So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye!

Greetings all,

Today was our last day of the Grand National Park Tour and what a time it has been. All that's left is the long drive home across Western Kansas. We spent today in RMNP and shopping in town.

First thing today we headed up to Bear Lake to do the ritual walkabout the lake. Took the customary rock picture and enjoyed a nice easy hike. On the way up we spotted the same coyote we saw on Tuesday night. At least he looked the same. Today he was just trotting down the middle of the road. He'd look back at us every once and awhile but whenever we'd try to drive around him, he'd move over in our way. He finally headed off the road and down the hill. That was pretty cool.

Bear Lake was very busy. Lots of tourists. I don't qualify as a tourist. I have been here too many times. Anyway, that's how I see it. Then we drove down to Estes to eat lunch at the legendary Bob and Tony's pizza. Shopped just a little but it started to rain so we cut our shopping short. Did get a chance to go to the two fabulous shoe stores here. Last time we were here I spent about $200 between these 2 stores. This year I had iron will power and didn't buy the super cute Keen's. I will see if they have them at home and if not, I will order them online. However, if I'm going to spend that much on casual shoes, I should probably get a new pair of New Balance for work. Also went to the little quilt store and bought some fat quarters that I really don't need but heck, you can never have too much fabric. Anybody want a quilt made from pink/green chintz fabric. I have quite a collection now.

It was back to the cabin where Ken took a 3 hour nap and I watched 3 hours of Women Cops of Broward Co. waiting for him to wake up. Around 8 we took a twilight nature drive on which we saw a small black or brown bear up on the hill. I have always wanted to see a bear in RMNP. Had a late dinner of nachos and red beer at Ed's and we are now watching the news.

It is sad to note that there have been two deaths at places we have been to recently. A man was killed by a bear in Yellowstone on Wed. and today a young man fell from the upper deck of Ranger Stadium trying to catch a fly ball. Makes you stop and think.

Please say a prayer for my friend Valerie and the mission team from Central Community who are in Uganda right now.

Tomorrow we are going to eat lunch at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Denver and then we will get on the road. Expect to be home by late evening. Can't wait to see my kitties and sleep in my own bed.

Traveling the Road

Greetings!

Yesterday we drove Trail Ridge Road from the east side to the west. It is a spectacular drive and one of my favorites.

In 1915 Congress passed the Rocky Mountain National Park Act setting aside some of the most beautiful land in the United States. At that time the philosophy of the Park Service was to make things look natural. So, they cleared trees, put out fires, managed wildlife and other things that were decidedly not natural. The first road through the park from east to west was Fall River Road, a one lane narrow dirt road that began in Endo Valley and ended in the Kauwanechee Valley on the west side. It was and is a difficult drive and was snowed in many months of the year. Today it is designated as a one way road but back then if you met another car going the opposite direction, one of you would have to back up until there was a wide spot in the road. In 1926 or so government authorized the building of a newer, more modern road to accommodate auto tourism. Construction on Trail Ridge Road began and became a WPA project in the 1930's. Once completed the road rose more than 4000 feet to an elevation of 12,138 feet and spans 48 from the east side of RMNP to the west side. Much of the road takes you above treeline and into an alpine tundra area. It is known as the highest, paved, man made road in the world.

Our drive yesterday was mainly to take in the scenic wonder of the park from the car. We saw lots and lots of elk and a few deer. There is still snow at the top as usual but there seems to be a little more this year. Fall River Road usually opens July 4 but the ranger said there is still so much snow that they can't find the road. That's ok because Ken said he wasn't going to drive our new car up that road anyway.

On the west side of the park we stopped in the village of Grand Lake. In honor of my sister's birthday we went to a little ice cream stand that she likes down by the marina. I had a double dip cone of homemade Pecans and Praline/Caramel Fudge Swirl ice cream for lunch. Then it was back over the road. On the way back we stopped at the Summit Park store and looked around. It was just beginning to sprinkle on us but we could see that storms were coming. Fortunately all it did was drizzle while we were driving. We have driven that road in zero visibility fog, at night and in the rain and it can be a little scary in that kind of weather.

