Rost won’t remember this but I will.

His childhood is also my motherhood. I only get one go at this.

So when I needed something positive to focus on at the end of a long, dark winter, what better thing to focus on than turning a dream into a reality? I’ve long daydreamed of road-tripping with a lot of open-endedness. Usually, trips involve long drives with a particular event or destination in mind, leaving little room for roadside attractions or unexpected side trips. I wanted my first long venture into road-tripping with Rost to have all the time in the world for random stops at interesting sights, cool playground features, or just stopping to throw stones in a creek next to the road.

After several weeks of planning, contacting friends along possible routes, choosing dates, vetting camp spots, MacGyvering on a new rooftop tent, and drawing and redrawing routes, it was time to pack up the trucklett and hit the open road.

June 2 was a cool, drizzly morning in Kalispell as Rost and I drove 90 minutes to our first stop. Thankfully, as we drove south through the Swan Valley the weather broke and the sun began to shine. We turned down Boy Scout Road and were greeted by what I could only take as a good omen for the rest of the trip.

The little fox trotted down the road next to us for nearly a mile before darting into the woods to continue his day. Rost and I stopped to have lunch with a 153-foot tall, 1,000-year-old Western Larch tree in Girard Grove outside of Seeley Lake, MT. The tree, lovingly known as Gus, provided the perfect first stop to unpack our lunch and stretch our legs. While we gawked in amazement at Gus and his impressive size and age, he would look small in comparison to the trees that would come later in our trip.

Our first stop for the night was at a small, family-run campground just south of Dillon, MT. We were the only tent in the entire campground which gave us the feeling of at least a little privacy as we had the entire ‘camping’ section to ourselves along the Beaverhead River.

With rain and wind threatening us early in the morning we packed up quickly and started our day’s drive towards Twin Falls, ID as soon as we’d finished breakfast. Soon the rain was falling and the wind was blowing. Our only stop was a visit to Craters of the Moon National Monument, which was sadly only a two-hour long trip to the visitor’s center since the rain was coming down in droves.

Instead of hiking in the downpour, we drove straight into Twin Falls for a visit to their local library. Once the rain finally let up we crossed the street for a small playground downtown while I game planned our next stop.

Shoshone Falls Park seemed like a destination worth visiting while we had a break in the rain. Nicknamed the Niagra Falls of the West the views did not disappoint.

Sadly the weather did so we cut our visit short and headed for our campsite for the night.

Rost was exhausted and quickly passed out once snuggled up inside our tent as the wind and rain whipped around us outside.

His slumber didn’t last more than an hour or so before he woke up completely famished. He’d fallen asleep so quickly before that he skipped dinner. Since we were staying at the KOA just outside of Twin Falls there was WiFi – we sat up watching tractors on YouTube & munching on apples. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again and again, I am so grateful for the Solid Starts program.

We woke up relatively early the next morning to calm blue skies and clear weather finally for the first time on our trip. Rost was excited to get going so we tore down camp for the night and took off for our next destination.

We specifically chose our route into Nevada to go down Hwy 93 from Idaho into Nevada on a tip from a friend to search for Thunder Eggs. Perhaps on a specific rock-hounding road trip some year, we’ll have more luck that way but the tip didn’t pan out for us this year. We did however find a special painted rock at the Welcome to Nevada sign that Rost proceeded to carry around with him the rest of the trip.

We made quick work of driving through northern Nevada and arrived at our campground at Rye Patch State Park Recreation Area with plenty of time for lizard spotting, biking, swimming, and stone throwing before bedtime.

It was hot with little shade at our campground so we awoke early the next morning and immediately started packing up to beat the heat of the southwest. There were lots of lizards to distract us along the way.

Today was another new state line crossed for Rost – California! Once we arrived in Sacramento we met up with my friends, who are also the most amazing power couple, Kari & Ian. Not only did these two sweet souls welcome us into their home for the night (a huge relief considering we were in nearly 100-degree heat for the first time in probably two years), they cooked us a delicious homemade dinner that included some of Rost’s favorite foods and had picked up a few books for Rost, but they’d spent weeks before our trip scouting their neighborhood for an epic playground to take Rost to. The playground – which included giant carousel horses, a skate park, a sprinkler pad, two playgrounds, swings, ample room for running around, and lots and lots of squirrels to chase – did not disappoint.

It was also going to be the first night we were meeting up with and staying in the (beautiful) guest room of a friend’s house. I wasn’t entirely sure what Rost would do in the tent but he was so in love with it that when it came time to go to sleep he was only upset that we were sleeping in a bed and not inside our tent. We had to go outside before turning off the lights to say goodnight to our tent.

