Home at last!

We got in to Landenberg about 8:45 pm yesterday, completely exhausted.  It was great to sleep in our own beds and not have to get back in the car.  The past two days (Omaha to Elkhart, Indiana and Elkhart to home) were long and not terribly scenic.  To be fair, after Montana and Yellowstone, "scenic" takes on a whole new level.  

All told, we covered almost 5000 miles in 15 days.  That's a lot of time in a car (okay, a minivan).  The Odyssey (what an aptly named vehicle for this vacation) was absolutely wonderful -- comfortable, roomy, easy to drive, lots of entertainment options (movies and video games for the boys, audiobooks and XM radio for me) and large tinted windows with pull-up sun shades.  We couldn't ask for a better vehicle.  

Despite the long hours in the minivan, this trip was fantastic.  We had great adventures, spent time with generous and kind friends, saw jaw-dropping scenery and had just a terrific time. I think even Jake enjoyed it.  We are so lucky to have had this opportunity, and to have had such gorgeous weather and good fortune.  No flat tires, no injuries, no wrong turns (thank you GPS system!), no sickness, no emotional meltdowns, no lost items.  Every day we were out west was a joy, with new discoveries and new delights.  

I've posted a few more pictures on Picasa, including the ones in this post, which were taken during our drive back through South Dakota.  The pictures were taken at Wall, South Dakota (a cheesy but fun tourist trap) and Mitchell, South Dakota, home of the "world famous" corn palace (the exterior walls are decorated each year with scenes created from corn cobs and straw). I've also posted the movies Matthew took during our first day in Yellowstone.  He got some great movies of the bison and elk encounters we had. I wish the boys had taken more pictures, but they're not quite the camera bugs yet.  Hopefully, they'll get more interested as the years go on. 

Some final, random thoughts:

• Road trips in the U.S. are not only still possible, but a great way to see the beauty and variety of this country.  Besides, with the current exchange rates and increasing air fares, it's a far better option than traveling overseas.
  
• The quality and quantity of rest stops and food options vary greatly across the states.  Ohio had probably the best, while Iowa was the worst (few, infrequent places to stop).  However, Iowa had by far the cheapest gas at $3.39/gallon (it's all that taxpayer-funded ethanol).  Pennsylvania gets kudos for having Starbucks at many of the rest stops. 
• There are still not nearly enough places to get decent, healthy meals while traveling.  Eating good food makes a huge difference, as high levels of sugar and fat exacerbate car sickness and fatigue. At the beginning of the trip, we brought a lot of veggies, ham, fruit, etc.  The problem was that it lasted only about 2 days.  Having a refrigerator in your motel room is an absolute requirement if you want to take your own food.
• The Black Hills/Badlands area of South Dakota is worth at least 3-4 days on its own.  There are so many cool things to see there -- Mt. Rushmore, Deadwood, Spearfish Canyon, Keystone, the Badlands, Custer State Park, etc. -- that you don't want to rush through them. 
• Traveling with children can be relatively easy, as long you keep them entertained and don't expect them to be enthralled by the same things you are.  Stops at playgrounds or any place where they can run around a bit are essential. Let them pick some of the stops and destinations.  Indulge (with limits) their desire to look at and even buy cheesy tourist stuff.  Make sure they eat well, but let them have more treats than when they're at home. (It's vacation, remember?).  Always try to stay at a hotel/motel that has a pool; it made a huge difference for our kids.
• Traveling with a dog was easier than I thought, but limited the motel options.  With a little searching online, we found decent (definitely not upscale) places to stay, usually with a pool and free breakfast.  
• Everywhere we went, people were friendly and helpful.  And it's amazing how many people in the west are originally from Pennsylvania....
• Altitude and dry air definitely can take their toll.  Stay hydrated and in the shade.
• That said, when traveling through the west, spend as much time outdoors as possible.  Smell the sage and pine. Breath the crisp, clean air.  Indulge all your senses and just enjoy the beauty of place.
• When visiting Yellowstone, take time to have a picnic and a hike.  There are so many places to enjoy, you can't really go wrong with any particular place (although I would avoid the geysers, as they smell pretty awful).  And absolutely, positively go swimming in the Firehole River; it's a total blast.
• Avoid Old Faithful, unless you just have to see it.  There are many other geysers you can see that are far less crowded.
• Drive (or bike) the Beartooth Highway.  It really is one of the most scenic drives in the U.S. And stop for lunch at the top. It's worth the views and the giddiness you feel from being at 11,000 feet.
• Visit Red Lodge, Montana and stop at the City Bakery.  They make the best bagels west of Manhattan.  (They also have sinfully good sweet stuff.)

