Author: ajeanneinthekitchen

Larry is from Hays, Kansas, and he still has quite a bit of family that still lives in the area. We travel to Kansas quite often. It is only about a 4 1/2 drive from our house. But we go down I-70, and that’s about it. This time we were heading down to Pratt to visit with our nephew Jared and his family before going Ollie’s party. We got to see a lot more of Kansas too. Parts that Larry had never seen either.

We stopped in Oakley, and saw the Buffalo Bill Cultural Center.

A mural depicting things and people that helped shaped Kansas.

We went to Monument Rock, outside of Oakley, which was quite impressive. These magnificent large monoliths, rising as high as 70 feet, were created during the Cretaceous Period of geologic history when the area was covered by the Niobrara seaway, which extended from the present-day Gulf of Mexico north through Canada. When the sea receded, it left behind these magnificent marine sedimentary deposits that have eroded over time. Every inch represents 700 years of history! In 1968 Monument Rocks was designated as the first National Natural Landmark in Kansas and in 2006 was voted one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas.

We saw bats and bat nests, a “leaping deep” and a turtle.

At first we thought these were swallows’ nests, but it turns out they were bats.

“Leaping deer” became a running joke with Dennis and Lee during our travels. Lee had commented on the deer signs that all looked like they were leaping. The deer we saw in Kansas really was leaping. It was leaping through the tall grasses and was on the move.

This little guy was on the side of the road, just taking it slow and easy.

And we saw this beautiful bird flying too.

After leaving Monument Rock, we went into the fossil museum, which was nearby.

These were all fossils found in the area, dating back millions of years ago, when Kansas was buried under the sea. I am GLAD I don’t encounter these creatures when diving today! They look pretty scary!

From here, we went to Pratt, for a couple of nights with Jared and Lexi. These are just some of the sights we saw along the way.

The further south we went, the greener the pastures became.

This is very different from Hays. Hays is brown and dusty, and not nearly so lush. I like southern Kansas much better than Hays. But Hays is where we have to go to visit with Larry’s family.

Make everyday an adventure. Even if you are going to places you always go, challenge yourself to find something new about every place you go. 🙂 Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

I officially finished my long series of our Epic Northwestern Journey yesterday with my post about Casper, Wyoming. Our Epic Northwestern Journey – Part 30- Fort Caspar, Wyoming. We had a great time, and saw so much. I hope you all enjoyed it too. I am going to add our Kansas adventures as well, even though they weren’t the same trip at all. I am just lumping our latest travels and adventures together, mainly because they were so close together timewise. We were only in Kansas for a long weekend.

The reason for our trip to Kansas was to celebrate Larry’s mom, Ollie (Viola). We helped her celebrate her 95th birthday, along with about 100 other people as well. In total, there was about 130+ people in attendance, all there to wish Ollie a very happy birthday.

All of Larry’s siblings and all of us “outlaws” with Ollie. Larry is the youngest of nine.

And all of the grandkids, their spouses and the great-grandkids. Needless to say, Larry has a BIG family.

The family decorated the hall in shades of purple and gold, since purple is Ollie’s favorite color. We rented out the VFW club.

My sister-in-law Sheri did most of the decorations and made all the cupcakes and the little gift boxes for everyone. She is very talented.

Our niece Paige is a very creative and talented cake maker too. She made Ollie’s cake.

Our nephew Matt was the DJ extraordinaire for the event.

Ollie had a great time, and so did all the guests, but poor Ollie was wiped out at the end of the day. It’s hard to be so popular and so well loved, especially at 95. 🙂

Happy Birthday Ollie. We love you very much.

One of our last stops before coming come was Fort Caspar, outside of Casper, Wyoming. Again, it was very interesting and very well done. We all learned quite a bit about Fort Caspar and the surrounding areas. It was another fun and informative win/win for us.

There was also a small dedication to those who crossed over the Oregon Trail too.

Wyoming was one of the states the settlers crossed through on their way to Oregon.

The inside of the museum was dedicated to the Wyoming ways of life, from the Native Americans to the soldiers to the settlers, whereas the outside was the fort, one of the last western frontiers. There was also a large display of posters from the movies made in the area. There were actually quite a few.

The Army life was tough for everyone. It was very sparse and harsh with minimal pay and no comforts at all. Think back to the very beginning of the movie “Dances With Wolves”, which if I am not mistaken, was one of the movies filmed in the area too.

There was also a small military cemetery on the premises, to honor their fallen, both past and present. Since Memorial Day had just recently passed, every grave was given an American flag.

