Days 15 and 16 (Abilene, TX to home)

Though this is the end of our trip, there will be more to the blog. We will each be posting a blog sharing our thoughts of the trip...

Days 15 (June 24) and 16 (June 25)—what can I say? Day 15 was a 10-hour drive from Abilene, TX to Meridian, MS. I took the first 6 hours and Julie took the last 4 hours. I will say that: 1) it’s hard to find anything but a country radio station through Texas and 2) it’s very convenient to drive your restroom with you. Besides a small brushfire just east of Jackson, MS in the median of the road and west-bound lanes and a minor fender bender shortly after (mostly rubber-necking), the drive was very monotonous and could not have ended sooner. When we finally hit our KOA outside Meridian, MS, I got everything hooked up and got burgers and hot dogs on the grill. Once the dishes had been taken care of, Bryce and Collin headed for the showers while Julie and I tried to get caught up on current global events. To our dismay, we were not given the password for our WI-FI connection since we arrived after office hours, so we settled in with a beer each. Because this was our last night “camping”, we thought it would be appropriate to have one last campfire. Using leftover wood that we had kept dry in one of the storage compartments on the RV and my Eagle Scout skills, I built a fire in the gravel parking lot in front of the RV. Julie pulled out the marshmallows, graham crackers, and Hershey’s chocolate and we all enjoyed s’mores for our evening’s dessert. Following the campfire, we headed inside where there were significantly less mosquitoes and other bugs, we played a few quick rounds of “spoons” and then headed to bed.
Day 16 saw Julie and I wake up early to get a head start for the final leg of our journey. We left camp around 7:45 to try to get back in Columbia before rush-hour traffic around “Malfunction Junction”. There was absolutely nothing that stood out on this drive through to Atlanta. We stopped in Tuscaloosa, AL to refuel and treated everybody to breakfast at McDonald’s. In Augusta, GA, we stopped once again to refuel, conveniently at a gas station / Dairy Queen, where the boys and I each got a blizzard and Julie got a vanilla cone dipped in chocolate. From Augusta, we finished up the ride in just over an hour, encountering a minor thunderstorm outside of Augusta. Once we finally backed in the driveway at 4:35, everyone had specific instructions to make the un-load as stress-free and easy as possible. Once the RV was unloaded and cleaned (inside and out), Julie picked up the phone for Papa John’s for dinner, and we all just did nothing the rest of the night. We will be taking the RV back to Statesville, NC first thing in the morning and picking up Fonzie on the way back. Check back very shortly for individual final thoughts (we each will post a blog with our overall thoughts about the trip)—should be interesting! Stay tuned…

Day 14 (Carlsbad Caverns then to Abilene, TX)

Here are some pics from our trip to Carlsbad Caverns--I learned it's not easy to take pictures in the dark! (copy and paste the link)...

http://www5.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=1632026026/a=3145779026_3145779026/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

Day 14 (June 23) was a seemingly leisurely day to start. Julie and I woke up, had breakfast and refreshing showers, then woke the boys to start our venture to Carlsbad Caverns. We made the 1-hour trek to the park by 10:30 MST—it was already 90º at this point—and headed to the Visitors’ Center. Upon checking in and getting our tickets, we made the short hike to the beginning of the cave entrance (starting out where the bats had left the cave the previous night). The beginning of the 750-foot descent greeted us with a stale, musky smell, one that eventually we grew accustomed to after several minutes passed. Initially, there was little more than rocks and boulders along the path, with the occasional sound of dripping water and the resident birds screeching as they made their daytime flight collecting insects. After roughly 15 minutes had passed, we gathered our first sighting of stalagmites (the “icicles” rising from the ground). We all had gotten into the hike down the cave by this point and were each eagerly anticipating each new formation along the path. Even Collin was excited about this hike, so much so, that he wanted to hike back up the trail upon completion rather than take the elevator. At some point (I’m not exactly sure of the depth), we reached an equilibrium temperature of 56º and 90% relative humidity. We continued along the path, not really paying much attention to the “cold”, notwithstanding the occasional shake of cold hands. We were all amazed at all the different formations which our eyes were feasting sight of and took in all the cavern had to offer. Thanks to the paved trail and accompanying handrail, we were assured of stable footing along the way, a luxury that early cave visitors did not have as they were required to wear head lanterns and crawl on their bellies and climb ladders for exploration. We eventually made it to the “Big Room”, a large, fairly flat section that serves as the floor of the main part of the cave. This area is so large, it is estimated to be roughly the size of 14 football fields. Finally, after about 3 hours in the cave, we finished the path and exited via the elevator. Completely satisfied with our expedition, we piled into the RV and headed to our KOA in Abilene, TX. The 5-hour drive started out on some tertiary roads in New Mexico that shook our bones every foot until we reached the Texas border and Interstate 20 at Pecos, where we filled the tank on the RV. After the refuel, we hit I-20 eastbound. This path was quite an interesting road to take, as we were first greeted by oil rigs dotting the landscape, then new-“ish” windmills (I couldn’t help but think of T. Boone Pickens), and eventually cattle farms. Once we arrived at the KOA, hooked up electricity, water, and septic while Julie and the boys got dinner going. We were all treated to Julie’s chicken fajitas and Mexican rice (in honor of being in southwest Texas). Bryce and Collin headed to the showers after the dishes were cleaned and watched Harry Potter until we were all too tired to keep our eyes open. We’re looking at a 10-hour drive to Meridian, MS tomorrow. Time for some rest…

