Well we got up literally at the crack of dawn. I know this to be true because even the girl setting up the continental breakfast was utterly surprised this morning by our appearance in the breakfast area at 5:00 am, fully dressed, car loaded and ready to eat. We made it into the park at daylight and had a beautiful drive in. I was teased nearly the entire way about having "bearaphobia". I don't know why the male species in the car found this so fascinating and humorous but they did. We saw deer first thing in the park and went straight over to Old Faithful. We watched the eruption and walked thru all of the geyser field around it. It is so weird to know you are standing above all that volcanic activity.
We went and toured another area and they had a beautiful rainbow pool there. Then on down the road and we stopped for lunch on the side of a cliff with a waterfall. Of course my heart sank when I looked half way down the cliff and saw my son making his way (without asking) to the waterfall. He was nearly there by the time I saw him, he might as well finish and get his picture made there huh. The cutest little chipmunk ate with us, I don't think he had missed too many meals from the looks of it.
We then went on to find a swimming hole at the edge of another waterfall and Mike and Tate along with about 75 of their friends went swimming. They said the water was about the temp of the lake. It had a good current, but not too strong.
The highlight of the day had to be watching the people get out of their cars and try to approach a buffalo. I rolled down my window, knowing there were probably some interesting pictures coming my way. Luckily for them, the buffalo was much nicer than he EVER should have been even with their child throwing rocks at him. People never cease to amaze me! Then the entire family stood in front of it, probably 50 feet away to have their family portrait made. The wonderful lady standing in front of our car from Wisconsin made some remark about "well, they might as well get one last family picture made too".
We continued thru the park and got to see a black bear at a waterfall and then waited patiently to see a mother grizzly and her cubs (about 1 mile away in a valley) with only a zoom lens and binoculars to try to find them. We did get to see them, but could bearly make them out (so to speak). We also saw a petrified tree, pretty cool!
No room at the inn, is what we have heard all the way from Yellowstone to Bozeman, Montana. i guess there are fly fishing tournaments and softball tournaments going on all over southern Montana. We finally stopped at a local hotel and got the suite. That is all that was left. It is much larger than we need and even has a stuffed bear for viewing in the lobby. Well, I am turning in for the night. I believe we have a long drive ahead of us tomorrow, destination................................................(drum roll).....................................Glacier Park in northern Montana to take pictures on America's most scenic road. The Road to the Sun. Goodnight!
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Monday, July 30, 2007
Day 4 and we haven't made it to Yellowstone yet
Alright, I know it is hard for most of you to believe but we got sidetracked! We started off this morning with a great trip up the side of the Big Horn Mountains outside of Sheridan and as we were going up this incredibly steep hill we pulled off to take some pictures. There was a great young man who was taking pictures of someone who was hitting golf balls off the side of the cliff and asked Tate if he wanted to hit one. Well, of course he wanted to and he had an awesome Emmons swing if I do say so myself! We got talking and then met the rest of the family. He had family members who had just ridden their bikes up the side of the mountain. They said it had taken them about 1 hour and 10 minutes and I was completely in awe of their conditioning!!! It was a brother and sister, his name was Pat and he was a police officer from Wyoming and her name was Beth and she was a cardiac nurse from Nebraska. They were in shock, as they were riding up the hill they ran into their sister who was just vacationing and driving to Yellowstone. We were able to get a few "family reunion" on the side of the mountain shots for them and had a great visit. Pat and Beth, you guys ROCK, you are the epitome of health!
We continued West and ran into some beautiful moose who were jumping the fence. Got many more shots of them and sat and watched. I have taken many pictures of jumping horses, but this was my first with jumping moose! (and what are they pleural, mooses, mice, moose?) Hmm, thought to ponder for tomorrow!!!
We saw free range cattle with a cowboy and his dog moving them along the road and we also saw many fly fishermen. We stopped at a viewing point to see snow (like we have never seen snow before). There were 2 bikers from Wisconsin that we visited with there. They were on their way to Cody, Wyoming. A little encouragement from them was all it took for Tate to head up the mountain and fetch a large snowball to hit Mike with. We got some pictures of them on the mountain and they took some for us. They had been there before and told us we were close to the Medicine Wheel and where to find it. Mike had really wanted to see that, so meeting them was a blessing.
