Miller Vacation 2009 - Westward bound!

Our Trip out West 2009!
.
We left on Thursday July 2nd....and drove for three days!!

Day one started at 5am - on the road by 6am. We drove from Galesburg to Sturgis. Sturgis is just past Rapid City (Mt. Rushmore). The driving is pretty mundane for the most part. There are the badlands, and some early foothills.....other than that....not much to see!
.

Day Two we drove from Sturgis to Coeur D'Alene Idaho. Western Montana & Idaho are absolutely gorgeous! I love the rivers winding right next to the Highway. It always reminds me of my Dad. The first time I saw it, I started crying, thinking that my father probably loved that exact same stretch of road! If you have never been to western Montana & Idaho (especially just east of Coeur D'Alene - it is a feast for the eyes!
.

By Day Three we were exhausted! We were going to drive up through Canada to get to Blaine....but we just wanted to get there by Saturday morning! So, we took the quickest, straightest route (is there a straight route going through the mountains?)

.

We arrived at our condo around 3pm!! Those were three long days!

In South Dakota, there is a place called "Al's Oasis". It is part way across the flat state of South Dakota. Al's Oasis is a good restaurant, and has a few little stores in it...a good place to stretch your legs after a long drive!

.

We stopped at Al's Oasis when we brought the boys out to Mt. Rushmore several years earlier - so planned on stopping this trip as well. We tried to get a few touristy pictures, but Amie wasn't super cooperative!

.

Above she is sitting on a saddle in the lobby - by the way - notice the lovely job she did on her bangs!!

Tim is always our ham! I'll have to compare this picture to the ones I have when he was younger at the same spot!

.

Amie only wanted pictures on her terms....no one elses!!

.

Amie taking a picture of Grandma!
.
Amie not wanting to pose for the camera! Grandma and Tim!

.

and of course....what would a vacation be without an incident or two?! First Darwin begins feeling sick mid-way through Saturday. It appears he's trying to pass a stone again!!

.

Then our little Baby Boo-Boo bumped her head pretty hard on the coffee table at the condo!!

.

Oh boy!! Let's hope the rest of the time goes better!