Day 27: Grand Tetons

Friday July 8

On Friday July 8^th we head to the Grand Teton National Park with Ed and Cheryl.  This is our third day of touring and we allow the girls to bring the DVD player in the van with them for the first time (they are not allowed to watch it during the parks) since it is an 80 mile ride just to get there, through Yellowstone.  They decide to sit in back together and watch their movie.  We stop in West Yellowstone for pre-made sandwiches and then head through Yellowstone down to West Thumb and out Yellowstone via the south entrance.  We hadn’t been out of Yellowstone much when we spot a beautiful water fall on the side of the road.  We stop and take a few pictures at Lewis Falls.  It is strange to enter a park but not have to stop at the entrance gate (we had already showed our pass at Yellowstone and the only way into this park this way is through Yellowstone so there is no fee).  We stop at the first visitor’s center and get the scoop on the park from the park ranger and the girls get their passports stamped. 

Elk in Yellowstone!

We proceed down to Jackson Lake.  We stop at the visitor’s center and I inquire about picnic areas nearby.  There are tables just down the road with a view so we head there.  It is the most beautiful spot I have ever had a picnic!  By now we are looking at the Grand Tetons and there is a lake in front of it that has a turquoise hue to it.  In front of the lake is an area of yellow wildflowers.  We hear thunder in the distance and can see it raining near the mountains but the rain holds off and we enjoy a nice picnic.

Jenny Lake

After lunch we drive up Signal Mountain and get a great view of the Teton peaks from the summit.  We continue down to Jenny Lake Loop Rd.  This is a much smaller lake but just gorgeous views of the mountain and the glaciers on Grand Teton and Moran Mountain.  We continue south to the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center, passing over the Snake River several times.  The river is very flooded and we do not see any boat activity on it at all.  I later learn that an older man was killed while on a float trip while we were there.  At times, the road is right beside the river and it would not take much more rain before the road would be impassable.  I overheard a ranger saying they got 68-70 feet of snow over the winter and that is the reason that there is so much snow on the mountain in July.  I think the scenery is much more picturesque with the snow on the mountains and the wildflowers in blossom.  There are lupine everywhere in the park; mostly purple and pink.   The new discovery center is made out of huge lodge pole pine trees and absolutely gorgeous.  The lodge pole pine is preferred for its straight trunk and lack of branches so it can be used for building and furniture.

We spot what looks like deer in a field but it turns out to be pronghorn instead (our first sighting of these animals).  The pronghorn are in a field quite a distance from us but still we can make out their features.  Even more exciting is our return trip through Yellowstone where we watch two elk cross the road right in front of us.  They are so big and their horns are still velvety. Hard to imagine carrying all that weight on your head like the elk do.  What a great way to end the day.  But wait, it has rained in Yellowstone and we spot the occasional puddle.  This and the lower temperatures add steam to a lot of geothermal areas that we have already driven by but now look spectacular with the steam rising from them.  We stop at one such spot and can’t believe the constant geyser going on there; Sprouting Geyser. 

We return to West Yellowstone around 9pm and stop for the 3^rd night at the Wolf Pack Pub.  We have had good luck with them for dinner before and we are all too tired to think of something else to do.  Scott tries the Dragon’s Breath  and Moose Drool beers.  Yet again we hit construction on the road returning from West Yellowstone to the KOA campground and have to wait for a pilot car to escort us the six miles out of town.  By the time we arrive home, we all crash.

Day 26: Yellowstone Grand Canyon

Thurs July 7

Thursday July 7 finds us once again on our way to Yellowstone National Park.  This is our 2^nd straight day of touring Yellowstone and the girls are not happy to wake up early.  After stopping at beautiful Gibbons Falls, we head towards the Canyon this morning and then will do the Upper Loop.  We drive by and see that the south rim of the canyon is still closed due to the beer attack and fatality there yesterday.  We head to the Lower Falls and split up there.  Scott and Isabella hike the steep grade down to Lower Falls while the rest of us use the outlook spots to view the falls.  The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is more beautiful in my mind than the Grand Canyon itself.  For one, you can see the Yellowstone River from most any point on the rim down in the canyon and there are some wonderful waterfalls in it.  The colors remind me a little of Arizona and Utah- the red and oranges but there is a lot of white and green colors too, which makes this canyon more colorful.  We enjoy the views from the rim and then head to Tower Falls.

Yellowstone Grand Canyon

Tower Falls is a quick walk from the parking lot with another gorgeous waterfall.  You can not walk down into the lower part of the falls because of animal dens (according to a sign that was posted last fall).  We get a cold ice cream here and Isabella selects a shirt to buy (we owed her one since we bought one for Lexi in NY).  From there we head to Lamar Valley to view wildlife.  We spot hundreds of bison in the field next to a river and spend some time watching and photographing them.  We are a little disappointed to not see any different wildlife but it is still the middle of the day.  We stop by the Roosevelt lodge which was built in 1906 and now serves as a restaurant.  The menu includes a $17 burger!  I can see the trail wagons that we would have gone out on this evening (we couldn’t get enough tickets for Ed and Cheryl to join us so we cancelled our reservations).  We do drive by a very congested area and see 2 park rangers keeping tourists away from a grizzly bear and her cubs.  We can just make out the cubs from the car and do not stop to get a better look. 

Mammoth Hot Springs

We are anxious to get on to Mammoth Hot Springs now; the last part of the park we have yet to explore.  We arrive in Fort Yellowstone where we see a tiny city of similar buildings.  Even more exciting are the elk that are everywhere.  They are walking in the road, sitting and eating in the fields.  They look very tame but they have several park rangers here to make sure people do not get too close to the elk.  More than once we hear a park ranger on the bullhorn telling cars they can not stop in the roadway to view the elk.  We also notice a small rodent like animal that is behaving just like a prairie dog, except we are no longer in the desert ( I later ask about these animals and find out they are a type of squirrel).  They are sitting on their hind legs just like prairie dogs.  We can see Mammoth Hot Spring area from where we are and it’s a huge while hill. 

