Vacation

 Mon, 28 Sep 1998 13:34:11 EDT (39 lines)

When I was twelve my family took our greatest summer vacation. We
drove west from Minnesota, across the arid plains of North Dakota. We
stopped in windy Williston for a night, near the Badlands. We had
dinner at a spaghetti restaurant where everyone wore lobster bibs. I
kid you not. I was just entering a growth spurt, and everyone was
amazed how much I ate. After dinner my sister and I explored the
railroad yard across from the motel. Not a smart thing to do, but we
were young and dumb. Nothing bad happened, but I hold the image of
that dusty, bleak place. I imagined hobos passing through in the
freight cars.
Then we entered Montana, and mile after mile of rolling pasture land.
Nothing but fences, antelope and cows for miles. My Dad was concerned
with having enough gas in the car. Finally we reached Roundup,
Montana (no kidding!), and the Silver Spur Dude Ranch. It was a family
operation, with just four cabins. We ate togther in the main house,
and boy, did I eat! I learned to eat all kinds of stuff that trip,
like grapefruit. I had been a very picky eater before then.
I also learned to drive- the elder man of the ranch taught me to drive
this 1953 Chevy pickup, and a Jeep, both sticks, of course. What a
thrill!  I would drive us early in the morning out to the watering
trough to refill it for the cattle. Then there was horseback riding,
which I already loved.

One day we rode to a break in the fence, where
cows were wandering outside their prescribed pasture, and rounded them
up. The horses pretty much did what they had been trained to do, and
we were just along for the ride. But then, one cow went into this woods-
and my horse went in after her, running through the woods, jumping
over logs, with me hanging on for dear life, ducking branches. Yow!
Also at the ranch for the last half of our week there, was  pretty 12
year old Peggy from NY. She had long, straight brown hair and a
wonderful face. We had a wonderful time, and I got her address before
I left. I wrote letters to her all the time until after college.

Another thing I remember was the stars. I have only seen them that
beautiful a few times in my life.
From the ranch we went on to crowded Yellowstone
(where we saw Peggy's family again briefly), then the beautiful
Tetons, Salt Lake City and the long boring ride across Wyoming,
Nebraska and Iowa to home.