Yelowstone - Day 5

June 26, 2013...Another beautiful day awaits us as we leave camp in the church van headed off to new experiences.  We will be staying here in Gardiner for another night and were happy not to pack up everything.  We decided to skip the breakfast cereal today and headed into town to a hot breakfast.

We soon were on the road to Yellowstone and in a few minutes were passing under the famous Roosevelt archway.  We took the obligatory family photo of us all of us together.  Gin sets a camera and runs like the dickens to get in the shot!  This time it was just to far to make the run and Dane was called in as substitute runner.  But we got it done!

We weren't in the park but about ten minutes and we spotted people stopped and gawking across the way.  Of course we stopped too, and a man with a powerful telescope allowed us to peek through it and see a grizzly bear!  How exciting!  He told us he had been following her with her cub for several hours.  She was quite far away and as you couldn't really enjoy seeing her without the scope we moved on.  But getting to see a grizzly was very special as many do not get to see one.

Our first major stop was the famous Mammoth Hot Springs.  What a spectacular sight!  It is a huge formation of thousands of years of mineral build up which comes from the ever-flowing water that boils out from the earth.  The boardwalk took us all around it and we marveled at all of it. It is always flowing, changing, and growing and I am eager to compare my photos with Grandma Alice's.  What must she have thought when she came upon this in 1932?  I have had the pictures and videos of this marvel in my life always.  She would not have had that privilege and perhaps have only heard stories of it.  Gosh, I wish I could hear her memories of it!

The colors and shapes and enormity of Mammoth Hot Springs is truly spectacular and I hope you all may have the opportunity to see it at least once in your life!  Go west my friends, go west!

As we headed for the next park feature, Dan spotted a cemetery tucked back in the pines.  Tim turned the church van around and we all clamored out for a look-see.  It wasn't terribly large and was surrounded by a sturdy metal fence to keep the animals out so the stones would remain upright.  As sexton of a cemetery I am always interested in them and find the old monuments beautiful.  As always in the old cemeteries, may of the stones were for infants and several of them were surrounded by a metal child sized bed frame.  The most elaborate one was black metal with curly-q's at each corner and dangling ornamental balls.  The stone itself was topped with a baby lamb, which was commonly done during that time period. Rest in peace, little one.

Waterfalls were next on the agenda and not too far from the turn-offs.  Beautiful sights to behold!  Back in the church van we headed down the road and ran into a lot of cars parked.  I saw what appeared to be a big black stump of charred wood.  But as I was pointing it out it  moved!  A bear!  It was a black bear meandering through a grassy meadow and was easily seen from the roadway.  We stopped with the rest of the gawkers and watched it going about its business of life. It was a black bear and we were really excited to have two bear sightings in one day!  Awesome!

Our next stop was at the famous petrified tree.  This was especially important for us to see because Grandma Alice had taken a photo here in 1932.  We stood in the exact same place Gram stood to photograph the tree 81 years ago.  It was a very special moment and I again found myself wishing she was here to talk with her about it. I wish I had taken this trip with her about 20 years ago when she could have enjoyed it with us.

Back into the church van we went and viewed a few more pretty sights.  Pretty soon we ran into another traffic jam and bailed out.  Not far off of the road was a black bear although its color was more brownish.  It was hunched up with its shoulder against a tree just sleeping. It was so close to the road that there were rangers there keeping folks away and keeping the traffic moving.  We were allowed to stand there just a minute or two and take a few photos and had to quickly move on.  What a great sighting!

Up, up, and up we went and traveled through Dunraven's Pass.  It was quite cold and windy.  We marveled at the views and could see the damage and the restoration that has occurred from the huge 1988 forest fires.  There are so many downed trees here in Yellowstone and it bothers me.  I told my fellow travelers that I would love to have a huge work crew of convicts clean up some of this.  We have had huge discussions of the pros and cons of this plan.  We know that the forest needs to be allowed to regenerate itself in a natural way but as we travel along we often see things that the convicts could be improving!  It has become a running joke amongst the travelers...we see work that needs done or something that need improving and someone will pipe-up and say, "Let Deb's convict crew take care of this."  And we laugh and laugh. It seems the stupidest things are the funniest!

As our afternoon progressed we saw several male bison, some of them very near the roadway.  We see the small herds of females and babies further off in the distance.  They are staying in a protected group while the males hang out elsewhere.  Wish we cold see the babies closer up.

We headed back to our cabins and rounded up supper.  The kids played put-put golf and I did some housekeeping and organizing of pictures on the computer.  It was soon time to head to bed 'cause another adventure awaits tomorrow!