Mammoth Hot Springs is a disappointment.  There are some 240 stairs to do the entire loop and we don’t have the time to do it all.   We go for the smaller, closer springs and only 1 has any water running through it.  The whole area has dried up.  Cheryl overhears a woman saying how this used to be her favorite part of the park but it’s all dry now.  Guess there used to be lots of water flowing out of the springs but we don’t spot much at all.  I drive us through the last of the park on our return to the campground.  On the way, we spot a bison very close to the road and I stop so people can take a picture.  At this point a van pulls up from behind me, much closer to the animal and the driver gets out of her door.  The bison starts to charge her and we decide its time to leave.  The bison stops after only a few feet but it was scary to see it run and get defensive.

It is again late when we leave the park and we stop by Wolf Pack Brewing Company again for dinner.  Scott tries an elk burger and decided it wasn't too bad.  Late night back to the camper so it wasn't long before we were all in bed.

Day 25: Yellowstone!!!

Wednesday July 6

The day I have been waiting for has finally arrived.  Yellowstone!!!  We pack a picnic lunch and head together in Ed and Cheryl’s van to the West Entrance of Yellowstone.  We get there fairly early and still there is a lot of traffic.  We decide to do the lower loop today and the upper loop another day.  We drive down Firehole Canyon Drive and see the Firehole River which is flooded and raging past us.  At Fountain Flat Drive we spot our first two bison of the day; grazing not too far from the road.  They are immense creatures and so majestic to see in the wild.  We stop at Fountain Paint Pot, even though there is a huge line of cars in the parking lot waiting to park.  We walk the boardwalk and spot our first up close thermal experiences of the day.  Lexi was really excited to see the boiling mud- this particular one was the result of a 1959 eruption.  We get our first distinct sulfur odor of the day and try to turn every time the wind blows it towards us.  The colors of the geysers are such a rich blue color and stick out amongst the grayish sand/dirt fields.  Mixed in are bright orange bacteria mats.  One can only imagine what is growing in the mats to give off the brilliant orange color but it adds mystic to the area.

Geysers, geysers, everywhere!

We really like Spasm Geyser at the end of the boardwalk.  It is constantly shooting steam into the air and very spread out.  We leave this area and drive to a less crowded part of the park; Firehole Lake Drive and find a few more geysers.  We stop at Midway Geyser Basin and walk the boardwalk.  We come to 2 huge geysers; Excelsior which does not actually shoot off steam anymore but does flow into the nearby river at a rapid rate (500+ gallons per minute).  We continue on to the next geyser and I notice it appears to be shooting colors up like a rainbow.  Come to find out it is Grand Prismatic Spring which is Yellowstone’s largest hot spring.  The deep blue color of the pool and the rings of yellow and orange thermopiles surrounding it give off a prism affect. 

It is nearing lunch time at this point and we head to Old Faithful and decide to eat a quick sandwich in the car (rather than taking the time to find a picnic table far away and miss the eruption that is predicted for 20 min away).  We easily spot Old Faithful as there is a huge sign announcing it AND all the people are congregated around a thermal vent.  There are benches surround Old Faithful almost ¾ of the way around.  We pick a spot and wait.  When we drove in that morning the park rangers estimated the first eruption around 10am.  With eruptions almost every 90 minutes that would put the next one at about 2:30.  Scott predicted 2pm while I figured it was closer to 2:30 but we hadn’t checked back in to find an official time but sitting at the benches, we overhear people talking about 2:20. 

Snow in July!  We had to have a snowball fight!

There is a ton of steam coming out of Old Faithful and we wait patiently.  There is a little activity and a few bubbles of water sprout from the vent.  And then we wait more and more until finally she blows!  It is breathtaking and I find it hard to focus on taking pictures instead of just enjoying it.  Scott is taking video (for the first time on our trip we have brought the Camcorder along).  The show lasts a good 3 minutes at least and there is round of applause at the end.  I sit totally mesmerized by the show and tear up as I realize just how lucky I am to see this.  This is the tops of the trip for sure!

We continue along the Lower Loop road and come to the Yellowstone Lake.  Never have I seen such a beautiful blue green color on a lake.  It looks even better with the snow capped mountains in the background.  We spot snow on the ground and stop at the Continental Divide sign to take a picture and have a snowball fight.  We stop briefly at Kessler Cascades and it is such a pretty waterfall.  Realizing we have little time now before dark sets in and a huge amount of park to cover, we decide to skip some sights along the way.  We stop briefly to see a lone bison standing about 10 feet from the road!  We enter Hayden Valley and the spotting of bison is more common, often groups of 20 or more but none more close than the lone one by the side of the road.  We near the Canyon area and find a road closed to the south rim (we later find out that a male hiker was killed by a bear that morning while protecting her cubs).  We decide to hike into Brink of the Upper Falls Canyon and are rewarded for it.  A gorgeous waterfall with a brilliant rainbow is there.  It is perhaps one of the prettier spots in the park.

We book it out of the park, still some 40 miles away to avoid the wildlife in the park after dark.  We see a lot more bison on the way and still some fishermen in the rivers trying to catch their fish.  We arrive into West Yellowstone just as everyone else is and find a place for dinner.  Earlier we had seen a brew pub so we went there for dinner and enjoyed some pizza.  By the time we got back to the camper it is 9:30 and bedtime.  It has been a great day and we are all tired.  We look forward to returning tomorrow and seeing the Upper Loop of the park.  This part of the park is not as long and encompasses the Mammoth Hot Spring area and we will spend time at the Canyon.  I hope we get to Lamar Valley to the northeast which is great for wildlife viewing.  So far we have seen lots of bison, chipmunks and some birds.  Saw an osprey dart into the river and capture a fish- very cool.

