July 5 (Day 33)

Once again, we weren’t in a hurry so we left the hotel around noon and made our way to Grants Farm. Home to 900 animals, including buffalo, elk, moose, zebra, kangaroo, long horned cattle, a few monkeys and several species of deer it was a really neat place to visit. My favorite part, however, was seeing Ulysses Grant’s cabin he built in the 1800’s. The property was actually his when he was alive. It was so neat to see, a very cool place in general. However, the crazy part was when we were in the stable looking at the Clydesdale’s, Dad happen to recognize Mark and Lee Hanstein, whom we know from Bear Valley in Denver. They were there with their kids and grandkids and invited us to go on a private tour with them! It was so neat, the tour included a private van a tour of Grant’s cabin, getting to feed the Elk, buffalo and fish, and inside information given to us by the tour guides. It was so generous of them to invite us, and so crazy we were there at the same time! Once again, we got to spend time with some wonderful people!

After we left Grant’s farm, we ate “lupper” at Pizza Hut and then Dad dropped me and Mom off at the hotel to relax while he and the boys went to go play putt putt golf. Once again, a great day!

Best part of the day? Running into the Hansteins!

July 3 (Day 31)

The best way to a woman’s heart is of course through shopping, so me and mom both were very excited when dad printed off a coupon for one dollar flip flops at Old Navy. We did some shopping there and then at T.J. Maxx and then “moseyed” along down the road through five states (South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas). In each of these states we all waited patiently (mostly) in the car while dad ran at least a mile in each state. We ended up that night in Kansas City where we stopped at a hole in the wall Bar-b-cue place that is not only very well known and loved, but also very good, Arthur Bryant’s. After a nice supper there, we went back to the hotel and hit the sack.

Best part of the day? Mom and I got five pair of flip flops for five bucks and dad ran five miles in five states, so I guess you could say five was the best part of our day!

July 4 (Day 32)

We went to church that morning in Independence, Missouri and drove down the road a few more hours where we arrived just in time to attend Sunday night services in Saint Charles, Missouri. After church, we drove into Saint Louis to meet one of Dad’s trading friends (stocks and options) Leigh Jones. None of us had ever met her in person, including Dad, so as we drove to their apartment in downtown St Louis to watch the fireworks, I’m not sure any of us knew what

to expect. But man, did we have fun! We walked all around downtown with Leigh and her husband Scot (and later with her son in-law Derrick and daughter Jocelyn). They showed us some of the local sights,including a great place to see the fireworks, and later we all sat around a wrought iron table sipping smoothies from a local café on the sidewalk outside and laughed, talked and traded stories. It was such a fun, and unexpected night. We had a blast with Leigh and her family and we laughed all night long. God is so good to give us such good friends where ever we go!

Best part of the day? Keeping up with the Jones’s! J

July 2 (Day 30)

Talk about a busy, fun filled day! we began at Mount Rushmore where we got to learn about the neat history of the massive carvings of four of America’s greatest presidents (George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt). It was so weird to actually see it in person, instead of on a movie screen! So surreal! We had a great time, and Blake became a junior ranger. J

After we left Rushmore, we got to eat at Golden Corral and then went to the craziest Wal-Mart on the planet..haha. We then continued to the Badlands of South Dakota. However, before we ever made it to the Badlands, as we were driving, every half mile for fifty miles or so we would see signs advertising Wall Drug. The signs would say things such as “5 cent coffee” and “ free ice water”. So basically that by the time we got to the exit, we had no choice but to pull over and check it out! And boy was it worth it, it was a sight to see. The tourist trap of all tourist traps. There were tons of stores, cafes and even a giant jackalope and a t-Rex that would attempt to eat someone every twelve minutes. We had a blast, and all agreed it was well worth the stop.

After we pried ourselves from Wall Drug, we continued down the road a few hours to the infamous Badlands of South Dakota. And boy were they bad. Hot as all get out, and the desert formations looking like something out of a sci-fi movie made it easy to understand why they’re called the badlands. They were beautiful and mysterious. But I think Blake’s favorite part was the prairie dogs. We saw hundreds of them and Blake got as close as a yard away before it scampered back into his hole. It was such a neat thing to see, so different than what we’re use to.

We drove and drove and drove and drove and drove a little more until we reached Sioux Falls at two o’clock in the morning J and all collapsed into an exhausted sleep. Good day.

Best part of the day? Wall Drug was definitely a favorite, but all of it was great!

June 30 (Day 28)

Early Wednesday morning, we packed up camp and drove through Yellowstone’s beautiful park to the grand-daddy of all geysers, Old Faithful. Luckily we got to the geyser only a few minutes before she was due to “erupt”, and boy did she erupt! Steaming water shot way up into the air, looking not unlike a small mushroom cloud! It was so neat, nature is so fascinating!

