Wyoming - No Bull in This Blog

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If I were ever going to ride a bull, I would do it in Wyoming, but I never did. I'm sure if I wanted to, I wouldn't be old enough anyway. In Wyoming we did multiple fun things like a gunslinger show, Ayer's Natural Bridge, and Devil's Tower. I wasn't expecting much from Wyoming because it's one of those states that you're like, "I don't want to go to Wyoming for vacation."

I was expecting too much from Yellowstone National Park. I mean, it's Yellowstone one of the most known national parks ever! There wasn't much that was cool there. I was NOT impressed. The only cool thing at Yellowstone was I got to see a buffalo UP CLOSE. It was extremely scary but really cool. I'll tell you a story about that later on in my blog.

We went to an awesome restaurant called Sagebrush. They had amazing sandwiches. They also had pasta salad. When I saw the pasta salad, I quickly ordered it because I love pasta salad.

We had some fun at a gunslinger show. It wasn't the best show, but it's fun to see new things. My funniest memory from Wyoming was funny because we missed a rodeo due to the rain.

In every state, I want to see an animal that I don't usually get to see. The animal for Wyoming was buffalo at Yellowstone National Park. The buffalo was literally two feet away from our car, and then the buffalo walked directly in front of our car. I was scared to death! He just stood there. It was so scary! Finally, he walked across the road and left.

At Devil's Tower, we climbed on a bunch of rocks. We had a bunch of fun! I would recommend going there. I saw some people rock climbing Devil's Tower, and I was jealous. I would also recommend going to Ayer's Natural Bridge. I thought it was fun because we were able to play in the little creek under the bridge. I didn't even know it that it started raining because the bridge was like an umbrella.

Some fun things in Wyoming were seeing a buffalo up close, Devil's Tower, and Ayer's Natural Bridge. Overall I'd have to say Wyoming was one of the worst states because it's hard to compete with doing fifteen fun things in one state, such as Utah. (That was exaggerated.) Now that I’m thinking about it, bull-riding sounds kind of fun.

-Daughter

Utah - Our New Home???

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Boring! Quite honestly, I thought Utah was going to be a boring state. What little I knew of Utah didn’t seem very exciting. Sure, they hosted a Winter Olympics in the past, but we wouldn’t be there in the winter. Of course, there’s the Great Salt Lake and the Mormon temple, but that was about it for Utah references, so I was amazed and astounded by its beauty with the mountains and the landscape in general. As an added plus, Salt Lake City was relatively easy to navigate. In fact, I just read recently that it’s one of the least stressful cities in the US, and we did enjoy a stress-free week while in Utah.

Here are some highlights from our week in Utah:

Best Meal: Kneader’s Bakery & Café. Mike had seen it from the road, researched it, and fell in love with it before we even tasted a morsel. Once we got there, I saw why. Walking in, the hours on the door said they were closed Sunday and underneath read, “Man does not live on bread alone.” Nice explanation. Inside, it was tastefully decorated in an Americana theme, but it was walking past the delectable dessert case to reach the counter that was the killer! We ordered dinner and ate and then, not surprisingly, went back for dessert, but that’s another highlight… 

Worst Meal: The one at the amusement park. I don’t blame Lagoon Amusement Park in particular. They’re all outrageously overpriced fast food. I opted for ice cream for lunch. My excuse being dairy was gentler on the stomach with all those gastrointestinal churning roller coasters the kids were dragging us on.

Biggest Surprise: We were surprised and honored to be presented an award in downtown Salt Lake City from the Yes, Utah Coalition for Donor Registry.

Yes, Utah’s vehicle itself was quite surprising. It’s an older taxi with Donate Life and Yes, Utah signs embellished on it. They use it in parades and various other events. It is really an attention getter. What a great idea that the Yes, Utah folks are utilizing! We were very impressed with Alex McDonald and everyone at Intermountain Donate Life Services. Thank you for the award and your tire-less (pun intended) work for organ donation.