Just as we got back to town the sky opened up and it began to pour. We spent a couple of hours just watching it rain. I have never seen rain that heavy here and unlike home, it comes straight down. When it let up we went downtown to eat at Ed's Cantina. Ed's isn't the best Mexican food in the world but they do have good margaritas. We had planned to stay in town for an outdoor band concert but decided since we didn't have lawn chairs, it would be too wet to sit on the ground.

Today hasn't started on a good note. Internet is running uber slow. Someone accidentally banged the screen door when they were getting the hummingbird feeder down to fill (woke me up). Everything in the refrigerator froze so I had to throw out most of the food including the eggs I was going to make for breakfast and I have a headache. I won't let these little things get me down...much. Today we are off to Bear Lake and shopping in town. Tomorrow we plan to eat lunch in Denver and then head home. I can't wait! It's been a nice trip but I'm tired and I want to go home.

TTYL

R and R and R

Evening Greetings from River Spruce

Not much to report tonight. Today was a day of rest, relaxation and rain. It is really amazing how tired you can get from vacation! And I mean that. If you could hear the sound of the river rushing by, the whir of the hummingbirds, the smell of the rain you could understand how easy it is to spend the day reading, sleeping and eating. I really have trouble with that as when I am in vacation mode I think we need to go, go, go. Ken is more able to do nothing so I have tried in the past few years to learn how to do nothing too.

Today I cooked breakfast and dinner, well Ken cooked the burgers on the grill, and it was really nice to eat home cooked food after eating restaurant food for so long. Then we just spent the day reading and snoozing. Tonight we drove up into Rocky Mountain National Park. Evening is the best time to see wildlife at RMNP because there isn't as much traffic. Tonight, since it was pouring rain off and on, there were even fewer people. We saw lots of elk and a few deer. Drove up into a little picnic area that we love called Endo Valley. The area was empty of people but we came up on a family of 3 deer. If we moved slowly, the stayed close by. At one point, we just turned the car off and watched them for awhile. It was very peaceful.

The forecast is for more rain the next two days. 2 plus inches expected. There is a flash flood warning for most of the counties around here and on the Big Thompson. Our cabin is on Fall river and although it is running full and fast, I think we are in good shape.

Tomorrow we plan to spend in the park and will drive up Trail Ridge Road.

Happy Trails!

If God Doesn't Live In Colorado...

I bet that's where He spends most of His time.

Greetings from the Rainbow Cabin in Colorful Colorado!

I am so glad to be here. There is just something special about this river and this place. I am sitting in the living room, it's about 9:30 a.m. and Ken is still asleep. The river out front is roaring and the hummingbirds visit the feeder just outside our window. I am drinking a cup of tea and just enjoying being HERE.

Sunday and Monday were long driving days. We left Yellowstone and headed south to Rock Springs, WY via Jackson Hole and the Grand Tetons. Jackson was overflowing with people so we didn't stop. Arrived in Rock Springs around dinner time. In February when I was making reservations I thought I'd save a little money by this point in the trip so I booked us into The Inn. $69 a night. Had fairly good Trip Advisor ratings so I thought it couldn't be all that bad. When we walked in I noted that the lobby was rather dated looking and that there was an indoor pool just off the lobby. I concluded that this hotel had been a Holidome at one point in it's life. You remember, Holiday Inn's big push to become a resort chain? Restaurants and rooms surrounding a pool and lobby area. They used to be real nice.

Now, my family knows that I am notoriously picky about my hotel rooms. I'm kind of like that commercial where the lady is trying to unlock the Lexus that isn't hers but ought to be. The lobby of the hotel was kind of shabby. The elevator had seen it's better days. The hallway was dark and stunk of cigarettes. My mood was sinking fast. I wasn't at all cheered up when we opened the door to the room. A wave of old cigarette smoke about knocked me over. The room was large and had a king size bed but it looked and smelled like it hadn't been renovated since it was built. Discouragement set in. Ken hustled me off to dinner at Applebees across the street and reassured me that it was only for one night. Yeah, one night in hell. Anyhow, long story short, when we got back I asked the desk clerk if we could move into a non-smoking room and he was glad to oblige. The new room had been remodeled and didn't stink but I'm sure I still slept with one eye open.

