Last week I got the honor of house/pet sitting for my friend Rebecca’s adorable dogs. ( and fat basement dwelling cats😆)
It was like having kids again. Playing with Buddy, disciplining his toy toting habits and keeping him restrained from eating everything along on our walks. Maintaining his less needy sister Cocoa from her jealous attention- seeking turns. I was never sure who was really in charge. If I were to say I think Cool Cocoa had Buddy and I under her domain.
Such a joy being able to sit outdoors for hours on end without a care in the world on these humid free days. I have to admit house/pet sitting could be my new faux Airbnb gig. I get the benefit of quiet serenity and a new environment and the owners get the peace of mind knowing their pets are well attended to by a trustworthy mostly responsible 🙄adult.
Buddy became my muse and I am sharing some of his model-esque snap shots.
Upon arrival. We connected right away.
This is his main spot on the porch scouting for any moving activity.
Showing me his attitude look.
Then striking an adorable pose with his ever present toys.
Watching the airplane fly overhead.
Keeping guard of me.
Everywhere I went, he made sure he was by my side. Even if that meant squeezing into the tiniest portion on the couch.
Cocoa and Buddy ready to launch should I leave the living room area.
My daughters came over one evening for some take out Thai food. Buddy made sure they knew who was king. Such a beautiful Labrador. ❤️
I met my friend Sterling at a beautiful brunch spot near North Vine in Columbus. My friendship with Sterling began in Phuket, Thailand at a group brunch where I knew only one guy- yet met the posse who then became my rock while living there. It’s a great story.
I was late to the brunch and awkwardly shy walking into a group setting but knowing I needed to take a leap to connect. I sat across the table from this guy who seemed to know everyone. I sat quietly observing. Only to later find out that he was an American, the only one at the table of about 10. And ironically from Ohio, same as me. I would never have predicted in a million years this connection.
Now finding ourselves back in the USA due to Covid, I could not let such a short distance keep us from catching up. It’s been a year since I’ve been in Phuket. And yet seems like yesterday.
Sterling and I selfie snap shot. Reunited in Columbus, Ohio. Such a small world.
Columbus showing off their pride.
I loved how the stores along High Street were showing their spirit! Every store showed rainbows in some format.
Across the street.
Admiring their creativity and use of the rainbow on their burger motifs.
This speaks to me. The upside down woman and the poetic nature of the mural placed in middle America, along a brick road, but yet in the middle of transition.
I saw this sculpture right across the street from where we were eating brunch. I had to of course take a closer look. I love that this is planted and displayed for all of us to enjoy and appreciate.
Do people appreciate the creativity of God in nature or of people around them? Or do they continue to be blind and walk right by as if no effort was made in their paths.
I found this in my drafts and decided to send out. It was entertaining for me to see again.
Photos are from way back in May 2021. Random shots from the front of my rented van Vanessa as I road tripped out West and back. Wanting to record the landscape.
The roads we travel in life. If only we could record the changes.
Reflecting back on the views from Vanessa’s windshield helped me to realize we take in so much and forget much of what was actually witnessed, learned, endured, and what were fascinated by along the way.
So thankful for the camera on my Iphone. Genius for the journeys in my life.
Adding to my excitement of coming back to Cincinnati and concluding my month as a solo traveler, my Louisville Lover and tour guide at the beginning of this trip, flew into Ohare to join me and drive the rest of the way back. It was a spur of the moment idea which of course I love! Spontaneity- wins my heart.
As he creatively put it, he is the perfect “bookends” to my story. Was the first stop and now the last.
Ohare airport is a complete mess with the construction going on. But I arrived with time to spare and thankfully accommodated for the gridlock. Captured the beautiful sunset to distract from the red tail lights.
My cutie pie man preflight, ready to join me to make the last 5 hours just as much fun as the main portion of my trip.
We ended up randomly stopping in Lafayette, Indiana and had a drink at Knickerbockers Saloon. We discovered it was opened in 1835 and is the oldest bar in Indiana. The antique bar itself was shipped over to the USA all in one piece and is worth stopping in and seeing.
The already intoxicated regular bellied up to the bar sitting beside us also explained how Al Capone smuggled illegal goods through this bar back in the day. I am sure it holds a very interesting history!
Selfie moment.
