Homeward Bound

It's day thirteen and we're on the trail back to Northwest Arkansas. It was Sunday morning so we spent a little time this morning giving the mic to everyone on the coach and letting them tell in their own words what they were thankful for and what they liked during the past two weeks. We heard about the majestic beauty of our nation's National Parks to the comradarie of traveling in this motor coach for thirteen days, to the spiritual aspect of all of the things we saw that God created. We even heard about the occasional meal they got on the trip (26 in all!). For me it was the opportunity to see a part of this great country that I had yet to see and to be able to enjoy it with such a wonderful group of people. 

Marsha and I love what we do and we think it shows in the quality of our tours as well as the personal touches we try and impart on every tour. Day trips all the way to 2-week motor coach tours; cruises to international tours, we try and make each one an extension of ourselves in the fun, enjoyment and even the educational part that brings lasting memories to each and every person that makes them say, "I want to go".

Before we draw the curtain on The Great American Scenic Safari we still have a lunch stop. Homestyle fried chicken and all the fixin's from Strouds in Kansas City. We've been here a few times before and love the food and especially the hospitality. So, if you'll excuse me for a minute, "Move over Colonel",  we have some fried chicken to devour!
(cue the music, "Happy Trails to you....").

I hope this little blog gives you an idea of what a Travel Masters tour is about. We didn't tell you everything we did but wanted to give you a feeling of being in the coach with us and to share in our journey. We've made some new friends, renewed acquaintances with others and had a wonderful time doing so.

If you want to know more about Travel Masters you can always check out our website, www.travelmasters.org or our Facebook page, click on the TM logo on the live feed in the center of our website.

Remember, Happiness is a Way of Travel, Not Just a Destination!

Corn & Water

It's early morning after a light rain and we're on our way to the World Famous Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota. Outside it's a study in the artistic talents of making murals out of corn. Each year there is a different theme to the outside and over the course of a few months in the summer the transformation is complete. We were met on our arrival by Cornelia, the Corn Palace mascot. Of course we took photos of each of the couples on the group with Cornelia. Our guide explained how the Palace came to look as it does each year. This year, depictions of wrestling, ice hockey, cheering and so forth are constructed using nothing but corn cobs, rye, oat heads and sour dock and the imagination of the designers. The Corn Palace was built in 1892 when the city of Mitchell was just 12 years old. The tradition of decorating the Corn Palace has continued for over 100 years.  Each fall over 275 thousand ears of corn are sawed in half and nailed to the outside of the building in a paint-by-numbers fashion. Funding for the Corn Palace is supported through donations and revenue generated from the Chamber of Commerce gift shop across the street.  Needless to say the Travel Masters helped out in their own generous way with an abundance of items purchased in the gift shop.

The Falls Overlook Cafe in Sioux Falls, South Dakota was our lunch stop today. We called ahead on day one of the tour with our lunch orders so they we fully prepared for our arrival. Sandwich, chips, an apple and a scoop of ice cream completed the lunch. Can you say Moose Tracks?  Even though it was overcast and occasionally a few droplets of rain were falling, it didn't discourage many of the group from wandering around the area of the falls. Some made the walk to Falls Tower which gave them a great elevated view of the falls and the surrounding area. We departed a bit early because of the rain so that will give us a head start of the drive to Omaha and the River City Star dinner cruise.

We took a short rest break at the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center in Sioux City, Iowa. Quite a bit of stuff was added since our last visit some 5 years ago. Even another building was constructed with several displays on the explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and their expedition across America with primary attention paid to their journey in these parts. We watched a short film detailing their contributions and then it was off to Omaha and dinner.

We've done the river cruise on the River City Star in Omaha a few times before and it has always been a fun and relaxing cruise. A light-ish dinner of "make-your-own" sandwiches and salad while cruising on the Missouri River made for a relaxing early evening and end to the day. The cruise was just an hour long but plenty of time to enjoy the scenery and just visit on our last evening before heading home tomorrow.

Several of us gathered in the lounge area of our hotel for the night, the Regency Lodge in Omaha to visit, share stories of the tour and to enjoy a game of cards or the Dice game of Farkel. If you don't know what Farkel is, go look it up. It took us almost 10 minutes to understand the explanation and actually get into the game. Once we got to playing the laughter could be heard all over the lobby. Were we too raucous while playing this little dice game? Probably, but no one seems to mind.