Monday we pushed on through Wyoming turning south at Laramie and into Ft. Collins. Two years ago we discovered a wonderful little place called City Butcher and Deli where they made the best Reuben I have ever had. It was made with buffalo pastrami and was just to die for. My mouth was watering to have one yesterday. But, being the 4th, they were closed. I settled for nachos and a red beer at Old Chicago. Then it was on up the Big Thompson Canyon to my home away from home, River Spruce Cottages.

Just a note on the Big Thompson Canyon. On July 30,1976, just a month after my first visit to Estes Park, there was a deadly flash flood through the canyon that killed over a hundred people and permanently changed the landscape of the canyon. (Read more here: www.denverpost.com/mobile/ci4112461). Today you wouldn't know that there had been a flood unless you know what to look for. As we started up the canyon I observed that the sky ahead looked like a thunderstorm so I checked the weather report. Under the severe alerts there was a flood warning for the Big T river due to rapid snow melt in the mountains. Shhhhh, don't tell mom. As you can see, we made it safely up the canyon.

Got moved into our cabin and we both promptly fell asleep. Went to the Safeway about 7:00 and then found a parking place to watch the fireworks over Lake Estes. Since we were hungry we decided to walk down to McDonalds where I splurged and got a Quarter Pounder. No big deal there except when I opened the box, I had a hamburger patty, two slices of cheese, two pickles, onion, ketchup but no bun. Now, how do you forget to put a bun on a hamburger? The manager didn't even act surprised when I showed it to him!

The fireworks over the lake were beautiful and a perfect beginning to this perfect part of the trip. Going to go cook breakfast and then just see where the day takes us.

Talk to you later!

To Mammoth and Beyond!

Happy Saturday!

I am sure you will all be happy to know that I finally got a good night's sleep and am much perkier today! Good thing too because Ken tried to kill me. More on that later.

This morning we breakfasted at a little bakery down the street. There were two couples ahead of us who had to know the ingredients of every item in the bakery case. The woman actually asked if the huckleberry scones had sugar in them. Come on woman, they had a white glaze all over the top and huckleberries are notoriously sour! The finally left without buying anything. Probably on to a more heart healthy breakfast at McDonald's. We ordered croissant breakfast sandwiches that were wonderful!

Today's itinerary was the northern loop of Yellowstone park. We mainly drove, didn't pull out much. Being the July 4th weekend, the park is very crowded. Sometimes though, it seems hard to find an American. We've hear just about every language from Chinese to Aussie. The park is especially teeming with Chinese and Japanese tourists. At dinner last night there was a group of elderly Japanese women. They were served huge hunks of prime rib with dinner salads. Their expressions were funny as they tried to figure out what to do with the plate of lettuce but even better when they saw that hunk of half raw beef in front of them!

As we drove today we encountered several "animal jams". These occur when one car stops to look at an elk or buffalo and every car behind them stops to gawk with them. I think "animal jams" are only appropriate when there is a grizzly bear, of which we saw one again today.

Our first stop today was at Mammoth Hot Springs. To me this is the most beautiful area of the park. There are massive white cliffs with hot spring pools and waterfalls flowing over the cliffs. There is a gorgeous hotel that must have been built in the '20's because of the craftsman architecture throughout the lobby. Just off the lobby is a meeting room and on the wall of the meeting room is a huge map made entirely of inlaid wood. Each state has it's own kind of wood. It is a beautiful piece of art work. In the lobby are some unusual easy chairs and ottomans. Ken plopped down in one while I was shopping. He encouraged me to try one and I think we sat there for 15 minutes just enjoying the comfort of the chairs.

Mammoth is home to Fort Yellowstone. Yellowstone Park was established by Congress in 1872 as the people of the United States began to understand and value the scarcity of the American wilderness. Yellowstone Valley became a protected area but this only encouraged poachers, miners and other opportunists who wanted to take advantage of the tourists and the natural wonders of the area. In response, Fort Yellowstone was established and the Army of the Yellowstone was created. The Army of the Yellowstone was a division of the regular army and was considered to be a prime assignment for the soldiers posted there. Rather than being crudely built as most forts of the day were, the buildings of Ft Yellowstone were built of natural stone. As a result, the original buildings still stand and are used for housing for park personnel.