Day 13 (Holbrook, AZ to Carlsbad)

Day 13 (June 22) got off to a rather leisurely start. Julie, Collin and I woke up at 7:00 (really 8:00 MST) to head for the Chuckwagon breakfast at the Holbrook KOA. Bryce had every intention of joining us last night, but apparently, his beauty sleep once again won the battle over a good breakfast. We had our fill of pancakes and sausage, Julie readied everything for the road while I disconnected, and we were off to the Petrified Forest (an unplanned stop originally, but we decided to take a gander after shortening our drive from the Grand Canyon the day before). On our way to the Petrified Forest, Bryce awoke from his slumber and it seemed as though the tensions elevated among the four of us. Collin had a meltdown (no doubt the result of something big brother did or failed to do as is usually the case) and, after a stern talking-to, attitudes were once again in line. We arrived at the park and realized that we weren’t going to have quite enough time to thoroughly explore the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert, so we decided to continue on to Carlsbad so that we could catch the bat flight at dusk. Along the way, we stopped in Capitan, NM to refuel the RV at which time a local briefly inquired about our itinerary and wished us well for the rest of the trip. I must say, at each stop, anybody we encountered has been very pleasant, be they an inquisitive local or another fellow traveler (today we even met a young man who went to the same middle school as Collin). The ride to our Carlsbad KOA was another rather mundane 8 ½ hour ride. Once we hit our campsite, I quickly fired up the grill to get our Philly cheesesteaks going, and wolfed them down with some French fries on our way to the caverns to see the bat flight. Upon arriving at the park, we made our way to the amphitheater where we had our “bat orientation” given by Ranger Mike (a rather informative 30 minute session). Around 8:20, the “bat meter” started blipping wildly (think of a submarine radar) and the crowd eagerly anticipated the exit of the 500,000 resident bats for their nightly feeding. The exit wasn’t exactly what we all thought it would be—a vortex of thousands of hand-sized flying mammals making their way into the night sky rather than a sky-darkening cloud of mass hysteria as we were hoping. Nevertheless, it really was a treat to be part of this spectacle; to witness this display really is indescribable. Because this park too is undergoing renovations, it was mandatory that everyone leave by 9:00, at which time construction begins. So, we were among the first 1/3 of the spectators to hit the ground running to beat the crowd once we surmised that the majority of the bats had taken flight. The 1-hour ride back to our KOA treated us to a dramatic lightning display as there were numerous thunderstorms in the area. Thankfully, the rain didn’t hit until after we docked and got everything situated for the night. Julie and I enjoyed some down time with our beverage of choice while the boys (with minor incidence) readied themselves for bed. We can’t wait to hit the caverns tomorrow for an in-depth exploration…

Day 12 (Grand Canyon)

Here are some pics of our visit to the Grand Canyon (copy and paste the link)...

http://www5.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=1623927026/a=3145779026_3145779026/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

Day 12 (Grand Canyon, then onto to Holbrook, AZ) started earlier than it needed to. Because Arizona doesn’t observe daylight savings time, and we are technically on Mountain Standard Time, it was 7:00 Arizona time, but 8:00 MST. We decided not to set our watches back since we will be heading to Carlsbad tomorrow to see the bat flight, which will begin around 7:45 MST. Regardless, we all arose, had our breakfast, and then headed to the shuttle stop for our awaiting hike. Julie and I decided to hit the South Kaibab Trail down to Cedar Ridge, a roughly 3-mile round trip (an 1140 foot descent over 1 ½ miles—then the ascent). The views from the trail were absolutely stunning. It really is impressive to look over the canyon, which can reach about a 10-mile width at any point. Because Bryce and Collin were with us (and I’m sure we would not have had enough water, and per the rangers’ recommendations), we did not hike all the way down to the Colorado River, which would have been about a 20-mile round trip. The trip down to Cedar Ridge was quick and without complaint. When we reached our destination, we had a very thorough look-see and a brown bag lunch of PB&J and bananas. The climb back up the trail, however, proved to be the complete opposite. Collin staggered behind Bryce and me, while Julie hung back with the straggler. During the climb back up, we frequently stopped for water breaks (and a quick hit from the trail mix bag) since Collin looked like he was going to fall out at any time. Because on the way down there was a group loitering at “Ooh Aah” point, we figured we would catch some views and pictures on the way back up. Once again, we were foiled in our plans, as there was a group from New Jersey (of all places!) that seemed like they were going to set up shop for the day. So, we continued up the trail to the shuttle stop. On the way up, Julie and I discussed the plans for the rest of the day, since we had gotten such an “early” start. We decided on walking the “Rim Trail”, much to the chagrin of Collin, who was exhausted from the 3-mile hike. This trail did not offer any spectacular views, but we figured it would be a good way to waste some time. Upon completion of the “Rim Trail”, we headed back to our campsite, since there really was no need for further exploration of the Grand Canyon (it really seems as though every different view actually offers the exact same view). Resigned that we had our fill of the “second largest hole on the earth” according to Clark W. Griswold, Julie and I thought it would be best that we forgo our reservations at Trailer Village and drive a few hours south and east to ease our drive to Carlsbad. We made reservations at a KOA in Holbrook, AZ (near the Petrified Forest) and off we went. During the drive to our camp for the night, we witnessed a rather remarkable forest fire near Flagstaff, AZ. The smoke plum was visible from dozens of miles around. This fire was no doubt fueled from the same fierce winds that I had been battling on the road with the RV (the same winds that I once again got to face on our 3-hour drive today). We finally arrived at our “kampsite” around 6:30 MST and immediately began dinner preparations. I fired up the grill for BBQ pork chops, while Julie got corn-on-the-cob and garlic French bread going inside. After dinner, we all hit the showers to wash off the Grand Canyon dust and called it a day. There’s a pretty good chance that we’ll hit the “all you can eat” pancake breakfast that our KOA sponsors in the morning, then hit the Petrified Forest prior to heading to Carlsbad Caverns. Here’s to a very tiring day and an equally exciting day ahead…

