Thursday was going to be only a travel day; a long way to drive to get home. We took our time getting ready as there really was no rush; nothing scheduled at all. The lady at the front desk recommended "The Bunnery"; we got there just in time as right after we were seated a huge line formed. The food was good, filling, and moderately healthy; there were Oats, Sunflower, and Millet (O.S.M.) in about everything.
From there we pushed north through Star Valley and into Idaho and Bear Lake; stopping in Garden City, Utah right at the junction for lunch and a raspberry shake. Merlin's was where we stopped; I've been there 3 times now and have stopped at a different place each time.
The Logan river was full but not in flood stage; I guess down in Ogden canyon they had flooding. The water features of the trip were full; no drought in the north. I guess we were lucky that the snow had melted enough to do some of the things that we did! Since it was a Thursday we knew we'd encounter traffic in Ogden and Salt Lake; luckily the HOV lane kept us moving reasonably well.
And now it's Friday; a day of rest and relaxation recovering from the road. If I could have done the trip differently I would have extended it by a couple of days but centered in the Old Faithful area at the Inn or Lodge. I would have liked to have spent more time wandering around the Upper Geyser basin; we missed Daisy, Geyser Hill, and the hike out to Morning Glory Pool. I guess we have to go back!
Friday, July 8, 2011
Summer Vacation 2011 - Part 5
Wednesday - our last day in Yellowstone and a lot still to see. We hadn't done any exploring of the geyser basins north of Old Faithful and we had a dinner appointment down in Jackson that we had to make. So that meant we had to get going and early!
Early turned out to be arriving at the Inn at eight for breakfast. We just don't get moving very quickly on these trips. After breakfast and a quick supply stop at the store we left Old Faithful and headed north; destination the Firehole drive and Great Fountain Geyser and the Fountain Paint pots.
Great Fountain geyser is currently unpredictable; we were hoping but were disappointed. But just down the road was White Dome geyser and it is very regular and would only require a maximum of 30 minutes to wait. But right after we got to it it started; what timing! A nice geyser that shot a jet up out of its dome. And then a bonus; Pink Cone geyser was erupting and it only goes off once a day.
Across the road from the Firehole drive is the parking lot for the Fountain Paint pots. And the lot was full; we had to circle around to find a spot. But there is enough turnover that we found a spot pretty quickly and set off, hoping to see some of the geysers around the pots. Devyn was fascinated by the mud pots; he has loved to watch them bubble and has wanted to spend the most time watching them.
There are a number of geysers at the pots, but only Twig and Clepsydra geysers were going. They were pretty awesome; Clepsydra pretty much is always erupting. It is amazing that such a concentration of geysers exists at Yellowstone; just one of these geysers anywhere else would be a big draw and there are hundreds here.
Down the road from the Lower Geyser basin are Midway, Biscuit, and Black Sand Geyser basins. At Midway is one of my favorite thermals: Grand Prismatic Spring. And it didn't disappoint today; the steam rising off the pool reflected all of the colors around the pool, from the orange and yellow edges through the green to the deep blue of the center. Corwyn really thought it was cool as well and accompanied me around the entire loop.
At Biscuit Basin Corwyn and I walked up to Sapphire Pool which was really deep blue and then found a group waiting at Jewel Geyser. Since it was supposed to erupt within 5 minutes we waited and were rewarded with a fun eruption. Jewel is one of the more regular geysers in the park and notwithstanding its smaller size was very nice to watch.
I talked Corwyn into walking the Black Sand Basin trail; it was a short walk but I don't know if I have ever walked it. Knowing the way I always wanted to hike every trail it is possible that I made Leslie go 23 years ago; if I did I don't remember it, though.
After leaving the geyser basins we headed south through Grand Teton National Park, taking the park road instead of the main highway. The road gets right up next to the mountains and they are really impressive, even more so from that close vantage point. Then we drove into Jackson and found our Motel, the Buckrail Lodge, an old log-cabin style motel that was well kept and in great condition. Just in time, too, as we were going to the Bar T 5 Dinner and show.
Not far from the motel was the old Bar T 5 corral; at the corral you climb onto horse-drawn covered wagons which haul you up Cache Creek canyon to where they do their show. Along the way we were ambushed by Indians (all they wanted was the brownies we were told) but were chased off by Buckskin the Mountain Man, who later made an appearance at the show and tried to run off with one of the young ladies. We ended up buying a CD of the entire show so that the kids will remember.
After 3 hours of food, fun, and shenanigans up the canyon we arrived back at the corral and headed back to the motel. A great day, full of fun, and a good way to end our last full day of vacation.
Early turned out to be arriving at the Inn at eight for breakfast. We just don't get moving very quickly on these trips. After breakfast and a quick supply stop at the store we left Old Faithful and headed north; destination the Firehole drive and Great Fountain Geyser and the Fountain Paint pots.
Great Fountain geyser is currently unpredictable; we were hoping but were disappointed. But just down the road was White Dome geyser and it is very regular and would only require a maximum of 30 minutes to wait. But right after we got to it it started; what timing! A nice geyser that shot a jet up out of its dome. And then a bonus; Pink Cone geyser was erupting and it only goes off once a day.
Across the road from the Firehole drive is the parking lot for the Fountain Paint pots. And the lot was full; we had to circle around to find a spot. But there is enough turnover that we found a spot pretty quickly and set off, hoping to see some of the geysers around the pots. Devyn was fascinated by the mud pots; he has loved to watch them bubble and has wanted to spend the most time watching them.
There are a number of geysers at the pots, but only Twig and Clepsydra geysers were going. They were pretty awesome; Clepsydra pretty much is always erupting. It is amazing that such a concentration of geysers exists at Yellowstone; just one of these geysers anywhere else would be a big draw and there are hundreds here.
Down the road from the Lower Geyser basin are Midway, Biscuit, and Black Sand Geyser basins. At Midway is one of my favorite thermals: Grand Prismatic Spring. And it didn't disappoint today; the steam rising off the pool reflected all of the colors around the pool, from the orange and yellow edges through the green to the deep blue of the center. Corwyn really thought it was cool as well and accompanied me around the entire loop.