Day 24: Salt Lake City, UT to West Yellowstone, MT

Tuesday July 5

We wake up early Tues July 5 and head out to West Yellowstone, Montana.  We headed north on I 15 through Idaho.  We stopped at a rest area and they had an information booth there and we got a bunch of literature on Yellowstone and the lady told me of a great scenic drive by a waterfall.  Before too long we saw tons of potato fields, many with blossoms.  Idaho even has a potato museum!  1/7^th of their income comes from potatoes and that is easily seen!  The scenery is beautiful; mountains on the sides and a lush green valley that we are driving through.  We stop for lunch at Olive Garden and then head to the Mesa Fall Scenic Byway (Rt 47 off from  Rt 20).  We stop along the way to look into a canyon and discover beautiful lupine along the road.  At home this only lasts until mid June so I feel fortunate to see it now.  We stop at the lower falls and they are right off the parking lot.  You can hear the falls well before you can see them.  They are absolutely amazing.  We drive the mile up the road to the upper falls and walk down to see them.  They are even larger than the lower falls and you walk way down to the falls so it is really spectacular.  The kids are tired at this point and we still have about 45 miles to drive so we take off.

Mesa Falls

The KOA campground in West Yellowstone is right off Rt 20 but there is really no traffic and no trains around.  We are in the first hilly campground of our travels and the temperature reflects being in the northern part of the country and at a higher elevation.  We went from being a state away from Mexico to being a state away from Canada and we appreciate the difference.  We are so excited to have grass and green vegetation.  We cook a quick dinner and take the girls to the indoor pool to swim for awhile.  The mosquitoes are horrible so nobody spends much time outside.

Day 23: Salt Lake City

Monday July 4

Fourth of July finds us in Salt Lake City for the day.  We have made plans to meet Eric Decker at his place and spend the day with him.  Scott and Eric were classmates at UNH.  Eric lives downtown in a high rise building which has a pool and roof access.  We get to his apartment about 11:30 and we are welcomed by a beautiful cat, which the girls love.  Eric has a laser beam that she chases around and the girls enjoyed using that.  We go out for Chinese food – being the 4^th of July, there really isn’t any traffic in the city and there are not many restaurants open. 

Salt Lake City View

We enjoyed a tour of Salt Lake City from the roof access (where the girls found a hot tub to stick their feet into).  Eric pointed out the world’s largest copper mine in the area and the Great Salt Lake in the distance.  I had wanted to visit and swim in the salt lake but everyone we have met along our trip has not recommended it.  The area is known for its bugs and the water itself is about 70% salt so you are covered with white when you get out and need to shower.  Eric said he visited the marina once and all the boats had sludge on them.  We enjoyed a nice swim at t

Relaxing after a long flight!

he indoor pool and hot tub instead.

When we return to the camper Ed and Cheryl are there.  They had a delay at the airport and arrive later than planned but safely.  We enjoyed a quiet evening at the camper.    We cooked a steak, corn on the cob and potato dinner complete with strawberry shortcake.  We heard a few fire works after 9pm but couldn’t see many of them.  The 4 gals played Apples to Apples after dinner.  Scott and I gave up our bed for his parents to sleep on and make up the fold out couch.  It is not as bad as it could be and we are fast asleep. 

Day 22: Las Vegas to Salt Lake City

Sunday July 3

We get up early on Sunday July 3 and begin our preparation to travel to Salt Lake City, Utah.  We are on the road by 8:30am, one of our earlier starts.  We have 400 miles to go AND we set the clocks ahead once we reach Utah.  It is going to be a long day.  We will leave Nevada and enter Arizona before making our way to Utah, along some roads that we have already traveled on.  We are half way through our vacation (time wise) and have traveled about 4500 miles.  Overall the girls are doing great but in weak moments they complain that they want to go home and that we are ruining their lives by taking them on this trip!  Scott and I are thoroughly enjoying the countryside and each other’s company.  This is the longest time we have had without work commitments and it will be hard for both of us when Scott goes back to work (but we refuse to think about that now).  This is the beginning of our travels home.  I think we all miss green grass and warm (not Hot) temperatures.  The girls talk about running to their bedrooms when they get home and hugging their stuffed animals.  We have a lot more country to see before then, though.

The desert mountains.

We arrive at Salt Lake City KOA around 7:15 and the temperature was a cool 97.  We immediately turn on the AC in the camper to get it cooled down before bedtime.  We are happy to have a green grassy campsite.  While it is still hot here there is a lot of greenery around (of course they have strict rules about parking on the grass, etc). 

Road Ratings:

Colorado: B+  very expensive tolls brought this rating down

Utah: B+

Arizona: A

California:  D- downright bumpy roads where we were

Nevada:  A+ great job handling city traffic and very smooth

Day 21: A Dam Tour and Las Vegas

Sat July 2 

Our hottest day on all our travels so far.  We are in Ls Vegas and Scott decides it’s a good chance to get some work done on the truck; oil change and fuel filters.  He heads out a little after 8am and I stay with the sleeping girls.  The truck work takes a lot longer than we had hoped and wanted but we made the most of it.  The girls and I headed to the KOA campground store to mail some postcards and then we were going to head to Circus Circus Hotel/Casino (the one closest to us) and walk through the lobby.  At 11am it is well over 100 degrees on our walk.  While we are walking Scott calls to tell us he will be returning soon so we only get to the campground store.  As soon as he is home we head to Hoover Dam.  We have heard the weather reports that it was supposed to be record high temperature and we are not happy about that.  Arriving at the dam is so different than the Glen Canyon Dam; Hoover Dam is not visible at all from the road driving in.  We have to go through a vehicle inspection and we have to pull over so an officer can search the bed of the truck.  We decide to park in the parking garage and while the height clearance is not an issue, it is tight going around corners and we have to reach the top and park out in the  sun but at least we finally find a spot to park.  We eat a quick picnic lunch in the heat and then head to the dam.

