Travelogue

We were now into the long, monotonous driving days home across the plains. As I was scanning the campground guides for a nice place to stop, I couldn't help but notice how close we were to Nebraska, a state we had not yet laid claim to on our RV map. After some mental struggle, I did something that I am ashamed of today--I had Herb get off I29, cross the Missouri River into Nebraska, and drive down the west side of the river before crossing back into Iowa, just so that we could put Nebraska on our map--the infamous "Nebraska dip" as we call it today. I was not proud of what I had done, but I just want it noted that since that time, we have spent several wonderful days at Lake McConaughy in Nebraska, truly earning our claim to having visited the state.

We spent that night at a very nice state park along the banks of the Missouri River in Western Iowa, called Wilson State Park. After spending so much time out west, everything here seemed so lush and green--more like back home. I guess our trip was coming near an end.

The next morning before we left, I went for a very nice run through the De Soto National Wildlife Refuge which was adjacent to the state park. During my run, I noticed that there were tornado sirens positioned throughout the park, poised to squeal at the first signs of any tornadic activity. I guess that's a genuine concern in this area of the country. Thankfully, they were quiet now, but it reinforced the weather phobia I have every time we cross the plains.

Description

Wilson Island State Park is located in western Iowa on the banks of the Missouri River. The park is popular for boating, fishing, and hunting. A half-mile trail along the shoreline of the Missouri River and a boat ramp provide easy access to the river. There are an additional five miles of trails that are good for hiking and mountain biking.

There is a campground with 140 well-shaded, spacious campsites.

Just to the north of the state park is the DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, which has additional hiking trails and is also good for fishing, hunting, and observing wildlife, such as deer, snow geese and bald eagles.

According to historians, Lewis and Clark camped along this part of the Missouri River on their historic trip to the Pacific Coast back in 1804.

Travelogue

If there is one defining characteristic of our family, I would have to say that it is a love of the outdoors and all the wonders it has to offer. Enjoying the outdoors often requires some equipment. As a result, we have a room in our basement affectionately nicknamed Campmor (after a large mail order outdoor outfitter), filled with every conceivable piece of outdoor gear--rock climbing, ice climbing, mountaineering, fishing of every variety, camping, mountain biking, etc., etc. That is why Herb knew that on our drove home on I90, we would be passing a Cabela's in Mitchell, South Dakota. I'm not sure what else we could possibly need, but we decided to stop anyway to break up the long driving day.

Well, apparently we did need something--our poor, deprived sons did not have fly rods. They had caught blues and stripers with their surf rods, bass and trout with their spinning rods, but had not yet had the experience of flailing a fly line and placing a dry fly in front of an unsuspecting trout. They had seen their father's joy in catching a trout with his fly rod in Yellowstone Lake, and now wanted in on the action. At Cabela's they each got a very nice setup for $50, complete with rod, reel, fly line, and case.

Description

Cabela's is the world's foremost outfitter of hunting, fishing, and outdoor gear. It began in 1961 when Dick Cabela ran an ad in a Wyoming newspaper trying to sell hand-tied flies, 12 for $1. From those humble beginnings, Cabela's has grown into an organization with 11 retail stores, a huge mail order and internet business, and 7,000 employees. The founders have kept it a family-owned business and still play a very active role in the organization.

Travelogue

After a very entertaining stop at Wall Drug, we headed for Badlands National Park. Badlands is an easy National Park to visit because it has a 32-mile scenic drive that runs from east to west across the park past several scenic overlooks and trailheads for hikes. Since we were heading home, we entered the park at the Pinnacles Entrance in the western portion of the park.

Notch Trail Shaky Ladder ClimbThis was the first time since we left Michigan about 2½ weeks ago that we didn't have a reservation for the night. Wow, free spirits at last. When we got our first look at the South Dakota badlands from the Pinnacles Overlook, we knew that we wanted to spend the night here. The view was incredible--sharp, jagged ridges and multicolored buttes rising out of the prairie.

Now began the debate as to where to stay. It was over 100 degrees, so my vote was for the Badlands KOA right outside the park where there was a pool and we could run our air conditioning. After our horrible commercial campground experience at Mt. Rushmore, Herb wanted to stay at the Cedar Pass Campground inside the park. He assured me, and I must admit he was correct, that this was the desert and temperatures dropped significantly at night so we wouldn't need air conditioning. He won. The campground was lovely--great views of the Badlands and a nice shade covering over the picnic table.

After lunching and enjoying the views at the campsite, we headed to the Visitor Center to get some information on hikes so that we could experience the badlands more intimately. I had chosen the 1.5 mile Notch Trail, but a very acrophobic woman ranger nearly talked us out of it when she described how you had to climb a steep, shaky ladder and then walk along a narrow cliff edge that dropped sharply off into a steep gully. Although this information made me think twice about the hike, it actually intrigued the kids even more. If they were enthused about a hike, I'm there.

