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Westward Ho!
  • Amy and Pat Taylor

Westward Ho!

A 23-day adventure by Amy and Pat Read more
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  • Trip start
    August 25, 2024
    Amy and Pat TaylorWestward Ho!Traveler
    1

    Yep...on the road!

    August 25, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    It's a beautiful day to begin this trip. We are so excited, but I miss the boys already! It's always hard to leave, but once we are in travel mode, it's easier. We got on the road right on schedule. Our first stop later today is The Gateway Arch in St. Louis for a visit to the Museum of Westward Expansion (Perfect for our first big trip out west together) and a tram ride to the top.Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorWestward Ho!Traveler
    1

    The Catenary Curve

    August 25, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 90 °F

    The Inverted Catenary Curve, actually. That is the type curve the Gateway Arch is. (Imagine a necklace chain but upside down).

    We can always count on My Lovely pitching in and doing some of the heavy lifting (she is holding the Arch steady).

    We rode our bikes over from East St. Louis to the Arch. I enjoyed the history and the view from the top, but the views on the ground were more spectacular.

    Of course, the different points of the view were all beautiful, but we actually enjoyed the park even more. It is the epitome of what a city park should be. Just loved it.

    From Amy....once again, the bikes made it better. We were able to see the entire park, no way we would have walked that much in the heat. It is a beautiful park. Loved the museum, too. Now back to the camper across the river for some dinner and Football!!!    Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorWestward Ho!Traveler
    3

    The Buck Stops Here!

    August 26, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 91 °F

    A Presidential Library has been on Pat's bucket list for a long time. The Harry S Truman Presidential Library and Museum was not too far off our route and made a perfect place to stop and stretch our legs on an 8 hour drive day.

    I was most moved by President Truman's constant consideration of right vs wrong. He had so many incredibly difficult choices to make. He made some compromises he didn't like but he owned his decisions . No ego, the man just served his country. He did what he thought best for our country and it's people.

    I thoroughly enjoyed the 3.5 hours we spent here and we will definitely visit more Presidential Libraries. The museum was high quality with many engaging exhibits.

    Dinner and the Truman movie tonight...

    From Pat
    It was powerful. It wasn't just the bomb, it was segregation, the Israeli state, rebuilding Europe and Japan, the red threat and the ever present - corruption.

    I cannot emphasize how well this museum was done. I was aware of a lot of it, but it is laid out so well. The most jolting to me was the graph of WWII deaths by country.

    The USA lost 405,000 lives. Which country lost the most lives in the war?

    The Soviet Union 25 million, China 15 million, Germany 7 million. Countries run by tyrants who did not care about the cost -- human life.

    On the upward side of emotion, seeing President Trumans office (not a replica but his actual office) was cool. After he left the presidency, he worked a full-time schedule on this site.

    A truly decent human.

    The Oval Office replica was neat with a tour in President Truman's own voice was neat. And I regret that neither of us took pics of his cars, but we enjoyed that too.    Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorWestward Ho!Traveler
    South Dakota is so stunning!

    Drive Time

    August 26, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 100 °F

    Crossing the Ohio River, searching for Amy's bridge in the sky... emerald green lush fields of what we assume to be soy beans, and bright green , beautiful fields of corn, with tassels of gold swaying in the wind. Fields of sunflowers glowing yellow....
    ...Crossing the Missouri River ... and again.
    Alas, we did not find the bridge I remember. Possibly it was on the stretch of interstate we missed with the Sioux Falls diversion. A silly thing...I was just awed by it the one time I crossed it.
    Crossing the Missouri River again at Oacoma SD was beautiful. We should have stopped at the scenic overlook. The rolling, hilly landscape is quintessential South Dakota.    Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorWestward Ho!Traveler
    12

    Sioux Falls Sidetrip

    August 27, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F

    Yesterday it was 101°.  Today, we stopped at Souix Falls and were welcomed to 67°.  We are supposed to see 100° again tomorrow.