Worst Surprise: July 4th. On the year that we’re travelling around the entire United States, I feel the least patriotic ever! Is it simply because we haven’t hung our flag, eaten watermelon, and seen fireworks? If that’s the case, that’s really sad…a cookout and fireworks are what I associate with patriotism?!? I respect our Founding Fathers, and I fully support those serving our country, but I fear I take it all for granted.

I know freedom isn’t free, but I don’t comprehend the price, the sacrifice, the commitment because I have it too good. I don’t have a loved one serving in the military. Every day I enjoy my freedom with my family close by my side. It’s actually very similar to the reason we’re on this trip. Our desire is to increase the number of organ donors because most people don’t think about it on a daily basis. Most people take it for granted. It’s when you know someone on the waiting list, waiting for their chance at life, or when you know someone who has gotten the Gift of Life thru an organ transplant that you understand the importance and the need for everyone to sign up as organ donors. So, thank you to our military, and sign up as an organ donor. Oh, and have your cookout, too.

Biggest Twinge of Homesickness: Dessert at Kneader’s Bakery & Cafe. Chloe had gotten a star sugar cookie decorated for the 4th of July with her kid’s meal. It reminded us of the cut-out cookies we bake and decorate with my mom. Of course, Mike, Levi, and I couldn’t just watch Chloe eat her patriotic cookie, so we split a mint ganache brownie, which was essentially the mint brownie bar that we bake at Christmas time. Suddenly I missed baking – and eating – mmmh!

Biggest Revelation: I’m old. Chloe wanted to go to Lagoon Amusement Park for her 10th birthday. Amazingly enough, I saw it featured on Bert the Conqueror’s Travel channel show that very morning! Let’s be clear, we didn’t partake in the extreme ride that Bert did, but Chloe did step it up a notch or two on the level of roller coasters that she’ll go on. In fact, she surpassed Mike and me. Some of the coasters and rides were beyond my abilities. I found myself not feeling so well afterwards. (Imagine if I had eaten a greasy lunch, instead of ice cream!) I was my mom when she would take us to Great America and walk around with us and sit in the shade while we rode the rides. The light bulb went on as to why I was able to take friends to amusement parks!

Regardless of our inabilities and shortcomings, Chloe said she had the best day of her life. Any ride we weren’t able to muster up our courage (or stomachs) for, Levi stepped up to the plate for us. That’s why we have two kids after all!

Worst Closure: We had a difficult time finding a place to eat on the 4th of July since most dining establishments were closed. Of course, we were in Salt Lake City, so it was hard to tell if they were closed for the holiday or simply because it was Sunday. When it comes right down to it, I support them either way and can deal with the inconvenience.

Most Beautiful Spot: Arches National Park. It was a long drive to Arches and back in one day - about 8 hours, but being back enabled us to go to an amusement park on Chloe’s birthday. As we were driving thru a thunderstorm in a barren land, we wondered if Arches was worth the drive. Once we were there and saw the stunning sandstone sculptures, we knew we did the right thing!

Worst Tourist Spot: Antelope Island. Antelope Island is in the Great Salt Lake and is actually a state park with a beach. One of the things we wanted to do in Utah was be myth busters and test if we’d float in the salty lake. In doing research, I had read there might be a smell and bugs at the beach, but I was unprepared for the stench and the amount of bugs! The brine shrimp flies literally covered the beach area near the water’s edge, so much so, that we couldn’t even get in the water. Instead, we turned around, hiked back over the long, crusty beach, and drove around the island unsuccessfully looking for another beach or even the island’s namesake: antelope. Nothing. The island stinks - literally and figuratively. We did get some incredible pictures here, so be sure to check them out.

Worst Memory: The grocery store dinner. Occasionally, for dinner we’ll go to a grocery store and each get to pick a couple of items while adhering to a budget. This type of dinner always causes a problem for us though. I’d like it to be cheap and fairly nutritious, but my spouse enjoys the treat of a junk food dinner now and then. We end up getting frustrated, and no one is happy. Will we ever solve this dilemma? Stay tuned to future blogs to find out.

