Travelogue

Day 5

Bighorn on Mount WashburnIf only for one reason, was a success simply because we all got to shower. It did cost us $3.25 each (it wasn’t included in our campground fee) and John almost didn’t shower based on principal. He finally decided that it was worth the price.

Even though we hardly slept the night before because it was so cold on the Beartooth Highway, we got up early so we could finish the drive to Yellowstone and check in to our campsite at the Canyon Village before lunch.

We entered the park through the Northeast entrance and saw some great wildlife (Bison and Pronghorn Antelope) while driving through Lamar Valley.

Group Picture on Mount WashburnAfter lunch we hiked up the Dunraven Pass up Mount Washburn. The hike was great, and the views all the way up were outstanding, but about a half mile from the top we turned a corner and a herd of Big Horn Sheep were walking up the path. We had to slowly follow them up the rest of the hike(about 20 feet back) because a first attempt at passing angered a few of them and they backed us down the mountain a little. It was cool to watch and created some great photo opportunities for Tommy and John, but slowed our pace to the point that we had to really hurry down the mountain to beat the thunderstorm that was coming.

We beat the rain, which pretty much blew over the park, and did some quick food shopping at the Canyon Village food store before dinner.

After we ate we took a short drive over to see the sunset over the Upper and Lower falls of the Yellowstone River. The falls were great and over the years the river has formed a small canyon which has been named The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

We then got back to our tent and pretty much just passed out for the night.

Day 6

Grand Canyon of YellowstoneTommy and John decided that the sunset last night over the Upper and Lower falls simply didn’t create enough photo opportunities, and they got up around 5:30am to catch the sun rise over the falls. Christian, Colin and myself decided we would sleep the extra couple hours.

After breakfast we drove the scenic loop for the day to see the Park’s “highlights.” The major draws were the geysers and thermal pools that are throughout the park. And boy there is nothing like the fresh smell of sulfur in the morning.

A couple of group favorites were the Castle Geyser and, of course, Old Faithful along with the rest of the upper geyser basin area. We tried climbing up to the Old Faithful look-out area, but it decided that it would erupt 15 minutes earlier then predicted so after the climb, we missed it. Instead of waiting up there for an hour and a half until the next eruption, we walked around the rest of the Basin area and watched from the ground. As for thermal pools, the Black Sands Basin was a particular stand out.Old Faithful

Another great thing that the driving loop allowed for was seeing some amazing wildlife. We saw a ton of elk and Big Horn sheep. We even saw even saw a couple of elusive moose in the park. At one point bison were so close to the road that we could reach out and touch them—we opted not to.

Later in the day we wanted to try out some swimming at a place Tommy had heard about. He wasn’t positive if swimming in the area was “allowed” because he had heard about it through the grapevine. It was supposedly some sort of thermal pool that was cool enough to swim in. We headed to the area that he believe it was at and we thought we were in luck. But unfortunately, the Firehole River swimming area was closed because the water level was too high creating too strong of a current.

We then made some dinner and just relaxed by the campsite for the rest of the night..

- Jake

Description

Yellowstone National Park, in the northwestern corner of Wyoming, is literally like no other place on earth. It has more thermal springs and geysers than the rest of the world combined. Most of the southern part of the park lies on top of a collapsed crater, or caldera, that resulted from a devastating volcanic explosion around 600,000 years ago. It is within this caldera that most of the thermal activity--geysers, boiling hot springs, fumaroles, etc.--in Yellowstone occurs.

Grand Canyon of the YellowstoneHowever, the park is not just geysers. There is a canyon almost on par with the Grand Canyon, a waterfall taller than Niagara Falls, a lake that is the largest mountain lake in North America, and an incredible amount of wildlife to see. In order to protect these treasures, President Ulysses S. Grant made it the first national park in the world in 1872.