    The falls, tumbling down the red Quartzite rocks, were once used to generate power and operate a mill, but not for long.  Now they are just an easy and beautiful 'look-see' in the middle of town and the park around them is beautifully maintained.

    The falls were pretty.  I actually enjoyed the red Jasper Quartzite stone more --- and the stop with My Lovely the most.    Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorWestward Ho!Traveler

    Kind of CORNY but ...

    August 27, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F

    We just had to stop by the "World's Only Corn Palace".

    The Corn Palace is the largest tourist attraction in Mitchell South Dakota, boasting 1/2 million visitors a year. That, of course, would include visitors like us, town hall meetings, the annual Corn festival (we just missed it by 2 days) and high school basketball games. They really proud of their basketball team - the "Kernels".

    I'm not trying to be funny - just a bit corny.

    The outside of the building covered in murals made using Corn Cobs, Corn Silk, Corn shucks and local grasses. They use 250,000 Corn cobs cut in half to make the murals.

    I actually had heard about the Corn Palace on an episode of West Wing years ago.

    Another roadside attraction. It was a nice little stretch our legs diversion. We discovered a new art form and we walked away with a bag of popcorn.

    Just being silly with My Lovely. It was a long drive day and it gave us a smile.    Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorWestward Ho!Traveler
    1

    Saddle Pass

    August 27, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    After a long drive today we made it to Badlands National Park. I have been here before but I was really looking forward to visiting again. After setting up camp we had choices...relax and try to finish watching the Titans game, a short bike ride, or a sunset hike up Saddle Pass. It's only 1/2 mile, but it's very steep starting on the valley floor and climbing up over the Wall. . Pat chose the hike! I love this hike and sunset is the perfect time to do it. The only hiccup was we forgot our hiking sticks and had to be very careful coming back down on the loose ground.

    From Pat
    This site has a variety of views, think prairie view (think Little House On The Prairie) and an area that looks like a 'moon landing' spot.    Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorWestward Ho!Traveler
    1

    The Early Birds get the Cool Air

    August 28, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F

    Just too much for only 1 post....Part 1....

    Excited Anticipation
    My Lovely has been giddy in anticipation for the Badlands.  She has been here before, I have not.  This was a favorite prior destination. 

    I don't discount anything she shares with me.  My Lovely has brought it to life for me.  Today's ride did not disappoint.

    This morning we got an early start on our bike ride through the Badlands because we knew it was going to get hot, very hot.  A good call.

    We were up at 5:30 and started our ride at 6:35 am at 61°. We finished 5 hours and 47 miles later at 98°.  A big swing in temperature.

    Another Big Change
    Our route was an out and back.  So we got 2 views of the route.  We were amazed at the change of view from 7 am to 11 am.  As the sun rose high in the sky, the color  kind of bleached out.  It was all still beautiful, but the morning view was simply more stunning.

    The Amazing Views
    It is the rock, the layers of colors.

    It's the split view, one side of the road is "Little House On The Prairie", the other side Luke Skywalker's backyard.

    A bison rolling on his back or 100's of Prairie Dogs scurring from hole to hole and barking warnings to each other.    Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorWestward Ho!Traveler

    237 Miles in, We Still Love our Ebikes

    August 28, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    The Value of The Bikes
    We enjoy the hikes - you get the up close and personal view on a hike.

    Many people drive through a park and stop at the overlooks or just drive the park roads. It is   pulled back view, but you cover a lot more ground. We've done plenty of that.

    The bikes give us the best of both.  We got to see a family of Big Horn Sheep that we would would not have seen otherwise.  As we rode by, a sheep was a few feet off the road but down the ridge a few feet.  We could barely see the horns sticking up in the brush.  We stopped and watched from the roadside and just down below was another shelf where a ewe stood.  But then here come the 3 lambs behind mama.
     
    A car was coming by, slowed to see what we were looking at, but they couldn't see it.  They finally stopped and got out to see.

