Hard to believe we said good-bye to Scottsdale exactly 8 weeks ago.  During that time we travelled 10,000 miles, visited 5 cousins and their families, spent time with a couple of prior employees and friends, ‘wandered’ thru 6 National Parks, played 8 rounds of golf, visited 2 Presidential Libraries and 4 college campuses, watched our countries business in both the Senate and House chambers, sat in the Supreme Court chambers, Segway’d thru the Gettysburg battlefield and spent 10 awesome days as ‘Owlheads’!!!

MiniMagic also dodged tornado warnings all across the South and flood warnings through Iowa and South Dakota.  Forgot to mention that MiniMagic did go into a shop FOUR times on the journey for one thing or another.  But – those things were minor.  UNTIL – heading into Park City (our last day on the road) a construction equipment delivery truck driver decided to fall asleep and come straight at us!  Not sure how, but G managed to avoid the head-on resulting in only a glancing blow – –

Thank goodness – only a side swipe.

The truck that hit us did not fare as well. Very scary.

Well – that was our welcome to Park City!!  Since that day, we have settled into our condo on Park Ave. and gotten back into our routines;-)

The view from our condo for two months.

Some of the good old routines include golf on Monday and Thursday and hiking any other day of the week when the weather says “Go”.

The weather for our first hike since arriving in town was beautiful – –

– – As were the views.

Totally enjoyed our two months of wandering – but, also really glad to be in one spot for a couple of months.  Also, happy to be alive;-)

E & G – looking forward to two months in Park City and what is in store there!

Next stop for ‘The Owlheads’ was our very FIRST NP (and the best) – Yellowstone!

What is in store for ‘The Owlheads’ here??

Thank goodness President Grant was convinced to create a novel protection mechanism for our country’s natural beauty (not yet seen anywhere in the world) and declared Yellowstone the world’s first national park in 1872;-)   For the first time, preservation of America’s most remarkable landscapes became a common national and international goal.  This action was a forerunner to the naming of UNESCO World Heritage Sites – which Yellowstone NP was also named in 1978.

At the heart of Yellowstone’s past is the supervolcano whose latest eruption was about 630,000 years ago.  The center of the volcano collapsed, forming a 30- by 45-mile caldera, or basin, which is now the center of the park.  The heat powering those eruptions still fuel the park’s geysers, hot springs, fumaroles and mud pots – which includes the most famous of all – –

Old Faithful erupted right on time.

The waterfall created by Old Faithful.

A rainy walk around the Upper Geyser Basin.

The Anemone Spring – – Beautiful or Ugly?????

At least E was a little concerned that the granddaughters might find Yellowstone a bit ‘boring’ as the emphasis here was more on geologic makeup (perhaps appealing to a little older age group) than animals – although Old Faithful DID amaze!!  However, the park’s ecosystems range from near desert vegetation to subalpine meadow and forest, all of which support a variety of habitats that sustain diverse wildlife like bison, elk, grizzly and black bears and wolves (sadly – no wolf sightings during our stay).   And Lamar Valley is the perfect habitat for much of this wildlife.  So – we were off on a road trip and all concerns about the lack of animals were washed away with MANY fortuitous sightings!!  AND – E & G learned what a fantastic time spring is to travel through these areas as ‘babies’ of all species abound;-)

First up – an elk cow keeping watch over her calf.

Other than the random elk, it seems the animals of the day needed to be ‘B’ animals – Bison, Bald Eagle, Bear and Badgers!  ‘The Owlheads’ heads were swiveling and the babies were plentiful and soooooo cute;-)

We saw lots of bison calves referred to as “red dogs”.

The mature bulls are as big as cars! They spend most of the year (except mating season) alone.

A bald eagle keeping watch in its nest across the river.

This black bear (yes this ones coat is brown) was the first of many fortuitous bear encounters in the park;-)

G couldn’t get the camera up fast enough to capture the front ends of this mother badger and her three little ones that crossed the road in front of us.

This female longhorn sheep folded herself in half to keep an eye on us.

WOW!  What a day of animal sightings Lamar Valley provided.  What isn’t seen in the pictures above is how much we laughed at the numbers of bison.  A Jr. Ranger task was to count those in Lamar Valley – we quit at approximately 500+ when we came around a curve and saw a whole hillside dotted with them;-)!!!!