At Biscuit Basin Corwyn and I walked up to Sapphire Pool which was really deep blue and then found a group waiting at Jewel Geyser. Since it was supposed to erupt within 5 minutes we waited and were rewarded with a fun eruption. Jewel is one of the more regular geysers in the park and notwithstanding its smaller size was very nice to watch.
I talked Corwyn into walking the Black Sand Basin trail; it was a short walk but I don't know if I have ever walked it. Knowing the way I always wanted to hike every trail it is possible that I made Leslie go 23 years ago; if I did I don't remember it, though.
After leaving the geyser basins we headed south through Grand Teton National Park, taking the park road instead of the main highway. The road gets right up next to the mountains and they are really impressive, even more so from that close vantage point. Then we drove into Jackson and found our Motel, the Buckrail Lodge, an old log-cabin style motel that was well kept and in great condition. Just in time, too, as we were going to the Bar T 5 Dinner and show.
Not far from the motel was the old Bar T 5 corral; at the corral you climb onto horse-drawn covered wagons which haul you up Cache Creek canyon to where they do their show. Along the way we were ambushed by Indians (all they wanted was the brownies we were told) but were chased off by Buckskin the Mountain Man, who later made an appearance at the show and tried to run off with one of the young ladies. We ended up buying a CD of the entire show so that the kids will remember.
After 3 hours of food, fun, and shenanigans up the canyon we arrived back at the corral and headed back to the motel. A great day, full of fun, and a good way to end our last full day of vacation.
Summer Vacation 2011 - Part 4
The day after the 4th - could it possibly a bit less crowded as everyone was heading home leaving the park almost empty? Fat chance there. Still lots of cars on the road and parked in the turnouts.
I was worried when planning the day that we wouldn't have much to do in the morning. At noon we had booked a fishing trip on Yellowstone Lake from Bridge Bay marina but we didn't need to get there until half past noon. So what to do in the morning? Well, by the time we got breakfast at the Soda Fountain, turned in the Junior Ranger books at the Visitor Center, and got on the road it was 10:30. Still, it wouldn't take 2 hours to go the 20 or so miles from Canyon to the marina, would it?
Almost immediately after turning south on the Grand Loop road we encountered traffic. There were multiple herds of Bison in Haydon Valley and as we all know the grass is greener on the other side of the road it was time to migrate. Some of the herd wasn't quite sure, though, so we sat and watched with everyone else as the last couple of stragglers finally decided to cross.
We road to Gull Creek was closed on the Bridge Bay side (flooded, the water is really high) but we found the other end of the road and drove back to the picnic area. There we found a really nice lakeside table where we could eat our bagels and drink our chocolate milk and watch the boats on the lake and take pictures. Of course as we walked closer to the lake to take pictures, leaving our bagels on the tables, the local birds got interested and swooped down to bite off pieces. Luckily we had broken the bagels into small pieces to prevent anyone from choking. After shooing off the marauders with some well timed photo shots we headed for the harbor.
Tommy from Tennessee was our guide for the fishing trip, a 2 hour ride to the southern part of the lake, near the West Thumb inlet. Naturally the kids were quite excited about the ride, and even more excited about the prospect of catching some of the native cutthroat trout and the lake trout that were infesting the waters. The fishing method was trolling; get close to the edge of the lake in about 10 feet of water and troll some lures out the back. We were lucky; in the first hour each boy caught a cutthroat which was released back into the lake. Sadly however Leslie didn't catch anything and Devyn was quite upset about the fact that we didn't catch any of those lake trout. If you catch lake trout you can take it to one of the restaurants and they'll cook it up for you!
We then headed over the Continental Divide twice on the way to Old Faithful and our lodging in the Snow Lodge cabins. Instead of checking in though we headed for the Visitor's Center and caught a bench to watch Old Faithful erupt. Still impressive after all these years! And the kids loved it! Then we had dinner, dropped off our bags in the cabin and headed out to see if we could catch Castle Geyser erupting.
The skeeters were swarming badly when we arrived at Castle. The predictions for Castle and Grand are for a specific time plus or minus an hour for Castle and 2 hours for Grand! So that meant we could be waiting for 2 hours for Castle. While we deliberated Beehive went off up near Geyser Hill; that was nice. As we looked down towards Grand we could see and heard from passerby's that it hadn't gone off yet; even though it was into it's last hour. Hmm, Castle or Grand? We took a chance that Grand would go off and we could return to Castle if it went off. Well, halfway to Grand Castle did go off; Corwyn returned and enjoyed a close-up view of it as we watched from the benches at Grand. Then Corwyn rejoined us at Grand. Which was late. Really late! And the skeeters were about ready to drive us off and the sun set. But then...
Grand is very impressive right up next to it. Bursts way over your head and lots of steam and mist! It went off for about 15 minutes and then went quiet and caught us off guard with a second big burst as we were starting to walk off. Wow! Once it was done though we got out of there quickly; the skeeters had gotten enough blood and it was almost dark. In the room we thought about what we had done and felt very fortunate to have had a full day!
Summer Vacation 2011 - Part 3
Monday, the 4th of July! No man-made fireworks for us today. But Yellowstone had some surprises in store for us instead.
The day didn't start out very well, though. The air conditioner had frozen up around 2 a.m. so that the room was stifling, making it hard to sleep. It finally cooled off a little a couple of hours later but it was a bad night; we woke up feeling a lot more tired than normal. But then we drove back into the park and forgot about how tired we were!
First we went up to Mammoth and had a quick breakfast at the snack bar there. Last time we went through there 6 years ago the place had been crowded and noisy and the food not too good. This time it was quiet, relaxed, and since it was breakfast they couldn't cause too much damage. After that we headed for Tower towards our final destination of Canyon.
We saw multiple waterfalls and bison and elk all day! The elk were grazing in Mammoth; the bison were walking across the roads, and the waterfalls were flowing extra strong because of the heavy snowpack which is now melting. There is still large amounts of snow on the upper ridges of the park; some of the snow fields came right down to the road causing some people to stop and play in the snow. I wonder if they were from Florida?
Overall I would say it was not as crowded today; could that be cause it was the 4th and people were home celebrating? Still, this is Yellowstone in July so there were lots of people on the roads and in the parking lots but we managed to find spots to abandon the car for a few minutes where ever we went. We even got in some good hiking; the boys wanted to hike to the brink of Lower Falls so we did and managed to survive the climb back up. We walked the Mud Volcano trail as well as the West Thumb Geyser Basin walk, and saw both Upper and Lower Falls from their overlooks.
