Jake and I spent the past week visiting some good friends out in Montana. They moved away from Wisconsin about a year ago, and needless to say, it was so great to have so much time to catch up with them while enjoying all that north-central / northwest Montana has to offer. Also, the only trips Jake and I had taken in 2016 prior to Montana were a 5-day stint in Iowa to visit his grandparents (which was good but tough) and a couple days in the Wisconsin Dells and Minneapolis before Jake took his oral boards in Rochester, MN (which was only as much fun as traveling can be before a huge test). So not surprisingly, this trip was much needed.
It had been nearly four years since Jake and I had taken a trip where we stayed with friends. I wouldn’t want to crash with friends for every vacation, but it’s so great sometimes. Staying at someone’s house and eating simple breakfasts in the morning or enjoying a home cooked dinner after a long day of hiking or sightseeing while traveling is really nice.