California or Bust!

The Mini did great on the scenic mountain drive today. We left south central Oregon and headed southwest for highway 101 on the California coastline. As per our normal traveling, we chose the scenic route and what a display we saw! Mountain roads with 10 mph switchback curves through Pondersoa Pine stands, tiny mountain hamlets and breathtaking Redwood state forests. What an amazing day! The Mini loved the zigzagging, down shifting, braking, accelerating and the drive even kept Roy awake while I drove! The Mini was made for this road! We stopped for a photo op near Mt. Shasta, CA. If you squint, you can make out Roy's V-sign sticking out the roof of the Mini. Lots of snow still on Mt. Shasta. The weather today went from 90+ degrees to somewhere in the 60's the closer we got to the coast line. We enjoyed a few pints at the local brew pub down the road from the hotel we're staying at in Fortuna, CA. Looking forward to more of the Redwoods tomorrow!

Road Hard and Wet!

The Mini encountered high desert terrain today mixed with fertile agricultural valleys and twisty, windy mountain roads. She got a look at alkaline flats and drove for 20+ minutes around half of a huge alkaline lake (guard rails are not common but she didn't look down!) It was a little daunting when you could plainly see iron black boulders that had rolled down the side of the mountain, across the road and ended up sitting along the lakeshore or sticking weirdly out of the water. The Mini was very attentive watching for fallen rocks, game and stock on the road! Pulled in for the night at a Holiday Inn Express in Kalmath Falls, OR. We just missed the gully washer that had blown through but we did not escape the mud puddles. A couple layers of dried on bugs did slough off though! Sorry Mike, but it's hard to see the detailing work on the Mini's exterior right now!

Go South to Get West?

Had another great dinner with friends, Ira & Betsy, while staying in Couer d'Alene, Idaho last night. The restaurant's name is "The Wine Cellar" and came highly recommended. We weren't disappointed. We were all members of the clean plate club! Looks like Mike Eden missed this one too. Guess he'll just have to make another trip!
The Mini traversed many different landscapes today as she carried us south from Couer d'Alene and followed Idaho's western border. Fantastic mountain drives, deep gorges, swiftly moving wide rivers, high desert areas, dense forests and tiny western towns kept our attention. The Mini wanted to stop for a quick geocache pick-up while still in Idaho so we drove right up to one! It was located along the Salmon River in a deep valley. Stopped in a cafe, out in the middle of nowhere on the side of a mountain, and read this sign: "Unattended children will be given espresso and a free puppy". Got the message across!

The Restaurant The Edens Missed

This restaurant is on highway 89 between St. Mary Lodge at Glacier and Many Glacier. The outside looks very eclectic as though it really belongs in Key West! It is out in the middle of nowhere and the last meal we enjoyed at Two Sisters came complete with free ranging horses in their "backyard". The food was great, the service good (the waiter was from Neenah, Wisconsin, a city close to our home) and Ira, Betsy, Roy and I enjoyed the fact that Mike Eden actually missed this eatery on his trip! Excellent sweet potato fries Mike!

Mini Takes Glacier Park!

The Mini rolled into Glacier Park on August 23rd and found the scenery spectacular! No high tech access available so adding this info and photos on August 27th having returned to civilization. We had a great time hiking (until the black bear on the last trail changed Sue's mind about hiking), driving (seemed liked mostly uphill and always at the edge of some bottomless gorge) and learning about this awesome national park. The Mini was super negotiating the mountain curves and switchbacks. Had a wonderful time visiting with Ira and Betsy and spent some memorable moments sight seeing with them. What wonderful food we shared at the infamous Park Cafe. Did Mike eat there? Had great weather. The lows were in the 40's and the highs in the low 70's. Dodged the wildfires all around the area. Luck was on our side this trip. Must have been because of the Mini!

Old McCheesehead

Yes, folks, this is Mr. Cheesehead just as he finished making a presentation to a statewide group of accountants. Appropriately, the topic concerned farm related tax matters, but the outfit was of his own creation. At least the tie coordinates with the overalls! Those of you who have never seen this side of him, may not know that his favorite pass time while I was growing up was embarrassing us anyway that he could. Now a days, he has to try pretty hard to get under our skin, but this outfit definitely made us laugh out loud. But I think that was the point all along....