Day 11 (Bryce Canyon to Grand Canyon)

Day 11 (June 20) proved to be an uneventful drive from Bryce Canyon to the Grand Canyon. The drive was pretty much all uphill and I battled a very fierce wind during the entire 5 ½ hour campaign. We stopped at the Wal-Mart in Page, AZ to completely restock for the remainder of the expedition. Upon entering Arizona, there were Navajo Indian homesteads that dotted the landscape and the occasional Native American stand where arts and crafts were the fare. We finally arrived at the East Entrance of the Grand Canyon around 3:30 and stopped by the first scenic view for a few quick snaps of the camera and gaze around. From there, we made another 30-minute drive to our campsite at Trailer Village in the Tusayan area. We were not very impressed with our housing arrangements as the campsite was directly behind a commercial area and some of our “amenities” were a chore to enjoy—to get our wireless internet connection required sitting in front of the camp office and cell phone reception was still very spotty. I did manage to call my father (who is in Northern Michigan making renovations to a property he and Mom purchased) to wish him a happy Father’s Day while I grilled my own Father’s Day steaks, which we enjoyed with sautéed squash, zucchini, and onions and homemade steak fries for dinner and a very delightful strawberry shortcake dessert. After the dinner dishes were taken care of, we all sat in the RV and watched “National Lampoon’s Vacation”, a quite appropriate movie considering most of the funny shenanigans occurred in Arizona (Clark walking through the desert after he ran off the closed road and Aunt Edna’s demise in the back of the station wagon). Upon the movie’s end, we all turned in for tomorrow’s tour of the Grand Canyon…

Day 10 (Bryce Canyon)

Here are some pics from our trip to Bryce Canyon (copy and paste the link). Enjoy...

http://www5.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=1618403026/a=3145779026_3145779026/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

Day 10 (June 19) got off to a great start! Because Father’s Day is tomorrow and we plan on driving to the Grand Canyon in the morning, Julie whipped up a special “early Father’s Day” breakfast for me. We all devoured the pancakes, bacon, and scrambled eggs that she fixed, and then made ready for our trip into Bryce Canyon. As we were preparing to unhook and leave the campsite, we decided we needed to tell the boys about the surprise for the day, as they were not privy to our plans for a horseback ride into the canyon. When told, they both got very excited (I think because they weren’t the ones that were going to be doing all the walking today). We drove up to the park and caught the shuttle to the Bryce Canyon Lodge (one of the oldest original lodges in the Union Pacific Loop Tour which includes Bryce, Zion and the Grand Canyons and the Cedar Breaks) where we registered and then ate a brown bag lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and a banana. After our quick lunch, we hustled down to the corral to get the tour going. We each were paired up with an animal according to our riding “ability”. Since Julie had quite a bit more experience than the rest of us, she got to ride a horse named “Sassy”—very appropriate name—while the boys and I got saddled on mules: Bryce on “Blue Jay”, Collin on “Chubby”, and I on “Goose”. After the obligatory safety briefing and remedial instructions, we were on our way, led by our guide, Cache (pronounced ‘Cash’). The ride into the canyon was absolutely breath-taking. Much like the Badlands, Bryce Canyon is a place you really have to experience to get caught up in its splendor. The views at certain points along the trail provide in excess of 100-mile visibility on a clear day (as was today). However, the anomalies known as “hoodoos”, which Native Americans called “stone man” as they thought that upon entering this canyon, the land would cast a spell on man and he would forever be turned to stone, are the main attraction here. Each hoodoo takes on its own “personality”, such as “the old lady playing an organ”, “Mrs. Doubtfire”, and “last kiss”, just to name a few—using your imagination, there are literally thousands of images that can be observed in the canyon. All of the pictures were taken on horseback, so they may be a little tilted (thank goodness our camera is equipped with a hand steadying feature!). Collin’s mule was a little stubborn at first, so Cache gave him a whip to get ole Chubby going. Julie’s horse, Sassy, loved to prance when the mood hit her, Bryce’s mule, Blue Jay, was quite the flatulent beast, and my mule, Goose, loved to stick his nose near the rear-end of the closest female equine—I imagine that’s how he got his moniker. Regardless, we made the 8-mile loop in about 3 ½ hours and had a wonderful time. I’m quite certain we’ll all be a little saddle-sore for a few days given the way we were walking after the ride! Afterwards, we took the shuttle to Bryce Point to have a view from the rim of the canyon, then headed to Mossy Cave for a quick look at the cave and a nearby waterfall. Following that short excursion, we headed back to the Cannonville KOA for the night where we feasted on hamburgers, pasta salad, and baked beans. Immediately after dinner, we all hit the showers to wash off the dust from the ride, played a quick game of Texas Hold ‘Em, and called it a night in anticipation of our short 5-hour ride to the Grand Canyon on Sunday…