Some of the other points of interest on or around the fort.

Colorful Columbines.

A curious Killdeer.

It just warms my heart to see so many small communities honor their military. I wish everyone did this. Thank you to all who serve and have served.

We made one last stop before arriving back home to the Denver area. We stopped in Cheyenne. Cheyenne is only a little over an hour away from us. Cheyenne is so close to us though, we can go back at any time. We stopped at the Terry Bison Ranch. We would have stayed longer, but the storm came in, and ended up being a pretty nasty storm too.

Once again, someone got every creative with old recycled junk. It just goes to show that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

Oh give me a home, where the buffalo roam.

Next stop, HOME! I have one more small travel series, from our trip to Hays, KS, even though it wasn’t really part of our epic Northwestern Journey. But it is the last of our travels, for now, so it just makes sense to add it as well.

Stay curious, stay, safe and stay well. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

We are now in the last phases of our epic Northwestern journey. Wyoming was our last state before coming home. We drove down from Harding, heading towards Casper, for one more night’s stay on the road.

On the way to Casper, we stopped in Sheridan. Larry’s boss grew up there and said there is an ice cream stand that he had to try. We attempted it, but there was a big bike rally taking place, and the line for the ice cream stand was way to long. We did stop for pictures though, proving we did at least make the attempt to go there. 🙂 Dennis and Larry both LOVE their ice cream.

We did get to see the river and the pretty flowers though before hitting the road once again. I really like Sheridan a lot.

Once again, there were so many beautiful irises all over.

We didn’t stay in Sheridan too long before hitting the road once again.

We made it to Casper, checked in to our hotel for the night, then went looking for something to eat. Once again, Dennis was in the mood for Thai, so that’s what we ate.

We thought it was kind of strange that they had a Christmas tree up in June, so we asked about it. They said they keep it up all year and decorate it for each season. OK. Whatever floats your boat, right?!

Everything was good, but I think I made the best choice. I went with another curry. I LOVE curries.

After we ate, we took in some of the Casper sights before heading back to our hotel for another round or two of games.

Wyoming is definitely part of the wild, wild west. I love how so many of the old buildings and statues detail the Wyoming way of life.

This way of life has been the Wyoming way since the beginning. Not much has changed from the early days to the present either. This is just their way of life. Always has been and I think always will be. Don’t fix it if it ain’t broke, right?!

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

After leaving the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center, we headed to Harding, where we turned in for the night. But before turning in, we took a little hike around the lake. The lake was beautiful.

We met up with friends both new and old.

Sorry for this grainy photo of the Western Grebe. This was the only photo he would allow me to take. Seeing this Grebe was a first for me, though we do have them at home too.

Same with this yellow warbler.

We see Red Wing Blackbirds all the time too. They love our lakes.

And of course we have plenty of playful and curious squirrels at home as well. But they are always so much fun to photograph.

After a good night’s rest, we started our travels and explorations early again the next morning. This time we went to Little Big Horn, Custer’s last stand. Once again, it was a fascinating presentation, and our guide was so informative. They had a great presentation with both Custer and his army and the Native Americans’ viewpoint and perspectives.

These are most definitely hallowed grounds. The presentation was just about to start when we got there, so we listened to that first, then explored the grounds. Many brave men, fought and died here; both American soldiers and many from many different Native tribes.

There were even some wild turkeys and a moth listening in too. His speech was interesting to all.

This is also a cemetery for those brave soldiers who fought and died in other wars as well.

Many horses were also lost during this bloody battle. They too were honored.

There were also dedications to the brave Native Americans who fought as well. Many people, from many tribes joined forces and fought here.

Even today, many Native Americans pay tribute to their brave warriors by offering tobacco to the gods. To many Native peoples a gift of traditional tobacco is a sign of respect and may be offered when asking for help, guidance, or protection. Traditional tobacco is sometimes used directly for healing in traditional medicine.

Once we toured the grounds, we went into the museum.

This is typically how the Native scouts, translators and Natives peoples helping the American Army dressed.

The American soldiers and how they were prepared for battle.

And the Native American warriors.

Our education continued after leaving the battlefield and museum across the street. It was combination of a gift store and a continuation of the museum and cultural center.

There was some kind of BBQ going on for the locals too.

I met this lovely lady, Olive Plain Bull, who was Crow, in the gift store. She explained a lot of things to me, and was so knowledgeable and gracious. She was telling me about some of the traditional materials and clothing worn by the native people. I could have stayed and talked to her all day, but alas we had to move on.

