I don’t remember a drunken goat, but I do recall…
Eddie, shush.
Facts and figures from this year’s trip:
We traveled 6500 miles, which is surprising considering we went 6800 miles last year and crossed the entire country! We were on the road for 30 days and drove through 10 states (as opposed to 20 states last year) and visited 10 cities. We stayed in 10 hotels and 3 Airbnbs. If you followed the blog, you’ll remember that the Santa Fe Airbnb was not a success, so we spent an extra night in Arizona.
I liked the Airbnbs. They have yards and Moms have fun playing with me and the ball. I liked all of the beds.
Last year, we traveled directly east to the east coast and then directly west on the return trip. This time, we touched Nevada twice and Idaho and Wyoming three times. And we lost count of how many times we drove through Montana! Hence, the Drunken Goat Tour.
I get it. I did get a bit woozy zipping back and forth. I still don’t recall the goat.
We had a wonderful private tour in Yellowstone National Park and an amazing guide and night of stargazing in Boulder, CO, and had a great time on a tour of the Denver mint. Exploring on our own worked really well for most of the National Parks and Monuments, but we would probably still go on city tours when visiting more populated areas. It gives us a sense of the city and where we want to send our usually limited time.
Seems like I got stuck in a crate every time you went to a park. I like to ride in the car.
A few shout outs to family and friends new and old:
We loved starting our trip off with a visit with our friends Doug and Cindy Nelson. Thanks so much for spending time with us. We may not see each other often but we picked up right where we left off and the time apart just melted away. That’s a sign of true and lasting friendship.
I like them and their doggie. She’s big but really nice. We both got left when they went to dinner. We thought about a jail break but the Moms and Dad came back too soon.
Thanks to Steve Delavan for flying to the Boise area, showing us where you grew up and introducing us to your family. Sister Tammy and brother-in-law Bryan hosted a killer make-your-own pizza party, and we so enjoyed getting to know them. We also got to meet Steve’s brother Frankie and sister-in-law Jamie and were able to spend time with Steve’s father Frank.
I had lots of fun! Their doggie is really nice too. We chased squirrels and birds. I snuck a bite of pizza. Jamie played with me lots and everyone gave me scruffles. It was really fun.
And you all know we are foodies so a special shout out and thanks to all the wonderful people we met in restaurants. From the talented and entertaining people who served us and made our meals so much better to the other customers who visited with us – we thank you all.
Lastly, thanks to Michelle’s sister Laura for taking time out of her very busy day to have lunch with us as we traveled back to the desert. We always love spending time with you.
I love my Auntie Laura. I missed Uncle Al. We had fun at the restaurant staring down Grackles. I got a martini.
Water, Eddie, water. You got water.
Lessons learned:
We did much better than last year with the amount of clothes we packed. However, it really didn’t help because the weather was SO different than we anticipated. We had lots of warm clothes and no place to wear them other than a couple of days in Yellowstone.
We need to be a little more discriminating in our Airbnb selections. We need to inquire about the beds and if they list stairs, we need to explore that in more detail.
Lastly, after experiencing the food deserts in and near the National Parks and Monuments, we will look for larger towns close to the parks and other sites to stay in, so we have access to better restaurants and food choices. We’ll always carry peanut butter and jelly.
I really agree with that last part.
Last thoughts:
We do love traveling around this country by car with Eddie and we are already starting to plan next year’s trip. Our initial thoughts are a week to 10 day trip in the early spring to visit Death Valley and the surrounding area and a longer trip in the fall to focus on a number of the National Parks in the Southwest. We may change our minds as time goes on, but that’s the beauty of having the freedom of the time and opportunity to travel this amazing country. We realize we will have to fly to visit some places (Hawaii springs to mind) but we will continue to take road trips whenever possible and as long as we are able.
There’s lots of places I still haven’t seen. I like road trips and restaurants and meeting new people and meeting new dogs and restaurants.
You said restaurants twice, Eddie
So? They are double the fun! I like martinis.
Until next time, love to all,
2 Girls and a Dog
The Drunken Goat Tour
As usual, Eddie gets the last word.
I love to travel but being home is pretty wonderful too!