Very LONG Day!

Wow! Today started out just fine but ended crazy!

I spent the night in Wall, SD, which is the home of the (apparently famous) Wall Drug store. It had billboard announcements for it for at least 20 miles before you even get to the town. I was thinking, "how big can a drug store be before it becomes just gaudy?" I came into town too late last night to find out. I got a room in another Bates motel-looking place. I actually like those places over the normal motels; they remind me of my childhood when my cousins and I used to travel to Lawton every summer to visit Grandma & Grandpa. I also like how I can park right in front of my room door and unload my stuff. Anyway, this one was the Welsh in and the manager, Wes, was a peach. He led me to a cafe down the street for (of course) a BLT for the night. I got up this morning and checked out the Wall Drug store. It was more like a little town all unto itself! It starts with the look of an old western town, all the way down the street. Wall Drugs is all of one side of the street! Each of the little stores is connected to another, encompassing all sorts of shops, boutiques and an old fashioned eatery, where I got breakfast. The breakfast was good but a tad overpriced, compared to Denny's or IHOP, but their french toast was the kind that already had the cinnamon swirled through the bread. Yummy! And the place was fun.

I headed east after breakfast. Long drive to Spencer, IA, where Fletch and I visited the former home (and present memorial) of Dewey the Library Cat (full name: Dewey Readmore Books). Dewey was dropped into the book drop of the library as a tiny kitten and ended up living at the library for 19 years, until his recent death. I loved the book, but really wish it had been written before the cat died so I would have heard about him and would have visited the actual live cat. Yes, I'm one of those silly people who would have come to Spencer just to meet the cat who lived his entire life at a library. Read the book!

This is the actual book drop where Dewey was dumped as a kitten, in January, on a freezing morning.

Above, you can see Dewey's memorial (I don't know if he's actually buried in that spot); Fletch checking it out and/or paying his respects; and the window to the chidrens' part of the library where he would cuddle up with kids during reading time. His memorial is right outside that room. I really liked the town of Spencer, too. Loved the old fashioned little homes in the neighborhood next to the library. I will come back here again when I have more time.

Fletch walking around on a leash brought some interest also! Yes, he walks on a leash.

After Spencer is when things got a little crazy:

I got some gas at a station in Emmetsburg, but never saw my credit card again  ; - 0.

After gassing up, I drove another 4 hours to Dyersville where the farm from the movie Field of Dreams is located. I walked into the lobby of a little motel and that was when I realized I didn't have the card. So I couldn't get a room. While I was completely discombobulating the inside of my car to find the card, Fletch got out of the car and scrambled off while I wasn't looking. That card is all I carry and is usually all I need, and I had not picked up any cash recently. So, I was screwed! While I was talking to Kelly and Chip from Suntrust on the phone (which was dying), Beth (on Facebook) was helping me try to contact Linda for her address (where I was headed in 2 days anyway) so they could send me another card, tootsweet. We were able to use my old card number to pay for a room, and James, the motel manager, was WONDERFUL! He was about to give me the room anyway. That may be because he is a sweet guy or it may have been just to get me out of his lobby, where I was camped out for about an hour and a half. In the meantime, my car is a disaster, I've got crap sprawled out all over the parking lot of the motel, and then Fletch just wanders back to the car while I'm trying to arrange everything. OMG! And thank GOD for it all working out, too. I was planning to go to Chicago tomorrow and see the live exhibit of Kate the science teacher living at the Museum of Science and Industry, but now I have no money and 1/2 tank of gas - just enough to get me to Linda's house, where I was going after Chicago. My new card will arrive while I'm visiting her.

Now, I'm finally in the motel room (after midnight), I'm exhausted but wired, and I'm kissing the you-know-what out of my cat because I thought I'd lost him. I need a drink...

South Dakota!

I left SLC again on Monday morning, heading towards Mt. Rushmore. The first day of that part of the trip consisted of about 6 hours of this golden, low-rolling hills. Yes, 6 HOURS of that. Did you know there's actually a town called Little America, WY? Started out pretty & got pretty old. Thank God for sunflower seeds and Dr. Pepper! I planned on stopping in Douglas, WY, just because it seemed to be close to the middle. But there was nothing there, so I kept going. Landed in Lusk, which wasn't much better. I was starving, but there were only 2 restaurants open in the entire town and only one of them delivered - and of course it was a pizza joint. So, if you find yourself in the southeastern corner of WY at night, eat first! And be prepared to be bored!

I hit the road this morning to a very pretty sky: 

...with my new constant companion!

How is it that I bought him soft, comfy beds and stuff, but he choses to sleep on my open box of files & important papers or on the hard, plastic section between the seats? This shot was when we were parked, not driving down the road, don't worry. (BTW, 3rd night in a row of him wanting to play in the middle of the road, so still not sleeping well...)

Before we actually got to Mt. Rushmore, there was another mountain that is in the process of being carved. It has an Indian Chief on top and it looks like they may still be working on it or adding another face.

We continued up to Mt. Rushmore. I walked around and took some photos and then took Fletch out to the observation deck with me.