Tomorrow (today, because I'm writing this on Sunday morning) is our last day on the Great American Scenic Safari. I hope you've enjoyed following us on this wonderful tour of some of our country's scenic National Parks as we have, seeing it first hand.  Our drive home will be filled with memories, lots of photos and yes, many, many souvenirs. Can't wait for the next tour!

"My lands are where my dead lie buried"

Crazy Horse
The Crazy Horse Memorial is one of those places that is continuously evolving over time. The sculpture on the mountain shows change, albeit slowly, each time we've come here. There is a museum and an orientation film shown in the theater that traces the early history of this ongoing project, a memorial to the Lakota Leader, Crazy Horse.

The first blast off the mountain took place on June 3, 1948. Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski began the project and his family has continued his work after his death in 1982.

There is a museum dedicated to Ziolkowski and his work as well a Native American Cultural Awareness Center that you could spend hours visiting.

Free coffee and donuts for Veterans - Wall Drug
Driving east along Interstate 90 in South Dakota Wall Drug in Wall, SD has a number of signs, big and small along the highway telling us why we should stop. Well, we are stopping....for lunch and some shopping. Home Decor, Western Wear, 33 miles to go, Wall Drug or Bust are but just a few of the signs we've seen. They appear to start at about 50 miles out and continue at varying intervals and locations off the highway, guaranteed to make the passengers (and maybe the driver) take notice and stop.

A delicious lunch for everyone at Wall Drug. Filling for sure and the 5-cent cup of coffee tops it off. In the backyard area is a play area for kids plus a photo gallery with lots of historical remembrances of Wall Drug past and of course the area in general. There is one thing that's of an historic nature and that is the Tyrannosaurus Rex display that comes to life every 12 minutes or so to feed. Great for scaring little kids and an opportunity for fun for the big kids. (Check back and we will post our video). I'm sure we all got our shopping fix for the day, plus the free coffee and donut for veterans.

Badlands National Park
Approximately eight miles south of Wall is Badlands National Park, the last national park stop on this, The Great American Scenic Safari. A kaleidoscope of colors with mounds and valleys, pinnacles and spires. Each so very distinctive from every angle and every set of eyes that see it. We stopped at several of the viewpoints along the way to take in the panoramic wonder that is the Badlands. I've been here a few times before and each time I'm here I see something I hadn't seen before. An extra bonus today was the sighting of several bighorn sheep grazing very near the roadside on hillsides much too treacherous for the likes of me to walk on. Further on a colony of prairie dogs gave everyone a chuckle as they darted in and out of the little mounds they call home. The drive around Badlands Loop Road once you enter the park at Pinnacles entrance is about 24 miles taking you to the Ben Reifel Visitor Center. Including the occasional stops at the viewpoints and the walking and photographing it can take upwards of 2 hours or so to complete. In that time the panoramas of the formations, the colors within the hills and crevices, paint a wonderful picture of another of Mother Nature's masterpieces, one not to missed on a trip to South Dakota.

The Restaurant at Cedar Shores
Once in a while we'll find places to have our meals that are simply amazing. The restaurant at Cedar Shores Resort in Oacoma, South Dakota was one of those places. Today had been a busy day with considerable road time, plus a time change. Cedar Shores was ready for us when we walked in with a most delicious buffet. Add to that a most efficient and friendly staff taking superb care of us throughout dinner. Not only were we done and out the door in 45 minutes but it never felt like we were rushing. A leisurely, delicious dinner and friendly staff. What more could you ask for? I know this, though. We will be back. Cedar Shores will be on our list so whenever we're traveling this way in South Dakota, we' ll be sure and stop in.

Little Big Horn & Mt. Rushmore

I got my workout this morning. Not in the planned way but a good workout anyway. Haven't bussed tables in a while but thankfully nothing dropped and we made it through. The restaurant was short handed on staff this morning. Big props to the Travel Masters who pitched in and helped. Great display in teamwork. OK, enough about that. Heading to Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in Crow Agency, Montana.

Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
We arrived at Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument with a few minutes to spare before our tour. Time to visit the Visitor Center, take in a short film and do a bit of shopping. At our appointed time for our tour, the step-on guide was a no-show. We spoke with a Park Ranger who was about to present a talk on the battle and he assured us he would "blow our socks off". We filed outside and took our seats facing the battlefield and memorial to the fallen soldiers and waited. Ranger Steve Adelson stepped to the microphone and began a thrilling 40-minute presentation on the history, tactics and assessment of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. It was one of the most informative talks I have ever heard. It made us feel as if we were there. From the tactics of Lieutenant Colonel George Custer, Commander of the 7th Cavalry, Sitting Bull, Leader of the Lakota to the bullets and arrows flying to the close in combat between the soldiers of the 7th Cavalry and the Cheyenne and Lakota warriors, Steve gave a thrilling account of the battle.