We sign up for the Hoover Dam tour which will be in about 2 hours.  We watched a movie about the development and building of the dam.  The dam was built to help control the flow of water on the Colorado River, esp to help with flooding along its banks.  Construction of the dam itself was completed in 1935, two years ahead of schedule.  It took about 2 years to build the huge tunnels through the bedrock to divert the water.  The dam itself has enough concrete to make a 4 foot 3 inch wide sidewalk around the equator.  To pour this concrete without any cracking, they made smaller blocks of it and piled them up.  They used cold water piping through the cement to help solidify the cement; it is still curing today.  This allowed them to work continuously at building the dam. 

It's a hot day for a tour.

Part of the tour led us through the tunnels that James Bond ran through in Diamonds Forever and Chevy Chase ran through in Vegas Vacation (although there are no doors leading out the dam).  The tunnels were very narrow and one of them (leading to a lookout spot of the dam) is only 5ft 11inhes tall.  I did not like that area at all.  One tunnel led to a stairwell and it was very steep sloped.  I couldn’t imagine going down the stairs much less up the stairs- they are called the “Stairway to Heaven” after one of the workers climbed the stairs at the end of a shift and saw winged statues at the opening and proclaimed he must have climbed all the way to heaven.  We walked over the dam and then took the bridge on the other side so we could see the impressive Lake Mead.  The lake seemed very low, esp given all the flooding we had seen on the Colorado River. The girls take lots of dam pictures.

By the time we reached the truck after exploring the dam, the truck thermometer reads 122.  Getting out of the parking garage is even more interesting than getting into the garage.  Several times Scott has to reverse and maneuver a tight corner while going down.  Finally we are gone from the garage and attempt to drive over the huge memorial bridge that was just built last fall to get one last look at the dam.  But the road is closed.

Dam

We get back to the camper and packed up for a night on the strip.  When we left the camper after 6pm it was still 115 degrees out!  We walked to the closest bus stop, just past the campground and the Circus Circus Hotel/ Casino.  It was $7 for a $24 hour bus pass (which obviously we didn’t need the full 24 hours) and could board the bus as much as we wanted.  The bus was a double decker bus and we went right upstairs to find a seat.  The bus was very full; mostly college aged kids going down on the strip.  I hoped the girls were not listening to the discussions on the bus; drugs, drinking and one night stands.  We had talked about riding the bus to the end of the strip and getting off at Mandalay Bay but after riding the bus for awhile, we realized how SLOW it was and that our plan didn’t make sense given the time.  We got off the bus near the Bellagio Hotel and walked into the hotel.  It was unbelievably gorgeous.  The casino was to the right, hotel lobby to the left and straight back was a conservatory.  The flowers were brilliant colors and intermixed was a carousel, lit ferris wheel and animal statues made out of flowers.  The hotel lobby had glass flowers of all colors hanging from it and the lobby area had a hot air balloon theme.

We left the Bellagio in time to see the water light show.  The lake in front of the Bellagio started to spray water to music and lit up the water.  It was spectacular but did draw a huge crowd  that was hard to maneuver through.  We walked the strip for quite awhile until we came to the Flamingo Hotel.  Isabella wanted to see the flamingo exhibit so we went into the  hotel.  At this point it is almost 8:30pm and we have not had dinner so we find a burger joint and sit for dinner.  What a slow place.  We should have gotten up to leave but didn’t realize just how slow they were until too late.  We had to walk through the casino to get to dinner and then to exit the hotel and the girls did not like the casino.  They both said it smelled bad (stale and fresh cigarette smoke).  We were happy about them not wanting to frequent casinos anytime soon.

We got to see the flamingos in the dark and some huge fish in the same exhibit and then booked it to the Mirage to see the volcano explode.  It only goes off on the hour every hour after dusk so we rushed to see the 10pm show.  It was a very cool explosion that gave off a lot of heat; even to us 10 rows back in the sidewalk.  From there we went to Treasure Island in hopes of seeing their show.  They used to have a pirate ship that they sunk into the sidewalk (and the ship is still visible from the sidewalk) but changed their show to more scantily clad women fighting pirates, so if we don’t make it to this show, I will not be disappointed.  The show is going on while we walk by but you need to be on a raised platform to see it and its too crowded to see.  There are a ton more shows and exhibits the girls and I would like to see but it is time for bed, so we catch the bus and ride back near the campground. 

Bellagio

We get back to the camper around 11pm and get the girls into bed ASAP.  The air temperature outside is still 95 and even though the camper AC has run nonstop since we got to Las Vegas, the inside temperature is 82.  It was nice but not real great for sleeping.  Isabella chose to sleep on the couch to be cooler and let Lexi use her little fan.  Despite the warmth, we all got a great night’s sleep. 

None of us have great fondness for Vegas.  It was fun to visit for a day (would have been more fun if it were not so hot) but the girls did not like the casinos, thought the city was too crowded and too dirty.  The hotels were beautifully done and I’d love to have seen more of the  exhibits but doubt if I can ever talk Scott into returning.  I am still curious what the price of a regular room at the Bellagio costs?    The guests pulling up were constant.  Which show did we prefer; the Bellagio Lake light show or the Mirage Volcano?  Three of us preferred the lake show over the volcano. 

