It’s Monday 8/4! What Are You Reading?

Wow, it’s been 3 weeks since I posted here, and we’ve done SO much! We didn’t have reliable cell service for much of that time (or any at all!). The best way to see the incredible places we’ve visited on this trip so far is to check out my travel vlogs and video shorts on my YouTube channel because it’s hard to capture the beauty and majesty of these places in a few still shots.

But here’s a very brief recap of some highlights of the past three weeks:

We spent a week in South Dakota, one of our favorite places. Our first stop was a new one for us, Snake Creek Recreation Area on the Missouri River. We had a gorgeous waterfront campsite, enjoyed a quiet weekday by the water, and had dinner with friends:

Our next stop was Badlands National Park, an old favorite, where we enjoyed the magnificent views and the Notch Trail:

We spent several nights in the Black Hills, one of our family’s favorite vacation spots. We spotted wildlife, climbed in the Needles, enjoyed a beautiful evening at Sylvan Lake, and had dinner with family we hadn’t seen in 9 years!

We traveled across southern Montana, stayed at the Missouri Headwaters (where Lewis and Clark camped), and had dinner with my cousin whom I hadn’t seen in decades.

Then onto Glacier National Park! The grandeur and variety of this amazing place can’t be summed up in a few photos. Stunning mountain views in every direction, roaring rivers and waterfalls, peaceful lakes, and so much wildlife! I spotted a grizzly bear about 15 minutes after entering the park (check out the video!). We spent three days on the east side of the park (where I celebrated my 60th birthday), and three days on the west side.

Then we headed further north to the Canadian Rockies where we visited 4 national parks. Beautiful weather, more stunning mountain vistas, huge waterfalls, vibrant lakes, massive glaciers and ice fields, and 3 black bears!

We hated to leave that beautiful place, but on Friday, we headed back to the US and made our way to North Dakota, where we are now. It’s our first time in this state, our 48th! We have a beautiful campsite in a national grasslands and have spent 2 days exploring the spectacular Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

Whew! It’s been an amazing trip so far, and we’re hoping the weather cooperates for our last week+ (it’s looking iffy).

What We’re Reading

I finished reading The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy and loved it! This novel has everything: family drama, a propulsive plot, gorgeous nature writing, a sense of humor, and deep emotional resonance. Conroy’s writing is beautiful and wow, can he tell a story! Here’s my 3-minute review.

Now I am reading Thunderhead by Neal Schusterman, for both Big Book Summer and YA’ugust. It’s book 2 in his fabulous dystopian YA series, Arc of a Scythe, and he’s one of my favorite authors. My brief description of the series.

Here’s what my husband is reading (he’s such a good sport with all my blogging and YouTube activities!).

Together, we are listening to Blood Lure by Nevada Barr. We love her novels about national park ranger Anna Pigeon, and this one is set in Glacier National Park!

What are you and your family reading?