Badlands Notch Trail hikeI'm really glad we didn't listen to her--it wasn't nearly as bad as she made it out to be. There was in fact a steep, shaky ladder, but it was no big deal and although the cliff edge made my palms sweat a little more, it was also very doable. What the kids liked best was that they were able to climb and scamper on the rock formations as they went along--not like other parks were you always had to stay on a trail and just admire the rocks. At the end of the hike we were rewarded with a spectacular view of the badlands and prairie below.

That evening back at the campground, we watched a beautiful sunset from our picnic table. After dinner, the kids and I decided to go to the campground amphitheater for the Ranger Program. I really like to take advantage of these programs--they're always very informative and well done, especially if you have an enthusiastic ranger, which we did. Herb was too content sitting with his Gin and Tonic, gloating about his campground selection, to accompany us so the kids and I went alone, taking along a flashlight to find our way back when it got dark later.

Sunset at the campThe talk was interesting because it focused on life on the Badland's prairie, and made you realize that there was a lot more to this park than just the interesting rock formations. Having very much enjoyed the talk, the kids and I exited the amphitheater into the campground, which now looked totally different in the pitch-black conditions. Despite my ability to navigate our RV across an entire continent, when not equipped with a GPS and laptop I am what Herb politely describes as navigationally impaired. The kids and I proceeded to wander aimlessly up and down each lane in the campground looking for our motor home. Being very aware of my limitations, Herb must have started to get concerned when we didn't return right away. He said he looked out the RV and in the distance he saw 3 little heads wandering aimlessly back and forth across the campground shining our little beacon of light ahead of us. After a good laugh, he came and rescued us.

Before leaving the Badlands for good the next morning we stopped along the scenic drive to hike the Door Trail. This relatively short, but fairly strenuous hike took us through a break in The Wall called "The Door" and into a very rugged, eroded section of the badland that looks more like the surface of the moon than any place on Earth.

Like Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Badlands was an unexpected highlight for us. The rugged beauty and remoteness of the badlands was something that all four of us had come to love.

Description

Badlands National Park encompasses more than 381 square miles of the eroded buttes, pinnacles, jagged ridges, and prairies that make up the badlands of South Dakota. The rock formations rise from the plains like a city skyline, creating a 100-mile-long natural barrier referred to as The Wall. In fact, early French-Canadian fur trappers named this area les mauvaises terres a traverser or "bad lands to travel across."

Badlands sunsetThis barren yet beautiful landscape began forming more than 70 million years ago when the climate here was much warmer and wetter, and the Great Plains were covered by a shallow, inland sea. Over time, the land was pushed up, the sea receded, and the black mud of the sea floor hardened into shale, preserving the fossils of animals now long extinct. The area became a flood plain, receiving sediment deposits every time the rivers overflowed. Some of the sediment was mixed with volcanic ash, which together formed clay stone, the main material that makes up the Badlands buttes. Around half a million years ago, wind and water began cutting through the softer layers of sedimentary rock, carving buttes, gullies, and sawtoothed ridges out of the flat flood plains.

The result is the eerie moonscape you see today--jagged sawtoothed ridges and oddly-shaped spires, with their exposed ancient rock layers painted in shades of sand, gold, pink, and red. The erosion has also exposed the rich fossil beds from the ancient sea floor, drawing scientists from around the world to study the preserved remains of extinct animals, such as miniature camels and saber-toothed cats.

Lolo of the BadlandsThis erosion still continues today, with wind and water washing away an average of one inch of sediment from the buttes each year. At this rate, they will be completely gone in another half a million years.

An excellent way to see the beauty of the Badlands is to drive along the 32-mile Badlands Loop Road that crosses the North Unit of the park, stopping at the numerous scenic overlooks along the way. However, to truly experience the badlands, you have to get out of your car and take one of the hikes into The Wall. There are three excellent hikes that start from the Windows Overlook parking lot.

The ¾ mile, fairly strenuous Door Trail passes through a break in The Wall called "The Door" into a very rugged, eroded section of the badland that looks more like the surface of the moon than any place on Earth.

The ¼ mile easy Window Trail leads to a spectacular view of a deeply eroded canyon through an opening called "The Window."

The 1½ mile, fairly strenuous Notch Trail is not recommended for those with a fear of heights, as it requires you to climb a steep, shaky ladder and then climb along the side of a steep gully to a break in the wall called "The Notch" where there is a commanding view of the Cliff Shelf area and the White River Valley below.

Travelogue

The kids, especially Tommy, love to shop, so when we told them about Wall Drug they were pretty worked up. We didn't have any choice but to tell them. It's impossible to sneak through South Dakota without seeing the hundreds of signs lining the highway, counting down the mileage to Wall Drug and trying to lure you in with the promise of free ice water--pretty good marketing ploy. The Husteads started it back in 1931 in an attempt to get cars to come off the highway and shop in their drug store. It worked. Today it's the largest drug store in the world.