We were informed early on that the talk was being filmed for broadcast on CSPAN for the first weekend in October.

Following the Ranger's presentation several of us walked up to Last Cavalry Stand Hill where a memorial to the fallen soldiers stands along with small, white tombstones were placed where members of he 7th Cavalry fell during the battle. About 100 yards away stood a memorial to the fallen members of the Native Americans who were killed during the battle. Numerous markers, white for the Cavalry and red for the Indians could be found scattered across the battlefield.
It is now a place of peace, reflection and healing over what took place here on June 25, 1876.
We arrived at Mt. Rushmore National Monument ready to view the sculpture in the light of day and witness the evening lighting ceremony after dark. The place was packed! There was a reunion of sailors from an aircraft carrier visiting, as well as several bus groups making the area teeming with people. The line to get into the cafeteria was incredibly long so eating in there was a non starter. Several Travel Masters grabbed a place in line for the burger and dog snack shack on the concourse while a few of us ventured on the half-mile Presidential walk to the base of the monument. It gave us a view of the four presidents unlike any we've seen before. As is the case with every National Park, the area is left as nature intended, after the sculpting of the mountain of course. Beautiful scenery, serene and calm throughout the walk, a must-do on any visit to Mt. Rushmore. After the walk, bison burgers and hot dogs awaited.

The evening lighting ceremony will send chills up and down your spine. This is my third time here and to be a part of it and I get the same feeling each and every time. The Park Ranger's presentation on Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln as well as the singing of the National Anthem stirs the patriotism in all of us. Once the faces are illuminated with the stars overhead and the moon in the background you can't help but feel an enormous sense of pride in this great country. Concluding the ceremony was the invitation of all active duty, retired and prior service members to the stage and bottom of the amphitheater to be recognized for our service. Thanks go out to service members worldwide for the contributions that make this country what it is. (Thanks to the Travel Masters that joined me on stage!)

Ridin' the Rails

Early morning wake-up call. We departed Grouse Mountain Lodge after a two-night stay. Our boxed breakfast was waiting for us in the lobby as our carry-on luggage was brought out to be loaded on the motor coach. 6:30 am and we were on our way to Whitefish Amtrak station for the 7:40 am departure.

The train arrived a bit late and we departed a little after 8:00 am. I guess that's OK, actually. As long as we reach Cut Bank Station close to the scheduled arrival time we'll be fine.
We left our checked bags at the hotel and once Brian dropped us off safely at the train station he returned to the Lodge and picked them up. As we are enjoying the rail transport across the southern tip of Glacier National Park, Brian will be driving to meet us at Cut Bank. His drive will be shorter than ours so he'll be there to meet us as we pull in. Fresh coffee in the lounge car gave those that needed it their morning fix (me included).

This was one of the more relaxing rides we'll have on this trip. We never got up to any real speed, just a leisurely pace which may be due to altitude changes through Glacier National Park. There were stops at West Glacier, Glacier Park and East Glacier before our final destination of Cut Bank. When we were about an hour out of Cut Bank we saw our motor coach passing by us on the highway adjacent to the railway. At least we knew Brian was well on his way to meet us.

After a smooth and relaxing railway experience we boarded the motor coach at Cut Bank Station. Once again, driving through the Montana countryside we can see for miles and miles and miles. Big Sky Country indeed!

Eddie's Corner in Moore, Montana is a little oasis in the vast farmland of wheat fields as far as the eye can see. This was our rest break between lunch and dinner. I probably should have mentioned earlier that this is primarily a travel day for us. Travel by train and then our luxury motor coach from Whitefish to Cut Bank and on to Billings. There's a lot and not much to see all at the same time. Plains forever with mountains in the distance.

Whoa!! Prong Horn sighting! Our first wildlife sighting today, discounting cattle, the occasional sheep and of all things, bees. Just ask "King of the Road" Bob. He took one for the team at Eddie's. Stung between his ring and little fingers. A cup of ice mercifully supplied by the waitress at the counter helped soothe the pain. He will survive.

