Yellowstone was George Lucas' Inspiration for Star Wars

I have no clue if that title is true, but what I know is that I feel like I just saw a series of different planets during the past three days at Yellowstone. Geysers that spout, springs that boil, canons red and white, travertine terraces, pines burnt to keep them alive, and water that shoots out of what appears to be dead land- where am I? 

We arrived mid-day and the drive in was absolutely spectacular. After checking in we set up camp in Bridge Bay, which had an incredible view of Yellowstone Lake. Unfortunately we had been placed in a spot between two RVs, which were a bit noisy; and the close proximity kept us from feeling like we were in the middle of a volcanic forest by the lake. On the good side, we barely spent any time there. As soon as we were set up, we headed to Old Faithful. 

It was quite the sight just to walk up to it. There were hundreds of people sitting in silence, watching and waiting. The geyser, smoking and shooting up little spouts of water every few minutes. The natural beauty of this space literally mesmerized hundreds of people with anticipation of it coming to life before their eyes. Sadly, Barley, who turned 11 months that day, did not have the same sense of awe to sit there with us and wait; we headed back to camp to build a fire and have a drink or two. 

Camping was harder than all of the other nights that night. Barley had a difficult time not reacting to all of the noises, and the cold felt unbearable to sleep through for us Floridians (don't tell Joe I called him that ;). We got up around 5:30 a.m.  and  made omelettes with broccoli and cheese, and coffee to warm us. We then headed out for a hike around the lake. 

The lake is like nothing I have ever seen, pristine, and surrounded by mountains. This morning's walk was much cooler than the previous ones. Barley loved making his way down the trail. On the way back it began to rain, so we decided to run and try to beat the rain. Barley got so excited he pulled off the leash. While normally this wouldn't be such a big deal, in Yellowstone there are signs posted everywhere to keep your pets close. On this hike alone we passed animal poo that must have been 10x's Barley's poo size. We both knew how important it was to get him back at our side, yet alone to get out of the rain because our camp had no showers and 'muddy' wasn't the look we were going for today. Instead Barley had other plans. He ran huge loops around us faster than he's ever run. He then decided to run into the lake! Despite our multiple attempts to catch him, call him, trick him with offers of bacon and peanut butter, he just kept running. We remembered what his trainer taught us: run away from him to catch him. So we did. We ran away and he came right behind us, close enough so that Joe could catch his leash. Phew! Of course, we then had to walk by this little Japanese family who had been watching the whole scene. All I could say was, "he's a bad dog". 

Although, it felt so untrue. In my heart it felt like he is a wild little soul who doesn't belong on a leash. Later that day we passed a 2000 pound bison, and I had a change of heart. Our 58 pound Goldendoodle does belong right by our side until we can get him to a doggie park :). 

The next days were filled with beautiful drives, hikes to waterfalls, and nights too cold to sleep. I'm tired, but so inspired. This place is filled with God's creativity. It's so clear here that the earth is alive. It feels a little bittersweet leaving today. I'm grateful for this trip and the beauty of this place will never leave my mind. If it does, I'll just watch Star Wars.

*Idaho offers me little to no signal, so I'll have to post photos from Seattle- check back soon for some gorgeous shots of Yellowstone (including elk and bison photos too!) 

Joe Morone for President!

The last few days have been mostly driving from Chicago to Mount Rushmore. We passed through the stretch of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and South Dakota. Each state is more beautiful than the next. Joe has done ALL of the driving. He's my superstar! He truly is the best travel buddy; helping me cook, making great fires to keep us warm, and singing silly songs as we go. I couldn't do this without him.  I included a photo of him at Mount Rushmore because if I had my way, he would be our next president and his face would make it beside the others up there. 

As for lodging, we camped one night in Jackson, Minnesota and another in Custer, South Dakota.  I'm not sure where we will end up tonight, but the goal is to make it to Yellowstone by the 29th. For now I need to pay attention to the road in front of me because it's too spectacular to miss!

Chi-chi-chi-cago

I have to share that Chicago is one of my favorite cities. Although we were only in town for a little over twenty-four hours, we lived it up! This city is full of beauty, both natural and man-made. Fortunately we found this great boutique hotel that accepted dogs and even greeted Barley with a goodie bag filled with treats, doodie bags, and a toy. Way to go Kimpton! We are fans for life. After checking in we decided to grab some Chicago-style pizza at Lou Malnati's. This was Joe's first visit to Chicago, and according to him, "the first real Chicago pizza" he's ever had.  It was delicious, and even Barley found a scrap or two under the table to enjoy. At lunch we decided to make most of our short visit and signed up for an architectural tour of the city on a river boat. We dropped off the pup and headed down the river to fully enjoy the gorgeous and incredibly interesting history of Chicago's skyline. I would totally recommend anyone to do the tour when in the Windy City. When the tour wrapped up, we headed to the hotel again for the free happy hour; honestly, way to go Kimpton. Later that night we had plans to go to dinner with a dear friend from grad school, Carolyn. She suggested this place called Cafe Iberico for tapas and drinks. It was the first time she had met Joe, and I had met her significant other, Niles. Together the four of us had great conversation, delicious food, and a round or two (or three or four) of drinks. The visit with them was such a great end to our night in Chicago. We then headed back to the hotel to put on our cheetah-print robes (did I mention I loved Kimpton hotels?) and soak in the last moments before it's back to camping for the next week or so. On the way out of town we grabbed brunch and strolled by the Bean, because no trip to Chicago is complete without it!  (Side note: I write this while riding through the farmlands of Wisconsin where we just had one heck of a grilled cheese. Picture included ;) 

The Grass is Always Greener when Eight Generations Have Enjoyed It

Yesterday we journeyed to western Pennsylvania to a small town called Conneaut Lake. This is a town where my father's family came over two hundred years ago. Joe and I decided to come here to check out some land, 30 acres that is, that has been in my family for the past eight generations. I've known about this land for my whole life and always dreamed of coming to see it. In college I imagined using it for a hippie commune, more recently, Joe and I have considered it to build a summer cabin. That may be more realistic at this point in life, but I won't rule out the commune ;). We arrived in the sleepy little town and checked into our hotel, still having no exact address for this land. I contacted my mom, who had no address, but instead had the name of the tax collector she had been paying for years without ever seeing this land for herself. Fortunately the tax collector had some information. She knew the address that was across the street, and connected us with a county website that shows property lines. So we adventured out to find the land. After getting lost a few times, we arrived to what looked like a gorgeous wooded lot. We parked on the side of the road, and the three of us went on what felt like a real hike. Originally we kept Barley on his leash, but after crossing the creek that runs through the property we decided to let him run freely. He LOVED it! LOVED IT! This trip made me feel more connected to my ancestors than I ever have, while making me feel more excited about the future at the same time. We thoroughly enjoyed the trek through the woods, and then headed back into town where we found an awesome little brewery called Table and Tap. What an incredible day!