On the way in we stopped at Roosevelt to check out the lodge, and later we drove by Lake for the same reason. The Roosevelt Lodge is a gathering place with a dining room and is old and rustic, but just the type of place you'd expect to find and stay at in Yellowstone. When we were looking for lodging for the trip the website listed only double beds and shared baths and 2 logs for the fireplace per night. Sounds great! At Lake there was both a lodge and a hotel; the lodge was the old log-style place and looked cosy whereas the hotel was relatively newer but in yellow! But it was right on the lake and visible from the water. I would stay at either.
Canyon on the other hand is relatively modern; the cabins had queen beds and on-suite toilets but we didn't see the lodge; I hear there is a nice one nearby. It was also very busy; the dining room was mediocre and the cafeteria was crowded. And then it rained, with lightning and thunder, to celebrate the 4th. Nature's fireworks are much better, I'd say.
Since we were done anyway for the day we grabbed some groceries from the store and headed for our "Deluxe Cabin" with 2 queen beds and then relaxed and got ready for bed while the kids pestered us wanting to use the cartridge brewing system. So before hopping into bed we had Lemon Zinger tea (yuck).
The day didn't start out very well, though. The air conditioner had frozen up around 2 a.m. so that the room was stifling, making it hard to sleep. It finally cooled off a little a couple of hours later but it was a bad night; we woke up feeling a lot more tired than normal. But then we drove back into the park and forgot about how tired we were!
First we went up to Mammoth and had a quick breakfast at the snack bar there. Last time we went through there 6 years ago the place had been crowded and noisy and the food not too good. This time it was quiet, relaxed, and since it was breakfast they couldn't cause too much damage. After that we headed for Tower towards our final destination of Canyon.
We saw multiple waterfalls and bison and elk all day! The elk were grazing in Mammoth; the bison were walking across the roads, and the waterfalls were flowing extra strong because of the heavy snowpack which is now melting. There is still large amounts of snow on the upper ridges of the park; some of the snow fields came right down to the road causing some people to stop and play in the snow. I wonder if they were from Florida?
Overall I would say it was not as crowded today; could that be cause it was the 4th and people were home celebrating? Still, this is Yellowstone in July so there were lots of people on the roads and in the parking lots but we managed to find spots to abandon the car for a few minutes where ever we went. We even got in some good hiking; the boys wanted to hike to the brink of Lower Falls so we did and managed to survive the climb back up. We walked the Mud Volcano trail as well as the West Thumb Geyser Basin walk, and saw both Upper and Lower Falls from their overlooks.
On the way in we stopped at Roosevelt to check out the lodge, and later we drove by Lake for the same reason. The Roosevelt Lodge is a gathering place with a dining room and is old and rustic, but just the type of place you'd expect to find and stay at in Yellowstone. When we were looking for lodging for the trip the website listed only double beds and shared baths and 2 logs for the fireplace per night. Sounds great! At Lake there was both a lodge and a hotel; the lodge was the old log-style place and looked cosy whereas the hotel was relatively newer but in yellow! But it was right on the lake and visible from the water. I would stay at either.
Canyon on the other hand is relatively modern; the cabins had queen beds and on-suite toilets but we didn't see the lodge; I hear there is a nice one nearby. It was also very busy; the dining room was mediocre and the cafeteria was crowded. And then it rained, with lightning and thunder, to celebrate the 4th. Nature's fireworks are much better, I'd say.
Since we were done anyway for the day we grabbed some groceries from the store and headed for our "Deluxe Cabin" with 2 queen beds and then relaxed and got ready for bed while the kids pestered us wanting to use the cartridge brewing system. So before hopping into bed we had Lemon Zinger tea (yuck).
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Summer Vacation 2011 - Part 2
We're resting now in our hotel room (the Yellowstone River Inn in Gardiner) after a full day of activities. The kids are busy working on their Junior Ranger books, Leslie is reading her Kindle, and I shouldn't have to tell you what I am doing. Everyone is tired and ready for bed; we're going to get up early and start again tomorrow.
A big decision first thing this morning; go to a sit-down restaurant or through a drive through? The thought of McDonalds didn't really appeal to me so luckily we decided to eat at the Running Bear Pancake House. Leslie had asked the proprietress of the hotel where we should go eat and it came recommended. When we arrived it looked like most of the town was there; luckily we had slept in a little and missed the big rush (hah!). Anyway, we all had some of their plate-size buttermilk pancakes and feeling overfed we then headed for the west entrance. Again, as did everyone else in town (or so it seemed).
After surviving the lines at the entrance gate and at the meadows along the Madison river we made it to Madison and got the kids their Junior Ranger packets and a ranger discussion on birds. Oscar the osprey (Devyn named the bird) performed on cue and dove for a fresh fish! Good timing! And with one activity signed off we headed up the road towards Norris.
I tried to go to a few things that I haven't gone before so we saw Terrace spring, the Artist Paintpots, and before hiking we found a good place for a picnic at the Norris picnic grounds. And luckily Yogi didn't try to steal our picinic cooler! After lunch we headed to Norris where the kids agreed to go on the back basin hike. I was determined to see what happened to Pork Chop Geyser; 23 years ago it was going great guns and then in 1989 it blew up, a year after we were there. The kids were excited too.
After Norris we headed north for Mammoth and Gardiner. Afer checking in we returned to Mammoth and drove the Upper Terrace and visited Palette Spring. Palette Spring was gushing water, the sky was blue, and the light was perfect. But we were getting tired; the boys and Leslie were quite the troopers, though. After that last walk up the boardwalk it was time to leave the park for the night and back down the canyon to Gardiner we went.
Dinner was at Rosie's and now here we are. From the sounds coming from the boys they are no longer working on their booklets; sounds like the DSs are being used. I guess that means it is bedtime!