I'm sure there are other things worth mentioning that I can't remember right now, but I think I've covered the highlights in this and previous posts.  Again, this was a thoroughly worthwhile and enjoyable trip, one that I hope my children and I will talk about for the rest our lives. 

This is the final post. Hope you've enjoyed the trip as much as we have.  Again, check out the Picasa site for lots more pictures.  And feel free to leave a comment -- just click on the "comments" link at the bottom of this post (or any other post).

Brian, Adam, Matthew and Jake

Cody to Keystone

We're on our way home! Today, we traveled from Cody, Wyoming to Keystone, South Dakota, which is at the base of Mt. Rushmore. About half the time we were in "ugly" Wyoming, which is flat, parched and brown.  The other half we were in "pretty" Wyoming, particularly the scenic byway that runs through the Bighorn Mountains and Bighorn National Forest.  The road runs through deep canyons, high plateaus and dense forest.  It peaks at about 9000 feet.  We stopped at about 8000 feet and the air was crisp, clean and heavily scented of pine.  According to the road signs, some of the exposed rock is 2.5 billion years old. Not a lot of traffic, which made the road even more enjoyable.  There were several large pullover spaces, which are used for loading/unloading snowmobiles in the winter.  This area must be gorgeous covered in snow.

Keystone is very touristy, but fun.  We all went down the alpine slide three times.  You sit in a small, wheeled sled down a chute (much like a water slide). From the top of the slide, we could see (faintly) Mt. Rushmore.  Check out the movie below to "feel" the experience yourself!

Tomorrow we start the first of three long road days.  We're simply going to retrace our steps and stay in the same cities as two weeks ago.  So, there probably won't be a whole lot to post about (except maybe the Corn Palace, which Matthew wants to visit).  It's been a great trip.  And now we all just want to get home....

Another Great Day in Yellowstone

Wow, what words could possibly convey the beauty and variety of Yellowstone?  Every American should be required to visit this place, if for no other reason than to appreciate our national park system.  We are so lucky to have this treasure, we should all be keenly aware of its value. 

Before we left for the park, we visited the Grizzly and Wolf Center in West Yellowstone.  While the wolves were napping, the grizzlies were getting ready for breakfast. The Center has a program for kids to participate in feeding the bears, which the boys eagerly signed up for. After a brief orientation from a staff member -- and after the bears were led to a separate enclosure -- the kids were given a small bucket of bear food and asked to hide the food around the enclosure. After all the food was placed -- and the children were safely out of the bear enclosure -- the grizzlies were allowed to come back in and search for the food. All four of the bears ran in from their pens and turned over rocks and logs to get to the food.  It was all pretty cool, especially for the kids. And for a bonus, the wolves woke from their nap to serenade us with a well-known blues tune....

After the bear and wolf encounter, we continued our adventures in Yellowstone. The first stop was a popular swimming spot on the Firehole River.  You climb down a steep embankment to get to the river, which has a small "beach" that leads to shallow water. The middle of the river is deep -- so deep that there were scuba divers! The water is clear and cool and flows in a combination of swift currents, swirling eddies and calm pools. Adam saw fish underwater and we all explored the rocks and edges.  While we  didn't "run the rapids" further upstream, it was all great fun.  Check out the short video at the bottom of this post.

We hit the Lower Geyser basins soon after our swim.  We stopped at  Fountain Paint Pot and saw several smalls geysers, eerie pools of rust-colored bacteria, white "mud pots" (bubbling mud pools) and dead, bleached trees.  Beautiful yet creepy. There is thermal activity throughout this area, with steam vents and geyser pools scattered everywhere. 

It was 2 pm before we got to Old Faithful, and by that time we weren't all that interested in seeing it.  The crowds were huge and the sun was hot. We grabbed some food and headed back down the road.  Soon we were skirting the edge of West Thumb and Yellowstone lakes.  Lots of great scenery. The land adjacent to the eastern part of Yellowstone Lake was covered in dead trees, burned by what must have been a recent (within the last year) fire.  The burn area was very large. We also saw a small bit of smoke from what looked like a small wildfire in another area near the lake.  

