Spearfish, South Dakota (Day 49)

I'm going to start by backing up a few days to share with you a very special lady we met while we were in Cleveland...

This is Ruth Wertheimer. Papa Nate thought pretty highly of her and we do too. Stephen and I are very grateful that Papa Nate's last moments were happy ones spent with Ruth. She is truly a gem and it's easy for us to see why Papa was so fond of her. It's also easy to see that Seren and Porter had plenty of fun with her. They spent several afternoons at Ruth's home, going swimming and reaping the grandmotherly attention. We are both pleased and honored to count Ruth as a part of our family.


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Our first day on the road was a busy one. Our first stop was in Fort Wayne, Indiana to visit some aunts, uncles, and cousins of mine.

Front booth (left to right): Alayna, Seren, & Porter
Back booth: Taylor & Jerilyn 

Richelle & JoElle

Jerilyn, JoElle, & Valerie

Uncle Jerry, Uncle Don, JoElle, & Aunt Pat

Taylor & Seren

Jeremiah & Porter

Then we stopped just outside Chicago, Illinois for the night, so we could spend some time with Papa Nate's big sister.

Aunt Marcine, Uncle Arty, Seren, & Porter

The following days were filled with the typical road trip activities.

However, we did make a short detour today to check out a national monument.

Mt. Rushmore National Monument

Gutzon Borglum was the crazy immigrant who carved his way to infamy.

Apparently, Gutzon did not do any of his own cleanup after blasting the mountain's face off (pun intended).

Porter's best "I'm not impressed. Where's the hotel?" face.

I did try to get some pictures of the Black Hills, because they are very beautiful (both geologically and botanically), but I couldn't get any decent shots due to an overabundance of kitschy merchants and tacky buildings. Nevertheless, it was worth the detour.

Tonight we're staying at the Day's Inn at Spearfish, SD and it has not provided a single disappointment. Doing these kinds of trips, we really only expect the bare minimum, but we have come to appreciate hotels that go the extra mile to provide a comfortable space. If you ever drive through South Dakota on I-90, the Spearfish Days Inn will provide such a space.

Playing "horsey" at the hotel

Silly kid

We're aiming for Cody, Wyoming tomorrow. Stay tuned for more adventures from the road.

Day 48 - Jackson, Minnesota

Short post here, because I'm tired from the road.

Yesterday, we hit the road. We had a very nice visit with most of the Indiana Ransoms in a McDonald's in Fort Wayne, and Seren and Porter got to meet (and torment) some of their cousins. Everyone was sad about having to head out, but we had miles to go...

Before getting to Chicago, South Bend was kind enough to gift us with more rain in fifty miles than we'd seen in a month and a half. Our car, needless to say, was a lot cleaner.

In Chicago, we stayed up way too late visiting with my Aunt Marcine and Uncle Arty. I'm sure there are people somewhere who don't like these guys, but we absolutely adore them. They put us up for the night and we managed to only have one crying dog, one dead car battery, and one peed bed. After breakfast and promises that our next visit will be a real visit and not just an overnight stop, we got back on the road.

Wisconsin is shorter and less Scott Walkery when you drive through on I-90 instead of I-94 (although they are concurrent for a ways). We crossed the Mississippi and got some nice views and Seren took many pictures, which I'm sure will be posted in the coming days.

After a total of 930 miles in two days, we're now in Jackson, MN. Tomorrow, we head to Wyoming so that we'll be staged well for visiting a former student in Yellowstone!

a photographic pause

First, I want to give a special warm THANK YOU to Arty & Marcine Weiner (Stephen's great aunt and uncle) for putting us up for a night in their lovely home outside of Chicago the night before last. I had wanted to dedicate a post entirely to them and their amazing hospitality, but it seems we are putting the miles on faster than we can keep up with the blogging right now. Needless to say, we enjoyed the time we spent with them, but we were practically overwhelmed by the amount of food and familial welcoming we received. Thanks again, Marcine & Arty, for everything!

And now, PICTURES!

Porter enjoying a burger during the packing process.

All packed up and then some.

A quick stop in Holbrook on our way to Cleveland.

Passed out at a Super 8.

A visit to see Stephen's grandmother.

Passed out at Papa Nate's house.

Happy early birthday Sean Waxman & Porter Courtright (July 9th).

Culver's on the road.

Mac & AJ Courtright.

(Uncle) Kyle Koehs & Porter at Cascarelli's in Albion, MI.