We stopped at the Medicine Wheel. It is a sacred and holy sight for 80+ Indian tribes. We parked and made our way up to the sight. It was about a 1 1/4 mile hike which doesn't sound like too much but at 10,000 feet we sure knew we did it. It was wonderful and very spiritual. It said that many Indians to this day prepare for about a year to make this pilgrimage. There were gifts and prayer flags tied everywhere up there, each individual and unique and makes you wonder what all the prayers associated with them are for. We left something tied there and said a special prayer for family and for my patients who battle cancer on a daily basis. It was a moving and beautiful experience and I am so glad we made the trip up the mountain.
We started down the hill towards the Big Horn river and WOW did the brakes get hot! Smokin' is not just a figure of speech if you know what I mean! We had to pull off at a overlook, shut off the car and let them cool so we fixed sandwiches on the side of the road and enjoyed the scenery. We met a really nice man from Oregon who was riding his motorcycle and told us we just had to see Big Horn Canyon. Well, being easily sidetracked, we were up for the challenge. He had told us he was raised in Wyoming and had never seen it until today when he was back just sight seeing. Off we went to the Canyon........incredible beauty! It looks very similar to the Grand Canyon with the river in the bottom. They also have a wild Mustang park there so we got to see first hand a beautiful black stallion, a mare and her yearling foal. They were stunning to behold! He was so large and watching his band looked so alert and muscular. We sat for a long time and watched them. We tried to find more in the park, but never saw any other bands. We found out from a ranger that this was the place that the PBS documentary on Cloud the wild Mustang was filmed. She pointed out the mountain that he lived on and said that it would take a very serious 4Wheeler to get us to the side of that mountain. It was interesting talking with her and very informative. The park also has an old homestead ranch on it with the rocking chairs still on the front porch. We were the only ones around and it says to sit and watch the beauty and that is exactly what we did. I can only imagine what kind of hard life those ranchers had.
Well, with all our sidetracks we only made it to Powell for the night. We got checked in to the Super 8 and settled in for the night. We are planning on Yellowstone tomorrow, but the beauty of this vacation is just that we have no plans and are trying to see it all. I feel that today we saw plenty and had the privilege of meeting some wonderful people. Another blessed day in the West.
We continued West and ran into some beautiful moose who were jumping the fence. Got many more shots of them and sat and watched. I have taken many pictures of jumping horses, but this was my first with jumping moose! (and what are they pleural, mooses, mice, moose?) Hmm, thought to ponder for tomorrow!!!
We saw free range cattle with a cowboy and his dog moving them along the road and we also saw many fly fishermen. We stopped at a viewing point to see snow (like we have never seen snow before). There were 2 bikers from Wisconsin that we visited with there. They were on their way to Cody, Wyoming. A little encouragement from them was all it took for Tate to head up the mountain and fetch a large snowball to hit Mike with. We got some pictures of them on the mountain and they took some for us. They had been there before and told us we were close to the Medicine Wheel and where to find it. Mike had really wanted to see that, so meeting them was a blessing.
We stopped at the Medicine Wheel. It is a sacred and holy sight for 80+ Indian tribes. We parked and made our way up to the sight. It was about a 1 1/4 mile hike which doesn't sound like too much but at 10,000 feet we sure knew we did it. It was wonderful and very spiritual. It said that many Indians to this day prepare for about a year to make this pilgrimage. There were gifts and prayer flags tied everywhere up there, each individual and unique and makes you wonder what all the prayers associated with them are for. We left something tied there and said a special prayer for family and for my patients who battle cancer on a daily basis. It was a moving and beautiful experience and I am so glad we made the trip up the mountain.
