To the West with the Milligans, 2017
Eastward Daily Journal
On this page before the journey we will post what we plan to see and do each day on the way home. During and after the journey we will post what we did.
Updated Plans for our Eastward Journey
If you read the Glacier journal you will see that due to wildfires we had to change our plans and leave Glacier early. Here are the updated plans for each day.
Saturday 9/2
Today we will leave Glacier and travel to Gardiner, MT. It was an interesting drive leaving Glacier. One of the state highways had this sign "Intermittent Roads" - which means that in the construction zone that had totally removed the asphalt and we drove on 5 miles of a gravel road. This happened a few more times. In Gardiner we found a place to stay in a deluxe camping cabin at Rocky Mountain Campground and Cabins. (Deluxe means that we had a bathroom and TV in our cabin.) We will stay here for 2 nights. We made it to Gardiner in time to drive the 5 miles into Yellowstone and visit the Mammoth Visitor Center and catch a ranger led tour of Fort Yellowstone. We drove 394 miles today.
If you read the Glacier journal you will see that due to wildfires we had to change our plans and leave Glacier early. Here are the updated plans for each day.
Saturday 9/2
Today we will leave Glacier and travel to Gardiner, MT. It was an interesting drive leaving Glacier. One of the state highways had this sign "Intermittent Roads" - which means that in the construction zone that had totally removed the asphalt and we drove on 5 miles of a gravel road. This happened a few more times. In Gardiner we found a place to stay in a deluxe camping cabin at Rocky Mountain Campground and Cabins. (Deluxe means that we had a bathroom and TV in our cabin.) We will stay here for 2 nights. We made it to Gardiner in time to drive the 5 miles into Yellowstone and visit the Mammoth Visitor Center and catch a ranger led tour of Fort Yellowstone. We drove 394 miles today.
Sunday 9/3
We drove on the Upper Terrace road at Mammoth and then did a ranger led tour of the Hot Springs. After lunch at the Mammoth Grill we drove onto the Roosevelt and Tower areas of the park. We saw Undine Falls, the petrified tree, and Tower Falls. We also drove across the 45th parallel which is halfway between the North Pole and the Equator. There were some blue skies this day, but smoke in the distance.
We drove on the Upper Terrace road at Mammoth and then did a ranger led tour of the Hot Springs. After lunch at the Mammoth Grill we drove onto the Roosevelt and Tower areas of the park. We saw Undine Falls, the petrified tree, and Tower Falls. We also drove across the 45th parallel which is halfway between the North Pole and the Equator. There were some blue skies this day, but smoke in the distance.
Monday 9/4 - Labor Day
We will leave Gardner and travel to Red Lodge, MT through the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone and see the Beartooth Highway. The skies in the Lamar Valley were very smoky. The Beartooth Highway was an amazing and scary drive through the mountains. It was very smoky. When we got to Red Lodge it was very smoky and we decided to upgrade to a camping cabin because the air quality was so poor. We got to Red Lodge in time for the Labor Day craft show and explored the town. We drove 143 miles today.
Tuesday 9/5
When we got up the skies were a little clearer so we decided to drive back on the Beartooth Highway and we did see some blue skies. We took some time to wash clothes and I got caught up on transferring my pictures from my camera to my computer.
We will leave Gardner and travel to Red Lodge, MT through the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone and see the Beartooth Highway. The skies in the Lamar Valley were very smoky. The Beartooth Highway was an amazing and scary drive through the mountains. It was very smoky. When we got to Red Lodge it was very smoky and we decided to upgrade to a camping cabin because the air quality was so poor. We got to Red Lodge in time for the Labor Day craft show and explored the town. We drove 143 miles today.
Tuesday 9/5
When we got up the skies were a little clearer so we decided to drive back on the Beartooth Highway and we did see some blue skies. We took some time to wash clothes and I got caught up on transferring my pictures from my camera to my computer.
Wednesday 9/6
We will leave Red Lodge and travel through Yellowstone to the West Yellowstone KOA where we will stay in the tent for 4 nights.
We drove first to Cody, Wyoming, where we drove on the Buffalo Bill Scenic Highway. We saw the Buffalo Bill Dam, which was a model for the Hoover Dam and at the time it was built it was the highest dam in the world. The skies were still smoky, but as we drove on they cleared up. The road followed the Shoshone River and it was a beautiful drive. We entered Yellowstone from the East Entrance. In our original plans, this was the part of Yellowstone that we decided that we would have to leave out, so we were glad to see it. It was a beautiful drive, but as we got on towards Lake Yellowstone, the smoke filled the air again. We had lunch at the Fishing Bridge grill and then drove through the Hayden Valley where I got to see and photograph some Trumpter Swans. We also saw the Mud Volcano and the LeHardys Rapids. We drove onto West Yellowstone. We also decided to upgrade again from the tent to the camping cabin at the KOA because of the smoky skies and we are also getting pretty tired. We drove 209 miles today.
Thursday 9/7
Today we found a little coffee shop in West Yellowstone that serves Starbucks coffee and hot chocolate. This is our little splurge for the day. We decided to see the Geysers today in the Old Faithful area. It was a little clearer but still pretty hazy and smoky. We saw Old Faithful and hiked to the upper observation hill, which was a very hard climb and wore us out for the day. After seeing more of the Geysers at Old Faithful we went on to do a short but very steep 1.5 mile hike to the observation point for the Grand Prismatic Spring. For me the best part of the day was that we decided to take the one way Firehole Canyon drive. It was another scary, intermittent road but the Firehole Falls on this road were so beautiful. There was so much power in the water. Today we drove 91 miles.
