We enjoyed a lot of fun tourist attractions on our way to Laramie, WY last week. On the way out, we went through South Dakota and on the way home, we went through Colorado, Nebraska, and Iowa. This photo was taken by the Missouri River in South Dakota. Mom says she won’t take a trip like this in warm weather as all over the place there were watch out for snakes signs.
The first night we stayed in a Home2 hotel in Rapid City. We really like them and they have a nice kitchenette for Mom to make our food. The winds were heavy and the temps were cold. It was in the twenties when we got up in the morning! To warm our furs after our before bedtime walk, we sat for a moment at the fire outside the hotel. It is very cozy.
First thing in the morning we headed out towards Wyoming, passing a ranger station outside Rapid City. Here we finally met Smokey the Bear. What a gracious bear he is! He even let us pose for a photo with him. Do you see me smiling?
The next morning we were off to Laramie. It didn’t take long until we crossed into Wyoming. Wyoming is the twenty first state on our list of states visited. The sun was out and it was gorgeous, but cold, and still quite windy.
In Laramie, we stayed at a Hampton Inn. Mom hasn’t stayed at one in years, but they are now part of the Hilton group so we gave it a try. We actually really liked it. Our room was quite spacious, staff was friendly, and the location was good. We are adding Hampton to our list of hotels we can stay at. Olivia and I enjoyed watching the people in the parking lot from our window.
The prison we did our nose work at is part of the historic places in Wyoming. We got our own Park Passport and even got a stamp on the page with the prison. Hopefully we will go back sometime and do some hiking on their park trails.
After our two days of nose work, we packed our bags and headed out early Sunday morning for the long drive home. We took a short detour through Colorado on the way to Nebraska. Colorado is now the twenty second state Olivia and I have been to. Not bad for a couple of hounds! The sign was on the highway so we couldn’t take a photo next to it because it would be too dangerous.
Our last night in Laramie, it snowed and was very windy, nothing new, I know. Sunday morning the highway we took through the pass was covered in snow and ice. Still we made it to the point we were looking for, the highest point on Interstate 80. Another one of the tourist attractions we took in.
The main reason we stopped here was actually the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Monument. The Lincoln Monument is a bust of Abraham Lincoln by Robert Russin, 12+1⁄2 feet (3.8 m) high and resting on a 30-foot-tall granite pedestal at the Summit Rest Area on Interstate 80 east of Laramie, Wyoming. Russin originally erected the sculpture in 1959 nearby on Sherman Hill, overlooking the old U.S. Highway 30 (Lincoln Highway) In 1969, after Interstate 80 was built, state officials moved the monument to become a centerpiece at the Summit Rest Area and Visitor Center between the cities of Cheyenne and Laramie.
We will post more of our adventure in the coming days, The Corn Palace, Badlands, and The Black Hills. I think we are lucky dogs to get so see so much of the USA.
My GBGV Life is joining Brian’s Home Blog in the Thankful Thursday Blog Hop!
your own passport with a stamp? we love this place and we would love to be there too!!!!
We could have so much fun the four of us! There is plenty of space for running around and causing trouble.
Wow, that is a lot packed into a few days. I bet Bailie missed all of you. I am sure you have showed her all of your travel pictures and told her what she missed since she does not like to travel. So glad you had a safe trip.
She did the west when she was young, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. These days she is happy to be a home body mostly. We like the adventures.
You had such a great road trip! My big brother and I lived in Colorado – we loved it there! And mom has traveled to Wyoming a few times — she agrees it is windy! Great photos and great trip! your friend Lilly
The wind was extra strong, 60 mph gusts, which makes walking forward hard sometimes. We are hoping to go to Colorado one of these days for some trials and to do some hiking. Right now everything is on the far west side. We are waiting for some trials from the middle east.
You girls have seen more of this country of ours in your 6 and 3 years than I have in my nearly 69 years! Good for you!! Glad you had a safe trip and a lot of fun!!
We have gotten around and we are hoping to get to see more of the country later this year.
What adventures you two get to share and now you have 22 states you’ve visited under your belts. It’s perfect.
Have a fabulous Thankful Thursday. Scritches all around and my best to your wonderful mom. ♥
We are almost half done with all the states, but Mom says we won’t be going to Alaska or Hawaii. That is alright, because there are still 26 states to visit.
Road trip! You have such wonderful travels. I did see you smile, Madison. Yikes, snakes
..eeeeeeekkkkkkk! XOXO Sparkle
Mom was not happy about all the snake warnings but we are thankful it was cold out so we didn’t have to worry about them. We know we won’t go there in warmer weather because Mom is terrified of snakes.
We haven’t traveled very much – yet, Maybe we will soon. We live near I80 in California, maybe one day you will visit California!
Mom isn’t a big fan of California and it is a very long drive from here, but we may make it there one day. The places we will go to and distances we will travel is ever expanding. I think first we will be going more to the east coast.
What an adventure! Great photos!
Thank you. It was a whirlwind, but with our navigator along, we can do and see a lot in a shorter amount of time.
You girls are the luckiest girls in the whole wide world getting to travel and stay in hotels and warm your furs by the fire but we don’t like the sounds of the snakes.
As soon as snakes signs pop up, Mom is history unless it is too cold which it was last weekend. Mom won’t do any reptiles.
OMDs you finally found snow in too …as if you needed to see more right? What a beautiful area you visited. You are lucky ladies!! If you needed a passport for US of A trips you two ladies would be needing a new one every few months.
Hugs Cecilia
The snow was really bad that morning because of the wind and it being wet snow, the highway was iced over but we are used to winter driving. Slow and steady and we got through the pass and on to better road conditions.
I think the Colorado sign is funny. It is so dull and it says welcome to the colorful state…
Colorado is a really pretty place, but when you enter it from the east side, it is as boring as watching paint dry. You have to drive a distance before it gets pretty.
Such a fun trip and how cool you got to meet Smokey Bear! Thanks for joining our Thankful Thursday Blog Hop!
Mom has always wanted us to meet Smokey, and now we finally have.
Wow, what a great trip! You saw so many things, but we are glad they did not include snakes. We feel the same way as your mom! 🙂
Seeing a snake would ruin the entire trip. We won’t be going west until it gets colder in the fall if we go west.
You are two well-traveled pups!
We are lucky to get to see so many places and experience what the USA has to offer.
What a great trip! Isn’t traveling the best?!
xoxo,
Sunny, Rosy & Jakey
We love to travel. It is a bummer Bailie hates it, but she has a nice time with her pet sitter who loves her.
I have always loved Hampton Inn but don’t think I knew that pets were permitted. I bet they still give out free cookies at 3pm, right? Love all of the sights you are sharing from your trip….sooo cool that you got a photo with Smokey The Bear!!!
We think that the Hilton thing is making them pet friendly and they were super nice too. Cookies were out every afternoon, not sure what time they came out, though.