We started down the hill towards the Big Horn river and WOW did the brakes get hot! Smokin' is not just a figure of speech if you know what I mean! We had to pull off at a overlook, shut off the car and let them cool so we fixed sandwiches on the side of the road and enjoyed the scenery. We met a really nice man from Oregon who was riding his motorcycle and told us we just had to see Big Horn Canyon. Well, being easily sidetracked, we were up for the challenge. He had told us he was raised in Wyoming and had never seen it until today when he was back just sight seeing. Off we went to the Canyon........incredible beauty! It looks very similar to the Grand Canyon with the river in the bottom. They also have a wild Mustang park there so we got to see first hand a beautiful black stallion, a mare and her yearling foal. They were stunning to behold! He was so large and watching his band looked so alert and muscular. We sat for a long time and watched them. We tried to find more in the park, but never saw any other bands. We found out from a ranger that this was the place that the PBS documentary on Cloud the wild Mustang was filmed. She pointed out the mountain that he lived on and said that it would take a very serious 4Wheeler to get us to the side of that mountain. It was interesting talking with her and very informative. The park also has an old homestead ranch on it with the rocking chairs still on the front porch. We were the only ones around and it says to sit and watch the beauty and that is exactly what we did. I can only imagine what kind of hard life those ranchers had.
Well, with all our sidetracks we only made it to Powell for the night. We got checked in to the Super 8 and settled in for the night. We are planning on Yellowstone tomorrow, but the beauty of this vacation is just that we have no plans and are trying to see it all. I feel that today we saw plenty and had the privilege of meeting some wonderful people. Another blessed day in the West.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Days 2 and 3 are running together
Well, we have made it to the end of day 3 and we are now in Sheridan, Wyoming. We spent all yesterday seeing the sights of South Dakota. We started Saturday morning with the tour of St. Joseph's Indian school and museum. It was so informative and really very emotional to see what was done to those people. There was a guided museum tour and film about the native Americans that lived on the plains area. We then went on west and toured the badlands. Unbelievable beauty!!! We got out and walked forever and looked at everything there. It is no wonder people went there to hide, we only lost Tate once and that is pretty good no matter where we are. You just can't believe the colors in the rock there, I always saw paintings of reds and yellows and thought that was just an artists view, it really is those colors!
We ventured on to Rapid City and had a stop at the largest Reptile Gardens. Well, those of you who know me well must only imagine my excitement at being able to be among snakes and the like. I made it through unscathed and was actually able to get a few great shots while we were there. They had some beautiful flowers and birds, so I was OK thru Tate's big reptile adventure.
On to Mt. Rushmore we went. We made it there before the big night lighting ceremony and so we were able to go on a hike. OK, well, it said strenuous on the sign. They weren't kidding! I got about 3/4 of the way done and thought, how DO they get fat girls out of the bottom of the canyon if you decide you can't make it. Well, with some huffing and puffing and fear that the 13 year old would make fun of me, I hoisted my heavy rear out of the canyon one long painful step after another. I really at one point found a cute little building and thought, someone could just send me a blanket and I could stay right there for the night. Anyway, back at the top saw a beautiful lighting ceremony and watched as all military veterans or active duty in the audience were called down by the flag. Very powerful! Mt. Rushmore is stunning day or night!
We made it back to a tiny room for the night. Both beds were pushed against the walls and you had to crawl in from the bottom of the bed. Even with this, we had a restful night, we were pooped (especially after the hiking incident).
Day 3 started with a nice breakfast which was good considering we didn't stop to eat at all on day 2. It was peanut butter sandwiches for lunch and apples and crackers in the car for dinner. It is OK though, none of us look as if we will starve anytime soon.
We traveled the most awesome road this morning. 16a was the highway and it had switchbacks that were unreal! Complete 360's with log bridges and tunnels that went right thru the mountains. We stopped at Lakota lake and were the only ones there. A beautiful valley lake and mountains surrounding it. We saw deer and a turkey family (Mom, Dad and about 12 little ones). Then drove thru Custer State park and up to Crazy Horse Monument. It is still a work in progress but glad we got to see it.
