Ted's trip to Mini Meet.

[James T]

I know Dan has much better pics, but for those who would like more, here is another adventure to mini meet.

All ready to go


kids are excited to get the road trip started

[James T]

We headed south down hwy 7 then east on hwy 12. around the south side of Mt Rainier. Through Yakima then back on 12
Dinner stop in central Idaho was a welcome break from hours and hours of farm land.


The kids are getting a bit nutty after all day in the car.

[BIGSHOT]

Great photos, James. We'll take all you've got.

Dan

[James T]

Hwy 12 winds along Clear Water river and up Lolo pass. It was a great drive,

but after slowing way down and even stopping for construction along the way...we knew we wouldn't make it all the way to Missoula to stay the night. After the first ELK on the pass made sure we where wide awake and going much slower....the next 17 elk, 8 deer, and one very big owl, kept our eyes wide open till we got down the other side into Lolo Hot Springs MT.

I was happy to take the only rooms they had left...

It wasn't quite 4 star....but the kids loved it.

Off again at 7:30 eager to push our way through most of Montana. This would be the start of our quest to find the plate size cinnamon roll, found at MT's oldest continuously operated general store.

[James T]

A quick stop just off I90, we found a roadside bar...famous for hosting the best Testicle Festival in the country. Yep, we're in Montana alright!


Veteran's memorial park lunch stop in Butte was a nice place to run around and loosen up from the last few hrs of sitting.

My AWSOME wife Heather making us all sandwiches.

[James T]

About 30 to 40 min. south of Columbus MT. you will find a small town called Fishtail. The Fishtail General Store has been operated as such starting in 1900. A few years ago in almost became a mini storage unit place. But the current owners convinced the previous ones to sell it as a store and continue the tradition.


All out of town visitors and encouraged to sign to guest book...I mean table.

Montana gets our vote for the nicest people! We felt welcomed like family every place we stopped. We were invited to have Ted in the Fishtail parade the next day...but just couldn't stay. We still had 35 miles to go till Billings for the night, and a very long drive the next day.

[James T]

This is Eastern MT.......Ill let the pics speak for them selves.

[James T]

These where the nicest people we met in the Dakotas.....not very talkative though.

[James T]

HWY 12 into the Dakotas was so busy....you could pull over, get out and stretch, take a pic or two, get soda from the cooler and get back on the road again. Without ever seeing another car :0

A quick stop in Marmarth ND. This statue is made from auto and farm equipment parts.

The only thing paved was the HWY. Everything else was mud.

[James T]

Hwy 12 brings you straight through the Grand River and Cedar River National Grasslands. Hrs and hrs of grass lands.

Mosquito capital of S. Dakota!
The car was instantly swarmed by thousands on tiny mosquitoes as soon as it stopped.
They were so bad that trucks with a insecticide foggers were slowly driving back and forth through the neighborhood.

We stopped just long enough for Heather to grab some stuff from the cooler to make dinner.
The kids and I made a game out of running from one toy to the next to keep the mosquitoes from biting us.

[James T]

We spent the night in Milbank S.D. just 10 miles from the MN. state line.

Ted is finally in Minnesota.
Minnesota seemed to go by fairly fast, but not to Winona yet. Next stop Bloomington and the Mall of America.

[James T]

The highlight of the mall was taking the kids through the aquarium

This picture was taken just moments before the Gestapo reminded me that the sign said "OK to touch the crabs" not to pick them up ...sheesh. Same thing....me no speak Minnesotan...me tourist.

My son's favorite place was Lego Land.