Along the way, we crossed the Continental Divide twice.  This part of the road travels through some high peaks before finally reaching the East Entrance. Almost immediately, the road enters the Shoshone National Forest, which is very beautiful in a stark, mud-colored canyon sort of way. We followed the Shoshone River, which flowed in what seems to be a very large gully. After about an hour, we reached Cody.

Remember to check out the complete set of pictures on Picasa! 

Catching Up

It's Saturday and we're in West Yellowstone, which is just outside the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park.  We left Red Lodge this morning and drove over the Beartooth Pass and across the northern part of Yellowstone.  It was a glorious day -- not a cloud in the sky and the temperatures ranging from 50 to 80.  The entire drive was stunningly beautiful. And eventful: we saw bison and elk, waterfalls and hot springs, jagged peaks and gorgeous meadows. In a word: spectacular.  There is so much to say about this day, but I'm afraid I just don't have enough time to go into any detail.  I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Thursday and Friday in Red Lodge were also eventful and entertaining, although in a completely different way than Beartooth and Yellowstone.  Our "camping" trip (an overnight stay in a thoroughly luxurious Airstream camper, complete with 3-burner stove, shower and comfortable beds for 5) was completely rained out.  Instead of hiking, we stayed in the Airstream and taught Adam how to play poker.  He was a VERY quick study! 

Friday morning, we thawed out from the overnight cold (low 40's) and damp weather. I took the boys bowling (which is connected to a casino!) and then dragged them through town so I could buy gifts and stock up on baked goods from Red Lodge's amazing 100-yr. old bakery.  

After dinner, we all went to the pig races down the road in Bear Creek.  Bear Creek is a one-horse town that's famous for being close to the old Smith coal mine, which was the site of a terrible explosion that killed 74 miners.  The owner of the Bear Creek Saloon thought that hosting pig races would be a good way to bring visitors out to his otherwise unremarkable town.  It turns out they were a big hit.  Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, they run about a dozen races.  Yes, you can bet on the pigs.  And guess what?  Adam's pig won (#5 in the pictures)! He was thrilled -- mostly because he won $25.  (Don't worry -- our next vacation won't be in Las Vegas.)  The whole is pretty funny and very entertaining.  Who knows, we may introduce groundhog racing back in Pennsylvania....

So that's all for now.  We're spending Sunday in southern and eastern Yellowstone: Old Faithful, Yellowstone Lake, etc.  We hope we'll have another beautiful day.

Buffalo Bill, Gunfights and a Rodeo

We took a day-trip to Cody, Wyoming yesterday to soak in some "real" western culture.  Cody is named after Buffalo Bill Cody, and the city is all about him and his legacy.  

First stop was the Buffalo Bill Museum, which is actually five museums in one.  It's very well done, with comprehensive exhibits of firearms (I've never seen so many guns in my life), Plains Indians, Yellowstone-area natural history, western-themed art and, of course, Buffalo Bill himself.  The boys spent most of the time marveling at the guns (and various trophy heads of caribou, elk, deer, bison, etc.) and the animals in the natural history section.  We learned a lot about horns vs. antlers, the near-extinction of the bison, the various ecosystems within Yellowstone and lots of other great stuff.  It's well worth a visit -- definitely not a cheesy tourist attraction.

The "Cody Gunfight," however, is probably one of the cheesiest, corniest things I've seen.  It was like watching a bad local theater production.  The boys, of course, loved it.  Lots of guns and gunshots.  Adam retrieved a spent shell, and Matthew reenacted the entire battle at dinner. We had dinner at the Irma Hotel, which was designed by Buffalo and Bill and named for one of his daughters. 

After dinner, we headed out to the Cody Night Rodeo, where amateur and/or aspiring rodeo stars took turns wrangling steers, riding bucking bronos, roping calves and racing around barrels.  It was pretty cool -- you don't realize how much skill it takes to do some of these events.  They had events for young kids: calf riding for the boys and barrel racing for the girls.  They were all really good.  At one point, all the kids in the audience were invited onto the arena to try and take a ribbon off a calf.  There must have been 50-75 kids and two calves.  Our boys participated, but only Matthew Gilchrist got close to the calf (and he got pretty darn close).  They all thought it was great fun.  

By the time we left the rodeo, it was 10 pm.  It was a spectacular night sky, with an almost full moon and tons of stars.  I see why people love this place.

Exploring and Hanging Out

We spent Monday and Tuesday exploring the town of Red Lodge, hanging out at the Gilchrist's and hiking nearby trails.  The town is so easy to get around and has plenty of places to sit and enjoy being outdoors.  While the sun is intense and can be quite hot, the air is cool and there's usually a nice breeze.  The weather really couldn't be any nicer.  

