Lee and Dottie Fahrner, with her brother and his wife, Sam and Diane Johnson, of Warsaw, recently flew BWI to Minneapolis, Minn. they rented a car and drove through Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho Panhandle and ended up in Olympia, Wash., where Sam and Diane’s daughter and family live, Sara and Greg and sons Ardan and Nolan.

On the way they saw Lake Superior, had lunch in International Falls, toured Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Glacier National Park by way of the Rising Sun Highway and toured Yellowstone National Park by way of the Northeast Entrance.

Many buffalo herds were seen coming out of Yellowstone National Park. Water falls were majestic at Glacier National Park.

They drove up Beartooth Mountain. Hundreds of acres of wheat, barley, canola, flax, corn, soy beans, sugar beets could be seen, along with fields that stretch to the horizon.

In the mountains, wind mills were in operation. Walleye, buffalo and elk were enjoyed at meal times with Huckleberry ice cream and Washington sweet cherry pie.

The family and friends saw many cherry orchards. Buffalo, elk, a mountain goat and her baby, prairie dogs, a black bear and cub, antelope, and chipmunks ate from their hands.

In Washington they saw the Tacoma Dome, Puget Sound, the Port of Olympia and Mount Rainier.

It was a grand trip of this beautiful America.

Audrey Robinson is the Raines Tavern correspondent.