After Old Faithful, we made our way out of the park to Grand Teton National park. We didn’t spend much time there, but it sure was beautiful! The majestic mountains were snow capped and at the base was a beautiful lake. God sure is a master at his handiwork!

Later that day we “ moseyed” (as Dad loves to put it) to Cody, Wyoming where we camped for the night at Buffalo Bill’s State park. It was a beautiful campsite!

Best part of the day? Just one of those all around good days!

July 1 (Day 29)

Once again, to use one of Dad’s favorite vocabulary words, we “moseyed”. We laid around the campsite for awhile, and then drove out of Wyoming to South Dakota where we spent the night in Rapid City to be close to Mount Rushmore.

Best part of the day? It was nice not to do much of anything!

June 29 (Day 27)

Early Tuesday morning, we loaded up the van and drove a few hours to Yellowstone National Park, in Wyoming. After some quick thinking on Dad’s part, we found a campsite, set up the tents, ate lunch and then drove to see the geysers (by the way, the campground was perfect, right near the water and buffalo were right there in the campsite). We walked a short trail to see the geysers, and it was worth it! It was so neat, and so different than what we are use to. It was so cool, not unlike natural hot tubs. The water was several shades of vivid blue (caused by the bacteria living in the water) and every now and then one would just shoot water and steam straight up in the air. It was amazing.

After the trails, we went to the general store and then back to the campsite where we had dinner. Right before we sat down to eat, an elderly park ranger came through inspecting the campsites and Mom asked him if he wanted some chicken, he thanked her but continued his duties but when he came back Mom made him a plate and he sat down and ate with us. His name was John, and it was his 80^th birthday. We enjoyed listening to his stories probably as much as he enjoyed telling them. It was a nice surprise, for all of us I think.

After we said our goodbyes to John, we got back into the van, headed on a bear hunt. We had already seen buffalo, fox, mule deer, elk and while we were driving we saw a moose, but Mom really wanted to see a bear so we went out searching for some. We saw two black bears, and it was so cool to see them in the wild. Mom was certainly pumped, as well as the rest of us. It was a great day.

Best part of the day? Seeing all the wildlife!

P.S. (from Keith) Happy 20th Anniversary Kim!

June 27 (Day 25)

After church on Sunday, we our way through Vancouver to Stanley park (kind of like Central Park). However, due to dreary weather, we didn’t stay in Canada long, and after lunch we crossed back into America. Sunday was mostly a driving day, for after crossing back into Washington, we drove until pretty late that night until we got to Spokane, Washington.

Best part of the day? Not much happened, but the parts of Vancouver we saw were beautiful (despite the weather)

June 28 (Day 2)

Once again, not much to report for today. It was mostly a driving day, however Dad did have a nice surprise, tickets for Toy Story 3 in 3D! It was a really nice surprise, we all had wanted to see it for a long time. After the movie and lunch at Pizza Hut we drove out of Washington, thru Idaho, and then into Montana where we stopped in Butte, Montana for the night.

Best part of the day? The movie, and the amazing scenery we saw in beautiful Montana.

June 24 (Day 22)

Thursday began later than usual for most of us, as we got to sleep in while Dad was running. But after we all woke up, Dad made breakfast over the stove and eventually we got around to packing up the campsite. Around noon, we left the campsite and made our way out of the park. Before we left however, we stopped to walk the “Five Minute Trail” that is home to four of the world’s largest trees. It was really neat to see the trees, and boy were they huge! Quite incredible. We then piled back into the van and made our way out of the park towards Oregon, where we stopped to spend the night in Portland.

Best part of the day? Not much happened, but the barbecue we had for supper was good, and the guy who pumped our gas in Cottage Grove, Oregon, was hilarious. Other than that, we justhad a nice, relaxing day. Oh, and how could I forget my favorite part? I got to drive in the camp ground, and I didn’t hit anyone!!

June 25 (Day 23)

Not much happened on this day. We lounged around the hotel for awhile and left around noon. We then made our way to Seattle. Mostly it was just a driving day. We found a hotel in Seattle, ate supper at Chipotle’s, hit up another Dollar Tree and then rented “Escape from Alcatraz. Not much happened, and it was nice!

