The Promise Land.

Another 1700 miles in the can and we have arrived in Whitefish.  The Orange Men (Adam & Pete in their matching orange jackets) have gone off to ski the "side country."  Poor Zana had to go to work today, and her wicked hangover followed her there.  Danger Mutt and I are having some quality quiet girl time - MUCH NEEDED quiet girl time.  She's having awesome running dreams; I am reveling in the fact that I won't be getting in the car for more than 10 minutes today.  On the docket: skate skiing, grocery run and more booze. It will probably take my guts a month to recover from this trip.  Adam has pretty well convinced me that we should stay all week, so I also need to figure out how much vacation time I have and whether or not I'll need to go to the lab Sunday to play catch up.

We left MoFalls late Friday morning.  My brother and dad left a bit earlier than us and headed to Austin in the rental car.  I think my mom was secretly glad everyone was gone so she could have some of her own quiet time.  No quiet time for us, since Gaia was having none of the drive out to Madison.  We went to a golf course we had spotted earlier in the week for some skate skiing in our new gear, then over to Ashley's to introduce Gaia to the babies (Scout & Sully, the mini dachshunds).  Then sushi on the Square (Adam in reference to the Madison food & culture: We are a million miles from Menomonee Falls!), and back over to the shoppe for Friday Tasting.  More friends joined us at the end, including a dachshund named Snack and his partner in crime, a Gaia-sized dog named Dante.  Much wine was consumed.  Then all of us - six humans and five dogs - spent the night sipping whiskey and snuggling up in Ashley & Hills's 800 square foot house.  Cozy!

Saturday morning we made the push west.  Two long days, one overnight in South Dakota's biggest water park resort and we landed here.  We cut across Montana from Billings to Great Falls and through Glacier National Park.  Good driving conditions all the way, other than the 30 knot crosswinds at times and the elk in GNP looking for blood.  Zana & Pete had wine and soup ready for us and shortly after we PTFO'd on the pull out couch.  And for the love, we are not driving beyond town today.

Snow is falling and it's beckoning me outside.  So I shall leave you with some photos to sum up the trip thus far and return sometime in the not too distant future.  It's a quick upload, so the photos are a) out of order and b) not all rotated properly... 

Andrew & Adam making pizza.

Adam's first Butter Burger

And Adam's first Jimmy John's sandwich!

The amazing parking job at REI Madison.

Adam, GF pizza, wine.  Can't remember how I got previous blog photos to not rotate themselves... stand by.

Duck death in the back of the truck.

Gaia PTFO'd in Whitefish.

Gaia & Snack in Madison.

Gaia at the Christmas Dinner table.

Gaia's new favorite driving position.

Gaia in front of the MoFalls tree & booty.

Gaia goes to Wisconsin!

Hills pouring bubbles.

Culver's stop.  You can't leave the midwest without frozen custard.

Gaia & I at the Devil's Tower pit stop.

Driving... Day 3.

Montana!!!

South Dakota.

Driving... Day 1.  Looking so fresh and clean!

Sushi at Red.

Wisconsin Capitol Building in the snow.