Back to geology at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River.  Here one can see the geologic history in dramatic colors and shapes.  The canyon formed when hydrothermal activity altered and weakend the bedrock, making the stone softer so that the Yellowstone River could erode the weakened rocks to deepen and widen the canyon.  The hydrothermally altered rhyolite and sediment creates the multi-hued layers of orange, yellow, brown and green in the canyon.

The ever beautiful Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

The Shoe Crew at The Brink of the Lower Falls.

Spotted a young osprey along the way.

The 308-foot Lower Falls from a distance.

The trip to and from The Canyon was also eventful – full of fortuitous bear sightings!  The grizzlies were out to give us a VERY good show;-)  (And to think – E was worried about seeing animals in Yellowstone?!?!?!)

First up – what the Ranger identified as a young couple – –

Typical male – bored with it all.

He resorted to begging.

What part of NO don’t you understand?!?!

All these people are watching us.

Maybe if we wave at them they will take the hint and hit the road.

An hour passes quickly with such wonderful, natural entertainment and the girls were thrilled!  But, we really needed to move on down the road.  Didn’t get far, though, until we had another fortuitous sighting – a Mother Grizzly and her two cubs;-)!!  Bear cubs are born in the deep winter months during the hibernation period.  In April and May, they begin to venture out with their mother – and stay with her for two to three years before the Mom kicks them out so she can mate again.  What a sight – –

Even with bears – kids look just like their Mom’s!

Kids will be Kids!

Siblings giving each other a hard time.

Something caused the more skittish cub to run for cover .

Okay, let me show you two how to drink from the stream.

All of a sudden, another hour had passed.  But, who cares with such natural entertainment.

Time to take a little time and check out some more of that geysers, hot springs, mud pots stuff.  After all, that is why Yellowstone was established.  So – off to Fountain Paint Pots to walk the boardwalk and ‘enjoy’ that sulfur smell that made the girls hold their noses;-)  A  perfect place to see the hot springs pools – the most common hydrothermal features in the park – –

Such beautiful, clear blue water – so inviting.  Uh – NO!!

– – the mudpots, which are acidic features with a limited water supply.  Therefore, their consistency and activity varies with the seasons and precipitation.

Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble.

And, the geysers, which erupt with steaming hot water.  Their regularity and predictability depend upon their underground reservoir.

E decided something she would really like to do was a Ranger Talk/Walk through Mammoth Hot Springs, as this was a new area of exploration for E&G.  Unlike the Old Faithful area which changes very little over 100’s of years due to its rhyolite makeup – the Mammoth Hot Springs terraces are like living sculptures.  Its makeup of travertine, which builds up rapidly, causes the features to change quickly and constantly with changes in the volume of water, the slope of the ground and objects in the water’s path.  Here, as in few other places on earth, rock forms before your eyes.  Take lots of pictures if you visit – because if you return in a few years, the view will be very different!

A well-informed, enthusiastic Ranger gave a fantastic tour.

The village of Mammoth Hot Springs in the distance as seen from the Terraces boardwalk.

A stunning view at Canary Spring!

Turns out the girls enjoyed this adventure as much as E & G;-)

And, of course, as we were leaving the talk – another fortuitous sighting!!

Good morning black bear!

After this enlightening morning and all the other Yellowstone activities,  the requirements for the Yellowstone Junior Ranger badge had been completed.  So – we were off to the Visitor Center with the completed documentation for the Ranger and the swearing in ceremony!  What a morning;-)

Earning their Yellowstone Junior Ranger Badges.

The Visitor Center at Mammoth Hot Springs is housed in the buildings of ‘Fort Yellowstone’.  When the Yellowstone area was made a National Park in 1872, the park was under serious threat from those who would exploit its resources AND there was NO National Park Service.  So, from 1886 to 1918, the US Army stepped in to help.  Fort Yellowstone is a testament to the long history of our first national park and of the important role the Army played in preserving it for the future.  It is now the home of the Park Headquarters.  This was a wonderful area to be our home base for the 5 days in Yellowstone;-)

As the days wound down – there were a few remaining sights to document – –

A pronghorn up close and personal.

A marker passed every day in our comings and goings.

Our view across the valley from Gardiner MT at the north entrance to the Park.  (Yep – it snowed on us the first night!!)

What a wonderful time was had by all ‘The Owlheads’ in Yellowstone NP;-)  It was also really nice to stay in Gardiner, MT at the original entrance to the park – and the only entrance back in 1872.  Mammoth Hot Springs was only 5 miles away, with all its history, beauty, elk herd AND a great dining room!  But, as is always true, all good things must come to an end.  So – we took one last trip through the Roosevelt Gate and said good-bye to Yellowstone.