Day 20: Williams AZ to Las Vegas NV

Friday July 1

We travel from Arizona to Las Vegas, Nevada.  We sleep in a little bit (knowing it is only about a 4 hour ride) and leave Williams around 10:30 am.  It was so nice to have a home for 5 straight nights but we want to see some more sights.  We head through California and the Sonoran Desert which added about an hour of driving time but let us claim we visited the state.  Once we hit the California border, we are met by a vehicle inspection area- the first and only of our travels.  It was a mandatory stop where the security woman asked us a bunch of questions- where we were from, how long we'd been on the road, how old the camper was, etc.  Our best guess was they were looking for immigrants but we're not positive of that.  We stopped at the Desert Information Center around 3pm and the temperature climbed to 115.  Unfortunately they had closed early on this Friday before the 4^th of July weekend.  We drove into the Vegas campground around 5:15 and it is 104 degrees out.  The campground is a paved parking lot but you can probably see 6-8 hotel/casinos from the camper.  It is so hot we decide to cook outdoors and Scott cooks taco meat on the grill burner while I prepare veggies inside.  We don’t even heat the shells so that we don’t pour anymore unwanted hot air into the camper.  The AC is working hard but just can’t keep it cool enough for us.  We decide to have an early bedtime and head to Hoover Dam early in the morning (before the heat really comes) and then tour the city by bus tomorrow evening.  Lexi makes a list of the hotels she wants to visit and free shows that sound interesting.

Our view from the camper- Vegas!

It was amazing to drive into Vegas at rush hour traffic on a Friday before a holiday weekend and not get lost or caught up in traffic.  I had called the campground and they gave me the back way into the campground (to avoid Las Vegas Boulevard) and the GPS finally recognized we wanted to come this way.  I was busy trying to look around at the famous sites while navigating Scott through the traffic and construction.  I did get to see some of the famous sites:  Trump, Mirage, MGM, Mandalay Bay, etc.  I am excited to go look around tomorrow and it is hard to sit here tonight amid the lights and not be out exploring. 

On the way into the city, Scott kept thinking he saw smoke in the distance and even thought he smelled it.  I thought it was just haze.  We both believe it was the smog coming into the city.  I have never seen smog before but believe that is what we saw.  I can believe it would be smoggy too based on the traffic in the city.  The city highways were very easy to use and not nearly congested as I thought they would be.  But as Scott pointed out, they had time to plan out the city here, whereas in Boston, the city was built up first and then had to add transportation afterwards.  Scott also thinks Vegas drivers are even worse than Mass drivers (hard to believe).

Day 19: Williams

Thursday June 30

This is our last day in Williams, AZ and we are all tired so we took the day to rest.  The girls helped me do 3 loads of laundry.  Scott went into town to the hardware store (he repaired a propane leak in the stove after the part came in the mail last night) and got a few things at the grocery store.  We all enjoyed the pool for a few hours in the afternoon.  Amazingly enough I got cold in the pool around 5pm in the middle of the Arizona desert!  Most importantly we slept in as late as we needed.  Isabella and I slept until almost 10am.  Lexi made pancakes for breakfast which we all enjoyed.  It was a great change of pace for us.  We even played another game of Oh Hell tonight.  Isabella learned why the game was named that- she certainly was mad at the results!

Pool Time!

Last night was a different experience.  Scott was coming to bed when he noticed the neighbors had a campfire going.  It is so dry in Arizona right now with wildfires all over the state and it was very clear to us at check in, that no fires were allowed.  On top of that, the wind at this KOA is unbelievably strong and constant.  He called KOA security but was told they were no longer working and would talk to our neighbors in the morning.  Meanwhile Lexi could not sleep and it was almost 1am so Scott went to the campers and asked them to turn down their music and “oh by the way, you are not supposed to have campfires”  He hadn’t been home but a few minutes and a truck pulled up (most likely security) and they immediately put the fire out. We were just nervous with a fire in such dry and windy conditions.  There would be no warning and it could engulf the entire campground and we were first in the path of the wind.  Needless to say we slept better after the fire was put out.

Day 18: Grand Canyon

Wednesday June 29 

We head back to Grand Canyon, in time to make it to a 9:30 ranger talk on the geology of the canyon.  Isabella needs to attend one ranger program as part of her junior ranger program and this is something Scott and I are interested in.  Unfortunately it means we have to leave the camper by 8am to make the hour drive to the canyon.  We call Colby on the way there to wish him a happy 9^th birthday.  The girls are sad they had to miss his party. 

The geology talk at Yavapai Geology Museum is interesting.  The ranger passes around rocks from most of the layers of the canyon and describes the time line of the canyon formation.  The oldest layers are 1.8 billion years old and the top layers are 270 million years old.  The canyon was carved out by the Colorado River but the other important event leading up the canyon formation is the subduction of tectonic plates in the area (one sliding on top of the other).  Usually when this happens, the layers become mixed but in this case the striation is preserved.  Isabella has her book signed by the ranger and sworn in as a junior ranger.  She earns a badge and we purchase her the fabric patch.  She is excited.

Bella earns her Junior Ranger Badge!

We walked to the visitor’s center from the Yavapai Geology Museum along the canyon rim.  The path is flat and easy but the sun is still very warm at this early hour.  We stopped at the Mather Point Amphitheater and had a snack.  We caught the shuttle from the visitor’s center on the orange line and take it to Yaki Point (the eastern most point where the shuttle buses go).  Isabella was exhausted at this point and fell asleep on my shoulder on the shuttle ride to and from Yaki Point.  We took the shuttle back to the truck (parked at Yavapai Geology Museum) and had a picnic lunch.  From there we moved the truck to the “village” area so we can catch the red shuttles which drive around the most western part of the park.  Parking is more limited up there and we parked at the Maswik Lodge and walked to the shuttle.  The only way into this part of the park is with the shuttle buses so we have to wait awhile to catch a shuttle. 

It's a long way down.