    The first video is of two different bighorn sheep we rode right past.

    The bikes also give us more opportunity to be social. We chatted with another couple who admired our bikes and thought they would love to try it. A gentleman a bit older that we are was enjoying the day in his sparkling red convertible mustang. He was taking pictures of it with the beautiful background. We stopped to admire his ride, chatted, and took some photos of his beloved car with him front and center. He was very appreciative.

    Not gonna lie....air conditioning would have been great that last hour. But it wasn't bad. We had quite a "breeze" on the return ride...aka headwind!    Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorWestward Ho!Traveler

    Bringing it to Life

    August 28, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    The third post about today's bike ride.

    Bringing It to Life

    If I were choosing - by myself, Badlands wouldn't be on the radar. But I would be wrong. In a couple years, we are going to White Sands National Park and Joshua Tree National Park. They wouldn't make my list either.

    No, I would be choosing Acadia (fabulous), The Smokies, Arches, Yosemite, Yellowstone. These are all absolutely beautiful and all easy choices.

    White Sands National Park is 1000's of acres of white sand dunes. Joshua Tree is a desert (actually 2 desert ecosystems) and Badlands is layered limestone formations jutting up through the Prairieland. It is beautiful and wondrous.

    My Lovely opened my eyes up to something outside of my normal view. We shared it. I found it to be special and I am terribly happy that I am here.

    The scenery changed as we rode our bikes through the pass. The same limestone structures, from different distances, in different shapes, or the colors reflecting in a different way, offered appeal through the ride.

    And I can't imagine how harsh it is to live here now, much less live here through the pioneer days. But a great experience for us through these few days.    Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorWestward Ho!Traveler
    No special effects, no lenses....the real deal!1To be clear...I did not take this Pic...It shows what our eyes saw, not what my camera could capture

    Sunset and The Milkyway

    August 28, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    After a morning of bikes, and an afternoon of relaxing, our evening goal was a starry night.

    We have been wanting to time a trip to an Internation Dark Sky Park with a new moon so we could see what is simply not viewable at home.

    Badlands is not an International Dark Sky Park, but if you go the middle of the park, there are no lights for miles. And it was not a new moon, but moonset was at 3:58 pm - just as good as no moon.

    We watched the sunset from one of the west facing overlooks and then quietly waited for the light to disappear. It took a couple hours. We sat together in peace, listening to the coyotes yipping in the distance and the wind whisk by at 35 miles an hour. We waited hand in hand on the bench. Waiting for night to come full.

    The stars blossomed slowly. In the beginning, the brightest lights were satellites and a planet. Then there was the big dipper. After a while, the sky evolved into a deep mass. My Lovely noted that the Milkyway appeared to be more like a group of clouds with twinkling lights due to the glow of the stars.

    The night sky continued to grow. We got most of we came for, but we grew tired. I wanted to see it in all of it's spendor. I think we will have to make a special trip out one night at about 2am. Not tonight. Another night. A nocturnal adventure awaits.

    We have a couple shots here, they really don't show what we saw, but we will include a professional shot to give a better perspective.    Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorWestward Ho!Traveler
    31

    Notch, Door, Window, and Cliff Shelf

    August 29, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F

    This morning was all about getting up at a relatively early hour and hitting the trail before the crowds and the heat set in. All of these pictures are from the Notch Trail which is hands down my favorite hiking trail in Badlands National Park. That being said there's not a great deal of hiking trails in Badlands. However, Badlands is an open hike Park which means you're allowed to hike anywhere: you do not have to stay on trail you just have to be really careful and don't get lost! The last time I was here Jacob and Sam were 9 and 11 years old and absolutely loved the rock scrambling in this park. I was definitely reminiscing throughout our hikes today. One of the cool things about this hike, beyond all the canyons, is the cool ladder you have to climb, and then the payoff views at the end!Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorWestward Ho!Traveler
    111

    Memories; Old and New

    August 29, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F

    Life with My Lovely is so easy.  Happy is in her DNA.  She doesn't let the setbacks or mistakes ruin her day.

