New York Trip day 7

Last BIG day of our trip to New York.  Lots of new experiences:0)  We woke to -15 temps this a.m. with windchill was more like -35!!  

 

Kelda forgot her water bottle (with tea in it) in the car overnight...

it wasn't very drinkable the next morning.

Never thought I would say I was going to MT to thaw out...LOL.  At the gas station I asked where the coke machines were and it was inquired if I meant the sodie pop machine?  I was taken off guard but responded umm yes that is what I was looking for -was told okie dokie hun it is right around the corner there!  ROFL ok so those in Fargo ND are much like what you see in the movies and no exaggeration nor is the state of their weather.  When I stated it was FREEEEZING out there I was told oh no days like today is just a swim before work weather...ok so I am a tourist you are going to pull my leg but you have already been WAY too chipper for me this morning all I want is my gas and nothing more.  Have a great day! As for me I want to get back to my ever taken for granted state of Montana:0)  Warmer temps and CLEAN FRESH air!!  The ability to actually see the sky! I will never complain about our snow and cold again....well until next time...lol.  Kelda said she will just pull out the photos and remind me of what it could be.

I think those that live in MT, WY and ID are awesome people.  Growing up people always waved to each other~ know you or not....same is true now today.  After having lived in CO Benjamin when he sees someone wave always asks who is that?  I don't know kiddo just a friendly neighbor.  Now after our experience east he has discovered the difference between wonderful friendly neighbors and not so friendly finger flipping horn honking "neighbors" can be! 

Today he said -
"sure is nice to be "home"...anywhere in MT is better than going out of state ever again.  He is going to live in MT forever now"...lol.  Too bad we have more travels for the year in the works...he might change his mind when he goes to KS:0)  He wants to be a wheat farmer!

Lets see the first 200+ miles looked like this:

 

 

 My eyes hurt from this alone.

Along the way we saw something that would make our guys at the towing company drool:

 I can just imagine the adrenaline rush they would be on right about now:0)

AHHHHH Finally HOME SWEET HOME...well the sign was enough for me...still got several hours to go.

 

Ok so I NEVER thought I would say Billings was a wonderful sight but ya know I even missed Billings!

 

Metal Goose structure exit 72 in Montana

Here is a photo when we picked up Zander:

New York Trip day 6

Well as I watch a not very good episode of American Idol...just not into it this year....I will blog and head to bed.

This morning leaving WI

Weather....Started out with a VERY snowy morning!  Then by the time we got to a spot where it let up there was a heavy fog and combined with cold enough temps to make black ice so it slowed up our morning travel.  Then we hit great roads with snow that didn't stick or was just blowing around.  MN was COLD!!!!  ND has been COLDER and the most snow I have seen since Jackson Hole!!

 

Getting closer to MN....

WI is really pretty and will be visiting again in the fall 
 

  

North Dakota this evening

 

BRRRR!!  I thought MN was cold and windy...HA

It is said to get below zero here tonight

where the sign says Welcome to North Dakota and I HAD to add 

with snow up your @$$ and it is only 3 degrees, winds blowing like mad!!

 

 

No exaggeration in the movies on the temps and snow load here in ND!!

WI is still a very beautiful place!  MN going a different route wasn't as flat:0)  Also very nice scenery.  Met up with an April Mommy 2000 and her daughter.  K and B both played in the shooting range at Cabelas...WOW that store was 3 times the size of our Billings store and two stories high!!  Was great to finally meet Sue in person.  We have had an online friendship that started in a parenting group that was categorized by monthly due dates and have chatted online since ...never having met in person until today!  Was really great to add another mom to the list of having met.

 

Cabela's- Rogers MN- Carl of course is jealous!

 

I am exhausted wow and really puffy from this trip too!

 

April "babies" just shy of their 10th birthday playing 

in the Cabelas shooting range having met for the first time

B&D gt300
OH on my way to meet up with Sue and her dd I passed by a Camping World store!!!  HAD TO STOP after the meet up.  An RVers toy store:0)  I even got a coffee pot I was trying to convince hubby that I wanted as it is more slender, space saving and only does single cups of tea or coffee, this model does different size cups and even a creamy cappuccino style....  the one I was looking at was $100 this one cost me all of $8 at CWorld:0) Hopefully he doesn't have an issue!  Oh well if he does he will get over it when he is older.......... he is older;0)

New One I just purchased:0)

 Here is the current coffee pot which I really do love, 

but with limited counter space this New coffee pot will be better:0)

 North Dakota

Like the sun and Chip I too am signing off....good night:0)

New York Trip day 5

Today I could NOT wake up!!  Kelda AND Zander tried apparently for 1 1/2 hours to wake me and I wasn't budging.  Chip was growling at them lol.  I was up late with Benjamin.  We gave him a heads up that today we would hit Chicago again and typically letting him know helps him prepare for a stressful situation, but this time stressed him so that he was pacing most of the night:0(  I got little sleep due to this so that led to my overtired body having issues getting up.

