Friday, July 16
Up early and headed for home :( Most of the day was pretty uneventful, and we planned to stay in a Flying J truckstop for the night. We stopped at a Culver's for lunch, because in Wisconsin the man at the KOA highly recommended it. We thought it was good but not exceptional. Better than McD's, anyway :)
Late afternoon, we stopped for fuel and as we pulled off the interstate, smelled a terrible sewer/sulpher type smell. We thought it was the area we were in. As we were stopped, Rick noticed a flat tire on the trailer on the driver's side. We pulled out of the way so he could fill it, and checked about tire repair places. The next exit had a tire repair shop, so we headed 6 miles up the road. We noticed that the smell followed us!
Took some time for the tire to be repaired, then on we went. We stopped mid-Iowa around Des Moines at a former Flying J, now Love's to sleep. Tire was doing fine.
Saturday, July 17
As we got ready to leave, as Rick tried to start the truck for travel, we discovered the source of the smell. One of the truck batteries died. A call to AAA for a jump, with plans to find a Sear's Automotive to replace the batteries, a long wait in the hot, hot heat (thankfully Haley and I relaxed in the trailer in the AC), and a service man who loved his job and brought batteries to replace rather than just jump the truck, and we were off by about 11:15.
About an hour later, just as we passed a rest stop that Rick decided to skip, a couple in a car frantically motioned for us to pull over. They watched as, just past the rest area, the repaired trailer tire blew apart. We were stopped on Rt. 70 with traffic blowing by at 75 mph, with a blown tire on the highway side. The nice man stayed and helped Rick change the tire in the hot, hot heat, and after about 20 minutes we were on our way and looking for a place to replace the tire so we had a spare. We found one with the tire we needed, but there was a 3 hour wait, and we were still in Iowa in late afternoon! We decided to wait.
We continued to Indianapolis, IN, where we stopped for the night. As we crossed into Indiana, we encountered a gianormous thunderstorm. We skirted the clouds, but just after stopping for fuel, the rain started. We were with the storm for 70 miles. The sky turned greenish-yellow, and the lightening bolts slammed down all around us - not one at a time, but 3, 4, 5 at a time. There were fingers of lightening slashing straight across the sky - we have never seen lightening like this. We waited for the twister to drop from the sky - fortunately that didn't happen!
Se stopped at a Flying J, settled in, and I went to explore a little farmers market set up at the store. It was 11:00 - I asked when they closed, and they said they were open 24/7! Thier relief would be there about 4 am. I bought a bottle of blackberry cider to use in my smoothies.
While all of our adventures were going on, Abbie and Jeff were having their own adventures. They were to take off from Minneapolis at 4:08. She called about 3:50 saying the plane was having some kind of problem. The pilot turned it off and back on (sounds like our 'Service Engine Soon" light issue that we've had all week!), and when that didn't work, they had to go back to the terminal. But - they couldn't go back because there was a thunderstorm. They were convinced that they would miss their connecting flight from Phila to Baltimore, and were thinking about Plan B.
We next heard from them when they touched down in Phila with 1/2 to make their connecting flight. However, they could not get to the terminal, and ended up missing their connecting flight. They had made arrangements for Jim and Lisa to pick them up in Philly and get them to Lancaster, where Jeff's mom would meet them, but they cancelled everything and sent Jeff's mom toward the Baltimore airport to pick them up when they arrived in Phila in time. They found a flight to Harrisburg and booked that, leaving Philly at 10:50, and told Jeff's mom to head there. As they got on the shuttle minutes later, they got an e-mail that the Harrisburg flight they had JUST booked was cancelled! Back to Plan B - Jim and Lisa graciously said they'd pick up Abbie and Jeff in Phila - met Jeff's mom in Centerville to take them to Hanover to collect their car and dogs. They finally got home at 2:30 am!
Sunday, July 18
Woke up to showers, which didn't last long. We have been blessed with sunny weather this trip - very little rain, and hardly any while driving (yay!). We had a LONG drive to get home, about 600 miles. Not fun driving, since we are back in populated areas, and the closer we got to home, the narrower and more crowded the roads became. Ugh! In the past 2 days I read 2 books! We arrived home about 8 pm.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
West Yellowstone, MT to Rapid City, SD
Sunday, July 11 - Happy Birthday Abbie!
After a good night's sleep, especially for Abbie and Jeff who were up almost 23 hours, we got up early and made breakfast before heading into Yellowstone. Yellowstone's roads are in a figure 8. When we were here 16 years ago, we 'did' Yellowstone in a day - traveling the outside of the figure 8 in a circle, clockwise. This time, we have two days, and planned a loop a day. We decided to do the lower loop first - because that was the area we did at the end of our day the first time in Yellowstone and we were tired, so don't remember as much, and because the one thing Jeff was looking forward to most was Old Faithful. So - lower loop, counter-clockwise it was!
We drove in the West Entrance and were enthralled even before getting to the loops. The beautiful Madison River paralleled the road, and we were greeted by several bison along the way. We were amazed that people were fly fishing in the water as the bison were grazing along the banks - neither seeming to care much about the other.
We stopped in the Lower Geyser Basin along Fountain Flat Drive to take a .6 mile walk to some geysers. One was at the edge of a stream, much like a hot tub on the edge of a pool. Several were in an area where bubbles, steam and the smell of sulpher were abundant. It was fascinating to watch the water bubbling - actually boiling up from the earth.
We stopped at the Fountain Paint Pots, where we took a 1/2 mile walk on the boardwalks out into the field of geysers. Many areas are fragile with thin crusts and dangerous boiling water or acid, and the only way to see things up close is to walk on the boardwalks. My question was 'how did they put the boardwalks in such dangerous areas?"!
The Fountain Paint Pots had areas that just blurped and bubbled mud, some were small holes with occasional fountains of water splashing out, and others were geysers which erupted every so often, but generally not in a predictable pattern.
We drove the Firehole Lake Drive, stopping to see several other geysers. The one which would have been great to see was not expected to go off until the evening, with a 4-hour window. It flowed into terraces, and the color patterns were fascinating without the geyser!
We arrived at Old Faithful about 11:05, and joined the throngs of people all heading in one direction. We guessed (correctly) that they were heading to the geyser, and discovered the predicted time to go off was 11:20, give or take 10 minutes. We joined everyone in the viewing area and waited. The geyser would start to steam more, then little bursts of water would come up, everyone would point their camers, snap a few shots and say 'ahhh' - 'ohh' as the geyser quieted down again. This happened several times before the 'official' eruption. When Abbie said "Happy Birthday to ME", we looked at the clock and realized it was spouting at 1:27 (home time) - the time of her birth!! After the eruption, we headed to find food (not great fast food), then shopped a little. We were leaving as the next eruption was starting, about 1:00. Old Faithful erupts about every 90 minutes +/- 10 minutes. The area was a mobhouse, with zillions of people and construction of a new Visitor's Education Center taking up a lot of space and parking.
We continued on our loop, heading over Craig Pass at 8626', then down into West Thumb and Grant Village. My goal was to stop at every Visitor's Center to have my passport stamped, and in Grant Village I also joined the park association which benefitted the park with additional funds to keep the park going and help pay for improvements and conservation efforts. I received a free tote bag in return, as well as 15% off purchases in Yellowstone and other National Parks for a year. On our way in to Grant Village, we spotted 2 elk beside the road. We stayed in the truck and took pictures, being careful not to disturb the elk. A family, however, stopped and the 3 kids piled out and headed to within yards of the elk. We left before we saw something we didn't want to see!
We skirted the western edge of Yellowstone Lake, which is North America's largest mountain lake. It is 20 miles long, 14 miles wide, 430 feet deep at its deepest point. Average surface temps are 60 degrees, with bottom temps never rising above 42 degrees. It currently drains into the Gulf of Mexico, but has over time drained into the Pacific Ocean and the Arctic Ocean. As we drove, we saw several deer grazing, and stopped to take pictures.
The weather was turning cloudy, with sprinkles on and off.
The lower loop of the park is inside the 30 x 45 mile caldera, or basin, of the volcano which created Yellowstone. The magmatic heat from the latest eruption (640,000 years ago) is what powers the park's geysers, hot springs, fumaroles and mudpots today.
After stopping at the Fishing Bridge Visitor's Center, where we had showers and hail, and saw the forecast was for 61 degrees, we headed north on the eastern part of the loop, stopping at the Mud Volcano, where we saw one of the most intersting geysers, the Dragon's Mouth Spring. Shaped like a dragon's mouth, with steam spewing out, and water coming out in waves, with the smell of sulphur and the groaning like a dragon, the sight was eerie at best! We stopped at the Sulphur Caldron and discovered the acidity level of the area was just below that of battery acid, which topped the scale for acidity.
We headed across the middle of the figure 8 to leave the park, stopping for construction along a beautiful stream. As we were leaving the park, we saw a bald eagle and several more elk.
We went into West Yellowstone and stopped at the 3 Bears Restaurant for Abbie's birthday dinner. Rick and Jeff tried bison ribs, which they liked. We took photos of several decorated bison in the town, and stopped at a grocery store to pick up a few things. We tried to find ice cream cake or birthday cake for Abbie's birthday, but had to settle for fudge at the camp store (what a sacrifice!)
