We fastened our seat belts and as Sarah started the car, “The Spirit of Radio” started playing. We took this to be a good sign. And “off on [our] way” we were on our 2019 Great Plains Tour. This eight day adventure would take us 3,500 miles through eight states and six national parks. This afternoon we only had to make it 370 miles to a Walmart Superstore in Missoula, Montana where we would sleep for the night.

While on tour with Rush, Neil Peart would often sleep in his bus in Walmart parking lots. Sarah and I were well aware that many Walmart stores extend this courtesy to RVers and Roadtrippers and were surprised that many of our friends and family didn’t know and thought it would be a terrible idea. But with only about four hours designated for sleep on the first night of our ambitious itinerary it seemed silly to pay for a hotel room, let alone have to unload and reload the car. What was good enough for Neil would surely be good enough for us. We had carefully chosen a 24-hour Superstore and pulled in late alongside about 25 other campers, motorhomes and SUVs. Originally planning to move our luggage to the front and make a bed in the back of Sarah’s 4Runner, even this seemed like a lot of work, so instead we hung our coats over the front windows, reclined our seats, laughed hysterically at our situation, then settled in for a short sleep. We awoke to our 3am alarm with a few new dents and bruises on our legs and bodies where we had rested against the gear shift and console, but also feeling surprisingly energetic. Or maybe it was the excitement of “hit[ting] the open road.”

Between Sun and Moon

Glacier is our nation’s 8th national park and is located in northwest Montana. The northern border of the park extends to Alberta, Canada where it joins Waterton Lakes Canadian National Park. On June 18, 1932, the two parks formed the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. Sarah and I would be traveling the Going to the Sun Road, famous for its 50 miles of narrow lanes and twists and turns crossing the park between the west and east ranger stations.

Our first stop was at the Trail of the Cedars, an easy 0.8-mile loop. This wheelchair accessible trail is mostly flat and well groomed, with some raised boardwalks. It runs along and crosses the bright blue water of Avalanche Creek. The trail is one of the most popular in the park and can get crowded but arriving early we had no trouble finding parking.

Continuing along the Going to the Sun Road we took advantage of the many pullouts. I was struck by the immensity of the park, towering green hillsides with waterfalls that seemed to drop for miles into the deep valley below. We pulled over several times to admire the view and take pictures. Our goal was the Logan Pass Visitor Center, but arriving well before it opened, we were surprised to find the parking lot already full. We spent about 20 minutes circling and looking for a spot but to no avail. Finally, we gave up and continued on to the Lunch Creek Pullout where we got out and took a short walk up the hill along the creek.

Our next stop was at the Jackson Glacier overlook, the one spot on the road where you can catch a glimpse of a glacier while in Glacier National Park. Then onto St. Mary Falls we were again disappointed to find no parking available, so we continued the short distance to Baring Falls instead. Here we first walked up the trail then back down to see the actual falls. Somehow, we missed the sign and continued along the narrow trail surrounded by tall salal on both sides. I remarked to Sarah that it felt like bear territory. We continued downhill until we realized the trail was heading all the way down to the lake and we seemed to be alone. With the prospect of having to walk all the way back up, and an increasing unease about the prospect of meeting a bear, we turned around and headed back. At the top we saw the signs we had missed: the one which pointed to the waterfall we were looking for and the one warning of extreme bear danger! Back in the car unscathed we continued on to Wild Goose Island Lookout and the iconic park view at St Mary Lake Overlook.

Finally arriving at the east entrance visitor center we were once again disheartened to find a full parking lot. After circling the lot a couple of times, we grew grumpy and brazen and parked in a somewhat questionable spot. We then raced into the tiny and crowded visitor center, collected our passport stamps, quickly browsed the gift shop and were back on the road before you could say “parking ticket.”

