Tuesday, May 28, 2024

We drove to Mount Rushmore in the morning. The entrance to the park feels like going to the airport; there are many signs for the various levels of parking garages, and automated ticket machines. Once inside the park it is a whole different feel with friendly rangers and great views of the mountain.

We were lucky in our timing, we arrived just in time for a Native American display of hoop dancing by Starr Chief Eagle. She explained the meaning, history, and cultural significance of the dances, and was incredibly talented. One of the dances used 21 hoops and was beautiful and complex. She is an accomplished performer, educator, and dancer. The dances require an immense amount of coordination and physical agility and endurance. She was able to do the dance even though she had just given birth to her first child 13 weeks ago. She has a website, healingthebrokenhoop.com.

After watching the incredible dance display we enjoyed views of Mount Rushmore and a talk by a ranger about how the faces were designed and how the workers knew where and what to blast, chip, or cut to create the sculptures.

We drove back to the campsite by way of the Iron Mountain Highway. This road may be even twistier than the Needles Highway. One of the features of this road are “pigtail bridges”. The road corkscrews up the mountain. It feels like driving a roller coaster!

We completed the drive back to the campsite by using the wildlife loop to see what kinds of animal we could see today. We saw pronghorn, buffalo, and quite a few prairie dogs. The sound of the prairie dogs whistling and the meadowlarks singing is a great accompaniment to the views. One of the highlights of the day was seeing the feral burros. They are quite comfortable around people and can often be found near the roadways.

We finished out the afternoon with a late lunch at the Baker’s Bakery and Cafe since we had both enjoyed our last meal there. The lunch was also delicious. After lunch we wandered around Custer and took some photos of the fiberglass buffalo and stopped in at the Quilted Bison fabric store.

Monday, May 27, 2024

 Overnight the temperature dropped to 36 degrees. We decided to wait until it warmed up for breakfast and left the campground at 5:45 to drive the Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park. It was worth getting up early to see the animals. We saw deer, pronghorns, prairie dogs, a rabbit, and were caught in a few bison jams. The bison think they own the road, and they are so big no one argues. One group of bison had a calf sleeping in the road. The mother had a look in her eye that seemed to say “I just got him down for a nap, don’t you dare wake him up”. While we were waiting for the calf to get up there was a car that was coming from the other direction that also stopped. One of the bison wandered up to their car and scratched its head on their door. I was glad this did not happen to our car!

After the great wildlife viewing we drove into Custer for breakfast and had an excellent meal at the Baker’s Bakery and Cafe before heading to the Crazy Horse Monument and Museum. The scale and detail of the monument is breathtaking, along with the stories of the sculptor who started the project. One of the stories was about the early days when he was working alone. He bought an old air compressor and would have to start it then climb hundreds of steps up the mountain carrying his heavy tools. Frequently he would hear the compressor go “kaput, kaput, kaaapppuutt”, then stop and he would have to walk all the way down to restart it, then back up the mountain.

On the way back to the campground we drove the Needles Highway. I was driving and it was a challenging drive. Most of the way the speed limit is 25 and in a few places it is 5 because of the hairpin turns. There are two very narrow one way tunnels with blind entrances. Luckily there are many places to pull over to enjoy the view of the “needles” of granite. This is an amazing piece of highway, I can’t even imagine what it was like to survey it and build it. The thought of driving a road grader or a steam roller on this road boggles the mind.

In the afternoon we relaxed and then went for a short hike on the trails behind the campground. The trail sparkles in the sun because of all the mica and quartz in the soil. The small hill behind the campground is not a natural hill, it was formed from the tailings of an old mica mine.

Sunday, May 26, 2024

 

There were scattered showers in the morning with a temperature in the low 50s. The drive through Wyoming was beautiful with wide expanses of grasslands, mountains in the distance, cows, sheep, pronghorns, and a few cowboys herding cattle. We also saw quite a few oil wells and a coal mine. The trains near the coal mine were miles long. We stopped in Wright, Wyoming for gas and the lady at the gas register gave me a latte for free! Near the gas station there was a corral with about a hundred buffalo.

On our way to Custer, South Dakota, we saw a sign for Jewel Cave National Monument and on a whim decided to visit. Online the tours were booked so I asked the person at the ticket booth, and it turned out that they had a few walk-in slots, and we were able to go on a cave tour. The scenic tour lasts for about an hour and half and starts with an elevator ride down 300 feet. The tour route passes through many different caverns with nail-head spar and dog tooth spar, types of calcite formations. There are also stalagmites, stalactites, draperies, flowstone, and a ribbon drapery that looks like bacon. Along the ½ mile loop underground there are 734 stair steps. The guide was knowledgeable and entertaining, and we thoroughly enjoyed this very cool experience.

After the cave tour we drove to Custer State Park hoping to find a campsite, but they were completely full. We drove back towards town and stopped at a campsite, it turned out they had plenty of room and we had our pick of sites. We ended up with a great site with a view of a granite outcropping. The staff are very friendly, the bathrooms are clean, there is a laundry room, and best of all, a camp kitchen where we can do laundry. Sometimes it is the little things in life that make a difference.