We actually got kicked out of the area! I was going to say something like, "I've been kicked out of better places than this," but I really haven't.
                                                                                                                        
Before you get to the observation deck area, you must walk through a gauntlet of concrete and marble walls with flags from every state and that state and its date of inclusion to the US is carved into the walls, directly beneath its relative flag. It was a very nice addition to the mountain display.

I ate a late lunch at the "Grille" up at the monument. The people were very nice but the food was kind of bland - a typical government run, cafeteria-style, minimal-choice meal. I had a flashback to downtown LA and the Federal Building, 4th Floor. Take my advise before you go up there: either eat in Custer or in Hill City before to go up to the monument. Those are two little towns on either side of the mountain that lead up to the monument.

This little guy was standing right by the side of the road, practically in the middle of Hill City. He was just minding his business, eating something close to the road, and just ignored the cars going by...

Drove through a town actually called Deadwood, which was between Rushmore and Sturgis.

It was a really cute little town that was only about one street wide, as if the entire town used to be a small river or creek (crick). Wanted to stop, but was trying to get to Sturgis. Turns out I should have stuck to Deadwood. There was nothing to see in Sturgis. (Actually, I was hoping to find a big, burly, scary-looking, biker dude who would hold Fletch for a photo, but I didn't see a single biker dude of any kind.) I had planned to stop there for the night, but I didn't bother after all. I drove on, eastward. Thought about going back to Deadwood, but that really would have been backtracking. Made me look forward to traveling again when I get back from Africa, with no need to be anywhere specific at any given date.

It was kind of cool driving east on Interstate 90; looking at the low, soft hills, I could almost see (imagine) a covered wagon cresting over one of the hills like a scene out of Bonanza or the Virginian.

I guess I'd better wake Fletch up and make him play a little bit (he's lying right here beside me), so maybe he'll sleep better through the night, so that I can sleep better through the night, finally!

We've got some cool plans for the next couple of days, so stay tuned!

"Fletch!"

Well, I got no comments on the name change choices, so I picked FLETCH. I picked up my little man on Saturday morning and we drove straight to SLC to visit Cynthia & Donald again. They welcomed us with open arms, and they already love Fletch too. (In fact, I'm keeping my eye on Don because he seems way too tickled spending time with MY cat! I already warned him that if Fletch disappears, I will know to look in his Man Cave downstairs. 27 years of investgating at least gave me that!)

He YEOWLED in the car for the first hour of our drive. He finally settled down and found a few places to curl up, but none of those places were the beds I specifically bought for him - go figure. We stopped twice along the way and stretched our legs (all 6 of them). and got to SLC around 2:30.

Our first night together was interesting. 3 times, Fletch got up and wanted loving and face-rubbing: at 2am, 4am and again @ 7am. We're going to have to work on sleeping habits! We'er also going to have to work on his walking on kitchen cabinets & tables. I don't mind personally, but if we are going to visit other peoples' houses, we (he) will have to learn some manners. We're chilling out in SLC until Monday. Cynthia & Don had to go to a family function today, so I've go the house to myself. Fletch and I are doing laundry and cooking dinner for the household tonight. I love rummaging through a kitchen and making something out of whatever I find.

I'm still getting used to this retirement paycheck program, which is not only different, but LESS. So I have to learn to adjust to that- I know, budgeting has never been my strong point, but I can live on very little when I need to do so. I still wouldn't trade this retirement/traveling for anything! I miss my friends in B'ham, but not the job at all. I wasn't unhappy, really, just finished.

Here are Buddy & Daisy, forced to sit outside their OWN HOUSE while the interloper gets to march around freely like he runs the place. They didn't stay out long, just occasionally. Daisy didn't care one way or the other, but Buddy (the face) was convinced he was going to 'play' with the furry interloper (Fletch).

That's Fletch hiding behind a baby gate while Buddy, who was recently allowed back in the house, searches for him! Actually the gates are not even secured in place, but Buddy doesn't know that...

Backtrack (a little)

Left Idaho Falls this morning, which was not easy! Came back to Kanab, with a short lunch break in SLC for lunch with Cynthia. Arrived after 7pm and can't call anyone to let them know I made it safely because, once again, the ATT service SUCKS here. I'm in another one of those little Bate's Motel looking places, which actually looks a lot nicer inside than it does outside (thank goodness).

I'm picking up my little man (my new nickname for Brighton). I keep flipping back and forth about his new name. MAYBE YOU CAN COMMENT AND LET ME KNOW YOUR OPINION. I want to name him after one of my favorite book characters: there's Harry Bosch, but Harry is kind of plain; there's Charlie from John Steinbeck's Travels with Charlie, but Charlie's kind of simple; there's Keller from the Hitman/Lawrence Block series, but I'd probably have to explain it to everyone because they've never heard of him (but it's a cool name and different); and then there's Fletch, which is short for Irwin Maurice Fletcher, from the Chevy Chase movie fame AND no less than 11 books about the very sharp-witted, sharp-tongued, and way-too-charming-for-his-own-good newspaper reporter. I need help. Please let me know your opinion...

I will have a bunch of photos tomorrow of the animals of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary when I blog next time - please do tune it!

