to learn about the Plains Indians who quarried the harder-than-steel flint to make arrowheads and spear points. Dating as far back as 13,000 years, flint from these quarries has been found far and wide. While at the visitor center, watch a film about the monument, and then enjoy the small museum.

Lake Meredith National Recreation Area

• Website: Lake Meredith
• Cost: free entrance
• Visitor center located in Fritch, Texas open daily 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, except holidays
• Where: seven minutes west of Fritch, Texas, which is approximately 40 minutes north of Amarillo
• Hiking, RV and tent camping, boating, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, hunting
• Hotels, additional RV campgounds, restaurants, and groceries available in Fritch and in Borger, which is approximately 20 minutes east of Fritch

Check with the park regarding lake levels and boat preparation before arrival. Hunters must comply with park and state regulations. Texas fishing licenses are required. Camping is free at all sites, except for the electric/water hook-up sites at Sanford-Yake. See the website for details.

Other nearby points of interest:

• Palo Duro Canyon State Park – approximately 30 minutes south and east of Amarillo. Beautiful Palo Duro Canyon is the second largest canyon in the US. Click here for our Palo Duro Canyon post.
• Large Cross in Groom, Texas – approximately 45 minutes east of Amarillo on the south side of I-40. Great stop with Stations of the Cross, which are life-size sculptures depicting the crucifixion of Jesus, and a visitor center that displays an exact replica of the Shroud of Turin. Free, but donations are appreciated.

Okay, that’s going to do it for our Amarillo, Texas overview. We hope you enjoy your journey. We love that you joined us on ours. Please come back again! You never know where we’re going to take you. Until next time…

Travel safe, travel smart, and we will see you down the road.

Mike and Kellye

As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true vendors and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.

©2019

Featured

Perhaps it’s because we’re born from water that we are drawn to it in nature, or maybe we are fascinated because its power can destroy as well as sustain life. In our travels we choose to cautiously enjoy the beauty of water while never daring to take it for granted. Today we are sharing some our favorite photographs of water. Dive in and enjoy.

“A calm water is like a still soul.” – Lailah Gifty Akita

Mirrored greens of spring. Hamilton Pool, Texas.

“Water is the most perfect traveler because when it travels it becomes the path itself!” – Mehmet Murat ildan

The milky Virgin River becomes The Narrows Trail. Zion National Park, Utah.

“Grace is finding a waterfall when you were only looking for a stream.” – Vanessa Hunt

We had no idea of what we might find when we set off on the trail, but we were thrilled to find ourselves alone with a stream and these beautiful waterfalls. Sabbaday Falls, New Hampshire. (Shot from an iPhone 10.)

“If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.” – Loren Eisley

Magical Caribbean blues with sparkles and steam. Norris Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park.

“The power of nature can make fun of the power of man at any time!” – Mehmet Murat ildan

The muddy Ruidoso River surges angrily past the bridge its floodwaters destroyed. Ruidoso, New Mexico, 2008. See our post on Ruidoso here.

“Water is life’s matter and matrix, mother and medium. There is no life without water.” – Albert Szent-Gyorgyi

Sunrise reflections. Lake Mackenzie, Texas.

“Be like water. Flow, crash, fly!” – Md. Ziaul Haque

The sapphire hued Atlantic plays happily among the rocks. York, Maine.

“The fall of dropping water wears away the stone.” – Lucretius

The water-worn stone creates a perfect pour off for this little fall. Franconia Notch State Park, New Hampshire. See our Franconia Notch State Park post here.

“A river seems a magic thing. A magic, moving, living part of the very earth itself.” – Laura Gilpin

Early morning at John Dunn Bridge. Rio Grande River, New Mexico.

“An iceberg is water striving to be land.” – Salman Rushdie

Brilliant blue bergy bit. Tracy Arm Fjord, Alaska

“The earth, the air, the land, and the water are not an inheritance from our forefathers but on loan from our children. So we have to handover to them at least as it was handed over to us.” –  Gandhi

Solitude and reflection. Bear Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

“Water is the driving force of all nature.” – Leonardo Da Vinci

Wildfire smoke created a filter for this hazy evening shot on the Colorado River. Moab, Utah.