By the time we wandered out of the bars, I attempted to take some photos of the street art in the alleyways. I really need to go back and spend more time in this college town. The historic downtown was great! A perfect pit stop.
When I arrived in Cincinnati, my beautiful daughters and dog were waiting for me!
On Sunday, I asked my friend Rebecca, if she would pick me up after I dropped Vanessa off at the airport. She has a new car and I wanted to check it out, plus it would give us time to catch up live.
Anyone want to guess how many miles I put on the rent-a-car during this month?….6,993 miles!
We decided to find a bite to eat in Covington and I kept this adventure rolling by continuing to try out new places.
The sign pulled us in 🙂
I ordered a spiked coffee. Why not. She was driving. Was nice not to be behind the wheel of a car for once.
The food and service were fabulous. Or maybe it was her company! But we camped out for several hours and lost track of time.
Next thing I knew, I was checking out the bar and realized everyone sitting at it was an employee. We had closed the place and laughed at how unaware we were. Was good to be back with friends.
On Memorial Monday, my neighbor Nancy and I had planned a walk. She is heading to Yellowstone next week and I wanted to catch up before she left. It ended up being a beautiful day here! We walked downtown, through Pendleton, up to Eden Park and then back. A two hour hike that just about kicked my ass with all the hills of Cincinnati.
Beautiful Vietnam War Memorial in Eden Park.
We discovered an alleyway with all street art. I was amazed that I’d never seen this before! She was more amazed by the plant life.
An unused alley with nothing but art.
I liked how one artist’s work was blended into another’s. Not all one style. Like random people contributed.
Ask yourself this always!
The other thing I came back to was the cicadas. It is their 17 year resurfacing in Cincinnati! Such docile bugs, but ugly. Can you see it in this flower? The noise of them all in our backyard is overwhelming at times, but soothing at others. Guess depends on my mood. They fly and literally will run right into you. They are so dumb, and loud!
Noticing the flowers that bloomed that were not out before. Everything here seems so much more lush and thick, greener and full of life.
Driving eastbound, I knew I wasn’t going to make it to my intended destination. I was getting tired on the road and the nothingness landscape of Iowa was starting to bore me. I was entertained for a long while listening to a Chelsea Handler book I downloaded, at the suggestion of Ethan, my new friend I met in Albuquerque. But once that was finished, my old playlists were also on my nerves and the repetitiveness of siriusxm pop stations were enough to push me over the edge.
With the help of my Louisville lover, who we will nickname GPP, I was able to spend the evening at a state park. Rightfully, he thought my last night with Vanessa should be in nature and not another Walmart parking lot. I was so appreciative to have the help and research done for me. For 12$ I would be surrounded by the ducks, water and trees instead of the florescent lighting and sound of pick up trucks revving up their engines.
Vanessa in her last overnight spot.
I was chilling on a park bench, admiring the inch worms that I honestly have never seen before! I loved how small they were and how they scrunched their bodies up in order to move forward. Reminded me of that green wheeled toy I used to have as a small child and even the theme song I can still hear in my head.
Watching the sunset on the water. Was so peaceful until I realized the park bench I was sitting on was covered in inch worms and they were now all over me! I freaked out. They were also falling down from the trees. My fascination was over instantaneously.
The inch worm infested bench. Would’ve been beautiful otherwise.
I made my way out onto the rocks to avoid the worms and watch as the sun faded.
My last evening alone on this journey. And what a trip its been! Absolutely unreal, no regrets, perfect timing, life altering!
As I was driving down 90 East heading back home, I kept seeing billboards saying “Wall Drug”. I thought what an odd name for a pharmacy. I kept seeing them, over and over. One after the other. Reminded me of the mine in Springfield, Mo when I stopped because of their advertising. And that worked out. So, maybe I should check this out too?
It was 8 am when I pulled off the highway and followed the obnoxiously clear signs on how to get and park for Wall Drugs. There were bus parking lots ready to be filled and I just couldn’t understand.
Well now I do. It was something to see for sure! Its a town all in one shop. Complete with photo opps with giant statues for kids, a roaring dinosaur, an ice cream/soda shop, a cafe, a museum and tons of unique shops. They even had a chapel, which I totally understood after reading the history of the couple that established this place. The story read that Ted Hustead inherited 3000$ upon his father’s death in 1929. He had just graduated from pharmacy school and wanted to find a location in South Dakota that needed one.
