Summer 2010 - Phase II

Summer 2010 Phase II
8/29/2010 9:07:29 PM

Captains Log – Stardate August 11, 2010 to August 21, 2010

A Journal of our Trip out West

Synopsis

· Wednesday – August 11 – Left the house at 8:00. Jamie drove us to Dulles. Took Southwest to Denver. Caught the SuperShuttle to B & B RV Rental. Got the briefing on the vehicle (and had to pay an extra $230 for insurance. Took off and struggled through Denver traffic up to Cheyenne, Wyoming. Stopped at a Denny’s nearby for dinner and go to the RV park just at dusk. Struggle a bit figuring out the hookups for the first time.

· Thursday – August 12 – Packed up the RV and made the long drive across Wyoming to Jackson. Very windy and very desolate. Hard to believe there is that much open space. Stopped to eat lunch in a spot called Three Forks (?). Struggled across the top of a mountain range that was under construction!! When we finally took a turn towards the northeast we saw our first, breathtaking view of the Tetons through a haze. Incredible. We drove past them and into Jackson (almost out of gas!) and found the KOA south of town on the Snake River and Horse Creek – with a couple dozen yards. The boys enjoyed skipping stones along the Rushing Snake River.

· Friday – August 13 – When we got up we shuffled over to the office where we donned wet suits for a whitewater trip down the Snake River. It was a gorgeous day. Unfortunately, Chris decided to sit up front where he took the brunt of the crashing waves and became very cold, wearing a cotton shirt. He switched places with Patrick and sat behind me, but he was shivering quite a bit. Not a good experience for a 16 year old who didn’t want to be there anyway. Afterwards we were given a box lunch by the river. After hanging out at the campsite, we drove into Jackson where we walked around the shops and went to dinner at the Silver Dollar Grill at the Wort Hotel.

· Saturday – August 14 – Checked out of the KOA and drive up through Jackson to the Teton mountains. Got out at the String Lake picnic area to have lunch; then hiked around it – about 5 miles. A beautiful hike; gorgeous scenery, mild temperatures. Very invigorating. Just a bit marred by Chris (and Patrick who followed him) who rushed ahead. The horses heading back to the barn. Midafternoon we headed up another 20+ miles to the Flagg Ranch; a remote Park owned (privately-operated) campground with more wooded sites and a lodge. Got some boxes of wood and built a campfire and made S’mores.

· Sunday – August 15 – From Flagg Ranch the south entrance to Yellowstone is only two miles away and we devoted the day to exploring what we could. Saw the Lewis Falls, then went to see Old Faithful go off; then stopped by some exotic hot springs with wild colors. Sticking to the “south loop” we turned east and got caught up in construction and traffic. (!?!?!) Too many people. Stopped at a wayside for a picnic lunch. Then managed to get to Canyon village visitors center and when went down and hiked down to see Lower Falls and then along the north canyon ridge to Lookout Point and Grand View…..trailing along a very disgruntled 16 year old. Martha was incredibly nervous the whole time with steep drop-offs. Turning south we came across herds of buffalo with many cars stopped and people out looking at them – a big ‘no-no.’ I was tired and the boys were getting irritable We stopped at the Grant Village to see if there was a decent restaurant (and for me to send an e-mail on not making a morning conference call). But no luck on either score, so we went back to Flagg Ranch where we ate in the Lodge. Turns out the Chicago Bears were playing the San Diego Chargers on the bar television, so after setting up the RV, Nathan and I went back to have a couple drinks and watch.

· Monday – August 16 – Since the previous day was tiring and we knew that Tuesday would bring a long drive to South Dakota, we decided to take it easy – like taking a day off. While we originally planned to spend another day in Yellowstone, the crowds and the general confinement persuaded us to do something different. Martha suggested we simply go back down to the Teton area and rent kayaks on Jenny Lake. So we spent the morning lounging around the campsite and headed back down south around noon. We had trouble finding a parking space, so we went off to a “turnout” and fixed lunch in the RV with a beautiful view of the Tetons. When we went back, we got a space, and kayaked around Jenny Lake for an hour and a half (again, with a grumbling 16 year old). On the drive back we stopped at a grocery store at Colbert Village and Nathan and I were stuck in a shower getting the groceries out to the RV. Had another nice fire where we cooked brats and S’mores.

· Tuesday – August 17 – Driving, driving, driving. We got up early and headed east, saying goodbye to the Tetons and initially struggling across a horrendous construction project across the top of the mountains. Then a long – ten hour – drive across Wyoming to South Dakota. All the while Patrick marveled at the “all the nothing” that is Wyoming and the amusing population signs on some of the towns….Lost Springs – Population 1 (??) At about 7:00 we arrived in Custer and the Beaver Lake Campground. Much more developed than where we’d been. The private campground had more hub-bub, a pool, waterslide and a bunch of bunnies that lived on the property. The town was much less sophisticated than where we’d been. More rural “poorer folk” and a lot of bikers – most of them older. Clearly they depended on tourism. We got our spot at Beaver then went shopping in town. On our return, we quickly did our hookups and the boys figured out the cable t.v. Oh, joy!

