We made it to Endor

After 2 long days of driving we made it to north cascades national park and it was awwwwesome! The mountains were ha-uge and there were glaciers! (the most, actually, in the lower 48) On the 24 mile dirt road drive to the trailhead, we saw a mom bear and a little muffin baby bear.
Along the hike to our campsite we saw: alpine meadows, pikas, tons of ferns, and a thunderstorm one peak away! It was beautiful.

All the trees were covered with moss and there were ferns everywhere! It felt very prehistoric!

Rory with part of a glacier!

I da ho where we are

Stayed with rory and Liam last night in Pocatello! Rory made an amazing breakfast with omelets, bacon, and some Idaho pots! Nummmers

Rory's coming with us for a week! After we packed him into the falcon, we headed to Craters of the Moon national monument.

Volcanic rock covered the area and left mini volcano-looking structures everywhere and caves

Rory makin a pass at the volcano

You could climb down into any of the caves! They were cold and lined with ice in some parts! Neeaat

lauren + possiblility of seeing bears in the backcountry = huge scardy cat

So we spent two days and two nights in Yellowstone NP. The first day was kinda stressful because we were hungry and tired and also because of the park's size and reputation. We drove forever before we go to a visitor center and figured ou what campsites weren't closed for the season.
We spent the first night primitive camping. Nice campfire. Nice stars. Nice dinner of ramen and vegetables from aunt anne's garden.
The next day we felt a lot better (and caffeinated) and were ready to experience the park: epic waterfalls, smelly sulfur pots, geysers (including old faithful, which is not very exciting except for how consistent its eruptions are), hot springs, fumaroles and even a mud pot! FYI Yellowstone is situated on one of the worlds largest active volcanoes.
The second day we went to the backcountry office for a back country camping permit...it's free and way more rewarding any ways. Here's why...we saw a FREAKIN ADULT BALD EAGLE!!!!

These beautiful hot springs were all over!



Old faithful spewing

It smelled like rotten eggies!



Mudpots!

The grand Tetons. We past through the park after leaving yellowstone

Close encounters!

After the badlands we stopped at Wind Cave national park and then made our way up and down a super windy road to mt. Rushmore! We got there late in the day, so the setting sun's shadows cast really pretty shadows. The next morning we drove through Deadwood and mark took a shot of whisky at 11am :) Next was Devil's Tower in eastern Wyoming. So amazing! We hiked around the base and saw a bunch of climbers attempting the tower! The leaves are changing and everywhere is beautiful!

Kewwwl

Double tower

Badasslands National Park

From Wisconsin we stopped in northfield, Minnesota to visit mark's cousin, steve. We checked out the town and saw the recently flooded Mississippi river! Cooked some rice for the road and headed out to Sioux falls, south Dakota. (I like that city name...Sioux falls) Another day of driving and we finally made it to badlands national park!! We were overwhelmed by the place!

Helloooooo



Prairie dogs! They were every where!





Turn up the V and you can kinda hear the coyotes!



Coyote voices numba two

Nice horns!

Do you see the moon?

Mark on a table!

Dontcha know

We're at the tip of the Wisconsin thumb on Washington Island visiting my aunt Anne and uncle John. After a two hour drive from Green Bay and a 40 minute ferry ride we made it to this picturesque, island community.
We toured their beautiful homemade house (they actually finished building it themselves a year ago).
Great dinner and nice, long chat, then off to bed.
Early rise with the sun, flocks of birds all over the property.
Toured the garden and snapped a bunch of photos of the house.
Toured the island: maritime museum, Jackson Harbor, up the mountain park look out tower.
Back for lunch, then packing up for the freeeeeezing cold ferrrrrrrry ride back to our van (which hopefully is still there!!)

Herb and Kathryn's house in green bay...glad to see it still looks the same

It was a coooold ferry ride to the island!

Their beautiful house

Thanks for the food and everything, aunt anne and uncle John! So good to see you!

Shhhhhhicago and Milwaukee

Vans united! We met up with Lou and Rory in Chicago, played around in millenium park for bit, and then headed north. Lou and Rory are moving west and we were able to converge at the same place and time! After Chicago we drove up to Milwaukee and ate at the famous german restaurant, Mader's. Rory and Mark got the full liter boot of beer and Lou and I had the half liter baby boot! 

Loucifer's evil van meets the falcon

Party in the midwest!

That's your big boy boot

Lou-dawg sporting the baby boot

Mmmmmmmm

post-Mader's-2pm-drunken-food-coma. and they shrank.