He and his wife (Dorothy) traveled around looking at different small towns and were convinced to open their pharmacy in Wall, SD. This was a religious couple, and it was important to them that they had a Catholic church close by that they could attend daily. As The Great Depression took hold of the USA, they were not successful in their business. The wife had faith and said they just needed to put their God given talents to work in creative ways and it will come.
One afternoon, with no customers and the heat setting in, they went upstairs to take a nap. But they couldn’t sleep listening to all the traffic. That’s when it occurred to them to put up road signs and advertise “free ice water”. It worked. And as the story goes, people flocked to their exit to get some water along this deserted hot roadway to the newly built Mount Rushmore.
I walked into what looked like a typical store, except for all the taxidermy!
I decided to eat my breakfast here and planted myself into their dining hall, complete with artwork and funeral flowers.
Beautiful sculpted statues were everywhere.
Sculpture room.
A museum in the best sense.
Every hall you went down had something to look at.
I became obsessed with the jackalope.
The hallways were lined with historical articles.
You could spend hours in there, but for me it became a tad overwhelming.
I was happy I was there during what appeared to be their down time. Early morning and before the summer rush.
Chapel on site. Respect their commitment and dedication to what faith provided them.
Sacred Black Hills territory.
They had a backyard area which was really cute.
There’s my jackalope.
Felt like you were on the set of Three Amigos.
I typically would not enjoy this type of tourist trap, but because of Ted and Dorothy’s story and the history along the walls, it was truly a gem.
The history here is one they are all rightfully proud of.
These were a collection of Native American photographs dating back to the late 1800s. Fascinating.
Their tradition I hope is not fully lost in their future generations.
Across the street other stores have also set up to catch some of the business brought in by Wall Drug.
An old childhood fellow gymnast friend, Rhonda Nomini, encouraged me to see Mount Rushmore if I was nearby. And I was. Only 3 hours from Keystone, South Dakota where the monuments were located.
After a lunch in Casper, Wyoming, I decided to head towards these national monuments. It was an all out downpour the entire drive. I was fighting to stay awake and frustrated by the two lanes highways. I hate how weather truly effects my moods.
When I finally got close, there were signs for the Crazy Horse mountain monument and I turned in to take a look.
This rock/mountain sculpture was worth the entire 3 hours in the rain. It reminded me of my mom’s obsession with Indians and my grandfathers hobby of jewelry art making. It hit home.
In strange ways. I felt my mother would’ve loved this. Their story. Their fight for saving their culture. Their anti government trust. I felt very much a part of this story from my mother somehow. I can’t wait to ask her more when we meet again in the afterlife.
Drew me in. I hadn’t read about it before.
Inside they had a miniature sculpture of the end project next to the window showing the actual mountain they were carving.
Inside was a history museum that displayed many Native American artifacts and this laminated history of their leaders.
A wall tribute. Seriously in awe.
The museum was quite extensive. Their shops sold American Indian handicrafts which I wanted to support.
I’m always still interested in fashion.
And these hand carved flutes were cool.
Actual knife and sheath of Crazy Horse, who was murdered.
A Native American teepee.
They had an art museum displaying various artworks representing the American native culture.
I loved the encased sculpture capturing dance.
And the bird claw token.
More art that intrigued me. Symbolic. I wish I understood more.
I think if I lived in Wyoming or South Dakota I possibly would have a better, hopefully, education of this indigenous culture. All I know was my mom seemed to have art, which I now inherited, which symbolizes this culture. She appreciated their roots and injustice.
I watched a 20 minute movie about the white Polish sculptor who dedicated his life to this project. Sculpting Crazy Horse. He had ten kids which all were put to work helping out with this project and passion. He knew he would not see the end of it, but knew it was worth his life dedicated to it. Starting in the 40s, the first project was simply building the 700 plus steps up the mountain to begin the work.
The Crazy Horse sculpture has never accepted any government funding because they didn’t trust them to finish this very important monument. Very cool to me.
I was extremely moved by the video I watched, the cause, the passion of this family. They had a museum inside and have even established a college on these grounds for Native Americans. One of the original sculpture’s daughter is now in charge and oversee this facility. It’s very inspiring, their dedication to making sure the Native Americans are represented.