See you next time.

The words and pictures above do not do justice to the fun adventure we had in these 10 days.  The Grand Tetons and Yellowstone NP’s provided the beauty, activities and wildlife for our enjoyment.  Family provided the FUN!  How else could you come up with things like ‘The Owlheads’ and laugh at fortuitous sighting after fortuitous sighting?!?!

One more BIG thank you to our NP’s!!  In Love with it All – E & G

Growing up in the west and spending most of our time here, there is a great partiality to the scenery and sights of the west.  Especially the lands within our National Parks (NP).  It is impossible to visit this area and not have your breath taken away by the stunning sights in every direction!!  During the next 10 days E & G shared this with the granddaughters (and their parents) and watched them giggle with excitement around every turn;-)!!

Humans going back 10,000 years must have felt the same as they began visiting the Jackson Hole area.  Various bands of Paleo-Indians made summer camps near the Tetons soon after the last major ice age (about 10,000 years ago).  But, because the winters are so severe, long-term residency really did not occur here until about 120 years ago.  Then hunters and trappers found the area lucrative.  And in 1872 President Ulysses S. Grant declared neighboring Yellowstone the world’s first national park and drew attention to this part of the country.  The result was a new industry in the region – tourism!

Thankfully, the Tetons received some protection in 1897 when Congress created the Teton Forest Reserve followed by the creation of a NP in 1929.  But at that time the NP only included the central peaks of the Teton Range and half a dozen lakes.  It was a very rocky road (no pun intended) to get to the park we know today, including an intervention by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., at one point, to acquire land and donate it back to help in the preservation and creation of the park.   Finally in 1943 President Roosevelt used a  presidential proclamation to create a National Monument leading to the park of today in 1950.  Thank goodness!!

With no foothills to obstruct views, the jagged peaks and deep canyons of the Teton Range rise abruptly from the Jackson Hole valley creating striking, magnificent sights that take your breath away;-)

The Teton Range – with the highest peak, The Grand Teton – rising behind Jackson Lake.

Daughter Heather, son-in-law Christian and granddaughters Kira, Olivia and Haley.

There was a lot of exploration of the various landscapes ‘housed’ in the Grand Tetons NP. First up – the lakes, ponds and wet meadows of the area surrounding our campground at Coulter Bay.

Let’s explore – shortly after arrival.

Then we were off across Jenny Lake and into the forests to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point.

Hidden Falls – the pic does not do justice to the stunning beauty;-(

The views of Jenny Lake were great from Inspiration Point.

TA DA! (Think they are having a good time?!?!?)

One thing learned on drives and hikes through the park – one never knew what animals might appear around the next corner – –

A curious marmot checking out the passers by.

As anyone who knows us might guess – we did NOT let any grass grow under any feet on this trip!!  So another hike was on the agenda.  This one around String & Leigh Lake with the reward of lunch at Jenny Lake Lodge;-)

7 Happy Hikers.

Throughout the trip, the girls became Junior Rangers at both the Tetons and Yellowstone.   This required many activities, observations and ranger talks.  One requirement in the Tetons was to ‘feel the water in a glacier made lake’.  So, here we are – –

 Some very cold water. How cold is it?

The word for our entire trip became – “fortuitous”!!  It was used many times and laughed over a lot.  One of the first such times was on a stop at Oxbow Bend to get this stunning picture of Mt. Moran and its reflection in the very still water – –

– – – only to find nesting grey herons across the way – –

Surprise!!  2 Great Grey Herons working on their nest.

That was NOT the only fortuitous animal sighting!!  Our first morning we happened into Jackson Lake Lodge just as the Jackson Hole Raptor Rescue organization was beginning  a raptor talk – today’s topic was owls.  Everyone was so impressed with the presentation and the birds, the schedule was modified to attend the presentation in Jackson the following day on other raptors.  Again – the girls loved it!  Especially talking to the handlers about everything from feeding to cleaning up the habitats.  In fact – after these talks, we became ‘The Owlheads’, as our heads needed to swivel like the owls in order to spot animals on the drives through the parks;-)!!

A chance to see these beautiful birds up close.

Jackson Lake Lodge also provided the only moose sighting of the entire trip;-(  Although we looked and looked – this was it – –

Our only moose sighting was at a great distance;-(

BUT – there were many fortuitous bear sightings, all of which were very exciting!!

