Boxster Road Trip

Day 21 of our #BoxsterRoadTrip.

We started the day with some really cool clouds and a little bit of rain.  Steve wondered if these were tornado clouds and I assured him they weren’t.  (As if I know!)  We took the back roads from Wisconsin Dells to Theresa, WI to do some cheese tasting at Widmer’s Cheese Cellers.  Excellent cheese and we bought a chunk to have with some fresh bread we already had.  Great start to the day.

Next stop (again taking back roads), was Kelley Country Creamery.  You may remember me blogging about this earlier, saying this was one stop that was a definite “must do”.  I have to say we had a great time here.  First, the ice cream is to die for!  Jo had dark chocolate raspberry, coffee, and chocolate w/rice krispies.  Steve had coffee and mint marshmallow (and ate most of Jo’s dark chocolate raspberry).  While we were devouring our ice cream, Karen Kelley sat down and chatted with us.  We started talking about cheese (because they also make their own cheese) and Karen was nice enough to bring us some of their mature BallyByron to taste.  It is a great cheese and we brought some of that back with us also.  It reminds us of a nice English Red Leicester.

We left Kelley County Creamery and again started down a back road, this time heading back to Wisconsin Dells and a winery called Fawn Creek, by way of Manchester (making Steve feel right at home).  As we were driving along one of the back roads, we began to notice horse manure along both sides of the road.  And where there is horse manure, there are buggies!  So we knew we were in Amish country.  It didn’t take long before we began to see a number of buggies.  Almost commute traffic!

We ended the day at the Fawn Creek Winery looking for a bottle of wine to go with our wonderful cheeses.  We met one of the owners, Jim, and had a nice time tasting their wines and learning about their winery.  We ended up buying a Pinot Grigio and a Pinot Noir.

All in all, a very nice day.

The journey continues . . .

Day 20 of #BoxsterRoadTrip took us from Minneapolis to Wisonsin Dells.

We left Minneapolis around 9:30 and jumped on the Interstate.  Big mistake.  Traffic, trucks, RV’s and crazy people.  We only traveled a few miles and decided it was back onto US-12.  The speed limit (except going through the little towns) is 55 and often we couldn’t see another car either in front or behind us.  And I’m talking miles in front and back.  It was as if the road was US-Jo&Steve instead of US-12!  Yes, you have to slow for the little towns, but that is the fun of it.  Several of those little towns were horse-and-buggy Amish communities.  Don’t see that on an Interstate!

On our way to the Dells, we began to see our first glimpses of autumn color.  We had lunch at a place in Wisconsin Dells called Mac’s, which just serves different kinds of mac & cheese.  Comfort food.  Perfect food for cheese country.  We are staying at a timeshare called Mirror Lake & Tamarack Resort.  The first thing we did upon arriving was laundry!

The next few days will be spent doing day trips from this location.  It is nice to feel “settled” for a few days before the next leg of the trip.  So, even though we are staying put for a few days . . .

The journey continues . . .

Day 19 of #BoxsterRoadTrip saw us sightseeing in and around Minneapolis.

Started the day by heading off to Stillwater.  Lovely little town (with some awesome huge homes) with what we thought of as dueling churches in the old part of town.  As you can see from the photo, there were five, just in this shot!  Who has the biggest spire? Hmmm.

We walked along the St Croix River and around town.

Then we headed back to Minneapolis.

We wanted to see the Guthrie Theater and the Endless Bridge and the Dowling Studio Lobby.  We almost scored tickets to the Heidi Chronicles but, unfortunately, there were no seats available.  A lovely lady whom we met at the theater really tried to get us in (for which we were most grateful), but it is opening night.  Oh well, we did get some wonderful shots from the bridge and from the lobby.

We ended the day with the intention of getting a salad for dinner and, instead, decided on Pierogi, which neither of us had ever tried.  Not exactly healthy, but certainly tasty!

Tomorrow we head off to Wisconsin Dells, WI for five nights (and a little resting from driving).  The first item on the to-do list is laundry!  Looking forward to chilling and not driving for a few days (at least not driving far).

The journey continues . . .

Day 18 of BoxsterRoadTrip was pretty much a day of getting from here to there.