Day 9 (Jackson, WY to Bryce Canyon)

Day 9 (June 18) started a little late for us. Julie and I slept in a little and got going about an hour later than we would have liked. For the most part, the ride from Jackson, WY to our KOA in Cannonville, UT was rather boring. We took the back-roads mostly; of the 550 miles, we were only on interstates for about 200 miles. We did have our first encounter with a weasel on one of the secondary roads about an hour south of Jackson. [Let me qualify this statement: we had our first wild encounter with a weasel. I have certainly met many “weasels” in my lifetime, just not an actual weasel.] It was quite an ugly little creature. Thankfully, it was trying to cross the road and we outweighed it in the RV by some 15,000 pounds. Anyway, it crossed safely and we continued into Idaho very briefly, then back into Wyoming, and finally into Utah. Once we arrived in Utah, I must admit it was somewhat disappointing. I’ve always envisioned Utah as being a beautifully, snowcapped mountainous state. Our first impressions were of a slightly rolling hill region full of farms. Until… we arrived near Provo. Our route took us into the Provo Canyon area which is absolutely stunning. We descended into the canyon along the shores of Utah Lake, a crystal clear, freshwater lake that appears to be completely devoid of any development except for the state park facilities. If this was in North or South Carolina, I’m sure there would be a private boat dock every few hundred feet. As we made our way out of the canyon into Provo (the home of Brigham Young University), a truck carrying several inflated inner tubes was slowly making the climb up the roadway in front of us. As we approached the truck, at least five inner tubes (which were not secured!) became airborne and flew into our path and the paths of two other cars. As the tubes came bouncing toward us, Julie and I both let the “s***” word fly, and one of the tubes popped underneath the RV. I pulled over to the shoulder to survey the damage—none to the RV, only a popped inner tube—pulled the wreckage from the chassis, then continued on our way. The remainder of the trip was rather mundane. We did, however, stop at a general store only a few minutes from our KOA in Cannonville to gather a few supplies—we were running short on bread, milk, and beer, among other things—at an inflated price until we could more fully restock at a Wal-Mart closer to the Grand Canyon. We finally pulled into our campsite at around 6:30 pm, hooked up, and got dinner going (tonight’s meal included lemon-pepper grilled chicken with sautéed asparagus and watermelon). After catching up on e-mail, our blog, etc, we called it a night in anticipation of tomorrow’s activities…

Day 8 (Grand Tetons / Jackson Hole)

Here are some pics of our trip in the Grand Tetons and Jackson Hole (copy and paste the link)...

http://www5.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=1611653026/a=3145779026_3145779026/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

Day 8 (June 17) greeted us with snow flurries and temperatures in the upper 20s. Julie and I walked to the park office to use the pay phone (we didn’t have cell service) to call the KOA in Jackson about setting up shop there for the night. After making our reservations and getting our refund from Flagg Ranch, we headed out to the Jenny Lake portion of the Grand Tetons for a short hike. After getting on the main road, we were immediately slowed by road construction (another reason we didn’t want to have to come back up to Flagg Ranch after a day in the Tetons and Jackson Hole). Finally making it through the minor delay and cruising along, we were slowed once again by an apparent car wreck. After several minutes had passed without moving, a park ranger came flying by. I incorrectly surmised that someone had hit wildlife. Once the ranger got traffic moving again, I was excited to learn that I was dead wrong. There, about 50 feet from the side of the road, was a grizzly bear feasting off a carcass. I managed to get one snap of the camera before the ranger shooed us on our way—but we were all pumped that we got to see a bear in action without being in harm’s way!!! On our way again, and following an unintentional detour, we were approaching Jenny Lake. Just a few miles from the visitors’ center, we joined a group of spectators who were admiring a cow moose and her offspring in a forest along the river’s edge. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get any discernable pictures since the moose were relaxing in the shade. Resigned that the pair was settled in, we left for Jenny Lake. Upon our arrival at the visitors’ center, Julie, Collin, and I headed in to talk to a ranger to get advice for our hike around the lake and up to Inspiration Point (a hike which was suggested by Brian Cannon). Loaded with a trail map and a new toboggan for Collin (it was in the upper 40s-lower 50s and very windy), we grabbed a quick bite to eat in the RV, donned weather-appropriate clothing (with more layers in our backpacks) and hit the trail. The 4-mile hike around the lake gave some stunning views of the Tetons. We saw several marmots meandering around the rocks of the mountain—we even had one show us the way on the trail for a short time! We made it to the Angel Falls area and continued the rather strenuous last ½-mile up to Inspiration Point. There, we took in even more magnificent views of the Tetons and even played with some chipmunks. We then made our descent back to view Angel Falls and took a group photo before heading to the dock for a 10-minute boat ride back to the trail head (I was all for continuing the loop around the lake, but we had walked a lot the last few days!!). Once we arrived at the trailhead, we piled back in the RV and headed south to Jackson. We stopped at our earlier pull-off spot to watch mamma moose relaxing in the shade again, then hit the road again. ***[Unfortunately, we weren’t able to spend more time in the Grand Tetons. This area really is something awesome not only to see, but experience. It really is quite impressive how the entire mountain range rises from the basin, making this range geologically quite different from the mountains in Yellowstone. This definitely is an area in which I would like to spend more time—yes, I’m already looking forward to our next trip out here!]*** The ride down to Jackson was fairly short, but still, we were glad we weren’t going to have to drive all the way back up to Flagg Ranch later in the evening, then back down the next day. We surprised Bryce and Collin with a little diversion at the Snow King Resort where we all took in the Alpine Slide. After the boys had a couple runs down the mountain, we headed to the Gun Barrel restaurant for “Wyoming food”. Julie enjoyed a buffalo sirloin, Collin had elk chops, and Bryce and I feasted on a combo platter with elk chops, venison bratwurst, and buffalo prime rib. With full bellies (and empty wallets), we set out for the short 10-minute drive to our KOA for the night. We camped along the Snake River, caught up on our e-mail and blog updating, and called it a night…