Best Memory: Watching “Tooth Fairy” in the hotel’s movie theatre. It was so cool that on Chloe’s birthday we were at a hotel that actually had a movie theatre room, and we were able to reserve it for just our family to watch a movie. We enjoyed sitting in the recliners and munching on snacks, and it was wonderful not having to worry about whether or not the volume was disturbing our neighbor…not that that would ever be a problem for us! (See WA blog)

My UT Hike: Arches National Park. We did a short hike up to Double Arch, and in the 100 degree heat, that was enough for me! The kids and I climbed on the sandstone rocks. They were thrilled that the rocks weren’t off-limits like in Garden of the Gods. I couldn’t help but be amazed by God’s creation here. It saddens me that the National Park Service says these were made over millions of years of erosion and geological changes. What about a Creator God and a global flood?

What We Did Miss: Zion National Park, Bryce National Park, Glen Canyon Dam National Park, Canyonlands National Park, and Capitol Reef National Park. That’s a lot of national parks! All recommended on our community.

In Summary: Utah, you are definitely not boring! Will we return to live some day? I do enjoy reduced stress levels…

-The Mom

Utah - Where the Deer and the Antelope Don't Play

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As we read our kid's blogs, it's interesting to see that they don't remember (or care about) half the state.  We wonder what they will remember later in life about the trip.  Hopefully, at least their math!   You laugh, but when we talked to a business owner, he told us many of the High School students he hired couldn't tell him how many quarters in half a dollar.  Seriously.  


I have a soapbox to get on here, but it's Levi's blog so I won't climb too high on it......but parents, teach your kids!  Don't depend on the school for education - don't depend on daycare for manners - don't depend on a church for religion and ethics!  It's YOUR job to make sure they are equipped for life...oh, and it doesn't matter that you don't have time - good grief, it's your kids - shut the TV off.  We just met a single mom at a hotel that's getting it done - working two jobs, getting her own education, and making time with her kid.  She's exhausted, has a great attitude, and may get some sleep in three years...


They are our future.   


- Dad jumps from the soapbox he climbed a little too high on so Levi can get on with his blog


Hi everybody, Dr. Dorito here, and it’s time to do my Utah blog.

What were the major events in the state?
When we were in Utah, we played at Boondocks and at Antelope Island State Park, which is probably the worst state park we've been to on the trip. We also played at Lagoon Amusement Park on Chloe's birthday. It was definitely the most thrilling park we've ever been to.

What did you enjoy the most about this state?
I enjoyed playing at Boondocks the most. Boondocks is like Wahooza. (see ID blog) It's a laser tag, mini golf, bumper boat, go kart, and an arcade all in one. Mostly what we did was play an enormous laser tag. We played bumper boats there too. We got soaked to the bone. We also raced go karts. Surprising as it is, while we raced go karts, I got first by about 200 paces (listen to our podcast to get that joke).

What was your favorite food or restaurant?
My favorite restaurant was Kneaders. Kneaders is like Panera. It has desserts; it has soup; it has salad; it has sandwiches; it has it all. Usually, I got the turkey sandwich. I indulged in their mint brownies. They reminded me of the delicious Christmas cookies which my mom makes. Those were my favorite dessert.

What was your favorite memory?
My favorite memory was definitely doing the roller coasters at Lagoon. Chloe is finally getting into the fast roller coasters. We spun around on the Samari. It was the most extreme ride I have ever been on. It twists you in six directions at once. I loved it. We also rode on the Fire Dragon which has two loopdeloops. The wooden roller coaster was really scary. There was one other ride that I can’t name. It was curvy, not many steep drops but super curvy. We ate lunch there as well. That's where I had an 8 dollar chicken basket.

Write about the zoo/mini golf:
Boondocks had one of the best mini golf courses. It was the same set up as Wahooza except better maintained and different challenging holes. I enjoyed it more also because I won. You had to use lots of skill on these holes. On one you had to hit your ball through a PVC pipe into the hole. Another you had to lightly hit your ball up a hill into one of three PVC tunnels which led to another section. My favorite though was where you had to hit your ball in the middle of a giant Tiki. If you made it, the Tiki would shoot a humongous burst of fire which you could feel the heat from 5 feet away. If you missed, the Tiki would squirt water at you. Over all I give it five out of five stars.

