Yellowstone National Park

I know, I know. It's been a week and you have not heard from us in awhile. All I can tell you is that we have been in Yellowstone N.P. and the Grand Tetons N.P. for a week and we have not had access to the internet where we were. So here it is.

It rained everyday we were there, but we did not let it spoil the fun. First of all the drive into Yellowstone is absolutely beautiful. We came in the east entrance of the park during what seemed like a winter storm. It was cold out and a slight drizzle was falling on the park. As you enter the park and begin your journey you drive high up and pass over the mountains. As you come into civilization you first come to Sylvan Lake. It had been so cold, some of the lake was still frozen, which I thought was awesome.

We stayed in Yellowstone for 4 days. I don't actually recommend staying that long, you can see everything and still do hikes into the back country in less time than that. But we did pay for the time so we stayed.

The one thing we really enjoyed in Yellowstone was the scenery, it is hard to capture on film just how grand it really is. You really do have to experience for yourself. We took some time one day to hike up Mt. Washburn. It was cold, about 40 degrees when we started and it never got warmer than that. As we started out on the hike we noticed that there was still snow everywhere. And as we got higher into the mountains there was much more of it. Most of the trail was snow covered and if you did not have Gore-Tex boots your feet will surely get wet. After hiking for an hour or so and nearing the summit, it started to hail. I mean it was coming down. So we decided to get back down after a few lightning strikes in the area. As we were coming down it started to rain down on us like noah experienced. When we finally got off the mountain we were both soaked and tired. It was quite an experience, especially for Phou. Who was not too happy being soaked like a wet dog.

The next day we went to Mammoth Springs and observed what we thought would be a wonderful sight. When we got there all we saw was a few dried up springs and one still going. It pointed out while walking around the springs that it had been slowing down in the recent years. And if it did so continue that it would eventually dry up completely and the area would go back to normal. So it was cool to see but a little tragic that it was not flowing like it used too.

As our time at Yellowstone came to an end we decided to make our last day there a trip down the Old Faithful. So we packed up everything and headed out. It was a long drive to Old Faithful, due to major road construction going on. It took about two hours to get there from our location at Canyon Village. When we finally arrived at Old Faithful we got settled in and walked over to check to see what time it was going to erupt, 11:20 am. We had about an hour to look around, grab some coffee and find a good place to view the old man. As we settled in we noticed that there was about 2,000 people there for the view. I was surprised myself. Let me tell you, if you start to see it erupt, wait. It will be another four or five minutes. It takes a bit to get the Old Man started in the morning. As it does erupt it sure is a sight to see. It last about five or so minutes. After the eruption, that's it. We walked about for a few minutes and then went and got gas and headed for the Grand Tetons N.P.

Days 3 and 4: Mount Rushmore and Devil's Tower

So, it has been a couple of days since you've last heard from the dynamic duo. And boy have we been busy. We finally made it to Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse. I know this sounds cliche, but it is awesome. I can't believe it has as much detail as it does. I was also impressed that you could get so close to the monument itself. We hiked The President's Trail which takes you along a path under the base of the mountain so you can get a good look how the work was done. Along the way you can learn things about each President as you walk under each one. It was very informative and a good hike. I would definitely recommend seeing this in person. It's a magnificent sight.

Ok, I know I shouldn't say this, but don't waste your money at Crazy Horse Memorial. It was cool to see but before you enter the gate and pay your money, take a picture and turn around. You can't get any closer to it than that even after interring the memorial. It was more of a ploy to get you into the gift shops and buy things. That's all I have to say about that.

Our next stop was Devil's Tower in Wyoming. It is out of the way a bit, but worth the drive. You can see it in the distance as you are driving on Hwy 16 from South Dakota but as you enter Wyoming it disappears. When you make the cut off to drive out to Devils Tower you can't help but anticipate what's to come. As you make the final turn it just pops over the hills and straight into the sky and envelopes you with it's presence. We camped for the night at the base of the Giant under a cloudless sky. It was spectacular to sleep under the stars and the Tower, and as the night went on it got even better. I guess it was around 2 am when Phou and I heard the sound of rain coming down. This went on all night and into the next morning. What we didn't realize was that is was not rain, but in fact the wind blowing through the leaves of the giant oak trees at the campground. Very surreal.