Zander I am learning does NOT like cameras and it is a chore to get a shot of him.  He saw the camera this time and rather than running stuck his tongue out!  Got my work cut out for me looks like!

 

 

 This is a half smile.  I missed the full on BIG smile that would scare you if you didn't know him and laugh if  you do!

We left Ohio with is raining and snowing and pretty much set the stage of the whole trip today.  After about 400 miles I said enough and we stopped in WI around 2p.m.  I found out this evening that about the same time the next exit up there was a semi that jack knifed.  So I am very glad I became too exhausted to continue.  I crashed for 3 hours hard and woke up....now just trying to fall back to sleep so figured until then I would at least get the blog done.  I am still tired but can function!

Ohio Hotel and the weather as we were leaving

Going thru Chicago wasn't as bad as the first round.  Thinking back it was a Saturday afternoon rather than a weekday afternoon maybe that was the difference.

Zander is doing awesome and definitely has some work cut out for us in the manners dept.  Such as when a car door is open or hotel room door is open it is not an invitation to bolt out!  I haven't had a dog do that in years so that will be a correction in need of being done for sure.  He is sitting and laying down well on command as long as there isn't a ton of distractions.  Kelda is keeping treats on hand at all times to help reinforce things and so far all is well:0)

Tonight we watched A movie of Temple Grandin, an autistic woman who has become one of top scientists in human livestock handling! In spots where she is panicking Benjamin said that is how he felt when we were in Chicago!  HE sat and was really into the movie and said he understood her.  I learned a lot more watching him tonight and the movie.  I feel like I am always learning more about his being autistic.

Not really much else to report that I can think of....right now.  We are changing the route a bit on the way home and going to add ND to our list of states visited:0)  Cannot wait to see my tinkerbell Weds!  Furthermore can't wait to see how Paige and Zander get along.

Zander and Chip getting along very very well!

New York Trip day 4

Didn't really get going until I would say around 11.  Went to the car wash apparently -New York style- and waited in a line ...ummm I mean THREE lines wide.  They write on the window I guess so when you finally get up for your car wash they know the code of what you paid for.  Then it was half hand and half brush style.

 

 

Then we hit up the local mall as I had a teenager with me that just had to check out the local mall down the road.  We probably should have went the extra 20 or so minutes to the even bigger one, but decided we just wanted to go get Zander as we were anxious to meet him and start taking him home.

 

Inside Boulevard Mall

We had never seen or been to a Johnny Rocket before.  The service was awesome and neat little 50's style place to eat.  The staff was friendly, dressed in khakis and white button down shirts, their little hats and even twirled straws and made smiley faces of ketchup when serving our meal:0)  Inger would have LOVED this place!  So these photos are for her:0)

 

  

Jukebox at each table...

you enter a nickel and select a song and it is next on the overhead speakers

  

Kelda enjoying her time at the mall

 

  

our smiley ketchup=)

 

and the waiters nice enough to pose for a photo!

Then we left to pick up Zander...what a big goober!!  Definitely won't be taking him into a china shop anytime soon or I will be beyond broke lol.  He and Chip are getting along great and he rode wonderfully in the car...in Kelda's lap no less.  We did learn if he even thought you might pay him attn he kept crawling closer and closer until he was nearly sitting in your lap then just helped himself and jumped on it.  Tonight he is sleeping on the bed with Kelda.  He is I think a little bigger than we thought he was but that is ok just means only one breeding for Paige and then she will definitely be spayed when they wean.  We wanted big as that is what Carl is wanting to get back to, but was going to do that next generation.  So this may have worked out in our favor:0) Paige is prepping for her spring cycle currently so it won't be long and the two will be breeding.  I cannot wait!  His puppies are selling for $850/ea.  I know he and Paiges' pups will be less due to the mix of two breeds.  Personally we love the mixture.

 

Proudly my copilot on the drive to Ohio

 In Pennsylvania there was this nice sunset.  

I do want to come back in the Fall for the color changes

Oh and last but not least....crazy New York state law!

 

wonder why this is???  