    But then, out of nowhere things change.....

    From happy to Joy.

    There are so many things that can trigger the change.  The sound of gravel crunching under her feet is sure to do it.  And today, we were hiking in the Badlands...  That works. 

    Again, beautiful scenery.   The view at the end of the trail on our first hike that took first prize (so far) for this trip.  It was a small but slightly challenging hike.  She enjoys the challenge. But at the end of the trail, up high on a wall was the payoff.   !! Love It !!

    We were just getting started.  The rest of the hikes were short and easy.

    But then came the best thing.  The absolute joy.  The place where My Lovely's heart is everyday.

    Look at the first picture.  It is My Lovely looking at her phone.  This is pure joy.  We were standing in the same place she was 11 years ago.  She is going to show me a video of Sam running up that rock directly behind her. (Videos attached)  Her heart is alive. Joy abounds!

    The next hike was the Cliff Shelf Trail.  Again, the same trip 11 years ago, Jacob (as was common) hops up on a rock and does his "Explorer Pose" for mom to take a picture.  My Lovely finds the exact same rock and recreates the photo - Amy in Jacob's place.

    Her boys are her absolute joy.  She has them in her heart everyday, everywhere she goes. 

    She shared the video with Sam and the photos with Jacob, and of course, she shared all the joy with me.

    I know that all moms love their children.  The hiking today was great, but the best thing today and the best thing about the hikes was My Lovely being mom.

    We have a few other photos....

    From Amy:
    On the Door trail, there is a particular feature that the boys loved to climb. They climbed it over and over trying to better their time. Today I stood in front of that exact same feature, remembering The Adventurous little boys that I love so dearly. Then later on the Cliff Shelf Trail , there was a rock that Jacob did his great Explorer pose on. He repeated this pose at many national parks throughout the west. Today I recreated that pose for him. It took a little doing to find the exact Rock but it was fun and meant a lot to me. I sent the boys pictures and Jacob was amazed that I found all the exact same places. He said "I actually love these so much." I'm sure one day he'll get back out here and strike the pose again as an adult and send me a Pic!

    Wonderful new memories were made today as well. Pat has become quite the hiker and is really enjoying himself. Plus I don't have to worry so much about him falling off a cliff! It's truly special to share these times with my best friend. He brings me joy.

    Tomorrow we head further west to Custer State Park.    Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorWestward Ho!Traveler

    Minuteman Missile Historic Site

    August 29, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    The Minuteman Missile National Historic Site tells the story of Minuteman missiles. nuclear deterrence. and the Cold War. Hidden in plain sight, for 30 years 1,000 missiles were kept on constant alert; hundreds remain today. They hold the power to destroy civilization but are meant as a deterrent to maintain peace and prevent war.Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorWestward Ho!Traveler
    2

    1880s Fun

    August 29, 2024 in the United States ⋅ 🌬 81 °F

    A fun little side excursion. Lots of authentic 1800s buildings filled with relics of the past. A little cold Sasparilla from the friendly bar-keep. Plenty of breeze to keep our exploration comfortable.Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorWestward Ho!Traveler

    Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend

    August 30, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    After the drive from Badlands NP, we set up camp, which for us takes about 30 minutes max...we are pretty minimalist. The sky was crystal clear and the temp was perfect. We had hours of daylight left so we decided to go hike the Cathedral Spires trail. This trail gains 500 feet of elevation in about 1 mile, but most of that comes in 2 short sections.

    I don't have enough adjectives to accurately portray the beauty of this trail. It feels like a heavenly cathedral of stone towers. The trail itself feels carpeted with diamonds from the amount of sparkling silica that is literally everywhere.

    My favorite trails are the ones you have to work for...rugged and on the edge of my abilities....maybe it makes me feel young still to be able to conquer a bit of a challenge.