We left the lovely Foote Creek Bed & Breakfast after a wonderful breakfast and delightful conversation with the Innkeepers.  This Inn is a gem, even with the gravel road (which would be no trouble in almost any car but a Porsche – but we did it and it was worth it!!!).  If you are ever in the Aberdeen area of South Dakota or, if you are a pheasant hunter, this is the place to stay.

We got an early start and stuck to state highways and county roads the entire trip from South Dakota, into North Dakota, and on to Minnesota.  The morning was overcast and foggy, so no photos.  The roads almost all day were straight and pretty flat and, well, boring.  Lots of corn fields.  And then more corn fields.

We decided to go “light” for lunch, so we stopped at a little restaurant called “Don’s Café” in Morris, Minnesota and – uh oh – they make real milk shakes in just about any and every flavor you can imagine.  Steve sweet talked the waitress into making him two “half” milk shakes because he couldn’t decide between English Toffee and Butter Rum.  So he had both.  Jo had chocolate.  So much for “light”.

We arrived in Minneapolis just in time to experience commute traffic!  We had a lovely dinner at an Italian restaurant and ended the day at an Airbnb called “Craftsman Suite on the Mississippi “, which is a very nice home close to downtown and close to the river.  We are looking forward to exploring tomorrow.

The journey continues . . .

Day 17 of our #BoxsterRoadTrip takes us from Rapid City, SD to Aberdeen, SD.

We left the lovely Peregrine Point Bed and Breakfast, after being fed a gourmet breakfast of an egg and cheese soufflé with sausage, asparagus, and fresh fruit.  Add to that toast, cinnamon buns and coffee and we were sent off full and happy.

We had been told that there was an infestation of a beetle that was killing the pine trees, but it is way worse than we imagined, as you can see from the photo on the right.  There is a huge effort to cut down and remove the infected trees and there are probably hundreds of thousands of them to be culled out of the forests.

After leaving Rapid City, we headed north to Deadwood, SD, where Wild Bill Hickok was killed (and is buried).  The town was a little bit of a disappointment as there is more emphasis on gambling and shopping than on the historical aspect.  However, Steve did get some great pictures.

We stopped for lunch in a little town called Dupree (almost missed it).  It is a right turn off of US-212 and we missed the turn the first time.  We circled back and had lunch at the “Ranch House Café“.  Okay, I know there is a slim chance you will be driving by Dupree, SD but, if you are, stop at this little restaurant.  Don’t let the outside fool you.  It is cute as can be on the inside and the food was fresh, well prepared and delicious.  And the staff were some of the friendliest people we’ve met.  A real piece of Americana.

The day would not be complete unless there was a bridge for Jo to drive across (being that she hates driving across bridges).  And who would have thought there would be a bridge in South Dakota?  But there is and she found it!

We ended the day at Foote Creek B&B in Aberdeen and, yep, another gravel road.  The B&B is charming and our hosts are a delight.  We’ll snap a few photos in the morning and include them in the next blog.

A few more hundred miles of straight roads tomorrow.  So, if we don’t get some sleep, I won’t be able to say . . .

And the journey continues . . .

Day 16 of our #BoxsterRoadTrip started with a beautiful sunrise as we left Casper Wyoming and headed northeast toward South Dakota.  We broke our tradition and did about 55 miles on an Interstate (I-25).  The best part of that drive was that the speed limit was 80 and Jo was driving.  Yahoo! It didn’t take long for the sun to rise, the temperature to hit 70, the top to come down and for us to leave Wyoming and enter the deep black hills and badlands of South Dakota.

The first stop was at the Crazy Horse Memorial, which is privately run (not a US Park) and is beyond impressive.  The work on this memorial has been going on since 1923 and there is still a long way to go, as you can tell by the pictures.  The picture on the left is how it is today.  The picture on the right is how it will look, superimposed (by creative Steve) and the far right shows a drawing over the memorial as it is today.  You can see that this is still a work in progress.  And most of the work is done by blasting!  Amazing.

We stopped in Hill City, SD for lunch and ate at a “local” place called Hill City Café.  Jo had their soup and salad bar and everything was homemade.  Steve had his first buffalo burger (wait, there are no buffalos in the US, so it must have been a bison burger!).