We took the shuttle to Hermit’s Rest, the most western part accessible by shuttle.  Here we walked around and got a good look at the Colorado River and the rapids a mile below us.  We enjoyed an ice cream at Hermit’s Rest Café overlooking the canyon.  I am amazed at how tame the squirrels are at the park.  It is illegal to feed or approach any of the wildlife but it is obvious the squirrels are used to human food scraps.  At about 4pm we decided to head home.  We took the shuttle back to the village and found the truck and I quickly changed out of my hiking boots.  I hate wearing anything more than sandals when it is so hot but necessity says I must wear the boots on the trail. 

We stopped at the National Geographic Visitor’s Center (about a mile south) of the park entrance and saw the iMax movie, Grand Canyon.  We all really enjoyed the movie but I had to close my eyes through parts of it, when we were flying through the canyon.  Isabella didn’t like the rafting part with the rapids and had to close her eyes through that part.  Lexi loved the movie and wished we had seen it before we had spent 2 days at the park.  We ate dinner at an authentic Mexican restaurant across from the visitor’s center and then returned to the campground around 8:30 pm.   We played a long game of Oh Hell before everyone went to bed around 10pm.  It took us a few minutes to remember how to play the game (Scott taught us last summer while we had vacation at Papoose Pond) but quickly remember it.  Isabella won and Scott lost by a lot.

We talked at dinner about the Grand Canyon and everyone’s impression of it.  We all agreed it was huge but we were a little disappointed by it.  I think if we had seen it first on our travels, we would have been more impressed but after visiting Bryce, Zion, Arches, etc. we expected more.  We have certainly seen a lot of different things on our journeys but now we are looking forward to Las Vegas and Yellowstone and what we might see there.  Scott’s parents are flying out to spend a week with us July 4^th and will experience Yellowstone with us and we are all excited to see them.  We did not make our annual visit to Florida this year so we could save Scott’s vacation time so it’s been a year since our last visit with them. 

Day 17: Train Robbers

Tuesday June 28 

Grand Canyon Railway Car

We take the Grand Canyon Railway to the Grand Canyon.  We have to be at the train depot in Williams at 8:30 am so we are up and out early in the morning.  Before the train ride we watch a mock shoot out in “town” by the infamous Cataract Creek Gang.  The girls really enjoy this show but don’t care to take pictures with the actors.  We board the Arizona train and settle in for the 2 and a quarter hour trip to the Grand Canyon.  There is a continental breakfast buffet on the train and Mimi is our hostess who is great at giving us information about the Canyon but bad at jokes (they are all cow jokes).  We see a lot of cattle in the open areas along the train tracks and every time we see some, Mimi says a cow joke.  They get old after awhile but do help pass the time as the scenery does not change much.  On the way up, we use the time to look at the maps and figure out a plan of action once we get there.  We arrive just before noon with 3 hours to spend at the Canyon.  At this point we have decided to have lunch and hang out in the “village” for the day. 

On the Edge

The first view of the Grand Canyon is near El Tovar where we are listening to a Park Ranger initiate 3 boys into the Junior Ranger Program.  Isabella gets the book to do the junior ranger series but Lexi declines the offer.  The view of the Grand Canyon is incredible and no postcards, pictures or words can begin to describe how large the canyon is.  The layers of rock that make up the Canyon Walls are so clearly delineated and vary in color.  There is so much red and pink stone mixed in with a top layer of green vegetation along the North Rim.  We stop along our short walk to

One Big Hole in the Ground

Bright Angel Lodge to look at the canyon.  We have lunch at the Bright Angel Lodge and have a 40 minute wait which we use perusing the gift shop and lodge area.  I tear up realizing that my parents so wanted to see this with us and can not be there with us (and how much I wanted to see the Canyon with them).  After lunch we continue walking the rim trail to the Bright Angel Trailhead.  It is a hazy day so the canyon is not totally clear and there are a lot of shadows on different parts of the valley.  We don’t get to see the Colorado River at all a mile down in the canyon.

Because we need to catch the train at 3:15, we head back along the village area and stop at the Hopi House, a home built by Mary Colter, one of only a few female architects working in the early 1900s.  It represents how ancestral Puebloans would have lived and built.  Now it is a gift shop.  We continue on to the Verkamp’s Visitor Center.  This used to be the location of John Verkapmp’s Curios which he sold out of a tent.  He began the business of selling “keepsakes” in 1898 but didn’t find much success until the train brought visitors to the Canyon in 1905.  The girls get their passports stamped here and we head to the train.  The train pulls out of the Santa Fe Railway Station about 45 minutes late due to a medical emergency.  An ambulance arrives just before we were supposed to pull out and detains the train.  We enjoy a snack of veggies and crackers and cheese along with AC.  The train gets so cold people are asking for blankets and the engineers have to turn it back some.  The temperature on the Canyon rim was probably low 90’s but it seemed hotter because there was no way to get out of the sun.

On the return trip to Williams the train is held up by the Cataract Creek Gang who board the train and rob the passengers.  Anyone wishing to participate put a dollar bill somewhere visible on their body and the robbers grabbed it from them.  Scott puts a dollar behind his ear while Isabella puts one rolled up in her sock.  I missed catching the picture of the “robber” taking Isabella’s money so he redoes the enactment for the camera.  We also enjoyed some local music while riding the train both ways.  Isabella got up in the  middle of the isle and danced the Chicken Dance with one performer.  We really liked the fiddler, banjo and accordion music.

We enjoyed a quiet dinner at the campground and realized how quickly the sun sets here in the Arizona desert.  By 8:15 it is completely dark out and we are ready for bed.  This might have to do with the time being 3 hours behind NH- AZ does not honor daylight saving time and for the first time on the trip, we see the sun setting earlier.  I am the most tired tonight of any day so far on our journeys and headed to bed early.  Scott helped the girls enjoy smores made on the gas grill.  We have not had a campfire yet and the girls have missed making smores.  We again do not need to run the AC during the night and after we opened up the camper in the evening are able to sleep comfortably with most windows closed.  The temps so far have made it down to mid 40/high 50’s at night and made it very easy to sleep. 