He’s a Writer and Ranger and a Young Boy Bearing Arms

He was, in fact, the author of 47 books, a ranger of sorts as a leader of the Rough Riders, and as a young man visited North Dakota in 1883 to hunt buffalo. He was also the 26th president of the United States and the namesake of the only national park named directly after a single person, Theodore Roosevelt. Considered to be the “conservationist president” after being elected president in 1901, he used his authority to protect approximately 230 million acres of public land. In 1906 he signed into law the Antiquities Act which gives the president of the United States authority to create national monuments and federal lands.

Bison at Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Theodore Roosevelt National Park is located in North Dakota and became our nation’s 39th park in 1978. The park is divided into three sections. Sarah and I entered the South Unit Visitor Center in Medora, North Dakota. Our lodging for the night would be the Medora Campground adjacent to the park but arriving in the early afternoon we headed straight to the visitor center to collect our passport stamps and then drove into the park. Black-eyed Susan’s lined the roadside creating a real old west charm. We stopped to hike at Skyline Vista with sweeping views of the park and river below, then continued past Prairie Dog Town which I thought was just a name. Turns out it really is a prairie dog town. Not a town so much as a meadow, but full of prairie dogs which would pop in and out of their holes standing on their hind legs looking out for danger. We didn’t have time to drive out to Theodore Roosevelt’s ranch, but we did continue on the scenic drive and stopped to hike on the Ridgeline Trail. On the way back we stopped for a rest at Prairie Dog Town and enjoyed watching the cute little critters for a few minutes.

Back outside the park we checked into our campground. Our spot was right next to the registration building and not far from the restrooms. The campground was mostly grassy and flat, and we had no trouble setting up our little two-man tent. With the addition of a couple chairs and a tablecloth for the table we were ready to camp. Per agreement there would be no cooking, so we had made reservations in Medora at the Roosevelt Room. After a short rest we changed into our nicer clothes and headed into town where we had a delicious dinner and then walked around a little bit before returning to camp. In the morning we got up early and took down our campsite without even waking our neighbor who we could still hear snoring in her tent.

We were on our way to an early morning horseback riding reservation. It turned out we were the only two on the first ride of the day. I was dreading this event for a few reasons. The first was getting on the horse. I expected them to give me a stool or a boost or something, which they did not. Happily, I pulled myself up on the first try. Next was riding the horse. Sitting up on a horse you are not only very high off the ground, but there is really nothing to hold onto except the saddle pommel and the reins. Once the horse starts to move and things get shaky both become problematic. I was given a horse named Doc who was particularly fond of Sarah’s horse, Blitzen, and assured there should be no problem as Doc would want to follow and stick close and that he did. Despite the steep inclines and the shaky horse and my lack of riding prowess, we had a great time. By contrast, Sarah is a savvy and confident rider, but I managed to catch on well enough that our guide offered to take us on an extra excursion to the top of a bluff where we would have a view of the national park. Going up went well, but when we tried to take a picture at the top, I couldn’t quite get my horse lined up with Sarah’s. On the way down things got dicey when he decided to twirl around in circles on the hillside. The thing about horses is if you pull on the reins it will signal them to go faster or turn this way or that and they will do exactly what you “tell” them. Even if you are really just holding on for dear life and mean to say, “For the love of God, slow down” or “please stand still.” We quickly got back on track and the rest of the way back to the stables was uneventful. The final dreaded step was getting off the horse. I expected them to give me a stool or a hand or something, which they did not. Happily, I landed safely on both feet, and not sprawled out on the ground or dangling by one leg from the stirrup as I had kept imagining I might end up.

After a quick stop at a rest stop to change out of our horse riding clothes we were on our way to South Dakota.