Our next stop was Mount Rushmore, which is a National Park.  This is also an awesome sight and there were far more tourists here than at the Crazy Horse Memorial.  Again, this was mostly done by blasting but, since it had federal funding, it was done in significantly less time.  The other major point to consider is that the entire Mount Rushmore sculpture can fit into just Crazy Horse’s flowing hair.

We are spending the night at a lovely  B&B called  Peregrine Point Bed and Breakfast.  And, as we say . . .

The journey continues . . .

Day 15 of our #BoxsterRoadTrip!

Like most of our journey to date, we have kept away from Interstate Highways and have seen virtually no traffic.  US-1 in California through Oregon, US-101 to Portland, Interstates in Washington until we picked up US-2 outside of Seattle.  From there, staying on US-2, we traveled through Idaho and onto Kalispell, MT.  Then we took MT-83 south.  We picked up US-89 south of Helena, MT and took it all the way from Montana to Jackson, Wyoming.  Then we got onto US-26 to Casper, Wyoming.  So, we have traveled 3200 miles to date, with only 300 miles on Interstate Highways!  This is the best way to see the country and avoid the trucks and RVs!!!  We have averaged 28.6 miles per gallon so far, bends, hills, and mountains included.  Not bad for a 1998 Porsche Boxster, eh?

Pictures today are one last look at the Tetons and several great photos of Wyoming.

We are still taking bets on who will get stopped first and in what state.  So far, one bet is for Steve in Missouri and one bet is for Jo in “the south”.  The betting window is still open!

The journey continues . . .

Day 14 – two whole weeks – into our #BoxsterRoadTrip and today we traveled through Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park.

We started the day in line behind a bull deer, waiting to get into Yellowstone National Park North Entrance.  Not too far into the park we came upon a baby bear!  Too cute!!!    But where there is baby bear, so there will be mama bear, so we weren’t going to get too close.

After the bear, we came across a herd of bison.  They truly are magnificent creatures. And we ended the day with a butterfly.  We can’t forget the small creatures!

When you exit Yellowstone at the southern entrance, you are immediately in Grand Teton National Park.  The two parks are adjacent, but the terrain almost immediately begins to change.  The Teton’s rise up as if saying “look at me, aren’t I just grand!”.  And they are!

We ended the day in Jackson, where we did a little window shopping, had a bite to eat, and are going to recharge and get ready for tomorrow.  For, as you know . . .

The journey continues . . .

Day 13 of our #BoxsterRoadTrip and Oh, what a day this has been!

We started the day with a trip from Pray MT to Big Sky MT to see Jo’s cousin Janet (whom she hadn’t seen in over 50 years)!  With a stop at Starbucks in Bozeman (of course).  Once again, we got to drive up a gravel road!  I’m beginning to think our Boxster thinks it is an SUV!

It was great to see Janet and to meet her husband, Paul.  Time seemed to fly as we visited for several hours and, once again, we wished we had more time to spend.  But we really wanted to get to Yellowstone and see the west side of the park before it got dark.  So down the gravel road we drove and off to Yellowstone’s West Entrance we headed!

The first things we saw in the park were bison (there are no buffalo in the United States).  I think Steve did a great job of photographing these beautiful animals.  We actually saw a herd, but thought the close ups were better.

Then, on our way to Old Faithful (who is not too faithful anymore), we stopped at Fountain Paint Pots and snapped a few more photos.

Then it was on to the big fella, where we had to sit and wait for just over an hour before she blew!  But it was worth it, because not only did we see the geyser, but we also got to see a rainbow in the geyser’s spray.

It was 9:30 pm by the time we got back to the lovely B&B where we are staying (O’Carroll’s Bed & Breakfast).

The journey continues . . .

Day 12 of #BoxsterRoadTrip.

It’s been an interesting couple of days.  De-iced the car two days in a row, seen our first snow and were turned back by an avalanche in Glacier National Park.   Not bad for early September and a couple of Californians.