    My all time favorite trails are:
    #1 Panorama Trail Yosemite NP....11 miles but almost all downhill. The boys never allowed me to pick a trail unsupervised again. I had to carry Sam the last mile...he was 10.
    #2 Narrows of the Virgin River Zion NP. I think it was about 7 miles and I broke my wrist 6 miles in....but it was incredible.
    #3 is Cathedral Spires /Black Elk Peak, Custer State Park. We are hiking Black Elk Peak tomorrow morning and I can't wait. Just over 7 miles, a lot of similar scenery to Cathedral and a huge payoff at the Peak.

    I have yet to hike Angel's Landing in Zion. It's a bucket list must-try for me. The boys were too young to attemp it at the time but they did it last year and loved it. I'm not sure I can do it now, but Pat and I will attempt it next summer. I'm sure it will be right here in my all time favs whether we make the top or not.

    A hike like today's with the gravel crunching under my feet absolutely is my happy place. Custer State Park is one of my all-time favorite places.

    Pat took a hyperlapse video that let's you see a section of this trail. Enjoy the photos!    Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorWestward Ho!Traveler

    It is Well With My Soul

    August 31, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    It's that moment, when you breathe in and smell the pines, the sun is barely peaking above the mountains, the deer quietly watch as you pedal by only feet away, the air clean and crisp....this peace and sheer contentment must be what God intended us to feel all the time with Him.

    Words will do this no justice...pictures and video will only do so much. If at all possible in your lifetime...come see this for yourself! This place is truly special!

    (There are 2 pictures here, one is a zoom, of Black Elk Peak with the tower...our hike tomorrow )

    Don't miss the videos ( one video split into two to upload) at the top of Needles Hwy....Spectacular!!    Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorWestward Ho!Traveler
    Sylvan Lake, Custer State ParkThe beautiful inside of an old, dead tree!!Is there a place that could be more dreamy??The color!!! There is no editing here...no fake saturation! The real deal!!!1

    Sylvan Lake, Custer State Park

    August 31, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F

    After we biked up Needles Hwy to Sylvan Lake, we took a hike around the lake before biking back down. Sylvan is a perfect little lake.

    Part of the treat of traveling is the opportunity to see things that a considerably different from our home environment.

    This lake is framed with a mixture of rock formations, ponderosa pines and aspen trees, and a horse fence with mountains in the background and a clear blue sky. There was no waterfall (we got robbed). But to see all of this, and the reflection in the clear water as you hike around, how could we not be grateful for this.    Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorWestward Ho!Traveler
    Explorer pose, in honor of Jacob!

    We Missed It

    August 31, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    Cathedral Spires Hike

    Challenges are great, but if we are not careful, they can come with a cost. I actually prefer the challenging hikes. I enjoy watching My Lovely attack a rock climb.

    This was a moderate hike. An out and back about 2.4 miles round trip, with a couple of challenging sections.

    Nobody got hurt. Not even a near miss unless you count what we almost didn't see. The issue is that we have to pay closer attention to what we are doing in the challenging areas - we are looking down and not up at the beauty all around us.

    This was a fabulous hike for both the young and 'mostly old like us. Trails filled with rock formations, Forest views, elevation changes, and the trails sparkled with silica crystals. And my favorite kind of trails, mostly natural with just a little help from the Park Service.

    The Cathedral Spires showed themselves through the trees and at the overlooks. And just over a mile in, we reach the end of the trail at the base of the Spires. It was fabulous.

    Then came the trek back. And we saw some of what we missed. On the way up, there were a few places where the scenery was behind us while we were watching our step. We missed it . . . But then we saw it. An unexpected bonus.

    This is a beautiful place.    Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorWestward Ho!Traveler

    The Sound of Silence

    August 31, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    The Sound of Silence.

    Up early to get ahead of the crowd? To see the wildlife stretching their morning legs? To see the sun break over the trees and rocks?

    Yes, all of those, but mostly so we would not be blocking traffic as we biked up mountain.