Tell one story from the state:
One story from Utah takes place while at Antelope Island. Antelope Island is a state park, so they charge you a whopping 3 bucks to get to the island. When you get to the island, the first thing you notice is the stink. It is horrifying. Next when you swim in the Great Salt Lake, the first thing you hit in the water are a bunch of bugs, which could be biting gnats. Plus there's not a single antelope in sight. It was very disappointing.

 - DD signing off.

Utah - Chloe's Best Day Ever

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Our daughter kicks things off for Utah.  Utah is high in the rankings for a potential place to live with its mountains and activities for the kids.  In addition, the Donate Life groups in Utah were awesome!  Oh, and take some time to look at our pics - a beautiful state!  But enough comments from Dad, take it away Chloe...

Hi, Utah is one of my favorite states because I had my birthday there. On my birthday morning, I woke up and got dressed, got my shoes on, and suddenly my dad picked me up like a potato sack and carried me down to breakfast. I was relieved that there was nobody in the elevator with us.

We went to a restaurant in Utah was called Kneaders. I ordered a grilled cheese with chocolate milk and a delicious cookie. The cookie was LOADED with frosting. They also had the best ice EVER. It was little cylinder shaped ice that melts in your mouth instantly.


We went to an amusement park called Lagoon on my birthday. That day was the best in my whole entire LIFE so far. My favorite ride is called Fire Dragon. First you go up a big hill. Then you curve down into two loops, then skim the ground three times, and drop. Then you're finished. We went on a different ride called Cliffhanger which does double flips, and we were super soaked. While Levi and I were getting super soaked, my mom and dad were sitting on a bench watching.

Sadly, my animal for Utah was nothing. We were going to do my animal on Antelope Island, but we didn't see any bison or antelope. After that we just didn't have time to do anything. That's all I have to say about Utah. Bye.

-the daughter

Idaho - Snake Bitten

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Where’s the potatoes? That’s what we kept asking because we didn’t see the plain, brown fields all over the Idaho landscape that we expected. You see, when my father-in-law grows potatoes in his garden every summer, they grow quietly under the ground out of sight. He somehow knows when they’re ready and digs them up. That’s when we ever so conveniently stop by for a visit and eat his awesome potato dish cooked over the wood fire. I guess I really wonder, “Where’s the yummy potato dishes?”

Here are some highlights from Idaho:

Best Meal: Maxie’s Pizza and Pasta in Twin Falls. I honestly wasn’t expecting much based on the look of the outside and the indoor decor, but it was the best traditional pizza we’ve had in a long time! At lunch, you order at the counter, and they bring it to your table. We got the lunch special where the 2nd medium pizza was $5. The thin crust was done to perfection, and the blend of cheeses and spices were quite flavorful.

Worst Meal: Snake Bit! We tried Snake Bite restaurant in downtown Idaho Falls solely based upon the reviews and #1 rating on TripAdvisor. Even for lunch, we were way over budget and sorely disappointed though. Don’t get me wrong, the Teton burger was good, but I expected so much more from the reviews. In addition, the chicken pesto pasta was okay but wasn’t worth the money we spent for lunch. We had to laugh when we saw 56 cents charged twice on our bill because the kids asked for BBQ sauce with their fries.  Really?  I bought a $14 sandwich and you can't spring for a spoonful of condiment?  That's funny!  The one thing we did gain was a new phrase, “Snake bit!”

Biggest Surprise: I saw a bear! On the way to Idaho we drove through a slice of Yellowstone where I saw a real, live, brown bear, not in a cage or park. Once it registered in my brain that I had seen a bear in the tree line, I shouted, “I saw a bear – up there!” We were beyond it by this time, of course, but everyone went on high alert bear watch for awhile. Sadly, we didn’t have any more bear sightings. I wonder if we’ll see bears in a few weeks when we visit Yellowstone.