Friday 9/8
Today we decided to tour the Canyon area. On our way we stopped at Gibbon Falls. These are an 80 foot cascade that were beautiful. We headed on to the Canyon Visitor Center and with advice from the ranger planned our day. Several of the iconic viewpoints and trails are closed for reconstruction this year. We went to Artist Point to see the Upper Falls. Here we saw a man painting and he had a sign that said his name was Charles Causey from Macon, GA. I asked him if he knew Mike and Carol Hall and turns out he is their neighbor. We went on to the north rim and did a short walk to the bring of the upper falls. We did a short hike on the part of the North Rim trail that was open to Grand View of the Canyon and a view of the lower falls. After looking at the steps, we decided not to walk down to the bring of the lower falls. We ate lunch at Canyon lodge. We drove on the Grand Loop road from Canyon to Tower. This is also a scary road - narrow with no rails and big dropoffs. There was a little rain and after that the sky began to clear. We stopped at Artist Paint Pot and did a 1 mile loop. The sky was so blue that on our way back we stopped again at Gibbon Falls. We went to the grocery store for some yogurt and fiber one for our usual breakfast and added ice to the cooler. We drove 130 miles and hiked 8 miles today.
Saturday 9/9
We began our day again with our little coffee shop treat. We decided to go back to the Old Faithful area to try to see some of the geysers that we missed on Thursday. We had 20 minutes to walk the one mile trail to get to Daisy in time for the predicted eruption and we made it. On the way we had a nice conversation with a couple from the Piedmont area of North Carolina. It was nice to talk to someone who spoke southern and I didn't have to repeat myself. We had a little trouble finding our car - the signs at Yellowstone are very confusing and it is kind of like being in a maze. We dropped of our jackets (it has been in the low 40's in the mornings and rising in temperature to the low 80s by the afternoon), moved the car to a closer lot and saw the Castle Geyser and Old Faithful eruptions. After lunch at the Old Faithful grill we headed to the Firehole Lake Drive and saw the Grand Geyser and White Dome Geyser eruptions. We hit it very lucky with our timing. We did the short hike around the Fountain Paint Pot. We then headed on the Grand Loop Road from Norris to Mammoth. We did another short hike to see the Steamboad Geyser and the Porcelain Basin. We headed back toward West Yellowstone after this. We stopped at the grocery store for a salad and got gas. Eating in the park for lunch had been very economical, which was not what we expected. Today we drove 102 miles and hiked 8.7. We are enjoying our days but also getting a little tired. This is one thing that we hadn't really thought about - most days we are walking/hiking 6-8 miles. While we usually hike this much on a day in the Smokies we don't usually do it on consecutive days. We are usually ready to go to bed by 9:00 and are getting up around 6.
Sunday 9/10
We will leave West Yellowstone KOA and travel to the Grand Tetons. We will stay in a camping cabin at Headwaters Flagg Ranch Campground as we had originally planned - but we will stay 5 nights here to explore the Tetons.
We traveled through Madison and past Old Faithful. Our first stop was Kepler Falls - nice overlook and beautiful falls but no hiking. We went onto the West Thumb Geyser Basin and walked on the boardwalk around the geysers and down to Lake Yellowstone. We ate lunch at Grant Village and headed toward the Tetons. We stopped at Scupa Lake and Isa Lake. The sky was clear blue. We also stopped at Lewis Lake and Lewis Falls. We made it to Flagg Ranch around 2. Our little cabin was much better then the tent - no electricity but safe from bears and we have warm sleeping bags. We are used to staying in a campground and this one had a heated bathhouse and hot showers. We went on to Colter Bay where we saw the mountains for the first time and walked along the shore of Jackson Lake. We had a picnic on the way back to Flagg Ranch. We drove 112.4 miles this day.
Monday 9/11
Since rain was predicted for Wednesday and Thursday we decided we needed to pack the most in that we could on Monday and Tuesday. We got up and left by 5:30 for sunrise at Schawbacher's landing but decided to stop at Teton Point, hoping to see Alpenglow on the mountains. There was a little rose color. We then went on down to Schawbacher's Landing and saw the iconic image of the mountains reflected in calm water. We header to Mormon Row for the iconic barns. We ate our breakfast here. We went to Moose Visitor's Center and after checking the weather for Laramie, made changes to our plans. We are not up to 30 degree weather with a chance of snow in a tent. We found a motel in Centennial, WY and a camping cabin for Saturday night in Cheyenne KOA. We toured the Mentor's Ferry district and drove the Park Loop Road. We drove the Jenny Lake Loop but it was too crowded to get a parking place so we drove on to Signal Mountain Inn for lunch. After lunch we drove up the Signal Mountain road for beautiful views of the mountains and valley. We drove on back toward Flagg Ranch, making numerous stops at overlooks along the way.
Tuesday 9/12
We began our day early again with sunrise at Jenny Lake Overlook. We were early enough now to get a place to park at the Jenny Lake Parking area. We did a 3 mile hike up to Hidden Falls. It did have some steep places with loose rocks, but we made it. Hidden Falls was beautiful and crowded when we got there since it was 10:30 and the first boats across the lake had arrived. We took the boat back across the lake rather then hike the 3 miles. We headed to the LSR preserve and had our lunch in the car since every picnic area was full. We did enjoy the pavilion but the woodland hike was more like a hike through the prairie - not what we call peaceful and easy, so we didn't finish the hike. We drove to Gros Ventre area in hopes of seeing moose, but no luck there. We went to the Dornans for a pizza supper and changed the ice in the cooler. We stopped at the Moose Visitor Center where there was wifi and caught up with how DeeDee and Bret and David and Elizabeth faired Hurricane Irma. We did sunset at the Snake Lake Overlook where Ansel Adams took the famous picture of the Tetons - then back to Flagg Ranch. We drove 124 miles today.