A long run today, down to Pray, Montana – let’s hope we don’t have to (pray, that is).  First stop is to gas up after saying farewell to our wonderful hosts, Sue & Bill.  Along our Montana journey, we’ve noticed a huge number of casinos, but they are all small – very small – the size of a roadside café or a small shop on Main Street.  You wonder how they can survive.

Down the Swan River – gradually climbing through the Rockies.  Nothing like the verticals of the Sierra Nevadas.  The Rockies are much “gentler” than you imagine, but they rise to awesome peaks.  You don’t notice going from 4,040 feet on your way to 6,325 feet and the Continental Divide.  Amongst all this beauty there is the sadness of Montana’s white crosses.  These white crosses mark the site of fatal traffic accidents and memorialize each death since 1952.  Even with so many crosses, not all fatalities are marked.

As we came to the end of this day’s journey, we realized we were driving into a semi-circle of magnificent snow capped mountains and down towards Yellowstone – our playground for Sunday.

One last thought for today:  We’d are taking input from family, friends and followers as to which state(s) we will be stopped in (by Dudley Do-Right) and who will be driving at the time!  🙂  Please place your bets!!!

The journey continues . . .

The plan today was to drive to Glacier and take the “Going to the Sun Road”.  As luck would have it, there was an avalanche and we only got a little bit past McDonald Lake (which was beautiful).  It was a little disheartening that we couldn’t make the drive, but better than being buried in the avalanche.

So, looking at the positive, Sue decided we should see Hungry Horse Dam and Reservoir.   See some of the photos below for the view we got (and the photos don’t even come close to the real view).

We then went on to the cute town of Whitefish and up to the Big Mountain Ski Resort, where we could have a fantastic view of Flathead Valley.

Tomorrow we head south.

The journey continues . . .

Day 10 of our #BoxsterRoadTrip and we headed out a little later than usual (9:15 am) and our first stop was Starbuck’s for a good cup of coffee to get the day and our hearts started right.  It was a sunny day to start with but went downhill as the day progressed.  At one point in Montana, we had the windshield wipers on full blast.

I would have photos (I’ll add them later) but the camera cable is in the car and it is too darn cold to go get it.  So photos will get added to the blog later.

Even in the rain, the drive along US-2 was beautiful.  We stopped in Libby MT for lunch at a great little restaurant called “The Last Straw Café”.  Jo had breakfast and Steve had a burger.  The restaurant was homey, the menu was surprisingly extensive, the food was prepared perfectly (not everyone can do over-medium eggs right and these were perfect), and the staff was friendly.  If you ever find yourself in Libby MT, you would do well to stop here for a meal.

Anyway, the goal today was to get to Sue & Bill’s as early as possible so we had lots of time to get caught up.  We are only in Kila for 2 nights and we want to spend as much time as possible with Jo’s childhood “bestie”.

I am going to sign off for now – my battery is beeping and Steve also left the power cable out in the cold car!

The journey continues . . .

 Started Day 9 of #BoxsterRoadTrip with a little bit of rain.  We know it was rain because we looked it up on Wikipedia (not being too sure because we haven’t actually seen rain for so long we forgot what it looked like).  But, yep, it was rain!  However, it didn’t take too long for the sun to come out and make us very sorry that we had on long sleeves and long pants.  The temperature went from mid 50’s to mid 80’s in a little over an hour.  Yowee, were we toasty for the rest of the day.

Our first stop today was in Leavenworth, WA, a little town in the mountains that reminds one of a village in Bavaria.  It is charming and absolutely filled with flowers.

Our second stop was in Wenatchee, WA, where we had brunch at a lovely restaurant called The Wild Huckleberry.  Another great meal!  And Wenatchee seemed like a very charming town.

I thought I’d share some scenery photos, to show you the variety of landscapes we saw today.  Everything from forests, to river, to apple & pear orchards, to high desert.  And, for my sister, some interesting rock formations.

Arrived at Coeur d’Alene and checked into the Greenbriar Inn around 5:30 pm and, once again, it has been a long day and we are ready to chill.

And the journey continues . . .

Sending you a lovely bouquet of flowers from the Pike Place Market on Day 8 of our #BoxsterRoadTrip!

And of course, to make this really feel like Seattle, it has been grey and overcast and very cool all day.  But that is what makes this an authentic Seattle day, right?

