Roadside Attractions

One takeaway from our 3500-mile fantastic voyage is that folx across the country love - LOVE - to build random animals and creatures to attract our attention, and maybe even get us to drop in and pick up whatever it is they're selling. This is a carefully curated selection of roadside randomals we got to meet in our travels this summer.

Enjoy!

Although the International Mermaid Museum isn't on the water, it IS at a winery (Westport, WA)

Who's dog is this? Why are they here? We need answers! (Burlington, WA)

This is Wilbur - yes, that Wilbur. Thankfully we didn't meet an XL Charlotte (Wilbur, WA)


Dr. Smith has big feelings about geese (Wilbur, WA).

Aight, so boom

Pretty sure Chef Louie is serving beef (Mitchell, SD)

Best Mascot Name Ever nominee: Cornelius (Corn Palace)

Not a wildfire in sight! (Hill City, SD)

At the Old Faithful visitor's center: not pictured - the actual bear we saw there!

Prairie dog tourist trap outside Badlands NP: Dr. Smith has thoughts (video below)

So. Many. Unanswered. Questions. (Somewhere, SD)

Exactly as advertised: Jolly. Green. Giant. (Blue Earth, MN)

We had to end on a classy note! Riverside garden in LaCrosse, WI.

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Family Weekend at Miss Halls

Cassidy is thriving in her new school. She is in a community that has space and access to intentionally and thoughtfully live out its values. While a return to on campus living was not in our plans, it has allowed us to be nearby as she dances along the edges of independence. Matt has a front row seat to daily life at the school, and was chauffering to Savvy's soccer game while I got to be the parent of a day student who is also a resident for the two day event. Friday night's concert was a mix of choral and instrumental pieces. SO much talent! It's the second time Cass has played Sir Duke in a concert and she seemed very happy with her performance. She knew we were, as evidenced by our cheering 🤗 On Saturday I got to be a student! I went to all of her classes for 20 minutes for a real lesson. I usually interact with her teachers in a social setting; eating meals together, attending events, going to the adult wellness stuff, random hallway conversations. Getting to see

Birthdays & Graduation & May fun

May was quite the month in the Team Smith house... I participated in my second MCLA graduation, and Savannah's soccer team played a lot of games. Cassidy had a 14th birthday party complete with mini golfing, ice cream, and sushi. Sunday was mother's day. We spent the day in Manchester eating, shopping, and hiking. Brunch at Ponce was delish! The Northshire Bookstore never disappoints. The baby goats at Hildene were cuter than last year. Cass had several band performances. She did a great job marching in lots of parades. We did an overnight staycation in VT and had the whole place to ourselves! And enjoyed our first outdoor concert of the summer season... There was a supercute plant sale at Matt's work. It's an annual tradition where 9th graders make pottery, grow seedlings and plants, then sell to the community. Oh! I cannot forget, we attended the annual town meeting. If you have ever watched Gilmore Girls and witnessed a Stars Hollow mtg, you have been to our town mt

Washington DC

Well this was a first! See that picture above? See the last name? Yup, that is my last name. I cannot describe how awestruck it was to walk around the Smithsonian African American Museum, turn a corner, see a photo, read the description, and realize I shared a last name, an uncommon last name, with the person in the image. All. The. Feels. And just days before the Goree Family Reunion?! Stahp it! What in the Wakanda was happening?! I'll tell you what was happening: the ancestors, my ancestors, were telling me to get ready for the reunion to be a healing, joyful experience not to be taken for granted. And it was. When we confirmed with momma the reunion was really happening, we wasted no time locking down our airfare with a combo of points and red-eye flights for the four of us. These were not direct flights, they were cheap flights! Which meant a layover or two. The layover happened to be in DC. Matt and I have been to DC together, and we've been on our own lots of times. But,

Team Smith

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