Once upon a time about 7 years ago or so...
My mother's 60th birthday was coming up, and she had always talked about going to Yellowstone National Park, but had never made it. I decided that 60 was quite an accomplishment (especially in her case), so I came up with the idea of an epic road trip from Maine to Montana and Wyoming and back, with a few stops on the way at a couple of other fabulous national parks. I decided that we would take my car...a 2000 Audi TT with a manual. That last word is important. I took 2 1/2 weeks off of work and saved my pennies for a year until I had enough to make it a great trip. We went in July, her birthday is the 15th, and let me tell you, that was probably the only major mistake of the trip. Still, totally worth it.
Here is the get-away vehicle in question:
So with the TT packed to the brim with our luggage, backpacking gear, snacks, and of course our awesome hats I got us for the trip... more to come on that later... we set off chasing the sunset out West.
Now I have made some road trips before, and I love to drive, but something I didn't really take into account was the fact that my mother doesn't drive a stick. So, it was a lot more driving than I've ever done prior, and on the way out it wasn't too bad, but by the time we were on our second day driving home it was difficult and we ended up pulling over and getting a hotel early. Note to self, make sure your copilot is also a driver.
Strangely the first place we stopped that was cool enough that I wanted to take pictures was a rest area on a major highway in Wisconsin. We pulled over for a trip to the ladies room, and to stretch a bit. I noticed a sign saying there were walking trails with a scenic view, so we decided to check it out. I've never been to Wisconsin before, and I'm not really sure what I thought it would look like, but it wasn't this:
My mother enjoying the view:
A beautiful state and very nice people. Honestly, I didn't meet too many people who were'nt great on this trip. So moving along we find ourselves getting tired and ready to stop for the night. A quick search on my phone shows me there's a Hilton in Fargo, ND nearby, so we swing in for the night. Luckily, it just so happens that the best Tex Mex restaurant I've ever been to is right around the corner walking distance. If you find yourself in Fargo for some reason and need some dinner, I would suggest Paradiso, assuming it's still there. The place is decorated with great murals, tons of plants, stained glass windows, water fountains and the food was great. The drinks were strong, which was lovely since I only had to walk back to the hotel.
Paradiso in Fargo, ND
Stay tuned! In the next episode there will be an epic pee break, painted canyons, wild mustangs, and the most adorable rodent ever.