Custer National Cemetery at Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, Montana
I’ll be the first to admit that we didn’t come anywhere close to doing Montana justice. We basically cut enough of the corner between Wyoming and North Dakota to count it as a “visit” (even still, it was 300 miles!) but purposely decided ahead of time that it was a state we would revisit later to explore in more detail.
Custer National Cemetery at Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, MontanaLittle Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, Montana
Our visit was essentially limited to a stop at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. It was a cold, wet day with the precipitation fluctuating between rain and snow, and my photos reflect that. While I’m sure that sunny weather like we saw for most of our trip would have made it more beautiful, the gloomy weather made for appropriate conditions at a place that has such a dark role in American history.
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, MontanaLittle Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, MontanaLittle Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, MontanaLittle Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, MontanaRural countryside along SR 47 near Custer, MontanaRural countryside along SR 47 near Custer, MontanaRural countryside along SR 47 near Custer, Montana
As I sat at my computer working on photos from Wyoming, my mind was reflecting on how I feel about the state and our limited time there. We did drive the entire length from south to north, but saw only a fraction of what Wyoming is all about.
Seven Mile Wind Farm near Medicine Bow, WyomingWind farm along US-487 south of Casper, WyomingUS-487 south of Casper, Wyoming
I suppose Wyoming, like any other state, elicits the gamut of opinions, from something like “miles and miles of nuthin’ but miles and miles of nuthin’” to “one of the most beautiful, pristine places in the world.” I found it to be closer to the latter end of that spectrum.
US-487 south of Casper, WyomingUS-487 south of Casper, WyomingUS-487 south of Casper, Wyoming
The voice I heard playing in my head said something like this: Wyoming exudes a quiet confidence, as if to say “Welcome. We’re glad you came. If you decide to stay, we’d love to have you. If not, we understand.”
Medicine Bow Museum and Train Station, Medicine Bow, WyomingMedicine Bow Museum and Train Station, Medicine Bow, Wyoming
Looking at my photos I was impressed by the lack of litter. Evidently the people who live there respect the land and keep it clean. The land is truly one of-wide open spaces. Even the parking spaces are bigger in Wyoming, probably because there are lots of trucks. The people we met were friendly, the food was good, and the scenery was beautiful. Would I live there? Probably not, especially in winter. But it was a nice place to visit, and I can’t wait for an excuse to go back.
Lou Taubert’s Ranch Outfitters in Downtown Casper, WyomingLou Taubert’s Ranch Outfitters in Downtown Casper, WyomingWind farm along US-487 south of Casper, Wyoming
One of the things that really struck me about the midwest was how far you could see without seeing anything but grass, snow fences and (sometimes) wind farms. This is just one of the many roads we traveled and happens to be in Wyoming. I could have taken many photos like this but it would be hard to tell them apart. 😉
One our stops in Kansas was at the Oz Museum in Wamego. Kansas=Oz, right? It was a very well-done museum, with lots of movie and book memorabilia as well as displays documenting various scenes and characters in the movie. While I knew that the movie was based on a book by L. Frank Baum, I didn’t realize that the tale was actually comprised of a series of 14 books. Now I’m going to need to read them all!
As I’ve been doing, there are a few highlight photos here in this post, and anyone interested can see more at this link: Wizard of Oz Museum in Wamego, Kansas.
Wizard of Oz Museum in Wamego, KansasWizard of Oz Museum in Wamego, KansasWizard of Oz Museum in Wamego, KansasWizard of Oz Museum in Wamego, KansasWizard of Oz Museum in Wamego, Kansas
Kathy & I visited the Dream Car Museum in Evansville, Indiana on our recent jaunt through the Midwest. Here are a few photos from that visit. For anyone who wants to see even more car photos, I’ve added a gallery in Adobe Portfolio with an expanded selection.
Dream Car Museum in Evansville, IndianaDream Car Museum in Evansville, IndianaDream Car Museum in Evansville, IndianaDream Car Museum in Evansville, IndianaDream Car Museum in Evansville, IndianaDream Car Museum in Evansville, IndianaDream Car Museum in Evansville, IndianaDream Car Museum in Evansville, IndianaDream Car Museum in Evansville, IndianaDream Car Museum in Evansville, IndianaDream Car Museum in Evansville, Indiana
This morning, Kathy & I spent time walking around the grounds of the historic Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, Wisconsin. It’s a beautiful old building but unfortunately is closed to the public. We chatted with the caretaker there who told us that a group is negotiating with the University of Chicago to take over management of the facility as an educational center. The telescopes are being used as part of the Skynet Robotic Telescope Network.
Yerkes Observatory, Williams Bay, Wisconsin
The observatory evidently became less relevant to the university due to declining interest in astronomy as a college subject and increasing competition from other observatories. The university has been attempting to sell the property for many years with no success, and it is hoped that a non-profit organization will be able to take over management of the facility in the near future. It’s an interesting story if one wants to learn more.
Yerkes Observatory, Williams Bay, WisconsinYerkes Observatory, Williams Bay, WisconsinYerkes Observatory, Williams Bay, WisconsinYerkes Observatory, Williams Bay, WisconsinYerkes Observatory, Williams Bay, WisconsinYerkes Observatory, Williams Bay, WisconsinYerkes Observatory, Williams Bay, WisconsinYerkes Observatory, Williams Bay, Wisconsin
One of my favorite questions from friends and neighbors is “so, where are you off to next?” One of our neighbors is certain that we’re trying to spend all of our retirement dollars on vacations, but since we like having a place to come home to, we only spend part of it! 😉 I guess we’ve developed a well-earned reputation, and one that we’re just a bit proud of. 🙂
In a few days Kathy & I will be setting out to bag a few more states on our path toward 50. We’re looking forward to cooler temperatures and meeting up with some friends along the way. I plan to send “Postcards” from the road as we go, although they likely won’t be daily. Stay tuned!
The third “new” state on our recent DelMarVa excursion was New Jersey. We debated how to do New Jersey, realizing that the state is very diverse in terms of urban vs. rural, city vs. shore, crowded vs. not so crowded. At first we were thinking in terms of Atlantic City or Wildwood, but then we discovered (or remembered) Cape May.
Cape May, New JerseyCape May, New JerseyCape May, New JerseyCape May, New Jersey
While just barely in New Jersey, and the very southern tip of the peninsula, Cape May represented “enough” of New Jersey for us to say that we had visited. Nothing wrong with visiting the rest of the state, but we like to do things our way, and finding a town where we could park the car and leave it for a few days suits us. And Cape May fit that bill just fine.
Cape May, New JerseyCape May, New JerseyCape May, New Jersey
Cape May is recognized as the country’s oldest seaside resort, and the beach has been recognized by many “Top 10” lists, including the Travel Channel. Beach Avenue is lined with amazing homes – hilariously called “cottages” although they are often huge! – and hotels. Very little to no chain restaurants or hotels. They don’t even have a McDonald’s, a Starbucks or a Walmart! Our kind of place.
Cape May, New JerseyCape May, New JerseyCape May, New JerseyCape May, New JerseyCape May, New Jersey
Other than the fact that our hotel was full of families enjoying one last hurrah before school started, complete with loud, misbehaving children, we enjoyed our visit very much. The great part is that we spent most of our day walking around town while they were at the beach or the pool, and by the time we got back and showered for cocktails and dinner, all of the noisy families were headed off to dinner. Ahhhh!
Cape May, New JerseyCape May, New JerseyCape May, New JerseyCape May, New Jersey
Three days in New Jersey were plenty, we’re glad we went and glad to say we were there. And here are a few photos to prove it!
