Our post-Portland “plans” evolved through several iterations during the month of July. We always knew we would point toward the midwest when we were done housesitting, but what route we took and how long we’d spend getting there was up in the air. For awhile we were building a route to include several key highlights: the wonders and beauty of eastern Oregon and southern Idaho; Yellowstone and the Tetons or maybe Bozeman; Wyoming ranch/rodeo life; Devil’s Tower; Sturgis; Black Hills; Badlands; the Corn Palace; etc.
But then we thought about how crazy-busy those popular parks would be, and how hot/stormy it could be, plus it turned out the weekend we thought about being in Sturgis was the weekend of THE Sturgis Rally (um, that’s a hard NO!). PLUS if we moved a little faster, we could have the possibility of overlapping in Iowa with Kayla’s brother and sister-in-law.
So, we decided to push through with few stops, but still avoiding interstates. And we had a LOVELY drive – a little bit of US Hwy 26 in Oregon, and then Hwy 20 all the way from Boise into Iowa, just 15 miles south of Kayla’s hometown. We left Portland on August 3; spent two nights in Sisters, OR (including bonus time with dear friend Natalie in Bend); one night in Boise (and went to a AAA Boise Hawks baseballs game); one night in Dubois, Wyoming; one night in Valentine, Nebraska; and then – Voila! – we were in Storm Lake!
Hwy 26 takes you right past Mt Hood! 
The KOA in Boise kinda cramped our style. 
But the Boise Hawks baseball game was super-fun! 
Lots of flat grazing land, with the occasional point of interest … 
… until you get to Teton Pass, and the beautiful, exciting windy road into Jackson Hole! 
Jackson itself is a crazy tourist town. 
But those Tetons! Impossible to capture in a photo, but completely breathtaking. 
And then, soon after, back to ranch land. 
We found a sweet little campground near Dubois, WY. This meadow made a lovely happy hour setting … 
… and we had this view during an evening stroll. 
More grassland from WY into Nebraska, go figger. 
Stumbled upon a lovely – and completely vacant – city campground in Valentine, NE. 
Creekside office in Valentine. 
Heavy local traffic.
Another delightful report!
Hard to believe summer is almost over. (At least in Sitka!)
So much beautiful country out there.
Dear K & M, Well done, ahh …. the Corn Palace, but no matter.
Ole Jeff back in Sitka. Thank you for the excellent reports. Aloha, Jeff b