Our USA Roadtrip

Sitting here facing another cold grey summer's day, I'm feeling inspired by you to make trip next year. Montana sounds wonderful - want to go! Are you hiring a car and motelling it or renting an RV. We hired a 4x4 last time but I really fancy an RV - he doesn't.

Hello all , hows things ?

After leaving Mount Rushmore we headed North to Montana taking in many cowboytowns , with more cows than people, but marvellous scenery.
Just outside Billings we saw Pompey"s Pillar which featured in the famous Lewis & Clarke expedition & opened up the West of the USA to pioneers.
It was named after the son of one of the Indian guides, and has the signature of W.Clarke written on the rock which took approx. 200 wooden steps to the top where, there was a most spectacular view of the Missouri river.

Next stop was missoula whichwas reached by crossing Rogers Pass , where the lowest temp. -70d. below freezing was measured in Jan. 1954. Missoula , a very Hi Tech, eco concious City with a very good University.
Next day made a trip out to the St Ignatius Misson, saw the original small cabin for the Monks -1840.
Alongside a most magnificent church , the walls which were adorned by hand painted murals of the highest quality, done by the Mission cook who discovered he had a talent for art and went onto decorate other Church"s in Spokane and Idaho.

Leaving Missoula we drove the Bitteroot Mountains scenic Byway - Stupendous. Calling in at the the Big hole Battlefield N.P. where we learned about the virtual abolition of the Nez Pece , Native Americans, by the US Military in 1877, very , very moving what was done, I have to say.

We stayed that evening at Butte, famous for gold and copper mines. Next day we visited a wonderful old Mansion built in the style of a French Chateau at Clemenceau where they had spent their honeymoon.in 1898. We were the only ones on the tour so it was special and we got lots of inside stories.

The weather is now fab. 70"s to 80"s -- love it .

Bye for now

It sure is , SEL, I love this Continent sooo much , we have such brillent times here

Awww, thanks Nonu

It must be absolutely beautiful. Big skies. I remember seeing stars in the Texas hills, the like of which I have never seen before or since. I think it might be the same in Montana so I'm even more ous.

This is some trip

Sel , I think I sound quite cute . Tee hee !

Envious , yes I do , would sound a bit daft over there,

11Am am off now to pastures new i.e. Missoula in Montana .

to ya"all , spec . to you Sel x

Nonu,I'm sure you sound quite charming saying 'ya'all',and stop the minute you get home!

Nonu stop with the 'ya'all'

What a great road trip you're having, it sounds absolutely wonderful. I am ous.

Stay safe and enjoy the rest of it.

Crazy horse monument , is what you are thinking of , G.

Will they ever finish it , i ask myself ????

lovely to hear from ya"all

Nuno so pleased you are enjoying your trip have a good time and will talk when you get home.

Nonu - we have been to Mount Rushmore - amazing place. Did you also see the Indian chief which they are trying to sculpt a short distance away - was it Sitting Bull, can't remember. I can remember we all got the giggles in Keystone when we saw a police car marked "Keystone Police" and someone said - Ha, Keystone Cops!". It is so long since we were in South Dakota but we loved it.

Nonu Always interesting to read about your USA roadtrip. I'd have enjoyed seeing the buffalo calves!

Nonu, glad all is going so well - am dead impressed with the mileage you are doing! Keep safe and enjoy!!

Thanks for cheery messages. Found our way to Grand Forks, North Dakota . Crossed N.D. , stayed at Minot, before heading to the Theodore Roosevelt N.P. where we saw amongst the magnificent scenery , along side our car , a herd of buffalo, with about a dozen new born calves , magical !!

We moved South down a route named the "Enchanted Highway" [email protected] which featured many roadside metal sculptures. many over 50ft in height , amazing.

Before we moved onto the "Enchanted Highway" , we got talking to a woman by the name of Eileen , from San Diego , 1,500 miles away, who visits the park to record and photo the wild horses about 4 times a year. She represented "WIND" which is the preservation of Wild Horses in North Dakota. What a lovely person she was , and gave us lots of info. about the characteristics of Wild Horses.

After an overnight stop, we moved onto Mount Rushmore. The road to Mount Rushmore took us through Spearfish Canyon, belaiden with huge Waterfalls and an urgent river running alongside our road.

MOUNT RUSHMORE
Once seen , never forgotten , took 14 years to sculpture, something that will last for centuries, as you who have seen will agree with I think .
A real bonus was our road from Rushmore back to our Hotel at Dickinson took us over the famous "Pigtail Bridges" and gold mines of the Black Hills of Dakota.

The weather all over the USA is pretty insane frankly.
What is happening ??

It is not spoiling anything for us though. Speak soon.

Hiya All

22/5/13

Spent the night at Duluth which is the birthplace of Bob Dylan. leaving the town by the scenic North shore of lake Superior , much loved by Bob evidently , as he wrote a song about Road 61, which we were on .

There were two impressive waterfalls , named Gooseberry and Caribou and two iconic lighthouses one of which had been turned into a B&B.

We then carried on further North through the " Superior" National Forest to Ely for oue nights stop. What a very , very likeable homely town .

Thurs 23rd
----

At Ely is the home of the International Wolf Centre, I love Wolves , I have pictures of them i n my bathroom. Anyway I digress , it has been established to to promote the worthiness of the Red and Grey Wolf. T o encourage people to appreciate them for what they are worth as the Red wolf came very close to extinction.
We also saw a reproduction of the writing cabin of Siguard F Olson 1899-1982 , who was a resident of Ely and wrote 9 books about the American Wilderness and was a key player in the conservation of America .

We then journied through the Voyagagers National Park . Stunning scenery and so very , very peaceful to I nternational Falls on the Canadian Border . we are not going to cross into Canada this time .

Bye for now , [smiles] and lots of them

Sounds like you are enjoying your trip to the US, travel is a wonderful experience and the places we visit stay with us forever.
Keep safe.

Nonu,good to hear your having a good time.Feel free to PM me if you think I could help in someway.

Nonu, all sounds lovely - glad its all going so well - just watch out for all the food!

Hi Nonu Sounds as though you're having a terrific time. Enjoy dinner.

Sounds great

Lovely to get your 'postcards' from the US Nonu - it seems no time at all that you were there last time (see other thread on time/space continuum)!.
Continue to have an interesting time.

We are watching the Tornado coverage , on CNN at the moment, truly awful. 9.am here now . We are going to have a swim in the hotel pool , then sit around for a while before we go for our favourite Vietnamese "PHO".

Then heading off to DULUTH in Minnestoa , about 180 miles so should be there about teatime. As you all know who driven over here is a piece of cake , especially if we go on the Interstate which we most likely will do .

Bye for now miles of them

Very envious, Nonu, it's years since we went to South Dakota and we really loved it. I have very fond memories of going to see a "Prairie Dog town" - we had the children with us (they were teenagers), and had said how interesting it would be to see the "town". Imagine my DD's surprise when we arrived at a perfectly flat plain with no sign of shops anywhere! She did enjoy seeing the prairie dogs popping up out of their burrows, though.

Enjoy the rest of your trip.

Lovely to hear from you Nonu How wonderful your trip sounds, starring in your own film. Hope you're wearing something in leather and checks

Truly awful news this morning of the tornado in Oklahoma - stay safe wherever you're heading next.

Nonu When we were doing a similar trip, I made Thesues turn off to De Smet because of "Little house on the Prairie"! He never quite understood why. I bought a beautiful patchwork cushion, made by the ladies of the De Smet Baptist church, for DD.

Keep us posted!