Traveling and Random Thoughts

How did we live in the time before all the modern technology? I mean we went on this vacation with four cell phones, a portable DVD player, three iPods, a Game Boy Advanced, a laptop computer and the infamous GPS plus two digital cameras and a case of batteries. Then you have all the cords. Every cell phone has a different charger. There is a charger base and a car adapter for the Game Boy. Three sets of ear pods. Splitters. A case for the portable DVD that holds the thing up so you can watch it in the car also a car adapter cord for that. A CD case full of DVD/CDs because ancient Incas forbid that we might be without any form of entertainment for ten minutes. We actually packed an electronics bag for all the junk and go through untangling cords at least once a day. Fools! We are electronic junkies. Then there is the book bag that holds the fourteen books we planned to read in between viewing the national parks and watching the case of DVDs. Big C read two, Little I read two, I’ve read one, MDH is still working on the one he has been reading for four weeks. Also, being the good Girl Scout that I am, I ordered a travel guide and map for every state and have all that junk at my feet to prove to the GPS that I know where I am going. And to think we were going to have quality family time and plenty of time to talk on this trip! Only in America! BTW – I’m typing this in the car. God Bless the USA.

We were so tired when we arrived in Keystone Monday night. After the long drive, the bad weather, getting slightly lost (GPS fault), MDH getting a headache – well let’s just say we were a bit grumpy. We finally found a place to eat around 7:00 and our waitress turned out to be from Lithuania (I swear that’s the truth because I asked her). Let me just add right here that the American West knows nothing about Southern cooking. We’ve not had a decent glass of tea for two weeks. There are no baked potatoes to be had out here. How can that be since Idaho is so close by? And, the hotel this morning was serving an absolutely laughable version of gravy. Anyway, back to last night’s dinner ----- Little I ordered chicken strips and asked if they had baked potatoes, “Yes” the waitress said. Yeah! A baked potato at last! When his dinner arrived he had French fries with green beans. This struck us as so funny, I guess because we were tired, that we broke out in hysterical laughter. MDH had tears rolling down his cheeks he was laughing so hard. We made complete spectacles of ourselves in Keystone, SD. Just wanted you guys to know we represented Tennessee well.

Mt. Rushmore was great this morning. It is fascinating to me how a man sketched this out on paper, made a model of it, looked for a chunk of mountain that would work and then blasted and chiseled replicas of Washington, Jefferson, T. Roosevelt and Lincoln. How do you determine how much dynamite to use so you don’t blast off a nose? My mind can’t wrap around that. We also stopped in Wall. The only thing Wall, SD has going for it is a huge drug store. Have you ever heard of the famous Wall Drug? Well, we’ve been there.

MDH just announced he has butt calluses and it’s my turn to drive. He is such a green horn!

More pictures from Yellowstone

1. Family picture in front of Yellowstone Lake. It was still partially frozen.
2. Bare Tree
3. Waterfall - all were beautiful due to melting snow running off
4. Mud Volcano - really weird bubbling mud
5. Mountain range on Montana side of park

Pictures at Yellowstone

A few random shots from Yellowstone: 1 - Famous Yellowstone National Park Sign; 2 - 10 ft. deep snow; 3 - Lake Lewis still frozen; 4 - Old Faithful Geyser; 5 - I just had to dip my toe into the runoff water of Old Faithful to see how warm it was ----bathwater warm!

Funnel Cloud

Today has been, at the least, an interesting day. We left Cody around 10:00 MST this morning and drove the scenic highway toward Sheridan, WY. This byway was the original Pony Express Route and the Overland Stage Route. How they were able to cross this area is beyond me. Steep canyon walls surrounded us for miles. We stopped in Shell, WY. This town had a total population of 50. After we left the beautiful scenery the sky turned ominous. About 30 miles west of Gillette a weather bulletin came on the radio informing us of a severe thunderstorm in the area off I-90 near mile markers 182-197; we were at mile marker 175. While looking at the sky a weather phenomenon I have never seen or experienced appeared in the sky. A funnel cloud appeared directly in front of us. The funnel was probably 20 miles away and it was a small one that didn’t touch down, but it scared the bageebees out of us. The radio began announcing for people to take shelter but we were in the middle of nowhere. I happened to be driving and MDH was cool as a cucumber and not the least concerned for the well-fare of his family. In fact, he wanted me to slow down so he could get a picture. The best I could do was yell, "if you want a picture you'd better get it now." The above shot is what he captured and it doesn't do it justice because I was slightly panicked and booking it toward an underpass I had spotted. We weren't the only ones, as in a few minutes a RV pulled in next to us. The couple was from Washington on their way to Wisconsin. Of course the men had to discuss the near death experience ;-) Boy is it ever a small world! The man had a best friend he went to school with living in Johnson City, TN! We visited for a few minutes until we thought it was safe and hit the road again. At present the weather looks okay, but there is still a severe thunderstorm warning this evening. We hope to arrive safely in Keystone, SD about 7:00 pm.

PS – We did arrive safely in Keystone, SD without further weather problems.

Returned from the Wilderness

I am finally back on-line after two days without phone or internet service. We arrived in Cody, WY Sunday evening. Our hotel had nice laundry facilites so I did three loads of laundry while the kids swam in the indoor pool. The room was big and clean which was nice after spending the night in a yardbarn in Yellowstone.

I wish that I could write well enough to describe all that we have seen and experienced the last couple of days. I think I can simply say we experienced a little heaven on earth around the Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. While we could see the snow from a distance in the Teton area, we were still far enough away not to realize how deep the snow actually was. By the time we entered the south entrance of Yellowstone, there was several feet of snow on the ground. Lake Lewis was still completely frozen over. The roads had been cleared throughout the park with some only recently opened. We were able to drive the loop around Yellowstone, but the snow was 10 to 12 feet deep in some places. We have never seen that much snow and were completely fascinated with it. And oddly enough it wasn't cold! The temperature stayed around 60 degrees and while we wore sweat shirts, Big C wore shorts and I had on sandals and we were not cold. The snow run off made for gorgeous waterfalls. We felt very blessed to have experienced the park still in its winter glory. We saw tons of wild life including: bald eagle, buffalo and calf, elk, mule deer, black bear and cubs, antelope, mountain goats and kids, big horned sheep, snake, and moose. We picnicked in a beautiful spot and saw bear tracks and made friends with a ground squirrel. The country is beyond description and something you have to see to experience. I've posted some shots, but of course they don't do it justice, it is just so vast. The pictures posted above are from the Grand Teton area. MDH is pushing me to go this morning, so I'll post some pictures of Yellowstone later today.