St Louis

Yesterday we went all the way to the top of the St Louis Arch and visited the Westward Expansion Museum- a really great museum for all ages!! We also took a tour boat ride down the Mississippi River. We learned about St Louis and its importance in expansion of the West. We tried to get that all important beer tour at Anheuser Busch but they were sold out of tix!! We ended the night with Kansas City steaks. We enjoyed our last night of vacation!

Kansas

We left Denver and traveled through Kansas. There are miles and miles of miles and miles! Fields of cows, corn, soybeans and wheat. We arrived in Topeka, the capital of Kansas, at sunset. We went to a Mexican restaurant and went back to the hotel for a swim. Tomorrow, we go to St Louis!

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Today we went way way up (12,000 ft) into the Rocky Mountains. The change in scenery was spectacular-from the dense evergreen forest to the barren alpine (above the treeline) terrain. Of course we had to get our shopping in at Estes Park- a great town NW of Boulder. We saw some interesting wildlife- elk, pica and marmot. Tomorrow we head to Topeka , Kansas on our path back east.

Colorado

Yesterday, we left Utah and the arid red rocks and desert and headed to Colorado. We went into Boulder for dinner and walked along the pedestrian area where we saw street performers and live music. We had a delicious meal at a South American restaurant. Nathalie and Anna enjoyed playing at an area on the sidewalk where the water popped up from place to place. Today we head to Rocky Mountain National Park.

Arches and Canyons

On Sunday we picked up Beth, Nathalie and Anna in Flagstaff and drove up to the Grand Canyon. We set up our camp at the South Rim and enjoyed al fthe breathtaking views. We had a campfire at night and just finished our hamburgers on the grill when a huge thunderstorm came. We dove in the tents.ceibed Nathaiie, Anna and Beth played a late night game of Uno in their tent, but Katie and I went to sleep, and later we got drenched. The other tent held up however The next day we walked along the rim trail, had an elegant lunch at El Tovar Hotel- an historic hotel in the park- and watched an IMAX film on the Grand Canyon. We ended with a campfire meal, and of course- another rain storm! We did get the smores in though, and this time we put a huge tarp over the tent and Katie and I stayed dry. The next morning we went to a Ranger program on the Colorado River (that created the Grand Canyon) and Nathalie and Anna finished their Junior Ranger program. Then we traveled north and east up through the Navajo nation to Arches National Park and Moab. Of course we shopped at the Indian jewelry stands and shops along the way. It seemed as if we were in a National Park the entire day- the beautiful rock formations were breathtaking. We traveled through Arches at sunset and were awed by what we saw. We hiked to the viewpoint for the delicate arch. The sun had set behind the rocks and there was a quiet stillness, with the heat from the rock pathway still radiating. We had dinner at a lively downtown spot at 10 pm and reached our cabins after 11. This morning we will drive up to the Rockies- another day of scenic beauty!

Sunday, July 13

Yesterday we went to Temple Square in Salt Lake City, after a brief bike ride in the university arboretum. We had a tour with a couple Mormon missionaries who explained what Mormon means, about their temple, and also about Jesus Christ. The place was immaculate and beautiful, with beautiful paintings, sculpture, gardens and furniture. I looked up some information about our family on the Mormon genealogy database, but wished I had more time. Then we drove outside of town and went whitewater rafting on the Weber River that feeds into Salt Lake City. It was a beautiful day. Then we drove from Park City to Cedar City, Utah last evening and went downtown to Cedar City last night. They were having a street fair. We couldn't quite figure out the theme, but there were old cars, a band, street vendors and food. Today we go to Flagstaff to get Beth and the kids. We will camp at the Grand Canyon South Rim tonight!

Saturday, July 12

We drove to Park City, Utah. This is a ski resort town and the site of the Sundance Film Festival. It is very upscale- beautiful restaurants and buildings. Even the post office is spectacular! Katie and I ate at the Bangkok Thai on Main and had a fantastic dinner. We walked around the downtown at sunset. Today we are going whitewater rafting! Then we will to Cedar City and Sunday pick up Beth and the girls at the Flagstaff airport.

Thursday, July 10

We saw Old Faithful and took a harrowing bike ride. There are what seem to be a million visitors to Yellowstone, and few bike paths. We saw an IMAX film about Lewis and Clark and walked around the village of West Yellowstone. We are covering a lot of the same territory as Lewis and Clark! We had a nice campfire last night and this morning we took a canoe ride. Katie fished but only got a nibble. We are going on a long hike later.

Wednesday, July 9

On Monday, we drove to the Black Hills, by way of Minnesota. We arrived to our campsite at night, just as a huge thunderstorm developed. It was really scary! We stayed two nights there by a lake and went to the Badlands, saw prairie dogs and mountain goats, as well as spectacular scenery. We stayed very near Mt. Rushmore and enjoyed seeing that. There was a Lakota band playing outside of the visitors' center. We continued our adventure the next day as we crossed Wyoming to our next stop- Yellowstone! Dodging bison and deer, we made our way across the park at sunset and pitched our tent again in the dark- although no rain this time. We are headed out today to witness Old Faithful and see more of the wildlife.

On Saturday, we headed west and stopped in Norwalk for breakfast at Berry's (Aunt and Uncle's restaurant.)   We visited Great-Grandma Nell's house and then continued on our way to Madison.  We arrived in Madison at about 5 pm, but it was actually only 4pm.  We drove around to familiar places and then parked downtown, met Jennifer (Beth and Rick's niece) and walked around.  We went down State St. and around the capitol.  We had dinner at an outside Mexican place.  We have had great weather!

4th of July in Ohio

Katie and I have had a great two days in Ohio.  We stayed with Grandma and Grandpa and visited Alita and Sarah and went to the 4th of July party at Uncle Rick's sister's family.  We had a great time and ended the night with a basketball game and sparklers.  On the way back from Akron, we saw the fireworks from downtown Akron.