We’ve been back for two weeks, so I figured it was about time to post something here about the trip. Here are some fun facts and things we learned along the way:
– Roslyn, WA, where they shot the exteriors for Northern Exposure, looks smaller in real life than it does on TV.
– When your car’s temperature gauge hits “H,” turn on the heat and open the windows. You’ll have the experience of going cross-country in a convertible without the hassles of a removable top or looking really cool.
– Anthony’s overlooking the Spokane River is a great place for seafood, and they have the best creme brulee I’ve ever tasted.
– Fox News is great: all it takes is one guy on the phone saying that planes don’t really go near Mount St. Helens, and a caption “NO FLY ZONE DECLARED” pops up on the screen.
– The best pizza and beer in Montana is at the MacKenzie River Pizza Co. in Bozeman.
– (It is worth noting here that when we reached Billings, MT, neither of us went to the airport to buy a plane ticket. 🙂
– I discovered a chain of gas stations in the area called “Holiday” whose logo looks like a mid-70s NBC logo that’s been cheaply modified.
– Microsoft must be in collusion with the North Dakota Tourism Board. Their MapPoint software wanted to take us off I-90 and onto I-94 which passes through ND, despite the fact that I-90 seems to be the more direct route.
– The town on the border of South Dakota and Wyoming is Spearfish, not “Fish Stab.”
– Wall Drug has pretty good buffalo burgers. Oh, and donuts.
– If a gas station appears to be closed (in, for example, Nowhere, SD), take a look to see if the pumps are still turned on. You may be able to fill up if you have a credit card.
– It’s a good thing we did the trip when we did. They’ve been getting snow and rainstorms along the route we took.
In all, it was a great trip and a lot of fun. We’ll have stories to tell for years to come, I’m sure, and knowing me, none of the stories will be short.
We took an hour of video which is being edited into something viewable. It’ll be holiday entertainment at its best.