Kids at Wall Drug 'Mount Rushmore'You could buy everything there. They had camping supplies, jewelry, cowboy clothes, rattlesnake ashtrays, tacky souvenirs, and thankfully, hat pins to add to our collection. Even better than all the nosh they were selling, were the free attractions. There was a life-sized Cowboy Orchestra that played every 15 minutes, a shooting gallery, a miniaturized version of Mt. Rushmore, and my personal animated favorite--a giant 30-foot Tyrannosaurus Rex that scared the you-know-what out of us every 15 minutes even though we knew it was coming.

The whole Wall Drug experience was unbelievable. With all the natural wonders we were seeing, it was good to throw in a little culture once in awhile.

Description

Anyone that has traveled across South Dakota on I90 is sure to have seen the hundreds of signs advertising free ice water at Wall Drug. The story of what has now become one of South Dakota's main visitor attractions began in 1931 when Dorothy and Ted Hustead purchased the only drugstore in the small town of Wall, at the edge of the South Dakota Badlands. After 5 years of tough times during the Depression, Dorothy had an idea to get people to stop in their store: put up signs on the highway advertising free ice water. That simple concept, combined with great service and good prices, has helped the Hustead's grow their business into the world's largest drug store.

Wall Drug T-RexToday the store is a giant block-long emporium which draws more than 20,000 visitors a day in the summer. Besides being a store selling everything from Western wear to camping supplies to Indian jewelry, it is also a museum displaying thousands of historical photographs and memorabilia of its history and the region's. Even more of a draw are the free attractions, such as the life-size animated Chuck Wagon Quartet, the 30 foot high animated T-Rex that comes to life every 15 minutes, a replica of Mt. Rushmore, a shooting gallery arcade, and much more. There's even a dining room serving great country food that seats over 500 people.

Today the signs telling how many miles to Wall Drug not only extend for hundreds of miles along I90 in South Dakota, but they are found in numerous places around the world, including the North Pole, India, Kenya, Paris, etc. Some of these signs were put there by Wall Drug but many others by happy customers just wanting to spread the word.

Travelogue

Before visiting the very majestic Mount Rushmore, we checked into our very non-majestic campground, Miners RV Park, a campground so bad that it approached humorous. A very cranky octogenarian directed us to our home for the night---a tiny campsite overlooking a dilapidated Laundromat. The sites were so small and so close together that our dump hose was literally 1 foot away from our neighbor's picnic table, which they happened to be sitting at when we pulled in. Although we actually did need to dump, Herb--thinking it would be poor form during their lunch--decided to wait until a more opportune time.

Mount RushmoreWhen you travel like this, you have to learn to roll with the punches and take the good with the bad and realize that sometimes the bad can produce some pretty good laughs. It's hard to judge a campground just from the Woodall's Guide. I had chosen this campground for 2 very good reasons: it was the closest to Mt. Rushmore and it claimed to have view of it from its hot tub, both of which were true. Besides, the nice thing about a motor home is that if the ambience isn't right, you can just pull down your shades and pretend that you're somewhere else.

We ate lunch as quickly as we could, never leaving the RV, and headed up to Mt. Rushmore, and I mean up. This had to be the steepest road we have ever driven on, even counting the Rockies. Now I know why the woman I spoke to when making the reservations responded the way she did when I asked her if it were possible to bike from the campground to the Monument. She must have thought I was a lunatic. Despite the 14% grade, our faithful little Lazy Daze plowed right up the hill past several RVs pulled over to the side of the road with their hoods up.

We started our visit at the Visitor Center and Museum, where we learned quite a bit about how Gutzon Burglum created this man-made wonder---from his selection of the mountain to carve it on in 1924 through its completion by his son after his death in 1941.

Once outside the museum, we strolled along the Avenue of Flags towards the 60-foot-high faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln set against the South Dakota Black Hills. I had seen Mt. Rushmore in pictures many times, but only in person can you realize its true grandeur and massiveness.

We took a short nature trail to the Borglum's Sculptor's Studio where we saw some of the original tools and the actual plaster model that Borglum used as a basis for carving the mountain. A guide explained to us how Borglum used a pointing system and multiplied every dimension of the model by 12 to arrive at the dimensions of the actual carving. Sounds simple, doesn't it?

For a close-up view of the actual sculpture, we walked the new ½ mile Presidential Trail which took us up to the talus slope at the base of the Monument. It really is very impressive. Because of its southeasterly orientation, the afternoon lighting wasn't that great, so we decided to save our picture taking for the morning.

I would have to say that my highlight at Mt. Rushmore was the evening lighting ceremony at the amphitheater, which is held every night at 8:00 pm. It started off with a short ranger talk and a film about the 4 presidents and then moved into the dramatic and patriotic part---the flooding of sculpture with lights as we sang the National Anthem. It really was spectacular.

Back at the campground, we went in the hot tub to see if we really had a view of the lit monument and guess what, we actually did. The campground had redeemed itself.

Before heading towards the Badlands the next morning, we drove back up the steep hill to the Monument to photograph it in the morning light. It's amazing what a difference lighting can make.