Wednesday 9/13
Since it was supposed to rain this day we decided to sleep late. We made it to 6:00 and just got up. The bed in our cabin was a little hard. After we got our usual yogurt breakfast, the skies began to clear so we headed out. We went to Jenny Lake and String Lake parking area and got a place this time since it was only 8:30. We did a beautiful 2 mile hike around the String Lake and Phelps Lake. The water was still and calm and there were beautiful reflections of the mountains. The hike was very easy - only 50 foot gain in elevation - and so enjoyable. I took lots of pictures. We went on to Jackson Lake Lodge for lunch - but it was too expensive and not really a good menus choice. I just couldn't bring myself to pay $18 for a hamburger and fries. We headed back to Colter Bay and got lunch at the grocery store deli and had a nice picnic. Since it was supposed to rain this day - the whole day was an unexpected treat. We headed back to Flagg Ranch and did laundry. When we got to Flagg Ranch we learned that it had rained very hard here and even had some hail. Most of the campground roads and campsites were flooded. Apparently this campground doesn't have rain often and it made it very messy - still grateful for a roof over our heads instead of a tent. We drove 75 miles today. It rained during the night.
Thursday 9/14
We tried to sleep late again today and made it to 5:15. We are still getting plenty of sleep since we are going to bed at dark - we only have a small battery light that I had for the tent and our flashlights. We waited until daylight and since it wasn't raining like was predicted we headed out. We stopped at Oxbow bend and the river was calm with great reflections of the mountains. We stopped again at the Snake River Overlook and Mormon Row. I dropped my camera while trying to get it off the tripod, but everything was OK - not even a scratch. It fell on soft ground and got a little dirty but was easily cleaned - very thankful for this averted tragedy. We headed toward Jackson. We enjoyed the National Museum of Wildlife Art and then headed into the town. We ate lunch at a little cafe and walked around a little. It is a lot like Gatlinburg only with very expensive stores. The rain began on our way back to Flagg Ranch. We had expected rain all day, but we always seemed to be at the right place at the right time.
Friday 9/15
We packed up our cabin at Flagg Ranch in light rain. We headed back through the park to Jackson. The clouds were so thick that you could not see the Tetons. We had breakfast at McDonalds in Jackson and got gas. We headed out on the Wyoming Centennial Scenic Highway. Even though it was cloudy, it was still a beautiful drive. We passed the KOA about 10 miles out of town on this road, which made us grateful that we changed our reservations to Flagg Ranch. Even though we would have had electricity at this KOA, it would have taken much longer and a lot of traffic each day to get through Jackson. We stopped for gas and lunch at Rock Springs. We also found a Honda dealer and replaced the wiper blades which were beginning to give out - too many dead bugs on the windshield. Here we got on I-80 as it began to rain. This was the hardest part of the drive so far - even more scary then the mountain drives that were dirt. The rain was very hard and there were so many big trucks that would spray water and almost blind you. As we got closer to our plan drive through on the Snowy Ridge and our night in a motel in Centennial, Thomas checked the weather again. There was a prediction of a couple of inches of snow. So we had to change our plans once again. We tried first to add a day to Laramie KOA, but they were full. We checked the Cheyenne KOA, 50 miles further down the road, and they had a camping cabin. Fortunately the Old Corrall Inn did not charge us for cancelling and it was get a free night if you spent Friday and Saturday night - so we got a free night instead of an expensive motel. We drove 503 miles this day - the longest and hardest miles of the trip.
Saturday 9/16
Since rain was predicted for the morning and clearing in the afternoon, we slept late and took our time getting ready. We made a trip to the grocery store and changed the ice in the Yetti. On the way back to the KOA we went right by the Sierra Trading Post retail outlet. We did a little shopping and we both got a new pair of hiking shoes for less then half price. We headed to Curt Gowdy State Park, and decided to have a picnic lunch here. It was very windy and chilly, but a clear blue sky. We did a little hiking but most of the trails either involved technical rock climbing, went through campgrounds, or were on mountain bike trails. It seems that this state park is just one big, primitive campground with pit toilets and now water. Everywhere you looked there was a camper or a tent. We headed on to the the Vedauwoo Rock Formations of the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest. These were also very unusual rock hills with large boulders. We did see some rock climbers. Since it was still before sunset and we had to go back through Cheyenne to get to the KOA we decided to go into downtown Cheyenne. We walked around a little and decided to eat supper at the R&B Chop House. Since it was a long wait for a table we decided to sit in the bar - which was the place to watch the Oregon-Wyoming game on TV. The crowd was definitely Wyoming fans. We had a great meal and when we went to pay the waitress told us that someone had bought our meal. As we got ready to leave a lady asked us if we paid for our meal and we said that someone paid for it. She was the lady that paid and told us she did that because we had offered for several other people to sit with us. We drove 117 miles this day.
Sunday 9/17
We left Cheyenne after sleeping late and headed toward Nebraska. I-80 had a lot of construction we decided to get off and get on USHighway 30, the Lincoln Highway. We spent most of the day driving and moved back to central time. We spent the night in Grand Island, NE at KOA camping cabin - surrounded by corn fields.
Monday 9/18
This was another day of driving, and a lot of driving at that. Due to some miscalculations either in planning or GPS mapping we drove 546 miles. We drove through Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri. This is the first time that we didn't have a paper map to back us up, which was probably why we didn't make the best choice in routes. We made it to Lake of the Ozarks state park and our Yurt. We had a microwave, fridge and an AC (but not very cool). It seemed that there was only one other camper in the campground.
Tuesday 9/20
We began the day with a walk through the campground and found out that there were many other sections. It got hotter as we walked and got caught in a rain shower. We went back to the opening gate to check on the Cave Tours and other areas of the park and we found out that except for the campground the park was basically only open Friday-Sunday. We then went into Osage Beach, the closest town, and found a Panera Bread. We checked on the weather and found out the temperature was going to be 98 degrees, nothing would be open, and the AC in the Yurt wouldn't handle that temperature. The Thursday drive to Meredith's was also going to be 500 miles. So we decided to find a place and move on. We booked a place Kentucky Dam Village State Park.