Monday, July 12
We were up even earlier today, and after breakfast headed in to tour the northern loop of the park, again going counter-clockwise.
On our way in to the park, we encountered an 'animal jam' (which occurs when motorists spot wildlife and everyone stops). The cause - a coyote wandering along the road! We saw it ahead, and watched it wander from the left side of the road to our side, walking right past our truck! It didn't seem bothered by the people or cars, and thankfully no one was crazy and got out to take pictures!
We re-traced our steps across the center of the park, taking a one-way narrow road to the Virginia Cascades. We were treated not only to the waterfalls, but to the quiet stream above. I couldn't resist, and peeled off shoes and socks to dip my feet into the stream. Cold - but ah, so good! We stopped at a beautiful meadow - the wind in the trees and birds were the only sounds.
We crossed Yellowstone River and took the South Rim Drive to the Upper and Lower Falls. This area is the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, where the Yellowstone River drops 1000 feet over 2 falls. The Upper Falls drops a total of 109 feet. The Lower Falls are visible from Artist's Point, and while there, photographed 2 people who were painting pictures of the falls. Both views were breathtaking, but I think we all agreed that the Lower Falls were the best. When we stopped at Uncle Tom's Trail for a view of the Upper Falls, we discovered a bull elk wandering through the area. Rangers were there to be sure people weren't stupid (as they were), making people back up and clear the area so as not to scare the elk and get hurt.
We then drove the North Rim Drive, stopping at the brink of the Upper Falls for a different perspective, then continuing to the Canyon Village Visitor's Center where we stopped to get an ice cream snack and shop a little after I got my passport stamped. I bought a coat! Only $28, with the 15% discount on that. Now I can't wait for it to be cold :) As we were eating our ice cream, a pica was running around (about the size of a chipmunk or praire dog), and stood up and posed for several pictures for me.
We continued north on the eastern side of the upper loop road, seeing snow, waterfalls and beautiful scenery. We were on the lookout for bear, and were not disappointed! We encountered an 'animal jam', and found an adorable black bear in the center of it. Rick was able to park as a car pulled out, and we had front-row seats to the bear munching flowers in the field only about 25 feet from us. As it ambled toward the cars, people scattered (smart move), moving to put the cars between the bear and themselves. We saw people driving by with someone standing up through the sunroof to get photos, others standing on top of their truck roofs to get photos.
We stopped at Roosevelt Lodge for lunch, getting there at 2:50, with lunch hours listed until 3:00. Abbie tried the bison chili, and Rick and Jeff got elk burgers. I had a salad, and tried the huckleberry vinagarette dressing. Huckleberry is a huge product in this area. We had eaten here when we were at the park the first time, and Rick was determined to eat here again.
After lunch, we continued on to Mammoth Hot Springs, the park's headquarters. After getting the passport stamped (5th and final time for Yellowstone), we did the Upper Terrace Drive, stopping to examine this area carefully. There are no words to describe this hot spring area - other-worldy, with fascinating colors and patterns created by the hot springs. We followed the boardwalks again to see close-up the various springs and pools.
After we left, we headed on our final part of the loop. We missed the Obsidian Cliffs as we were distracted by - a grizzly bear! We had seen one earlier from a distance across a large meadow. This one was close to the road, but in trees where it was hard to get a picture. The rangers were on top of this 'animal jam' in a hurry, not allowing people to stop or get out, so we could not get a good photo of the bear. But we saw it - that's what counts! A short time later, Jeff and Abbie spotted a wolf heading into the trees along a meadow. Again, it was gone before we could stop and get photos but it counted in our animal count! A few more bison and elk ended our day. We headed back to the camper to start packing for our trip the next day.
When we got back to the trailer, we had a note on the door from people from Strasburg, PA, who camp with Rick in the Crossroads rallies! They were parked a few sites away, and recognized the trailer. Rick visited with them as we snacked for dinner.
Tuesday, July 13
We were up early and headed out of West Yellowstone along the western edge of the park, going north to Bozman, MT and Rt. 90. As we were traveling, I spotted a moose along the road! Rick missed it, and we had no cell signal for me to call Abbie and Jeff, who were behind us. We had arranged a signal - Rick would put the left or right turn signal on, depending on what side of the road I may have seen wildlife. We didn't have time to signal - it was right beside us when I saw it.
We traveled from Bozman to Billings, then stopped for lunch before continuing on through Wyoming into South Dakota on Rt. 90. What we originally thought would be about an 8 hour trip turned into 12 hours total - mapquest said 8 1/2, GPS said 10 1/2. With stops, it was a long day! We saw antelope herds in Wyoming. We continued to see beehives - something we've seen throughout the trip. In Billings, we were surprised to see PPL! What are they doing in Montana?
One of my goals this trip was to visit Devil's Tower in northeast Wyoming. We have been near, but not visited it, several times. However, because of our change to North Dakota on the way out, and the unexpectedly longer travel time today, we again were not able to stop. We DID see it, though, from about 25 miles away! No photos, but at least I can say I saw it! (Devil's Tower NP was featured in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" in the 1970s as the tower where mysterious extraterrestrial beings were gathering.)
We arrived about 6:00 local time, and Rick didn't want to go out to eat. After talking to our new neighbor, from Scranton, for a while, he checked out what we had in the fridge/freezer, and realized he'd better head to a grocery store. By the time he got back and cooked, it was 10:00 local time! Way too late for dinner no matter how you look at it! We were all grateful for bed after clean-up.
Wednesday, July 14
Up early, again, and ready to hit the Black Hills. We decided to take advantage of the all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast at the campground, then head to Mt. Rushmore. We traveled through some very tourist-y areas on the way. The little towns may have been fun to tour in the middle of no-where, but for an area ripe with natural wonders, they were very out of place. Its a shame people flock to these areas, ignoring nature!
At Mt. Rushmore, we took many photos of the same 4 heads :) We saw the movie (first one for this trip - at least Jeff had that experience!), bought a few souviniers. I ducked into the last gift shop unexpectedly, and was glad I did. In the shop was a man who had worked on the making of Mt. Rushmore. He worked on it for 3 years, when he was 17-20 years old. He published a book about his experience - answering questions he has had about his experience. He also played on a baseball team, made up of people who worked on the mountain. He appeared pretty fragile, but his wife was energetic and helpful. We bought an autographed book before leaving.
We then traveled the corkscrew highway - a road that actually wraps around itself. The very narrow road has bridges that wind in a narrow corkscrew, and there were tunnels that were one-lane. We saw some deer along the way. We then went to the Needles Highway. Highway is a misnomer, as the road is barely one car-width wide in places. It winds through forest areas and through oddly-shaped granite spires - a mini-badlands of sorts.
The Needles Highway took us near the Crazy Horse monument, where we stopped (outside the park) just to take pictures before heading into Custer for lunch. Rick and Jeff tried lamb sausage soup, and Rick had a bison burger.
We then headed to Custer State Park in search of wildlife. This was the park where we first ever encountered bison. We saw lots of pronghorn, and about half-way through the drive found the burrow. The borros are not native to the Black Hills - there are descendants from the herd that once hauled visitors up to the top of Harney Peak. The rides were discontinued years ago and the borros released into the park. The borros have become a popular attraction in the park, and stop traffic to search for food. They walk along the road poking their heads into vehicles to see if they get food - if not, they go to the next car. It was very entertaining to watch them. We had one come and scratch his head against the side mirror!
We were almost out of the park, and still had not seen anything other than pronghorns and bison, when we started spotting bison droppings. Lots and lots of them. Fresh. We knew bison had passed through here recently. A little way down the road, Abbie spotted a bison trudging along behind a hill, and we definitely smelled them! At last, as we came over a rise, there was an 'animal jam' and bison in the woods. This turned out to be the tail end of a herd of bison going - somewhere. Where, we don't know, but they were not grazing, they were walking, trotting with a purpose. We saw several babies, and the granddaddy - perhaps the one that chased Rick 16 years ago! We watched them surround cars as they crossed 2 roads near an intersection, and heard them bleating.Whew - they are monstrous things! It is impressive seeing one or two bison, but we wanted Jeff to get the full bison experience of being in the middle of a herd - and we got that experience!
Our tour complete, we headed to the camper to freshen up and let Haley out before heading to the Circle B Chuckwagon Dinner and Cowboy Show. We had also done this 16 years ago - our first chuckwagon experience of many. There were a few shops to browse through, horse rides for the children, and pistol shooting. About 10 minutes before dinner, there was a hokey shootout which was fun when our kids were small. Then in to a dinner that cowboys out on the prairie might experience. Chicken, steak or bison, baked potato, beans, peaches, a biscuit and ginger cake, with lemonade or coffee to drink. After dinner, we had cowboy music. Circle B is currently owned by a family (not the same singers we saw 16 years ago), who do almost everything. The music was the father and 2 sons, with the wife occasionally singing along. A few silly jokes rounded out the hour of entertainment. The father and one son staged the pre-dinner shoot-out, with the help of the children attending the dinner.
On the way home, we saw several deer. We passed through an area warning about big-horned sheep, but did not see any in any part of our trip.
