A new journey begins

It started about 11:00 this morning (pacific daylight time)… again about an hour ago… and will again tomorrow about 8:00 pm…

This morning, Steph left California Maryland, her home for the last year, where she lived with Kelly, her cousin’s wife… and their children (her cousin Fred, and Kelly, Hallie and Noah) by car… headed for Lorton Virginia… where another cousin, Jen and family live.

This evening Kellie, her best friend left California, the real one… via SFO and Virgin America (the Best Damn Airline in the World!) for Dulles Airport in Virginia…

Early tomorrow, very early, Steph will leave Lorton and rendezvous with Kellie of California (the real one)… then together drive west, across Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana (with a stop in Michigan to visit Tanya, her aunt, and Fred’s mom) on to Illinois where they will stop for the night…

Tomorrow evening I will leave California (the real one) via SFO and United Airlines (they break guitars you know… I won’t be bringing one so no problem) headed for Chicago, O’Hare… and a rendezvous with the girls… Steph and Kellie...

Together the three of us will continue west… eventually landing in San Mateo, 6 days later…

In between we plan on visiting at least one railroad museum (Mid-Continent in North Freedom Wisconsin), the Corn Palace in Mitchell South Dakota, before stopping for the night at Chamberlain, South Dakota on the Missouri River…

The next day (Sunday) we continue across South Dakota on I-90… dropping south to Badlands National Park, then rejoining I-90 at Wall, home of Wall Drug, then west to Rapid City… then into the valley of the shadow of Roosevelt’s nose at Mt Rushmore and Crazy Horse before pausing for the night in Deadwood South Dakota…

The nest day (Monday) we rejoin I-90 westward… leaving to visit Devil’s Tower National Monument (Where Close Encounters of the 3^rd kind was filmed) then back to I-90 to the Little Big Horn Battlefield… then on to Billings Montana, before dropping back down to Cody Wyoming, our stop for the night.

The next morning (Tuesday) we have a short drive from Cody into and about Yellowstone National Park… We hope to and expect to see wildlife… then geysers… ending up at Old Faithful for the night…

The following morning (Wednesday) we are off to the south to Grand Tetons… Mountains, views, wildlife…. And Jackson, we are going to Jackson, Jackson Wyoming (apologies to Johnny and June Carter Cash) again, our evening stop…

Thursday will be a long hard drive, just short of 950 miles… at best a 12 hour drive, likely much longer... our target is home… San Mateo, a good target…

I am packing, clothing, two cameras, a computer, and lots of CD’s… The music will be important…

We have a plan (by now you probably have guessed that.) We have visited AAA for guide books and maps. We have used Google maps planning routes and diversions… We have visited web sites… for attractions, for national parks, for hotels…

We are off.