When Life Becomes as Barren

Seventy-five miles east of Rapid City, South Dakota, away from the barrage of hotels, restaurants, tourist traps and endless string of billboards lies Badlands National Park, our nation’s 38th national park. Surrounded by prairie grass, in a hot dry climate, the terrain is rocky and covered with pinnacles and spires shaped by hundreds of thousands of years of erosion. I had never seen anything like it. The park is extremely, maybe overly accessible. Tourists climbed all over the rocky mounds. Even the little kids scaled the landscape. Of course, I couldn’t help thinking it must be a breeding ground for rattlesnakes and opted not to stray from the boardwalks and trails. Sarah hiked the Notch Trail, which is only 1.5 miles, but involves climbing a log ladder and per the nps website, “following a ledge to “the Notch” (whatever that is) for a dramatic view of the White River Valley.” It goes on to say “Watch for drop-offs” and “not recommended for anyone with fear of heights.” After my discovery of fear of ledges this didn’t sound like something I would enjoy. I opted to take my time and follow only part way, turning back before the log ladder. By the time I hiked the longest trail of the day back to the restroom and then the car, Sarah was already returning. We continued down into the valley where we stopped at the visitor center for our passport stamps and browsed in the gift shop. We intended to eat at the cafe, but it was closed so we grabbed a snack to hold us over. The next stop was a trailhead that climbed straight up a cliff. I waited at the bottom while Sarah ran to the top and back down. Driving out of the valley we stopped to walk the interactive fossil trail, a cute little boardwalk with exhibits along the way. The badlands are known for marine fossils and extinct mammal fossils. Here again I was surprised to see little kids climbing and running all over the rocky cliffs. Back in the car we followed the road around past the iconic Yellow Mounds and out of the west entrance where we headed back to Rapid City and checked into our hotel.

A God, A King, A Head of State

The next morning, we headed out early to Mount Rushmore National Memorial. With a name that says “Rush” and “more” we had to take a look. The plan was to get there early and find a parking place and it worked. We seemed to be about the second car to arrive. On a prior visit when I was young, we drove all the way up to the observation area and parked so I was surprised when we drove into a huge parking garage that almost made the monument seem small in comparison and made us feel like we were entering some sort of amusement park. We walked up to the observation area where there was a lot of construction going on. A man doing some power washing told us how to get around and over to the Memorial Trail we were looking for. This trail meandered through the woods and along a series of boardwalks and about 350 stairs where we could get a closer view looking up at the monument. Sore from horseback riding the day before, I complained most of the way, but truly had a wonderful time. As we walked along and came to the best vantage point for each “head” there were informative placards detailing the various accomplishments of each depicted president. I sat and rested while Sarah read aloud. On the way out we stopped at a little visitor center and bookstore, which was not crowded at all. We collected our passport stamps and had a quick look around.

Back on top at the monument it was hot and crowded. We spent a lot of time looking in the ginormous air-conditioned gift shop. On the way back to the car I looked into the faces of a couple older men walking towards us. I imagined they might be veterans. They looked proud walking past with their eyes fixed on the monument before them, and I was glad we had stopped.

Every Day We’re Standing in a Wind Tunnel

A mere hour away from Mount Rushmore, in the southwestern corner of South Dakota, lies Wind Cave National Park. Wind Cave is our nation’s 6th national park and is named for its large cave system with barometric winds at the entrance. The largest and one of the only known natural openings to the cave is just a small ten-inch hole. All cave access is by guided tour via elevator.

At the time of our visit, we knew the elevator was undergoing repair so Sarah was only a little disappointed to find out it was still out of order. I, on the other hand, was relieved, as caves are not my favorite thing, nor elevators, nor elevators in caves. We had to be content to look at the hole from which we could eerily feel and hear the wind rushing out from below. This not surprisingly left Sarah feeling more, and me less, disappointed that we would not be entering those depths. After a quick look around the visitor center and the necessary stamp for our books, we set off across the park to enjoy some above ground hiking.

