The Tetons and home

We spent our last day in the majestic Teton Mountains.  They are so beautiful!  

Chad and Matthew were taking pictures on the trail around Lake Jenny and I was absorbing the beauty of the lake and the backdrop of the mountains when we were meet by a young couple who had just encountered a Grizzly on the trail.  They were changing the direction of their hike and told us that the grizzly was about 100 yards down the trail and headed our way. I looked at Chad as he began walking in the direction of the bear,  he said, "let's just walk down the trail a bit, don't you want a picture?"  I am thinking how in the world am I going to get Chad and Matthew out of here if needed.  Well, I looked around and there was not need to worry about Matthew as he had already left to get back to the car.  Chad was walking forward.  I didn't feel good about the situation and after we had walked about 25 yards down the trail I suggested we head back to the car.  Chad agreed and we turned around and walked at a pretty good pace.  David meet us on the trail and back to the car we went.

On our way out of the park we stopped at the Chapel of Transfiguration.  It is a little log chapel that sits in a meadow with the Teton mountain range behind it.  This summer ministers from Tennessee are serving as pastors.  One from Murfreesboro and one from Maryville.  We signed the register, knelt at the alter and gave praise to God for America and all her beauty. 

While we were in the park I got a message from my cousin's daughter.  She had been following Matthew's facebook postings and was excited to know we were in the area as she lives in Jackson, WY and works in the Tetons National Park.  Who knew . . .obviously not me.  Anyway her parents (my cousin is her dad), brother and his wife were all visiting.  It would have been so nice to have been able to connect with them but the cell service was so poor we were never able to get a call to connect.  So after a long day we headed to Dubois, WY where we stayed before heading home.

We had a wonderful trip and hope to visit the area again in the not so far future.  Maybe next time we will fly someplace and take a train into the area, rent a car, stay in the park and fly back home.  Two very long days driving home.  Road time would have been better spent with longer stays in the parks.  We had a wonderful time and the adventure will be cherished forever.


Glad to be home.

Yellowstone National Park

We have completed our stay in Yellowstone National Park.  The park is filled with beautiful mountains, valleys, meadows, rivers, lakes, wildlife and RV's!  The first afternoon we spent in the hot spring area.  It was amazing seeing how sulfur and boiling water can create layers and layers of colorful rock. 

Friday we drove to the Canyon Falls and on the way we saw elk, mountain sheep, bison, and a western tanager.  One bison was so close to the side of the car, I could have reached out and touched his head . . .but I didn't.  Down the road we saw a heard of over 100 bison. They were spread out over a large meadow.  Canyon Falls was another amazing sight. The canyon was deep, long and the falls roared through the canyon walls.  We took the lower loop through the park, stopped to see Old Faithful erupt twice, ate some ice cream and made several stops to watch elk, bears and bison along the way.  It was a great day!

Saturday it was pretty cloudy.  We went back to Canyon Falls to walk the trail down to the lower falls.  It was a hike down a switchback path on the face of a mountainside.  Grand daddy made the hike with us . . . it was a long hike and he managed very well.  Grand mommy guarded the car and took a nap.  It rained on the way back up the trail and we all got pretty wet.  We headed back to the hotel to get dry.  Grand mommy and Joanne went to the local laundry while the guys stayed back and rested up for dinner.

I must say that we will visit Yellowstone again and everyone should see this place at least once.  If you invite Matthew, he can get you in with his lifetime pass!

Tomorrow we will drive through Yellowstone one more time on our way to the Tetons.  Not sure we will have Internet access so just keep checking and we will post photos as soon as we have access.  There are more photos on Matthew's facebook.

Happy Trails!

Glacier National Park

Well we are sorry we have been off line for a few days, but we have been trying to keep a low profile with Bonnie and Clyde hiding out just a mile or so up the road from our lodge.  Actually the hotel advertised WiFi but when we got here it was not working.  We were in a pretty small community that catered to backpackers.  There was an Amtrak train that came through each evening and people actually got off and on.  Our hotel was right across the street from the train station so by the 3rd night we had the train schedules down pat.
We stayed in East Glacier Park in the Circle R lodge.  Don't bother to write that down unless the you enjoy torture.  The bed had no and I mean NO stuffing but plenty of uncontrollable springs. David and Matthew sleep on the floor.  I on the couch that sank to the floor when you sat on it  . . .Chad and Thelma fared OK as they were in the King bed in the other room.  I put on my red hat and marched down to the office and asked in a nice way for a new mattress for the hideaway.  We got a blow up mattress instead.  David was still on the floor, I might as well have been and by morning there was no air left in the mattress. 