Wednesday 9/21
We were really glad to leave this place, even the showers were filled with mosquitoes and made getting ready difficult. We drove through Missouri, around St. Louis to Illinois and on to Kentucky. We had a cabin that was the most luxurious of any place we stayed. It was great to have a bed with linens, inside bathroom, TV, and a kitchen. We walked a little by the lake and got a sunset.
Thursday 9/22
We made it to Meredith's and got to spend the weekend with Matt, Meredith, and Sam.
Friday 9/23 and Saturday 9/24
We enjoyed spending time with family.
Sunday 9/25
We are home! Now to get unpacked and catch up on mail and edit pictures
We will leave Red Lodge and travel through Yellowstone to the West Yellowstone KOA where we will stay in the tent for 4 nights.
We drove first to Cody, Wyoming, where we drove on the Buffalo Bill Scenic Highway. We saw the Buffalo Bill Dam, which was a model for the Hoover Dam and at the time it was built it was the highest dam in the world. The skies were still smoky, but as we drove on they cleared up. The road followed the Shoshone River and it was a beautiful drive. We entered Yellowstone from the East Entrance. In our original plans, this was the part of Yellowstone that we decided that we would have to leave out, so we were glad to see it. It was a beautiful drive, but as we got on towards Lake Yellowstone, the smoke filled the air again. We had lunch at the Fishing Bridge grill and then drove through the Hayden Valley where I got to see and photograph some Trumpter Swans. We also saw the Mud Volcano and the LeHardys Rapids. We drove onto West Yellowstone. We also decided to upgrade again from the tent to the camping cabin at the KOA because of the smoky skies and we are also getting pretty tired. We drove 209 miles today.
Thursday 9/7
Today we found a little coffee shop in West Yellowstone that serves Starbucks coffee and hot chocolate. This is our little splurge for the day. We decided to see the Geysers today in the Old Faithful area. It was a little clearer but still pretty hazy and smoky. We saw Old Faithful and hiked to the upper observation hill, which was a very hard climb and wore us out for the day. After seeing more of the Geysers at Old Faithful we went on to do a short but very steep 1.5 mile hike to the observation point for the Grand Prismatic Spring. For me the best part of the day was that we decided to take the one way Firehole Canyon drive. It was another scary, intermittent road but the Firehole Falls on this road were so beautiful. There was so much power in the water. Today we drove 91 miles.
Friday 9/8
Today we decided to tour the Canyon area. On our way we stopped at Gibbon Falls. These are an 80 foot cascade that were beautiful. We headed on to the Canyon Visitor Center and with advice from the ranger planned our day. Several of the iconic viewpoints and trails are closed for reconstruction this year. We went to Artist Point to see the Upper Falls. Here we saw a man painting and he had a sign that said his name was Charles Causey from Macon, GA. I asked him if he knew Mike and Carol Hall and turns out he is their neighbor. We went on to the north rim and did a short walk to the bring of the upper falls. We did a short hike on the part of the North Rim trail that was open to Grand View of the Canyon and a view of the lower falls. After looking at the steps, we decided not to walk down to the bring of the lower falls. We ate lunch at Canyon lodge. We drove on the Grand Loop road from Canyon to Tower. This is also a scary road - narrow with no rails and big dropoffs. There was a little rain and after that the sky began to clear. We stopped at Artist Paint Pot and did a 1 mile loop. The sky was so blue that on our way back we stopped again at Gibbon Falls. We went to the grocery store for some yogurt and fiber one for our usual breakfast and added ice to the cooler. We drove 130 miles and hiked 8 miles today.
Saturday 9/9
We began our day again with our little coffee shop treat. We decided to go back to the Old Faithful area to try to see some of the geysers that we missed on Thursday. We had 20 minutes to walk the one mile trail to get to Daisy in time for the predicted eruption and we made it. On the way we had a nice conversation with a couple from the Piedmont area of North Carolina. It was nice to talk to someone who spoke southern and I didn't have to repeat myself. We had a little trouble finding our car - the signs at Yellowstone are very confusing and it is kind of like being in a maze. We dropped of our jackets (it has been in the low 40's in the mornings and rising in temperature to the low 80s by the afternoon), moved the car to a closer lot and saw the Castle Geyser and Old Faithful eruptions. After lunch at the Old Faithful grill we headed to the Firehole Lake Drive and saw the Grand Geyser and White Dome Geyser eruptions. We hit it very lucky with our timing. We did the short hike around the Fountain Paint Pot. We then headed on the Grand Loop Road from Norris to Mammoth. We did another short hike to see the Steamboad Geyser and the Porcelain Basin. We headed back toward West Yellowstone after this. We stopped at the grocery store for a salad and got gas. Eating in the park for lunch had been very economical, which was not what we expected. Today we drove 102 miles and hiked 8.7. We are enjoying our days but also getting a little tired. This is one thing that we hadn't really thought about - most days we are walking/hiking 6-8 miles. While we usually hike this much on a day in the Smokies we don't usually do it on consecutive days. We are usually ready to go to bed by 9:00 and are getting up around 6.
Sunday 9/10
We will leave West Yellowstone KOA and travel to the Grand Tetons. We will stay in a camping cabin at Headwaters Flagg Ranch Campground as we had originally planned - but we will stay 5 nights here to explore the Tetons.