Turning right on the Zimmerman Trail takes us down an 8% grade but a fantastic overlook of the city of Billings. Houses on the edge of the cliffs look like they could slide down the hill during a heavy rainstorm. Our dinner locale for this evening is Montana's Rib and Chop House. This travel day has given us all an appetite (like we haven't had anything to eat on this trip). Winding our way around the neighborhood going thru at least 6-7 round-a-bouts we finally arrived, 5 minutes after our reservation. Not bad at all since we had been 30 minutes behind schedule from the train's late departure from Whitefish.

Montana's Rib and Chop House in Billings provided an outstanding meal and service to our group tonight. The steaks were delicious, the ribs finger-lickin' good and the pasta, pork chops and salmon were wonderful. For dessert we were treated to most amazing apple cobbler which was not to remain on the plate very long.  Well done!

On to our hotel, the Dude Rancher Lodge, to rest for the night and prepare for more sightseeing and our visit to Mt. Rushmore.

Going to the Sun Road

Going to the Sun Road
Grouse Mountain Lodge breakfast was open at 7:00 am and we ALL were there. We were scheduled to depart the Lodge for Glacier National Park at 7:30 am but we moved it back to 7:45 am. At precisely 7:45 am we were crawling through Whitefish and on our way to Glacier and our Red Bus Tour. We hit a couple of snags along the way in the form of road construction but still managed to arrive at Lake McDonald Lodge at 9:00 am.  Everyone was decked out in the T-shirts of the color groups they were assigned to. Red, Orange, Blue and Yellow were the colors of choice to coincide with the red bus they would be on. The busses hold 17 passengers and are normally filled to capacity for the tours. Since we chartered these busses, they took 12 passengers each. More legroom and comfort with which to see the sights. Little did we know what spectacular sights we would be seeing.

We met each of the drivers, Benny, Decker, Matt and Jimmy when we walked up to the busses. We all boarded our respective busses and were soon off on the Going o the Sun Road an extended tour of Glacier National Park. I could use up every adjective I could think of to describe the awesome beauty that we witnessed this morning. The first part of the drive was a bit chilly so the blankets laying the benches were greatly appreciated and used. Fog was covering nearly everything so there wasn't much to see early on.

As we climbed up the mountain roads and rose above the fog the incredible beauty of the mountains with the fog covering the valleys below took our breath away. We proceeded to the Logan Pass visitor center for a rest break, NPS passport book stamp and photo ops. Our drivers filled us with information on the area, the glaciers and the wildlife. A number of glaciers have all but disappeared over the past 14 years and more are expected to do so in the next 15 years. We hope not but Mother Nature has the final say on this I'm afraid.

Continuing along the Going to the Sun Road, upwards to nearly 9,000 feet in elevation, we noticed the sun was burning off the morning fog and the temperature was warming up. We passed or stopped briefly by several waterfalls which in some cases was right next to the road. Wonderful opportunities for some very scenic photographs. We stopped at an overlook on Lake St. Mary for a vista of Wild Goose Island and the surrounding mountain peaks. In the distance was a peak bearing a striking resemblance to a mountain top that many of us have seen before. Decker, our driver could not confirm nor deny that this was the peak (or a very close resemblance to) the Paramount Pictures peak logo seen before and after every movie made by that studio. Sure comes close to it, though. 

We made the return drive along he same road we took this morning only this time no fog. An incredible array of beauty before us not seen earlier today. It was interesting to try and make the comparison from this morning's drive and the fog-covered valleys. Another photo op at Lunch Falls and the onward back to Lake McDonald Lodge and the end of our tour. We've been to the Tetons and Yellowstone on a few occasions but this was our first time to Glacier and I must say that this was the most impressive of the three. Each has it's own unique beauty in its own way, but I thinks the oohs and ahhs from the group were more vocal during today's tour than we've ever heard before. Glacier Nation Park truly has to be seen over and over to appreciate its majesty. We will be back!

Scatter dinner this evening in Whitefish. About a third of the group opted to return to the Lodge for dinner while the rest choose a variety of restaurants in Whitefish. About a dozen went Jersey Boys Pizza, 10 went to Craggy's Range and several went around the Farmers Market. The verdict, each had delicious meals at their respective restaurant of choice.All in all an awesome day Red Bussing through Glacier National Park.