We are certainly not professional photographers although we do enjoy photography. Our method is to aim and shoot, and we rarely ever use filters or enhancements for the shots we post. We might crop a few, but we don’t know how to do any other editing. So, what you see is what we saw when we clicked. And once in a while we get lucky! It is a pleasure to share our photos and road trips, and we hope you enjoy seeing them. Let us know which one is your favorite. We would love to hear from you.

Need some road trip inspiration? Click on these great national park sites:

Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park

10 Amazing Things to See and Do at Big Bend National Park

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Thank you for joining us!

Mike & Kellye

As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true vendors and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.

©2022

Featured Twin windmills near Post, Texas

If you follow our posts, you’re already familiar with Quick Stops. Quick Stops are designed to give a nod to locations to which we can’t devote an entire post. The destinations are completely random and totally fun.

Just get in the car and we will be on our way!

First stop: The Flume

Where in the world is it?

The historic Carlsbad Irrigation Flume, known locally as The Flume, is located in Carlsbad, New Mexico. It’s an aquaduct that diverts water from the Pecos River to an irrigation canal. The Pecos River was once listed in the Guinness Book of World Records because The Flume caused it to be the only river in the world that actually crossed itself.

Looking down the irrigation canal toward The Flume

Second stop: Throckmorton, Texas

Throckmorton is located 111 miles west of Fort Worth at the intersections of US Highways 380 and 183/283. It is the county seat of Throckmorton County. The Great Western Cattle Trail passed through here during the nineteen years it was in use from 1874 to 1893. Trivia: Dallas Cowboys great, Bob Lilly, once lived in Throckmorton.

The Throckmorton County courthouse was built in 1890 and in 1978 was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Restored to its original state in 2014, the courthouse is also a Texas Historic Landmark. The population of the county was a whopping 124 when this courthouse was originally constructed. This is the original Throckmorton County jail, built in 1893. The sheriff’s offices were on the first floor, and the prisoner cells were on the second floor. The old jailhouse now serves as a museum. This metal sculpture of a pioneer woman is located in a tiny park area next to the Throckmorton City Hall. Check out that huge prickly pear!

It’s a fact, Jack!

Twenty-six miles southeast of Carlsbad, New Mexico lies the only WIPP in the country. What in the world is a WIPP, you ask? Well, it is a Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. It is a repository for defense-generated waste, including clothing and tools among other things, that have been contaminated with or contain man-made radioactive materials and other elements such as plutonium. This type of waste is called Transuranic or TRU for short. The plant opened in 1999, and now our country’s radioactive nuclear waste is being buried almost a half mile (2,150 feet) underground in an ancient salt bed in the desert of eastern New Mexico. The plant is operated by the Department of Defense and with 1,200 employees is one of the largest employers in New Mexico. And now you know…

Until the next trip…

Travel safe, travel smart, and we will see you down the road!

Mike and Kellye

As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true vendors and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.

©2019

Sometimes called the Switzerland of America, Ouray (pronounced, your-ay) is one of the prettiest mountain towns in Colorado, and that’s saying something because there are a lot of them! Located on US Highway 550, aka The San Juan Skyway, which runs from Montrose, Colorado, via Silverton and Durango, Colorado, then 550 continues down to Bernalillo, New Mexico. The portion of the road from Ouray to Silverton is called the Million Dollar Highway, and is one of the most scenic drives in the United States.

Getting There

The closest major airport city to Ouray is Grand Junction, Colorado, so that is where our trip will begin.

*Recommended hotel in Grand Junction: Hampton Inn.

⇒From Grand Junction, take US Highway 50 south toward Delta, then to Montrose. Continue south through Montrose on US Highway 550 to Ouray. This route follows the Uncompahgre River to Ouray. Drive time between Grand Junction and Ouray: 1.75 hours.

Bonus stop: Ridgway State Park. Located just north of Ouray, this park offers numerous camping options, including yurts. Boating, fishing, wildlife watching, hiking, and birding are some of the activities found at this park. Plus the scenery here is spectacular! Here’s a link: Ridgway State Park.