Day 7 (Mammoth Hot Springs / Tower Fall/Roosevelt)

Here are some pics of our excursion to the Tower Fall/Roosevelt area and Mammoth Hot Springs area of Yellowstone. No pics from the rafting trip yet--had to use a waterproof camera :) (copy and paste the link)...

http://www5.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=1610705026/a=3145779026_3145779026/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

Day 7 (June 16) began a little earlier than the previous two mornings since we knew we had a fairly lengthy drive for our whitewater rafting trip in Gardiner, MT later in the afternoon. We headed up to the Tower Fall/Roosevelt in our (really my) quest to see a moose or two per the advice of one of the rangers. The drive up once we passed the Canyon Village area was unlike anything we had seen in the park to this point. It truly was very mountainous and full of spectacular views. I stopped several times along the way to snap a few pictures—at one point Collin said that I was “acting like Pa-Potts”, referring to Julie’s father who enjoys taking pictures as a hobby. After gazing at Tower Falls for a time, we continued up towards the Mammoth Hot Springs area. Along the way, there was a little excitement as we saw two coyotes wandering roadside in an open field. I stopped the RV for a couple quick snaps and we were off again. Once we arrived at Mammoth, we realized we were running a little short on time to make it to Gardiner for our whitewater trip. We hustled around the paths, but still were able to take in the beauty of the springs, which are unlike any other in the park in that the spring beds are mostly made up of limestone and deposit travertine. Mammoth is comprised of an Upper and Lower Terrace—after viewing the springs in the Lower Terrace, we decided to tackle the Upper Terrace, which is a roughly 1-mile loop. With only about an hour and a half to make it to Gardiner, we started out on the loop. Really, we probably should have just forgone the Upper Terrace since there really was nothing that distinguished it save the ½ mile ascent and the opportunity to chase a jackrabbit around. We finally made it back to the RV and headed to Gardiner, which is only a 10-minute drive from Mammoth. When we arrived, it was mostly sunny and breezy, temperatures were in the lower 50s. We were fitted with wet suits, piled into an old school bus, and headed to the raft launch. After a safety briefing, we were given our lifejackets and a few basic rowing instructions and into the water we went. Our raft consisted of the guide—his name is Thor—3 couples and Bryce and Collin. I was drafted by Thor to be at the head of the raft to synchronize the rowing on the left side of the raft, and a guy from Iowa headed the right side. We were immediately greeted by class III rapids upon our launch, and I was likewise greeted with barely-above-freezing water down my wet suit. Completely alert at this point, I gathered my bearings, and we made it through to a calmer section where we were afforded a short break from rowing. Apparently, Julie and the boys thought it was hilarious that I got drenched, as they were all smiles—I must admit, it was kinda fun. Our 8-mile trip lasted only about 1 ½ hours with intermittent class II / III rapids. Towards the end of the trip, a thunderstorm popped up and really cooled things off. We made it through, though, as Thor tried to inspire us with a couple really cheesy stories about a landmark in the Park called “Devil’s Slide”. The short bus ride (not on a short bus!) back to the rafting store was full of shivers and smiles. Bryce and Collin thoroughly enjoyed the adventure, as did Julie and I. After we dried off and made it into dry clothes, we headed south through the park towards the Grand Tetons, where we had reservations for the next 2 nights at Flagg Ranch. Because it was raining and cold, Julie whipped up some of her nearly-famous chicken penne pasta and a salad and breadsticks to accompany. Flagg Ranch Resort is really nice if you’re staying in the lodge or dining in the restaurant, but the RV and camping sites leave a little to be desired. Because the “resort” is a few miles to the north of Grand Tetons, we looked for a spot closer to the southern tip of the park, and one a little nicer. Bryce found a KOA in Jackson, WY, but because it was late, we would have to wait til the next day to alter our plans…

We're Alive!!!