· Wednesday – August 18 -- A touristy kind of day. We drove to the nearby Crazy Horse Memorial ($27.00 to get in!!). We toured the facility and watched the movie and we’re very impressed with the legacy of the sculptor and his family and their dedication to the project, funded completely with private support. We were also impressed with the scale of the project. Mount Rushmore, which is only about 60 feet high, could fit in a small corner of Crazy Horse, with is 571 feet high. We next went to Mount Rushmore and it did, indeed, seem somewhat small. We walked along the “President’s Path” to get a closer look and then stopped by a Sculptor’s Studio to see some background. Patrick got intrigued with a couple books there – Poems of Abraham Lincoln (didn’t know he’d written any) and a speech by Theodore Roosevelt “The Strenuous Life” about personal character and development. Since I didn’t have any money at the time we all had to go back to the RV, get the cash, then Patrick and I ran back down the paths to buy the books. I wanted to encourage it. It was the only time we rolled the RV up on to blocks to keep it level to prevent the fridge from konking out. Next we decided to take in a couple of the cute, little touristy towns. We first pulled through Keystone, which is notoriously touristy, and since we couldn’t easily find a parking space, just passed on through. So we went on to Hill City, another touristy town with a distinct biker flavor. After walking around the shops a bit, got some ice cream and then headed back to the campground. Patrick, Nathan and Marth went to the pool and waterslide and we cooked brats and made S’mores over a campfire.

· Thursday – August 19 – Decided to make it more of an outdoors-ish day. Driving into Custer State Park we quickly came across a huge male buffalo walking down the road! A bit further in we turned a corner and came face-to-face with an entire herd! They were all over and cars were stopped voluntarily to view them or blocked by the buffalo on the road. We parked and went over to the visitors center where we got directions on a hiking path. After struggling to find the route we dodged poison ivy along a meandering path that eventually climbed up to the top of a hill to a location called Lover’s Leap. The 16-year old again grumbled throughout the journey. When we got the end of the trail we were on the other side of the buffalo herd and had to skirt them along the road to get back to our RV; which terrified Martha. After eating lunch in the RV we continuing around the Wilderness Loop and came across some burros who could be legitimately fed because they were not technically “wild” but had been set free from tours up a nearby mountain. Big moochers. They got some carrots from us. It was really beautiful country. It looked like it could be “god’s golf course” with rolling hills broken up by patches of evergreen trees in great long expanses that seemed so peaceful. At the end of the route we stopped for a picture with our “trusty steed” then stopped by the grocery store (again) on our way back to Beaver Lake Campground. Patrick and Nathan went back to the waterslide. We made our remaining meal (Hamburger Helper) and had a final evening of roasting S’mores over a campfire.

· Friday – August 20 – I got up early, disconnected the lines to the RV and pulled the slider in, allowing the boys to sleep a bit longer while we got under way. We had to make it back to Denver from Custer, South Dakota by 2:00 or 3:00. Once we made it there, I pulled up to the Renaissance Hotel and we packed all our things up and emptied the RV. I left them to check in while I returned the RV to B&B Rental a couple blocks away. I turns out the hotel was quite nice (and only $125.00 for the night). We were all sharing one room, but we were already used to the RV and it was only for one night. It was only 3:30 so we headed down to the workout room – except Chris, who stayed in the room watching t.v. We worked for a while and then went out to the pool and the Jacuzzi. There seemed to be a gay-lesbian reception going on at poolside, but they didn’t seem to mind. They had a snack table, though, and Patrick and Nathan kept asking if they could possibly have any. After getting cleaned up we were given a shuttle over to a nearby shopping area and went to an Olive Garden for dinner. Afterwards we walked over to a Bass Pro Shop to look around – Martha was slightly shocked, though she did end up buying a couple things. Then the hotel provided a shuttle to come and pick us up.

· Saturday – August 21 – Heading home. We enjoyed a very extensive breakfast buffet at the hotel – though the boys eyes’ were bigger than their stomachs and left quite a bit. Then caught a hotel shuttle over to the airport, dropped our bags at curbside and went through the usual security dance (Patrick had to lose his pocket knife!) We changed planes in Chicago at Midway, where we got some lunch – as well some disturbing news about Jamie. Then after the flight back to Dulles were picked up by Gaye Warner, Ellis’ mom.

· The trip was an adventure and while it cost quite a bit, was well worth it. It was distinctively different from our usual routine, gave us a chance to break out of our shell with a unique perspective – and were pleasantly surprised by the camper life – gave the boys a chance to see something they’ve never seen before and will remember for years to come. And maybe most importantly, gave us a common bonding experience that we’ll all remember. At the end of days, those are the things we remember most and are the most important.