You wake up in Butte, MT. You stumble inside the truck stop, still groggy. Your family grabs a quick breakfast of scrambled eggs and maple honey bacon and leaves. You take a highway avoiding going through North Dakota. As you travel through Montana, you're awed by its beauty. Multiple times through the state you can see little foals(baby horses) prancing around or sprawled out sleeping.
A little ways down the road. Looking to the right out the window you see the Grizzly Encounters sanctuary.The sanctuary is home to 6 grizzly bears. The bears are very fluffy and look soft. But they carry a sense of danger on their backs. The magnificent creatures are beautiful, but you wouldn't want one chasing after you. Every now and then when you drive by on the freeway you can catch a glimpse of the bears. But today you don't. It must be the heat. Sadly, you don't stop. You must continue on your trip this time.
Later you see towns of Native Americans and drive through an Indian reservation. After you go through Hardin, MT you see people doing a reenactment of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. A couple miles past the reenactment site you can see the memorial and the valley where the battle was fought. It is hard to believe in that little valley a famous and bloody battle was fought which cost the lives of many Americans and Indians. But being able to see a piece of American history is priceless. It defines the country we live in and each piece teaches us about our history and about ourselves. You watch out the window some more and then watch a movie with your sister.
You stop for dinner at a little diner in Broadus, MT. The little diner has been there for years. The last owner was a sweet elderly woman. You walk in and sit down. There are a few locals sitting at some tables on the opposite side of the diner. Your waitress brings some glasses of water. Your mom asks how the owner is doing only to hear she has passed. She explains the diner is still in the family, having been passed to her son. The waitress is nice and your family orders some meals to share. After you're finished, you notice the diner has emptied out and only one couple remains. As your mom pays you head outside with your dad. You read a paper about Native Americans on a billboard and get back inside the vehicle to leave.
You reach South Dakota and the trees seem to disappear. After about a half hour, you and your mom are looking around when you both spot something amazing. There is a grain silo all dented and twisted right next to the freeway. There had been a twister/tornado in this area couple weeks ago. For the next little bit, you continue to spot property damaged by Mother Nature's wrath. There are billboard broke into kindling, granaries torn off their foundation, and semi-trailers flipped upside down. It shows how power storms can be. Sometimes we take nature for granted but this opens our eyes again.
Your dad stops in Rapid City to get fuel and so you can stretch your legs. Your only a couple miles from Mount Rushmore. It brings back memories from being here before. You smile at this thought. You remember the white faces of the historic presidents carved so intracately into that ston bluff. You also remember the sweet smell of spring grass and the mountain goats you saw eating it, right next to the road. Your brought out of your thoughts by your sister telling you it's time to go. You climb back in and hit the road.
You stop in Kadoka, SD for the night. It is dark out and you can see mosquitos hovering outside the windows. Your dad very rarely gets bits, so he goes out to walk the dog. You climb into the driver's seat to look out at the darkness. You see your dad outside swatting at his legs, neck, and back. He comes running back to the vehicle. He just about throws the dog in and you run into the building with him. The mosquitos are like starving piranhas after the only piece of meat. You watch your sister and mom from the vehicle as if a herd of hungry lions are chasing them. You look around and talk to the desk clerk. He explains that the extreme amounts of rain in the area have caused them to be terrible. You run back out to the vehicle two at a time. You hop into your bed and think for a little while until you drift off.
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