10.11.14
Family Trip around the US Week 1
We started out having to take my car into the shop early Saturday morning. Â The 12 volt power was not working on one of the ports and a 2 month trip with 2 electronics oriented travelers… It’s better to have the power options available. Â Jhon came out to the dealership to join us for breakfast and and that was delightful. Â Once we were on the road the drive was quite uneventful.
Arrived at my sisters house. Actually the the wrong house as they had moved next door and we had the old address. The nice gentleman who answered the door directed us next door and we found the Schilz’s.
We went back to Sandy’s house and visited for several more hours and finally went to bed at 11 o’clock. I found it cathartic to have Sandy mention something from when we were kids and have it remind me of my roots.
We got up in the morning, took a walk around her lovely neighborhood and returned to a wonderful breakfast that Sandy had whipped up. We visited some more.Talked about our brother with heavy hearts. I shared the videos I had from the funeral and ceremony.
While packing up the car, Sandy and Bill noticed a small boo-boo the side of my car. They immediately started repairing it!
That’s they type of people they are. Thank You!
Back to the Interstates for the second day on the road. The good is that Idaho is all 80 MPH.
The Oregon speed limit stops out at 65 MPG so going into Idaho
and then into Utah, we thoroughly enjoyed the 80 MPH speed limits
on the interstates.
The trip was uneventful although we’ve gotten to the Subways that
think avocados are ‘seasonal’ and Starbucks that don’t have
coconut milk.
Great to see friends Ron and Sharon. Enjoyed dinner with Sharon at a local
restaurant where the food was not great but the company was
wonderful. I am so happy that she is feeling better and getting
around after her knee surgery.
Also glad Ron is recovering and is able to drive and get around again.
Ron tempted us with a Brownie
Bomb from Culvers. We appreciate their hospitality and letting
us use their guest room for the night.
Now back on the interstate on our way to Yellowstone after a stop
at Great Harvest.
We had an uneventful trip to Yellowstone. Got there in time to
see Old Faithful and have dinner at the Old Faithful Inn.
Scored dinner at the Old Faithful Inn. Our timing was great as
the next available reservation was three hours later, we were
able to walk in with a 5 minute wait.
I keep trying but I still find there is no decent food at the
park restaurants.
We drove back to our hotel and had a few (very affordable) drinks
in the hotel bar.
On the 30th, we woke up and walked around West Yellowstone for a
little bit and enjoyed the shops and such. Then we hopped in our
car and drove to visit some of they geysers and mud-pots. The
weather was nice but the sky was overcast. Then we decided to
head north to see the Mammoth Hot springs Terraces. The road up
there was closed on the 29th but we were told it was “open” to
day. Well, “open” meant one -lane sections and long waits with
flaggers and pilot cars.
The weather had turned cold and rainy. It rained and rained.
And I’m not sure why, but the hot spring terraces were are usually
colorful were pale and gray and dry.
By now, it was lunch time, and, although we knew better, we
stopped for lunch at the Mammoth Hot Springs Lunch Counter.
We were not disappointed — cardboard black-bean burger and all.
We left the restaurant and saw a 12-point buck who was mooing
and rooting in the grass with his horns and he attacked a
parked car that was a few down from ours. The park ranger
was welling at people to keep them away from this bull elk
who was being aggressive.
Then we took the road to Tower and then to Castle and along
the way we saw many buffalo and some mule deer.
Back to our hotel and had dinner in their restaurant. While we
were sitting there, we overheard a fellow talking about how a
12-point bull attacked his car. We went over and asked if we
could share some of the pictures we’d taken of the bull.
He was pretty blaze about having his car attacked.
We stayed in for dinner since it was cold and rainy.
The best meal we’ve had since leaving Sandy’s house was in
the hotel restaurant.
On October 1st, we woke up to ice on the car, a dusting of
snow on the mountains and a nippy morning. We walked down to
a local restaurant or breakfast. After the car was fully
loaded, we headed back into Yellowstone park and drive through
and out the north-east entrance. We didn’t see a bear catching
a fish but we did see a buffalo swimming across a river,
two beautiful waterfalls, a black bear grazing as we turned
out toward the east entrance, We saw some prong horned deer,
some mule deer and more buffalo. We just missed seeing a
momma bear and her three cubs.
The drive was gorgeous and we headed toward Cody on the
very scenic Chef Joseph highway. After gassing up in Cody,
we high tailed it to Sheridan.
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