Our 2025 road trip is getting closer and will be taking place in the middle of July. The Kline Epic Road Trip this year is to explore a few places we didn’t get to on previous trips out west and also to discover some new places along the way. We plan to see the source of the Mississippi River, go to the Ronald Reagan Minuteman Missile Site, explore the east side of Glacier National Park on the Going-to-the-Sun Road, and hike in northwestern Montana. We are going to revisit the iconic Wall Drug and camp at Devil’s Tower again because the boys were so young in 2014 when we did our first road trip and don’t remember much about it.
This blog serves as our journal during the trip and as a reference to look back on when I eventually get around to making the photobook. I’m only 6 years behind, LOL!
So follow along with us if you’d like to read about our adventures and see photos we take along the way!
Almost two weeks covering Denver, Winter Park, Steamboat Springs, the Wind River Canyon, and the Bighorn Mountains. Our original plan was to camp two more nights in Teddy Roosevelt National Park, but both the boys came down with bad colds, so we headed east towards home instead and will camp there on a future roadtrip.
This country is amazing to see by car. The hugeness of the sky on the prairies, the twisty roads in the mountains, and all the different kinds of rocks and trees and flowers is just awe inspiring. Nature (and man made infrastructure) is just so cool to see. We can’t wait until next year’s trip!
The obligatory family selfie when we pulled in the driveway. Jeff drove the whole time and did great!
As we left Thermopolis, we drove through the Buffalo range in the Hot Springs State Park. Lots of trails around too, but it was way too hot to go hiking right now.
As we drove, the rocks began to change. Less red and more jagged. We drove on the Cloud Peak Scenic Byway on state highway 16 to get to our campsite at Sitting Bull Campground in the Bighorn National Forest. The views were breathtaking! As we climbed higher and higher, it went from semi arid sagebrush, to lodge pole pine tree forests.
Our campsite was huge! At least triple the normal size site at most campgrounds. There is a view of a meadow with the mountains in the distance that was right down the path. And lots of wildflowers including purple lupine everywhere!
Jeff made steaks and then we relaxed with no cell signal to be found. The hammock was set up and a small squirrel came to investigate. A deer walked up to us too, a second after I got up and walked away from my phone of course, so I couldn’t get a picture before it took off.
Overnight there was an incredible thunderstorm. No wind or hail, but lots of lightning and thunder that was incredibly loud and sounded different than any other thunder I’ve ever heard. It must have been echoing off the mountains all around us.
The next day we went in to Ten Sleep to get lunch and to check in with the world. As we turned onto the highway, a moose crossed the road. I did manage to get a photo of that!
After we got back to the campsite, Jeff went on a hike to the lake across the highway while the rest of us relaxed. The temp was only 75 degrees up here, even though it was 98 down in Ten Sleep.
Unfortunately we had to leave this peaceful paradise and move on with our vacation, but this area is definitely one we want to come back to again. As we drove to our hotel in Glendive, Montana, the temperature hovered around 100 degrees.
Carson and I thought this gave off “Radiator Springs” vibes. The trails are beckoning, but not this time. They have their own buffalo herd including 2 babies this year. Very cool scenery Wow! Pictures can’t show how awesome this looksLupineSerpent grass. Food source for lots of alpine animalsPenstemonTrying to decide if the hammock (and me in it) is a branch to run onCarpet phloxRocky Mountain Groundsel View from hammock Cute cafe for lunchThis quilt was in the resaurantGood reminder! A 3.75 mile hike!View from the bathrooms at the campgroundSunset was at my back behind the trees .Sunrise from inside the camper (too cozy to get up)Multiple spots with steep grades Oil or coal refinery? The rocks changed again as we head north and east.
Kline Road Trips 