We traveled through Madison and past Old Faithful. Our first stop was Kepler Falls - nice overlook and beautiful falls but no hiking. We went onto the West Thumb Geyser Basin and walked on the boardwalk around the geysers and down to Lake Yellowstone. We ate lunch at Grant Village and headed toward the Tetons. We stopped at Scupa Lake and Isa Lake. The sky was clear blue. We also stopped at Lewis Lake and Lewis Falls. We made it to Flagg Ranch around 2. Our little cabin was much better then the tent - no electricity but safe from bears and we have warm sleeping bags. We are used to staying in a campground and this one had a heated bathhouse and hot showers. We went on to Colter Bay where we saw the mountains for the first time and walked along the shore of Jackson Lake. We had a picnic on the way back to Flagg Ranch. We drove 112.4 miles this day.
Monday 9/11
Since rain was predicted for Wednesday and Thursday we decided we needed to pack the most in that we could on Monday and Tuesday. We got up and left by 5:30 for sunrise at Schawbacher's landing but decided to stop at Teton Point, hoping to see Alpenglow on the mountains. There was a little rose color. We then went on down to Schawbacher's Landing and saw the iconic image of the mountains reflected in calm water. We header to Mormon Row for the iconic barns. We ate our breakfast here. We went to Moose Visitor's Center and after checking the weather for Laramie, made changes to our plans. We are not up to 30 degree weather with a chance of snow in a tent. We found a motel in Centennial, WY and a camping cabin for Saturday night in Cheyenne KOA. We toured the Mentor's Ferry district and drove the Park Loop Road. We drove the Jenny Lake Loop but it was too crowded to get a parking place so we drove on to Signal Mountain Inn for lunch. After lunch we drove up the Signal Mountain road for beautiful views of the mountains and valley. We drove on back toward Flagg Ranch, making numerous stops at overlooks along the way.
Tuesday 9/12
We began our day early again with sunrise at Jenny Lake Overlook. We were early enough now to get a place to park at the Jenny Lake Parking area. We did a 3 mile hike up to Hidden Falls. It did have some steep places with loose rocks, but we made it. Hidden Falls was beautiful and crowded when we got there since it was 10:30 and the first boats across the lake had arrived. We took the boat back across the lake rather then hike the 3 miles. We headed to the LSR preserve and had our lunch in the car since every picnic area was full. We did enjoy the pavilion but the woodland hike was more like a hike through the prairie - not what we call peaceful and easy, so we didn't finish the hike. We drove to Gros Ventre area in hopes of seeing moose, but no luck there. We went to the Dornans for a pizza supper and changed the ice in the cooler. We stopped at the Moose Visitor Center where there was wifi and caught up with how DeeDee and Bret and David and Elizabeth faired Hurricane Irma. We did sunset at the Snake Lake Overlook where Ansel Adams took the famous picture of the Tetons - then back to Flagg Ranch. We drove 124 miles today.
Wednesday 9/13
Since it was supposed to rain this day we decided to sleep late. We made it to 6:00 and just got up. The bed in our cabin was a little hard. After we got our usual yogurt breakfast, the skies began to clear so we headed out. We went to Jenny Lake and String Lake parking area and got a place this time since it was only 8:30. We did a beautiful 2 mile hike around the String Lake and Phelps Lake. The water was still and calm and there were beautiful reflections of the mountains. The hike was very easy - only 50 foot gain in elevation - and so enjoyable. I took lots of pictures. We went on to Jackson Lake Lodge for lunch - but it was too expensive and not really a good menus choice. I just couldn't bring myself to pay $18 for a hamburger and fries. We headed back to Colter Bay and got lunch at the grocery store deli and had a nice picnic. Since it was supposed to rain this day - the whole day was an unexpected treat. We headed back to Flagg Ranch and did laundry. When we got to Flagg Ranch we learned that it had rained very hard here and even had some hail. Most of the campground roads and campsites were flooded. Apparently this campground doesn't have rain often and it made it very messy - still grateful for a roof over our heads instead of a tent. We drove 75 miles today. It rained during the night.
Thursday 9/14
We tried to sleep late again today and made it to 5:15. We are still getting plenty of sleep since we are going to bed at dark - we only have a small battery light that I had for the tent and our flashlights. We waited until daylight and since it wasn't raining like was predicted we headed out. We stopped at Oxbow bend and the river was calm with great reflections of the mountains. We stopped again at the Snake River Overlook and Mormon Row. I dropped my camera while trying to get it off the tripod, but everything was OK - not even a scratch. It fell on soft ground and got a little dirty but was easily cleaned - very thankful for this averted tragedy. We headed toward Jackson. We enjoyed the National Museum of Wildlife Art and then headed into the town. We ate lunch at a little cafe and walked around a little. It is a lot like Gatlinburg only with very expensive stores. The rain began on our way back to Flagg Ranch. We had expected rain all day, but we always seemed to be at the right place at the right time.
Friday 9/15
We packed up our cabin at Flagg Ranch in light rain. We headed back through the park to Jackson. The clouds were so thick that you could not see the Tetons. We had breakfast at McDonalds in Jackson and got gas. We headed out on the Wyoming Centennial Scenic Highway. Even though it was cloudy, it was still a beautiful drive. We passed the KOA about 10 miles out of town on this road, which made us grateful that we changed our reservations to Flagg Ranch. Even though we would have had electricity at this KOA, it would have taken much longer and a lot of traffic each day to get through Jackson. We stopped for gas and lunch at Rock Springs. We also found a Honda dealer and replaced the wiper blades which were beginning to give out - too many dead bugs on the windshield. Here we got on I-80 as it began to rain. This was the hardest part of the drive so far - even more scary then the mountain drives that were dirt. The rain was very hard and there were so many big trucks that would spray water and almost blind you. As we got closer to our plan drive through on the Snowy Ridge and our night in a motel in Centennial, Thomas checked the weather again. There was a prediction of a couple of inches of snow. So we had to change our plans once again. We tried first to add a day to Laramie KOA, but they were full. We checked the Cheyenne KOA, 50 miles further down the road, and they had a camping cabin. Fortunately the Old Corrall Inn did not charge us for cancelling and it was get a free night if you spent Friday and Saturday night - so we got a free night instead of an expensive motel. We drove 503 miles this day - the longest and hardest miles of the trip.