Biggest Twinge of Homesickness: Mike got an email from our friends in Montana who we stayed with. It was to inform us of an item we had left behind at their house. My husband is so creative. Where I would have just told the kids outright what the item was, he played 20 Questions with them. It wasn’t a living thing; it wasn’t edible; it was Levi’s item; it wasn’t smaller than a bread box. Drum roll, please…Levi’s baseball bat! Sometimes it would be nice to have a home to receive mail but just the fun mail, not the junk mail, bills, political ads, credit card offers, and solicitations. On second thought, there’s so little fun mail, maybe it’s not worth it!

Worst Closure: Unbelievably, nothing was closed! Welcome to summertime. Every tourist destination is packed because all of America is taking their vacation while school is out, but the bright side is that everything is open and in full swing.

Most Beautiful Spot: Shosone Falls. Nice. Check out the pictures.

Best Tourist Spot: Bear Adventure. Where else can you experience bears like that? Well, you might catch one in Yellowstone if you’re scanning the tree line but hopefully not up close and personal!

Worst Memory: Sweat dripping down my leg it was so hot! Mike gave a talk outside the DMV in Boise one afternoon. The thermometer edged over 100 degrees. Even standing in the shade was sweltering. Fortunately, the heat didn’t affect Mike’s speech, and he did a great job talking about the importance of organ donation and the DMV’s involvement.

Best Memory: Having fun playing mini golf. Whahooz Family Fun Zone is where we played our mini golf game for ID. It was a neat course. When you get the ball in the appropriate place on the 18th hole, the Tiki belches smoke and fire! It was quite a surprise to us, and we all jumped and laughed. Congrats go out to Levi on his victory in ID.

My ID Hike: Nothing! I can’t believe it, not even a big city. I guess we sat on our behinds all week but caught up on a lot.

Biggest Revelation: Potatoes don’t grow in brown, dirt fields. We learned about them at the Potato Museum. They do have vines that grow above the ground. After learning about it in the museum, I was able to spot several potato fields….with greenery.

The Potato Museum was good for a few laughs, as well as the education. They had a glass case filled Potato Heads where Levi and Chloe played “I Spy,” and I enjoyed seeing the potato that Dan Quayle signed. Mike just salivated over the largest potato crisp ever made.

What We Did Miss: Shosone Ice Caves, Lake Coeur D'Alene, Hagerman fossil beds, Snake River Canyon, Enders Hotel & Museum, and much more recommended to us by our community.

In Summary: Idaho, you’re definitely more than potatoes! We’re sorry we doubted you and your fields.

Idaho - Shock and Awe

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Well, school has started, so Levi's blogs will soon be changing as they are part of his writing assignments. You'll get to see paragraph format with minimum word counts and grammar elements.  Enjoy this Q&A format while it lasts...  -Dad
What were the major events in the state?
In Idaho, we did numerous things. We went to the Idaho Potato Museum. We also went to a lot of different restaurants.

What did you enjoy the most about this state?
My favorite thing that I did in Idaho was Wahooza. Wahooza is a Chuck E Cheese/ water park/ mini golf/ laser tag/ bumper boat, and go kart place. Mom took us there for the day, and it was AMAZING. We played a couple rounds of mini golf, some laser tag, and arcade games.

What was your favorite food or restaurant?
My favorite restaurant was Arctic Circle. I got a hamburger and fries with a special fry sauce. It was awesome. I would definitely go back there again.

What was your favorite memory?
I remember the Yellowstone Bear World the best. My sister got to feed bear cubs. They were about three months old. We went to the petting zoo too. They also had a little amusement park with rides for toddlers.

Write about the zoo/mini golf:
Wahooza was a fun center/water park. It had a really fun course with all sorts of holes. One of my favorite holes was the last one. You had to get the ball in the middle or it would squirt water at you. Over all I give it four out of five stars.

Tell one story from the state:
My favorite story from Idaho was playing laser tag at Wahooza. You got names of super heroes or villains. Then you would shoot people with your laser gun. It was really hard but still fun. I got top scorer several times.