Our prime destination today was the Lower Falls of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. This is where Ken tried to kill me. DISCLAIMER: Ken did not actually try to kill me but it was his idea to take the trail down to the brink of the falls. The trip down is a steep 3/8 of a mile descent and a 600 foot drop in altitude. This means that the trip up is a steep 3/8 of a mile ascent with a 600 foot gain in in altitude. I thought I was gonna die! Fortunately, the park service anticipated the possibility of such near death experiences and place benches at the top of most of the steepest climbs. What was cute though is the friend I made. There was this little elderly Chinese lady who I noticed was stopping when I stopped and walked when I walked. After the first couple of stops she would pat the seat next to her inviting me to sit down. A few stops later we began a conversation and this continued all the way up the hill. She didn't seem to be as winded as I but she did say she was tired. It made it somewhat easier to get up that hill. I do have to note, Ken walked most of the way up the hill with us and by the end he was getting winded too.

Our time in Yellowstone is almost over. Tomorrow we will drive back through the park and south to Jackson Hole. Then it is on to Rock Springs to do laundry. Monday evening we will be in paradise. The mountains are calling. I must go.

Old Faithful

Greetings!

I didn't get this posted last night as I was just too tired. Vacation can really wear a person out. We started our morning at the Running Bear Pancake House on the recommendation of our inn keeper. It was very busy and just so-so. Nothing to shout about. Headed up into the park about 10:30 with everyone else in the world it seemed. Our first wildlife encounter occurred shortly after entering the park. Traffic was backed up and when we finally got to the head of the line there were 3 large buffalo sauntering down the road. There was a ranger directing traffic and you had to maneuver around the buffalo. They looked like they were out for a morning stroll.

Since our time here is so limited we decided to divide the park into two days. Good thing there are only two loops of road in the park. Yesterday we took the south loop past the geyser fields and down to Old Faithful. The last time we were here was in 1993 and the Old Faithful area has changed a great deal since then. There is a beautiful new visitor's center that opened last August. It is spacious and has a museum gallery, a nice bookstore and a viewing area for Old Faithful. Our timing was perfect as Old Faithful was estimated to erupt a few minutes after we arrived. We made our way to the outside viewing area where about 800 other people had already gathered. After a few false starts and sputters, the geyser shot up into the air about 150 feet and the eruption lasted about 4 minutes.

Since most of the spectators seemed to head to the visitor's center, we decided to go to the Lodge. Yellowstone National Park is the oldest national park in the United States having been designated so in 1872. The first part of the lodge was built in 1903-04. It is beautiful but much more rustic than the lodges in Glacier. The lobby is like an atrium and is about 5 stories high. At the very top is a tree house where orchestra's used to play so people could dance in the evenings. The infrastructure of the lodge was slightly weakened so they don't allow people to go up to the tree house anymore. It was fun to just sit on one of the balconies and watch the people below for awhile.

We went back to the visitor's center after the lodge and spent time looking at the exhibits. It was nearing time for Old Faithful to erupt again (it erupts approximately every 90 minutes thus giving it it's name) so Ken found a spot on the benches in the indoor viewing area. We met two lovely couples from Alabama who come up north every summer. We visited with them while waiting for Old Faithful, about Gulf Shores, their trip, our trip and so on. Following visits to the gift stores and post office we continued our trek around the south loop.

The highlight of the drive, after Old Faithful of course, were the upper falls of the Yellowstone River in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. We walked down the the viewing point on the south side and then drove around to the viewing point on the northside which was right by the falls. It was spectacular.

Drove back to West Yellowstone then and had dinner and then crashed in the motel room. Wildlife count is now: many bison, 1 bear, two or three elk and a couple of deer.

Today after breakfast, we will head up to the park and drive the north loop. I will try to write more tonight.

Love to all!