The Rankin Ridge trail is a one-mile loop to the highest point in the park. Upon arrival at the trailhead a woman coming off the hillside warned of a bison laying across the trail. Sarah thought this may be a problem and we paused to assess the situation. Eventually we decided to follow another family whose license plate said they were from Montana. Anyway, they looked outdoorsy, and they were willing to go with their small children. Sarah easily kept up with them on the first part of the trail which was all uphill. She kept urging me to go faster, but I still lagged behind a little. If I stopped to look at the wild raspberries, she would prod me along. Occasionally the Montana kids would get distracted and the family would slow enough for us to catch up while still staying a cool and casual, not creepy, distance behind them. At the top the Montana family and Sarah all climbed up a watchtower giving me time to catch up and catch my breath so technically I only went to the second highest point in the park. When they all came back down the man pointed out a large herd of bison which looked like tiny dots in the distance. I pulled out my binoculars and we all had a look at the impressive herd and became chummy. The way down was a forest road and we walked together and talked about our national park experiences. They were indeed an outdoorsy family. As we neared the bottom of the trail, we could see the bison was still blocking our way. The woman said we needed to stay 25 yards away and she led us all off trail and around. Sarah stuck close as the woman walked briskly and sure footedly down the hill and through the shrubs, expertly pointing out poisonous plants to avoid. I stumbled along behind not knowing which plants were poisonous, worrying more about snakes and finally crashing through a spider web nobody else had apparently gone through. At the bottom Sarah helped make sure there were no webs or spiders attached to me before we got back in the car, but I still felt sticky and itchy all the way back to Rapid City.

Back at our hotel we showered and changed then walked next door for a quick 18 holes of putt putt golf. We met a nice local man and his grandson who schooled us on the course. For dinner we drove to downtown Rapid City to a brewery. Here the billboards and tourist traps were replaced with trendy shops and restaurants, and even a light rail system. We enjoyed a nice dinner and drinks al fresco and felt that this area of Rapid City had totally redeemed itself from the cheesy, touristy part of town.

Powers We Cannot Perceive

Our first stop the next morning was 106 miles away at Devil’s Tower National Monument in Wyoming, but we were still the first to arrive in the visitor center parking lot. The monument was not what I expected. I thought it would be out in the middle of nowhere, but it was actually very close to a couple small towns. A sacred place to over twenty tribes, we enjoyed walking the short trail where prayer cloths hung from the trees. At the base of the tower, we stood in the peaceful quiet. And then a group of rowdy men and their boys emerged from below shouting and tossing a football back and forth. The mood was somewhat spoiled. We didn’t have time to walk all the way around the monument but were able to go part way in the opposite direction of the rowdy group. We were back at the visitor center when it opened to get our stamps. The next seven hours would be spent driving to our next destination, only stopping once for food and gas.

To Pass the Evening with a Drink and a Friend

Grand Teton National Park is located in northwestern Wyoming. It is named for the highest peak in the Teton Range which it encompasses along with Jackson Hole. It is our nation’s 17th national park. Known for wildlife and scenery it is popular for boating, fishing, biking, hiking and climbing and apparently snowboarding in the winter.

When Sarah and I randomly chose our vacation dates a year earlier and planned our destinations, we were surprised to find out our friend Kelly, from Michigan, would be visiting the park the same weekend. Kelly was able to alter her plans and arrive a day earlier so we could enjoy the park with her company. And we managed to arrive at our Colter Bay cabin within about twenty minutes of each other! We all freshened up from our day of travel and set off for the main lodge. We enjoyed drinks in the bar looking out the huge, open windows onto the glasslike blue water of Jenny Lake, the mountains reflecting on the surface. We all chose from the seasonal selection of huckleberry flavored drinks, and it was so peaceful we were tempted to cancel our dinner reservation and stay by that window. However, we did drag ourselves away to the dining room, which was equally pretty, and enjoyed a delicious, leisurely dinner. Kelly was brave enough to try the buffalo. After dinner we browsed the gift shop. Things livened up when a bat flew in, but the staff quickly took control. We ate our desert back in our cabin and eventually wound down and went to sleep.

The next morning, we were up early and on our way back to Jenny Lake for a boat tour. Our guide was thirty-something with a big, bushy, mountain-man beard. He drove us around the lake and told us about the history and geology. He said he had graduated college on the east coast at 23 years old, not quite ready to be the teacher he had trained to be. One day he got in his car and drove to Grand Teton to snowboard and never went back. He was still here, eight years later, married with two children, still snowboarding and making a living giving boat tours on Jenny Lake. On this day the weather was lovely, and the lake was still a sheet of glass. Out on the water with the sun shining on us and the mountains towering above us, we could see how that could happen.