Anyone know? 

AND do they hold you to it?

New York Trip day 3

WOW what a day!!!  Lets say I HATE HATE HATE Chicago and convinced anyone that lives there is NUCKIN FUTZ!!!

Lets see we left Onalaska WI yesterday morning...in the snow.  It slowed our trip up a little at first, but that is ok the scenery was beautiful!!!  Wouldn't mind visiting again when it is a more leisure trip.  Illinois SUCKED!  After this trip never plan to visit from there to Ohio purposely again... I have to say I was less than impressed.

 

WI I can do again would love to see it in a different season

Being stuck for 40 mins in 4 lane traffic lets just say I got thru cattle drives faster back in Montana! Though I will say there are some similarities between the two:

The stinch, haze, can't hardly move more than 2 mph, car can be damaged, you can honk and not much happens...cows don't flip you off though they may cuss you out...rofl yeah this is my preferred traffic jam:

I hope if you ever make it to MT you get to experience a more laid back traffic jam...it is much more enjoyable and a lot less stress.

oh yeah back to the moment...drifted a bit thinking how much more laid back we are in Montana....so there I was wondering if someone was going to hit me when I would try to get in the driving lane, the crazy toll roads...I considered surprising my inlaws while I am this close to NJ....but really nervous and not sure I can handle that traffic.  I remember how my fil drove when we visited years ago....and now driving thru Chicago I realize why he drove that way!!  Plus I don't have Inger and would feel guilty the whole time that 2 of the kids got to visit them and she didn't.  I don't yet know what the day will bring other than picking up Zander.

 

OH HELL YEAH MILLER TIME perfect location for that billboard!! How did they know I was in need of one after experiencing traffic like no other??

Kelda loved the double decker bus

and the rose painted on here

LOL I went to tell Kelda to take a picture -as you could see the buildings in a faint distance while in Chicago- and I said get a picture of those Chicago mountains...haha so that is now what those tall things are.  Benjamin totally flipped out on me while in the traffic jam and Kelda had to help calm him down.  Being aspergers child  he can't stand feeling closed in.  All he kept sobbing is he felt like he was stuck in his room and can't get out (a couple years ago he slammed his door shut to his room when in the midst of a meltdown and the door handle fell off...he instantly panicked and got at the end of his room, ran and knocked the door clean out of the frame.)  Chicago apparently made him feel much like that moment.  So not only was I dealing with crazy drivers and backed up traffic, but also a son that can't control his emotions and was totally freaking out on me.  I am just grateful Kelda was with me to help.  I must admit I was holding my breath literally the whole time.  So also with this in mind not sure he can handle the traffic in NJ.  I am just going to have to figure out a way to convince my hubby to make a trip this year to visit.  We were suppose to come this past year but just before we were suppose to leave to make a surprise trip...well was surprise to some others knew we were making plans....Carl slipped on ice days before vacation and injured his back.  Which kept us homebound and full of dr.s visits most of "vacation" time.

Chicago Mountains...rofl

Bridger Mountains

Which do you really prefer??

Anyhoo back to this trip. Lets see...toll roads...holy crap what is up with those things.  Do they really save time??  I think I spent more than I would have on a tank of gas in the car....

 

This is cropped in to see the toll...we were a ways back

Really tall buildings think I prefer our really tall mountains

Impressions of IL felt like a very dirty state.  OH and IN how do you live with all the haze! So not really photos to be had in these areas...couldn't really see much... wow!  NOW I understand when people come to MT they say our air is so clean and fresh.  After Chicago I also now understand road rage and have greater respect for the bumper sticker we have in MT that says "Did you come here to be in a hurry?" Think I might have to put that on the back of our truck when I get home=)  LOL~ Janesville  WI we got a good laugh we started noticing a stinch and shortly after we noticed the big can by the Hormel chili plant that read Hormel Chili with BEANS!

We didn't get to see PA or the last bit of OH as it got dark.  Kelda saw a huge mall on the way to our Motel in NY so we will probably go see that on the way to pick up Zander...teenagers what do ya do with them??
Made it to NY in one piece...wow couldn't  believe it was 40 degrees when we arrived...and people back in MT wondered why we weren't going some place warm..rofl

Over 1900 miles in 2 1/2 days WE is EXHAUSTED!!!!!

 

  

OH YEAH here is that photo from Benjamin and Chip keeping themselves 

entertained day before yesterday:0) 

PS Benjamin said not only is Cleveland the mistake by the lake so are the nearby states! He wants to get back to MT NOW