A 142-mile Grand Loop Road winds in a figure-eight pattern through the park, past most of the main attractions, including the wildlife. It is not uncommon to have traffic jams caused by a buffalo herd crossing the road or gridlock from people stopping their cars to observe a grizzly bear. Unfortunately, being such a popular destination, Yellowstone is extremely crowded in the summer causing much traffic congestion. Therefore, it's best to do your sightseeing early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Starting from the north and going clockwise, these are some of the highlights:

Mammoth Hot Springs, located by the north entrance to the park, has one of Yellowstone's most unique features--the beautiful white limestone terraces that are continuing to be formed by the constant flow to the surface of the mineral-rich hot springs below. The 1 ½ mile roundtrip Lower Terrace Interpretive Trail is the best way to see this area. It climbs 300 feet through a thermal region to the Upper Terrace, where you have an outstanding view of the terraces and springs below.

Bison crossing the roadThe Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is a narrow canyon with 1,000-foot-high cliffs plunging down to the Yellowstone River gorge. An excellent way to view the canyon is to take the North Rim Drive from Canyon Village, stopping at Inspiration Point. From here there is a fairly strenuous descent down 57 steps to an overlook with views of the Lower Falls and canyon. Another option to view the canyon is the South Rim Drive. Along this drive is Uncle Tom's Trail, a steep 328 steps descent to the river's edge, and Artists Point, one of the best viewpoints of the canyon.

Hayden Valley, along the park road between Canyon Village and Yellowstone Lake, is one of the best places to see wildlife. In the beautiful green meadows of the valley there are herds of bison and antelope, often blocking the road, and the occasional grizzly bear.

Yellowstone Lake is North America's largest high-altitude lake. It also contains the continent's largest population of native cutthroat trout, which makes it a very popular place for fishing. Although the waters of the lake are too cold to swim in, it is great to explore by boat. Along the northwest shore of the lake stands the majestic 100-year-old Lake Yellowstone Hotel, one of the most beautiful buildings in the park. Lodging and dining are available there.

Midway Geyser BasinOld Faithful is what everyone thinks of when they hear Yellowstone National Park. The geyser got its name Old Faithful because of the predictability of its eruptions--approximately every 79 minutes. A typical eruption lasts from 2 to 5 minutes during which the water reaches heights of up to 180 feet. There is always a large crowd on the benches outside the Old Faithful Inn when it is time for it to erupt. A good way to see the other geysers in this area is to walk the 1.3 mile Upper Geyser Basin Loop trail or climb the .5 mile Observation Point Trail up to an area with great views of the entire geyser basin. The historic Old Faithful Inn is a must see. It is a six-story log building with sitting areas overlooking the lobby and a three-story stone fireplace.

Midway Geyser BasinNorris Geyser Basin contains the park's highest concentration of thermal features. There are two loop trails here, both on flat boardwalks: the .75-mile Porcelain Basin Trail and the 1.5-mile Back Basin Loop, which takes you past Steamboat Geyser, the world's largest geyser. Unfortunately, the interval between its eruptions is often more than one year.

There are 12 campgrounds throughout the park. However, since Yellowstone is so highly visited, it is a good idea to make reservations well in advance. The only campground in the park with RV hookups is Fishing Bridge at the north end of Yellowstone Lake..

- Lolo

Travelogue

Day 4

We woke up on Day 4 to what has been a very familiar sight on the trip so far: rain. But luckily it wasn’t long after we left the Badlands until we hit some nicer weather.

View From CampsiteBecause of the rain and infamous Badlands mud we opted not to stay and cook breakfast, but to just pick up something on the drive. We had to get gas at a truck stop in the-middle-of-no-where, South Dakota and we all enjoyed Subway sandwiches at about nine in the morning for breakfast.

We had then been truckin’ along when our directions had us pull off the highway and go through Belle Fourche, South Dakota en route to the Bear Tooth Highway. Belle Fourche was a very nice town, but unfortunately for us it was the Fourth of July. And Belle Fourche has a parade through the towns’, essentially, only road. And luckily for us, we didn’t find out until we were right in the middle of that road, and they stop traffic, where ever it happens to be, for the duration of the parade. So not only did we get front row seats to the parade (the car was literally parked right in the middle of the road that the parade was coming down) which puts Upper Saddle River’s Memorial Day Parade to shame, but we also lost about two hours of travel time.