We got back to camp and decided to try Haley in Kamp K9, their doggie park. Complete with an upside-down V shaped climbing mountain, a bridge and a teeter-totter, we hoped we could get her relaxed and on something. She resisted going near the park - but in the power struggle, Rick eventually won and got her in the park. She drooled but ran around checking things out. When Abbie and Jeff arrived, we ganged up on her, and before we knew it, she was going up and over the mountain! With all 4 of us praising and petting her, she was eating up the attention - maybe even grinned a few times! We then tried her on the bridge and once again, she was going up and over. We ran her back and forth between the two, and she was loving the attention and working off lots of energy. It only took about 1o minutes for her to learn those 2 new tricks! Then we tried the teeter-totter. When she eventually got on it and it tottered down the other side, she freaked and was not going near anything again! We got her back on the other two before heading back to camp. For that, she got an ice cream treat!
Thursday, July 15
Abbie and Jeff decided, after examining their route, to leave today after touring in order to get to Minneapolis with plenty of time to visit the friends they were staying with, so they packed up, and organized for the trip home. We again took advantage of the campground pancake breakfast (I've eaten more pancakes on this trip then I have in the past year! In fact, I started to collect them - saving and freezing leftovers on 3 separate occasions!)
We headed east, traveling in caravan to Wall, where they parked at Wall Drug, and joined us in the truck. We then traveled south to the Badlands National Park to do their loop drive. Again, no words can describe this land. Where you see seeminlgy endless prarie, suddenly you round a curve or come over a rise and see spires and sharp drop-offs and desolate areas. We wondered how the pioneers felt as they came over a rise and discovered virtually impassable land, with no way through it, and days and days around it. We say a prarie dog town and some pronghorns, but no other wildlife, although lots live in the park.
After stopping at the Visitor's Center (of course!), we headed back to Wall via Rt. 90. Wall DRug began in 1931 when a family bought the drug store in the middle 0f - nowhere. They gave it 5 years to make a go of it, and at the end were ready to give up when they decided they needed a way to get people in to their store from the highway. What did people need as they traveled on the hot, dusty road? Ice water! They put up signs similar to the Burma Shave signs, and before their last sign was out, people were flocking to their store for free ice water. While there, they bought ice cream cones and other things - and Wall Drug was in business for good. Now a popular tourist area, similar but better than South of the Border, it is a very busy place. We got there at lunch time and ate lunch - just minutes before the lunch rush. We meandered the different shops within the drug store (it covers a whole block), and Abbie and Jeff bought souviniers.
My right hand started hurting yesterday - a good case of 'camera hand', from gripping the camera to be ready for any photo. My thumb, especially, hurts, as that controls the on/off switch and the telephoto. I have a sore spot that feels like a bruise at the base of my thumb in my palm! I'll be in heaven when I get home - with Abbie and Jeff both taking photos, we'll share all the photos and have three times as many to choose from!
It was time to say goodby to Abbie and Jeff as they headed toward Souix City to spend the night before getting to Minneapolis Friday. Their flight leaves Minneapolis on Saturday. We headed south into Badland National Park again, this time taking a little-used dirt road through the west side of the park to Highway 44, which took us right to our campground. In our ride through the west side of the park, we saw Robert's Prarie Dog Town - which is more of a city, covering several miles! We saw a bison in the distance. We saw maybe 6 cars. And lots of prairie and badlands.
Back at camp, Rick headed out for an oil change and truck wash while I blogged the past 5 days! Dinner is cooking and then it is time to pack up and head toward home. We have about 27 hours to drive! Lots of time to review the trip and add stuff I forgot about to the blog :)
We took Haley to the dog park again - she was hesitant, and did not look too happy going through the routine, but remembered from last night. Another dog came to play shortly after we got there, so we took her out and will try again later. Maybe then she will be more relaxed and ready to play!
After a good night's sleep, especially for Abbie and Jeff who were up almost 23 hours, we got up early and made breakfast before heading into Yellowstone. Yellowstone's roads are in a figure 8. When we were here 16 years ago, we 'did' Yellowstone in a day - traveling the outside of the figure 8 in a circle, clockwise. This time, we have two days, and planned a loop a day. We decided to do the lower loop first - because that was the area we did at the end of our day the first time in Yellowstone and we were tired, so don't remember as much, and because the one thing Jeff was looking forward to most was Old Faithful. So - lower loop, counter-clockwise it was!
We drove in the West Entrance and were enthralled even before getting to the loops. The beautiful Madison River paralleled the road, and we were greeted by several bison along the way. We were amazed that people were fly fishing in the water as the bison were grazing along the banks - neither seeming to care much about the other.
We stopped in the Lower Geyser Basin along Fountain Flat Drive to take a .6 mile walk to some geysers. One was at the edge of a stream, much like a hot tub on the edge of a pool. Several were in an area where bubbles, steam and the smell of sulpher were abundant. It was fascinating to watch the water bubbling - actually boiling up from the earth.
We stopped at the Fountain Paint Pots, where we took a 1/2 mile walk on the boardwalks out into the field of geysers. Many areas are fragile with thin crusts and dangerous boiling water or acid, and the only way to see things up close is to walk on the boardwalks. My question was 'how did they put the boardwalks in such dangerous areas?"!
The Fountain Paint Pots had areas that just blurped and bubbled mud, some were small holes with occasional fountains of water splashing out, and others were geysers which erupted every so often, but generally not in a predictable pattern.
We drove the Firehole Lake Drive, stopping to see several other geysers. The one which would have been great to see was not expected to go off until the evening, with a 4-hour window. It flowed into terraces, and the color patterns were fascinating without the geyser!
We arrived at Old Faithful about 11:05, and joined the throngs of people all heading in one direction. We guessed (correctly) that they were heading to the geyser, and discovered the predicted time to go off was 11:20, give or take 10 minutes. We joined everyone in the viewing area and waited. The geyser would start to steam more, then little bursts of water would come up, everyone would point their camers, snap a few shots and say 'ahhh' - 'ohh' as the geyser quieted down again. This happened several times before the 'official' eruption. When Abbie said "Happy Birthday to ME", we looked at the clock and realized it was spouting at 1:27 (home time) - the time of her birth!! After the eruption, we headed to find food (not great fast food), then shopped a little. We were leaving as the next eruption was starting, about 1:00. Old Faithful erupts about every 90 minutes +/- 10 minutes. The area was a mobhouse, with zillions of people and construction of a new Visitor's Education Center taking up a lot of space and parking.
We continued on our loop, heading over Craig Pass at 8626', then down into West Thumb and Grant Village. My goal was to stop at every Visitor's Center to have my passport stamped, and in Grant Village I also joined the park association which benefitted the park with additional funds to keep the park going and help pay for improvements and conservation efforts. I received a free tote bag in return, as well as 15% off purchases in Yellowstone and other National Parks for a year. On our way in to Grant Village, we spotted 2 elk beside the road. We stayed in the truck and took pictures, being careful not to disturb the elk. A family, however, stopped and the 3 kids piled out and headed to within yards of the elk. We left before we saw something we didn't want to see!
We skirted the western edge of Yellowstone Lake, which is North America's largest mountain lake. It is 20 miles long, 14 miles wide, 430 feet deep at its deepest point. Average surface temps are 60 degrees, with bottom temps never rising above 42 degrees. It currently drains into the Gulf of Mexico, but has over time drained into the Pacific Ocean and the Arctic Ocean. As we drove, we saw several deer grazing, and stopped to take pictures.
The weather was turning cloudy, with sprinkles on and off.
The lower loop of the park is inside the 30 x 45 mile caldera, or basin, of the volcano which created Yellowstone. The magmatic heat from the latest eruption (640,000 years ago) is what powers the park's geysers, hot springs, fumaroles and mudpots today.
After stopping at the Fishing Bridge Visitor's Center, where we had showers and hail, and saw the forecast was for 61 degrees, we headed north on the eastern part of the loop, stopping at the Mud Volcano, where we saw one of the most intersting geysers, the Dragon's Mouth Spring. Shaped like a dragon's mouth, with steam spewing out, and water coming out in waves, with the smell of sulphur and the groaning like a dragon, the sight was eerie at best! We stopped at the Sulphur Caldron and discovered the acidity level of the area was just below that of battery acid, which topped the scale for acidity.
We headed across the middle of the figure 8 to leave the park, stopping for construction along a beautiful stream. As we were leaving the park, we saw a bald eagle and several more elk.
We went into West Yellowstone and stopped at the 3 Bears Restaurant for Abbie's birthday dinner. Rick and Jeff tried bison ribs, which they liked. We took photos of several decorated bison in the town, and stopped at a grocery store to pick up a few things. We tried to find ice cream cake or birthday cake for Abbie's birthday, but had to settle for fudge at the camp store (what a sacrifice!)
Monday, July 12
We were up even earlier today, and after breakfast headed in to tour the northern loop of the park, again going counter-clockwise.
On our way in to the park, we encountered an 'animal jam' (which occurs when motorists spot wildlife and everyone stops). The cause - a coyote wandering along the road! We saw it ahead, and watched it wander from the left side of the road to our side, walking right past our truck! It didn't seem bothered by the people or cars, and thankfully no one was crazy and got out to take pictures!