Back on shore we drove back to Colter Bay and bought a picnic lunch we shared with Kelly before saying our goodbyes. Kelly would head south back to the lodge to check in for the wedding and Sarah and I were headed north.

Venting Vapors Like the Breath of a Sleeping White Dragon

Yellowstone National Park, our nation’s first national park, lies ten miles north of Grand Teton, connected by the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway. Mostly in Wyoming, Yellowstone also spreads into parts of Montana and Idaho. It is known for hot springs, geysers, and wildlife, including America’s largest buffalo herd. It is popular for hiking, camping, fishing and, in the winter, snowmobiling. And it is famous for Old Faithful, a highly predictable cone geyser, located near Old Faithful lodge, which erupts approximately 20 times per day shooting boiling water an average of 145 feet into the air. A real crowd pleaser.

We ran into quite a bit of traffic as we entered the park from the south entrance and made our way to our campground near the west entrance. The ranger who checked us in was kind and informative, taking his time to go over all the details and answer all our questions. We quickly set up our camp, sat down in our chairs and realized it was only early afternoon. We decided to head back to the lodge and see the Old Faithful show. We drove back, got our passport stamps at the visitor center, and still had time to walk around and look at some of the other “hot spots” before the designated eruption time. Afterwards we drove back to camp as the sun was starting to set.

Our campground neighbors were two large families with several tents and kids. While Sarah and I made our peanut butter sandwiches and played a few hands of Crazy 8’s they prepared, ate and cleaned up a huge feast then sat around their campfire roasting s’mores and singing camp songs. With no campfire or s’mores, we soon got tired and went to bed, but as we settled in, we bumped our lantern which caused a slight tent cave in. I managed to drift off to sleep but awoke a short time later feeling claustrophobic. Our neighbors had put out their campfire and the air was smokey and I felt like the tent was now sagging in too far. I freaked out and insisted we get out and fix everything and then, since we were up, make one last trip to the restroom. Sarah was annoyed but getting out in the air felt good to me, so when we got back in, I decided to leave my side of the tent flap open with just the screen. Of course, when I woke up in the morning, my sleeping bag was wet on top. When I told Sarah she said something like “No shit!” but I didn’t care. The other way made me feel like I was suffocating. Sarah was already deciding we needed a bigger tent.

We quickly got dressed and put on our warm coats. It was only thirty-something degrees. We drove the north loop around the park to Mammoth Springs and on the way were excited to see a bear! At Mammoth Springs we headed back south to the Yellowstone Falls Lodge where we had breakfast and finished our souvenir shopping. The trail to the lower viewpoint for the falls was closed so we could only look from above. Circling back around to the campground a plan was forming which would save us from getting soaked that night. Sarah and I had originally booked two nights in the campground, but this was not our first trip to the park. Sarah was on her third visit, and this was at least my 6th. We had already seen and done everything we had intended to, so we decided to pack up and head towards home, with a minor 4-hour, 261-mile detour. As we headed out of the park, we called Sarah’s husband who made us a hotel reservation. That night in Yellowstone it poured down rain.

From Yellowstone Sarah and I drove the opposite direction of home heading south to one of our favorite towns, Logan, Utah, with one of our favorite retail stores. How could we resist when we were only four hours away? We spent the afternoon shopping and I enjoyed sleeping in the hotel versus the smokey tent.

The next morning, we made the ten-hour drive back home. As we came over the last ridge suddenly the gas gauge dropped from 20 to zero gallons left. Even though I was worried I couldn’t help laughing as we coasted down the hill and into the first available gas station. Sarah was sure she could have made it across town, but her husband, who was on the phone with us, and I, insisted she stop. In nine days we had traveled over 3,500 miles through eight states. We visited six national parks plus Devil’s Tower and Mount Rushmore. We camped and rode horses and we laughed until it hurt. We agreed it was our best trip yet, but we always do, until the next one.