We started the day with a light breakfast at “A Bed & Breakfast Inn Seattle“, where we will be spending our second night tonight.  It is a nice B&B, located in a quaint part of Seattle.  It was close to a bus route that took us to within a couple of blocks of the Pike Place Market, where we wandered for a couple of hours, ogling the fresh fish and the flowers (smelly and smelly) .

The plan was to stop at the original Starbuck’s, but the line was out the door and Jo wasn’t that desperate for a cup of Joe.  We did wander up to the Hard Rock Café for lunch and then walked around the city a little more.

We really wanted to do either the Space Needle or Smith Tower, but couldn’t justify spending the money to see clouds!  So we passed on that part of the journey.  Next time . . .

Dinner was at Ivar’s Salmon House which was fabulous!  Steve had Fish & Chips (Halibut) and Jo had the Salmon Sampler, which had three different types of Salmon:  King, Sockeye and Coho.  It was nearly impossible to decide which she liked best, but she finally decided the Sockeye.  We would HIGHLY recommend Ivar’s Salmon House, especially if you are looking for Alder Wood Grilled fish (or just plain grilled fish).  Great food and good value.  We would come back to this one!

Tomorrow we start heading east, with our first stop in Couer d’Alene, ID.

Jo did get a bit of news a couple of days ago.  Seems her cousin Janet, whom she hasn’t seen in 50+ years, has invited us to get together in Big Sky, Montana.  So a little adjustment to the schedule and route is being made.  Should be fun and, heaven knows, if we wait another 50 years we will have missed the opportunity!  So, look out Janet & Paul, cuz you are now on the journey!

And the journey continues . . .

Day 7 of our #BoxsterRoadTrip.

We got up at an indecent hour to get in the queue by 7:15 am for the 10:30 am CoHo Ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles, WA.  So, here is our observation.  It would have actually been easier to take the BC Ferry back to Vancouver and drive to Seattle from Canada.  The BC Ferry is way nicer than the CoHo Ferry, less stressful, and the drive would have been about the same.  The CoHo Ferry packed the cars in like sardines in a can and there was barely enough room to squeeze out of your car door before the next car was crammed in next to you.  We were concerned about dings.  Even though our Boxster is an early 1998 (one of the first ones delivered in California), is has virtually no dings and we work hard to keep it that way.  So if you are going to take a car ferry to Victoria, seriously consider the BC Ferry.

Once on the Ferry, the trip was smooth sailing and we said goodbye to Victoria and hello to Washington.  We were still sleepy from having gotten up so early, so we skipped the Olympia National Park and headed straight for Seattle.  Well, not exactly straight, as there is no direct way to get from Port Angeles to Seattle.  You have to either take another Ferry (no thanks) or drive around the Sound.  It was about a 3 hour drive from the arrival dock to the Bed and Breakfast Inn Seattle where we are staying.  And, since Jo was driving, there had to be bridges.  Several of them!

This evening we went to Rock Creek Seafood & Spirits for dinner.  It was excellent!

Tomorrow we tour Seattle.

The journey continues. . .

Today was simply a day of walking around Victoria’s Inner Harbor and enjoying the sunshine and sights.

The journey continues . . .

We left Vancouver and headed to the BC Ferry Terminal in Tsawwassen.  The trip from Tsawwassen to Schwartz Bay in Victoria was 90 minutes and the scenery along the way was beautiful.  Smooth sailing!

We arrived in Schwartz Bay around 12:30pm and headed to the Stonehouse Pub for lunch.  Steve had Shepherd’s Pie and Jo had Cumberland Sausage and Mash.  And, of course, a beer to go along with it.  Cute pub with great food and close to the BC Ferry Dock.

After lunch, we headed to Butchart Gardens.  All I can say is indescribably beautiful.  I only wished our garden looked like this!  But what struck me was not only the visual beauty, but also the fragrance.  Breathtaking!

By the time we got to our Victoria Airbnb, called Bright Studio in Old Town District, we were ready to call it a day.  We decided to pass on dinner out and just spend an evening relaxing.

The journey continues . . .