By the way, the Cheeseheads are having a great time in Montana and just met up with Ira and Betsy yesterday afternoon. They are having a great time geocaching and taking in the local culture. The mini has enjoyed traveling through some gorgeous country, but she is still trying to figure out what the "hill" things are. They don't have those where she came from and sometimes it is hard for her to drive when they are going up, but they sure are fun when she gets to go down.

We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming...

Hello! This is Sara, one of the Cheesehead offspring, and I wanted to let everyone who has been following this blog know that Roy and Sue are temporarily without internet access. Apparently, broadband and wi-fi have not made it to the-middle-of-nowhere Montana yet so I am filling in for them with a couple of brief updates.

They made it to Glacier National Park safely and are really excited to do some exploring. They will be staying there for a few days before moving westward again. Look for more from them when they reach "civilization" again sometime soon.

In the meantime, I may just have to take this opportunity to share some classic photos and anecdotes while they are unable to defend themselves.....more on that later though!

Montana Scenic Byway

Today finally the Mini was able to leave the interstate behind and explore one of the many scenic byways Montana has to offer. We turned north on Hwy. 89 west of Billings and cruised along enjoying the prairies with grazing antelope and cattle. There were also mountain passes with beautiful vistas and very little traffic. We stopped for a moment for a photo opportunity when the Mini spotted a statue at a historical spot. She thought the statue was waving at her! We rolled into Great Falls, MT mid afternoon and enjoyed the characters we encountered at the visitor's center. The 2 old guys had lived around Great Falls a really long time and had lots of suggestions for sightseeing. No matter what we do, we'll enjoy ourselves!

Big Sky Country

After we spent a couple hours in Deadwood, S.D. this morning, we headed towards Billings, Montana. About an hour before we got to Billings, we made a stop at Hardin, Montana to check out the tourist info stuff. We were pleasantly surprised to find not only a super info spot but also a whole reconstructed prairie village. This is a wonderful place for anyone to take a break because there's plenty for everyone to see AND it is free!

The Mini checked out a wagon and wondered where you put the gas in! We told her that she needed to be on her best behavior or she could end up like the field of old farm equipment! I don't think she's very worried.

Great big spaces in this part of the country. Great weather, good roads that the Mini enjoys driving on!

There's a Mini in Them Thar Hills!

Waited out yet another major nasty thunderstorm in the safety of our hotel room this morning. We finally drove far enough, (and fast enough!), to get past the storm fronts. The Mini just keeps humming west down I-90. Lots of people smile and wave as they pass us. They are probably jealous they aren't having Mini fun! Today the Mini experienced a couple new "firsts". First time she's been in South Dakota and the first time she's done some geocaching! We're trying to expose her to lots of new experiences to broaden her education. Arrived in Rapid City, SD tonight and will take a break before exploring tomorrow.

Day One West

The Mini wrestled with the elements as we crossed states. Tremendous amounts of wind and rain tried to deter the valiant blue car but to no avail. She's just like the postman, nothing stops her! She's staying her first time in Minnesota at the town of Jackson, a short drive from South Dakota. Now that we have all bonded, we're looking forward to better weather tomorrow and a much more scenic drive! Westward Ho!

Are We Ready Yet?

The Mini waits patiently for the time when we can hit the road. Today is filled with preparation chores but by tomorrow morning, we will be as ready to begin the adventure as the Mini is! How much stuff will she hold? Hmmmmm.

Last Inspection

Made time for the most important inspection before the Mini begins her westward travels. Caleb penciled the inspection into his busy schedule and we are happy to relay that he gave the Mini a special smile and a two thumbs (covered in his gold fish cracker crumbs) up! He likes the "little blue car" and had no problem at all taking a quick nap during the on-road inspection. With this last inspection completed, we will now be cleared for travel departure on Sunday, August 19!