Saturday 9/16
Since rain was predicted for the morning and clearing in the afternoon, we slept late and took our time getting ready. We made a trip to the grocery store and changed the ice in the Yetti. On the way back to the KOA we went right by the Sierra Trading Post retail outlet. We did a little shopping and we both got a new pair of hiking shoes for less then half price. We headed to Curt Gowdy State Park, and decided to have a picnic lunch here. It was very windy and chilly, but a clear blue sky. We did a little hiking but most of the trails either involved technical rock climbing, went through campgrounds, or were on mountain bike trails. It seems that this state park is just one big, primitive campground with pit toilets and now water. Everywhere you looked there was a camper or a tent. We headed on to the the Vedauwoo Rock Formations of the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest. These were also very unusual rock hills with large boulders. We did see some rock climbers. Since it was still before sunset and we had to go back through Cheyenne to get to the KOA we decided to go into downtown Cheyenne. We walked around a little and decided to eat supper at the R&B Chop House. Since it was a long wait for a table we decided to sit in the bar - which was the place to watch the Oregon-Wyoming game on TV. The crowd was definitely Wyoming fans. We had a great meal and when we went to pay the waitress told us that someone had bought our meal. As we got ready to leave a lady asked us if we paid for our meal and we said that someone paid for it. She was the lady that paid and told us she did that because we had offered for several other people to sit with us. We drove 117 miles this day.
Sunday 9/17
We left Cheyenne after sleeping late and headed toward Nebraska. I-80 had a lot of construction we decided to get off and get on USHighway 30, the Lincoln Highway. We spent most of the day driving and moved back to central time. We spent the night in Grand Island, NE at KOA camping cabin - surrounded by corn fields.
Monday 9/18
This was another day of driving, and a lot of driving at that. Due to some miscalculations either in planning or GPS mapping we drove 546 miles. We drove through Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri. This is the first time that we didn't have a paper map to back us up, which was probably why we didn't make the best choice in routes. We made it to Lake of the Ozarks state park and our Yurt. We had a microwave, fridge and an AC (but not very cool). It seemed that there was only one other camper in the campground.
Tuesday 9/20
We began the day with a walk through the campground and found out that there were many other sections. It got hotter as we walked and got caught in a rain shower. We went back to the opening gate to check on the Cave Tours and other areas of the park and we found out that except for the campground the park was basically only open Friday-Sunday. We then went into Osage Beach, the closest town, and found a Panera Bread. We checked on the weather and found out the temperature was going to be 98 degrees, nothing would be open, and the AC in the Yurt wouldn't handle that temperature. The Thursday drive to Meredith's was also going to be 500 miles. So we decided to find a place and move on. We booked a place Kentucky Dam Village State Park.
Wednesday 9/21
We were really glad to leave this place, even the showers were filled with mosquitoes and made getting ready difficult. We drove through Missouri, around St. Louis to Illinois and on to Kentucky. We had a cabin that was the most luxurious of any place we stayed. It was great to have a bed with linens, inside bathroom, TV, and a kitchen. We walked a little by the lake and got a sunset.
Thursday 9/22
We made it to Meredith's and got to spend the weekend with Matt, Meredith, and Sam.
Friday 9/23 and Saturday 9/24
We enjoyed spending time with family.
Sunday 9/25
We are home! Now to get unpacked and catch up on mail and edit pictures
Original Plans for the Eastward Journey
Wednesday, September 6
We will leave Glacier and travel to Red Lodge, MT. This will be a long day of driving, 456 miles. We are staying at the Red Lodge KOA. Red Lodge is on the edge of the Beartooth Plateau.
Average Temperature in Red Lodge on this date: 44° to 73°
Sunset: 7:43pm at 279.4°
Wednesday, September 6
We will leave Glacier and travel to Red Lodge, MT. This will be a long day of driving, 456 miles. We are staying at the Red Lodge KOA. Red Lodge is on the edge of the Beartooth Plateau.
Average Temperature in Red Lodge on this date: 44° to 73°
Sunset: 7:43pm at 279.4°
Thursday, September 7
We will spend this day exploring the many shops and galleries in the town itself and also many hiking trails. We can also drive a short way on the Beartooth Highway itself. We will stay another night at the Red Lodge KOA
Sunrise: 6:46am at 80.9°
Sunset 7:42 pm at 276.6°
We will spend this day exploring the many shops and galleries in the town itself and also many hiking trails. We can also drive a short way on the Beartooth Highway itself. We will stay another night at the Red Lodge KOA
Sunrise: 6:46am at 80.9°
Sunset 7:42 pm at 276.6°
Friday, September 8
This day we will drive the complete Beartooth Highway and enter Yellowstone National Park from the East Entrance. There are many overlooks and hiking trails on this road. The highway is managed by the US Forest Service and their office in Red Lodge is good place to get information: (6811 Hwy 212 Red Lodge, MT 59068 Phone: 406-446-2103). This should be a 2-3 hour drive to Yellowstone. From Red Lodge to Yellowstone entrance is 68 miles.
Once we enter Yellowstone we will travel on the West entrance road to the Tower Roosevelt Area. We can tour Tower Falls and several other hikes in this area. There is a visitor's center at the Roosevelt Lodge. At the Tower junction we will head south on the Grand Loop Road toward the Canyon village area. There is also a good visitor's center here. This is the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone area and depending on time we could make a few stops but we will come back and explore this area on another day.
Distance from Northeast Entrance to Tower Junction on the Grand Loop Road is 29 miles
Distance from Tower Junction to Canyon Village on the Grand Loop Road is 19 miles.
