My Dad arrived in Boston about 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 13, and we left town the moment I picked him up, headed for Saratoga Springs, NY, where my aunt and uncle (his brother and sister-in-law) live. Since my birthday was the next day, we decided to head directly there and spend the day with them before heading west on Monday, August 15th.

"Number 4 By a Head"
Taken at the Saratoga Springs, NY Race Track; August 14, 2005

As a kid, I read all the "Little House on the Prairie" books (by Laura Ingalls Wilder) and watched the television show constantly. On my drive from Portland to Boston last fall, I was disappointed when I realized that I was going right past - but couldn't stop to see - a lot of sites that were associated with Laura and her family. On my way back, though, I made sure that we would be able to visit at least one of her homes. Since it's the most famous, we decided to stop in Walnut Grove, MN. This photo was taken at the Laura Ingalls Wilder museum in Walnut Grove. It's a replica, of course, but I liked how the shot turned out:

"Hitching Post"
Taken in Walnut Grove, MN; August 17, 2005

Badlands, SD
Taken August 18, 2005

Although Rennie and I had stopped at Yellowstone Natl Park on our way to Boston last fall, we didn't get to see very much of it due to time constraints. So, on our way back home, Dad and I decided that it'd be nice to go through there again. We'd both seen Old Faithful before so decided to skip seeing it again - I mean, how many times do you need to see water spurting from the ground at regular intervals? - in favor of other sites. We took the southern route through the park, which took us right by Yellowstone Lake and the West Thumb Geyser Basin. This shot was taken from one of the walkways over the geyser basins. I liked how it showed the pools with the steam rising off them, set in front of Yellowstone Lake and the mountains (Grand Tetons? Not sure...) off in the distance.

Taken August 19, 2005