June 13, 1993: Minneapolis, MN
We left for Minneapolis, MN. It took us 12 hours to get to Fred & Janice Soop's house. On the way, we stopped at a cheese store in Wisconsin and then at the A and W Rootbeer. I did the driving over the Mississippi River. We got to 4300 Brookview in Burnsville, MN around 8:30 p.m.
June 14, 1993: Mall of America
Fred and Janice took us to the Mall of America which had 400 stores. We walked through Camp Snoopy and had lunch at the 50s/60s diner, Boogies. We went through an area that had train models, as that was one of Fred's hobbies.
June 15, 1993: Downtown Minneapolis
The Soops took us into downtown Minneapolis to walk around the skyways that connected all of the buildings. I think this concept would be great for all downtown buildings in the colder climates.
I went down the same escalator in the IDS building as Mary Tyler Moore did in the beginning of the Mary Tyler Moore Show. Then, we went shopping at the Target store in the Burnsville Mall.
June 16, 1993: South Dakota
Took 90 West to Rapid City, South Dakota. We stopped at a ghost town along the way. Stopped in Dsmet, South Dakota where Laura Ingalls lived as a child. Drove to Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota. I drove through the Badlands. We got there at sundown, so we only saw about 20 minutes of it. A thunderstorm had started. It was scary driving in the dark along the edge of the cliffs. Visited Wall Drug in Wall, South Dakota. The shops were really neat with little figure people outside. It looked like a little main street in Europe. Stayed in Rapid City for the night.
June 17, 1993: Mount Rushmore
It was quite cloudy and misty, so we couldn't see Mount Rushmore that well. Saw the President's sculptures. The Black Hills were like nothing I had ever seen in my life. Then, we went to Deadwood, South Dakota. We got to ride in a limosine to one of the casinos. I felt like I was in an old west town with all of the casinos and narrow streets.
June 18, 1993: Yellowstone
Had breakfast at Perkins in Gillete. I drove through a tunnel and around Bighorn Mountains. In Bighorn National Park, we heard that Gillete had a tornado warning just about 1 1/2 hours after we had been there. It was pretty foggy, which made driving treacherous. We stayed in a cabin at Lake Lodge. Saw some buffaloes along the road on our drive.
June 19, 1993: Yellowstone
Took a tour of the Lower Loop in Yellowstone National Park. We sat next to a family from Ohio. They were called the Amazing Glen Family because one of the kids did a magic trick with the bus driver. Saw Old Faithful, Old Faithful Inn, geysers, hot springs, and the Continental Divide.
We saw elk, moose, and bison. Our tour guide was Jim Brehms.
Tonight, we stayed in Grant Village. It's very modern, but cheaply made. You can hear every noise through those walls. Had dinner at a steakhouse.
June 20, 1993: Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Left Yellowstone National Park and drove through the Grand Tetons. We stayed at the Golden Eagle Motor Inn on Broadway Ave. in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We made reservations for white river rafting. At night, we went in a covered wagon and had a delicious meal. The guy who drove ours was from Utah.
June 21, 1993: White River Rafting
Today, we went white river rafting in Jackson Hole. We wore plastic pants and jackets and still got soaking wet. Our group was alot of fun. It rained and thundered while we were on the ride. Mom fell off her seat alot while we were going through the rapids. Then, we had a buffalo burger at Jedediahs.
June 22, 1993: Estes Park, Colorado
We drove to Estes Park, Colorado. We stayed at the Comfort Inn in Estes Park. Enjoyed looking around the shops.
June 23, 1993: Estes Park, Colorado
Went on the Wilderness Tour on an old army truck. The ride went through the Rocky Mountains. I swear it had to be one of the bumpiest roads in America. Toured the Stanley Hotel, which was based in one of Stephen King's novels. Stephen King stayed at this hotel. Then, we went on an aerial tram.
June 24, 1993: Nebraska and Iowa
Stayed at the Best Western in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Called Skip's parents in Omaha, Nebraska. Adam was visiting his grandmother. His uncle had a farm in Friend, Nebraska. He said they went to Women Lake, Minnesota in the summer, too. That was a 16 hour drive from Milan, Michigan. Mrs. Lawver said it was 225 miles to Ottumwa, Iowa.
June 25, 1993: Rosie's Big Food Diner in Eldon, Iowa
Continued on I-80 east to Ottumwa and Eldon, Iowa. We ate at Roseanne and Tom Arnold's diner called "Rosie's Big Food Diner". On the way out of the bathroom, I went through the kitchen and saw their phone number posted on the wall. I wish I had written it down. No one in town would tell us where they were building their big mansion, so we drove down many of the roads and finally found their guest house. We stayed the night in Illinois.
June 26, 1993: Homeward Bound
We got back to Grand Haven and had to wait for the bridge. We put on about 4,000 miles on the Ford Tempo on this trip. Overall, it was an excellent trip. We saw so many things. It was definitely a trip that every child should have the opportunity to go on.
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