From Canyon Village we will head to Norris area - 12 miles and then to the Madison Junction on the Grand Loop Road -14 miles - and then from Madison (14 miles ) to West Yellowstone KOA where we will spend 4 nights, exploring Yellowstone from this starting point.
Sunset at West Yellowstone: 7:47 pm at 278.2°
This day we will drive the complete Beartooth Highway and enter Yellowstone National Park from the East Entrance. There are many overlooks and hiking trails on this road. The highway is managed by the US Forest Service and their office in Red Lodge is good place to get information: (6811 Hwy 212 Red Lodge, MT 59068 Phone: 406-446-2103). This should be a 2-3 hour drive to Yellowstone. From Red Lodge to Yellowstone entrance is 68 miles.
Once we enter Yellowstone we will travel on the West entrance road to the Tower Roosevelt Area. We can tour Tower Falls and several other hikes in this area. There is a visitor's center at the Roosevelt Lodge. At the Tower junction we will head south on the Grand Loop Road toward the Canyon village area. There is also a good visitor's center here. This is the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone area and depending on time we could make a few stops but we will come back and explore this area on another day.
Distance from Northeast Entrance to Tower Junction on the Grand Loop Road is 29 miles
Distance from Tower Junction to Canyon Village on the Grand Loop Road is 19 miles.
From Canyon Village we will head to Norris area - 12 miles and then to the Madison Junction on the Grand Loop Road -14 miles - and then from Madison (14 miles ) to West Yellowstone KOA where we will spend 4 nights, exploring Yellowstone from this starting point.
Sunset at West Yellowstone: 7:47 pm at 278.2°
Saturday, September 9 through Monday, September 11
Here are the areas we will tour each day - we could change these based on weather.
Saturday - Canyon Area and Lake Area
Sunday Mammoth Area (there is a chapel here that has services on Sunday) and part of Geyser Basin
Monday Geyser area and part of Lake Area that we didn't get to on Saturday
(Tuesday we will explore the region from West Thumb to the South Entrance on our way toward Grand Teton)
Sunrise (West Yellowstone): 6:57am at 82.1°
Sunset (West Yellowstone): 7:45pm 277.7°
Here are some helpful links I will use to plan this trip:
Yellowstone Photography
Yellowstone National Park Photo Galleries
Day Hike Guides - Came across this great website - Hike734.com - that has information on Yellowstone and Grand Tetons as well as Glacier. The company has produced some interesting looking map/guide book combinations. They can be purchased in the parks. I wish I had found this sooner so I could have ordered them, but I will try to purchase them when we get there.
Here is the link for the Yellowstone online version with information about each hike
Here is the link for the Grand Teton online version with information about each hike
.
Here are the areas we will tour each day - we could change these based on weather.
Saturday - Canyon Area and Lake Area
Sunday Mammoth Area (there is a chapel here that has services on Sunday) and part of Geyser Basin
Monday Geyser area and part of Lake Area that we didn't get to on Saturday
(Tuesday we will explore the region from West Thumb to the South Entrance on our way toward Grand Teton)
Sunrise (West Yellowstone): 6:57am at 82.1°
Sunset (West Yellowstone): 7:45pm 277.7°
Here are some helpful links I will use to plan this trip:
Yellowstone Photography
Yellowstone National Park Photo Galleries
Day Hike Guides - Came across this great website - Hike734.com - that has information on Yellowstone and Grand Tetons as well as Glacier. The company has produced some interesting looking map/guide book combinations. They can be purchased in the parks. I wish I had found this sooner so I could have ordered them, but I will try to purchase them when we get there.
Here is the link for the Yellowstone online version with information about each hike
Here is the link for the Grand Teton online version with information about each hike
.
Tuesday, September 12
We will leave our campsite at West Yellowstone KOA and explore the region from West Thumb to the south entrance. We will make our way to the Grand Tetons National Park where we will stay at the Headwaters Flagg Ranch Campground in a camping cabin. We will be staying here to explore the Grand Tetons for 3 nights.
If we have time to explore we will go to the Colter Bay area only 15 miles from Flagg Ranch
Average Temperature on this date: 34° to 73°
Sunrise: 6:59 am at 83.7°
Sunset: 7:37 pm at 276.0°
Helpful links to help me plan:
Grand Tetons National Park Photo Gallery
Grand Tetons National Park - Plan you visit page
Here is the link for the Grand Teton online version of Hike 734 with information about hikes in Grand Teton
We will leave our campsite at West Yellowstone KOA and explore the region from West Thumb to the south entrance. We will make our way to the Grand Tetons National Park where we will stay at the Headwaters Flagg Ranch Campground in a camping cabin. We will be staying here to explore the Grand Tetons for 3 nights.
If we have time to explore we will go to the Colter Bay area only 15 miles from Flagg Ranch
Average Temperature on this date: 34° to 73°
Sunrise: 6:59 am at 83.7°
Sunset: 7:37 pm at 276.0°
Helpful links to help me plan:
Grand Tetons National Park Photo Gallery
Grand Tetons National Park - Plan you visit page
Here is the link for the Grand Teton online version of Hike 734 with information about hikes in Grand Teton
Wednesday, September 13
Begin with sunrise at Signal Mountain overlook
Log chapel of the Sacred Heart at Catholic Picnic area will have to backtrack a little from where the Signal Mountain road leaves the park road
Jenny Lake and boat and hike to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point
Moose Region - Mentor's Ferry and Chapel of Transfiguration and Craig Thomas Discovery Center
Depending on time we could go on to Jackson Hole this day.
Moon: Last Quarter
Begin with sunrise at Signal Mountain overlook
Log chapel of the Sacred Heart at Catholic Picnic area will have to backtrack a little from where the Signal Mountain road leaves the park road
Jenny Lake and boat and hike to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point
Moose Region - Mentor's Ferry and Chapel of Transfiguration and Craig Thomas Discovery Center
Depending on time we could go on to Jackson Hole this day.