We re-traced our steps across the center of the park, taking a one-way narrow road to the Virginia Cascades. We were treated not only to the waterfalls, but to the quiet stream above. I couldn't resist, and peeled off shoes and socks to dip my feet into the stream. Cold - but ah, so good! We stopped at a beautiful meadow - the wind in the trees and birds were the only sounds.
We crossed Yellowstone River and took the South Rim Drive to the Upper and Lower Falls. This area is the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, where the Yellowstone River drops 1000 feet over 2 falls. The Upper Falls drops a total of 109 feet. The Lower Falls are visible from Artist's Point, and while there, photographed 2 people who were painting pictures of the falls. Both views were breathtaking, but I think we all agreed that the Lower Falls were the best. When we stopped at Uncle Tom's Trail for a view of the Upper Falls, we discovered a bull elk wandering through the area. Rangers were there to be sure people weren't stupid (as they were), making people back up and clear the area so as not to scare the elk and get hurt.
We then drove the North Rim Drive, stopping at the brink of the Upper Falls for a different perspective, then continuing to the Canyon Village Visitor's Center where we stopped to get an ice cream snack and shop a little after I got my passport stamped. I bought a coat! Only $28, with the 15% discount on that. Now I can't wait for it to be cold :) As we were eating our ice cream, a pica was running around (about the size of a chipmunk or praire dog), and stood up and posed for several pictures for me.
We continued north on the eastern side of the upper loop road, seeing snow, waterfalls and beautiful scenery. We were on the lookout for bear, and were not disappointed! We encountered an 'animal jam', and found an adorable black bear in the center of it. Rick was able to park as a car pulled out, and we had front-row seats to the bear munching flowers in the field only about 25 feet from us. As it ambled toward the cars, people scattered (smart move), moving to put the cars between the bear and themselves. We saw people driving by with someone standing up through the sunroof to get photos, others standing on top of their truck roofs to get photos.
We stopped at Roosevelt Lodge for lunch, getting there at 2:50, with lunch hours listed until 3:00. Abbie tried the bison chili, and Rick and Jeff got elk burgers. I had a salad, and tried the huckleberry vinagarette dressing. Huckleberry is a huge product in this area. We had eaten here when we were at the park the first time, and Rick was determined to eat here again.
After lunch, we continued on to Mammoth Hot Springs, the park's headquarters. After getting the passport stamped (5th and final time for Yellowstone), we did the Upper Terrace Drive, stopping to examine this area carefully. There are no words to describe this hot spring area - other-worldy, with fascinating colors and patterns created by the hot springs. We followed the boardwalks again to see close-up the various springs and pools.
After we left, we headed on our final part of the loop. We missed the Obsidian Cliffs as we were distracted by - a grizzly bear! We had seen one earlier from a distance across a large meadow. This one was close to the road, but in trees where it was hard to get a picture. The rangers were on top of this 'animal jam' in a hurry, not allowing people to stop or get out, so we could not get a good photo of the bear. But we saw it - that's what counts! A short time later, Jeff and Abbie spotted a wolf heading into the trees along a meadow. Again, it was gone before we could stop and get photos but it counted in our animal count! A few more bison and elk ended our day. We headed back to the camper to start packing for our trip the next day.
When we got back to the trailer, we had a note on the door from people from Strasburg, PA, who camp with Rick in the Crossroads rallies! They were parked a few sites away, and recognized the trailer. Rick visited with them as we snacked for dinner.
Tuesday, July 13
We were up early and headed out of West Yellowstone along the western edge of the park, going north to Bozman, MT and Rt. 90. As we were traveling, I spotted a moose along the road! Rick missed it, and we had no cell signal for me to call Abbie and Jeff, who were behind us. We had arranged a signal - Rick would put the left or right turn signal on, depending on what side of the road I may have seen wildlife. We didn't have time to signal - it was right beside us when I saw it.
We traveled from Bozman to Billings, then stopped for lunch before continuing on through Wyoming into South Dakota on Rt. 90. What we originally thought would be about an 8 hour trip turned into 12 hours total - mapquest said 8 1/2, GPS said 10 1/2. With stops, it was a long day! We saw antelope herds in Wyoming. We continued to see beehives - something we've seen throughout the trip. In Billings, we were surprised to see PPL! What are they doing in Montana?
One of my goals this trip was to visit Devil's Tower in northeast Wyoming. We have been near, but not visited it, several times. However, because of our change to North Dakota on the way out, and the unexpectedly longer travel time today, we again were not able to stop. We DID see it, though, from about 25 miles away! No photos, but at least I can say I saw it! (Devil's Tower NP was featured in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" in the 1970s as the tower where mysterious extraterrestrial beings were gathering.)
We arrived about 6:00 local time, and Rick didn't want to go out to eat. After talking to our new neighbor, from Scranton, for a while, he checked out what we had in the fridge/freezer, and realized he'd better head to a grocery store. By the time he got back and cooked, it was 10:00 local time! Way too late for dinner no matter how you look at it! We were all grateful for bed after clean-up.
Wednesday, July 14
Up early, again, and ready to hit the Black Hills. We decided to take advantage of the all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast at the campground, then head to Mt. Rushmore. We traveled through some very tourist-y areas on the way. The little towns may have been fun to tour in the middle of no-where, but for an area ripe with natural wonders, they were very out of place. Its a shame people flock to these areas, ignoring nature!
At Mt. Rushmore, we took many photos of the same 4 heads :) We saw the movie (first one for this trip - at least Jeff had that experience!), bought a few souviniers. I ducked into the last gift shop unexpectedly, and was glad I did. In the shop was a man who had worked on the making of Mt. Rushmore. He worked on it for 3 years, when he was 17-20 years old. He published a book about his experience - answering questions he has had about his experience. He also played on a baseball team, made up of people who worked on the mountain. He appeared pretty fragile, but his wife was energetic and helpful. We bought an autographed book before leaving.
We then traveled the corkscrew highway - a road that actually wraps around itself. The very narrow road has bridges that wind in a narrow corkscrew, and there were tunnels that were one-lane. We saw some deer along the way. We then went to the Needles Highway. Highway is a misnomer, as the road is barely one car-width wide in places. It winds through forest areas and through oddly-shaped granite spires - a mini-badlands of sorts.
The Needles Highway took us near the Crazy Horse monument, where we stopped (outside the park) just to take pictures before heading into Custer for lunch. Rick and Jeff tried lamb sausage soup, and Rick had a bison burger.
We then headed to Custer State Park in search of wildlife. This was the park where we first ever encountered bison. We saw lots of pronghorn, and about half-way through the drive found the burrow. The borros are not native to the Black Hills - there are descendants from the herd that once hauled visitors up to the top of Harney Peak. The rides were discontinued years ago and the borros released into the park. The borros have become a popular attraction in the park, and stop traffic to search for food. They walk along the road poking their heads into vehicles to see if they get food - if not, they go to the next car. It was very entertaining to watch them. We had one come and scratch his head against the side mirror!
We were almost out of the park, and still had not seen anything other than pronghorns and bison, when we started spotting bison droppings. Lots and lots of them. Fresh. We knew bison had passed through here recently. A little way down the road, Abbie spotted a bison trudging along behind a hill, and we definitely smelled them! At last, as we came over a rise, there was an 'animal jam' and bison in the woods. This turned out to be the tail end of a herd of bison going - somewhere. Where, we don't know, but they were not grazing, they were walking, trotting with a purpose. We saw several babies, and the granddaddy - perhaps the one that chased Rick 16 years ago! We watched them surround cars as they crossed 2 roads near an intersection, and heard them bleating.Whew - they are monstrous things! It is impressive seeing one or two bison, but we wanted Jeff to get the full bison experience of being in the middle of a herd - and we got that experience!
Our tour complete, we headed to the camper to freshen up and let Haley out before heading to the Circle B Chuckwagon Dinner and Cowboy Show. We had also done this 16 years ago - our first chuckwagon experience of many. There were a few shops to browse through, horse rides for the children, and pistol shooting. About 10 minutes before dinner, there was a hokey shootout which was fun when our kids were small. Then in to a dinner that cowboys out on the prairie might experience. Chicken, steak or bison, baked potato, beans, peaches, a biscuit and ginger cake, with lemonade or coffee to drink. After dinner, we had cowboy music. Circle B is currently owned by a family (not the same singers we saw 16 years ago), who do almost everything. The music was the father and 2 sons, with the wife occasionally singing along. A few silly jokes rounded out the hour of entertainment. The father and one son staged the pre-dinner shoot-out, with the help of the children attending the dinner.
On the way home, we saw several deer. We passed through an area warning about big-horned sheep, but did not see any in any part of our trip.
We got back to camp and decided to try Haley in Kamp K9, their doggie park. Complete with an upside-down V shaped climbing mountain, a bridge and a teeter-totter, we hoped we could get her relaxed and on something. She resisted going near the park - but in the power struggle, Rick eventually won and got her in the park. She drooled but ran around checking things out. When Abbie and Jeff arrived, we ganged up on her, and before we knew it, she was going up and over the mountain! With all 4 of us praising and petting her, she was eating up the attention - maybe even grinned a few times! We then tried her on the bridge and once again, she was going up and over. We ran her back and forth between the two, and she was loving the attention and working off lots of energy. It only took about 1o minutes for her to learn those 2 new tricks! Then we tried the teeter-totter. When she eventually got on it and it tottered down the other side, she freaked and was not going near anything again! We got her back on the other two before heading back to camp. For that, she got an ice cream treat!
