This morning we go to Edie’s aunt’s funeral, graveside at noon. After the funeral, we will come home. We had a different agenda 19 years ago, when Edie’s uncle died. He passed away just before we were scheduled to start a long road trip. We left on the trip directly from the cemetery. We were in a rented car. Our ultimate destination was Boise, Idaho, where we were catching a plane back to DC.

We had taken a few long road trips in the US before this – we had driven the entire west coast when Michelle and Hannah were very young, and we had driven to Memphis in 1999 for my great aunt Rose’s 100th birthday. And I am sure there were more. But it was our 2004 trip that created a vacation pattern that we have followed many time since.

Most recently, we drove to and back from Florida, just about three months ago. We once did an extensive loop around the Great Lakes, in the United States and Canada. We did another west coast trip, this time from San Francisco to the Canadian border. Of course, to and from St. Louis. And many others, especially to the northeast, many times to various parts of New England and upstate New York, Ontario and Quebec and once (with the help of a friendly ferry) to Nova Scotia. And these don’t include our many fly-drive trips, like our one earlier this month to St. Louis and then on to Kansas City and back.

But the 2004 trip was perhaps the most extensive and most interesting. I think of some of the highlights of that trip:

(1) We stopped in Shanksville PA, the site of the infamous plane hijacking crash in 2001. The permanent memorial had not yet been constructed, but there was a temporary one set up with flags and flowers. It was surprisingly evocative and mood-altering.

(2) We spent the first night in a very nice historic hotel (actually an old, oversized mansion that had been converted into an inn) in Somerset, PA (very near Shanksville). It had a nice restaurant as well, and gave our trip a rather elegant start, and when I went to check the name of the hotel this morning (The Georgian Inn), I was sad (if not surprised) to see that it had ceased operating in 2017. No hotel, no restaurant. Don’t know what, if anything, the house is used for now, but it is too bad.

(3) I remember taking a few detours along the lakefront in northern Ohio, on our way to Chicago, but I can’t say I remember much, except that we saw some surprisingly nice resorts. And, maybe because we have been to Chicago several times, I can’t even tell you what we did there this time, except to say that I am sure we saw a number of friends.

(4) We drove north to Milwaukee, and loved the architecture of the Art Museum, designed by Calatrava. And then we went across the beautiful state of Wisconsin (I bet I never told you about my time at Camp McCoy) to La Crosse, where we visited our cousins, who were living there then. La Crosse, a really nice mid-sized Mississippi River town, was another place we have been to several times.

(5) From La Crosse, I remember driving across the river to Minnesota, and then up the river (even after the interstate veered west). The La Crosse to almost Twin Cities portion of the Mississippi is probably the most scenic portion of the river. Then we stayed in St. Paul at the famous St. Paul Hotel for two nights. I am happy to say that the hotel is still there. We had a wonderful Friday night dinner at the St. Paul, explored the Twin Cities (which we do not know very well), and then went to an open rehearsal of Prairie Home Companion which was pure delight.

(6) From St. Paul, we entered unknown territory. We drove a bit south through Rochester, catching a glimpse of the Mayo Clinic, to Northfield to see Carleton College, which seemed a bit cold and stark as I recall, then across the state, stopping in New Ulm, to see the Glockenspiel and the statue of Herman the German. My advice to you? Unless something has changed, go out of your way to go out of the way to avoid New Ulm. The sites are barely sites, and the food and accommodations barely food and accommodations.

(7) Across the state and into South Dakota (first time ever for either of us), with a stop to see South Dakota State University and the botanical gardens, which I remember as surprisingly nice (surprising because it was such a contrast to New Ulm perhaps), and then across the state, where on our journey we were surrounded by bearded and overweight cyclists heading to the annual meet-up in Sturgis.

(8) A lot to do in South Dakota. We went to see the graves of Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickcok in Deadwood, and spent the night in Rapid City, where I remember almost every street corner had a statue of a cow (I think it was a cow) – some kind of year long display. Then we went to Mt. Rushmore, which I was sure would be tacky, but which – very surprisingly – I really liked. We also saw the Crazy Horse memorial, although I can’t exactly remember where that was. (There were tornado warnings while we were in South Dakota – or at least severe storm warnings – and the radio gave precise information on where not to go – but since we didn’t even know where we were, that information went in one ear and out the other.)

(9) We drove through the Black Hills and then north into North Dakota, where we stayed in the Badlands. The topography is stunning, and we stayed at some sort of a ranch (?) in a rustic cabin, which turned out to be right next to a train track, which carried trains, with their sirens, by us throughout the night.

(10) Then came Montana, night at a B and B in a small town in the eastern part of the state. On our drive west the next morning, we realized two things. First, that Montana is as large as it looks on a map. Second, that it really is Big Sky Country.

(11) Eventually, we go to Livingston and to the nearby Chico Hot Springs Resort. This was actually our designation, because it was here that we met five of my high school classmates and their spouses or sort-of spouses, and spent several days both at the resort (with its hot and cold swimming pools, and its lack – at least then – of TV, radio, or wi-fi connections). That was a treat.

(12) From Chico, we went to Yellowstone Park and, after leaving our friends, continued west into Idaho, spending a night in Idaho Falls, but visiting Craters of the Moon National Monument and EBR-1, the fascinating Nuclear Energy Museum near Idaho Falls.

(13) We did get to Boise, but didn’t do much touring. Got there in time for dinner and sleep. Early morning plane the next day, with a stop in Salt Lake City, and then home.

Thanks for coming along with us.