Road Trippin'

There are so many things that I love about road trips. This summer, I spent quite a bit of time on the road.

By far my favorite road to travel is the I-90 Interstate. I pop on I-90 in Butte or from the cabin and drive all the way over to Seattle, often stopping in Spokane on the way. All through Montana, Idaho, and Western Washington, there are stunning roadside views. Mountains, lakes, rivers and farmland all have a place in the beautiful landscape. They even have wildlife - horses and cows out to pasture.

There are so many amazing places to stop for a break along the way from Montana back to Seattle - here are some of my faves.

• Rock Creek Road is located between Butte and Missoula, Montana and it is known for the "Testicle Festival", which takes place each August. If you're getting a bit tired, the restaurant makes a mean grilled cheese and you can browse through all sorts of Testicle Festival souvenirs. If you are really brave, you might even choose to order a plate of testees. :)

• 33 miles from the Idaho border, there's another souvenir option - the St. Regis Travel Center. They have a 360 degree fish tank for your viewing pleasure and clean restrooms. You can also shop for huckleberry candy, lip gloss and the like.

• Tacky souvenirs are most plentiful at the Silver Express stop at exit 16. You can find everything from kitties in a basket to mood rings to redneck books. Another set of clean restrooms and a casino make this a nice little break from the road.

• Lookout Mountain Pass sits on the Idaho/Montana border and is a beautiful windy road that leads up to this Welcome to Idaho sign. There's only 70 miles of driving through Idaho, where you can stop in places such as Smelterville and Pinehurst and beautiful Cour d'Alene!

• Soon after this Welcome to Washington sign, you start the most boring part of the drive - Eastern Washington. There's really not much to say about that 3.5 hours of driving.

• Luckily, to break up the monotony of Eastern Washington, there is the lovely town of Ritzville. I stop in Ritzville on every road trip through. It's got everything I need - a Chevron station close to the freeway and well...there's a Subway and a McDo as well. I guess there's not a really awesome reason to stop in Ritzville, except I always do.

When others are with me, there's the joy of Mad Libs, the Alphabet Game and the Geography Game. When I'm on my own, I make sure the beauty of the drive and the exciting stops along the way keep me awake. Either way, I have a blast! Since I don't drive in Casa, this summer of road trips was extra special bonding time with Pox! :)