Blondie, a grizzly, spent her time in some distant thickets.

This young black bear was digging up lots of roots.

Uh oh!  Last night in the Grand Tetons and we had not visited an historical sight for the Junior Ranger badge;-(  So, after a quick dinner ‘The Owlheads’ were off to the Cunningham Cabin, one of the best of the few remaining homestead cabins in Jackson Hole.  J. Pierce Cunningham established the surrounding land as the Bar Flying U Ranch in the 1880’s when he arrived here from New York at twenty years old.

The historical Cunningham Cabin.

Having all the requirements of the Junior Ranger program completed, we were back at the campsite for dessert – warm cookies ‘cooked’ over the campfire with ice cream;-)

YUM!!

Before we left the area, there had to be a picture in Jackson with all those elk antlers!

Always fun to wander downtown Jackson, WY.

And finally (after that quick visit to the Cabin) at 8AM on the morning we left the Tetons – there was a swearing in ceremony at the Ranger Station and we had new Junior Rangers.

Kira and Haley being sworn in as Junior Park Rangers.

What a wonderful and fortuitous five days in the Grand Tetons!  Several hikes, many animal sightings, stunning scenery, lots to learn and warm campfires.  Could Yellowstone possibly be any better?!?!  We are off to find out.

See ya in Yellowstone – E & G and all ‘The Owlheads”

Time to hit it again.  Continuing west, that infamous place where thousands of motorcyclists gather every August was a hop, skip and a jump from Rapid City – Sturgis, SD.  Can’t even imagine how this little community supports that influx of people!

Almost 500,000 motorcyclists converge here every August.

One of MANY saloons here – quiet now, but sure it ‘roars’ in August!

One more brief detour from I-90 took us slightly north to Devils Tower National Monument – America’s first National Monument, proclaimed as such by Theodore Roosevelt in 1906.  This iconic formation is a striking monolith rising above the surrounding countryside.  Powerful in its appearance – it can look dramatically different depending on the time of day or the weather in the area.

It is the subject of several controversies from its origin to its name.  Geologists agree that the tower is igneous rock, but exactly how it came to be – especially 1,200 feet above the surrounding valley – is the question.  However it originated, it has existed exactly as it is today since people first arrived here more than 10,000 years ago.

Several Indian nations have shared the area around the tower and have their own legends about its origin – and its name.  The Kiowa people say that children were playing on the grassy fields when one turned into a bear.  The other children were terrified and ran to the stump of a great tree.  They climbed upon the stump and it began to rise into the air.  The bear came after them rearing against the tree and scoring the bark with its claws – thus the columnar appearance of the tower.  This may also be the origin of the tower’s name – “Bear Lodge” – the English translation of a Lakota name (the Lakota’s were the dominate culture of the Black Hills in the 1850’s).  Many maps even from the early 1900’s refer to the butte as “Bear Lodge”.  However, in 1875 a geologic expedition resulted in an entry calling the place “bad god’s tower”, believed to be an erroneous translation from the Indians.  This was modified to “Devil’s Tower”.  Despite all the maps and sources labeling the formation as Bear Lodge, the new name of Devil’s Tower stuck.

Devils Tower – an ominous sight.

Doesn’t it just look like a huge tree stump that could have been ‘scored’ by an angry bear?!?

If you look close you can see two of the approximately 5,000 climbers who come annually from all over the world to climb the massive columns.

We decided not to climb – but to go have lunch instead. We had a nice view though.

All of the above diversions is how we turn 4 hours of travel into 8-9 hours.  But – as is said – it is not the destination it is the journey!  And we do enjoy the journey;-)

So – Casper, WY finally appeared on the horizon and became ‘home’ for the next two days.  Time for some of the mundane chores, but a round of golf was also inserted into the agenda.  The Casper Muni course provided some beautiful views, more wildlife and some pretty challenging golf (at least for us!).

Yep – that’s snow in the background!!

These guys didn’t seem at all bothered by our presence.

G had a staring contest with this Robin.

Although not spoken of frequently, there is a search in every town to find good local restaurants – especially a good Thai or Chinese restaurant.  And we found a gem here in Casper!!  Dsasumo Thai is well worth a visit if you are ever in the neighborhood;-)

And so we go – from the first National Monument, Devils Tower (1906), to the first National Park, Yellowstone (1872), where we will be meeting daughter Heather and her family next.  Both of these wonders are in Wyoming and both provide stunning sights!

E & G – blown away yet again by an awesome National Monument.