WOW! It has been almost a year
since I last blogged. I will say it; I've neglected this blog, but hoping
for a resurrection. I still continue to write even when I don't blog.
Writing is therapeutic for me, even if I quickly jot my thoughts in the endless
notes I've collected in my phone, which is what I've been doing this past year.
I think in an upcoming blog post, I would like showcase a few of those,
along with some old. A glimpse into the chaotic and wandering mind of Adrienne.
To ignite this resurrection, I'll
start with our recent road trip; 8 days, 4,000 miles across 8 states. Nine days later, I managed to unpack the suitcases, about 2,000 bugs are still splattered
across the car (need car wash ASAP) and I promised photos and route
information.
Our destination; Montana.
The Jackson All American Road Trip,
as my husband would call it; he has a fascination with National Lampoons
Vacation. We have experienced a great deal of traveling in the U.S., but this
was new territory we were about to experience. Autumn ended her first grade
year, and we thought why not begin summer vacation with the open road and the
great outdoors! A non-traditional trip for us. We usually fly to our travel
destinations, hotels are always pre booked along with an itinerary of food and
recreation. I am a planner. This was a trip where not much was planned except
the list of places we wanted to see/explore. So we packed up the SUV, left
Illinois on a Wednesday evening and embarked to our first destination; Kansas
City, Missouri.
From Kansas City, MO, we drove
through Nebraska, and arrived in Cheyenne WY. From Cheyenne WY, we were
anticipating our journey to the Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone Park.
Upon entering the parks, we encountered snow, bear sightings, mesmerizing lake
and mountain views. On a Friday evening, having no plans or hotel reservations, we found
ourselves scrambling for a place to stay, minimal phone/internet coverage and
for me, the anxiety of navigating Yellow Stone Park at night! Ask Re, I had
about two panic attacks, along with one triggering Autumn as she cried in the
back for no reason. We managed to find our way to Cody, WY at 1 am. A beautiful
local Wyoming town. The following day, we began our day with brunch at a local
eatery then set off to our second day at Yellow Stone. We explored more
wildlife, waterfalls, geysers, and Old Faithful. We would often stop on the
side of the road to ask the Buffalo for directions. Autumn LOVED that.
“Ummm, Mr. Buffalo or can I call you Bill? Can you tell us how to get
to Yellowstone Park?
We entered Yellowstone through
Grand Teton National Park North Entrance. Exited the East Entrance to stay in
Cody, WY. Leaving Yellowstone, we used the North Entrance entering Montana.
On Sunday we reached Browning,
MT/Glacier National Park. My niece graduated High School. The first grandchild
of our family, the female doppelgänger of my older brother. Her smile is
his smile and just being in her presence, is being in his again. It was such an
emotional, but PROUD day for our family. I remember when I graduated High
School, my brother was there, along with my niece. At the time, she was very
young. On her BIG day, she whispered to me: “Remember when you graduated and we
were there, I have that picture.” On the day we left, she text the photo to me (tear). We watched our young woman walk across the stage and receive her
diploma. She dedicated her cap to him; he was there. I know he is proud of the
responsible, intelligent, funny, full of life young woman she has grown up to
be. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for her!
**Photo by Cheryl Deswood
After the graduation, we still had to embark on our journey back home.
- Glacier National Park
- Little Big Horn Battlefield Monument
- Crazy Horse Memorial
- Mount Rushmore
- The Badlands
As soon as we touched the Nebraska state line, we were ready to be home in our beds. Hotels weren't as exciting, driving had official become tiring, and the cool northern air began to disappear, soon we began to feel the midwest-southern heat again.
Part II of our trip should be posted in the next few days! More scenic photos and details about each location.
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