A big decision first thing this morning; go to a sit-down restaurant or through a drive through? The thought of McDonalds didn't really appeal to me so luckily we decided to eat at the Running Bear Pancake House. Leslie had asked the proprietress of the hotel where we should go eat and it came recommended. When we arrived it looked like most of the town was there; luckily we had slept in a little and missed the big rush (hah!). Anyway, we all had some of their plate-size buttermilk pancakes and feeling overfed we then headed for the west entrance. Again, as did everyone else in town (or so it seemed).
After surviving the lines at the entrance gate and at the meadows along the Madison river we made it to Madison and got the kids their Junior Ranger packets and a ranger discussion on birds. Oscar the osprey (Devyn named the bird) performed on cue and dove for a fresh fish! Good timing! And with one activity signed off we headed up the road towards Norris.
I tried to go to a few things that I haven't gone before so we saw Terrace spring, the Artist Paintpots, and before hiking we found a good place for a picnic at the Norris picnic grounds. And luckily Yogi didn't try to steal our picinic cooler! After lunch we headed to Norris where the kids agreed to go on the back basin hike. I was determined to see what happened to Pork Chop Geyser; 23 years ago it was going great guns and then in 1989 it blew up, a year after we were there. The kids were excited too.
After Norris we headed north for Mammoth and Gardiner. Afer checking in we returned to Mammoth and drove the Upper Terrace and visited Palette Spring. Palette Spring was gushing water, the sky was blue, and the light was perfect. But we were getting tired; the boys and Leslie were quite the troopers, though. After that last walk up the boardwalk it was time to leave the park for the night and back down the canyon to Gardiner we went.
Dinner was at Rosie's and now here we are. From the sounds coming from the boys they are no longer working on their booklets; sounds like the DSs are being used. I guess that means it is bedtime!
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Summer Vacation 2011 - Part 1
Have you ever tried booking lodging in Yellowstone National Park for the 4th of July weekend? Have you ever tried to do it the week before the 4th of July weekend? That's what we had to do since deciding at the last minute to spend the short work week in the park. After several days of refreshing the Xanterra website looking for cancellations and calling the reservation people every hour or so we finally ended up with places to stay every night, although we would be moving every day.
Friday the 1st was spent getting ready for the trip and running all the errands so that we could leave. Today being Saturday the 2nd we set off from American Fork and drove the six plus hours up to West Yellowstone; well actually just a little farther as we had booked a place called the Hebgen Lake Mountain Inn, about 15 miles from the town. Turned out to be a good decision as the view was nice and it wasn't crowded at all. But with the lake right across the street the kids wanted to go fishing. That's okay; I can take them fishing; I just haven't fished in over 25 years! How do you thread and tie everything together? After a frustrating start I finally got the poles ready and off we went and fished, for about 45 minutes. That's all the time we had as we were going to the rodeo and needed to stop and buy sweatshirts (oops, left them at home). No, we didn't catch anything but we tried! Well, the kids tried anyway. I was too busy untangling lines and fetching hooks from the rocks they had gotten wedged behind and shooing off mosquitoes.
The rodeo was fun, especially watching the kids chase the calf trying to get the prize ribbon off of its tail. Now we're giving the kids baths and trying to get everyone to bed; tomorrow we're heading into the park and after doing part of the northwest loop we will end up in Gardiner (near Mammoth).
Friday the 1st was spent getting ready for the trip and running all the errands so that we could leave. Today being Saturday the 2nd we set off from American Fork and drove the six plus hours up to West Yellowstone; well actually just a little farther as we had booked a place called the Hebgen Lake Mountain Inn, about 15 miles from the town. Turned out to be a good decision as the view was nice and it wasn't crowded at all. But with the lake right across the street the kids wanted to go fishing. That's okay; I can take them fishing; I just haven't fished in over 25 years! How do you thread and tie everything together? After a frustrating start I finally got the poles ready and off we went and fished, for about 45 minutes. That's all the time we had as we were going to the rodeo and needed to stop and buy sweatshirts (oops, left them at home). No, we didn't catch anything but we tried! Well, the kids tried anyway. I was too busy untangling lines and fetching hooks from the rocks they had gotten wedged behind and shooing off mosquitoes.
The rodeo was fun, especially watching the kids chase the calf trying to get the prize ribbon off of its tail. Now we're giving the kids baths and trying to get everyone to bed; tomorrow we're heading into the park and after doing part of the northwest loop we will end up in Gardiner (near Mammoth).
Monday, April 18, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Spring Break - Day 11 (17 April 2011): The Long Drive Home
Where did the time go? It seems like we just started the trip and here we are, back in American Fork, getting ready for work and school tomorrow. Sometimes vacations are just not fair; this one was a good vacation but went by way too fast.
The kids both agree that the clubhouse at the Villas was the best part, although the Grand Canyon and being with Mom and Dad was also good (added after the fact, when Dad looked sad). My favorite part had to be the Monument Valley tour; even with the vehicle breakdown and getting sunburnt it was still quite the tour.
Today we started out in Blanding (Corwyn says it is called that because it is bland). I was glad to get away from the Super 8, it wasn't bad for a place to sleep but the breakfast was crappy. But not far out of town was Natural Bridges National Monument; a quick trip around the loop for a view of the three large bridges and a last chance for the kids to walk a little out on a trail. It was peaceful, smelled of pinyon pine and red dirt, and sounded like happy birds. There is a under-the-rim hike that you can take from Sipupu bridge around to the other two; that sounded like a fun hike.
Once we left the monument we headed up via Hite to Hanksville, and just like in Blanding, ate at what was probably the best place to eat in town, Stan's Burger place. On the way out, though, we saw another place that said they were better; who's to know? From then on we were on familiar roads; up to I-70 and then up US6 to Price and over Soldier. The rest of the drive was uneventful, just time consuming and boring. I was glad to be done with the drive (for today, not for the vacation).
This was a good trip; one of those that hopefully the kids will remember years from now. Hopefully we'll be able to pull off a few more of them in the future (the near future, please!).
The kids both agree that the clubhouse at the Villas was the best part, although the Grand Canyon and being with Mom and Dad was also good (added after the fact, when Dad looked sad). My favorite part had to be the Monument Valley tour; even with the vehicle breakdown and getting sunburnt it was still quite the tour.