Description

Mount Rushmore, located in the Black Hills of southwestern South Dakota, is considered to be one of the man-made wonders of the world---as both a work of art and as an engineering marvel.

Mount RushmoreIt was created by the sculptor Gutzon Borglum, and 300 workers, who worked for more than 14 years carving the 60-foot-tall faces of four American Presidents--George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln--out of the granite of the Black Hills mountains. It was to symbolize the spirit of our nation through four of its most revered leaders.

A short nature trail takes you to the Borglum's Sculptor's Studio, which has on display the original tools and the actual plaster model that Borglum used as a basis for carving the mountain. A 15-minute Studio Talk explains how he used this model's measurements and a pointing system (everything dimension multiplied by 12) to plan the actual carving on the mountain.

The new ½-mile-long Presidential Trail takes you from the main viewing terrace to the talus slope at the base of the sculpture. This trail provides the closest access to the sculpture.

Every evening at 8:00 pm during the summer, there is a ranger program that ends in the dramatic lighting of the memorial. The program consists of a short ranger talk, a film about the 4 presidents, the playing of the National Anthem, and the lighting of the sculpture.

Travelogue

I had made our reservations for the Candlelight Cave Tour at Wind Cave on the National Park Service website three months prior to our trip. I admit that in our early RV days, I was not much of a free spirit. In my fear of missing out on something we wanted to do or somewhere we wanted to stay, I made reservations like crazy. While this does have the benefit of ensuring that we get to do what we had planned, the downside is that we had to stick very closely to our itinerary because we were required to be in certain places at certain times. It's a definite tradeoff that we're still trying to work out.

Boy's on Candlelight Cave TourWe went to the Visitor Center at the required time to meet with the ranger and the 6 other people that were to join us on our tour. One of the reasons I picked this tour was that it was restricted to 10 people, which made it nice and intimate. The ranger then gave each of us a bucket with a candle in it and lectured us on the various do's and don't of candle lantern etiquette, so that we wouldn't get hot wax on us. Ready for our tour to begin, the ranger took us on an elevator down to an undeveloped and unlit part of the cave system, so that we could experience the cave the way the early visitors did in the late 1800s---another reason I chose this tour.

We spent the next 2 hours exploring the very unique Wind Cave, which because of its relative dryness, doesn't have the usual stalactites and stalagmites that you find in most other caves in the U.S. Instead, it has these very delicate looking formations called boxwork that look like honeycombs.

Our ranger was extremely enthusiastic and absolutely enamored with caves. He told us that he had first come to Wind Cave when he was about Tommy's age and had decided then that when he grew up he would be a ranger here. What a great thing to know what you want to do in life so early and actually have it realized. I wish I knew what I want to be when I grow up.

Description

Wind Cave National Park is located in the southwestern corner of South Dakota within an hour's drive from Mount Rushmore. It is the 3rd largest cave system in the United States and contains more than 81 miles of mapped passageways. It is estimated that the mapped portion only accounts for 5% of the size of the total cave.

Wind Cave is very different than other cave systems in that it is very dry and therefore contains very few stalactites and stalagmites. Instead, it has the world's best collection of boxwork, which is an unusual mineral formation resembling irregular honeycombs. The park got its name from the incredibly strong winds that rush in and out of its entrance.

Although most people come to this park to see the caves, the more than 28,000 acres of ponderosa pine forests and rolling prairies above are worth a visit. Along the scenic drive, there is much wildlife to see, including bison, elk, pronghorn antelope, mule deer, and prairie dogs.

The park offers five different cave tours ranging from the relatively easy 1-hour Garden of Eden Tour to the 4-hour Cave Tour where you do some real caving off the established trails. The 2-hour Candlelight Tour is the most popular in that it lets you experience the cave as the first explorers of it did. Reservations for this tour should be made well in advance.

Travelogue

For some reason, Tommy had been asking how many more days until Devil's Tower ever since we left Michigan almost 2 weeks ago. I guess the thought of seeing the place where aliens landed in Close Encounters of the Third Kind was kind of intriguing to him.

Early AM Lolo with Devils TowerIt really is a strange place, located in the middle of nowhere. We were probably more than 10 miles away from the park when we got our first glimpse of the Tower, rising dramatically up from an otherwise totally flat prairie. That's what makes it so unusual--it seems to come out of nowhere. Geologists think that the Tower is actually the core of a volcano that has eroded away.

We had chosen to stay in the KOA outside the park because we could make reservations there, so we took a quick dip to cool off in the pool and headed right over to see Devils Tower close up. There's not a whole lot to do here, so you can easily see everything in just a day. We hiked the 1.3 mile Tower Trail which goes around the entire base, getting different perspectives and photographs along the way. We had to climb up the talus slope that surrounds the base in order to get closer to the Tower. Since, the lighting wasn't that good, we decided that we would do more photography early the next morning.

