HIghway Construction Complete

More of the government's stimulus package has been put to good use in Galville. The city road structure has been repaired and new concrete roads have been laid throughout the city. The Mayor took his Shelby Cobra out to check out the roads.

here the mayor is waiting for the 3:20 freight train to pass at the Swift Street crossing. The train is headed for a siding in Galville to offload the first of several train loads of building supplies. Rumor has it that construction on the Two Wheel Saloon will start shortly.

the train continues to pass along the main line of the Cumberland Railroad.

Here is an aerial view of the street of Galville.

The city has started construction of a gazebo for the city park along Dickens Lane. Another good rumor is that the barber shop quartet, Clear Choice, from Kent, Ohio will be the opening show at the dedication of the gazebo and park.

Stimulus Package Arrives in Galville

The highway construction stimulus package has arrived in Galville. The road crews have laid new asphalt and finished striping the roads in the industrial park. I took out my Shelby Cobra to check out the new roads.

here I am at the intersection of Greenwood Street and Underwood Avenue. The street signs are not up yet but there was no other traffic so I had a safe drive.

here I am cruising down Oak Ridge Road.

The last leg was to check out Tillis Road.

On to Seattle

We left Yellowstone National Park via the West Entrance and had to travel over Montana state roads to get to Interstate 90 and on to Seattle. Rounding a curve on Montana State Road 2 I had to come to a sudden stop because the was about 100 head of cattle being driven down the highway. We followed behind the herd for awhile (needed a car wash in Spokane ,our stop for the night.) We had to pull over into a gas station and let the herd clear the highway.

The herd was being driven by 7 cowboys/cowgirls and 2 dogs.

One of the cows broke away from the herd and came back towards our car. Quickly a cowboy turned around and rounded up the stray dogie and returned him to the herd.

We left Yellowstone National Park via the West Entrance and had to travel on some Montana roads to get to Interstate 90. Rounding a turn On Montana State Road 2 I had to come to a sudden stop. There in font of us was about 100 head of cattle being driven done the road. There were 7 cowboys/cowgirls and 2 dogs herding them along. We trailed behind the herd for a while (needed a car wash in Seattle) and then were able to pull into a gas station for awhile to let the herd clear the highway.

Stop Three - Yellowstone National Park

We entered Yellowstone National Park at the east entrance. We were headed for Grant Village on the shore of Yellowstone Lake. We stayed here for 2 nights. It took almost 2 hours from the east entrance to the lodge at Grant Village. Along the way we saw the effects of various wild fires in the park. Square miles of destroyed trees with various stages of new growth emerging.

While taking a walk around the geyser basin at Old Faithful, we came across a herd of bison. There were 7 bison including several calves.

This is the Grand Geyser. It was bubbling over but did not erupt while we were there.

This is the head bison watching over his herd.

This is the Morning Glory pool. It got its name from the vivid colors of the pool.

Finally Old Faithful erupting right on schedule.

Second Stop - South Dakota

After a long drive, we stopped in Wall, SD, home of the Wall Drug Store. We toured the store area and ate at the Drug Store. On Monday we drove through the Badlands. Beautiful scenery!!!
This a typical view of the Badlands, barren rock and steep slopes. The power of wind and water erosion is amazing.

As we were driving through the Badlands, we saw these flowers all along the road. We thought they were Black Eyed Susans. But after a trip to the visitor center we learned they are small sunflowers. After touring the Badlands, we continued on to Mt. Rushmore.

I had been here when I was young, but this was Barbara's first time. The heads are beautiful. We took a walking, guided tour and learned about the sculpting process.

Barbara is standing at the entrance to the walkway of states.

The final stop of the day was at Chief Crazyhorse statue. His head is finished but hey hope to have a complete statue of him riding his horse.

First Stop - St. Louis

Our first stop on our Grand Adventure was St. Louis MO. We arrived about 8 PM on Friday night and stayed at a hotel in downtown St. Louis. We had a great view of the Gateway Arch from our room. On Saturday morning we rode to the top of the Arch. We went up the North side and down the South side, making a complete traverse of the Arch.
Here we are at the top, 630 feet above the ground. We had a great view of St. Louis and could see both the baseball and football stadiums as well as city center and the state capitol.


The Arch is a magnificent structure and very beautiful.

After the tour of the Arch, we headed for St. Joseph, MO, starting point for the Pony Express. We went to terible's casino and found it not so terrible. We both went home more money than we started with. On Sunday we headed for the Badlands in South Dakota.

Wev are back from our Grand trip to the west coast and Alaska. We had a great time and saw alot of sights - Mt. Rushmore, the Badlands, Yellowstone National Park, the Hubbard Glacier, the Mormon Tabernacle. Will add more details and pictures shortly.