Destination: Ouray, Colorado

Here is a website link for information about lodging, food, and things to do: Ouray, Colorado

Our first stop in Ouray is Box Cañon Falls Park. Admission: $4.00 per adult and $2.00 per child. Take a nice, easy trail from the entrance to the falls. You will hear the falls before you see them – they roar! Most of the water cascades behind the walls of this slot canyon, but you will catch glimpses of the falls through gaps in the rock and at the bottom. At times, the rushing water seems to appear out of nowhere. This stop is well worth the admission price. We will let the pictures below speak for themselves.

In addition to the easy trail to the falls, there is another trail to the top of the falls that is a little more strenuous (quite a few stairs), but the views are worth the hike.

Upon entering the park, you may notice pipes and sprayers arranged on the rocks along the side of the road. These are used to make ice in the winter. Ouray has become an acclaimed ice climbing destination, and the town hosts the Ouray Ice Festival every January.

Our next stop is for a short hike at Cascade Falls. Although it is only about a quarter mile to the falls, this is a moderately strenuous, steep, uphill hike. However, the waterfall is worth a little panting, and there is a nice covered area with benches at a viewpoint.

While visiting Ouray, take a few minutes to learn about the town’s namesake: the great Ute Chief Ouray, and his wife, Chipeta. Their former farm, located on the Uncompahgre River south of Montrose, is now the site of the Ute Indian Museum. Another home, a cabin, stood near where the Ouray Hot Springs Pool is today in Ouray. By the way, the pool, which has recently been renovated, will delight the entire family! Here’s a link: Ouray Hot Springs Pool.

Eight square blocks of the original town of Ouray are a National Historic District. We would encourage anyone visiting the town to take a walking tour along Main Street. Stop in at the Ouray County Museum for a history lesson and pick up a walking tour map, then take in the many historic sites, as well as the shops and restaurants along the way.

The scenery is breathtaking, and just getting to spend a few hours or days in the peaceful solitude of this town makes it well worth the trip. Unfortunately, our visit was cut short by a large screw embedded in our tire.

We hope our overview of Ouray, Colorado was informative and that we’ve inspired your wanderlust. As we always say, “Just get in the car!” With a little planning, there’s nothing more fun than a road trip, especially when you get to see scenery like this! Until next time…

Travel safe, travel smart, and we will see you down the road.

Mike and Kellye

As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true vendors and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.

©2019

Cold and lonely highway

We decided to do Quick Stops to showcase places that merit a nod, shout out, or round of applause but to which we can’t devote an entire post. As we’ve said before, we will drive a long way out of the way or completely change up our itinerary to go see something that piques our interest. (We must be channeling Clark Griswold. Thankfully, neither of us has an Aunt Edna!) Some of the places we plan to feature in the Quick Stops posts will be fascinating, some will be fun, and some will be funky! Additionally, some locations will be on the beaten path, some will be off of it, and some may just be a photo we like, such as the desolate road above. The locations will be posted at random, and there will be no particular order or itinerary. We can’t wait to share them with you!

Just get in the car and we’ll be on our way…

First Stop: Monument Rocks (Kansas)

Monument Rocks is about 28 miles south and east of Oakley, Kansas off of US Highway 83. The landmark is on private land, and some of the roads to get there are unnamed, graded dirt ranch roads. These roads can be very bumpy and muddy, but under normal conditions it is well worth the trip to see the rocks. Take a look…

Truly out in the middle of nowhere, these fascinating rocks are the remains of an ancient sea bed.

Second stop: Carhenge (Nebraska)

Carhenge is located about four miles north of Alliance, Nebraska. This funky tourist stop is on private property, but thanks to the property owners there is no entrance fee. The sculpture can be viewed from outside the fence that surrounds it. Check it out…

Other sculptures at Carhenge

It’s a fact, Jack!

Below is the sign for the Annie Oakley Motel in Oakley, Kansas. Annie Oakley was not from Kansas (she was from Ohio), but she was a performer in Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show. Buffalo Bill Cody once called Oakley, Kansas home. And now you know…

That does it for this week. Thank you for joining us! Come back next week for another exciting post. You never know where we are going to take you! If you liked our first Quick Stops post, leave us a message and let us know we should keep doing them. If you didn’t like it, tell us that, too. Until the next trip…

Travel safe, travel smart, and we will see you down the road!

Mike and Kellye 

As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true vendors and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.

©2018

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