As a former fanatical rock climber, Herb looked at the Tower in a very different way than we did, scanning the rock face for the hand and footholds that would determine a route to the top. That is the way he would have liked to experience Devils Tower--hopefully, some day he will. For now, climbing Devils Tower is still allowed, but the Native Americans are trying to stop what they consider to be a violation of something sacred to them.

Herb and I rose early the next morning to photograph the Tower at sunrise. The kids looked too peaceful to disturb, so we grabbed their cameras as well and ran down to the field in the campground where there was a clear view of the Tower. The lighting was terrific, so good, in fact, that before leaving the area, we drove back into the park to the Tower Trail to retake some pictures from yesterday. The good lighting was going fast, so Herb, laden with all types of photographic equipment hanging around his neck, jogged around the base by himself taking more pictures of the Tower in the morning light.

We said goodbye to the Tower and headed on to South Dakota.

Description

Devils Tower National Monument is located in extreme northeast Wyoming. Despite the fact that it is way off the beaten path, it still receives more than 450,000 visitors annually, who come here to hike, climb, or just look at the incredible 865-foot-high monolith. It is probably best known as the place where alien spaceships landed in the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind. In 1906, President Teddy Roosevelt designated the Tower and the 1,347 acres surrounding it as our nation's first National Monument.

Devils TowerGeologists believe that Devils Tower is actually the igneous core of a volcano that has been exposed as a result of millions of years of erosion. The vertical columns were formed by the cracking and fracturing of the molten rock as it cooled. Most of these columns are polygonal (5-sided) and measure 6 to 8 feet in diameter at the base and taper to 4 feet in diameter at the summit. Much of the original formation that has peeled and crumbled off has created a boulder field all around the Tower.

The Native Americans have a different version as to how Devils Tower was formed. According to their legend, seven sisters ran away from their brother who was turned into a bear. A large tree stump beckoned them to climb on. When they did, the stump rose into the sky as the brother scratched it with his claws. Native Americans feel that the Tower, which they call Mateo Tepee or Grizzly Bear Lodge, is sacred to their religion. They have asked the National Park Service to not allow people to climb it so that they can conduct their religious ceremonies.

The Tower was first climbed on July 4, 1893, by William Rogers and Willard Ripley. They used a wooden ladder for the first 350 feet of the climb. 1,000 people watched as they made their hour long climb to the summit where they raised an American flag. Two years later, Mrs. Roger's became the first woman to climb the Tower. She used her husband's ladder. By 1997 more than 5,000 people had climbed the Tower. Today, climbers must register with the ranger before they begin their climb and again when they return.

For those not inclined to climb Devils Tower, a good way to experience it is the 1.3 mile Tower Trail with goes around the base of the Tower, offering close-up views along the way.

There is a 55-site campground in the park along the Belle Fourche River that works on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Travelogue

This was actually our second time to the Grand Tetons. The first time was back in 1992, when we just drove through the park on our way to Yellowstone, enjoying the tremendous views of the Jackson Hole Valley and mountain peaks along the Teton Park Road, but hardly doing the park the justice it deserved. This time, our plan was much better--to experience the park from our inflatable raft while floating down the Snake River through the Jackson Hole Valley.

Herb and the boys rafting the Snake RiverRafting trips are always a logistical nightmare because you have to leave your vehicle in one place and then float downstream about 10 miles only to have to figure out how the heck to get back to your RV at the end of the day. However, rafting this river was something we wanted to do so badly that we figured we'd raft first and worry about the logistics later.

We put the raft in at the Moran Junction raft launch right off US 191 south of the Jackson Lake Dam. The water along this stretch of the Snake River was pretty gentle (Class I and Class II rapids), but quick moving and very braided, which meant that there were many islands where you had to quickly make a choice as to which side to go on. The wrong choice could bring you to a dead end in the river with no easy way to get back to the right choice. We thought that we would just follow other rafts that had guides, but surprisingly, and quite pleasantly, there was no one else out on the river, so we, or more correctly Herb, had to read the way the water was flowing to try to pick the main channel. He did great. The scenery along the way was absolutely incredible, with views of the Jackson Hole Valley and the snow-capped Teton Range to the west of us.

Tom with tiny fishThe river was moving so fast that our 10-mile trip was going to be over in no time at all. We were having too good of a time for it to end so soon, so we kept pulling up onto beaches to explore and fish. "Nature Tom" had his Animal Tracking field guide along so the kids spent some time wandering up and down the river trying to identify the numerous tracks along the shore. At one point along the river's edge, we came across some wet sand that acted like quicksand, sucking our sandaled feet below the surface. It was quite a struggle to get them out. In fact, Andrew's sandal was pulled right off his foot and we had to quickly reach down with our hands to pull it out before it disappeared completely. I don't think we were going to actually get sucked down too far, but it still was rather disconcerting.