Sorry for the delay in posting the recent days' activities. We've had no internet availability (let alone cell phone service)! We'll be back on a regular schedule til the end of the trip. We've added some pictures from the Badlands and "new" posts from days 4-6. Enjoy...

Day 6 (Yellowstone Geyser Basin)

Here are some pics from West Thumb Geyser, Old Faithful, and Norris Geyser Basins (copy and paste the link)...

http://www5.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=1605534026/a=3145779026_3145779026/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

Day 6 (June 15) proved to be an extremely busy day. Julie and I got things going at 8:00 with breakfast and coffee. Collin woke up shortly after we had started eating, but, once again, we had to wake sleeping beauty (Bryce) from his slumber. We finally got rolling around 10:00 and headed southwest to the West Thumb Geyser Basin. The roughly 30 minute ride didn’t provide the most spectacular scenery—mainly we rode along the shoreline of Yellowstone Lake. Upon entering the basin area however, we noticed several people congregated just off the parking lot admiring an elk munching on some meadow grass. After snapping a few pictures of the beast, we headed out on the boardwalk trails to view the geysers and hot springs. Because this is technically the wet season in the park due to the snow melting and filling the rivers and lakes, some of the “must see” thermal pools were covered in water and weren’t really active. After finishing up our 45-minute walk, we once again headed out to the Old Faithful Basin. Yet again, though, we were diverted momentarily by a small herd of elk grazing off the road. After a few pictures, we were once again on our way to Old Faithful. Upon entering the basin area, it is apparent that this area is highly commercialized as evidenced by the Lodge, restaurant(s) and shops, and the shear numbers of people there solely to witness the geyser erupt. As I parked the RV, we assembled a lunch to take with us on the trails and headed for the storied geyser. Just as we arrived, we learned that Old Faithful would erupt at any time, so we weaseled our way in amongst the multitude of people there for a better view. Quite honestly, it really wasn’t much of a display, but we can say that we have witnessed it in our lifetimes. After the show was over (it really only lasted less than 2 minutes), we took to the paths to take in the many other geysers and springs in the basin. The first part of our walk took us to the Observation Point, which is a small, 200-foot ascent to a point that overlooks the entire basin. Here, we got some breathtaking views and even got to witness a couple of marmots frolicking in the rocks while we ate lunch. After descending from the Observation Point, we started out on the path for the rest of the area. After about half-way through, a rain shower popped up and made us head to the RV for shelter. Thinking the storm was going to hang around for a while, we headed north to the Madison region to view the stunning Firehole Falls in the Firehole Canyon. During the drive up, Bryce felt the need to resume his beauty sleep and missed out on the spectacular exhibit. After a few snaps of the camera, we headed out the Norris Geyser Basin. This area, which is literally in the middle of the park and a result of at least 3 different volcanic eruptions over the course of 6 million years, is a very impressive area. The whole basin area looks like a vast wasteland (think pools of gargling hot water on white rocky/sandy terrain, with scorched pine trees as causalities of countless eruptions. After a relatively short 1-hour tour, we headed back to our “home site”, Fishing Bridge via the Canyon Village loop in the hopes of seeing more wildlife. Only herds of bison dotted the 20-minute drive, which is probably for the better since we’re all pretty exhausted at this point. Upon our return, I served up some BBQ pork chops and grilled squash and zucchini, had some strawberry shortcake for dessert, and then played a quick family game of Mexican Train dominos. We’re heading to bed early tonight in anticipation of our whitewater rafting excursion tomorrow along with a stop at Mammoth Hot Springs…

Day 5 (Mud Volcanos and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone)

Here are some pics from the Mud Volcano area and the "Grand Canyon of Yellowstone" (copy and paste the link...)

http://www5.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=1606292026/a=3145779026_3145779026/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/