- levi

You always wonder what your kids remember when you take a trip, or do something special...will it be the mountains, or family time together, or will it just be laser tag.  Granted this was Idaho, but there was more to the state.  Of course maybe it's good the kids don't remember things like the brakes needing replaced in the mountains.  Our biggest surprise in Idaho was how downplayed the potato was.  We expected people living in potato houses wearing clothes made out of potatoes.  We actually barely saw anything special about the potato in Idaho...except the Potato Museum containing the largest Pringle chip...shock and awe.  -dad

Idaho - A Father's Failure, A Daughter Eaten by a Bear

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Dad can't keep up.  Too busy with websites, registering donors, watching Phineas and Ferb, oh, and work.  He's giving up on each state's blog and hopes to sneak in with snide comments here and there.  You can still hear his silky, smooth voice on the Best Places In The USA podcast on iTunes or here if not an iTunes fan.

Which brings us to a slightly smaller in stature, but big at heart writer, Chloe...

Today I'm blogging about Idaho. If you think Idaho is one of those states that doesn't have anything to do, you're correct, but the things that you do find to do are so fun they'll knock your socks off!

My favorite memory in Idaho was walking over to every restaurant because we stayed at a hotel that was less then half a mile to almost every restaurant. The best restaurant in Idaho was called Pita Pit. Pita Pit is fast food that has of all things pita's. I happily ordered a club which has bacon, ham, and turkey. If you’re in the mood for a good pita, go to Pita Pita.

The best thing in Idaho was actually my animal. I was able to bottle feed a cub! (A cub is a baby bear.) We also drove through a closed in area with a bunch of wild bears! The best part was a petting zoo. At the petting zoo I was able to feed baby ducks and deer!

My story for Idaho was feeding the cub. The first cub I fed was very feisty, but the second cub I fed was the cutest thing I had ever seen! His name was Joey.

- The Daughter

So did you feel like you just fell off a cliff?  Is that the most abrupt ending you've ever heard?  Did Joey, the bear, eat Chloe so she couldn't finish the blog?  No no, Chloe's fine.  Schooling in a van is a process.

- Dad

Montana - Big Sky, Bigger Mountains, Biggest Buffalo Burger

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We’ve heard about Montana’s “Big Sky” but always thought it was just a phrase, so we were amazed that the sky really does look big! I’m not sure of the scientific reason for it, but my best guess is it’s an optical illusion. If that’s not it, it must be some hypnotic effect from all the clean, smog-free air…

The following are some highlights from Montana:

Best Meal:

A buffalo cheeseburger with all the trimmings…mmh
Worst Meal:

We were so desperate for lunch on a lonely strip of road that Mike picked the only non-gas station restaurant in sight – a KFC/A&W combo. We were well into summer, and I was craving corn on the cob. The picture on the menu board looked so good that I succumbed to ordering it, only to find that, as usual with restaurant corn on the cob, it was overdone and mushy. Sad thing is that I ate it because I was craving it so badly!
Biggest Surprise:

Deer in the street in Helena. We’re not talking a rural area. It was actually in Helena within walking distance to The Walking Mall downtown. Apparently, it’s a common occurrence, too.
Biggest Twinge of Homesickness:

We had a great time staying with some old friends for a few days, just hanging out. We are very thankful for their wonderful hospitality and were surprised to find that we simply miss being with people we know.
Worst Closure:

Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park. They were still plowing snow as deep as the roofs of the bathrooms - in mid to late June!
Most Beautiful Spot:

Glacier National Park. Mountains, snow, Big Sky, creeks, lakes…all the elements are there in a spectacular scene. Check out the pictures.
Best Tour:

Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park. We took the 2 hour guided tour with the first half hour being a walk up to the cavern entrance. Once inside, the ranger/tour guide made bad jokes throughout the tour, keeping it entertaining as well as informative. The only part I disagreed with was when she explained the formation of the caves by saying, “when the mountains decided to form.” I never realized mountains could just “decide” to form! Personally, I believe that a Creator God made the Earth and everything in it in 6 days. Obviously, some mountains formed from volcanoes and some from the global flood, but none decided to form.
In one portion of the tour, you had to either slide down on your bottom or do a duck walk because the ceiling of the cave was so low. In several other places, you had to stoop to avoid the stalactites. Then the ranger turned off the lights so you could get a sense of the absolute darkness in the cave. Interestingly, Lewis and Clark were never at the caves. It was named after them because when the caves were donated to the state of Montana, nothing was named after Lewis & Clark – that’s just a little different than today!
Worst Memory:

Getting busted at 1 am for having a movie on too loudly in the hotel room. I’m so embarrassed! It was a special occasion, so we stayed up late watching a movie on the in-room DVD player. The movie switched from loud, sporting scenes to softer talking scenes, so we kept turning it up and down, but apparently we didn’t do a very good job of volume control! Now, we only watch movies late at night when we’re next to an elevator or outside wall.
Best Memory:

On a beautiful sunshiny day at Glacier National Park, we got off the trail to explore a creek. It was a fun adventure, and I just love the sound of a babbling brook. It doesn’t get any better than hearing the babbling brook with the mountains in the distance and those you love nearby!
My MT Hike:

Mt Helena. We hiked to the summit with our friends where we enjoyed both the view and a snack of cocoa dusted almonds…mmmh. Then the kids raced the moms down. You can guess who won.
Biggest Revelation: 

Some states do road construction better than others. I’m not saying Illinois does everything right. We all know about the string of governors in jail, but at least in Illinois, they try to accommodate drivers by only closing down half the road while they work on the other half. This keeps one lane of traffic going, whereas in Montana they just ripped the whole road out down to the core for miles! We waited forever to follow a construction vehicle down a gravel mess because there wasn’t even a semblance of a road remaining.
What We Did Miss: 

Little Bighorn Battlefield, Medicine Rocks State Park, Missoula, and many others.  Sorry to our social network friends for not getting to everything.

In Summary: 

Montana, your Big Sky and mountains are incredible! Before we move there, what are your winters like???

- Sheri

Montana - Bear With Us

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First, Chloe gives here opinion on Montana:
Montana was awesome! The best restaurant was called Costco which was actually a grocery store with samples and a food court.

My favorite memory in Montana was playing kickball in a friend's front yard. Kickball was so fun because we never get to play kickball anymore. Kickball is really fun. You should try it. The best thing in Montana was hiking Mount Helena. It was such a beautiful view at the top of Mount Helena.

My animal in Montana was in black bear park where you drive through and watch bears everywhere. They’re not caged in! At the park we were sitting in the car watching a bear, and he started walking in front of our car. We got scared to death. We didn't know what to do. Then finally the big fat bear got to the other side of the road, and we sighed with relief. That's all I have to say about Montana. Bye!

- the daughter

Now Levi chimes in:
Hi everybody, DD here, and it's time for my Montana blog.

**What were the major events in the state?
When we went to Montana, we did a few things. We hiked Mount Saint Helen. I got so tired my feet were billion pound weights. We also went in Lewis and Clark Caverns. It was awesome. Glacier National Park was great too.

**What did you enjoy the most about this state?
I definitely loved the Lewis and Clark Caverns. We went about 200 feet under ground. It was chilly. They had so many stalactites and stalagmites. I also got to see bats.

**What was your favorite food or restaurant?
My favorite restaurant was Costco. Costco is a grocery store with a cafeteria also. I liked sampling all their snacks. Their hot dogs and pizza were great too.

**What was your favorite memory?
I remember playing at Glacier National Park with Chloe. We skipped rocks by a river and tried to make them shatter on other rocks. We had a contest throwing rocks onto a little island.

**Please write about the zoo/mini golf:
Valley View Garden Golf was one of my favorite golf courses. Their mini golf course was beautiful because the owners were working hard planting and watering all their flowers. Their holes were fun too. My favorite one had a windmill. Over all I give it four out of five stars.