Thursday, July 15
Abbie and Jeff decided, after examining their route, to leave today after touring in order to get to Minneapolis with plenty of time to visit the friends they were staying with, so they packed up, and organized for the trip home. We again took advantage of the campground pancake breakfast (I've eaten more pancakes on this trip then I have in the past year! In fact, I started to collect them - saving and freezing leftovers on 3 separate occasions!)
We headed east, traveling in caravan to Wall, where they parked at Wall Drug, and joined us in the truck. We then traveled south to the Badlands National Park to do their loop drive. Again, no words can describe this land. Where you see seeminlgy endless prarie, suddenly you round a curve or come over a rise and see spires and sharp drop-offs and desolate areas. We wondered how the pioneers felt as they came over a rise and discovered virtually impassable land, with no way through it, and days and days around it. We say a prarie dog town and some pronghorns, but no other wildlife, although lots live in the park.
After stopping at the Visitor's Center (of course!), we headed back to Wall via Rt. 90. Wall DRug began in 1931 when a family bought the drug store in the middle 0f - nowhere. They gave it 5 years to make a go of it, and at the end were ready to give up when they decided they needed a way to get people in to their store from the highway. What did people need as they traveled on the hot, dusty road? Ice water! They put up signs similar to the Burma Shave signs, and before their last sign was out, people were flocking to their store for free ice water. While there, they bought ice cream cones and other things - and Wall Drug was in business for good. Now a popular tourist area, similar but better than South of the Border, it is a very busy place. We got there at lunch time and ate lunch - just minutes before the lunch rush. We meandered the different shops within the drug store (it covers a whole block), and Abbie and Jeff bought souviniers.
My right hand started hurting yesterday - a good case of 'camera hand', from gripping the camera to be ready for any photo. My thumb, especially, hurts, as that controls the on/off switch and the telephoto. I have a sore spot that feels like a bruise at the base of my thumb in my palm! I'll be in heaven when I get home - with Abbie and Jeff both taking photos, we'll share all the photos and have three times as many to choose from!
It was time to say goodby to Abbie and Jeff as they headed toward Souix City to spend the night before getting to Minneapolis Friday. Their flight leaves Minneapolis on Saturday. We headed south into Badland National Park again, this time taking a little-used dirt road through the west side of the park to Highway 44, which took us right to our campground. In our ride through the west side of the park, we saw Robert's Prarie Dog Town - which is more of a city, covering several miles! We saw a bison in the distance. We saw maybe 6 cars. And lots of prairie and badlands.
Back at camp, Rick headed out for an oil change and truck wash while I blogged the past 5 days! Dinner is cooking and then it is time to pack up and head toward home. We have about 27 hours to drive! Lots of time to review the trip and add stuff I forgot about to the blog :)
We took Haley to the dog park again - she was hesitant, and did not look too happy going through the routine, but remembered from last night. Another dog came to play shortly after we got there, so we took her out and will try again later. Maybe then she will be more relaxed and ready to play!
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Billings to West Yellowstone
Saturday, July 10
As Rick was packing up outside this morning, he called me to come out, but said Haley could not come. From his tone, I figured there was something to see, and asked if I should bring the camera - he said probably. So I grabbed the camera and headed outside, and he pointed to a fence separating two campsites right across the road from us. Perched on top of the fence was - a peacock! Just sitting there minding his own business. The people in the next site went about their business. The man in the tent at that site got out of his tent and walked toward the store, past us. I asked Rick is we were seeing things, since no one seemed to notice this HUGE bird sitting on a fence! Rick asked the man walking by "Do you need a leash for that thing?" The guy looked at us like we were crazy, and Rick pointed out the peacock. I won't repeat what he said, but he was more suprised by the bird - that he had just walked by! - than we were!
We went to the campground breakfast (pancakes, eggs, bacon/sausage), and on the way asked one of the employees about the peacock. He said he doesn't know where it is from - it shows up often and walks around, then may disappear for a while before coming back.
We headed out about 9:00, traveling Rt. 90 to Bozeman, MT, then heading down 191 along the Gallatin River. Rt. 90 follows the Yellowstone River, and I must say, I think I have found a rival to 'my river', the Susquehanna. It is not nearly as wide as the SusQ, but very beautiful. We had 88 miles on 191 - a 2-lane road through the Gallatin National Forest, with 20 miles in the western edge of Yellowstone. We saw kayakers, white water rafters and fly fishermen everywhere. Saw a deer, and a herd of antelope (when we were on 90).
Haley was not a good traveler today. Yesterday she started her stressing - panting, not wanting to lay down. Today was worse, as she trembled most of the day. also. I hadn't tried Rescue Remedy because she had been so good so far - will get it out Tuesday for our trip to South Dakota! Good thing she has 2 days to relax in the camper :)
Abbie texted at 9:40 MT - they had landed early in Salt Lake City, but were waiting for another plane to leave. At 10:10 they were still sitting on the plane, so early became late. The next text was of Jeff eating - guess they hadn't had food for a while. I talked to her when they were about 3 hours away - she said they were both loving it, especially Jeff, who was seeing all this for the first time. He wondered where people from here go on vacation. Good question!!
We pulled into the campground about 2:00, and had just finished setting up when a thunderstorm hit. It was deja vu all over again. When we were in this same campground 16 years ago, we had just finished setting up when a storm hit. That one was more severe, as we watched awnings being torn apart in the wind.
We headed for the grocery store, I did laundry, and Rick started cooking for our travelers. Abbie and Jeff are due within the 1/2 hour (by 7:00 MT) - LET THE VACATION BEGIN!
Actually - they pulled up just as I wrote that - What timing!
As Rick was packing up outside this morning, he called me to come out, but said Haley could not come. From his tone, I figured there was something to see, and asked if I should bring the camera - he said probably. So I grabbed the camera and headed outside, and he pointed to a fence separating two campsites right across the road from us. Perched on top of the fence was - a peacock! Just sitting there minding his own business. The people in the next site went about their business. The man in the tent at that site got out of his tent and walked toward the store, past us. I asked Rick is we were seeing things, since no one seemed to notice this HUGE bird sitting on a fence! Rick asked the man walking by "Do you need a leash for that thing?" The guy looked at us like we were crazy, and Rick pointed out the peacock. I won't repeat what he said, but he was more suprised by the bird - that he had just walked by! - than we were!
We went to the campground breakfast (pancakes, eggs, bacon/sausage), and on the way asked one of the employees about the peacock. He said he doesn't know where it is from - it shows up often and walks around, then may disappear for a while before coming back.
We headed out about 9:00, traveling Rt. 90 to Bozeman, MT, then heading down 191 along the Gallatin River. Rt. 90 follows the Yellowstone River, and I must say, I think I have found a rival to 'my river', the Susquehanna. It is not nearly as wide as the SusQ, but very beautiful. We had 88 miles on 191 - a 2-lane road through the Gallatin National Forest, with 20 miles in the western edge of Yellowstone. We saw kayakers, white water rafters and fly fishermen everywhere. Saw a deer, and a herd of antelope (when we were on 90).
Haley was not a good traveler today. Yesterday she started her stressing - panting, not wanting to lay down. Today was worse, as she trembled most of the day. also. I hadn't tried Rescue Remedy because she had been so good so far - will get it out Tuesday for our trip to South Dakota! Good thing she has 2 days to relax in the camper :)
Abbie texted at 9:40 MT - they had landed early in Salt Lake City, but were waiting for another plane to leave. At 10:10 they were still sitting on the plane, so early became late. The next text was of Jeff eating - guess they hadn't had food for a while. I talked to her when they were about 3 hours away - she said they were both loving it, especially Jeff, who was seeing all this for the first time. He wondered where people from here go on vacation. Good question!!
We pulled into the campground about 2:00, and had just finished setting up when a thunderstorm hit. It was deja vu all over again. When we were in this same campground 16 years ago, we had just finished setting up when a storm hit. That one was more severe, as we watched awnings being torn apart in the wind.
We headed for the grocery store, I did laundry, and Rick started cooking for our travelers. Abbie and Jeff are due within the 1/2 hour (by 7:00 MT) - LET THE VACATION BEGIN!
Actually - they pulled up just as I wrote that - What timing!
Friday, July 9, 2010
Fargo, ND to Medora, ND
Thursday, July 8
We were up early and headed out to get to Medora, ND by early afternoon. Weather was pleasant - sunny and not too warm. Traveling through ND was beautiful - THIS is WEST! Wide open spaces, beautiful rock formations, no people.
As we exited 94 into Medora, a large deer (mule deer, probably) crossed the road in front of us. A full rack indicated it was a male.
We arrived at Theodore Roosevelt National Park about 2:00 and headed in to find a campsite. They are first come-first served. No hookups (water, sewer, electric - truly 'dry camping'), and only $10 a night. We settled in site #27 and Haley and I took a walk to 'register' (fill in the info on the envelope and put the $10 in, and drop it in the box), and to give Haley a chance to stretch her legs while Rick set up. On the 5 mile drive in to the camprground from the main gate, we saw a mama deer and her 2 babies, passed a prarie dog village and a bison hanging out in the village. Haley was excited. By 3:00 we were ready to head into Medora.