Today we started out in Blanding (Corwyn says it is called that because it is bland). I was glad to get away from the Super 8, it wasn't bad for a place to sleep but the breakfast was crappy. But not far out of town was Natural Bridges National Monument; a quick trip around the loop for a view of the three large bridges and a last chance for the kids to walk a little out on a trail. It was peaceful, smelled of pinyon pine and red dirt, and sounded like happy birds. There is a under-the-rim hike that you can take from Sipupu bridge around to the other two; that sounded like a fun hike.
Once we left the monument we headed up via Hite to Hanksville, and just like in Blanding, ate at what was probably the best place to eat in town, Stan's Burger place. On the way out, though, we saw another place that said they were better; who's to know? From then on we were on familiar roads; up to I-70 and then up US6 to Price and over Soldier. The rest of the drive was uneventful, just time consuming and boring. I was glad to be done with the drive (for today, not for the vacation).
This was a good trip; one of those that hopefully the kids will remember years from now. Hopefully we'll be able to pull off a few more of them in the future (the near future, please!).
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Spring Break - Day 10 (16 April 2011): Monument Valley
That was a short night; it seemed that no sooner had I gone to bed than Leslie was turning on the lights in the room at the View Hotel. At first I wanted to rebel; but sunrises over Monument Valley are the reason for booking a room there so I did drag myself out of bed. After a quick shower and getting dressed in some warmer clothes (in the 40's) we went out on the balcony and watched as the sky got lighter and lighter, with colors from the rainbow shimmering around the outlines of West and East Mittens and Merrick Butte. It was cold but well worth the early hour and shivering on the balcony. Note: Room 230 at the View has an outstanding view; the balcony is extra long and extends out from under the 3rd floor giving you 270 degree views of the surroundings. And with nothing above you there is a clear view of the sky and the stars.
We stayed outside watching, taking pictures, and videoing until the sun came out from behind the East Mitten (the right one from the View). Once the sun was out the sky hazed up and the colors all went away, except for the red of the rocks and cliffs. That signaled to us that it was time for breakfast; the breakfast buffet at the hotel was very good; they got their spices just right. We then got packed, checked out, and waited in the lobby for Miesha from Navajo Spirit Tours to show up. Larsen showed up first and chatted with us while we waited and then helped us get loaded up in the truck. It was a brown pickup with benches welded in the back and open to the sides. A nice way to view the valley. Down the road from the hotel, with stops at a couple of vantage points until we were climbing the hill up to John Ford Point. Hmm, that smells like radiator fluid.
We had a extra long stop at the Point while a replacement vehicle could be arranged; that gave us the opportunity to talk more with Miesha and take pictures of the kids on the horse. Once the new vehicle had arrived we found another guide with a better truck and switched and then it was back on the tour. We went out past Thunderbird Mesa, saw the petroglyphs and pottery shards way out around the back, saw the Eye, the Ear, and the Hogan, the Totem Pole, heard Miesha play the flute and sing at the Hogan (wow), saw Navajo families having picnics in their park, saw tourists driving around the allowed roads and finally, after about 4 and 1/2 hours ended up back at the Hotel/Trading Post.
Both Devyn and I got sunburned; I cannot forget to put lotion on my legs! We ate a good lunch around 1600 at Gouldings and Leslie got to do some Native American jewelry shopping at the Navajo Market at the junction. Since it had gotten so late we decided to forgo out side trip to 4 corners and headed straight to Blanding; we didn't get in until 1900 anyway. After some burgers and fries at the Patio Drive-In we retired to the room where the kids got some baths (if you roll in the red-dirt at the Monument, what do you expect?) and we got ready for our last day - the drive home via Natural Bridges and Hanksville. ZZZZzzzzzzzz.
We stayed outside watching, taking pictures, and videoing until the sun came out from behind the East Mitten (the right one from the View). Once the sun was out the sky hazed up and the colors all went away, except for the red of the rocks and cliffs. That signaled to us that it was time for breakfast; the breakfast buffet at the hotel was very good; they got their spices just right. We then got packed, checked out, and waited in the lobby for Miesha from Navajo Spirit Tours to show up. Larsen showed up first and chatted with us while we waited and then helped us get loaded up in the truck. It was a brown pickup with benches welded in the back and open to the sides. A nice way to view the valley. Down the road from the hotel, with stops at a couple of vantage points until we were climbing the hill up to John Ford Point. Hmm, that smells like radiator fluid.
We had a extra long stop at the Point while a replacement vehicle could be arranged; that gave us the opportunity to talk more with Miesha and take pictures of the kids on the horse. Once the new vehicle had arrived we found another guide with a better truck and switched and then it was back on the tour. We went out past Thunderbird Mesa, saw the petroglyphs and pottery shards way out around the back, saw the Eye, the Ear, and the Hogan, the Totem Pole, heard Miesha play the flute and sing at the Hogan (wow), saw Navajo families having picnics in their park, saw tourists driving around the allowed roads and finally, after about 4 and 1/2 hours ended up back at the Hotel/Trading Post.
Both Devyn and I got sunburned; I cannot forget to put lotion on my legs! We ate a good lunch around 1600 at Gouldings and Leslie got to do some Native American jewelry shopping at the Navajo Market at the junction. Since it had gotten so late we decided to forgo out side trip to 4 corners and headed straight to Blanding; we didn't get in until 1900 anyway. After some burgers and fries at the Patio Drive-In we retired to the room where the kids got some baths (if you roll in the red-dirt at the Monument, what do you expect?) and we got ready for our last day - the drive home via Natural Bridges and Hanksville. ZZZZzzzzzzzz.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Spring Break - Day 9 (15 April 2011): It's a long way to Monument Valley!
We sure tried to get away early this morning; it just wasn't to be. And with an unscheduled (but rewarding) stop at the Oak Creek Canyon Overlook we were even later. After saying goodbye to Sedona and the Oak Creek Canyon we quickly passed Flagstaff and headed East on I-40. After playing "Take It Easy" by the Eagles we drove through Winslow, Arizona, to see if anybody was standing on the corner (nope). Then on to Holbrook for a bite to eat and an exploration of the rock shop (we like kids; they keep us in business!).
Petrified Forest National Park is made up of two parts; the petrified forest to the south and the painted desert to the north. We started from the south end and looked at rock logs and helped the kids get their junior ranger badges, before driving north. After a few overlooks including seeing the petroglyphs at Newspaper Rock we crossed over I-40 and past the Painted Desert. Nice colors for a desert.