The weather sucked. But I trudged on route to see Mount Rushmore even though the rain was predicted until 11 pm. I was told that the Crazy Horse staff and guests were forced into the basement right before my arrival due to a tornado warning. This was not ideal tourist weather.
Driving up the mountain. I kept watching Vanessa’s outside temp reading because I knew too well that once it went to 35 ish degrees, it became snow up here.
Most was under construction but I snapped a few quick photos.
Smaller than predicted actually , but beautiful nonetheless.
Me freezing and looking forward to getting back to Vanessa.
I decided when I woke up to head east and googled a major city 3-4 hours in that direction. I came up with Casper, Wyoming.
The drive was interesting! I began at 8 am because it was raining and cold and the only way to get heat was to start Vanessa. So, may as well hit the road and that should put me in Casper in time for lunch.
About 15 minutes into my drive, as I climbed the mountain, the rain turned to snow.
I am not great at driving in the snow, even back home. My daughters recall me walking home many times while leaving my car behind during snow storms.
In high school I soberly ended up in a ditch more than once. One night the sheriff had to drive me home. My parents made me write a thank you to the police officer and kind man that later randomly stopped to tow me out. My letter was published in the town’s newspaper since I didn’t have either of their names. I was so embarrassed.
But the Universe was on my side this morning and I ended up behind a snowplow. Thank God!
It was beautiful to see the snow on the trees, but winter at the end of May is too much.
A snowmobilers dreamland.
I passed through several National Forests. This one has a winding river.
It wove in and out as far as you could see.
I was cracking up how all the ranches have these wood posts entrances.
I’d just never seen so many.
The landscape colors, and weather, kept changing as I drove on.
Houses nestled at the base of the mountains.
The mountains changed color and texture between the miles.
Seems like it would be a different state or different road.
I entered into the Wind River Indian Reservation. In New Mexico all the reservations were blocked off completely, not allowing anyone but residents in.
Was noticing the different color stripes on these hills.
And then these little mounds. Guess I’m just used to the flatlands of Ohio. These changes in landscape kept my brain stimulated.
What?! My relatives own a casket company in Wyoming?! My last name is very uncommon, so this was fun to see, but even better the business!!
Then, the land was flat.
I loved this. Not sure why. The town was called Highland. In front of this town there was an official sign-saying “ population 10”😂
On a side note, I’d never heard of a Jackolope before. But I’m hooked!
I decided to do a drive through of the sites in Salt Lake City. After my morning hike and the walk in the park and aviary, my legs were spent.
But as I drove, I kept seeing things I wanted to see and not just pass by. Street art, architecture, sculptures, etc. So I parked and found a Lime scooter 🛴 and used a couple of them to see the sites as I maneuvered around the city. Was fun!
This mural was about the women in Utah. Historical tribute to their contributions. Thought that was nice and not what I expected in a Mormon run capital.
Another cool mural regarding their basketball team. ( I think)
I went over to Temple Square which is a block of all the Mormon’s buildings and facilities. Huge part of this city. Here’s a little history photo of when the church was erected.
Showing the layout and all its structures.
I had read at one of the rest stops in Utah, that the Mormons were looking for land that no one wanted so they could claim it and practice their religion. Afterall the USA was based on freedom of religion.
The main temple was getting a face lift.
Poppies. I rarely see these.
And these tricolored flowers. The creative design of nature is neverending and I love when it’s planted in the cities.
The capital building was located up a steep hill. The scooter ride back down was a blast!
I loved this shot, how I captured two dudes posing.
I ditched the Lime and walked through the City Center.
Cool sculpture about the wildlife.
Well maintained designed area. Even the sidewalk added interest.
This shopping area even had fountains which I discovered as I took a different route back to my car. Never take the same path twice if you can help it.
Saw this church on the walk back too. Not sure if it was part of the Temple Square or not.
Appreciated these birds in flight sculptures.
And this is where I parked and started. I loved the messages surrounded the solo red park bench. An artistic display.
I noticed in Salt Lake City the roads are numbered and directional. Downtown I was on 100 Street but where I was hiking was 11,000 Street. Never have seen that in another city before.
Also ironic to the Mormon dominance, many stores had rainbow flags in their windows. There is definitely a movement/conflict felt here.
Tonya Takes Thailand 