Best part of the day? Dollar Tree! J

June 26 (Day 24)

We began Saturday the same as always, breakfast and packing up the van. We then headed to downtown Seattle, where we saw some of the Rock and Roll Half and whole Marathoner’s running in Seattle’s Rock and Roll Marathon (it gets its name because every mile there is a different band playing). After that we went to the Pike Place market. That was a cool experience, there were all kinds of booths set up including the famous fish stand that throws the fish. It was a different experience, and it was nice. After the market, we drove a little while to Marysville, Washington and hit up a long sought after Golden Corral (can anyone guess the best part of the day yet? J) After “lupper” (lunch and supper) we got back in the van and drove to Burlington, where we stopped for a short visit at the house of John Gaines, one of Dad’s preacher friends. It was nice to meet him and his wife, and also good to be in a real house again!! J After we left we drove to the U.S/Canada border and drove into B.C. (British Columbia) and continued to Vancouver for the night.

Best part of the day? Golden Corral, duh! :-)

June 22 (Day 20)

Personally, I had been looking forward to this day for awhile, the day we would visit Alcatraz! We took the bus to the loading dock, and took a ferry to the most infamous of all high security prisons, ever. The tickets included personal audio tours that gave incredible insight into the prison. We saw the cells in which the men spent their lives, and even heard them tell their stories through the audio tour. It was incredible to step back and imagine how their lives must have been. I don’t know about everyone else, but it made me want to stay in school and just say no hehe J But on a more serious note, it was almost heartbreaking to hear of their extreme punishment. We also got to hear of the escapes that took place over the years that Alcatraz was in operation as a prison. Some were humorous, some heart breaking and some made you want to slap the stupidity out of those men. However, an air of mystery lingered there, and the layers of history gave you chill bumps.

After the tour, we loaded back onto the ferry and made our way back to our hotel where we hopped into the van and drove for several hours to Eureka, California where we stopped for the night.

June 23 (Day 21)

After our usual morning routine, we packed back into the van and drove about an hour and a half to the Redwood national forest, picked out a camp ground and set up camp. After lounging around the camp ground for awhile, we ate lunch and then drove a little ways to Fern Canyon. We didn’t actually make it all the way to the canyon, due to the frigid streams you had to walk through (and we only have one pair of shoes each!) but the short walk there was beautiful. After the trail, we drove back down towards the beach. It was beautiful, fog covered the area and although we all nearly froze, Kyle and Blake had fun digging in the sand and the rest of us enjoyed picking our favorite of the thousands of unique rocks that had come ashore during low tide (no shells, just rocks!). After we left the beach, we made our way back to the camp ground and settled in for the night.

Best part of the day? It’s a tie, between the beach and seeing all the elk (Mom counted 35, and several calves were there as well).

June 20 (Day 18)

Sunday morning, after attending church, we found a place to eat lunch and then made our way to the Golden Gate Bridge. As usual, it was a little chilly, but the view was beautiful. The 1.7 miles across way definitely worth it. The water below was so green and magnificent, the sky so blue and the California mountains so beautiful. It was a wonderful experience.

After we returned to the van, we made our way back to the hotel to rest our tired feet. And also so Dad and I could get ready for our long awaited night! He had gotten us tickets to see Wicked in the Orpheum theatre in downtown San Francisco. I had seen the show once before in Louisville, so I knew I had a lot to look forward to. It was amazing! Both funny, and impressive the play made for a wonderful evening! Thanks Dad! J

Best part of the day? Well I can’t speak for Mom and the boys, but Dad and I had a blast at Wicked!!

June 21 (Day 19)

Six Flags!! Once again, we all were thankful for our season passes. It was nice to throw a little variety into things and to once again get to ride some roller coasters!! We all had a great time at the park. The weather was perfect, not to hot and not to cold, and we all enjoyed our day. After shutting down the park, we started back to the hotel, but not before we stopped at Dollar Tree (with a freezer section!!) and loaded up on frozen dinners for supper (frozen dinner night is one of our favorite vacation traditions J). Once again, we had a great day!

June 18 (Day 16)

Well the day began bright and early for Dad (around 5 a.m.) as he made his way to Pebble Beach for the U.S. Open (for athletically challenged viewers, that’s the granddaddy of all golf tournaments J) while Mom, the boys and I stayed back at the hotel until time for checkout then walked back down to the boardwalk for a relaxing day on the beach. While Dad had a blast following all of his favorite golfers at Pebble Beach, the rest of us had fun lounging near the ocean, playing in the boardwalk arcade (take a wild gander at who that was J) and sightseeing. We met back up with Dad later that evening, and drove into San Francisco.

**Keith here: No cameras were allowed at Pebble Beach so I don't really have proof that I was there! :-) But it was incredible! A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a golfer and/or golf fan.

Best part of the day? Well it’s a no brainer as to what Dad’s favorite part was, but as for Kyle and Blake, they enjoyed blowing their money on the arcade (did I say that out loud?! J) and Mom and I really enjoyed lounging in the warm sun and reading our books.

