Cross Country Vacation Sept./Oct. 2025

The Hubster and I set out on a cross country trip to visit with our daughter and her fam. They live on the east coast and we live on the west coast. We choose to drive so that we can take our time and visit places that we have never been.

In other words, we set out on a very long scenic drive.

The last time that we did this was in 2023, and we had so much fun!

September 14 was a long travel day. We left home in Washington state, traveled through Idaho and most of Montana.

A stop for gas in Montana was needed, and we stopped at Muralt’s Travel Plaza. Who would’ve thought that a truck stop would be so nice!

This mural is painted on an outside wall. It features places to visit.

*Clicking on a photo will give you a closer look!

This guy was right inside the front door. I had to snap a photo for the grandkids!

One can not only get fuel, but also visit restaurants, a deli, buy baked goods, snacks and gifts, play in the casino, do laundry, stay the night and more.

When the Hubster and I travel, sometimes we car camp and sometimes we stay in a hotel.

Our first night was spent at the Huntley Rest Area.

We had a brief storm followed by a fabulous sunset!

The next morning, we drove into Wyoming.

We stopped at Fort Phil Kearny and I will share that in another post. Afterwards, we drove into Buffalo, Wyoming. Unfortunately, the Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum was closed.

However, I was fascinated with this sculpture that I spotted while driving through town.

It is called “After the Dust Settles” and was created by D. Michael Thomas.

Be sure to click on those links above to see more about this impressive sculpture!

From the website:

“Two war ponies, ravaged by the wreckage of war, have reached the end of their run. Their speed and their courage, sacrificed for the folly of man, have betrayed them and now only push at their hearts and their spirits. With their riders no longer driving them against one another they have found an escape, each becoming the refuge that the other seeks. Above them, an Indian arrow flies like a flag from a white man’s saddle, proclaiming a battle won and a battle lost. Behind them lies only dust and the terror that continues to pursue them. The frantic call of the bugle, the volleys of gunfire, and the screams of the wounded have thinned into a long, drawn out silence. All that remains are fear, comfort, and the sound of the wind in the sage.”