Our next stop was Devil's Tower in Wyoming and WOW is all you can say about it. There were some climbers up on it. At 1280 feet, I can't imagine the feeling of being up on that rock formation (of course I am the one still tired from yesterday's little hike thing). It really was worth the trip over to see it. We also saw tons of Antelope along the way, and I am not kidding, TONS. They are everywhere out here.
We made it to the Sheridan Westgate and it is like heaven on earth in this room. I have settled in for the night after a great prime rib dinner, complete with the most incredible bread pudding in chocolate liqueur sauce, a latte and have done the laundry for the night at the "guest laundry" here. We are set for tomorrow, on to Yellowstone we go.'
Goodnight!
We ventured on to Rapid City and had a stop at the largest Reptile Gardens. Well, those of you who know me well must only imagine my excitement at being able to be among snakes and the like. I made it through unscathed and was actually able to get a few great shots while we were there. They had some beautiful flowers and birds, so I was OK thru Tate's big reptile adventure.
On to Mt. Rushmore we went. We made it there before the big night lighting ceremony and so we were able to go on a hike. OK, well, it said strenuous on the sign. They weren't kidding! I got about 3/4 of the way done and thought, how DO they get fat girls out of the bottom of the canyon if you decide you can't make it. Well, with some huffing and puffing and fear that the 13 year old would make fun of me, I hoisted my heavy rear out of the canyon one long painful step after another. I really at one point found a cute little building and thought, someone could just send me a blanket and I could stay right there for the night. Anyway, back at the top saw a beautiful lighting ceremony and watched as all military veterans or active duty in the audience were called down by the flag. Very powerful! Mt. Rushmore is stunning day or night!
We made it back to a tiny room for the night. Both beds were pushed against the walls and you had to crawl in from the bottom of the bed. Even with this, we had a restful night, we were pooped (especially after the hiking incident).
Day 3 started with a nice breakfast which was good considering we didn't stop to eat at all on day 2. It was peanut butter sandwiches for lunch and apples and crackers in the car for dinner. It is OK though, none of us look as if we will starve anytime soon.
We traveled the most awesome road this morning. 16a was the highway and it had switchbacks that were unreal! Complete 360's with log bridges and tunnels that went right thru the mountains. We stopped at Lakota lake and were the only ones there. A beautiful valley lake and mountains surrounding it. We saw deer and a turkey family (Mom, Dad and about 12 little ones). Then drove thru Custer State park and up to Crazy Horse Monument. It is still a work in progress but glad we got to see it.
Our next stop was Devil's Tower in Wyoming and WOW is all you can say about it. There were some climbers up on it. At 1280 feet, I can't imagine the feeling of being up on that rock formation (of course I am the one still tired from yesterday's little hike thing). It really was worth the trip over to see it. We also saw tons of Antelope along the way, and I am not kidding, TONS. They are everywhere out here.
We made it to the Sheridan Westgate and it is like heaven on earth in this room. I have settled in for the night after a great prime rib dinner, complete with the most incredible bread pudding in chocolate liqueur sauce, a latte and have done the laundry for the night at the "guest laundry" here. We are set for tomorrow, on to Yellowstone we go.'
Goodnight!
Saturday, July 28, 2007
The Beginning
This year we wanted to try an old fashioned, cooler in the back of the car kind of vacation. We were going to try to spend our time seeing the sites of America and not try to be in a hurry to get anywhere. We have no definite plans, just going to go where the road leads us and try to see as many interesting things along the way as we can. Well, here we are in South Dakota. Vacation off to a good start, it is early on Saturday morning and everyone else is still sleeping. We traveled about 650 miles yesterday and saw many great things along the way. I think my favorite stop was at Sioux Falls where we stopped and got out to look at the falls and climb around on the rocks a bit. The rocks were the most incredible red color and worn completely smooth. They had a polished look to them and were just beautiful. The water however, was unbelievably low and so there just weren't too many big falls. I am sure it is beautiful when the water is high, but for us it was still a great place to get out and do a little walking around after being in the car all day.
draft
by Backroads by Lynda the blog
4:11:00 AM
draft
by Backroads by Lynda the blog
4:11:00 AM
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