In the evening there was a thunderstorm with pouring rain. The thunder echoed off the nearby hills so it sounded very dramatic. There was very little wind so it was comfortable and dry in the tent.

Saturday, May 25, 2024

 There was rain overnight, so we stayed in bed until 8:00 when the rain stopped. Breakfast was oatmeal enjoyed while sitting in our rocking chairs looking at the lake.

The drive from Steinaker State Park to Flaming Gorge was incredible. Route 44 climbed to an elevation of 8428 feet on a twisting road with tight switchbacks and steep grades. The views were great until we drove into a cloud and then there was very little visibility. When we dropped down out of the cloud we could see the reservoir and mixed terrain of rocky mountain slopes and forests.

We had lunch at the Hitching Post Restaurant in Green River, Wyoming. The weather was cold, windy, and rainy with very ominous looking storm clouds. We drove over the Continental Divide at an elevation of 6930 feet. Along the way we saw herds of cows and a herd of wild horses and enormously long trains. Wyoming looks exactly like my expectations. Wide open spaces, expansive views, and grasslands with mountains in the distance.

Because of the weather we decided not to camp tonight as there was a chance of thunderstorms and the wind was very strong. We drove to Casper, Wyoming, did some shopping, then stayed at a Days Inn and caught up on laundry.

Friday, May 24, 2024

 

Any day that starts out with Green Eggs and Ham is a good day! We had breakfast at Green River Coffee company, and they had a fun and delicious menu. This was our favorite restaurant so far this trip. The food was great, the atmosphere was welcoming, the décor was eclectic, and the chai latte was a nice treat.

After our wonderful breakfast we drove to Goblin Valley State Park. This was the most fun and accessible of the parks we have visited. People are allowed to wander through the goblins (hoodoos) in three valleys, off trail, and it was great to be able to experience more “human sized” landscape. Each of the goblins is unique and it is a very cool place to imagine what each shape represents. There is a scene in the movie Galaxy Quest that was filmed here, if you haven’t seen the movie, it is worth it for the goblins.

The drive to Steinaker State Park was an unexpectedly great drive on 191 through the mountains on windy roads with spectacular scenery. There was a lot of truck traffic, and all the trucks were tandems, this was the first time I had seen a tandem dump truck.

We did not have reservations for the camp site, our luck was with us today as there were two campsites left, and we had a nice site with a view of the lake.

Thursday, May 23, 2024

 The night was spent camped out in Kyle's yard. The wind was gusting over 30 mph, so the tent was very loud and rattled and shivered all night – we were tempted to crash on Kyle’s couch but managed to get some sleep. In the morning Kyle made coffee and a latte using the fancy espresso maker at his house. Spending time with Kyle is always a treat and we wished we could have stayed longer but we had reservations for Arches at 9:00, a 2-hour drive away.

We drove to Arches and made our reservation window and were able to spend the morning enjoying the views in the park. The arches are incredible. The rock formations and the views were well worth the trip. Balancing Rock was one of our favorites, it is astounding that a natural result of wind and erosion that large and precarious looking can stand the test of time.

After spending an enjoyable time at Arches, we went to Moab and had lunch at a food truck. Bill was in Moab 30 years ago and was astounded at the difference from a very small town to the busy tourist mecca that it is today.

In the afternoon we drove to Dead Horse State Park for the views, but did not stay as the wind at the top of the plateau was gusting around 40 mph. Because of the wind we decided to stay at a hotel and ended up in a Motel 6 in Green River, Utah.

Wednesday, May 22, 2024

The night was cold and clear with a full moon. When we woke up the temperature was 33 degrees. We decided to go out to breakfast instead of cooking in the cold.

We had an enjoyable drive to Kodachrome State Park where we went for a hike on the Panorama trail and saw sedimentary spires and interesting geological formations. The views are fantastic and varied with many flowering desert plants.

After Kodachrome we drove on to Teasdale, Utah to see Kyle. The drive was amazing along the tops of plateaus with breathtaking views. The scenery was so stunning that it was impossible to take pictures that were at all representative of the reality of the view.

Kyle led us on a great hike in an off the beaten path trail in Capital Reef. The hike started with wading across a stream. There was no one else on the trail, it was wonderful having our own private guide who is knowledgeable about the geology and plant life.

We had dinner at a food truck. The prickly pear tacos were delicious. We stayed up late for us (10:30) talking with Kyle and his roommates. This was a lot of fun, and we thoroughly enjoyed the conversations and the company.

Tuesday, May 21, 2024

 

The night was cold with rain, then snow in the morning. After breakfast we drove back into the park and stopped at Fairyland Canyon to admire the view. We were going to do a short hike but it was still spitting snow and cold so we headed to the Visitor’s Center and checked out the exhibits and watched the informational movie until the weather changed.