Glacier National Park was just specular!  The views were so breath taking.  Pictures just do not do it justice.  The first evening we drove to Two Medicine Lake and scouted out the area.  The next morning, our first full day in Glacier, a black bear ran in front of our car as we were headed into the park.    The road into the park is full of free range cattle and horses.  Everytime Joanne would see a moving black animal she thought it was a black bear so from that point on we called the cattle black bearcows.  Later that morning another one ran across the road while we had stopped to take pictures.  We spent the rest of the day driving the Going the Sun Road over Logan's Pass.  Beautiful just beautiful!  We spent an hour or so up on Logan's Pass to walk around and for Matthew to take 1,000 more photos.  We saw a buck with a full rack.  Then we saw a mountain goat. We had a picnic lunch in the park and then came back over the Sun Road and called it a day.

Our last day in Glacier we drove over to Many Glacier.  There the park ranger gave Matthew a life time pass to any National Park that will get him and anyone who is with him into the parks free.  (It is good to be related to Matthew).  David, Matthew and Joanne took a 4 mile hike to Redrock Falls while Chad and Thelma sat on the front porch of the campground restaurant.  We stopped for another picnic lunch and David make friends with a ground squirrel that would eat from David's hand. Later that day on our way out we stopped again at the Many Glacier Lodge and the rangers had spotted a Grizzly and two cubs.  We were able to watch them through a very powerful scope the ranger had set up.  Really neat thing to see.

Wednesday we headed to Yellowstone.

Too many photos to show, so check out Matthew's facebook for additional photos.

Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse

After breakfast at the famous Wall Drug Store where coffee is a nickle and donuts are free, we headed down to Mount Rushmore.  It was a beautiful drive and the view of Mount Rushmore was just amazing.  Matthew got some wonderful photos.  He will be posting them on Facebook soon.

We just happend to be traveling through this area while the Sturgus Bike Rally is in full swing and we have never seen as many bikers in our lives.  It is said that there are alomost 100,000 Harley riders in the area for the rally.  We have certainly seen some interesting bikes, outfits or lack of, and tatoos!

Crazy Horse is still a work in progress but at least we can say we were there.  It will be a sight to see when it is finished.  We were just about 10 years too early . . . It is one of the few times we have been early for something!

Our drive through Deadwood Dakota was beautiful and if we had had more time we would have stopped and visited with the thousands of bikers paked everywhere and anywhere!  It was really a neat little old western town.  Home of Wild Bill.

Tomorrow we head to Glacier National Park.  Weather should be cooler . . . in the high 70's.

The conversations in the car have kept David and I entertained to say the least . . .best comment of the day goes to Thelma.  "I would help drive if I could figure out which way my feet were going".  We need to be keeping a more detailed journal.

Having a blast  Matthew, David, Joanne, Chad and Thelma

Visit to Cousin Tom and Rene's farm

Today we had a great visit with Tom and Rene in Miller, South Dakota.  We were a little late getting there but were able to get a special tour of the farm operations, buildings, and equipment.  We meet their two new quarter horse and one of tried to eat Matthew's hat!  Their sons Matthew and Tyler were there and we all had a wonderful time catching up.  While at the farm, Rene and Tom showed us around the 100 year old home they are restoring and hoping to move into in the next couple of months.  The views were just spectacular!  The highlight of the day for Matthew, David and Granddaddy was getting to ride and drive the giant tractors and the combine in the wheat field.  Joanne drove Grandmommy around a golf cart.  It was Grandmommy's first golf cart ride!  Thank you Tom and Rene for a wonderful day in South Dakota.  We really enjoyed getting to know Jake and the girls.

Off to the Badlands and Mount Rushmore tomorrow.  Having breakfast at the renown Wall Drumg Store in Wall, SD.

To Omaha

Today was our longest day on the road.  We left Brentwood at 5:30 AM and arrived in Omaha at 8:00 PM.  Trip took a few hours longer than expected. Our day included two stops at Cracker Barrel one rest area and two truck/travel centers.  Drove by the Arch in St. LouisTraffic was light but saw lots of motorcycles on their way to South Dakota for a bike ralley.

Headed to my cousin Tom Morog's tomorrow to visit their family farm in Miller SD.  Looking forward to seeing the farm operation and riding really BIG tractors.  No photos tonight since we can't find the cord for the camera.  So hope to have plent of photos from the farm tomorrow.

Wednesday Night

Well the car is all packed and ready to hit the road. We have an early start tomorrow morning with a 5AM scheduled departure time.  Katie and Sam have moved in to take care of Ellie and the gardens.  We are really excited about our trip but Chad, well he is about to split a seam . . . we have never seen him this excited . . .ever.

Tomorrow we head to Omaha and will hopefully post our first day adventures tomorrow night.  There may even be a photo or two.

Off to get some sleep and gear up for the 12 hour drive tomorrow.  WooHoo!