Group Picture on Beartooth PassWith our entrance into Big Sky Country, Montana we found ourselves fighting with the gas gauge and pulled off into Broadus Montana to fuel up. The gas pumps again were older than carbon but our previous experience using very similarly outdated equipment led us through to a successful fill-up. We pulled out of the station and stared heading back towards the highway when John, who was driving at the time, looked in the rear-view mirror and said, “Is that for us?” Everyone looked back and saw the flashing lights pulling us over. We got a speeding ticket for doing 50mph in a 40mph through town. We decided to plead guilty, pay the fine, and not attend out July 14 court date. We shrugged it off and moved on.

About two hours later, still in Montana and with John still behind the wheel, it was de ja vu. The flashing lights, us being pulled over, the ticket (85 in a 75), the whole deal. So that made two tickets in two hours (both in Montana), both for doing a lousy ten miles an hour over the speed limit. And for the second one cruise control was set at 80. I guess we were just paying the price for being New Jerseyians in Montana, literally.

Winding RoadFinally, we made it to our destination, the Bear Tooth Highway, which snakes through parts of Montana and Wyoming, is so high that we were driving through clouds and past snow drifts on the side of the road. Now although I can’t speak for everyone, the various views from this road were the most majestic and beautiful things I have ever seen. And although Tommy and John are both great photographers I don’t think that any picture could ever substitute for seeing it all in person.

Our plan was to continue as far on the road as we wanted until we saw a campground that we could stay the night in. It was getting dark when we spotted a prospective site and headed over to check it out. We thought about heading farther to find a site that was a bit more populated (we were the only people at this one), and maybe a little less secluded because we were right in the middle of Grizzly Bear country with no cell service and were tens of miles from any sort of civilization. But while we were checking out the prospective site we got a tip from some locals that all the larger campsites farther down the road were full. So instead of driving more to a probably full campsite and then having to set up camp in the dark, we decided to try our luck where we were.

Other than the fact that it probably got below freezing and our tent was still soaked from the night before in the Badlands, it wasn’t a bad night.

- Jake

Description

A Narrative of general information would go here.

Travelogue

I felt pretty satisfied. We had made the most of our abbreviated Spring Break. We had discovered some new places (some planned and some unplanned) and spent some time with some very dear old friends. Now we were recharged and ready to get back to the business of normal life.

Description

Our home in Upper Saddle River, a suburb of New York City.

Travelogue

This was not our first time to Virginia Beach. In fact, we had spent several vacations at First Landing State Park, right on the Chesapeake Bay overlooking the Bridge. However, this time we had come to visit our friends who had recently moved to a house right on one of the lagoons that lead out to the Chesapeake. So rather than stay in our usual State Park, this time our campground would be their driveway. It’s always a nice bonus when our travels take us to places where we can visit old friends.

Most of the time was spent just catching up on old times, but we did take a ride on their boat, which they kept right at the dock in front of their house. What a great setup to be able to just hop on your boat in your own backyard and cruise out to either the Chesapeake Bay or all the way out to the Atlantic Ocean.

Description

Friend's house along a lagoon in Virginia Beach

Travelogue

Ocracoke Island turned out to be a perfect choice for us. Although we were not camping under the palmettos as we did on previous Spring Breaks on Hunting Island, our campsite did butt up right against the dunes of the National Seashore, and at night while drifting all to sleep we could listen to the sounds of the surf. An uncrowded campground in a great natural setting was just what we were looking for.

The second criteria that is really important to us is having a new place to explore, and if this can be done by bike, all the better. And, if you can throw quaintness into the mix, I’m even happier, and Ocracoke Village was oozing with quaintness. The Village was located about 4 ½ miles down the road from the campground, just enough to get in a little exercise before exploring. Herb decided to do it as a run while the boys and I rode our bikes.

Our first stop was the Ocracoke Lighthouse, built in 1823 when the islanders decided that a more permanent structure was needed to mark Ocracoke Inlet. Its predecessor was a moored lightship that kept being driven ashore by bad weather—not a very good quality in a lighthouse. The lighthouse was picturesque, but unfortunately visitors were no longer permitted to climb its tower, so we had to satisfy ourselves with taking its picture.