Some friendly little family fishing soon turned into a fierce competition to see who could catch the most trout. Tommy was winning with two, when I decided to put down my book and give it a try. In three casts, I caught 3 trout--1 rainbow, 1 brown, and 1 cutthroat. The third one came off my line right before I pulled it on shore, triggering a heated debate from Tommy as to what the criteria was for considering a fish caught. To this day, we still haven't resolved this issue.

Lolo hauling in a big oneAs the afternoon wore on, thunderclouds started building over the valley, so we got back in the raft and let the swift current of the river carry us to our takeout at the Snake River Overlook. We still had to figure out how to get the RV. Herb decided to walk up to the highway and hitchhike back to Moran Junction. He wasn't having much luck at all on the highway--after a day on the river he was looking a bit grungy. Finally, he got the idea of going to the Overlook parking lot where he could approach people and convince them that he was not a threat. A family accepted his offer of $10 to drive him the 10 miles back to Moran Junction, which is where they were going anyway. Herb even gave them a tour of the RV.

While all this was going on, the kids and I were deflating and cleaning the raft, hoping the thunderstorm would miss us, which it fortunately did. It seemed like Herb was gone an awfully long time so were very relieved when we saw the RV pull down the hill to pick us up.

We packed the raft back into the bag that lived on top of the cab at the foot of the kids' bed. Our little "boat in a bag" had done it again. For the third time this trip (first Pictured Rocks, then St. Mary's Lake in Glacier, and now the Snake River), it had given us the kind of day that no amount of money could buy.

Somewhat tired, but very satisfied, we left the Grand Tetons to find a place to stay for the night.

Description

Grand Tetons National Park's 485 square miles encompasses the Jackson Hole Valley and the Teton Mountain Range which towers 7,000 feet above the valley floor. Although the park is best known for its three most prominent peaks, the Grand, Middle, and South Tetons, there are other equally spectacular mountains in the Teton Range, 12 of which are higher than 12,000 feet.

Herb and boys fishing for trout on the Snake River At the base of the mountains lies a string of 7 glacier-carved lakes, fed by mountain streams. Beyond the lakes lies the beautiful Jackson Hole Valley with 50 miles of the Snake River winding through it. The wetlands along the braided sections of the river provide a rich habitat for wildlife, such as moose, elk, pronghorn, bison, black bear, deer, bald eagles, blue herons, river otters, and even pelicans.

Most of the major observation points and attractions can be seen from the Teton Park and Jenny Lake Loop Roads, which meander 25 miles along the Jackson Hole Valley from Moran Junction to Moose Junction, providing spectacular views of the Tetons along the way.

The 4-mile paved Signal Mountain Summit Road climbs 1,000 feet to the summit of Signal Mountain, where there is a tremendous 360 degree panoramic view of the Tetons and Valley below. A mile before the summit is the Jackson Lake Overlook, from which William Henry Jackson took his famous photographs of the Grand Tetons. Unfortunately, the Signal Mountain Summit Road is so narrow and windy that RV's are prohibited.

The one-way scenic drive on the Jenny Lake road along the shores of the lake brings you to one of the busiest and most popular sports in the park. A very popular hike from this area is the Cascade Canyon Trail to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. To get to the trailhead you can either walk the 2.5 miles around the southern end of the lake or take the shuttle boat, which runs every ½ hour, across to the West Shore Boat Dock. From there, the fairly strenuous trail climbs 420 feet over one mile. At the ½ mile point is Hidden Falls, one of the most beautiful spots in the park. A ½ mile further is the aptly named Inspiration Point with a spectacular view of the lake, surrounding mountains, and the valley. If you wish to continue further, the trail levels out after this point and the views get even better. On the way back, you have the same choice of hiking the lakeshore or taking the shuttle boat.

Travelogue

This was not our first visit to Yellowstone. We had been here back in 1992 when the kids were just 3 and 1 years old--now that I look back on it, we had to be crazy. Although Andrew claims to remember it well, we thought it was well worth another visit for them to see it again.

Old Faithful, aka Old FixoThis time we were traveling with our friends from home, the Kalchbrenners, who had flown out to Idaho and rented an RV to join us on the Glacier/Yellowstone portion of our trip. Our plan was to stay 3 nights at the Bridge Bay Campground near Yellowstone Lake and to try to see as much of the park highlights as we reasonably could in that all too short timeframe.

We entered the park from the north through the impressive Theodore Roosevelt Arch and began our exploration of Yellowstone at the beautiful white limestone terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs. Although it was quite hot, we hiked the 1.5-mile Lower Terrace Trail, which climbs 300 feet up to the Upper Terrace, where there is an outstanding view of the terraces and springs below. Herb and I were surprised to notice how changed the terraces were from our last visit--many more of them were gray rather than brilliant white. These terraces are always changing based on the activity of the hot springs beneath them. When a hot spring is active, it deposits limestone onto the terraces creating the brilliant white surface that everyone comes to see. However, if a spring becomes dormant, the terrace begins to darken. Fortunately, springs can become active again, so perhaps the next time we visit, things will be completely different again.