One of the things she was telling me about was this style of dress worn by many of the Native ladies. She said the owner of this dress was considered a wealthy woman by her people and was well taken care of by her husband. This dress is covered in bull elk teeth, that ONLY the bulls have, and they only have two. So this lady’s husband was a successful hunter and warrior, because her dress had a lot of bull elk teeth.

Yet again, this was not a planned stop, but we all thoroughly enjoyed it. It was very educational and we all learned so much about so many things. Again, if you like history, this is a definite must see. And stop in and say hi to Olivia too.

History, the good, bad and ugly, teaches us to learn from our mistakes and to constantly grow and improve, to become better people. Never stop learning.

Have a great day and make everyday a great day to learn new things. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

I have a few more fun posts from our big epic Northwestern Journey. We have now entered back into the United States, entering from Waterton, Alberta, Canada into Montana.

When we first entered Montana, it looked very similar to Waterton, but as we continued to drive through Montana, it became more and more like green pasture land, with beautiful rolling hills. Montana is very sparsely populated, with only about 1.6 million people. We were still traveling through the Rocky Mountains though, so there are still plenty of mountains all around too.

Montana is definitely cowboy country. There are way more cattle than people.

Apparently, Montana was also home to the dinosaurs millions of years ago.

We were heading south towards Harding, where we were staying for the night. Of course we made some fun, historical stops along the way though. This was the big dam we passed as we were heading towards the Lewis & Clark National Interpretive Center.

We made it to the Lewis & Clark National Interpretive Center. It was fascinating. I don’t think Lewis and Clark knew what they were in for when they signed up for the expedition, but we are all so glad they made it. Because of their fearless excursion, the United States grew into the very large land mass and country that it is today.

The Lewis & Clark expedition took place under Thomas Jefferson’s presidency, when we acquired all the western land as part of the Louisiana purchase in 1804. The trek was to go as far west as possible, to the Pacific Ocean, from the Mississippi River. The excursion lasted over two years. Along the way they confronted harsh weather, unforgiving terrain, treacherous waters, injuries, starvation, disease and both friendly and hostile Native Americans. Nevertheless, the approximately 8,000-mile journey was deemed a huge success and provided new geographic, ecological and cultural information about previously uncharted areas of North America.

The interpretive center did a great job of presenting the expedition and the trials and tribulations that Lewis & Clark and their men, faced along the way.

We all thoroughly enjoyed our stop at the interpretive center. We all learned a lot of new things too. For all those people who say they don’t like history and that history is boring, it really can be fun, especially when done right. 🙂

After leaving the interpretive center, we continued southward to Harding where we were stopping for the night. Montana is still home to many Native American peoples. We passed through Black Feet territory, and I am sure more as well along the way. Harding is home to a lot of Crow peoples.

Montana is known as Big Sky Country. You can see how it got that name too.

Overlooking Billings.

This is a good place to stop. I have oh so much more to share, but that will have to wait just a bit longer. 🙂

Life is meant to be explored to be lived. Explore the world around you. I’m sure you will be amazed at what you find, or what finds you. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

For my fellow Americans, I hope you all enjoyed your 4th of July festivities and celebrations. I know we did. We celebrated in true American tradition and style. We went to Mike and Lauren’s first for a BBQ dinner, then we all went to our local park for the 4th of July festivities. First there was a local band that played fun music from the 80’s that we all grew up with. We enjoyed the music and sang to every song.

The park was filled with people celebrating the 248th birthday of America.

There were many people wearing their American pride too, but none better than this colorful celebrant.

After the concert finished, it was time for the fireworks to begin, and what a spectacular show it was too. The sky was lit up in bright colors. Here are some of the better photos we took. I was actually surprised they came out as well as they did.

These were professional fireworks, set off by professional munition experts, and there were still three fires that were sparked by the fireworks. Fortunately there were plenty of fire fighters, police and rescue personnel around to put out the fires quickly, otherwise, things could have easily turned very dangerous indeed.

This is exactly why so many cities and states outlaw personal fireworks. It’s dangerous when you play with fire, even for the pros. Yet, there are still plenty of STUPID people who insist on buying their own fireworks and setting them off. There were plenty of our neighbors who were firing them off too, up to about midnight. WHY????? The professional fireworks are much better and MUCH SAFER. Don’t do it! It’s just not worth it.

As I always say, stay safe and stay well. Safety first most, and foremost! ‘Til next time.