Day 5 (June 14) began on a rather chilly note. Because the previous day was overcast and cold, temperatures dipped into the upper 20s at night, and we did not run the heater because generators are to be turned off between 8:00 pm and 8:00 am. Julie and I woke up about 7:15 and stayed under the covers until 8:00 and promptly fired up the generators for heat and coffee (we didn’t realize until later that our heater worked off our propane tank—should’ve read the operator’s manual!). This was our first day that didn’t require that we have breakfast on the road, so we took advantage of being sedentary by enjoying a nice bowl of cereal and some fruit with our coffee at the dinner table. Bryce and Collin were awoken in time to have Pop Tarts while the generator was still going and then we all gathered our things to head to the registration building for $3.25/person showers. Upon our refreshment, we unhooked the RV and headed to Canyon Village for some sight-seeing. Along the way, we stopped by the Mud Volcanoes area for a quick view of geysers, caldrons, and fumaroles. Along the 2/3 mile trail, we experienced all the sights and smells the area had to offer. The highlights were Dragon’s Mouth Spring (so named because of the terrible growling and hissing the bubbling spring makes), Black Dragon’s Caldron (which is a thermal boil of mud and water), and Sour Lake (a seemingly benign and peaceful lake to take a dip into, but will literally eat the skin off your bones because of the sulfuric acid content in the lake). Once we had all had our nasal fill of the rotten egg odor, we left for Canyon Village. Along the way, we stopped for a few shots (with the camera!) of herding bison and even managed an up-close-and-personal view (almost too much for Julie’s liking as she was only about 15 feet away) of a singular bison standing at the roadside. Upon entering Canyon Village, we stopped by the Visitors’ Center for a look around and some tips for trail walking. After receiving our final instructions (and bear warnings), we headed out on a 5-mile loop that began along the Yellowstone River and finished in the basin of the South Rim. Our first few steps were a sign of things to come as we saw two beavers playing at the river’s edge. Along the first part of our trek along the South Rim Trail, we witnessed the majesty of the Upper and Lower Falls as well as the canyon that has been carved out over the past million or so years. We braved the Uncle Tom’s Cabin Trail, which is a very steep decent from the rim of the canyon to the river (and over 300 steps and 500 feet) for some other-worldly views. The camera had to be reloaded with batteries due to the number of snaps that were taken. Words cannot even begin to describe some of the views we had today, nor could pictures do justice to what we saw. There were countless times when the camera was ready to shoot, but the 2-D picture was just plain inadequate. After finishing up the South Rim Trail, we set out towards Lily Pad Lake and then Clear Lake, which was a trek that heightened our fears of potential bear encounters. Along this path, we witnessed more geologic thermal spots and eventually an open plain where we were hoping to encounter some bison or a moose or two. We eventually made it back to the RV (much to the delight of an exhausted Collin) without a wildlife run-in and made it back to our campsite. Buffalo chicken sandwiches hot off the grill with corn on the cob and watermelon helped to refuel our bodies after this tiring day. Julie and I have enjoyed a couple of barley pops and we are about to begin a family game of Apples to Apples. We will all rest easy tonight and greatly anticipate tomorrow’s activities…

Day 4 (Mount Rushmore)

Here are some pics from Mount Rushmore (copy and paste the link)...

http://www5.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=1605738026/a=3145779026_3145779026/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

On Day 4 (June 13) we got a little later start than we had hoped to due to Julie and me “sleeping in” until 6:30. We all were pretty worn out from our walk-about in the Badlands the previous day, but still talked about it the whole day. We took the scenic route from our campsite to Mount Rushmore and got to see some things we definitely would not have had the opportunity to had we taken the interstate (we saw a small herd of bison at a cattle farm, not to mention the extremely small towns along the way). After about an hour and 45 minutes of driving, we reached Mount Rushmore and spent about 30 minutes looking around and taking pictures. I can now say that I’ve seen the great landmark in my lifetime and really have no desires to go back to it. Leaving Mount Rushmore proved to be a bigger task than getting there due to our Garmin’s need to send us through gravel roads through the Black Hills—which I was not about to do in a 31-foot RV. After a long detour (on in which about caused us to get t-boned from an oncoming tourist train), we finally made it back on course to Yellowstone. Along the way, we saw more things that normally aren’t seen on a daily basis (such as a daddy cow getting intimate with mommy cow, “Crazy Woman Creek” in Wyoming, and the town sign for Emblem, WY “population 10”—which had more sheep in the town than people apparently). The drive was fairly easy until we hit Big Horn National Park. Julie was driving at this point and things went fine up the mountains until we hit an elevation of about 8000 feet, and then she had to drive through a rain cloud with about 25 feet of visibility for 20 miles (driving at 15-20 mph can be really frustrating!). The cloud finally left us as we began our descent at which point we began to see some pretty extraordinary views. We made several pull-offs to snap a few pictures and I took the helm for the final leg of the drive into Yellowstone. As we passed the town of Cody, WY, our anticipation was heightened to finally arrive as we only had 50 more miles to go to the park entrance. Once we hit the entrance (we still had 26 more miles to go to our campsite at Fishing Bridge) we saw at least one moose, an elk, and a few dozen deer. We finally got checked in and parked at about 8:45, and then we made a mad dash to get dinner ready. I fired up the portable grill and served up some hellacious burgers in the near-freezing temperatures. With full bellies, we called it a day and turned in around 10:00, completely looking forward to the next day’s activities…

Badlands pictures

Here are some of the pics from the Badlands...

http://www5.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=1605497026/a=3145779026_3145779026/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