The weather cleared up, the sun came out, and the temperature became much more comfortable. We parked at Inspiration Point then walked the rim trail to Sunset Point. We spent most of the morning walking the Navajo Loop Trail which descends into the canyon. The views were stunning! My goal was to walk 10 steps without taking a photo. I did not meet this goal. The beginning of the trail was a challenge due to my extreme fear of heights but it was worth it!

We had lunch at the Bryce Canyon Pines restaurant and then went back to camp and spent some time in the afternoon reorganizing the car and trailer. After dinner we went for a short hike in Red Canyon to see yet more hoodoos!

Monday, May 20, 2024

 

On our way from Paquitch to Bryce Canyon we drove through Red Canyon. As soon as we entered Red Canyon there were hoodoos! We had to stop for a quick hike and to take photos! After our hike we drove about a mile and saw a Dixie National Forest campsite and drove in. We were lucky to find a spot with views of a red stone cliff with hoodoos!

We drove into Bryce Canyon and started at Sunset Point for the ranger talk about the geology of the canyon and the formation of the hoodoos. There are hoodoos everywhere! Hoodoos are tall spires of rock caused by erosion and by water expanding when it freezes and cracking the rocks. They are all different and are all beautiful.

We then drove to the other end of the park at Rainbow Point and walked the Bristlecone Loop. The wind was gusting over 30 mph so it was quite cold and the birds were sometimes flying backwards. The ravens seem to like the adventure of flying in gusty winds. On the drive back we stopped at many scenic overlooks to enjoy the views of the canyon.

We had dinner at the campsite then went to bed early as the temperature was dropping fast. It was in the low 30’s overnight.

Sunday, May 19, 2024

 We woke up bright and early and left our hotel at 6:15 to head to Springdale to find parking so we could visit Zion National Park. We found parking, sort of figured out the parking meter and managed to pay for time until 11:00, then found a place for breakfast before heading into the park.

The shuttle system in Zion is efficient and provides easy transportation around the park. We were the first people on one of the buses and were able to find seats at the back as we planned to get off at the last stop, the Temple of Sinawava.

We walked the Riverwalk, this was amazingly beautiful and I took approximately two zillion photos as we strolled along by the river. 

 

The end of the walk is at the Narrow, which opened that morning for the first time this season. The Narrow requires walking in the river and there were several people who had rented the proper footgear, hiking sticks, and clothing to do this walk.

After the walk we took the shuttle back to town and tried to add time to the parking meter, but it outwitted me and I had to call the help number and explain that I am from a small town and that the county I live in doesn’t have parking meters and I could not follow the instructions. He kindly added time for the rest of the day with no charge.

We returned to the park and started a hike, but it was so hot that we decided this was not a great idea. We drove through the park and ended up in Paquitch for the night.

Saturday, May 18, 2024

 The morning was cool and calm and we enjoyed a peaceful breakfast with views of mountains past the palm trees and flowering oleanders. Bill was happy when we packed up and left Callville Bay Campground.

We drove to the Silver Reef Mine Museum outside of Leeds, Utah. This is one of only two places in the world where silver was found in sandstone. The museum is located on a ridge with great views. The volunteers/staff were very enthusiastic about the history of the mine. They dressed in period costume and were knowledgeable and interesting. One of the displays is of a “mine” in the basement. Before entering the “mine” the guide provides lanterns and leads people into the dark to mimic what the actual working conditions were like. This was a fun and informative museum and we enjoyed the exhibits and the people.

After the museum we stopped in Leeds for ice cream then decided to stay at a hotel in La Verkin for the night to catch up on sleep and laundry. There was a great Indian restaurant next to the hotel. The food was wonderful and the staff were very attentive.

Sunday, May 12 to Friday, May 17, 2024

 On Sunday Bill drove me to the airport in Las Vegas and I flew home for a visit and to be with my mother for her surgery on Wednesday. The first part of the flight I had a window seat and enjoyed the views of some of the places we had visited. David and my mother picked me up at the airport.

On Monday I did my civic duty by voting. Linda provided transportation for Carol, Patsy, and my mother and I tagged along with them. I spent the rest of the day working in my flower gardens.

Tuesday I joined my mother, Patsy, Carol, Linda, Doris, and Cheryl at the St. George Senior Lunch. It was fun to see everyone and enjoy their company.

Wednesday was spent in Portland with my mother for her surgery. She came through with flying colors; when she woke up she wanted to go out for ice cream!

Thursday I spent some time in my sewing room and finished a small quilt and a wall hanging.

Friday David, Liz, and my mother drove me back to Portland for my flight to Las Vegas. They planned on a trip to Marden’s after dropping me off.

While I was galivanting in Maine and enjoying the wonderful spring weather Bill was in a sweltering hot campsite in the desert where the temperature reached 100 most days.

Friday night when I arrived at 9:30 in the evening it was still in the 90s. Luckily, it cooled down overnight. I was very glad to see Bill and resume the camping adventures.