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| "Mom, that's a big buffalo!" |
As much as I can remember the evening was fairly uneventful. As Keaton was going to sleep, hours after everyone else she fussed a bit. Campbell, my light sleeper, shouted from her sleeping bag "Momma, Keaton fussing." Keaton slept with me and woke me up around 6:30 and at that time I realized that Anderson (I thought it was Graham) was in bed with me. As Keaton was eating, Anderson rolled his shoulder on top of her and she gave him the ugliest look. The next thing that I knew it was nearly 7:30 and we were just stirring. We had to move pretty swiftly to get to breakfast before it ended and that is one thing that the kids will really hurry for.
I think this was our latest day to leave at 9:30 a.m. (which would really be 10:30 since we were coming back into Central Time Zone later in the day) and the mileage total from yesterday was 450 miles. We didn't have too far to go until we crossed the North Dakota state line and then turned around and crossed the Montana state line and then returned across the North Dakota state line. We have been getting pictures of each state line sign and we neglected to get one when we entered Montana so we had to turn around to make sure we had that picture. Anderson couldn't understand why we were making circles on the interstate.
Our first stop was the southern until of Roosevelt National Park. The kids had colored and made a cabin like Roosevelt's Maltese Cross Cabin and we were delighted to see that it was right behind the visitor's center. After looking around inside, we walked to the cabin. We were only able to walk around it but the kids were pretty impressed that they had seen this cabin before.
Before too long it started raining and we hustled back inside. Let me mention the weather, we knew it was still going to be cool with the highs in the upper 50s and low 60s. Robby thought he could get away with shorts but by the time he took one load to the van, he switched to pants. The wind this morning was crazy cold-bone chilling cold. We decided that we would take the snow over this crazy wind. It remained cool most of the day and windy, windy, windy.
After coming in from the rain, we loaded up and drove part of the park loop. The park is similar to the badlands but beautiful scenery. It is amazing all of the different terrain that we have seen on this trip. The most eventful thing that happened in the morning was our rear video screen stopped working. Thankfully the back row of kids can see the front video screen so all is not a loss-otherwise we would have to head straight home. No one pays as much attention to the movie now that they have to look a bit harder to see it. Robby did a little research and it looks like the kids will be making do for awhile before we get that fixed. They are such good travelers because they are such good movie watchers so when we get home, we will have to have a break from tv and movies for awhile. We do break it up so they just don't watch movies all of the time in the car-music, a Bible story on tape and sometimes we even turn off the movies (gasp!)
So driving along we saw a sign for the world's largest scrap metal structure in the world and thought we would stop. It was windy, windy, windy so Keaton and I stayed in the car. Campbell jumped in after a few minutes out in the wind. Apparently, a man decided that since his small town was dying if he welded large metal signs down the little highway to his town then traffic would come. Well, we didn't but the kids sure did enjoy running around at his first sign that he welded. There is just something to see everywhere.
Next stop was at New Salem and they had the world's largest cow. Seriously, this thing was big and up on a hill. Keaton and Campbell were asleep on this adventure so they stayed in the car while the rest of us ran up to the statue. As we were driving away, Campbell stirred and said "what's that?" as she looked at the huge cow.
Bismark was next and before we made it there, we had to set out clocks back to Central Time Zone. This was part of the reason why today's five hour drive took all day long to complete and ended up being one of our longest days-but that is still fine because we are ahead from yesterday and now only have 4 hours to drive tomorrow instead of 7. At Bismark we did our customary governor's mansion and state capitol drive by. North Dakota's capitol building is sky scraper looking and just really isn't that pretty. But they did have some nice grounds and the kids ran and ran on the grass. First they ran to a statue, then the kept running. Robby was walking with them so I drove the van alongside. Eventually, Campbell decided that she had had enough running and ran to the van but the others kept going. Finally they made it to the end and the boys had already started walking but Reagan turned around and headed back-we had to make her come back. I think I am going to sign her up for track.
When Robby and I were here 7 years ago, we had supper at Space Aliens Grill. I knew that the kids would love it and they really did. We sat in the middle and they could see everything but they really saw those Chuck E Cheese type games in another room. Robby did let them look at them for a few minutes after we ate but then we lured them back to the car with a prize and a piece of candy. I had little sticker books for everyone and they worked on them quietly for a long time-even Campbell did hers with just a little bit of help from Reagan. It was nearly 4 when we finally finished lunch and then we were back in the road.
Robby turned on an old church choir cd while the kids were working on their stickers. Anderson asked "is this Sunday?" Robby then put on a pair of headphones to continue listening to his music. This didn't seem very fair to me and he did tell me that I could wear them later in the day (never happened). No more headphones for him tomorrow, I hid them!
We then continued our tour of "largest" in North Dakota and stopped in Jamestown to see the world's largest buffalo. The buffalo also had a little frontier village nearby that you could just walk through. So we walked around the little town-locking the kids up in the jail, preaching at the church's pulpit, looking at all of the buildings and then even playing on the playground. The kids really enjoyed it all and as we drove away, they saw some of the village that we didn't get to. As Reagan and Anderson begged for Robby to let them out, Reagan said "but we may never come back here." Robby reminded her that she is going to take her children on this trip and that we be a good reason to come back. Anderson had a better reason to come back-he wants to have his birthday party there. Robby tried to explain to him that not many people would be able to come and he wouldn't get many presents. Reagan tried to help Anderson out and said that she would bring him a present.
We swung by McDonalds for a drink and even bought a few hamburgers for later on the road. I held on to them until someone asked for something to eat and then passed them out. Our last stretch wasn't too bad-probably just 2 hours and then we made it to Fargo.
Robby ran into Walmart while I waited with the kids in the car. We needed more supplies-bread, milk, juice boxes and formula (that girl is drinking twice the amount she does at home). And of course we needed just a few more snacks but I am still impressed about how much original food we still have left. We are in a Staybridge tonight. So even though we got in late-we have done a load of laundry, washed a load of dishes and made two batches of rice krispy treats. Isn't that what everyone does on vacation?
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