We then rode our bikes through the lovely little village with its quaint shops and historic homes. After leaving the main street of the village, we stumbled upon a quiet sandy lane named Howard Street. Although it was just a stone’s throw away from the bustle of the main drag, it felt like we had gone back about a century in time. It was so quiet and serene with stately old oak trees draped over white picket fences, beautiful historic homes and even some old family cemeteries. I’m so glad we found this street, because it would have been very easy to spend the whole day in the village and not even know that it existed.

On our way back to the campground, we stopped in a store called the Pirate’s Chest that catered to another one of Ocracoke’s claims to fame—pirates. That’s right, Ocracoke was once a place where pirates hung out between plunderings. In fact, Ocracoke Inlet was one of Blackbeard’s favorite hide-outs. He was killed there in 1718 after a fierce fight with the British Navy. To commemorate that event, I bought the boys bought some socks with skulls and crossbones all over them.

Back at our campsite, Andrew ran laps around the campground—remember it was his track career that messed up our vacation in the first place, so he’d better run. Later that evening, we had a very nice dinner out on our picnic table along the edge of the dunes. Ocracoke had truly been a wonderful choice for us and one that I hope we will return to someday soon.

Description

Ocracoke Island is part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, a chain of barrier islands which stretches 75 miles along the Outer Banks from Nags Head to Ocracoke. Ocracoke Island, the southernmost end of the chain, is 16 miles long and an average of ½ mile wide. It is bordered on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and on the west by Pamlico Sound. The entire island is owned by the National Park Service, with the exception of the small village of Ocracoke (population 800) at the southern tip of the island.

Some attractions and things to do on the island include:
• Swim or fish along the 16 miles of pristine beaches
• Explore the historic village of Ocracoke with its quaint shops, restaurants, and historic homes
• Bike or stroll along Howard Street a quiet sandy lane bordered by historic homes, white picket fences, live oak trees, and small family cemeteries
• Visit Ocracoke Lighthouse, the oldest operating lighthouse in North Carolina
• Learn about the island’s colorful pirate past – Ocracoke Inlet was one of Blackbeard’s favorite hide-outs

To reach Ocracoke Island from the north, just take the 40-minute ride across Pamlico Sound on one of the free North Carolina ferries. These ferries depart from Hatteras village every 30 minutes starting at 5 am.

Travelogue

Roanoke Island was not in our plans, but neither was the loud squeal emanating from our right front wheel brake. We stopped at a Visitor Center when we hit Hatteras and were told that our best bet for a repair would be at Pugh’s Car Care Center on Roanoke Island. Yes, that’s right, Roanoke Island, the Lost Colony, where people have been known to go and never be seen again. Since we didn’t exactly have many choices, we hung a right near Nags Head onto a bridge over Pamlico Sound and onto the island that Sir Walter Raleigh had settled over 500 years ago. Things had changed a bit since then. There were now plenty of visitor services to satisfy every settler’s needs—including brake jobs.

We found Pugh’s right on the main drag in Manteo and threw ourselves at his mercy. Fortunately, they immediately assigned a mechanic to take a look at our brakes. I was really anxious to get this over with and get on our way. Our trip was already cut short by Andrew’s track meet and we didn’t have much time to spare. Also, the place was closing in an hour.

As the mechanic lay under our rig examining the problem, I could see that Herb was having a problem relinquishing control of the situation to a stranger. You see, Herb is very much a do-it-yourself kind of guy, who is really capable of doing even the toughest of mechanical jobs, but here he was without the tools or the parts to get the job done. So instead of doing it himself, he had to satisfy himself with pacing while someone else examined his rig.

The news was not good. Although the problem was quite fixable, it was not going to be completed that afternoon, but would have to continue on into tomorrow, cutting a precious day off our already shortened vacation. We tried to make the best of it. We found a nice little campground named Cypress Cove right down the road and spent a very pleasant evening fishing in their stocked pond. The kids even caught a few.

