Our Voyage Home, Phase 1

I write this portion of the post from the comfort of a Marriott Courtyard Hotel in Hammond, IN, again due to the gracious donation of Marriott Reward Points by Brandon and Caleigh Milton.  We have adopted a serious homing pigeon mentality.  The odometer went past the 10,500 mile mark today, and ("Bless me father!") we needed a break from Vanessa.  We still love her, but even mothers and fathers occasionally need a breather from their offspring.

I can't imagine this blog is still interesting to anyone but us, but I'm quite sure it's the only way we'll remember where we've been.

After leaving Issaquah, Washington we drove to Coeur D'Alene, Idaho on Sunday, Apr. 17.  Although we didn't take any pics of Coeur D'Alene, it was stunning, and the lake, perfectly clear, goes on for miles.  We did take a photo of the Stuart Range from Cle Elum, WA on our way there.

Our next stop was Billings, Montana.  By the way, Montana is a BIG state.  We camped on the Yellowstone River in Billings in damp conditions.

We spent two great days in Rapid City, SD taking advantage of the obligatory visit to Mount Rushmore.  We were surprised to learn that there is a Memorial dedicated to Crazy Horse, an Oglala Lakota war chief and primary nemesis of George Armstrong Custer, under construction not far from Mount Rushmore.  When this monument is completed, it will measure 564 ' high by 640' long. Comparing this to the average height of the Rushmore Presidents at 60 ft high, it will be an imposing structure.  On our way to Rapid City we were welcomed to Wyoming with a momentary blizzard.

This slowed us down a little.

The head of Crazy Horse is complete but much work remains.  This project is on private lands and is not supported by either state or federal funds.

This is a 1/34th scale model of the completed monument

Fighting Stallions sculpted by Korczak Zoilkowski, inspiration for the Crazy Horse Memorial, along with Lakota Elder, Henry Standing Bear

Yesterday we spent what seemed like an eternity among the not yet planted corn fields of South Dakota.  By the way, South Dakota is a BIG state. PS -Marie here. Walt could be heard saying, "Maybe when we get to the Missouri River, we'll see some trees...

Reportedly, that is Laura Ingalls Wilder's little house on the prairie.

...Not so much, corn and more corn -- stalks that is.

Then we did the unthinkable!  We camped out in the parking lot of Walmart in Worthington, Minnesota.  We shopped 'til we dropped (but didn't buy anything). PS Sister Sue, below is what Ficus trees are supposed to look like.

Today we drove 535 miles to Hammond, IN just south of Chicago with plans to stop tomorrow night somewhere between Hammond and Niagara Falls, NY.  We can smell Maine.  The next post will undoubtedly be written from Sedgwick wrapping up the trip.

PS- Marie again. Walt uses the word "we" very loosely.  He has driven every single mile of the trip.