Today was pretty much a driving day, and most of it on I5.  I hope this is the last Interstate we have to drive on (but I know it isn’t).  I am more of a back roads person (minus the gravel, of course)!!

We left Portland after a very nice breakfast at the Airbnb we stayed at called Bedroom, Breakfast and Bikes!  If you haven’t already looked into Airbnb, I highly recommend that you do.  It is a great way to save money, meet nice people, and have a “local experience”.  We left Oregon and entered into Washington and before you knew it, we were in Vancouver.  However, we discovered it was Vancouver, WA and not Vancouver, BC.  That was another six hours away (plus the time at the Customs and Immigration Checkpoint).  We stopped in Everett WA and had lunch at a cute little restaurant called Cafe Dijon.  I had one of the best salads I’ve ever had.  And we even got a homemade cookie for desert (included with lunch).

We made it through Customs and Immigration around 4:00pm and were in Vancouver BC by 4:30.  We are staying at another Airbnb, this one called Downtown Vancouver Condo.

We met up with Sandy & Sylvia for a wonderful evening of great wine, dinner and lots of catching up.  Dinner was at Water St Cafe and it was excellent.  It was a lovely evening, but way too short.

Tomorrow we are off to Victoria.

And the journey continues . . .

A light day today.  Started with a wonderful breakfast at The Grand Victorian Bed & Breakfast.  It was actually nice to see our car covered with rain (something novel for those of us who live in California).

The day may have started a little dreary but the sun was out before we hit our first stop at the Tillamook Cheese Factory.  We nibbled on some cheese and then followed a logging truck to Forest Grove and the David Hill Winery.  And believe it or not, it was another gravel road to get to the winery (which sits atop a lovely hill).

From the hillside, you could look across the valley and see another hill with a string of lonely trees along the ridge.  A unique site.

We stopped for a brief (and excellent) lunch at 1910 Main in Forest Grove and headed to Portland, where we are staying at an Airbnb called “Bedroom, Breakfast and Bikes!“.  Had dinner at Olympic Provisions.

Tomorrow we leave the country!

The journey continues . . .

After a lovely breakfast at the Airbnb “House in Downtown Arcata“, we headed on to Oregon.  The trip started with a light fog and before long, we were in full sun, shaded only by the canopy of awe inspiring redwoods.  Such grandeur and beauty makes one feel very insignificant indeed.  And very grateful to have this opportunity!

We arrived in sunny Oregon in the late morning and continued our drive northward along the seashore.  Again, the scenery was fabulous.  Special care to keep to the speed limit, of course!

The shoreline and outcroppings are possibly even more spectacular than Highway 1 in California (if that is possible).

After lunch and cheese sampling at Face Rock Creamery in Bandon OR, we headed north again.  Our via point was to be Sunset Bay State park, off of Highway 101.  BEWARE!  Setting your GSP to shortest route can have unforeseen consequences!  After two miles of lovely paved roadway, we found ourselves on a crushed rock single lane, twisty, inclining, “highway”.  This continued for another 6 miles (at a snail’s pace).  Boxsters are not designed for four-wheeling!  The GPS had decided that this backroads track was, in fact, the shortest route.  Got the adrenaline pumping.  We suddenly got dumped back onto a smooth “standard” road, that we could have taken the entire way, but would have cost us four extra miles at 7x the speed we traveled on the gravel road.  This is the road we ended up on . . .

We did eventually end up at Sunset Bay State Park; indeed a beautiful bay and worth the journey.

And just to prove this is all being done in a Porsche Boxster (and not an RV), we took a picture of the topless beauty (the car, that is)!!!

Turned out that to get from this beautiful bay to our final destination of the day, we had to cross a large bridge.  In fact, the first of six large bridges.  Jo does not do well driving across large bridges and, of course, she was driving!  Steve says she did a great job (but he didn’t know her eyes were closed the whole time).

We ended the day in Newport OR, where we had dinner at the South Beach Fish Market – fish (halibut & salmon) & chips.  It was as good as it’s reputation.

We are spending this evening at a Bed & Breakfast called “The Grand Victorian” in Newport, Oregon, where we were served a shrimp cocktail and candied salmon upon arrival.

The journey continues . . .