We weren’t even through our first road trip before I started thinking about the next one. Rost was such a wonderful driving and camping companion that I knew right away this trip was a success—and that many more miles were ahead of us. At the time, I didn’t yet realize we’d be taking back-to-back cross-country trips in the years to come.

The route was planned. Stops were booked. Snacks were stocked. Gas was topped off. The truck was packed and waiting.
The toilet, however, had other plans.

Just a few hours before we were set to leave on a 5,000+ mile trip, it sprang a leak. It wasn’t a hardware store run I had planned or a skill I wanted to learn, but I was grateful the tank failed before we left for two weeks rather than while we were gone. New skill unlocked.

I’ve driven across Montana more times than I can count, so I wanted this route to feel more adventurous than hours on the interstate. We headed north to Browning, stopped for lunch in Great Falls, then traveled east on Highway 87 through Belt, Moccasin, Grass Range, Mosby, and more before reaching our campground in Glendive. After nine straight hours of driving—not counting stops—we were still in Montana.

We slept fitfully next to very active train tracks (I can’t recommend Riverview RV Park), so we were happy to pack up early and move on. Our destination was Cousin Jett, Uncle Jesse, and Aunt Jaiden. With only three hours to drive, we headed straight to Mandan, North Dakota, stopping briefly at the border for photos and fresh air.

Rost and Jett quickly reconnected in true toddler fashion.

One night wasn’t nearly enough for two little boys to burn off their energy. Soon it was morning and time to head out again. On our way to visit my cousins, Mark and Beth Ann, we stopped at Sandy, the World’s Largest Sandhill Crane, and at a mall where Rost and I used “Mommy and Me” toilets together—an experience I won’t soon forget.

Before long, we crossed into Minnesota and arrived at a familiar door in Willmar.

This region deserves its own future trip, but this time Brian was eager to keep moving. Our next stop would end up being his favorite.

The drive to Green Bay, Wisconsin was thankfully uneventful. We skipped major stops so we could check into our hotel, explore around Lambeau Field, and get to bed early for Brian’s tour the next morning.

While Brian explored Lambeau, Rost and I played at a nearby cheese-and-football-themed playground. It wasn’t something I ever imagined myself doing, but it turned out to be surprisingly fun. Lambeau is impressive—equal parts history and business genius. As a lifelong Steelers fan, it pains me to admit we’ll be back someday for a game.

From Green Bay, we headed toward Michigan. Shortly after crossing into Illinois, we witnessed a terrifying accident. A vehicle flipped multiple times, and for several minutes I was convinced we’d just seen someone lose his life. When the driver regained consciousness, I finally felt some relief, but I was shaken. Brian took over driving for the rest of the day. We skipped our planned stops and went straight to the hotel to decompress. Thankfully, there was a McDonald’s in the parking lot, so dinner didn’t require getting back in the car. We fell asleep watching Willy Wonka—Rost now requests that a future road trip include a chocolate factory.

To reset after the tough day, we spent the next morning at Wellfield Botanical Garden in Indiana. Rost took photos and smelled every flower he could before we continued through Ohio and into Pittsburgh to stay with Sam and Cait.

Rost was not happy that we weren’t driving straight to Gimmy and Pappy’s that day. He was convinced Sam and Cait “probably didn’t even have anything fun.” Five minutes later, Sam pulled out a box of her childhood toys, and all complaints disappeared. They played, ran around, ordered delivery, and watched Peppa Pig on a giant screen.

Sam and Cait live just a five-minute walk from the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium, so we spent a few hours there before continuing to Gimmy and Pappy’s.

The main reason for this trip was my 20-year high school reunion. I still can’t believe it’s been 20 years since Turkeyfoot. It was wonderful to see familiar faces—many for the first time since graduation. About half our class attended, and I even made my first TikTok.

The day after the reunion was our only unplanned day. We spent it with family—getting ice cream, picking corn at a roadside stand, and decorating Eat’n Park cookies with Gimmy.

Then it was time to repack and head west. As tent campers, we often had entire campground sections to ourselves. Eby Pines RV Park in Indiana gave us a peaceful and memorable first night on the return trip.

The next morning started early so we could celebrate the 39th anniversary of “The Event of 1986.” We visited the Shedd Aquarium, where I sang “Baby Beluga” with my baby-beluga-loving boy to a real beluga whale.

We followed that with lunch with Ian’s mom—one of those unexpected, meaningful moments that make travel special.

In Iowa, we settled into our campsite with our newest stuffed family member: Baby Beluga.

To break up the long drive to South Dakota, we stopped at several roadside attractions, including Rost’s favorite—the Corn Palace. For a corn-loving farm boy, it was magical.

Before re-entering Montana, we visited Dignity of Earth & Sky, Wall Drug, and Dinosaur Park.

On our final driving day, we stopped at the Museum of the Rockies to see dinosaur fossils—mostly discovered in Montana. There’s nothing quite like staring at a T. rex before lunch.

The road will always call to me. But as we continue building our life in northwest Montana, nothing compares to coming home and falling asleep in your own bed.