Yellowstone - Day 4

June 25, 2013...Waking up in Greybull we hurriedly ate a camp breakfast and headed to the church van.  A pretty good drive was ahead of us and we wanted to get an early start and head to Montana.  The drive was pretty uneventful as the landscape became more hilly and desolate.  Our conversation centered on, "What do people do for jobs here?" and "Where are the stores to buy groceries?" and "That house way over there doesn't have a neighbor in several miles!"  Not the life for me...I need the conveniences closer at hand and certainly would miss the daily interaction with friends.

Soon we were in Red Lodge and made a pit stop for some shopping. However, we were a little early and some of the shops were not open.  Also, the main street was torn up with construction and the shopkeepers told us that business was off by over 90%.  Ouch.  That could make or break it for them and I'm sure it really hurts.  I did see a bench on Main Street that I liked.  It was just a plain bench but it had a plaque on it with "Class of 1985" or whatever year and the names of all the classmates.  I really liked this idea because it allows a lot of folks to be involved and keep the individual cost down.  Orion's main street could use some new benches....just saying.  We also found a little shop called Haydan.  And as you can see, Tim took the opportunity to do a reflection photo-bomb!  Silly guy!  Why do the stupidest things make us laugh?!

We soon found ourselves winding down the Beartooth Highway.  All mountains are beautiful and these were no exception.  We were so excited to see the snow above us and the air got colder and colder as the church van carried us into the clouds above treeline.  We stopped and fed some begging chipmunks at an overlook but learned they are so fussy they don't like bread and hold out for nuts and seeds! 


Soon we were at the top and snow was everywhere!  I know it's weird to be excited about snow because of how we all dislike it in February, but in June it is an event!   We all got out and played in it and threw snow at each other and mugged for the cameras.  Also at the top was a ski company that had one tow rope.  The hill had to be a double/double black diamond (is there such a thing?) because it was straight down!  But extreme skiers were enjoying a few more runs for the season.  Crazy fools!

We had an altitude event we all found fascinating...it seems that when you buy chips at home and take them to the mountains the sealed bag gets fatter and puffier as you get higher.  We put it up front so we could keep an eye on it and all of a sudden...poof!! The bag exploded and we all cheered!  It just sounded just like a mylar balloon blowing up.  What an event!

At one roadside stop we came upon a whole bunch of birds that were quite unhappy that we were near their nests.  They looked like swallows and made a mud nest.  Here is a photo of them poking their little heads out of the nest.  I have a peculiar feeling that the wild life is soon to get a lot bigger!

We have arrived at the north entrance to Yellowstone and are staying in a campground in Gardiner, MT.  It is really quiet and nice and we like it a lot.  Two nights here while we explore the north portion.  Looking forward to it!  Bye for now.  Deb

Yellowstone - Day 3

June 24, 2013...Waking up in Custer State Park was a delight!  Our cabin here is roomier than the last and the bathrooms were quite new and sparkling clean.  The scent of pine trees is everywhere and we have a spectacular view of a mountainous terrain.  We would like to visit here again and spend several days exploring the area more.  But after breakfast it is off we go!

In Custer are beautiful rock formations and we drove the highway named Needles Highway.  There is one that has a large hole in it which makes it look like a giant needle, thus the name. 

We hiked around here a bit and took photos and quite enjoyed the scenery. We know from Grandma Alice's scrapbooks, that when she visited here in 1932, she walked in the same area and touched the same formations we were playing on today.  I so wish that she were still with us to ask questions of her like, "How long did it take to drive here? " and " Did you see many bison?" because they were quite scarce in 1932. 

We are saddened by the massive amount of pine trees that are standing dead.  A beetle infestation is killing thousands of them and there is seemingly, nothing anyone can do about it.  In many areas dead trees have been taken down and stacked for burning in winter when weather conditions are right.  This will help in the future with forest fires by removing some of the kindling.  But it seems like a never-ending project that humankind will never totally get accomplished.

Of course, shopping was on the menu in Custer and I purchased a beaver skull and a bear skull to add to Eric's skull collection.  I especially liked the beaver because of the large yellow/orange teeth.  I know he will be tickled to have them!

I loved all the tunnels we are driving through.  Some are one lane and we honk before we enter in case someone is coming the opposite direction.  Here is Dan and I posing inside one of them. 