We wandered through some of the shops (looking for unique and hand-made items rather than the trinkets and clothing that were popular), enjoying an ice cream cone while we wandered. The town, a true western town with boardwalks, is tiny, only about 4 square blocks total, with the main shopping and restaurants on 2 of the main roads, so it didn't take us long to walk around. We settled on the Theodore Roosevelt Hotel for dinner - a very fancy restaurant. My food (coconut shrimp) came with the shrimp (4) placed artfully on the pineapple dipping sauce, with a flower in the center. Had to take a photo, since it was so expensive and pretty :) Rick had seafood fettucini. We were in North Dakota. What was wrong with this picture!? Full as I was, when our waitress came to offer dessert, she didn't ask if she could interest us in dessert (to which the answer would have been 'no'), she asked if she could interest us in Creme Brulee! Well, for me, that is a no-brainer, and Creme Brulee it was!
After dinner, we went back to the camper and got Haley to take her on the 36 mile loop road through the park to see wildlife. (Its her vacation, too!) We saw wild horses just a mile from our campground - she was VERY excited about that. For about 20 miles, we enjoyed the 'eye candy' (awesome scenery), while she popped up once in a while to check out what was going on. No wildlife at all, though. THEN we encountered a bison. The bison was on our side of the road - right on the edge line. After making sure my window and Haley's window were closed, we pulled up along side it so Haley could get a good look. She was inside out with excitement! We traveled on a little more, and saw another horse, a herd of antelope, complete with 2 babies, and 2 more bison - one on each side of the road, but again standing on the edge line. By now she was beside herself with excitement of all these creatures. Finally, we saw a deer cross over the road in front of us and pose for a photo as she stood in the woods.
So, today Haley learned several new words: Bison, prairie dogs and antelope. She really liked those words!
Being in the national park, in a campground with no hookups, the evening was very peaceful - no lights, no extraneous sounds, just nature at its finest. Rick said the sky was brilliant with stars, including several shooting starts (I headed to bed by dark-time, as we are now in Mountain Time Zone and I was exhausted from the early start and long day).
Friday, July 9 - Happy Birthday Cheryl!
Destination - Billings, Montana
Since we didn't have as far to go today, we had a leisurely morning, leaving the campground by 10:00 MT. We stopped at the NP Visitor's Center to get the passport stamped and to watch the 13 minute film about the park. We were on the road by 10:30. We were about 20 miles from the Montana border, so Haley was now in 2 more new states - North Dakota and Montana. It is truly 'Big Sky Country' - with the blue sky dominating the view. The scenery is what my idea of the west should be - lots of hills and gullies, rock outcrops and rock formations, cattle ranches, lots of green and brown, and lots of blue, blue sky.
We arrived at Billings KOA - the world's first KOA campground - about 4:00. We stayed here on our Washington trip. We are camped under cottonwood trees, and as I look out the window, I see a snowglobe that has just been shaken with cottonwood cotton floating everywhere. Almost as much as our 'blizzards' in February at times! The campground has a BBQ restaurant where we will enjoy dinner.
We were up early and headed out to get to Medora, ND by early afternoon. Weather was pleasant - sunny and not too warm. Traveling through ND was beautiful - THIS is WEST! Wide open spaces, beautiful rock formations, no people.
As we exited 94 into Medora, a large deer (mule deer, probably) crossed the road in front of us. A full rack indicated it was a male.
We arrived at Theodore Roosevelt National Park about 2:00 and headed in to find a campsite. They are first come-first served. No hookups (water, sewer, electric - truly 'dry camping'), and only $10 a night. We settled in site #27 and Haley and I took a walk to 'register' (fill in the info on the envelope and put the $10 in, and drop it in the box), and to give Haley a chance to stretch her legs while Rick set up. On the 5 mile drive in to the camprground from the main gate, we saw a mama deer and her 2 babies, passed a prarie dog village and a bison hanging out in the village. Haley was excited. By 3:00 we were ready to head into Medora.
We wandered through some of the shops (looking for unique and hand-made items rather than the trinkets and clothing that were popular), enjoying an ice cream cone while we wandered. The town, a true western town with boardwalks, is tiny, only about 4 square blocks total, with the main shopping and restaurants on 2 of the main roads, so it didn't take us long to walk around. We settled on the Theodore Roosevelt Hotel for dinner - a very fancy restaurant. My food (coconut shrimp) came with the shrimp (4) placed artfully on the pineapple dipping sauce, with a flower in the center. Had to take a photo, since it was so expensive and pretty :) Rick had seafood fettucini. We were in North Dakota. What was wrong with this picture!? Full as I was, when our waitress came to offer dessert, she didn't ask if she could interest us in dessert (to which the answer would have been 'no'), she asked if she could interest us in Creme Brulee! Well, for me, that is a no-brainer, and Creme Brulee it was!
After dinner, we went back to the camper and got Haley to take her on the 36 mile loop road through the park to see wildlife. (Its her vacation, too!) We saw wild horses just a mile from our campground - she was VERY excited about that. For about 20 miles, we enjoyed the 'eye candy' (awesome scenery), while she popped up once in a while to check out what was going on. No wildlife at all, though. THEN we encountered a bison. The bison was on our side of the road - right on the edge line. After making sure my window and Haley's window were closed, we pulled up along side it so Haley could get a good look. She was inside out with excitement! We traveled on a little more, and saw another horse, a herd of antelope, complete with 2 babies, and 2 more bison - one on each side of the road, but again standing on the edge line. By now she was beside herself with excitement of all these creatures. Finally, we saw a deer cross over the road in front of us and pose for a photo as she stood in the woods.
So, today Haley learned several new words: Bison, prairie dogs and antelope. She really liked those words!
Being in the national park, in a campground with no hookups, the evening was very peaceful - no lights, no extraneous sounds, just nature at its finest. Rick said the sky was brilliant with stars, including several shooting starts (I headed to bed by dark-time, as we are now in Mountain Time Zone and I was exhausted from the early start and long day).
Friday, July 9 - Happy Birthday Cheryl!
Destination - Billings, Montana
Since we didn't have as far to go today, we had a leisurely morning, leaving the campground by 10:00 MT. We stopped at the NP Visitor's Center to get the passport stamped and to watch the 13 minute film about the park. We were on the road by 10:30. We were about 20 miles from the Montana border, so Haley was now in 2 more new states - North Dakota and Montana. It is truly 'Big Sky Country' - with the blue sky dominating the view. The scenery is what my idea of the west should be - lots of hills and gullies, rock outcrops and rock formations, cattle ranches, lots of green and brown, and lots of blue, blue sky.
We arrived at Billings KOA - the world's first KOA campground - about 4:00. We stayed here on our Washington trip. We are camped under cottonwood trees, and as I look out the window, I see a snowglobe that has just been shaken with cottonwood cotton floating everywhere. Almost as much as our 'blizzards' in February at times! The campground has a BBQ restaurant where we will enjoy dinner.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Madison. WI to Fargo, ND
Wednesday, July 7
Mom had successful surgery today - praise God! Lots of prayer time while traveling sure helped.
As we were traveling our first day, I suddenly realized - I did not bring the Woodall's or KOA campground directories. As I rummaged through my travel bag later, I noticed that, if I had gotten the maps for the trip (months ago), I didn't pack them. And the Mountain Pass guide was also at home. Boy, having a GPS, Mapquest and internet access sure is making me lazy, but it doesn't help to anticipate stopping places :) Good thing the EXIT guide stays in the truck - that at least got us to the first night's KOA, where we could get a directory.
Last night, as we perused the KOA map at the campground, then did further research via Mapquest, we decided that instead of taking Rt. 90 out to Yellowstone, we could easily head north and go across North Dakota - to our FAVORITE National Park - Theodore Roosevelt NP and Medora!! Yippee! We'll get to camp with the bison, and Haley will learn some new words (bison, prairie dogs, rattlesnakes, and maybe a few others) as she tours the park in the safety of the truck!
We woke up to temps about 76 with 100% humidity - yes, it was raining. We had rain for about an hour, then wonderful clouds all day. In fact, late in the afternoon, we had a 3D sky - I love those, and we only see them out west. It occurs when there are high, wispy clouds, then lower cotton-ball clouds so close you can almost touch them. With unlimited visibility because everything is flat and wide open, it makes the sky look 3D. Awesome.
So, we left this morning about 7:45 local time, heading up 94 through Wisconsin and Minnesota. I saw a fox and cranberry bogs. Fascinating. As we drove past St. Cloud, MN, I had one of those moments when I could not speak, followed by the sinking realization that I had just missed a golden opportunity as we passed the world headquarters for Creative Memories!! I could have had a free tour as a consultant - but St. Cloud never sent up fireworks in my brain as we looked at the map and planned the route for today. AHHHHHHH!! So close! The huge building sits right along Rt. 94 - but at this point, we had many hours to go to get to Medora.
