And the award goes to...

Welcome to my travel awards. I'm sure I've forgotten most of it by now. It's been a month since our trip.

Best pizza: Mackenzie River (I think that's what it was called) in Billings, MT

Best morning beverage: Starbuck's chai in Bismarck, ND

Most comfortable bed: Best Western Sunset Inn, Cody, WY

Best pool for small children: Country Inn & Suites, Bismarck

Best candy: Candy Emporium, Red Lodge, MT

Best wildlife: Yellowstone National Park (such a given)

Best treat: Cotton Candy at the Rodeo in Cody

Best pulled pork: Clarks Fork and Spoon, Clark's Fork (MT or WY -- not sure -- came with sweet potato fries. YUM)

Best Small Town connection: Sunset Inn Restaurant, Cody, WY (Our waitress was an adorable girl from Verndale, MN. She's in Cody participating in the rodeo. She rode in the MN rodeo with a guy I graduated from HS with.)

Best restaurant service: Again with the Mackenzie River Pizza Co. Our waiter took our order without writing it down, or messing it up. Including Shelby's broccoli & bacon pizza. We're talking about a party of 9.

Best rest area: Between Jamestown, ND and Fargo, ND. Didn't see any rest areas in Wyoming. The Montana ones have no vending. This one had a line of roughly one billion pop machines. It was like an oasis. And the bathrooms were nice.

Best continental breakfast: Probably Country Inn & Suites in Bismarck. Although Holiday Inn Express in Dickinson, ND was good too. I just want a bagel myself, but I like some juice options and snack opportunities for the road. CI&S in Bismarck had cheese sticks. We cleaned them out.

It was a great trip, had a great time. So fun to travel!

Buffalo, elk, and bears...OH MY!

The first week of June, we loaded up the van, stocked it full of movies and headed west. By "we", I mean me and the girls. And a borrowed Shelby. Brennan had to stay and work on The Project. It was a trip to celebrate Mom & Dad's 40th anniversary. Mom and Dad shot off ahead of us so Dad could get in a few rounds of golf (and probably the idea of poking along didn't appeal to him). So our caravan was Brent, Lisa, Jeremy, Colin & Daniel in the Tahoe and me, Shelby, Ella and Natalie in the van. With walkie talkies. Roger that.

We spent a night in Bismarck and then Billings. Then we met up with our parents in Red Lodge (after a quick stop at the Candy Emporium), and headed into Yellowstone hoping to see a little wildlife. All I can say is:

Coyote

Wolf

Elk

Moose

Buffalo/Bison

All in all, we saw hundreds of buffalo, some elk, a black bear (spotted by Ella first - she was SO proud), 2 grizzlies, big horn sheep, a coyote, and a wolf. It was the most wildlife my parents had ever seen in the many years they've been going. We had a great trip!

Howdy!

I know better than to write a real blog right now, as I am fresh off vacation and freshly WAY behind in work. I just wanted to check in. Soon to follow (maybe) is a travel award blog, and perhaps an animal sighting blog.