The next morning, bright and early, it was back to Pugh’s and hopefully a quick repair. I suggested sight-seeing while the repair was being done, but there was no way Herb was leaving. So, the boys and I took the bikes off the back of the RV and said good-bye to Herb’s feet, which were now sticking out from under the RV right next to those of the mechanic.

The boys and I rode our bikes a short distance down to the Manteo waterfront and then across a bridge to a small island, which was the site of the first English settlement in America. Today it is home to the Roanoke Island Festival Park, which does a great job of bringing that part of our country’s very early history back to life. There is a the Elizabeth II, a 16th century sailing ship, complete with sailors in period costumes speaking in Elizabethan accents, and an interactive museum where you can hands-on learn about what life was like in that first settlement 500 years ago. The island also has a nature walk along a boardwalk through the marshes and lovely views of the Manteo waterfront just a short distance away.

I did feel a bit guilty though about having a good time while Herb was back under the RV. We rode back to check on him, but they still had quite a bit of work to do, so we rode back down to the waterfront to walk around and do some shopping. The boys bought me two really pretty hand-painted wine glasses as an early Mother’s Day present. I call them my “Happy Glasses,” because for some reason looking at them makes me happy. Also, I hate to admit it, but I have fond memories of the boys and my time on Roanoke Island. Unfortunately, I’m sure Herb’s memories were a bit different.

About 4 o’clock they finally completed the brake job, and we very happy to be on the road again. The drive back across the bridge to Hatteras Island and down to Hatteras Village was very pretty. It’s amazing how thin the barrier islands are and what a rather fragile separation they are between Pamlico Sound and the Atlantic Ocean. At Hatteras Village we were lucky to hop right on one of the free North Carolina ferries to Ocracoke Island, allowing us to get to our beachfront campsite in plenty of time to toast the sunset.

Description

Roanoke Island, located between the Outer Banks and the mainland, is famous for being the site of Sir Walter Raleigh’s Lost Colony.

Back in 1585, 100 men, women, and children settled here in what was to be England’s first permanent settlement in the New World. Shortly afterwards, Virginia Dare, the granddaughter of the colony’s governor, was born on the island, making her the first English child to be born in America. The following year, Governor White sailed back to England, intending to return later that year. However, he was delayed in England until 1590. When he did finally return to Roanoke, he found the settlers gone, the houses dismantled, and a fortlike palisade enclosing where the settlers had once lived. To add to the mystery, a large post with the bark peeled off contained letters spelling out the word “CROATAN.” Since there were no signs of violence or distress, White assumed the settlers had left to join the friendly Croatan Indian tribe. To this day, the mystery of where those first settlers had disappeared has never been solved.

Today that mystery is reenacted in the play, “The Lost Colony,” performed at the Waterside Theater from mid-June to late August. With its first performance in 1937, it is the United States’ oldest outdoor drama.

Other things to see and do on Roanoke Island:

• Fort Raleigh National Historic Site – a reconstruction of the old fort as it stood in 1585
• Manteo Waterfront – restaurants, galleries, and shops
• Roanoke Island Festival Park – a 25-acre island across from the Manteo Waterfront with a 16th century sailing ships, an art gallery, and an interactive living history museum
• Performance of “The Lost Colony” at the outdoor Waterside Theater
• The Elizabethan Gardens near the Waterside Theater

Travelogue

I must say that Whitney's near lightning strike and the two flat tires on the way home had pretty much wiped any sense of relaxation we had achieved on Edisto. Nonetheless, it had been a wonderful trip and would probably get better and better with age.

Description

Our home in Upper Saddle River, a suburb of New York City.

Travelogue

What should have been an uneventful drive home quickly turned into a nightmare when we experienced our second flat tire in two days. We were somewhere along Route 113 in Delaware, when we heard a subtle rumble from the back wheels? Fortunately, we were able to pull off the highway onto a side street where Herb felt pretty comfortable about being able to change yet again another tire. However, unlike the first one, which Herb was able to change quite easily, this one had the makings of an epic. No matter how hard he pulled and tugged, the tire would not come off. It was rusted solid to the wheel and wouldn’t budge.