After waking up and eating breakfast we decided to go on a hike. The one we took takes you down into the valley at the base of Devil's Tower and around the surrounding area then back to the trailhead. It was a great little hike to do if you don't have a lot of time and you want to get away from the crowds. It was very peaceful and quiet and the birds singing to you as you hike is calming. After our hike we had lunch and decided to head to Cody, WY. We were going to stay another night in Devil's Tower but decided to be a little closer to Yellowstone when we wake in the morning. I really didn't want to drive a long way into Yellowstone and I also wanted to get there early.

So here we are in Cody, WY relaxing before our drive into Yellowstone tomorrow. I don't know that we will have the ability to write more so look out for some more in a few days.

The wind blows like midnight rain,

driving me to sleep.

With the songs of the Robin,

I stop and hear the chant of the indians past.

Day 2: The day the earth turned green.

I can't begin to describe how beautiful this country of ours is. After leaving the town of North Platte we went north into South Dakota. Boy does the scenery change dramatically when you start driving to and through The Black Hills of South Dakota. We had a few choices, drive through Custer State Park or around it. We decided to go through, one because it was a scenic byway and two it was shorter in distance to Mount Rushmore.

What we saw along the way were buffalo, elk and prairie dogs. As we drove through, there was a certain crispness to the air, along with the occasional shower. We did get to drive through part of the forest fire that happened not too long ago. It was a little sad to see so many trees that had been on fire. But something amazing was occurring at the same time, the seedlings from the burned trees were popping up everywhere. The circle of life was happening right before our eyes. Amazing!

So we finally ended up in Keystone, SD. We stopped here because we wanted to find a place to stay and relax before we go into Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse tomorrow. If it's anything like today, I think we won't mind at all.

Day 1: The Long Haul

Well, it has been a long day indeed. After driving for 12 1/2 hours we finally made it to North Platte, NE. We had a few stops along the way, you know the usual potty breaks and stretching sessions to get the cob webs out. We played a few games along the way also. Phou was the creative one when it came to making up the games as we were driving across the boring parts. And I do mean boring. If anyone ever ask you if KS is flat, just tell them if you look across the horizon you can see the back of your own head. Because it is flat as a pancake. So, back to Phou's game. She calls out a letter and I had to come up with the first word that came into my head. The only rule was, it had to relate to my life. Some pretty funny words came out during this session of letters and words. Some we can't discuss here.

I can tell you that there are Dinosaurs out this way. Yes, I said Dinosaurs. One of them was on top of the hill over looking the valley. I don't know what he/she was looking at, but they were very much transfixed on something.

So we have a few more miles to go and tomorrow we are off to Mount Rushmore, SD. We are truly excited about this particular part of the trip. It means so much to us to see such an amazing work of art. Both Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Monument have been on our lists of things to see for awhile. So stay tuned and keep checking back to see how the rest of the trip continues.

Packing day is here.

The day for packing is finally here. Packing up is easy when you have your lists to go by. I guess you can say I'm a nerd because I have had these lists made for a few months now. I started packing today at 7 am, it is now 4:30 pm and we are just now getting everything together to put into the FJ. It has been a long day and I am tired and ready to relax, considering I have an 11 hour drive tomorrow. Our first stop will be North Platte, Nebraska, a not so small town but they do have a Holiday Inn Express, which is where we are staying for the night. So wish us luck and the next time you her from us will be on the road for the beginning of The 5000 Mile Big Trip.

Dropping off Taro at Grandmas house.

It's going to be hard but Taro is going to stay at Grandmas house during our vacation. I would love for him to go but the National Park system does not allow pets on the backcountry trails. It is sad, because he would love hiking with us and getting to see all the beautiful areas that we will be visiting. Maybe next time he can go when we visit the state parks. So, our young man will just have to relax down here in Texas and play with Jake, Grandmas dachsund in the meantime. We will miss him.

Two Working Days Left....

So I have two working days left until I am officially on vacation. Phou, however is already on her summer break and she is ready to go. We do have some preparations to do, packing clothes, food and gear are going to take a few days considering we are going to be gone for almost three weeks. So get ready for a few laughs and some crazy times as we get going on the road and travel across the U.S.