Leaving the park we headed East for 20 miles then turned northwards for the drive through the Navajo Nation to Monument Valley. The trip surprised me; the first part for the green hills (bushed and scrub trees) and the second for the A&W in Chinle. Even the Indian Road #59 turned out to be a good highway, cutting some time off the run to the North.
We arrived well after dark at the View Hotel, inside the tribal park, and found out that our King Suite (#230) was excellent! An extra long balcony lets you step back and see the stars and look around a 270 degree arc. And with an almost full moon we could see the monuments beckoning out in the valley; can't wait for sunrise tomorrow (6:45, another early morning I guess).
I'm typing this in the hotel lobby (wireless) and in the background there is Native American flute music playing; sounds wonderful! I will miss the southwest; it always puts me in a very enlightened state!
Petrified Forest National Park is made up of two parts; the petrified forest to the south and the painted desert to the north. We started from the south end and looked at rock logs and helped the kids get their junior ranger badges, before driving north. After a few overlooks including seeing the petroglyphs at Newspaper Rock we crossed over I-40 and past the Painted Desert. Nice colors for a desert.
Leaving the park we headed East for 20 miles then turned northwards for the drive through the Navajo Nation to Monument Valley. The trip surprised me; the first part for the green hills (bushed and scrub trees) and the second for the A&W in Chinle. Even the Indian Road #59 turned out to be a good highway, cutting some time off the run to the North.
We arrived well after dark at the View Hotel, inside the tribal park, and found out that our King Suite (#230) was excellent! An extra long balcony lets you step back and see the stars and look around a 270 degree arc. And with an almost full moon we could see the monuments beckoning out in the valley; can't wait for sunrise tomorrow (6:45, another early morning I guess).
I'm typing this in the hotel lobby (wireless) and in the background there is Native American flute music playing; sounds wonderful! I will miss the southwest; it always puts me in a very enlightened state!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Spring Break - Day 8 (14 April 2011): Loop from Sedona
We set out today to visit Montezuma's Revenge Well and Castle. First, though, on the way out of town was a stop at the Chapel of the Holy Cross just south of Sedona. I think what is the most impressive thing there is the fine view: across to Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock next to Courthouse Butte, the 2 Nuns and Yogi Bear, and the huge mansion just below the chapel. Someone had money and used it to get past a few local ordinances, I think!
I forgot how quickly the scenery changes when you head south out of Sedona; in just a couple of minutes all of the red rock is gone and it is again desert. As we approached Montezuma's well it looked like we were in the middle of nowhere; but once to the top of the rim of the sink hole you realize that with just a little water there is a lot of life in the desert. The trail down to the ruins by the well was steep but worth it; it was quite nice down next to the water and the cottonwoods. Of course Devyn didn't want to hike down the trail until after Corwyn and myself were back to the top; because I'm such a great guy I took him down as well. I think the air is thinner there at the well; I was sure puffing...
Down by Beaver Creek where the outlet from the well flows is also an incredible place; you can hardly believe you're in the desert. Cool, trees, water, buzzing bugs, poison ivy; everything you'd want in paradise (okay, maybe not the trees).
Montezuma's Castle was actually the shorter of our two stops at ancient sites; a quick walk down the path and some photos and video of the castle up on the wall of the cliff. It is pretty amazing that people lived in those structures; too bad they don't have a bed and breakfast there!
Up to Jerome for lunch. The place we stopped was perched (as is most of the town) on a narrow ridge with stilts and posts to give you some level ground for walking and driving; it was the Haunted Hamburger Bar and Grill. No ghosts came to take our order, but we had a nice view out over the hazy dry desert. The food was outstanding. Afterwards we backtracked a little and headed for Sedona, there to do laundry and listen to a local guy (from Guam) play homemade bamboo flutes and make animal noises with them (listen to the CD).
Tomorrow morning it's up early, pack, and hit the road heading to the North East, towards Petrified Forest and Monument Valley!
I forgot how quickly the scenery changes when you head south out of Sedona; in just a couple of minutes all of the red rock is gone and it is again desert. As we approached Montezuma's well it looked like we were in the middle of nowhere; but once to the top of the rim of the sink hole you realize that with just a little water there is a lot of life in the desert. The trail down to the ruins by the well was steep but worth it; it was quite nice down next to the water and the cottonwoods. Of course Devyn didn't want to hike down the trail until after Corwyn and myself were back to the top; because I'm such a great guy I took him down as well. I think the air is thinner there at the well; I was sure puffing...
Down by Beaver Creek where the outlet from the well flows is also an incredible place; you can hardly believe you're in the desert. Cool, trees, water, buzzing bugs, poison ivy; everything you'd want in paradise (okay, maybe not the trees).
Montezuma's Castle was actually the shorter of our two stops at ancient sites; a quick walk down the path and some photos and video of the castle up on the wall of the cliff. It is pretty amazing that people lived in those structures; too bad they don't have a bed and breakfast there!
Up to Jerome for lunch. The place we stopped was perched (as is most of the town) on a narrow ridge with stilts and posts to give you some level ground for walking and driving; it was the Haunted Hamburger Bar and Grill. No ghosts came to take our order, but we had a nice view out over the hazy dry desert. The food was outstanding. Afterwards we backtracked a little and headed for Sedona, there to do laundry and listen to a local guy (from Guam) play homemade bamboo flutes and make animal noises with them (listen to the CD).
Tomorrow morning it's up early, pack, and hit the road heading to the North East, towards Petrified Forest and Monument Valley!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Spring Break - Day 7 (13 April 2011): Help, a Vortex has swallowed my mind!
I told myself not to sleep in 'cause of all the things that we wanted to do and time was running out but I still stayed in bed. Luckily the kids help wake us up and we were able to finally drag ourselves out and about before too late in the morning. I decided that one of the reasons that I was sleeping in so much was that my psychic batteries were running low - planned on two things to get my recharged: 1) a round of golf with the kids and 2) a visit to one of the local vortexes (or is that vortices, I don't know).