He must have been working on the tire for close to an hour when a car pulled up and out popped a woman dressed in her Sunday finest—polka dot dress, high heeled shoes, and a large straw floppy hat complete with flowers. “Can we be of help?” she asked.

You have to really know Herb to appreciate how amusing and surreal this situation was becoming. He is extremely capable mechanically and like many men has difficulty admitting to needing help, whether it be asking for directions or installing a new furnace. Now, here was this little woman dressed to the nines offering my greasy and frustrated husband assistance in removing a frozen tire.

“My husband and I are Good Samaritans,” she added as an elderly gentleman in his best Sunday suit emerged from the car.

“Thanks,” said Herb, “but I think I’ll just call a tire repair service.”

“You’re not going to find anything open around here on a Sunday,” the gentleman informed us. “I’m you’re best chance in Delaware.”

I must admit that this did not give me a warm and fuzzy. How the heck did these very kind and generous, not to mention well-dressed, people hope to help when my big, strong, mechanically capable husband was at a loss.

I guess there’s some truth to the adage, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” because these two Good Samaritans were amazing.

The gentleman, who was named Walt, directed Herb to move our RV to his farm just a stone’s throw away, where he had his own 35-foot motorhome and a totally equipped machine shop. While the boys and I had tea and cookies with Walt’s very lovely wife Cecelia, Herb and Walt jacked up the RV and got down to business. After squirting Kroil penetrating oil on the wheel to loosen the rust, they pounded away at it with a hammer for close to 45 minutes before finally setting the rim free from the wheel. They then put the spare tire, which we had just bought yesterday, onto the RV. Normally I wouldn’t be worried about driving home without a spare, but we were going through tires like hotcakes.

Walt and Cecilia politely rebuffed our offers for any compensation and told us that helping others was reward enough for them.

Oddly enough, we were able to reciprocate in some fashion almost two years later. Cecilia was doing work for her church and had somehow thought she lost the database of parishioners. Walt remembered that Herb was knowledgeable in computers, found the business card that Herb and left, and called us. Herb got on the phone with Cecilia and walked her through all the places the file could be, and she found it. It all comes around in the end.

Description

Somewhere along Route 113 in Delaware

Travelogue

Unfortunately, our already short visit to Virginia Beach was cut even shorter by our unexpected flat tire the day before. Not only did we now have only one day to spend with our friends, but a good part of it was filled with purchasing a new spare tire for the motorhome.

Too bad, because First Landing is a wonderful little state park, with a campground right on the Chesapeake Bay overlooking the bridge and miles and miles of beautiful biking and hiking trails through lovely marshlands and bald cypress swamps. Fortunately, we had gotten a chance to really explore the park during our visits in prior years.

However, with our compressed schedule all we really had time to do was hang out on the beach for awhile in the afternoon and then have dinner together that night. Still, it was nice to get a chance to visit and relax for awhile before making the final 7.5 hour drive home on Sunday.

Description

First Landing State Park is located in Virginia Beach at the tip of Cape Henry, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Chesapeake Bay. The name of the park was changed from Seashore to First Landing to memorialize the fact that this was the site where Captain John Smith first touched land before settling further up the river in Jamestown.

The park’s 2,888 acres of marshlands, lagoons, forested dunes, and bald cypress swamps contain a unique mixture of northern and southern ecosystems. This is the furthest north that Spanish moss is found growing on trees.

The park is split into two sections by US 60. The smaller northern section is located on the Chesapeake Bay. It contains a beach (swim at your own risk) and a 235-site campground. Many of the sites have views of the Bay.

The majority of the park is located south of the highway and has a totally different feel from the section along the beach. It is bounded on the south by Broad Bay and on the east by Atlantic Avenue, along the Virginia Beach strip. Hiking and biking trails lace their way through the park. There are nine walking trails totaling about 19 miles. The most popular one is the Bald Cypress Swamp Trail, which goes along a boardwalk over the tannin-stained waters of a swamp where bald cypress trees stand draped in Spanish moss. The longer, less crowded Long Creek Trail meanders 5 miles through bird-filled salt marshes. The only trail open to bikers is the 6-mile Cape Henry Trail, which cuts across the park to the Narrows.