Piling back in the church van we headed west to our next destination which was Devil's Tower.  It is awesome and huge!  What must the pioneers have thought when they came across this awesome formation?  It boggles the mind!  I was especially curious about what was on that very flat  top so when I got my passport stamped in the visitor's center, I read all about it.  The top is nearly the size of a football field.  It is mostly flat with a slight dome.  There are some grasses and small shrubs growing there and an occasional chipmunk, squirrel, or snake makes their way to the top.  No how would a snake climb all the way up there?  Maybe they are dropped there by raptors. 

Devil's Tower is a favorite climbing spot and many people do this climb.  However, during the month of June, the Native Americans make pilgrimages here and leave prayer cloths attached to trees.  Because of this, most climbers do not do Devil's Tower during the month of June out of respect for the tradition and I did not see a single climber on the tower.

We ate a lovely picnic lunch on the grounds amongst the pines and enjoyed an ice cream cone as we mugged for the camera at he sign for the tower.  Yummy!

The drive to our next destination of Greybull, Wy was long and we stopped a few times to take pictures and mug for the camera.  Lots of beautiful wildflowers were in the roadsides and we were able to identify some of them with an app on Gin's phone.  WePretty cool!

Settling in or cabins in Greybull, we found them to be a bit smaller than before but clean and comfortable.  Supper was a polish sausage, peppers, onions combination and we scarfed!  It was time to do laundry and I did three loads between all of us.  There was an inconsiderate lady who wanted to hog all the machines and I had to politely, but firmly tell her that I would be using two of them.  She countered with she had four people she was doing laundry for and I replied I was doing laundry for seven!  I won and got my two machines so it took longer than it should have but I got it done.

I did not have internet service that night and was getting reports via phone how things were going at home.  It seems a lot of damage occurred in Orion and surrounding area but my house was not in the path of destruction.  Thankfully, Greg is home holding down the fort and caring for Vega and Vali. 

Tomorrow we will arrive in Yellowstone!  I can hardly wait!

Yellowstone - Day 2

June 23, 2013. I can honestly say that I probably just had the worst night's sleep in my life! After the wind, rain, and hail stopped, I could not get comfortable on the hardest mattress in the world. I tossed and turned and finally it was 4:30 and nearly time to get up! At 5:30 Gin was up too, so we started our day. But the rental van had a tire that was going flat! Oh, brother!

Camp breakfast of cereal and fruit, repack the van, and we were on our way. Mitchell had a small flea market we girls shopped at while the guys got the tire repaired. Wonderful and kind men at a service station let the guys use their building and tools to plug the tire and we were again on our way.

We stopped at a great Lakota Indian Museum and School. This picture is me sitting in front of the fountain in front of the school. 
Their culture has always fascinated me and I enjoyed the stop. They house some of the props from the movie, Dances with Wolves, one of my favorite movies of all time. It always makes me cry when Wind in His Hair yells down to John Dunbar as he and Stands with a Fist are leaving that he is his friend and will always be his friend. Gets me every time.

We piled back in the van and headed to the Badlands. Beautiful weather of mid- 70's and sunshine is surrounding us and we hiked and laughed and took pictures throughout the park. It is a piece of this earth that seems to be from another world. I wondered to myself as we were driving through it, how the pioneers must have felt when they came upon this stretch. I can't help but think that they must have been totally bewildered by what they came upon. Would I have had the fortitude to cross this desolation? I am not certain I would have. What brave people they were.

The Badlands is something that I vaguely remember visiting as a kid and it truly is as wonderful as my memory tells me it was. I don't know, there is something about rocks that calls to my soul. We had a great time and the varying ages of our group makes for interesting conversations! We took lots of photos and did some major photo-bombing with each other. Silly fun with family is simply the best!

Also, in the Badlands I purchased my National Parks Passport. Each time I visit a National Park site I will have it stamped with their special stamp with the date. Eric has one and I will have to race him and see who can fill it first!

Next stop...Wall Drug! What a menagerie that store holds! It has so darn much stuff in it that is almost sensory overload. Happily, I am easily finding the stick nails that I collect and picked up another there. A picnic lunch under the shade of a tree next to, of all things, a train, completed the afternoon.

Carved into the granite hills of South Dakota was our next stop, Mount Rushmore. It truly is something that everyone should experience once. I loved seeing Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln all in a row in that order. But I found my eyes wandering to Washington's right and looking at the rock that I knew had originally been intended to be Jefferson. Grandma Alice visited this sight in 1932 and her photos clearly show the beginnings of Jefferson on Washington's right. But the granite proved to be flawed and he had to be blasted off the mountain and put to the left of Washington. I know that I truly hold a piece of American history in that photo. Thanks, Gram.

