Our lodgings in Indian Creek Campsite and Lil'Bug's first campfire s'more

45th Parallel, Mammoth Springs

---

45th Parallel Bridge and Boiling River

"A sign near where the road crosses the Gardner River marks the 45th parallel of latitude. The 45th parallel is an imaginary line that circles the globe halfway between the equator and the North Pole. This same line passes through Minneapolis-St. Paul, Ottawa, Bordeaux, Venice, Belgrade, and the northern tip of the Japanese islands. It is, here in Yellowstone, roughly aligned with the Montana-Wyoming border."

Lil'Bug, Rox, and I took a dip after we set up camp. Wow. The current was a little scary and a lot both cold and hot, but what an amazing place to catch up with a good friend and let Lil'Bug splash and play. Unfortunately, I did not get any pictures, so the one in this post is from the Yellowstone website.

First Hike with my tyke......

This morning we went straight up a mountain side on a barely there deer trail. Lil'Bug used a hiking stick and ate Whortleberries. We encountered a marmot and people on horses. She was amazing. She took to it like a chipmunk on a log. She could keep going for hours if only I could. It was an amazing view too.

She also really wanted to wear hiking boots like BiL and Rox. :)

For Lil'Bug's friends who are tracking us: This is between Bozeman and Livingston, MT south of the Bridger Mountains and also near a Grizzly Bear Refuge. (Rox, if that's wrong, let me know!)

Famous Dead Guy Heads on a Mountain: 10$ please

We stopped and saw Mt. Rushmore, but they don't take credit cards and I didn't have cash. So, here is the free view from the road. Crazy horse was neat too, but again, they charged and there was not really a good place to take a free view picture.

One really neat thing was that Lil'Bug thought that the "hills" were volcanoes and she was really upset when she saw the scorched sections of controlled burn. She thought that the "'cano's" burned them and then she was scared. So anyone who thinks that a movie on the volcano at Pompiia was to advanced for her....ha.

Car picnic

Sometimes there were stretches of highway with no gas stations. We stopped every time we found one and topped off the tank just in case. Lil'Bug snacked while I gassed the car and fretted over the map. So, here is a cute picture of her; it was actually taken in Wyoming.

South Dakota Fun

There is no posted speed limit in South Dakota. Why? Because the long stretch of barren highway goes on forever and, if you happen to be driving with the Earth's rotation (West), it doesn't matter if you go 90 miles an hour because (like this sentence) it will still take you 15 hours to travel 380 miles with the sun in your eyes and a screaming bored to tears tot....in other words, forever.

Packing the stroller?

We are eagerly getting ready for our road trip. Packing the car has been the hardest part; what to bring, what not to bring? I have always looked in amazement at parents who pack horse their strollers just for a playdate at the park. I tried that. All I ever really needed was a few diapers and wipes, maybe a change of clothes, and me (for food source). Most of the time, the diapers stayed in the car anyway, because it was easier to change her there. Maybe it was because I used a ring sling carrier that I didn't need a stroller BUT now Lil'Bug is a bit heavier and I do find myself using the off road stroller for zoo trips and longer outings.

Do I need to pack it for this trip? Here is why I think maybe not. I think she will enjoy our hikes more if we go slow, at her pace, and really explore. With this option, we won't go farther than she can manage and if she falls asleep, then I can sling her but we won't be 3 miles in. Also, many of the paths won't be stroller friendly. The path less traveled.

But, I can pack our lunch and we can spend a whole day in the woods if I stroller her up.

I can't decide yet. It does take up soooo much room in the car. I think we will pack all else and then see.

Holiday Rooooooooad

I am packing for a trip, a long long driving trip with a restless tot. We will be without toilet for a week at the old mansion, so family meeting was called and decision was made for the two women folk to take off into the great blue yonder: Montana via Wyoming.

My favorite family vacation as a child was Yellowstone National Park with my favorite cousins. We made lots of good memories, granted that much of it was funnier than Chevy Chase's famous movie vacations.

The other part that feeds my anticipation is that I grew up with the Rockies always in view to the West, an anchor to the horizon. I always hold a special place for the Rocky Mountain Range in my heart, and there is no comparison to the overwhelming greatness I feel when driving into them on man made cut roads. So Montana, here we come!

Oh, wait. It's not that simple. I have to get the car checked, packed, and ready; the kid checked, packed, and ready; and my students/online classroom checked, packed, and ready. All this in three days. Whew. Is there room for me in the car? I hope so, I'm driving!