Leslie's Dad and I played 9 holes with the boys at Canyon Mesa Country Club, a short par 28 course in Oak Creek. The views were wonderful, the golf was so-so, the boys did pretty well (didn't pound their clubs into the green this time, a victory!). In the end I came away feeling tired, warm, and happy that I didn't let out a string of cuss-words at some of my errant shots.
Dinner was at Cafe Elote, well recommended by guide books and locals. Mexican food done in a more authentic manner; tasty and varied. I also recommend it but agree with the books; plan on showing up right before it opens or you'll have to wait a while for a table!
On the way back we stopped at the Airport Mesa Overlook and watched the sunset. Sadly the sky was really clear so there were no bright colors. But it was pretty anyway. And then on the drive back down we pulled off at the lower trailhead and walked up with the boys to the saddle which is where the Vortex is supposed to be. Now I normally consider myself somewhat attuned to things of a psychic nature, but either my karma was too purple or someone forgot to turn it on. I'll have Leslie check tonight to see if I glow in the dark...
Leslie's Dad and I played 9 holes with the boys at Canyon Mesa Country Club, a short par 28 course in Oak Creek. The views were wonderful, the golf was so-so, the boys did pretty well (didn't pound their clubs into the green this time, a victory!). In the end I came away feeling tired, warm, and happy that I didn't let out a string of cuss-words at some of my errant shots.
Dinner was at Cafe Elote, well recommended by guide books and locals. Mexican food done in a more authentic manner; tasty and varied. I also recommend it but agree with the books; plan on showing up right before it opens or you'll have to wait a while for a table!
On the way back we stopped at the Airport Mesa Overlook and watched the sunset. Sadly the sky was really clear so there were no bright colors. But it was pretty anyway. And then on the drive back down we pulled off at the lower trailhead and walked up with the boys to the saddle which is where the Vortex is supposed to be. Now I normally consider myself somewhat attuned to things of a psychic nature, but either my karma was too purple or someone forgot to turn it on. I'll have Leslie check tonight to see if I glow in the dark...
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Spring Break Day 6 (12 April 2011): That's a pretty big hole!
The first morning that we didn't just sleep in: the alarm went off at 0600 and it was dark! And the bed was still inviting. But we dragged our butts out of bed and got ready and told the kids it was time to get ready for school (Dad, you're kidding, right?). On the road at 7:30 and a straight drive up to the Grand Canyon. The kids had never been there and it had been 11 years for Leslie and me, so the impact was incredible!
We left the car at the Visitors' Center by Mather Point and took the shuttle bus over to El Tovar and the Hopi House. From there it was an easy walk downhill to the Bright Angel lodge (lunch, overpriced) and the Hermit's Rest shuttle stop. Along the way there was some illicit squirrel feeding; the little scamps are pretty cheeky around the Rim Lodges.
We didn't stop at all the stops on the way to Hermit's Rest but we stopped at a lot of them and the kids seemed happy. But by the time we got back to the Visitors' Center it was just passing 1700 and it closed. Also out at Desert View the museum and center closed at the same time, so we didn't even go out that way. Instead we headed straight for Flagstaff, and by the time we had dinner and headed down into Oak Creek Canyon it was almost 2200 when we got back to the timeshare. The kids went right to bed with no complaints and we're deciding right now whether we should follow suit.
We left the car at the Visitors' Center by Mather Point and took the shuttle bus over to El Tovar and the Hopi House. From there it was an easy walk downhill to the Bright Angel lodge (lunch, overpriced) and the Hermit's Rest shuttle stop. Along the way there was some illicit squirrel feeding; the little scamps are pretty cheeky around the Rim Lodges.
We didn't stop at all the stops on the way to Hermit's Rest but we stopped at a lot of them and the kids seemed happy. But by the time we got back to the Visitors' Center it was just passing 1700 and it closed. Also out at Desert View the museum and center closed at the same time, so we didn't even go out that way. Instead we headed straight for Flagstaff, and by the time we had dinner and headed down into Oak Creek Canyon it was almost 2200 when we got back to the timeshare. The kids went right to bed with no complaints and we're deciding right now whether we should follow suit.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Spring Break - Day 5 (11 April 2011): Pink Jeep Tour
Finally a day that involved some outdoor activities. We went out with Gary from Pink Jeep tours and after a drive up the Schnelby Hill Road we went on the Broken Arrow drive, out to Chicken Point and down the Road of No Return. It was a blast; the kids laughed and smiled the entire time and my back is not too sore from the bumpy road. We learned some geology, watched a couple of daredevil kids riding their bikes on the white line. And then it was time for dinner and now it is dark. The time is really flying by down here; at this rate we'll be on our way back home in no time (dang!).
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Spring Break - Day 4 (10 April 2011): So where did all that snow go?
Ah, a sunny day! After all of the storms of the preceding days this would have been a great day to get outside and get some of our activities in. Oh wait, too wet and muddy. Still, a promising start to the week. Temperatures in the 60's, sunny, all of the snow vanished (off the ground, at least). If it stays warm and sunny (it is supposed to) we might actually get in some golf or jeep tours or hiking like we planned!
Corwyn has found a boy about his own age here at the Villas and has been playing games, swimming, and telling stories with him. This has been great for him. Of course Dad is sad because he is not spending as much time with him as he would like; I guess I had better get used to it (growing up can be sad).
Two Lego kits assembled, two new games played with, another round of Chip n Dale Rescue Rangers watched (I hope I don't get off the edge and destroy those DVDs!).
Dinner was at the Cowboy Club - a fancy way of saying that the food was too expensive. There are some nice places to eat here, but the food seems uniformly expensive. Resort towns; I guess you're paying for the mystical vortex energy that has soaked up into your food. It had better make me feel energized!
Watching the Masters on TV today made me want to play golf; watching McIlroy self-destruct reminded me of what it'll look like when I do go play golf. It is better to be out playing bad golf than thinking about good golf!
Corwyn has found a boy about his own age here at the Villas and has been playing games, swimming, and telling stories with him. This has been great for him. Of course Dad is sad because he is not spending as much time with him as he would like; I guess I had better get used to it (growing up can be sad).
Two Lego kits assembled, two new games played with, another round of Chip n Dale Rescue Rangers watched (I hope I don't get off the edge and destroy those DVDs!).
