Grand Tetons

Grand Tetons National Park may be one of the most spectacular places on Earth. Driving in from the east, we followed a two lane road down over some mountains, past colorful flower-field meadows and soggy marshes. The Tetons appeared in the distance, then we caught glimpses of the lakes that spread out in front of them.

No picture we took really captured the scenery...you really must see it in person.

To get a closer look, we did a 10 mile loop hike around String and Jenny Lakes. The trail generally follows the lake, but edges up into the mountain pine forests in a few places. Around the lake the heavy, sweet scent of ripe blueberries filled the air. Yes, we thought it smelled wonderful...and so do the bears.

That's right...we're in bear country now, and the ripening berries were drawing the black bears out of their normal habitats up in the mountains. Extreme caution must be taken when cooking and camping and hiking because many of the bears have become habituated to human contact and can be aggressive.

As we came out of a grove of trees and started across a meadow, Mark spotted a bear about 50 yards away. Did you know black bears weigh 200 pounds and have claws that are extremely sharp and 1-3 inches long? We started to walk a little faster than usual, but as bears are predatory creatures, this caused the bear to begin running after us! This really made us want to run! Luckily, the bear scampered down the shore of the lake and went up through the trees back into the mountains, without devouring us. It was definitely one of the most exciting experiences with nature that I have ever had.

Thermopolis, WY

First of all, this is one of the best names for a town. Ever. Second the Eagle RV Park is awesome and I definitely recommend it, if you ever find yourself here. Third, FREE hot mineral baths were the perfect bit of pampering for three weary, smelly travelers. Showers included. Check out the state park that is there, before shelling out big bucks for the other resorts.

Somebody Broke Wyoming

Our first impression of Wyoming was a bit negative since much of the eastern part of the state is overgrazed, overmined, polluted and covered with a gray silt-like material. Drilling fields are everywhere. Open strip mines spew strange fumes into the air. We had just about given up hope when we got to the protected Big Horn Mountains, but after leaving them, we found yet another expanse of drilling. In every direction, drills dip up and down, resembling metal-skeleton cattle grazing on the bleached grass.

Elevation 9,666; Bighorn Mountains, Wyoming

B.Hippo finally got up the nerve to get out of the car and what a beautiful place to do it. As we drove through the Bighorn Mountains we saw pronghorns, a mama and baby moose (we think - do they live here?), deer and cattle. Lots of cattle. I have mixed feelings about the US Forest Service's "preservation" tactics - since they seem to rent out most of their land out west to cattle ranchers, which certainly has a negative environmental impact. Nonetheless, the vistas were amazing and we have never been up this high (well outside of airplanes and other flying machines).

Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota

I guess I might be a little claustrophobic, but the idea of going into a cave kind of bothers me. So I was a lot more interested in doing some hiking and bird watching at Wind Cave. However, my more adventurous travel companions convinced me to go on the tour. We went on the last one of the day, and were very lucky to be the only 3 people on the tour. I want to give huge props to our guide, Ranger Chandra Foster, for giving us an informative, enthusiastic explanation of the formations of the cave and the history behind its exploration. The photo shows us standing at the 'natural entrance' to the cave, which is a pretty small hole that we all COULD have fit through, but luckily got to go into a man-made entrance (lucky at least for my sake, m was about to jump right in). Wind Cave has nearly all the boxwork formations in the world and and we also got to see lots of dogtooth spar, which is another formation.

Yes, I look frightened in the picture, but was feeling much better about caves AFTER the tour.

Mount Rushmore / Crazy Horse

Hmmm. There's something very indicative of the American value system when sculptures carved out of South Dakota's black hills become national monuments and are visited by millions. Nothing against either Rushmore or Crazy Horse or the stories that go behind them, but the Black Hills themselves are far more beautiful and grandiose than any sculpture ever made by man. I think George would agree...

What's more is that Rushmore seems to be the premiere tourist destination in this area of the country, or at least the place that the thousands of RV's flock to. It's really a shame, because both Wind Cave and Badlands National Parks are within an hours drive, and are far more interesting. Of course they involve observing and experiencing nature rather than carving it, so some may find themselves, well, bored at the lack of dramatic backstory.

Prairie Dogs = Great

I love prairie dogs. Having never seen them anywhere but the zoo, I had little to think of them until entering Badlands National Park from the west and driving (very slowly) through a sizable prairie dog town. For those who have never seen this, think of a real life whack-a-mole game filled with critters resembling large short-haired guinea pigs or small groundhogs. The towns stand out from a mile away since the rodents bulldoze all the surrounding grassland (so they can see over it to look out for predators), and there are hundreds of animals, some standing watch on two legs, some eating, and some poking their heads out of holes. As if the wonders of the prairie dog town weren't enough, on the other side of badlands we were greeted by a 6'10" concrete statue of, you guessed it...

Corn is King, Long Live the Corn

As discussed in previous posts, corn is THE prominent feature of the midwestern and northern plains landscapes. And in Mitchell, South Dakota, they've done something to recognize this. They've built a palace for (and of) corn. And they've done this every year since 1892. Perhaps the strangest feature of this corn castle is that it sits adjacent to city hall, and seems to double as a basketball arena / gift shop. Inside you can buy everything from candles to spoons to books all featuring, and many shaped like, America's favourite government subsidized grain and high-fructose sweetener.


Well worth a stop if you're in town, all of the mosaics adorning the building's facade are actually constructed of different colored ears and husks. Truly one of the strangest (and only) things to see in this part of the country.

Happy Anniversary, M & K

It's been 3 years since our blissful wedding day. We spent the day in Badlands NP, eating a delicious Coleman-stove created meal and watching a gorgeous sunset.

Have You Dug Wall Drug?

You have probably seen these bumper stickers or road signs someplace around the world, as they have appeared as far away as Kenya, Africa. That is because the enterprising owner of Wall Drug (which is still the only drug store within 500 square miles) went on a massive PR campaign, putting up thousands of signs anywhere he could.



This turned Wall Drug from a simple country drug store to a thriving mall-like tourist trap that continues to offer free ice water and 5 cent coffee.

The bumper stickers are free.