Day 16: Bearizona

Monday June 27 

We enjoy a lazy morning at the campground.  I do some cleaning and the girls pull out some crafts.  Isabella makes a ton of fuse bead things that all need to be ironed together and she hopes to mail these to her friends.  Scott made some phone calls and arranged for parts to be shipped to the campground here.  We’ve had a propane leak so he is constantly turning the propane on and off as we need it, so the range needs a new regulator.  Also on our trip into Arizona we broke a shock for the hitch and they are going to overnight the part.  It is perfectly ok to drive without the shock, but better to fix it the right way -- we'll have a smoother ride with the shock.   Many thanks to the kind staff at the Grand Canyon KOA for helping us out by receiving these two packages!!

We leave around 1 pm and stop at the campground store where they help us make reservations for the Grand Canyon Railway for tomorrow.  We head toWillams and  the Grand Canyon Brewing Company for lunch only to discover they only brew there but Cruiser's diner is right beside them with their beer on tap.  This diner is right out of the Route 66 legacy, complete with gas pumps and signs.  Even the ladies bathroom stalls are made out of old chevy car doors with a cloth curtain!  [If you haven't guessed, Williams is on the Mother Road.]

Alexandria, Isabella, and Scott at Bearizona

We decide to head to Bearizona- a drive through wildlife park.  We totally enjoy the ride through the park and love seeing the animals.  We see mules, bison (white and brown), Dall sheep, bighorn sheep, bear and wolves on the car drive through.  A bison came very close to the truck but let us proceed on.  We all liked watching the bear and a few of them got up and crossed the road and walked around for awhile, which really let us see them.  We caught the tail end of a large bird show and saw a falcon, owl, barn owl all do tricks with their trainers.  The larger owl swooped low enough in passing over the audience that I felt it on my head.  It was very interesting.

We walked through the remainder of the park and saw more bear, goats, sheep, pigs, bunnies, ducks and bobcats.  The girls and Scott really enjoyed the petting area where Isabella loved the bunnies the most.  Scott and Lexi liked the pigs the most.  We left the park and headed to the grocery store – a must do for today.  I was shocked at the prices of things.  I got a member card and we saved over $30 but I really think the bill was about $50 more than it would have been at home!!!  

Isabella and Cutie-Pie

We get back to the campground and we cook up dinner and put away groceries.  The campground offers Pony Rides (actually 1 pony, 1 horse), and Scott takes Isabella for a horse ride around the campground. She chooses Cutie-Pie, the larger of the two and loves it.  Early bedtime tonight since we have to catch the train at 8:30am.  Seems like we have to set an alarm a lot more on vacation than normally.

Quote of the Day:  “Holy crap, that’s a big poop!”  [Can you guess who said it, and why?  Post your guess in the comments section.]

Day 15: Cedar City Utah to Williams Arizona

Sunday June 26

We have been on the road for 2 weeks.  Yesterday I calculated we had driven some 3,400 miles since we left home.  We have done laundry twice, gotten groceries twice, visited some 10 states and visited 7 state or national parks or monuments.  WOW. I’d hate to add up the fuel bills but we get diesel at least once a day, sometimes on travel days we fuel up twice.  The good news is the kids have NOT watched all their movies yet (although Isabella loves Mrs. Doubtfire so much, she’s seen it 4 times).  Today we are on the road to Arizona and the Grand Canyon.  The Grand Canyon was the place we really wanted to see when we began planning this trip.  We will be in Williams, AZ for 5 nights and we are excited to be staying in one spot for awhile.  There is talk of having a quiet day at the camper so we can get rested, use the pool, get groceries, and possibly just see a movie.  We have yet to have a campfire and I doubt AZ will allow fires now but the girls would still like to make smores one night with the grill coals.

Isabella at Glen Canyon Dam

The drive through Utah is more canyons, mesa and buttes.  Remember that steep and winding road we were on yesterday?  The one Scott was glad we didn't have to haul the camper on?  Guess which road we hauled the camper on...

As we near the Arizona border we notice a huge lake in the distance.  This turns out to be Powell Lake and we notice a huge increase in boats being hauled in the middle of the desert.  Sure enough there is a marina there.  This area turns out to be Glen Canyon National Recreation Area with a dam and power plant.  We stop and take a look around the visitor center with a small museum.  The girls don’t bring their passports but there are stamps here- a total of 4 which Isabella puts on small pieces of paper so she can tape them into her book.  It is  about 100 degrees out so nobody wants to go back to the parking lot to get them.  Scott would love to take a tour of the dam (we plan to stop at Hoover Dam) but it is already past lunch time and there is a wait.  Here we notice that the clocks are an hour behind ours and we reset everything to 3 hours behind NH time (Arizona is in the Mountain timezone, but does not observe Daylight Saving Time).

Can you guess what Isabella is standing in front of in the above picture?  Leave your guess in the comments, and we'll post the answer in a few days. Click the picture for a bigger version.

Driving through Northern Arizona is exactly as I pictured it: sparse with no vegetation, sand and a few abandoned homes.  Periodically there is a Native American “flea market” beside the road where they are selling jewelry or beef jerky.  Hard way to make a living in the heat, which at this point spikes above 100.  The wind picks up and we really feel it pushing the camper around.  In the distance you can see the sand being blown and it looks like a hazy day when its really sand.  We see a little bit of tumbleweed blowing too.  The soil is very dark and I comment how boring the scenery really is.  Then we come to to a National Forest and there are a lot more trees, although only 6-10 ft tall.  From here the landscape changes a lot and is more green.