Today, July 4th, is known as Independence Day in America. It was on this day 248 years ago, that our great country was started, as it officially broke away from British rule. The holiday celebrates the Second Continental Congress’ unanimous adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, a document announcing the colonies’ separation from Great Britain. The Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776. Most of the delegates to the Second Continental Congress signed the document on August 2, 1776. By putting their names on this paper, these men risked losing everything if the British won the American Revolution.

Today, picnics, BBQs and fireworks are the traditional ways Americans celebrate the 4th of July. The tradition of setting off fireworks for the Fourth of July started on the very first Independence Day in 1777, with firework celebrations taking place in Philadelphia and Boston. Early U.S. settlers brought their love of fireworks with them to the New World and fireworks were part of the very first Independence Day – a tradition that continues every 4th of July when we celebrate as John Adams had hoped “with pomp, parade….bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other.”

Our flag, with the 13 red and white stripes and the blue banner with white stars represents the 13 original colonies and the stars represent all 50 states. Also the red is for hardiness and valor. The white represents purity and innocence. The blue is for vigilance, perseverance, and justice. There have been 27 different flags since the beginning of our country. The flags changed as our country changed and grew.

Happy 248th Birthday America. May your banner forever wave!

Happy 4th to everyone. Stay safe, stay well, and most importantly, STAY FREE! ‘Til next time.

We made one last stop in Canada before entering back into the United States. We stopped in Waterton Glacier Parc, about 45 minutes from border between Canada and Montana. Waterton is where the prairies of Alberta meet the peaks of the Rocky Mountains. Upper Waterton Lake is the deepest lake in the Canadian Rockies at 148 m. The Park’s highest peak, Mount Blakiston, is 2,940 meters above sea level. Waterton has some of the oldest, exposed sedimentary rock in the Rocky Mountains. Waterton Lakes National Park receives Alberta’s highest average annual precipitation.

Waterton was full of wildlife and full of surprises. We saw yet another herd of bison, though they were way off in the distance. The area was fenced off too, so we couldn’t get any closer.

We saw a big horn ram crossing the street.

You can stay here, at The Prince Of Wales Hotel in the park if you like, at about $300 US per night. The view is spectacular, but that’s a bit too pricey for my tastes.

We drove all around the park and hiked around a bit too. Yet again, we were treated to some amazing scenery and views.

There is also a small little town within the park. We stopped there for lunch and more sightseeing. We ate at a little restaurant called Zum’s. The food was good and the ambiance was fun and quirky, with fun signs and license plates from all over covering the walls.

We certainly did explore Canada’s Northwest Territories, though NOT the artic regions, and enjoyed everything we did and saw too.

I guess since I am NOT skinny, by any means of the imagination, you can definitely trust my cooking. 🙂

Since we saw one of these, it was only appropriate to get a picture of the sign too. 🙂

The town of Waterton was cute and quaint, but the most memorable parts for us were the deer sightings all over town. This one is just out for a jog along the water’s edge.

There were more deer camped out at various locations around town too.

We even saw Bigfoot.

This concludes our Canadian adventures. We had one more border crossing, this time from Canada back into the United States. Next stop, Harding, Montana.

Life is full of adventures. Enjoy as many of them as you can and you will lead a good life indeed. 🙂 Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

After leaving the visitor’s center, we continued on our Canadian wildlife adventures. We were heading towards Banff. We went to both the Banff Mountains as well as the town of Banff. I have been lucky enough to visit many, many beautiful places around the world, but Banff is just breathtaking!

This is Natural Bridge. Pictures just don’t do it justice at all.

Dennis with the Mt. Dennis sign.

Once in the town of Banff, we saw even more wildlife, just freely walking around and enjoying life. Banff is known for it’s world class skiing.

I was making friends with the little chipmunks and marmots around the visitor’s center.

Inside, there were more of the locals on display. We did see these in the wild, but again, not close enough to get any good shots. These will have to do.

We did NOT see any grizzlies though. That would have been an adventure for sure.

We saw a Saint Bernard, Jasper, that we just had to cuddle with. We miss our Saints, Lucie and Vinnie. Jasper was good Saintly therapy for us.

The town of Banff was just as beautiful as the Banff Mountain areas.

These are the street makers. All the streets were named after Canadian wildlife.

We were making friends with the locals too. Lee is getting bear kisses and hugs.

Leaving Banff, we saw a few Caribou on the side of the road too.

Again, this is a good stopping point. We still have a lot more adventures for the day. But I am going to leave you in a bit of suspense. Anticipation is a good thing. 🙂

I hope you have enjoyed Banff and the surrounding areas as much as we did. Hang tight. I’ve got lots more coming up. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.