Before we knew it, and well before we were ready, it was time to bid Kari & Ian goodbye. Although, we’re currently in a very dramatic attempt to lure them to Montana sometime in the coming months.

Rost and I left Sacramento and headed south. Driving in California during rush hour solidified just how much I did not miss living the city life. Just before I lost my mind to the road rage traffic we turned off the interstate and headed into the mountains.

Our drive into Sequoia National Forest could not have been more beautiful. It was also so twisty and winding that even as the driver I almost pulled over to yak on multiple occasions. When we arrived at the Trail of 100 Giants, I pulled Rost out of his car seat as quickly as I could, gave him a few tractors, and immediately laid on the ground to regain control over my wavering stomach. Nestled in the shade of a giant sequoia with a tractor in hand, Rost certainly did not seem to mind.

After a few hours of wandering about this area, we headed out for our campsite for the night at the Quaking Aspen Campground.

Once camp was set up for the night we resumed our normal routine of playing in the dirt, making dinner, popping popcorn over an open fire, and promptly falling asleep with a tiny foot in my face.

While the high elevation of the mountains had given us a reprieve from the hot temps of Sacramento, neither Rost nor I were prepared for what was to come once we said goodbye to California. The drive into Las Vegas was a scenic one that prompted a lot of fun conversation between Rost and me for the entire 8 hours of drive time. Our morning was filled with lots of construction as we wound our way down the narrow mountain roads back toward the highway. Now normally construction and the long periods of stopping and waiting it brings would be a bit of a buzzkill but for Rost, it only meant getting to see lots and lots of his favorite construction equipment. There were also rows upon rows of GIANT hammers (oil rigs) that left him in stitches, then tears when they ceased to show up along our route. Lest we forget the fields of giant windmills. Then there was this, which was quite possibly one of my favorites along the drive. I wish I could tell you more about this solar farm that we passed just before crossing the border back into Nevada but I’ve still got to do some more research on the magnifiers used here. Also, if you’d like to educate me on any of this, please do!

Topping out at 116 degrees was Las Vegas. Once again, the timing of the heat coinciding with a stay at a friend’s house couldn’t have been more amazing. My friend Ariel & her significant other, Anthony, welcomed us into their home and played tour guide for what was not only Rost’s, but my first time in Las Vegas as well.

We took baby to his first rave!, ate Korean hot dogs for dinner (Rost loved them so much he ate his & mine. The two bites I got to enjoy were delicious), drove by the renowned Sphere, & even giggled inside a private sound studio.

We snuck out of our friend’s house early the next morning, careful not to wake them after all their tour guiding the night before, and met up with one of my old co-workers at her home. After a short visit that also included a playground and trampoline, Rost and I took off down the highway for the Hoover Dam.

We didn’t do any tours here as I didn’t think spending half a day exploring this place would be fun for a toddler but I will be back to this area of the country for more exploring in the future.

Rost crossed another state off his list as we entered Arizona. Little man was tuckered from the heat and the excitement of Las Vegas so after leaving the Hoover Dam I think he slept almost the entire 4 1/2 hour drive to our friend’s house in Arizona.

The Osweilers are long-time family friends of the entire Bennett family. They opened their home, and their pool, to help us beat the heat that oddly felt like a cool summer night at 99 degrees after the previous night in Vegas. It felt like we were staying in a resort in Mexico thanks to their hospitality & delicious food.

Thanks to the input from Kathy, John, Tanner, & Katie, we mixed up our route from Scottsdale to Albuquerque. Without their input, we would have missed dining on pie in front of an airstrip, the sights of Strawberry & Pine, the most beautiful cactus forest, and the little-known Petrified Forest National Park. Despite it being one of our longer days on the road, there were so many memorable and fun stops along the way that it went by in a flash.

Before we knew it we were hugging friends in Albuquerque and setting up a home away from home for the next few days. Albuquerque was the only place we stayed for more than one night. Apparently, I spent 9 months growing a baby then promptly stole him from all our friends there before he was two months old. The real purpose of this trip was to see as many old friends as I could there with the now nearly two-and-a-half-year-old I so rudely moved away. While our time spent in ABQ was the most out of all of our trip, it still wasn’t enough time to see everyone I would have liked to. Even so, it was a fun time visiting everyone and eating as many Golden Pride burritos and paletas as I could stand.

Three nights flew by thanks to all the hugs, smiles, laughter, and trips down memory lane. In what felt like as soon as we got there it was time to pack up and hit the road again. Ironically enough, that is a phrase I had to scrub from my brain during our trip as Rost continually reminded me that “we no hit, mama.”