We arrive at the Williams/Grand Canyon KOA around 5:45pm.  The temperature is only about 84 and there is s constant strong breeze blowing.  It is very pleasant, but very dry.  [There are wildfires burning in much of Eastern Arizona, and there is a total outdoor fire ban in this county, so no campfires here.]  I notice immediately that all I seem to smell is desert sand.  The campground looks fairly new and is very spacious (as KOA campground go).  We are about 5 miles off the highway and it is very quiet here- no trains, no highways.  In fact, while we were up late, we heard owls in the distance.  The sky is incredible with no lights and big open area.  We dropped our reservations from 5 nights to only 3 so we can plan what we really want to do at the Grand Canyon.  The girls and I hope to go on the Skywalk (a glass walkway overlooking the canyon) but I’m not sure where it is.  The north rim is about 250 miles from here so we need to decide if we need to go there or not.  

Scott discovered that either the bumps or the desert crosswind has broken the shock on the Companion 5th wheel hitch.  It's probably not a big deal:  We didn't notice any big difference and we can probably get by without it, but he'll try to get a replacement in the morning.

We have dinner and play States and Capital Sequence again tonight.  It is a lot of fun and relaxing to end the day this way.  We decide to have a lazy morning and then run errands around Williams.  The girls are very tired from long days of touring around Utah and then a long travel day.  For some reason they do not seem too keen on sleeping while riding in the truck.  I dozed a few times on the ride to Arizona but really try not to sleep while Scott is driving.  We decide to skip the North Rim altogether (it's too far for a day trip but it's not really worth moving the camper, and the Skywalk is on the South rim).

 The temperatures during the night get down to the high 40s and we actually get too cold and have to shut the windows.  But first thing in the morning with the sun beating down, we feel the heat building in the camper already.

Click for GPS Track

Day 14: Bryce Canyon National Park

Saturday June 25

Today we're going to hit Bryce Canyon National Park, but first we need to get some business out of the way.  Scott and I head to the laundry facility for 8am but discover they don’t open until 9am.  For days we have tried to get laundry done and decide it best to do it while we are eating breakfast and packing up for the day.  We return at 9 am and load 5 full washers.  It feels good to finally get laundry started and it won’t make us that much later in leaving for the day.  

Snow on Lava Flow at Navajo Lake

It is about 80 miles from the campground to Bryce and the route takes us through the Dixie National Forest which is breathtaking.  We make several stops along the way to take pictures, one looking over Zion NP.  We stop at the Navajo Lake and are amazed at how green it is.  Just beyond the lake we find a lava deposit covered with some snow.  It is hard to believe we are still in southern Utah and seeing snow (esp on top of a lava bed)).  We walk around the lava and pick up a sample or two (can’t resist getting a sample of lava).  Scott later reads some of the lava beds are estimated to be only 2.000 years old.  The drive though the forest is very hilly and curvy but we see campers everywhere and say thank goodness we do not have to tow the camper though here.  [Later that night when looking at the map of our travels to AZ, we discover we will be traveling the same route to the Grand Canyon (its either that or 70 miles out of the way via Las Vegas).]

We pass the Duck Creek Pond which is beautiful and people are fishing along its banks.  The Duck Creek Village is so beautiful and Scott and I talk about coming back to visit.  It’s just a small area but it really made an impression on us (although we would still visit Estes Park, Co first).  Just before Bryce Canyon is Red Canyon and we are in awe at its beauty.  Just as the name implies, it is bright red in color and has many hoodoos and a river runs along the side of it.   

We watch the temperature on the way through the National Forest and there is an 18 degree change in temperature from the campground through the forest (at higher elevations).  When we get to Bryce it is a nice 77 degrees with a steady breeze.  We have done our research and again feel that taking the free shuttle through the park is the best way to go.  We eat a quick lunch and fill the backpacks with water and head off for Bryce.

We stop at the Visitor’s Center first and the girls get their passports stamped.  Scott ends up buying Lexi another one since we’ve searched everywhere for hers.  I get the break down on the park and what we must do from a kid barely old enough to have a job, much less as a park ranger.  The shuttle takes us up to  Bryce Point, the highest elevation in the park (8300 ft),  Right off the parking lot, a lot of people have congregated to see a snake.  I see just enough of it to know it is a snake and that’s enough for me.  

Scott, Alexandria, Isabella, and Tami at Bryce Canyon

As we walk to the point, I am struck by several emotions and find my eyes misting.  What a glorious place and we are all able to experience it together.  Immediately we find a few windows within the hoodoos and that part reminds me of Arches NP.  The Hoodoos are rock pillars that are formed by water in the rocks freezing and expanding thereby cracking the rocks apart.  We walk on the Upper Rim Trail to Inspiration Point, about 1.5 miles below us.  Each turn shows a new view of the canyon and hoodoos.  The trail is fairly easy and it’s cool (as hot desert days go) with a brisk wind blowing.  As we walk, we can see back to where we have been and the people there are just dots.

Bryce Canyon from Sunset Point

We catch the shuttle at Inspiration Point and take it Sunset Campground and get off and walk to Sunset Point.  It is here that we see Thor’s Hammer (a very large pillar looking just like a hammer).  Scott would love to hike into the canyon (but doesn’t get any takers as we all know if one goes into the canyon, one must hike back UP the canyon).  It is nearing 6pm and we take the shuttle out to the truck and then drive back into the Visitor’s Center to shop.  As we are leaving the park, the shuttle driver points out a mule deer sitting in the meadow and I spot several more deer which the kids say are 3 babies and Mom.  We stop for dinner at Rusty’s Steak House in Cedar City before returning to the camper at 9:30pm.  Another long day and there are 5 loads of laundry to fold before Scott and I can go to bed.