Our destination today was Fargo, ND, and we ended up stopping about 5:00 in Moorhead, MN at the Moorhead KOA - 2 miles from the MN, ND border and just east of Fargo. With the time change tomorrow (I love traveling west and getting extra hours!), we should be in Medora about lunch time. We now have temps in the 70s as highs - loving this, and glad we're not home, where temps have been high 90s to 100+. Abbie called today when her electric went out - ouch. However, mosquitoes the past 2 days have driving us inside earlier than we wanted.
There is a dog park here - a large fenced in area for dogs to play. I took Haley over while Rick was setting up - she was petrified. Stayed at the gate wanting out, or near me trembling. I walked around a bit and after a while she loosened up and wandered around 'reading messages', but was quite glad to leave. Time to put on bug spray, grab Haley and a ball, and encourage some exercise for her!
Speaking of Haley - she has ventured into 2 new states - WI and MN. She wasn't too impressed, but we were!
Mom had successful surgery today - praise God! Lots of prayer time while traveling sure helped.
As we were traveling our first day, I suddenly realized - I did not bring the Woodall's or KOA campground directories. As I rummaged through my travel bag later, I noticed that, if I had gotten the maps for the trip (months ago), I didn't pack them. And the Mountain Pass guide was also at home. Boy, having a GPS, Mapquest and internet access sure is making me lazy, but it doesn't help to anticipate stopping places :) Good thing the EXIT guide stays in the truck - that at least got us to the first night's KOA, where we could get a directory.
Last night, as we perused the KOA map at the campground, then did further research via Mapquest, we decided that instead of taking Rt. 90 out to Yellowstone, we could easily head north and go across North Dakota - to our FAVORITE National Park - Theodore Roosevelt NP and Medora!! Yippee! We'll get to camp with the bison, and Haley will learn some new words (bison, prairie dogs, rattlesnakes, and maybe a few others) as she tours the park in the safety of the truck!
We woke up to temps about 76 with 100% humidity - yes, it was raining. We had rain for about an hour, then wonderful clouds all day. In fact, late in the afternoon, we had a 3D sky - I love those, and we only see them out west. It occurs when there are high, wispy clouds, then lower cotton-ball clouds so close you can almost touch them. With unlimited visibility because everything is flat and wide open, it makes the sky look 3D. Awesome.
So, we left this morning about 7:45 local time, heading up 94 through Wisconsin and Minnesota. I saw a fox and cranberry bogs. Fascinating. As we drove past St. Cloud, MN, I had one of those moments when I could not speak, followed by the sinking realization that I had just missed a golden opportunity as we passed the world headquarters for Creative Memories!! I could have had a free tour as a consultant - but St. Cloud never sent up fireworks in my brain as we looked at the map and planned the route for today. AHHHHHHH!! So close! The huge building sits right along Rt. 94 - but at this point, we had many hours to go to get to Medora.
Our destination today was Fargo, ND, and we ended up stopping about 5:00 in Moorhead, MN at the Moorhead KOA - 2 miles from the MN, ND border and just east of Fargo. With the time change tomorrow (I love traveling west and getting extra hours!), we should be in Medora about lunch time. We now have temps in the 70s as highs - loving this, and glad we're not home, where temps have been high 90s to 100+. Abbie called today when her electric went out - ouch. However, mosquitoes the past 2 days have driving us inside earlier than we wanted.
There is a dog park here - a large fenced in area for dogs to play. I took Haley over while Rick was setting up - she was petrified. Stayed at the gate wanting out, or near me trembling. I walked around a bit and after a while she loosened up and wandered around 'reading messages', but was quite glad to leave. Time to put on bug spray, grab Haley and a ball, and encourage some exercise for her!
Speaking of Haley - she has ventured into 2 new states - WI and MN. She wasn't too impressed, but we were!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
July 6, 2010 - OFCO to Middlebury, IN to Madison, WI
Disclaimer - this blog is written primarily so I can journal our vacation as it happens, in order to remember it when I scrap it. You are welcome to come along on our vacation, just know I am writing for me, not for you :)
Friday, July 2
We began our vacation as we have many times, by heading to OFCO (Other Family Camp Out). This year it was again held at Lickdale Campground in Jonestown, PA. Camping were us (Rick and Deb), Rick's parents, and my brother's family - Pete, Regi, Danny (until Sunday morning) and Ryan.
We arrived about 6:00, set up, and were surprised when Danny and Ryan drove up to our site. Pete and Regi were expecting to be there about 8:00, Danny was a surprise addition, arriving in advance of his parents. They waited at the campsite while the rest of us (Rick's parents and us) went out for dinner. We had hoped the Smokehouse BBQ place had re-opened after their fire, but instead a new restaurant, The Woods Creek Grill, had taken their place. The menu was quite - unusual - with elk chili, rattlesnake, bison burgers, and other 'interesting' meat choices. I found a lovely trail salad - nice and safe. Rick went nuts over the elk chili and the full rack of ribs - that he could not finish!
We enjoyed the campfire - even had to put on jeans and sweatshirts, the weather was beautiful, the skies clear and starry. Ryan had ginormous marshmallows that he was toasting. Because they were so big, the middle did not toast, so he toasted them in layers. At one point, he toasted one for me - I peeled off the toasted layer, and he toasted it again. Pete ate that layer, then he toasted it one last time and Regi ate that. 3 of us ate the same toasted marshmallow and had plenty!
Saturday, July 3 - Happy Birthday Heidi!!
This was designated 'Family Day' - the day when those not camping with us could join us for the day at the campground. Abbie; Patti, Paul, Heidi and her friend Haeden; Mom and Dad Mohr; Jim, Lisa, Courtney, Corissa, Caiti and Laurie's 4 kids all came for the day.
The 'kids' enjoyed stream stomping (kids included Pete and Danny), checking out crayfish and watching the fish. They also had fun at the playground, and the teenagers hung out talking and taking pictures of themselves :)
We had a covered dish meal, followed by birthday cake, as has been tradition to celebrate summer birthdays. Ryan, Heidi, Caiti and Abbie's birthdays are all within a few weeks either side of 4th of July.
About 5:00, a tractor pulling a hayride wagon drove by our campsite, and Lisa jumped up asking if there was a hayride. She kept encouraging us to get on - and we followed, trusting her completely. I heard the man say it was not on the weekend schedule. We drove down to the playground and picked up the rest of the kids (Lisa, Regi, Abbie and I had boarded with a few of the kids at the campsite, as well as a family from a site near ours), then we headed out on our ride. Typically, hayrides take a short tour of the campground. But we went beyond the campground into the woods, talking, laughing and singing. About 20 minutes into the ride, though, we began to realize that we had hopped onto the wagon without knowing who the driver was, or where we were going! Some had recently seen a movie which had a simliar scenario. (Theme froms Jaws begins to play here). We were relieved when, somehow, we ended up back at the campground about 30 minutes after we hopped on the wagon.
We again enjoyed the campfire, with clear skies and cool temps in the evening, and warm, not hot, temps for the daytime.
Sunday, July 4 - Happy Birthday America!!
Pete and I started the day going kayaking at Memorial Lake State Park. We kayaked for over an hour, skirting the shore for the shade and to look for wildlife. We saw a bird - possibly a kingfisher - on a bush very close to us over the water. Pete floated by, and as I approached, the bird spooked and tried to fly, which is when we realized its foot was caught on fishing line. Pete circled back and tried to get it loose with his paddle. When that didn't work and the bird was hanging upside down trying to keep its head above water, Pete grabbed the line and broke it. The bird flew into the brush on shore - line still wrapped on its foot, but free. We saw turtles and a snake, also. We kayaked the perimiter of the lake, and were ready to be done. The heat was building!
We hung around the campsite talking for a while, and Regi introduced me to tomato sandwiches. Pete, Regi, Mother and Dad Koelsch and I enjoyed them - slices of garden fresh tomatoes, onions and lettuce with mayo on bread. Yum! By now, the heat was getting serious, so we retreated to our campers for some R&R. I caught up on e-mail and downloading photos, then enjoyed a nap. By late afternoon, Regi got out her computer and we checked out niece Jennifer's wedding pictures. We had a pot-luck dinner, then enjoyed the campfire again - it cooled off nicely for the fire, at least!
Monday, July 5
We were up, packed up, and heading out before 9:00 am. The temps were already climbing. This is usually the worst travel day -through all the stuff we have seen a zillion times. We drove 322 to 80 (which at least was some different scenery), then followed 80 to Middlebury, Indiana, near Elkhard, Indiana. Hot through the day, but when we pulled into the Middlebury KOA the temps had cooled and there was a nice breeze. The staff was very friendly and helpful.
We set up, then called out for pizza - not wanting to unhook for the overnight to drive somewhere, and too hot to cook. It was also 7:00 when we pulled into camp, a bit late to start cooking.
Middlebury is right in the middle of RV country as well as Amish country. Shipshewana, the second largest Amish settlement in America, was just a few miles away. (Lancaster is the 4th largest in the US).
Tuesday, July 6 - Happy Birthday Caiti!
We got up, intending to head to the CrossRoads factory to check it out and hopefully get a tour. (CrossRoads made our Cruiser in 2006) Rick called, to find out they were on shutdown and there were no tours, and no activity making it worth going. As we were looking at the directions to get there, however, I realized that we were right in the middle of the Quilt Garden tour, which I had recently read about in a quilt magazine. The Quilt Garden Tour consists of a garden planted to look like a quilt square at different businesses. We decided to take a bit of a drive to see some - and found 4 Quilt Gardens. Haley thoroughly enjoyed greeting all the horses pulling buggies that we passed. We ended up at the RV/MH Hall of Fame and Museum, or original destination and purpose for stopping in this area.