Back to the van we go for a trip to Custer State Park for a stay in the Blue Bell Campground. This is where we spent the night in a really nice cabin which was larger than the last one. It was very new and the bathrooms were great too. The quiet and darkness is a bit unnerving for this city girl, but after popping a few Tylenol PM, I was pretty certain I would sleep. Living in Orion I am used to street lights in the window and the noises of the night drifting. But the moon was brilliant! We were able to experience it with the scent of pine trees and the sounds of frogs. Wonderful!

I could not get reservations in the same campground as ours so the guys left us for French Creek Horse Camp which was not very far away. But the next morning they told us they had been awakened by the whinnying of horses and when they stepped out they found that a small herd of bison had stayed the night right next to their cabin! And we were off for new adventures!

 

Yellowstone - Day 1

June 22, 2013. Ahhhh....finally vacation day! After the "Celebrate Illinois" event in Orion on Friday night I stayed up, made the banking deposit and decided to pack. Of course, there were still two loads of laundry to do and food to be gathered. Being to tired to face packing, I threw dirty clothes in the machine and went to bed! Waking up about 4 am, I finished the laundry and packing and Dan and I were soon on the road to Gin's house about 6 am.

Loading a 12 passenger van for seven people was easier than I anticipated and we had plenty of room for all our stuff. Our rental van has had many nicknames througout the day and probably will have a few more before we are done! The final thing to do before leaving was put the "Yellowstone or Bust" magnet on our van and take a photo. But that wasn’t really the final thing...I still had to get up and into the van. The very high off of the ground van! Now, my legs are not as nimble as they used to be, and my legs are quite short. Laughing, I hauled my carcass up and into it but something was going to have to be done to make it a bit easier in the long haul. Dan and brother-in-law, Tim talked a lady at a gas station somewhere in Iowa into giving them a cement block to use for a step! It works great! Dang, it stinks getting old!

Laughing and talking for the next four hours, we headed west. At noon we stopped at a very nice roadside stop in NW Iowa. We bailed out for a picnic lunch of sandwiches, Sandy's yummy potatoe salad, and chips. The sun was shining, there were several trees near the picnic table and the warm breeze brushed our faces. It was beautiful and lunchmeat sandwiches never tasted so good! This pull-out had a tower to climb to see the view, and from the top, we could see seemingly forever! Iowa has had plenty of rain and everywhere you look are varying shades of green from lighter limes, to the deepest emeralds and it was beautiful! Piling back in the van we were on the road again and Mitchell, SD was our next destination.

Arriving in Mitchell we went to our KOA and checked out our little kabins. They are small but we don't plan to spend much time in them. Off we went to the first thing that comes to mind of when you think of Mithchell, SD...The Corn Palace! The new mural for this year is currently receiving its grasses and some seeding that looked to this former farm girl like sourdock. New corn will come later when the harvest comes in. I ate an awesome popcorn ball - raspberry white chocolate. That thing was huge and oh, so good! It was made with marshmallows and butter similiar to Rice Krisopie treats so it was soft and sticky. I need to try making them that way, but my recipe with flavored jello is awesome too!  This is Dan enjoying his popcorn ball next to his birth year photo of the corn palace.

 

I was interested to learn that the corn for the palace all is grown within a 100 mile radius. They too, are concerned with buying locally. They grow the corn in seperate fields away from each other so that the corn does not cross-pollinate and muddy up the colors. Some of you may not know that there are different colors of corn from blue to yellow and many other hues.

The Corn Palace idea was dreamed up by a man who wanted to create something to put Mitchell on the map! I found myself wondering what could Orion do to become a destination for the masses. I have lots of ideas....I just need more time and LOTS of money! My winning a huge lottery would sure be good for Orion! Come on lottery!

Poking around the souvenir shops is always fun and we spent some time doing that and headed back to the KOA for supper. The traditional campfire supper of weiners and S’mores along with a couple of adult beverages rounded out our day and soon we found ourselves headed inside our Kabins for some much needed sleep. we had hoped to see the "Super Moon" tonight but as it turned out, it was just to cloudy.

About 20 minutes later we were congratulating ourselves for the smart decision of not tent camping because of the rain pouring from the sky! Not just little rain but a LOT of rain! And HAIL! And WIND! Locals told us the next day we had received 2.9 inches!

As exhausted as I was, I was certain that I would sleep like a baby. But that was not to be! I was on the hardest mattress ever created by human hands! Certainly leaves, brush, and pine needles gathered from the forest and then thrown on the ground would have been softer! I rolled and rolled the night away trying to find a comfortable spot. Yawn!

Enough for now, Sunday is ready to be experienced!