Our great summer adventure Aug 9~28 2014

I have been referring to our summer trip as our adventure because the word simply implies it will be great. So far it has been. We spent the first night in St George, Utah so that we could drive thru Zion Natl Park the next morning. We were a bit apprehensive about traveling with Jetta since being her owner is similar to having a child in their terrible twos. She has done well and seems perfectly happy to simply be included in the great adventure. We find the greatest hurdle is getting her to go to the bathroom in less than 20 min. At hotels and gas stations walking around endlessly is definitely a lesson in patience. Not one of our strong suits but working on it.
The drive thru Zion was simply breathtaking and we wished we had more time there. Perhaps a camping destination in the future... It was difficult to capture the real beauty on a camera but I tried. Note to self...don't come on a Sunday during Aug. It was swarmed with tourists and difficult to avoid on the roads. Just another reminder how truly beautiful the landscapes of America are.

Gracie doesnt want to miss a thing on the roadtrip!

We continued on to Park City for the night which we first visited together 34 yrs ago. They had wooden sidewalks and it was just a little old mining town with a wonderful ski resort thrown in. Now it's big and artsy with a style all its own. I had the impression the quirkier you are the more you blend. We sat at a rooftop restaurant and it was a beautiful mountain evening with the Tour of Utah ride tearing down. The next morning was complete when a hot air balloon landed in the hotel parking lot!

"Are we there yet? Where the heck is Montana?!?"

We chose to drive off the main freeway to enjoy the sights of small towns and less traffic. One thing we noticed over and over were towns barely surviving. Houses and businesses forgotten... closed and boarded up. I can't help wondering what were their stories and what was it like back when.

It felt sad to see and reminded us of J's hometown in MN once a thriving place and now fighting to stay alive. What determines if a town is worthy of survival or simply one people give up on and move away? It's not a new trend by all means. During the depression, the dust bowl, etc  people were forced to pack up and start over leaving the town to die. I love seeing the old log cabins in fields long abandoned and wonder who lived there?  I feel like I was born in the wrong generation because those small towns have my heart and I feel out of place and overwhelmed in big cities.

Our next stop was Idaho Falls, Idaho with a room across from the river~wow was it beautiful. The force of the water was so loud you could barely hear anything else walking along it.

This was one of my favorites because it seems like the girls are finally able to be friends...a bit.

We drove onto Montana and thru the cowboy town of Ennis to arrive in Four Corners about 10 min outside of Bozeman.
Our VRBO house was great nestled in the middle of a farm field with gorgeous views of the mtns. We tried to do as much as possible in the two weeks and we loved Bozeman. People were so friendly everywhere we went and there was always something going on. Here is the rest of our adventure in photos just to give you an idea of our visit.

The view from our house of Bridger Mtns. I could have sat here forever...

Hiking Hylite Canyon

We bought a book on Bozeman hikes and they could not have been prettier~ Wish we had the time for more.

Trying a little fly fishing

I tried but no one was biting! The girls loved wading out into the creek...

 We took a day to tour the Lewis and Clark Caverns which were amazing. Two ranchers discovered these in a mtn and its a whole new world underground. We actually needed sweatshirts as we continued down into the cavern.

Such a good hiker dog! I did have to 'help' get that stick home tho...

 More hiking with the girls...such a fun way to spend the day and the dogs loved the freedom.

Hiking Bridger Bowl

Hiking in the deep stuff!

 We drove down to Cameron one day to take the trail ride to No Man Falls with CB Ranch. Absolutely beautiful scenery and a great ride. I could not believe how sore my butt was after 4 hrs in a saddle! Ouch!

Montana traffic jam

Old 1890 Pine Butte School across the street from our rental.

Mtn sheep along roadside

 On our way north we drove past Hill AF base and we could see lots of old airplanes sitting out. J didnt want to turn around so we made sure our route home included a stop in Logan. This museum was amazing and it was so awesome to see a whole hangar devoted to the Vietnam War. We have not come across a F111 before so this was well worth the stop. We would like to take longer next time to really see everything.

Jerry's ride in Vietnam F111 Hill Air Force Museum

Looks pretty darn fast right?!

...and we are home.

It was truly a great adventure and we met lots of lovely people along the way. Montana is not only beautiful but a wonderful place to soothe your soul in nature. We both cannot wait to return and hopefully for much longer next time. I could have added so many more photos it felt like all I did was say "Oh my, this is so beautiful!" Thanks for taking a look at our getaway and I hope your summers were spectacular as well. Thanks for dropping by.