Let Me Know What You Think!
Hey guys, I’ve been writing this blog for more than a year and a half, amazingly. And although I write it for myself, I’m curious how you read it and what changes... Read more.
On Lake Koocanusa
A beauty of a day! (And, yes, I spelled “Koocanusa” wrong on my weekly email. Duh.) Kayaking Koocanusa Bridge Evening... Read more.
Every Campsite Should Have a Predator View
I read once that the ideal home base for a family of predators (I think it was lions, in this example) is on a high plateau, with a wide-ranging view so they can... Read more.
What Would I Do in a Real Emergency?
And by that I mean, what if Tracy unexpectedly, suddenly dies? This happens, you know. Hollywood movies and my own experiences tell me that the prime scenario,... Read more.
Camped at the “Secret” Fishing Spot
It’s a secret, yet this road happens to be named Fish Creek Road; the guy in line at the dump station in town told us about it under his breath, putting his finger... Read more.
Waterwheel Tiny House Finished!
I made lots of errors on this one, but it’s the most visually interesting one I’ve made, despite that. I took on the wiring job myself this time, and voila!... Read more.
Tracy Labors on His Birthday
The University of Montana I’m excited to be near Missoula, where I lived for two years getting an MA—which was not especially practical, but, damn, I had... Read more.
Banjo: a Good Dog in a Bad Situation
Readers ask for more Banjo, so here’s a Banjo story that’s not particularly epic or even travel-related, but those Banjo-lovers out there might enjoy it. You... Read more.
Our Own Private Mountain
Instead of heading north in Montana, we picked just a little west, into more mountains for elevation. We’re outside a tiny town called Elliston, which is near... Read more.
Lessons from Isolation
Tracy says it’s been ten days only that we’ve been camping without cell signal, and in truth it’s not been more than two consecutive days, since we’ll drive... Read more.
Waterwheel Tiny House Update
I’ve done so much work on this one since I last posted about it that I thought it deserves its own post. This way people who don’t give a darn can skip it... Read more.
Dodging Forest Fires in the Belt Mountains
We’re not in Oregon dodging that colossal fire—we’re still in Montana. How can you top the Beartooth? Our plan is to head north, cross Glacier National... Read more.
Beartooth Highway
According to Destination Red Lodge, Beartooth Highway is “the most beautiful roadway in America.” Maybe “roadway” is the operative term here, being used... Read more.
Glacier Lake Trail in Wyoming
We drove away from the campsite one morning along the same road we’re camped on that follows the main fork of Rock Creek—all the way up the canyon to the source... Read more.
Moose or No Moose?
We’ve been camping in the Beartooth Mountains in Montana for five days so far, with no cell connection unless we drive out to town. So I’ve written this and... Read more.
Montana at 7,500 Feet
We’ve just driven into Custer Gallatin National Forest, which is in the Beartooth Mountains in southwest Montana, home of the highest peak in Montana: 13,000 feet. ... Read more.
Waterwheel Tiny House Start
I don’t know if this is a good use of my time or not. I constantly chide myself that I’m not spending my downtime productively, like researching more about where... Read more.
Prairies and a Petrified Forest
Goodbye North Unit of Teddy Roosevelt’s Park I’ve been looking forward to getting out west for a year and three months now, so, in a way, this place has been... Read more.
Teddy Roosevelt’s North Dakota
We’re camped right outside the Theodore Roosevelt National Park North Unit, which is in western North Dakota. This isn’t pure badlands like in South Dakota;... Read more.
Banjo Fords the Mississippi Headwaters
You guys know that Tracy used to take September off work to kayak a different section of the Mississippi each year. He moved on to major lakes only after he’d... Read more.
Impossible Tiny House Finished!
This one was torture. The detail work was so small and fiddly that I didn’t want to work on it late at night when I couldn’t sleep, and that was the... Read more.
Solitude at Moose Lake
We wanted a longer break from civilization, and we got one, involuntarily. But still welcome! Moose Lake is in northern Wisconsin, actually in the same National... Read more.
Rhymes with Phenomenon
We finally entered the UP of Michigan via the exciting route (last year we came up through Wisconsin, which is beautiful but not as dramatic), crossing the Mackinac... Read more.
Old Farm, New Plan
On our way to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, we stopped at a little family farm we’d found through Harvest Hosts. This one’s a bit like parking in some stranger’s... Read more.
Dear Diary,
Saturday, June 26, 6:00 am I’ve just woken up on a someone else’s mattress on the floor of an empty bedroom in an apartment I don’t know. And I’m... Read more.
Full-timers v. Weekend Warriors
Here’s a special post for you guys who’ve put up with all my Friends and Family Tour posts that have nothing to do with traveling. Thank you for hanging in there... Read more.
Art on the Way to Physics at Michigan State Univ.
In case you’ve missed the million times I’ve worked this into conversation, my son, Finn, is entering the doctoral program in physics at Michigan State this... Read more.
Backtracking to Michigan
Our tour around Iowa to visit Tracy’s peeps has (sadly) ended, but now we’re backtracking east to Michigan to visit Finn in his new digs at grad school. So,... Read more.
My Weird, Wonderful, New Tattoos
This is Molly, family to several Iowans in this blog and now-owner of Creative Images in Des Moines. She is personally responsible for my mini tattoo obsession.... Read more.
Banjo’s Big Day + Reunions and Sookie on the Water
When our days are this full with friends and special events because we’re in a town where we know people, I have a hard time organizing this blog. You’d probably... Read more.