Dinner was at the Cowboy Club - a fancy way of saying that the food was too expensive. There are some nice places to eat here, but the food seems uniformly expensive. Resort towns; I guess you're paying for the mystical vortex energy that has soaked up into your food. It had better make me feel energized!
Watching the Masters on TV today made me want to play golf; watching McIlroy self-destruct reminded me of what it'll look like when I do go play golf. It is better to be out playing bad golf than thinking about good golf!
Spring Break - Day 3 (April 9, 2011): Oh, it never snows in Sedona!
When we woke up I could swear that the sliver of sky I could see through the blinds was silver; you know, that silver-color that means snow. "Can't be; we left all that behind in Utah!" Wrong. Wet, cold, slippery snow, piled outside. A nice day to relax indoors.
To top it all off a gas leak in the clubhouse meant that the kids couldn't use the facilities except for the indoor pool. It was 60 degrees in the building so it wasn't too bad; the water was warm. But getting back to the room was a challenge; still cold outside!
An impromptu snowball fight with Leslie's Dad ended with a skinned knee and a sprained ego; luckily the knee didn't need much first aid but the ego; that's a different story.
To top it all off a gas leak in the clubhouse meant that the kids couldn't use the facilities except for the indoor pool. It was 60 degrees in the building so it wasn't too bad; the water was warm. But getting back to the room was a challenge; still cold outside!
An impromptu snowball fight with Leslie's Dad ended with a skinned knee and a sprained ego; luckily the knee didn't need much first aid but the ego; that's a different story.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Spring Break - Day 2 (April 8, 2011): Dam the Storms, Full Speed Ahead!
After last nights blizzard on the way to Kanab we thought we were done with storms. We were wrong.
Since the road to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon was still closed we decided to go south by way of Page and the Glen Canyon Dam. We're glad we did as the kids loved the Visitor's Center at the Glen Canyon Dam (well, they loved the gift shop, anyway. I've never seen kids so wound up over little plastic flashlights!). Corwyn and Devyn got their Junior Ranger badges and after lunch in Page headed south for Flagstaff. 2 more storms coming down: a sandstorm after the Tuba City junction and a snowstorm going by Flagstaff.
Then it was easy; just a quick 25 mile drive through Oak Creek Canyon into Sedona. But when we got to Sedona it was crowded and unrecognizable; I guess it has been 11 years since we were last here. Things have gotten even more touristy and with all the new shops, hotels, and new age crystal vortex pyramid healing powers of the mind massage and holistic well-being centers (I can feel it working already!) it seemed to be bursting at the seams. Maybe the cold/wet weather we are supposed to get this weekend here will drive some of the people away (really bad odds).
Well, we've had a good dinner, played a game about the Grand Canyon (Corwyn's purchase from the dam gift shop), got the kids to bed, and caught up on missed events from back home (Corywn took 1st in state charter school photography for his age group! and Devyn took 2nd for his). Now it's time to relax and ZZzzzzzzzzz......
Since the road to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon was still closed we decided to go south by way of Page and the Glen Canyon Dam. We're glad we did as the kids loved the Visitor's Center at the Glen Canyon Dam (well, they loved the gift shop, anyway. I've never seen kids so wound up over little plastic flashlights!). Corwyn and Devyn got their Junior Ranger badges and after lunch in Page headed south for Flagstaff. 2 more storms coming down: a sandstorm after the Tuba City junction and a snowstorm going by Flagstaff.
Then it was easy; just a quick 25 mile drive through Oak Creek Canyon into Sedona. But when we got to Sedona it was crowded and unrecognizable; I guess it has been 11 years since we were last here. Things have gotten even more touristy and with all the new shops, hotels, and new age crystal vortex pyramid healing powers of the mind massage and holistic well-being centers (I can feel it working already!) it seemed to be bursting at the seams. Maybe the cold/wet weather we are supposed to get this weekend here will drive some of the people away (really bad odds).
Well, we've had a good dinner, played a game about the Grand Canyon (Corwyn's purchase from the dam gift shop), got the kids to bed, and caught up on missed events from back home (Corywn took 1st in state charter school photography for his age group! and Devyn took 2nd for his). Now it's time to relax and ZZzzzzzzzzz......
Spring Break - Day 1 (7 April 2011): Snow Storm!
After a half day of work we planned to get everything ready for when the kids got out of school; then we could get away and make it to Kanab before it got really late. Well, we didn't get away until 1730, had rain off and on through Beaver, before finally making it into Panguitch around 2130. Then the nasty part of the 1st day's trip - a foul blizzard just out of Panguitch until Glendale; for awhile there we thought we weren't going to make it. But there was a truck ahead of us that made tracks and as we passed Glendale the snow turned to rain and as we arrived in Orderville things were okay again. We pulled into Kanab @ 2300 to the Kanab Victorian Inn, a very nice hotel with character. It didn't take us long to get ready for bed and then poof, we were out!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
The Long Dark Winter of the Soul
With apologies to Douglas Adams.
Winter is done. Except for a dash down to LA to visit Leslie's parents during the Christmas break we have stayed at home and wished we were somewhere warm! Even the trip to LA was cold; the day we went to Disneyland we almost froze. Of course the kids wanted to go on Splash Mountain and we got soaked!
Starting in January we had ski lessons for the boys; what turned out to be 10 weeks of fun through the NAC at Park City Mountain Resort. Both boys have taken to skiing like they have been doing it ever since they were born. Part of me will be sad that it will be over next weekend; the other part of me is excited to finally be done with it as it has consumed almost every Saturday.
With the weather getting warmer I will be having to spend the weekends out in the yard; I will miss the snow!
Winter is done. Except for a dash down to LA to visit Leslie's parents during the Christmas break we have stayed at home and wished we were somewhere warm! Even the trip to LA was cold; the day we went to Disneyland we almost froze. Of course the kids wanted to go on Splash Mountain and we got soaked!
Starting in January we had ski lessons for the boys; what turned out to be 10 weeks of fun through the NAC at Park City Mountain Resort. Both boys have taken to skiing like they have been doing it ever since they were born. Part of me will be sad that it will be over next weekend; the other part of me is excited to finally be done with it as it has consumed almost every Saturday.
With the weather getting warmer I will be having to spend the weekends out in the yard; I will miss the snow!
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