Exhausted from the whirlwind that was Albuquerque, Rost slept through the entire drive in New Mexico until we hit the Colorado border to take pictures.

Soon enough we were entering Rost’s 13th state visited (total), Utah! It was at this point that Rost realized we were stopping to take pictures of signs and proceeded to start taking pictures of lots of signs with his camera.

Side note: I bought Rost his own, toddler-friendly camera right before we left on our trip. It was a great decision to not only foster his love of photography but to also see the trip entirely from his perspective. I may or may not post his photos here depending on the interest in them.

We passed through Moab and down the same dirt trail that Brian and I had once taken for our offroading trip to Chicken Corners.

This was probably the most stunningly beautiful yet miserable night of camping of the trip. We were surrounded by gorgeous views, blanketed by the Milky Way once the sun went down, completely alone in the canyon except for the nearby bat colony, and utterly covered in rest dust. Despite all that gloriousness, it was also 100 degrees when the sun went down and only cooled off to 94 by the time the sun was rising again.

Despite all that, I would have gladly spent the next month camping out here and getting to know the area better. Someday I may do just that…

On our drive out I stumbled upon some petroglyphs that were really neat.

We made it as far a Pocatello, ID after driving all day. This was the only night of the entire trip that we didn’t have a campsite reserved or in mind. My goal was to at least make it to Salt Lake City but honestly, after the stunning beauty of the Moab area, nothing felt right for stopping. Home was in mind and I think both Rost & I were getting a little homesick for Montana.

From Pocatello, we headed north again for a fun state park I spent my birthday at last year digging for crystals. Since this was an impromptu stop we didn’t come prepared but I think we made a pretty good haul considering all we had to work with were Rost’s toys. It was also during this leg of the trip that Rost was officially crowned Hide N Go Seek Champion of the West. You probably can’t even find him in the next photo, but he’s there, I promise.

After a night camping at a friend’s house in Anaconda and finally refreshed by the idea of being back in Montana, we decided to make our last day on the road an epic one. We started driving early in the morning and rather than just head straight home, we drove to Phillipsburg and completed the drive to Rock Creek the back way via Rock Creek Road. I’d never driven the entire length of the road and was not only excited to do it finally but Rost also saw his first moose along the drive too!

We stopped in Missoula for brunch with my friend Becky & accidentally stumbled upon Rost’s first Pride! parade as we walked down Higgins for ice cream at Big Dipper.

While I was ready to be home and longed for a good night’s sleep in my own bed, I wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye to our adventure yet. So on the 2-hour drive from Missoula to Kalispell, Rost & I completed on final side quest – a drive through the National Bison Range, now known as the CSKT Bison Range. Despite the brief hail storm, it was worth the final exploration and a beautiful ending to our first of many road trips to come.

Little did I know what new side quest awaited us when we got home. No sooner had I parked the car in the garage and Brian was walking in the door to greet us with a big hug. However, the smell of him greeted me before he did. Earlier that morning, our dog Yago had encountered a skunk in our yard and had suffered a direct hit to the face and neck. At the same time this happened, the crops in the field across the road were being sprayed. Brian opened the back door to let the dogs in, smelled an awful odor, and after a phone call to his parents, who are also our next-door neighbors, chalked the terrible smell up to the farm next door. Now before you crucify my husband, if you have never smelled a direct skunk spray, let me inform you, as someone who has been sprayed directly by a skunk once before, that it is in fact very different than the smell you get when say you’re driving down the highway and smell one that was hit by a car. Brian’s nose quickly became blind to the smell as it soaked into our raw pine walls and Yago furiously rubbed himself across our couch, the guest beds, and even snuggled into our own bed.

Since I’m only uploading this post a little over a month since returning from our trip, I can happily say that it only took three weeks to get the skunk smell out of our house. While most of the bedding (across all three beds) had to be thrown away, I salvaged the couch and mattresses.

And in case you ever need it, the key to getting skunk smell off yourself, your dog, your furniture, or most anything else that’s been skunked, the formula is:
4 C hydrogen peroxide
1/4 C baking soda
1 tbsp blue Dawn dish soap
Mix and bathe said items in this mix. Reapply as needed. Rinse thoroughly with water. Only use a freshly made batch and not a premade batch, as it will degrade over time.

Over 4,000 miles and countless memories. I’m already planning next year’s trip. Feel free to add your suggestions as this is now a yearly tradition we will continue to embark on until Rost is old enough to ask me to stop. Even then he might not have a choice…