The drive back: Missoula!

I has taken me 7 months to post about our return trip from the coast.  At first, because I was sad about it, then just too busy.  So, here is how it all ended...

    We dropped off Asher and Beth at the airport to fly back to MN.  Sean was supposed to fly back to WI to work, but he didn't feel good about it. So, literally when we were parked at the curb of the drop off, he just let Asher and Beth out, and decided to stay in the car and miss his flight. I was sick about the money lost on his ticket, but thrilled to have his company and help driving back across the country.    It turned out to be a good thing too, because we ran into some nasty storms in Eastern Montana!

    First we stopped in northern Idaho and got to get to visit with Gordon and Lisa.  We wandered around the boardwalk of Lake Cour d'Alene and looked at the fancy boats.  Gordon treated us to a delicious dinner with ice cream after. Ephraim fell asleep under the table!

   I was really looking forward to our stop the next day in Missoula MT.  I LOVED having the older kids play outside in the beautiful rivers surrounding the town.  I have such good memories of Missoula.  The first stop was the Carousel .   I spent soooo many hours here with the older kids. Sylvia remembers visiting it as well.  But, it was closed when we got there!  They had it close that day because they were setting up some fancy party there that evening. I was crushed, and started crying.  I asked the lady if we could just go in and take pictures with the horses, and he let us.  So, here we are... not actually riding the carousel, but saying hello to dear old friends.

Sylvia and "Pal's Pal"

Ephraim and one of the giant Norwegian horses

Sylvia and Paint

I love the carving details on the horses!

Asher used to love this knight horse as well.

This is where the happiest  music in the world comes from!

       After an oil change, we went to the Rattlesnake and enjoyed my second favorite place in Missoula, the Rattlesnake.  So many hours were spent here climbing trees, smacking trees with sticks, biking, etc.

Sean, standing by to catch our monkey boy.

The limestone cliffs are as exciting as ever.

Enjoying a familiar trail.

Rattlesnake Creek:  Place of butterflies, and warm summer days.

One of the places that makes me who I am today...

I felt so sad that we didn't have more time in Missoula, but we had to rush back in order to get the boys to college in time, and Sean to work.  I'd love to go back and just spend a week, absorbing all the hippie vibes of the town.  I cried as we drove away. I felt like I didn't know "my town" anymore.  

The rest of the drive East was one thunderstorm after another.  It was white-knuckle driving in Eastern Montana. I was glad to have Sean taking care of that stretch.  We made it back in time to grab Asher in St. Paul and meet Beth's family for the first time.  Then home.  It was an amazing vacation. One of the most memorable of our lives. So glad we did it!