**Please tell one story from the state:
My favorite embarrassing moment was when we played kickball with a friend. My friend has a baby apple tree in his front yard. The funny part was we kept kicking it with the ball accidentally. Luckily, it survived but was bent.

This is DD signing off.
- the son

Oregon - But It's a Dry Rain

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Our kids will always remember Oregon for the ziplining and sandboarding.  I will always remember Oregon for the coast, the mountains, and the people.

It works out fantastic, you see, because Sheri wants to hear crashing waves near our next home, and I want to see the mountains.  Oregon has it all.  I know.  I know.  It rains all the time - but it didn't the week we were there.  It was beautiful.

Even though I'm the mountain guy, I can't recommend Canon Beach and the other coastal cities more.  Great beaches, great waves, and great food.  Take a look at our pics using the link at the beginning to see Haystack Rock.  Stunning against the ocean and sky.

However, what I loved the most were the people....especially the Donate Life folks.  They not only took advantage of us being there, they called some other states to set things up there.  Talk about feeling welcome!  We attended a Donate Life board meeting with the kids and toured a Red Cross facility.  Great experience, especially for the kids.

We stayed near Portland which left us close enough to most places on the west side of the state.  Sand Boarding in Florence was great...until you get in the van and start discovering how many places on your body sand can get into when it's windy.  The water blown on us from gorgeous Multnomah Falls was a bit chilly, but at least it evaporated, unlike the sand.  One word - chafing.

Three things we didn't expect - how beautiful the southern part of the state was, how long the snow stayed around Crater Lake, and the "you can't pump your own gas" thing.  Until we were there,  we assumed the beauty of California's Northern Coast just ended at the border.  It sounds silly, but it's just one of those odd assumptions.  Oregon's got the look too...but don't get out of your car at a gas station to look at it!  Can you even wash your own windows?  We sat in the car, shivering like frightened bunnies, when they filled our tank...no idea what we could do or not do.  Weird.

My only thought is that some lazy politician who didn't want to get his nice new suit wet in the Oregon rain decided to pass a law so he didn't have to get out.  It's how the USA rolls...

Best Hotel: The Holiday Inn in Tigard, OR.  We got upgraded to a room with a separate bedroom with a King bed and the kids each got their own Queen size.  Everyone was happy!

Worst Hotel: The Holiday Inn in Tigard, OR.  Well, we only stayed in one hotel which was wonderful.  We were always driving to places, but it was nice to have a "home" to come back to.  The only problem is at first they didn't have a room with more than one bed even though we reserved a room for 4.  Part of the problem is we reserved through Hotwire.com.  Some folks at the local level aren't fond of the people using Hotwire and tend to be less accommodating to them.  Unfortunately for this particular hotel, we are also platinum members of the Holiday Inn club (since we've stayed so often) so they changed their tune and found us a room...somehow it was there all of the sudden.  We still love and use Hotwire whenever we can.  You can't pass up 40-50% savings.

Best Restaurant: Yeah it was just candy, but I loved it enough to make myself sick.  Bruces Candy Kitchen  in Cannon Beach - the homemade taffy was worth every stomach cramp.  In fact I find myself wanting more now even through we're on the other side of the country.

Best Memory: There were several - we really enjoyed Oregon.  On top would probably be sandboarding with the kids, watching them try and slide down sand dunes on a waxed board.  If you have children, you know the joy you get when you see their smiles, especially when the smile is because you just wiped out and face planted in the sand...

Worst Memory: See the last 5 words from the Best Memory.  Actually, we left Oregon feeling great.  It was a great state and we had a great time.  Perhaps I was a little sad that I missed zip lining and that we had to miss Crater lake, but that's really about it.

Mini-Golf Winner: Sheri continues to dominate!  Levi and I are getting a little scared.  Stats at the time: Me-1, Sheri-4, Levi-1, Chloe-0

Possible state to live in: YES.  Ok, we need to find a place that isn't constantly rainly - which we're told is Bend, OR.  It's on the list!

-Dad