After leaving Mammoth Springs, we headed east, taking the Upper Loop road in a clockwise direction, stopping at various overlooks along the way. Our next major stop was the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. I usually don't associate canyons with Yellowstone, but this one is spectacular enough to warrant Yellowstone being a national park even without its geysers.

Kids by Old Faithful LodgeWe got our first view of the canyon from the aptly named Inspiration Point at the end of a side road along the North Rim Drive. It was spectacular. The walls of the canyon were narrow and plunged more than 1,000 feet down to the Yellowstone River Gorge where there were waterfalls taller than Niagara. And the walls of the canyon were actually yellow, which we learned is how Yellowstone got its name. We took a steep staircase down to a platform where we stood about 10 yards from the top of the Lower Falls where we could watch the water plunge over the edge. It was breathtaking.

Very satisfied with our first day of sightseeing at Yellowstone, we headed over to the Bridge Bay Campground where we would be spending the next 3 nights. I must admit that we were quite disappointed when we got there. We all had visions of relaxing by the campsite after a long satisfying day of sightseeing, cool drink in hand, while gazing out at the waters of Yellowstone Lake (as the guide book had lead me to believe). Instead, we were in a dustbowl without even the hint of a lake view. The site was so dry and dusty that we could hardly cook and eat outside without getting filthy, and the kids were starting to resemble Charlie Brown's friend Pig Pen. I felt terrible. Here everyone was relying on me to plan a great trip and I felt I had let them down. Of course, nobody really felt that way and they quickly assured me that it was fine. With so much to see, we really weren't going to be spending that much time at the campground anyway. Besides, the kids actually loved it. They were just at the age where they were enjoying the extra freedom of being allowed to roam around on their own, and this campground was so huge that there were plenty of places for them to explore. Before dinner, the four of them took their scooters and Kenmore 2-way radios to communicate with us and set off for an adventure.

Norris Geyser BasinThe kids' enthusiasm was contagious, and soon we all were content with our surroundings. The kids being older and more independent was a good thing. As much as we love being with them, the RV is pretty close quarters, so it's good once in awhile to get a little breathing space from them.

Just as we were really starting to relax, Andrew called us on the radio to inform us that "Alexis thinks she's hurt." - not she "is" hurt, but rather she "thinks" she's hurt. Poor Alexis. It isn't easy being the only girl with 3 boys, especially when you're also the youngest. They always assume she's faking or just being a baby. Upon further questioning, Andrew told us that she fell off her scooter going down a hill and hurt her arm. Hans quickly jumped on my bike and rode over to where they were. We weren't alarmed until we saw the look on Hans' face when he brought her back. Michelle almost fainted when Hans lifted Alexis' sleeve to expose an unnaturally bent forearm. Hans and Michelle rushed her over to the park's medical facility where they gave her some pain killers, put her arm in a temporary sling, and told them that they would have to bring her to Cody, Wyoming, the next day to have it set correctly. It was a rough night for Alexis, and I don't think the boys slept too well either--they felt bad that they hadn't realized how hurt she really was.

The next morning Hans and Michelle took off with Alexis very early for Cody, leaving Jonathan to spend the day with us. We were all a bit down from what had occurred, but we figured we might as well make the best of it and take the kids to see some sights. We decided to wait until the next day when we were all together again to see Old Faithful, so we headed out in the other direction back to the Canyon and then on to Norris Geyser Basin.

Our drive took us through the idyllic Hayden Valley where the Yellowstone River winds through broad meadows and marshlands creating a natural wildlife sanctuary where you're almost guaranteed to see wildlife, especially in the early morning and towards dusk. Just as we hoped, we were greeted by several large bison blocking the road. Having seen the little cartoons in the park literature of people being gored by these large beasts, we wisely took our photos from inside the car.

Lower Yellowstone FallsAs we approached Canyon Village, we decided to take the South Rim Drive to view the canyon from the other rim than the previous day and to photograph it in the morning light. We stopped first at the Uncle Tom's Trail. Trail is a strange name for it; it is actually a 328-step metal staircase that takes you down to the river's edge. Along the way, you not only see and hear the thunderous Lower Falls, but you get to feel it as you are covered with its spray of mist. It's truly unforgettable. Before continuing on to Norris Geyser Basin, we made a brief stop at Artist Point at the end of the South Rim Drive, where a short trail brought us to what some consider to be the best view of the canyon.

Right near Norris Junction, we were treated to some additional wildlife viewing--two large elk sitting on a hill right beside the road, unfazed by the tourists, including us, taking their pictures. They must get pretty used to it.

At Norris Basin, the kids got their first look at the strange thermal activity of Yellowstone and happily walked both boardwalk trails through the basin, observing the geysers, hot springs, fumaroles (steam vents), and pools along the way.

On the way back to the campground, we stopped at the Mud Volcano to see a different type of thermal activity. The whole place was evil-looking and smelled like rotten eggs. The geysers and springs had names like Black Dragon's Caldron, Dragon's Mouth, and Sour Lake. We took the short walk past turbulent pools of hot, muddy water, caves with bursts of steam coming out of them, and acid pools that churned and hissed. This was very different from what we'd seen at Norris Basin, and the kids found it quite fascinating.