    We rode Needles Highway to Sylvan Lake, about 10 miles almost completely uphill (1500 feet elevation gain).

    It was cool and crisp at 50°. On the way up, we were passed by 3 cars and 2 motorcycles. Other than that, it was a quiet early morning ride. We can talk to each other through our helmets, but that was limited, too. We were just taking it all in.

    Well, there were some ooohs and ahhs - it is a gorgeous ride. And we did talk to the deer and a lone bison on the side of the road.

    But mostly, it was quiet appreciation.

    Before today, my favorite ride to date was the Virginia Creeper Trail.

    Today, this ride, is the new benchmark. The Spires, the trees, the tunnels, the overlooks, the clear, clear, clear blue skies, and the quiet, the peace, the aloneness. Oh yeah, and the zoom zoom back down. That was good, too.

    We got out at a good time. We rode up peacefully, hiked Sylvan Lake (different footprint), and then rode back down. The return trip was almost all downhill. We weren't too worried about the cars because we were mostly cruising at their speed.    Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorWestward Ho!Traveler

    Mt Rushmore

    August 31, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    I had seen the documentary about Mt. Rushmore years ago.  But watching on TV is not the same as seeing it in person.  I was aware of the history and the process, but we got to see all of this again in the museum.

    I was impressed with how close you get.  I was under the false impression that I'd be viewing the sculpture from a mile away, but the experience is at the foot of the mountian amongst the giant boulders that were blown off the mountian.

    We did the evening lighting ceremony.  It was nice, but I am not sure it was worth the wait (waiting for the sun to go down).

    This stop falls into the category of "I'm glad we did it, I would not have wanted to miss it, but once is enough."

    The drive over and back was an experience on the Peter Norbeck / Iron Mountian highway.  It was a creation in itself.  Switchbacks, corkscrew turns (back-to-back) in opposing directions, and 3 one-way tunnels (including 1 tunnel that perfectly frames the Mt. Rushmore).  Plus a stop on the way over for a fabulous scenic overlook.    Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorWestward Ho!Traveler

    Black Elk Peak

    September 1, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 52 °F

    Once again, we were up early to beat the crowds, but mostly the heat. Our hike planned for today was ambitious. Over 7 miles and 1500 feet of elevation gain from the trailhead. We took Trail 9 up and Trail 4 down. Trail 4 is steeper and feels a little longer, but it winds between the Spires and was too pretty to miss. It was also much less busy. Temps were in the mid 50s when we began and in the mid 80s when we got back. There were so many people just beginning the hike at that time...I can't even imagine that climb in the heat.

    The trail is magical. It winds through high meadows, pine forests, and huge rock outcroppings. There are plenty of beautiful overlooks where you can see for miles. There is even one where you look up, way up, and say...I have to climb that? Yep.... But for the most part the trail climbs steadily. It's only toward the top that it gets steep enough that you don't even want to step off a rock in the middle of the trail because you know you're going to have to make that elevation up!

    Finally, after several false "this must be it" climbs, we made it to the top marked by the Harney Fire Lookout Tower. Views of the beautiful Black Hills stretch in every direction.

    Popular Picnic Spot

    This spot was being enjoyed by young and old, singles, couples and families, with quadrapeds and without, those that are fit and those ... those not so much. We encountered a man that was at least 75 years old (yeah!!!).  And of course we had our picnic here too.

    Black Elk Peak
    Slow and steady worked for us. We were here to enjoy the journey. We reached the peak and rested sitting on the rocks with a full 360° view.  This peak is the highest point between the Rockies and the Pyrenees Mountains in Europe.

    This hike was Challenging, but doable.  Our goal now is "doable again in 10 years time". We will see...

    It is beautiful up here of course.  As well as on the way up and down. 

    The climb started taking its toll on us about 2/3s of the way down.  That last bit kicked our tail (it got Hot!) but we made it. And we Loved it!    Read more

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