Moon: Last Quarter
Thursday, September 14
We will begin with Mormon Row and then go into Jackson Hole if we didn't make it there on Wednesday.
We will head back north and spend time in the Colter Bay area - if we didn't see this when we came in on Tuesday
We will explore the Jackson Lake area for the rest of the day.
There is a scenic cruise of Jackson Lake that leaves at 5:15 on Thursdays only. If we can get reservations this would be a nice way to see a sunset - price is $32/person. Will need to check on this when we get to Flagg Ranch.
We will begin with Mormon Row and then go into Jackson Hole if we didn't make it there on Wednesday.
We will head back north and spend time in the Colter Bay area - if we didn't see this when we came in on Tuesday
We will explore the Jackson Lake area for the rest of the day.
There is a scenic cruise of Jackson Lake that leaves at 5:15 on Thursdays only. If we can get reservations this would be a nice way to see a sunset - price is $32/person. Will need to check on this when we get to Flagg Ranch.
Friday, September 15
We will begin with sunrise at Oxbow Bend and then leave the Grand Tetons and travel to Laramie, Wyoming, 399 miles. We will travel from our camping cabin at Flagg Ranch to have sunrise at Oxbow Bend at the Jackson Lake Junction We will travel through Moran and the East Entrance of Grand Teton Park on the Wyoming Centennial Scenic Highway toward Dubois, Wyoming where the highway enters the Wind River Reservation and becomes Highway 26. We will go through the town of Fort Washakie where we can stop to see Sacagewea Memorial. We will travel on to Rawlins and get on I80 and exit at Highway 130 and travel toward Saratoga, Wyoming where we will get on the Snowy Ridge Scenic Byway, which goes through the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest. The byway, Highway 130, leads to the Libby Flats Observation Point. There is a visitor's center at the Ryan Park Campground (National Forest Service) with a self-guided tour of the byway. We will stay in Laramie where the scenic byway ends, 399 miles from Flagg Ranch. (Another resource for the Scenic Byway.)
Sunset: 7:15pm at 275.7°
Average temperature on this date in Laramie: 36° to 71°
We will camp 2 nights at the Laramie KOA. We will visit the town of Laramie after we arrive.
We will begin with sunrise at Oxbow Bend and then leave the Grand Tetons and travel to Laramie, Wyoming, 399 miles. We will travel from our camping cabin at Flagg Ranch to have sunrise at Oxbow Bend at the Jackson Lake Junction We will travel through Moran and the East Entrance of Grand Teton Park on the Wyoming Centennial Scenic Highway toward Dubois, Wyoming where the highway enters the Wind River Reservation and becomes Highway 26. We will go through the town of Fort Washakie where we can stop to see Sacagewea Memorial. We will travel on to Rawlins and get on I80 and exit at Highway 130 and travel toward Saratoga, Wyoming where we will get on the Snowy Ridge Scenic Byway, which goes through the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest. The byway, Highway 130, leads to the Libby Flats Observation Point. There is a visitor's center at the Ryan Park Campground (National Forest Service) with a self-guided tour of the byway. We will stay in Laramie where the scenic byway ends, 399 miles from Flagg Ranch. (Another resource for the Scenic Byway.)
Sunset: 7:15pm at 275.7°
Average temperature on this date in Laramie: 36° to 71°
We will camp 2 nights at the Laramie KOA. We will visit the town of Laramie after we arrive.
Saturday, September 16
We will explore the Vedauwoo Rock Formations of the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest. We will also explore the Curt Gowdy State Park, which is between Laramie and Cheyenne.
Sunrise in Laramie: 6:44 am
Sunset in Laramie: 7:08 pm
We will explore the Vedauwoo Rock Formations of the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest. We will also explore the Curt Gowdy State Park, which is between Laramie and Cheyenne.
Sunrise in Laramie: 6:44 am
Sunset in Laramie: 7:08 pm
Sunday, September 17
We will leave Laramie and do more sight seeing as we go back through the Medinie Bow-Routt National Forest and Curt Gowdy State Park. We will also travel through Cheyenne. We will begin our trek across the plains of Nebraska. We will drive to Grand Island where we will stay at the KOA in Grand Island, 411 miles. We will move from MST to CST.
We will leave Laramie and do more sight seeing as we go back through the Medinie Bow-Routt National Forest and Curt Gowdy State Park. We will also travel through Cheyenne. We will begin our trek across the plains of Nebraska. We will drive to Grand Island where we will stay at the KOA in Grand Island, 411 miles. We will move from MST to CST.
Monday, September 18
We will continue through Nebraska and onto Lake of the Ozarks State Park in Kaiser, Missouri where we will stay in a yurt, 446 miles. We will stay here for 3 nights.
We will continue through Nebraska and onto Lake of the Ozarks State Park in Kaiser, Missouri where we will stay in a yurt, 446 miles. We will stay here for 3 nights.
Tuesday, September 19
We will tour Lake of the Ozarks State Park - will need to check with the visitor center here to plan our day.
New Moon on September 19
We will tour Lake of the Ozarks State Park - will need to check with the visitor center here to plan our day.
New Moon on September 19
Wednesday, September 20
We will spend more time at the park and then visit Ha Ha Tonka State Park, a 30 minute drive.
We will spend more time at the park and then visit Ha Ha Tonka State Park, a 30 minute drive.
Thursday, September 21,
We will drive to Franklin to stay with Meredith and Matt - almost home! It will be a long drive, 482 miles.
We will visit for Friday and Saturday and return home either Saturday afternoon or Sunday.
We will drive to Franklin to stay with Meredith and Matt - almost home! It will be a long drive, 482 miles.
We will visit for Friday and Saturday and return home either Saturday afternoon or Sunday.