Day 3

Day 3 (June 12) started out on a great note. Julie and I both woke up before the alarm went off (just before 6:00 am), got things ready, and were on the road before 7:00. We were awaken in the middle of the night by a fairly treacherous thunderstorm, but it ended up being soothing after a really long day on the road. We had a relatively short drive (only 7 hours today!) up the western side of Iowa and west through South Dakota. Everything was fairly uneventful, save the occasional rain shower and road construction. One thing on today’s drive will stick in our minds, and that’s the noticeable flooding that this region has endured this spring. It really was disheartening to see all the crop fields inundated in water. I can only imagine what the repercussions will be for the farmers who are being affected. As we were rolling along I-90 West through South Dakota, it was easy to focus on the road as there wasn’t really a whole lot else to look at. The drive resembled that on I-95 (north or south) through North or South Carolina as there were billboards advertising all the tourist traps along the route such as Wall Drug, the Corn Palace, and the 1880s Town—just think South of the Border, and you’ll understand. We realized we were close when, literally out of nowhere, in the horizon, you could see mounds of earth that just seemed like they didn’t belong. To first set eyes on the Badlands really is an awe-inspiring event. Julie, Bryce, Collin and I had nothing to say but “Wow!” When we exited the interstate, we all knew we were in for a treat and that our endless hours of travel to this point finally were taking on some meaning. Upon entering the National Park, we took a short drive to one of the scenic overlooks just to get out and stretch. We spent about 30 minutes at this first stop and were completely astonished by the natural beauty of these formations. We all wandered off the beaten path to gaze around and explore. This was just the beginning of our Badlands adventure. From there, we stopped at another parking area and walked one of the shorter trails in the park. It was here that we noticed a lone “antelope” grazing, a skeleton of something we’re still undecided about, and numerous other formations. From here, we took the perfunctory stop at the visitor’s center and purchased a few souvenirs, then decided to take a like “walk-about” in the park. We made a 5 mile loop through 3 different trails, each of which took on its own “personality”. The first, was a straight uphill climb on the formations that made our calves and thighs burn. The second part was through the “Medicine Root” trail of grasslands on the interior of the formations. The last was on the “Castle Trail” which got us closer to the true beauty of the Badlands. Please enjoy the pictures—they can only show a snippet of what we experienced. After our time in the park, we made it to our campsite and thoroughly enjoyed homemade fajitas for dinner. After dinner, and in spite of some more rain showers, we started a fire and had s’mores for dessert. We are now getting into the meat of our trip. We hit Mt. Rushmore tomorrow morning, then drive to Yellowstone. We may not be able to post til Wednesday, but there will be a ton to share…

Day 2 (Chattanooga, TN to Omaha, NE)

Day 2 started off significantly better than the previous. Although Julie and I both tossed and turned all night, we were up and gone from the campsite by 7:00. Sorry about not being able to post—because we were in the boon docks, there was no Wi-Fi, not to mention we were both exhausted. After a “quick” fill-up of the 50-gallon gas tank and an early-morning chat with the one-eyed gas station attendant (whom I don’t think actually worked there, but more or less just loitered with the paying customers), we were on our way. Our trek today will cover close to 890 miles and about 13 ½ hours, taking us to Omaha, Nebraska (just in time for the College World Series). We hit Nashville, TN about 8:00 and managed to miss the rush hour traffic—no delays yet! We got to see some really beautiful scenery along the way and in spite of the overcast day. Besides a 5-minute downpour just outside Nashville, the ride was relatively quiet until we reached Illinois where we first were re-routed from the interstate due to road work and then met a vicious cross-wind once we hit I-64 West. Regardless, we plodded with full bellies courtesy of Julie’s driving diner through to St. Louis where Julie had the camera at the ready for shots of the arch. After about 500 miles logged for the day, I decided I would give Julie a turn in the captain’s chair, where she was immediately met with those cross-winds. While I sacrificed the last little bit of Breyer’s ½ fat chocolate chocolate chip ice cream for the sake of more room in the freezer and took a little 30 minute siesta, Julie muscled her way to Kansas City, where it was time once again to fill the “belly of the steel beast”. I hopped in to navigate the remaining 220 miles with nothing to see but the flat farmlands of northern Missouri and southwestern Iowa. Before I forget to mention, Iowa has by far the worst interstate roads that I have ever driven on—my back will be sore for the remainder of the trip, I’m sure! We finally pulled into the KOA in Omaha at 7:51 pm (beat the Garmin’s eta by 1 minute), and were pleasantly surprised by the hospitality of the staff. After another stellar dinner of homemade pizza, things were looking up for a little R&R until…suddenly no electricity. Seriously?!?! Long story short, our camping neighbor gave me a ride to the Flying J truck stop for more fuses for the circuit breaker and the evening was saved. We are all now resting comfortably in our air-conditioned RV and are ready to tackle the Badlands tomorrow early afternoon. Stay tuned…

Day 1 of the trip (on Day 2)

What a start to the day… Julie and I both woke up on time, but somehow managed to leave about 15 minutes late to drop off Fonzie and then pick up the RV in Statesville, NC. We needed to get ice for the coolers (and fridge and freezer), but the stand-alone ice vending trailer was “out of order”—a definite sign of things to come. Anyway, we dropped Fonzie off at Shana and Eric’s for the next 2 weeks, much to the delight of Fonzie. A big “thanks” to the Sorrells and their band of animals—especially Maui and Roxy! We arrived in Statesville later than hoped for and subsequently made it back to Irmo for the big load-up later than hoped for. The goal was to leave our house by 3:00 pm and make it to Chattanooga, TN before dark. We didn’t leave until close to 4:00—meaning I had some time to make up on the road. Anybody who’s driven an RV knows you can’t make up time in one of those things. The drive was pretty much uneventful except for a traffic snarl in Atlanta which held us up about 30 minutes. (An aside—I think I’m the only one who used my blinker in the state of Georgia today!). The road sign of the day was spotted at exit 250 on I-75 North. I dubbed it the “sign formerly known as Prince”—use your imagination. Because we were running late, our dinner plans of grilled bratwurst with beans was altered to the brats being fried on the stove top at 75 mph (and a little motion sickness for Julie)! We finally made it to the KOA at 9:30 and didn’t find our site until about 10 due to the wonderful camp layout. It’s been a long day, time to sign off and do it all again tomorrow. Til then…

Start of the trip

We will start updating the blog on June 10, 2010. Check back then.