Idaho Falls!

Wow! I've spent almost a week in Idaho Falls with my very good friends from SoCal, Debbie and Allen. We spent most of the time gabbing about the old days of Cub Scouts (don't laugh; I was a Cub Scout Leader) and Boy Scouts and Food Share. Today, we drove up to Mesa Falls, in the Targhee National Park. I got some photos on the way up, as Idaho Falls are on the other side of the Grand Tetons as Jackson Hole, WY, where I was last week (a little geography lesson).

(This last one was a little house I fell in love with, right next to another one Debbie fell in love with, with a GIANT green house set up perfectly between the two houses!)

We continued on, up to Lower Mesa Falls. Gorgeous up here and very crisp, with brushings of snow on the ground all around, and lots of snow up high.

We then headed up to the Upper Mesa Falls which part of the Henry's Fork of the Snake River. It's approx 114 feet high and 200 feet wide. The average volume of water that flows over it is between 600 and 1500 cubic feet per second:

That's Debbie and Allen in front of the falls!

On the way back home (their home) we stopped by the falls which gave Idaho Falls its name. The town was originally called Eagle Rock. The Mormans came in and put a lot of money into the town, building roads, establishing a bunch of the town politics, then changed the name to Idaho Falls. The falls are downtown and are partially natural, plus some manmade additions that helped the falls become a hydroelectric power plant. If you look closely, you can see the natural level AND the manmade level of the falls:

The downtown was adorable and I love little downtowns like that, with lofts right over the bottom floor businesses. We ate at a wonderful little downtown cafe - The Snakebite! I had a fabulous cioppino (but they called it something else) in beer broth instead of tomato base. It was so good that after I ate all the seafood out of it, I took the broth home in a cup. I highly recommend it. They also have upscale sandwiches and gourmet salads, all in a very charming loft-style, brick-walled, pipes-showing, open room.

I had a wonder almost-week here and was again taken care of very well by loving friends! I have promised to come back, with Fletch, when I finally get an RV. Thank you so much Debbie & Allen!

Heading south tomorrow morning to pick up my little man, Fletch.

Idaho

Just found out that I will need to pick up Brighton the cat (soon to be Fletch) this weekend instead of  next month. I'm still continuing with my (our) travels after the weekend. That means that I will be detouring back to Best Friends before heading onto the north again. I'll have to get the car outfitted for him by the time I pick him up. I'm thinking one of those fleece box-type things that either hangs off of the front of the passenger seat or a small cat bed sitting on top of a box-type thing sitting on the front seat and secured by the seat belt. That way, he can be jacked up in the seat a bit and watch the world go by out of the car windows. I'm thinking a smaller litter box on the floor of the back seat and maybe another, larger, more comfortable bed in the back seat, in case he wants to get out of the front seat. I'll need a small harness and leash for when he wants to get out of the car. I was looking at one of those (front-loading) back packs to carry him around with me - is that too much, ya think? If this blog takes off, he might even become famous!

Yellow Stone National Park

Wow! Things are a little more brown this time of year, but it's still stunning. Drove through from the east side, all the way to Old Faithful. Had to go through the Tetons (again) first to get to Yellow Stone. First, I saw more of the Snake River, which winds through the whole area. Plus, I love the layers of rocks along the sides.

(This one is looking straight down from a cliff.)

A little deeper into the park was Lewis Lake:

As I got deeper into the park, I was seeing more of the snow tipped mountains. The park ranger at the first gate said there might be new snow that day, but it didn't come while I was up there. Reached the top around 2:30pm.

I'd always heard about the Continental Divide, but this was the first time I had ever experienced it. Then, the roads started going down (relatively, of course) until I came to the Old Faithful geiser. There was actually a 13 minute video in the ranger/information building. They did a really good job of showing how this all happens, with the heat and the mud thousands of feet below the surface, heating the water and going from a large space into such a small space so that it relieves itself by shooting up through the holes. The display area was excellent, as was the video. I still don't understand the part about how they can predict the spews, but they were right on time - 3:35pm.

It was pretty awesome. I bought a few trinkets for my girls and a cool shot glass for my collection and headed back to Jackson. I passed another set of falls that had a cool wooden walkway that stuck out from the rocks, just so people could get a straight on photo:

I wrote the name of these falls on a scrap of paper which, of course, I can not find now. They were either Shoshone Falls or Heart Falls, but I wouldn't bet money on it now. The sight on the 'balcony' over the river was a really nice idea. On the drive back, still in Yellow Stone, a few cars full of people and I came across some guys trying to cross the road. Have you ever noticed how some people can't seem to just cross the dang road, but have to do it on such an angle as to take as long as possible, if for no other reason than to irritate you? Well, these guys did that, but they were forgiven immediately because they were very entertaining:

On the way out, I had to stop at a spot overlooking Lewis Lake again because the colors of the sunset and the snowy sky coming our way were just gorgeous, almost poetic.

It was a long day going all the way in and then back out again, but it was totally worth it. Once again, HE completely impressed me and made me smile.  What more can you ask for, huh?

Until next time...