As I did yesterday, today's post is broken down in to three categories: pictures, highlights, and between the ears stuff. But a heart felt mazel tov to Liane and Greg (and Quinner) on the birth of their newborn son, Campbell McGregor Smiley. Charley Mike Sierra. Well done.
Photos
Here ya go; there's a lot today.
Highlights:
Very cold in West Yellowstone; car temps at 38 when I got in
Hit the road around 9 AM and went through Yellowstone from Northwest entrance
Saw a bunch more wildlife, but crowds near popular sites and bad weather (snow!) changed my plan
Rather than going south to the Grand Tetons, I headed for NE corner of Yellowstone
NE Corner of Yellowstone was unreal; tons of wildlife, some great views
Outside the park, picked up a Scenic Highway that may have been toughest driving thus far; at 11,000 feet, driving through clouds on windy roads was tricky
Stopped in Cody for late lunch around 3 PM, at at Irma's Wild Bill's Hotel that was what you'd expect
Headed east on some scenic routes to Sheridan, Wyoming
Checked in to a Motel 6 that is not cool. (Smoking room, carpet that resembles the felt on a blackjack table in downtown Reno, and smells worse than most fraternity houses. I will be sleeping in my clothes tonight.)
Blogging
Between the Ears
I really liked Yellowstone, and wished I went there first rather than going north to Glacier, but waddayagonna do. The scenery is unreal, and I would have loved to have explored more through Yellowstone and the Tetons. My decision to skip the Tetons was something I made after noticing the herd mentality in the park, the weather, and Annie not being a good 'visitor' to the park. There were still a ton of things to see from the road, and I had a great day behind the wheel.
I was really blown away a few times today behind the wheel. Early in the morning, I remember feeling like I was in Disneyworld and following the herd to each 'attraction' in the park. It felt inauthentic (not sure if that's a word), and just didn't feel right. I was on the main loop through the park, and there was a ton of cool stuff to see, but it just felt like I was in some safari ride in a theme park. I decided to head for the Northeast corner of the park, which is what Mark (the bear tracker from Kalispell) suggested. He was right on; it was very remote, and a super cool drive.
In the travel book I keep nearby, Charles Kuralt (Former CBS Sunday Morning Host) called it the most beautiful stretch of road in the country. It was funny reading that quote--I remember my folks watching that show when I was young (usually right before NFL pre-game shows) and it was never of interest. Now if I catch it, there's usually some cool pieces, and I can see why Chuck felt it was such a great drive. There were some wildlife sightings you'll see in the photos, mainly some deer, a ram (?), and a basset/beagle that was a total pain in the butt.
From a weather standpoint, its friggin cold here. The temps today stayed between 42 and 50 degrees; not exactly warm stuff. I'm wearing winter clothing, so its not exactly summer, and its been rainy/grey at times too. Visibility isn't great at high altitudes, since you're literally in the clouds. Driving in the clouds was bizarre; I could see about 50 yards in front of the car, and I remember thinking, "gosh its foggy here" until I realized how high up we were.
Annie has been hanging like a trooper, and she's not exactly an ideal wingwoman for trips in to quiet areas of the park where there are wildlife around. She doesn't bark at the wildlife, she barks at being left behind in the car. Which, even with the windows up can be kinda grating. I get her out of the car as much as I can, and it can't be comfortable sitting in that position all day, so I'm trying to work with her by driving through areas where she can run around and get dirty. I know, she's a dog, but she's not the easiest travel companion.
Yellowstone is a super cool part of the country, and coming back with a bit more "freedom" is something I'll definitely do. I was really impressed with Wyoming's scenery, and its a very nice combination between plains and interesting geological formations. Up near Big Horn (?) National Forest (Northeast part of the state) there were formations that reminded me of Sedona, and it really felt nice getting back on the road away from the crowds.
Tomorrow I'll head to Devil's tower, Rushmore, the Black Hills, etc., and then its further east from there. I'm not sure where I'll be stopping, but I did like a suggestion from one reader to hit a big ten campus before hitting Chicago/Highland Park. Iowa City is very cool, as is Madison, and of course, there's no guarantee I stop at either...I guess I'll figure that out tomorrow evening.
Hope all of you enjoy your weekends,
D
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