Montana; Bozeman and Missoula

I should be writing about the Yellowstone backcounty hike we’d been planning for months, unfortunately my cold was still pretty bad so we cancelled and instead had some unplanned time in Bozeman, MT and Missoula, MT. Having to cancel our backcounty trip was the biggest disappointment of our travels to date. Instead Jon and I…

Yellowstone National Park, WY

We drove into Yellowstone at the South Entrance. From the south we got to enjoy a nice view of a canyon to welcome us into the park. Unfortunately, like the Grand Tetons it was rainy and unseasonably cold. Because of the weather and because I was fighting a cold, we decided not to camp and…

Grand Teton National Park, WY

From Riverton we drove straight to the Grand Tetons. The road takes you through the Shoshone National Forest and along the outskirts of Grand Teton National Park where there are several scenic overlooks. We stopped to buy some food for lunch and then entered the park. Our first stop inside of the park was the…

The Black Hills, SD

After leaving the Badlands we drove to Rapid City. We had planned on eating at a brewery we saw advertised, but instead (based on Yelp reviews) changed our minds and went to Murphy’s Pub which was a very nice surprise with food we really enjoyed. The town of Rapid City was cute. They have statues…

Badlands National Park, SD

The Badlands, our first national park of the trip! The Badlands have a 23 mile scenic loop which we followed and chose our stops based on a National Geographic Parks Guide we have. We took lots of photos at the first overlook. The second overlook also had trailheads for three short hikes. We did the first…

Chicago, IL

From the Dunes, Indiana we drove into Chicago to meet one of my friends for lunch in Lincolnwood. Lunch was at Gene’s Sausage Shop and Delicatessen. Gene’s was a very cool rooftop spot located above a nice market. We really enjoyed the food and atmosphere. Our next stop was my Aunt’s house in Wheaton where…

Ohio to Illinois

On our way out of Cleveland we stopped at a Panera so Jon could work for a few hours. Then we headed west towards Illinois, but before getting to our next set destination, Chicago, we had one night to spend on the road. We promptly exited the Ohio Toll Road and instead opted for a…

Cleveland, OH

Our time in Cleveland started when we met my high school friend, Annie. Annie works for the Cleveland Indians and was able to give us a personal tour of Progressive Stadium when we arrived. Afterwards Annie drove us to the lakefront where we stumbled into a Mini-Copper convention but still enjoyed the lakeside view. We…

Columbus, OH and Route 42

Our first stop on our trip across the country, was to see our friends, Kara & Josh, in Columbus, OH.  They were ready for our arrival with a huge cookout and we spent the night relaxing and catching-up with them. The next morning, after another home cooked meal, we went to Scioto Park where there is a free…