June 19 (Day 17)

Unlike our usual morning routine, this one was nicely relaxing. We lounged around the hotel, Dad did some much needed laundry (Keith here again: I REALLY needed to do laundry!) and didn’t leave the hotel until after lunch. However, we made up for it. In the first few minutes of our day, my dogs were already barking due to the intense hills that unfortunately seemed to lay in front of every path we took! Our first stop was the most crooked road in the world, followed by Ghirardelli chocolate factory and shop, were we happily took some free samples (Blake thought we should find some wigs and pass through a few more times to rack up). After we left (with some regrets I might add) we walked down to the San Francisco Maritime district to tour a few of the retired cargo/passenger ships that were in the harbor. It was really neat to learn about the ships and tour/learn about them. Once again, I was beautiful (but extremely windy and cold) to be by the water so we really enjoyed ourselves. After we left the Maritime, we walked to

Fisherman’s Wharf, then we rode the bus to Chinatown and took a street car back to the hotel (oh and how could I forget, I think we might have stopped in every tourist trap shop to find the best deals on sweatshirts, which we found, I might add!). It was a long, but great day. We all really like San Francisco, and look forward to continuing our stay here.

Best part of the day? Too much to say! Although I loved the tourist trap shops (who doesn’t?!) and when we entered a store called the “The Candy Barrel” Blake cried “it’s so beautiful!” and promptly hugged the nearest candy barrel, so I guess that tells you what his favorite part was!

June 16 (Day 14)

After yet another wonderful breakfast cooked in the great outdoors (and it is a well known fact that food AlWAYS tastes better outside) we packed up camp and made our way to the Mirror Lake trail. A mile there, and a mile back was definitely worth the spectacular view. The weather was perfect and the mountains and the rushing river made it well worth our time. At the lake, Dad and the boys all took off their shoes and climbed into the water for pictures (Mom and I were the only smart ones, that water was freezing!). Basically the lake water was melted snow, so you can only imagine how frozen their feet were. It was a beautiful trail, and a nice treat. After the trail, we started back out of the park. We settled down in Carson City, Nevada for the night. It was a really nice little town, full of friendly people, great views and most importantly a jumbo Dollar Tree fully equipped with a freezer section! Can you guess what was the best part of mine and the boys day? J

June 17 (Day 15)

Thursday morning, we packed up our bags once more, and headed a few miles down the road towards the beautiful Lake Tahoe. The ride there was beautiful, and the up close view was even better! As we have found to be the “norm” in California, the weather was quite chilly, and the water was a close relative to the ice cube, but it was gorgeous and we all enjoyed our stop there. Next we drove a few hours to Santa Cruz, California. After checking into the hotel, we walked a few blocks to the boardwalk and to the beach. After a stop at a pizza place, we made our way back to the hotel.

Best part of the day? We all enjoyed our short stop at the beautiful (but frigid!) Lake Tahoe.

Days 12 and 13

June 14 (Day 12)

Hello Six Flags season passes! Monday morning we left LA and drove to Magic Mountain. Although it wasn’t as perfect as San Antonio’s Fiesta Texas, we still had a blast riding all the spectacular rollercoaster’s. After we had our fill of Six Flags, we made a short Wal-Mart run and made our way to Sequoia National park to set up camp. After pitching a our tents, and roasting some marshmallows, we all settled down for the night.

Best part of the day? Getting to camp again! (oh and seeing a Wal-Mart again!)

June 15 (Day 13)

After waking up to mother nature’s sweet aroma, we had a wonderful breakfast cooked on the camp stove (by Dad of course!) and after closing down camp, we made our way up the winding mountain to see the unbelievable sequoia trees. It truly was beautiful, and we all wondered more than once how people can say there is no God. We did a short trail to see General Sherman, the big daddy of all sequoia’s and the biggest tree in the world. The weather was perfect, and it was so nice to be outdoors. We then made our way out of the park, enjoying the scenery as we went.

Somewhere right before Fresno, we had the opportunity to stop at a little fruit stand. They had peaches, nectarines, apricots, cherries and plums, and all for only 99 cents a pound! We all loaded up (one gets really tired of fast food after a while) and had a nice picnic while we were there. It was very refreshing! After that, we continued on to Yosemite where we once again set up camp. The campsite was great, many beautiful trees surrounded us and we were only a short walk from the river. It truly was a good day.

Best part of the day? We couldn’t agree! Mom loved seeing the bear at Sequoia, Dad and Kyle loved the falls and mountains at Yosemite, and Blake and I loved the cute little fruit stand!