It had been another great day of sightseeing at Yellowstone, and it had kept us distracted from thinking about Alexis. We were very happy, however, when we got the call from them saying that everything went fine and that they were on their way back and would meet us as planned at the Lake Yellowstone Hotel for dinner. Dinner that night was great. Alexis was in good spirits and Jonathan excitedly told Hans and Michelle about all the sights we had seen that day. The food was good and it was nice not to be cooking back at our dirty campsite. The Hotel was quite elegant, and we spent some time after dinner enjoying the beautiful lobby and the excellent views of the Lake.

Midway Geyser BasinThe next day was our last day at Yellowstone, so we wanted to make it good. To beat the traffic, of which there is far too much of in Yellowstone, we set off early to see Old Faithful, or "Old Fixo" as Andrew used to pronounce it on his first visit. When we got to the Old Faithful area, we immediately went to the Visitor Center to find out the approximate time of the next eruption, which usually occurs every 79 minutes or so. Seeing that we had some time to kill, we strolled along the boardwalk trail through the Upper Geyser Basin checking out a number of notable geysers, such as Castle Geyser (largest cone), Grand Geyser (tallest predictable geyser), and Beehive Geyser (shaped as its name would imply). Unfortunately, none of them went off during our walk, but there was plenty of bubbling, hissing, and spurting going on all around us to keep us entertained and dozens of colorful boiling springs to look at, such as the very beautiful Morning Glory Pool.

Seeing that we had only 10 more minutes before Old Faithful's scheduled eruption, we hurried back to the wooden benches in front of the Old Faithful Inn to get prime seats for the show. We took our place on the benches, which were set far enough back from the geyser to prevent any of the hot spray from hitting us. Gradually, all the benches filled with people anxiously looking at their watches, cameras and camcorders poised. When the scheduled time came and went, the kids started worrying that something was wrong--perhaps this was the time that Old Faithful wasn't going to blow. After about 20 minutes of anticipation, some surges of water began coming over the rim of the crater. This was the sign that "Old Fixo" was about to begin its show. Then water starting shooting higher and higher into the sky until it reached a height of about 150 feet. After about three minutes, and much frantic photography, it was over, and all that was left was a few gasps of steam coming from the crater. It was a great show.

Hayden ValleyI absolutely love National Park lodges, so we decided to stop for lunch at the not-to-be-missed, historic Old Faithful Inn. Like many of the other premier National Park lodges, this one was built around the turn of the century, with the intention of it being a place worthy of hosting presidents and visiting kings and queens. It certainly was. It's a massive log structure, very rustic in design, with a seven-story gable roof in its center. The best part, as far as I'm concerned is the lobby, with its seven-story-high ceiling and giant stone fireplace in the corner, surrounded by two levels of balconies looking down into it. Even without its views of Old Faithful from the porches, it is a worthy destination in itself. I could have spent the whole day here, but it was our last day and there was too much more to see and do.

There are several other geyser basins to explore on the road north towards Madison. We first stopped at Black Sand Basin, named for the black obsidian sand around its edges. Besides many other interesting features, we saw the Emerald Pool, a beautiful green hot spring pool so deep that it appeared to be bottomless. Then we went on to Midway Geyser Basin where we strolled along the boardwalk past spurting geysers to one of my favorites, the Grand Prismatic Spring, which is the largest and probably the most beautiful of all the hot springs in the park. Unlike the Emerald Pool, the water in the Grand Prismatic Spring is a deep azure blue and the colors of the pool's edge range from orange and green to golden brown from the algae that is able to grow in its harsh environment. Even the steam rising from it appears to be colored. I think I like these hot spring pools even more than the geysers. We ended our day of geyser viewing at the Fountain Paint Pots where we saw a different kind of thermal activity, bubbling mud pots that got their name because of their colors--pinks, oranges, and light blues from the various minerals in the water.

Herb's first dry fly troutHaving felt that we really did get to see most of the highlights of the park, we decided to spend our remaining afternoon doing some fly-fishing at the lake--time for the dads to have some quality father son (and daughter) time. Michelle and I got out our beach chairs and sat back to watch this relaxing activity--kids flailing their fly rods madly, creating giant bird's nest in the lines for the dads to entangle. We, anyway, found it quite relaxing as well as entertaining. Finally, nerves frazzled, the dads convinced the kids to do something else so they could get a little fishing time in for themselves. Herb was soon rewarded with one of his fishing highlights--a beautiful cutthroat trout caught on a dry fly. He talked about that stupid fish all night.

That night was our last night with the Kalchbrenners, who were going to drive back to return their RV in Idaho the next day. Despite Alexis' accident, which never marred their enthusiasm or spirit, we had such a wonderful time together, full of laughs and adventures. We were sorry to see them go..

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.