Big Sky Country

All of the hotels we choose for our tours have reputations for comfort. Hampton, Drury, Comfort Suites to name a few. This morning I heard more comments about the great night's sleep they had last night. So, kudos to the Hampton Inn Bozeman, Montana for the comfort and hospitality.
We have been on the road for about an hour an I can see why this is "Big Sky Country". View so spectacular you can see forever. The sun is out and shining on the mountains. Cloud formations are casting shadows giving so many different looks at the mountainsides that you don't see the same view of the same mountain twice.

Ordinarily we try and avoid fast food restaurants at lunchtime primarily because of the crowds and we can always get fast food at home. We will however stop at places like McDonalds for rest breaks because they handle groups so well and we can be in and out with a large group in 30 minutes. Today, though was an exception. When this tour was put together over a year ago we had planned for lunch to be at a local pizzeria. During the course of conversation with a bus driver at a college basketball game we were given the idea of visiting the Smokejumpers School in Missoula. So we decided to make an adjustment to the itinerary. Enter McDonalds in Deer Lodge. We called ahead to let them know a bus group of 49 was descending on them at lunchtime. We had about 45 minutes ideally to have lunch. What helped was that we had purchased 48 $10 Arch cards for everyone which we hoped would speed things up. It did. Not only that but the staff took the orders one after another writing each person's name on the receipt to help move things along swiftly. Suffice it to say everyone was fed, able to use the facilities and back on the coach to depart in 45 minutes. Thanks go to the staff at McDonalds in Deer Lodge, Montana for making us say, "We're Lovin' It"!

The Smokejumper Center in Missoula was our stop after lunch. We had to break up into three smaller groups to accommodate the small size of the rooms we would be visiting as well as to enable the guides to be heard. One of the guides, Tyler Kuhn is a rookie smokejumper and he gave us a very detailed overview of the training requirements and regimen that they go through to become certified smokejumpers. We saw the "Ready" room where they put on the gear prior to leaving on a call. The suits and equipment could weight about 100 pounds or so meaning these guys (and girls) have to be quite physically fit. The "Loadmaster" area gave us an insight on what makes up the packs that they carry on a jump. We saw where the parachutes are inspected after each jump, repaired if need and packed for he next jump. Finally we were taken to the aircraft used by the smokejumpers, a Douglas DC-3, or "Doug" as it is commonly referred to. Stepping inside we gained an appreciation on the procedures each jumper needs to follow when jumping and how they are prepared and cleared to jump. The inside is cramped with just the 15 of us in it. Imagine how close it must get with 8-10 jumpers loaded down with equipment plus crew all with a very distinctive job to do and little or no room for error. The pilot seemed to have the most room to maneuver inside the cockpit and believe me, there was not very much room at all. These men and women of the Missoula Smokejumpers deserve a great deal of credit and appreciation for putting themselves in danger every time they go out to fight the smaller fires in remote areas before they become much larger, more destructive wildfires. Thank-you for your service!

The drive from Missoula to Lakeside was filled with magnificent views of the mountains, the plains and even a few prong horn and deer. Once we entered the area of Flathead Lake all eyes (except Brian's) were focused eastward. The sapphire color of blue was simply brilliant. The waters a bit choppy but the just added to the shimmering color of the lake.
Cherries is what this area is known for and there was no shortage of cherry trees in sight here as we made our way around the lake. As a matter of fact, Loyd G. informed the group that as a teenager he picked cherries in this very area and managed to swim in flathead Lake a time or two, even as cold as it was (generally under 60 degrees F).

Simply Elegant catering was our host for dinner at the Lakeside Community Center. Former Siloam Springs resident and Gentry High School graduate Janet provided a most amazing dinner for us. From salad selections Chilled Arugula Salad with Tomatoes and Caprece Salad to delicious entrees like Rigatoni Pasta with Fresh Mushrooms, Bowtie Pasta with Pesto, Meatballs with a Pearl of Mozzarella in the middle and Herb encrusted Pork Tenderloin, Janet and her catering partner, Lisa gave us a meal to remember. To top it off dessert included Italian Cream Cake and Flathead Cherry Pie made with cherries they picked themselves. We were treated to gifts of locally produced candies as well as hand made bags, aprons and towel with a local flavor. We left Janet with our thanks for a truly amazing dinner event. 

Lisa & Janet sitting down and relaxing as we drove off.

We arrived t our home for he next two night's, Grouse Mountain Lodge in Whitefish tired, full and ready to call it a night. Red bus touring in Glacier National Park is tomorrow. Wear your colors!