Yesterday, the boys and I played a game of Risk on a picnic table under the town's gazebo.  In today's video- and electronics-centric world, it's so nice to do something "old-fashioned" like a play a board game, especially outdoors.  The town is very kid-friendly, with skate-parks, a swimming pool, basketballs and tennis courts, and several playgrounds. 

Later in the day, we hiked up a portion of the Silver Run trail.  Most of the trail is still closed because of the fire, which is contained but still burning.  You can see clearly the many firebreak lines the Forest Service bulldozed throughout the canyon.  It was extremely fortunate the fire didn't spread down the canyon; it's filled with very dry downed trees and has few natural fire breaks. All the trails in this area may not re-open until late fall or winter.  But even on the short stretch that we hiked, there were many great views.  Andrew told us that the exposed rocks on the tops of the mountains are some of the oldest exposed earth in the world.  Pretty amazing.

Today, we're off to Cody, Wyoming for a little "western" culture, including a gunfight and a rodeo.  We'll let you know what happens!

We Arrive in Red Lodge!

After a night of little sleep due to the revving of Harley engines late into the night and then again early Sunday morning, we were all anxious to reach Red Lodge.  We decided to postpone visiting Mt. Rushmore and other sites around Rapid City until our return journey.  

This last leg of our trip was the shortest, but probably the least scenic, at least until the final 100 miles. Western South Dakota and eastern Wyoming aren't very aesthetically interesting -- mostly just rolling hills of coal fields topped by scrub brush and short grasses.  We even had tumbleweeds blow across the road in front of us!  How stereotypically "western wasteland" is that?

Red Lodge is about an hour southwest of Billings, just north of the Montana/Wyoming state line. It sits at the base of the Beartooth and Absoroka mountain ranges, which are about two hours north of Yellowstone National Park and Grand Tetons.  It's a former mining town that was founded around 1900.  It's popular in both the winter and summer, with a ski area on the Beartooth mountains and numerous hiking and mountain biking trails in summer.  Picturesque and non-gentrified, it's a "real" mountain town.

Our friends bought their house here after a long bike ride took Andrew from Yellowstone to Red Lodge.  Beth and and their son Matthew drove there to pick him up and they all were instantly enamored. They live on a pretty street with bungalow style homes that are in various states of renovation.  It's a very laid-back and friendly community, with a one-street downtown, lots of public spaces and several interesting shops.  Crime is almost non-existent, but there is a fair amount of danger from roaming bears and other wildlife (more on that later). It's easy to walk around and, most importantly, there are several sources of good coffee.

When we got in, Andrew told us that two or three bears had been roaming around the town the past few days.  They are getting into trash cans and backyards, but so far hadn't caused any serious damage or harm.  About 10 pm, we heard rustling outside and the dogs started barking.  Lo and behold, one of the bears had come to visit! He (or she) knocked over a very large plastic trash can and picked through the garbage.  After a few minutes, we got a good view of him strolling across the front yard.  The boys were thrilled.

Today, we visited the Red Lodge Nature Preserve, which houses orphaned and injured wild animals. They have bears, grey wolves, coyotes, mountain lions, buffalos, owls, pronghorn deer and many other animals.  Amazingly, many of these animals were once someone's pets!  All are now being taken good care of by a mostly volunteer staff. 

Later in the afternoon, we took a hike in the Beartooth mountains, on a trail that had just reopened after the Cascade wildfire had been contained. We took all four of the dogs (Jake, Ernie, Irska and Popi), who had a great time romping around in the stream and leading us on the trail.  The most exciting part of the hike was our encounter with a young moose.  He was about 30 yards off the trail, almost hidden by the lodgepole pines that border the trail.  On the way up the trail, we all passed without incident, the dogs alert but prudently distant.  On the way down the trail, however, the moose was still there and the dogs were more anxious.  Jake decided to challenge the moose and got within a couple of feet before the moose snorted, growled and moved toward her. Luckily, Jake was either smart enough or scared enough to turn tail and run back to us.  We, of course, quickly moved down the trail and out of the moose's possible field of interest.  

So, in less than 24 hours, we had close encounters with both a bear and a moose.  Not bad for a bunch of suburban boys from Pennsylvania!  All in all, our "Great Western Road Trip" has indeed been pretty great. 

More pictures are posted in the Picasa album.  Be sure to visit!