The RV/MH HOF and Museum was built in 2007, totally funded by donations. All but 4 employees are volunteer. We walked through the Go RVing room, with a representation of current RVs - tent trailer, 'green' trailer, 5th wheel, and motorhomes.
We then walked through RV history, with tent trailers, motorhomes and trailers of all sizes and shapes, from the beginning of the 1900s to the 1970s. We were able to walk into most of them, and at least see in the door to others. Unique features, such as the toiled which swung into the bathroom when in use, and then swung into the wall (under the seat in the living area) when not in use; various forms of bunk beds; interesting amenities in the trailers...sure made us appreciate our luxury trailer! We were awed by the creativity of the people when designing the trailers of long ago. There was also a narrated display of the 16 steps of manufacturing trailers, which was a good alternative to our factory tour.
We ate lunch in the trailer, since it was cooled for Haley, then headed west again, following Rt. 90. We went through Chicago - oh, my! We are definitely avoiding that on the way home! We had a sprinkle in Chicago - about 33 small raindrops on the windshield from one cloud overhead that dripped a bit. Once we squirted out the other side of Chicago, we had a 2-minute sun shower. Otherwise, it was HOT, with clouds building up over the Great Lake.
We arrived in De Forest, WI about 5:30 local time (1 hour behind). We camped in the Madison KOA, very close to Madison, WI. It was HOT, HOT, HOT and the mosquitoes were biting that early. We decided to unhook and go find a restaurant. There were several fast food places in walking distance - but we don't do fast food, and we were not walking in this heat!
Spent the evening relaxing, catching up on e-mails, downloading photos and blogging.
Friday, July 2
We began our vacation as we have many times, by heading to OFCO (Other Family Camp Out). This year it was again held at Lickdale Campground in Jonestown, PA. Camping were us (Rick and Deb), Rick's parents, and my brother's family - Pete, Regi, Danny (until Sunday morning) and Ryan.
We arrived about 6:00, set up, and were surprised when Danny and Ryan drove up to our site. Pete and Regi were expecting to be there about 8:00, Danny was a surprise addition, arriving in advance of his parents. They waited at the campsite while the rest of us (Rick's parents and us) went out for dinner. We had hoped the Smokehouse BBQ place had re-opened after their fire, but instead a new restaurant, The Woods Creek Grill, had taken their place. The menu was quite - unusual - with elk chili, rattlesnake, bison burgers, and other 'interesting' meat choices. I found a lovely trail salad - nice and safe. Rick went nuts over the elk chili and the full rack of ribs - that he could not finish!
We enjoyed the campfire - even had to put on jeans and sweatshirts, the weather was beautiful, the skies clear and starry. Ryan had ginormous marshmallows that he was toasting. Because they were so big, the middle did not toast, so he toasted them in layers. At one point, he toasted one for me - I peeled off the toasted layer, and he toasted it again. Pete ate that layer, then he toasted it one last time and Regi ate that. 3 of us ate the same toasted marshmallow and had plenty!
Saturday, July 3 - Happy Birthday Heidi!!
This was designated 'Family Day' - the day when those not camping with us could join us for the day at the campground. Abbie; Patti, Paul, Heidi and her friend Haeden; Mom and Dad Mohr; Jim, Lisa, Courtney, Corissa, Caiti and Laurie's 4 kids all came for the day.
The 'kids' enjoyed stream stomping (kids included Pete and Danny), checking out crayfish and watching the fish. They also had fun at the playground, and the teenagers hung out talking and taking pictures of themselves :)
We had a covered dish meal, followed by birthday cake, as has been tradition to celebrate summer birthdays. Ryan, Heidi, Caiti and Abbie's birthdays are all within a few weeks either side of 4th of July.
About 5:00, a tractor pulling a hayride wagon drove by our campsite, and Lisa jumped up asking if there was a hayride. She kept encouraging us to get on - and we followed, trusting her completely. I heard the man say it was not on the weekend schedule. We drove down to the playground and picked up the rest of the kids (Lisa, Regi, Abbie and I had boarded with a few of the kids at the campsite, as well as a family from a site near ours), then we headed out on our ride. Typically, hayrides take a short tour of the campground. But we went beyond the campground into the woods, talking, laughing and singing. About 20 minutes into the ride, though, we began to realize that we had hopped onto the wagon without knowing who the driver was, or where we were going! Some had recently seen a movie which had a simliar scenario. (Theme froms Jaws begins to play here). We were relieved when, somehow, we ended up back at the campground about 30 minutes after we hopped on the wagon.
We again enjoyed the campfire, with clear skies and cool temps in the evening, and warm, not hot, temps for the daytime.
Sunday, July 4 - Happy Birthday America!!
Pete and I started the day going kayaking at Memorial Lake State Park. We kayaked for over an hour, skirting the shore for the shade and to look for wildlife. We saw a bird - possibly a kingfisher - on a bush very close to us over the water. Pete floated by, and as I approached, the bird spooked and tried to fly, which is when we realized its foot was caught on fishing line. Pete circled back and tried to get it loose with his paddle. When that didn't work and the bird was hanging upside down trying to keep its head above water, Pete grabbed the line and broke it. The bird flew into the brush on shore - line still wrapped on its foot, but free. We saw turtles and a snake, also. We kayaked the perimiter of the lake, and were ready to be done. The heat was building!
We hung around the campsite talking for a while, and Regi introduced me to tomato sandwiches. Pete, Regi, Mother and Dad Koelsch and I enjoyed them - slices of garden fresh tomatoes, onions and lettuce with mayo on bread. Yum! By now, the heat was getting serious, so we retreated to our campers for some R&R. I caught up on e-mail and downloading photos, then enjoyed a nap. By late afternoon, Regi got out her computer and we checked out niece Jennifer's wedding pictures. We had a pot-luck dinner, then enjoyed the campfire again - it cooled off nicely for the fire, at least!
Monday, July 5
We were up, packed up, and heading out before 9:00 am. The temps were already climbing. This is usually the worst travel day -through all the stuff we have seen a zillion times. We drove 322 to 80 (which at least was some different scenery), then followed 80 to Middlebury, Indiana, near Elkhard, Indiana. Hot through the day, but when we pulled into the Middlebury KOA the temps had cooled and there was a nice breeze. The staff was very friendly and helpful.
We set up, then called out for pizza - not wanting to unhook for the overnight to drive somewhere, and too hot to cook. It was also 7:00 when we pulled into camp, a bit late to start cooking.
Middlebury is right in the middle of RV country as well as Amish country. Shipshewana, the second largest Amish settlement in America, was just a few miles away. (Lancaster is the 4th largest in the US).
Tuesday, July 6 - Happy Birthday Caiti!
We got up, intending to head to the CrossRoads factory to check it out and hopefully get a tour. (CrossRoads made our Cruiser in 2006) Rick called, to find out they were on shutdown and there were no tours, and no activity making it worth going. As we were looking at the directions to get there, however, I realized that we were right in the middle of the Quilt Garden tour, which I had recently read about in a quilt magazine. The Quilt Garden Tour consists of a garden planted to look like a quilt square at different businesses. We decided to take a bit of a drive to see some - and found 4 Quilt Gardens. Haley thoroughly enjoyed greeting all the horses pulling buggies that we passed. We ended up at the RV/MH Hall of Fame and Museum, or original destination and purpose for stopping in this area.
The RV/MH HOF and Museum was built in 2007, totally funded by donations. All but 4 employees are volunteer. We walked through the Go RVing room, with a representation of current RVs - tent trailer, 'green' trailer, 5th wheel, and motorhomes.
We then walked through RV history, with tent trailers, motorhomes and trailers of all sizes and shapes, from the beginning of the 1900s to the 1970s. We were able to walk into most of them, and at least see in the door to others. Unique features, such as the toiled which swung into the bathroom when in use, and then swung into the wall (under the seat in the living area) when not in use; various forms of bunk beds; interesting amenities in the trailers...sure made us appreciate our luxury trailer! We were awed by the creativity of the people when designing the trailers of long ago. There was also a narrated display of the 16 steps of manufacturing trailers, which was a good alternative to our factory tour.
We ate lunch in the trailer, since it was cooled for Haley, then headed west again, following Rt. 90. We went through Chicago - oh, my! We are definitely avoiding that on the way home! We had a sprinkle in Chicago - about 33 small raindrops on the windshield from one cloud overhead that dripped a bit. Once we squirted out the other side of Chicago, we had a 2-minute sun shower. Otherwise, it was HOT, with clouds building up over the Great Lake.
We arrived in De Forest, WI about 5:30 local time (1 hour behind). We camped in the Madison KOA, very close to Madison, WI. It was HOT, HOT, HOT and the mosquitoes were biting that early. We decided to unhook and go find a restaurant. There were several fast food places in walking distance - but we don't do fast food, and we were not walking in this heat!
Spent the evening relaxing, catching up on e-mails, downloading photos and blogging.
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