Canyons Canyons Canyons (LONG)
I haven't had a chance to post our summer vacation (mid June to mid July) until now, so here goes.
Iowa 80 truck stop and museum. What a cool place. I recommend it to those who love trucks and history. Here are a few shots.
Passed through the Bighorns. Here's a picture of one of our campsites. No noisy neighbors here.
We were actually going to spend our entire vacation in Wyoming again this year. Visited Cody and nearly froze at the rodeo. Here are some shots of the original town site.
This is Jeremiah Johnston who's life was loosely portrayed by Robert Redford in the movie "Jeremiah Johnson". He's buried here in Cody Old Town.
"Super Moon" setting over Buffalo Bill State Park.
Vacationers were sparse by Cody standards and I attribute that to cold weather and high gas prices. Headed to Yellowstone and got wet and froze there too. The DW and DD wanted a SUMMER vacation so I took them south. First we passed by the Grand Tetons. It was warmer but still not warm enough.
Flaming Gorge, and that still wasn't hot enough for them. Only 100 degrees here.
Then FINALLY it's hot enough for them. 116 degrees. Sophie hangs out in the only bit of shade around.
If you look closely at the bottom of the pictures you can see my wife and daughter hiking up to Twin Arch.
Then we head southwest for even more heat.
Now THIS is my kind of road.
I noticed there were a lot of, to put it nicely, inconsiderate people on this trip. The owner of this mini van actually told me her vehicle WAS oversize when I pointed to the sign.:h There were plenty of regular spaces but THIS one was closest to the canyon edge. This would prove to be the theme on this entire trip. Tiny cars in the CLEARLY MARKED RV spaces.
Then on to.....
Sophie couldn't take the heat any longer and died.
We didn't spend near enough time in Grand Staircase to get any good pictures. Just too bloody hot to hike. I'll be back though.
Sophie working on life number 2 of 9.
This is called a Limber Pine and looks as though it could walk around.
Then, since we were only a few hours away we decided to visit my BIL in......FRANCE!!! NO! Las Vegas.
I haven't been to Vegas since 1979. WOW what a difference. I believe they ruined the strip. And I got pretty sick of the constant in your face porn.
While my BIL and DW went out gambling, me and the DD had a French theme going on a didn't even realize it until we left Vegas. We went to the Circ du Soleil, Madame Tussaud wax museum, and had an excellent dinner at Mon Ami Gabi. We really enjoyed our time together but I was ready to leave Las Vegas even before we got there. In fact, my daughter pointed out that while everyone was watching the fountain at the Bellagio, I was pointing out cloud formations, HA! So we headed to...
AHHhhhh.....That's more like it.
All good things must come to an end and vacation is no different. Eventually we had to start heading toward Detroit, UGH! At first we thought about taking the fastest, most direct route home but then I came to my senses. We decided to cut up through Colorado and take the scenic route instead. Time for me was QUICKLY running out and I even considered calling in for a few days after having an entire month off, HAHA. We headed for Four Corners.
Pulled up here at Black Bear Pass and told a couple who were airing down the tires on their Jeep that I was heading on up and asked if they thought I would make it. I thought the woman was going to pass out until I started laughing. Someday we'll drag the Jeep out here and try it.
This is the Bay of Chickens in the Blue Mesa Reservoir. Spent an entire day here swimming. Water was perfect. Nobody around.
Our last night of real camping before hitting the freeway home.
Once we saw that festering boil on the face of Colorado called Denver off in the distant smog we knew it was time to put the pedal to the metal. Made it home so fast I could have spent another day swimming in the Bay of Chickens. Dang.
But we made it home safely and had not a single issue with the camper or the truck, except for the fact that it rolled over 100,000 miles somewhere in Wyoming.
I know we missed lots of places to see out there but that will give us something to look forward to. Definitely want to return.
Mike
Iowa 80 truck stop and museum. What a cool place. I recommend it to those who love trucks and history. Here are a few shots.
Passed through the Bighorns. Here's a picture of one of our campsites. No noisy neighbors here.
We were actually going to spend our entire vacation in Wyoming again this year. Visited Cody and nearly froze at the rodeo. Here are some shots of the original town site.
This is Jeremiah Johnston who's life was loosely portrayed by Robert Redford in the movie "Jeremiah Johnson". He's buried here in Cody Old Town.
"Super Moon" setting over Buffalo Bill State Park.
Vacationers were sparse by Cody standards and I attribute that to cold weather and high gas prices. Headed to Yellowstone and got wet and froze there too. The DW and DD wanted a SUMMER vacation so I took them south. First we passed by the Grand Tetons. It was warmer but still not warm enough.
Flaming Gorge, and that still wasn't hot enough for them. Only 100 degrees here.
Then FINALLY it's hot enough for them. 116 degrees. Sophie hangs out in the only bit of shade around.
If you look closely at the bottom of the pictures you can see my wife and daughter hiking up to Twin Arch.
Then we head southwest for even more heat.
Now THIS is my kind of road.
I noticed there were a lot of, to put it nicely, inconsiderate people on this trip. The owner of this mini van actually told me her vehicle WAS oversize when I pointed to the sign.:h There were plenty of regular spaces but THIS one was closest to the canyon edge. This would prove to be the theme on this entire trip. Tiny cars in the CLEARLY MARKED RV spaces.
Then on to.....
Sophie couldn't take the heat any longer and died.
We didn't spend near enough time in Grand Staircase to get any good pictures. Just too bloody hot to hike. I'll be back though.
Sophie working on life number 2 of 9.
This is called a Limber Pine and looks as though it could walk around.
Then, since we were only a few hours away we decided to visit my BIL in......FRANCE!!! NO! Las Vegas.
I haven't been to Vegas since 1979. WOW what a difference. I believe they ruined the strip. And I got pretty sick of the constant in your face porn.
While my BIL and DW went out gambling, me and the DD had a French theme going on a didn't even realize it until we left Vegas. We went to the Circ du Soleil, Madame Tussaud wax museum, and had an excellent dinner at Mon Ami Gabi. We really enjoyed our time together but I was ready to leave Las Vegas even before we got there. In fact, my daughter pointed out that while everyone was watching the fountain at the Bellagio, I was pointing out cloud formations, HA! So we headed to...
AHHhhhh.....That's more like it.
All good things must come to an end and vacation is no different. Eventually we had to start heading toward Detroit, UGH! At first we thought about taking the fastest, most direct route home but then I came to my senses. We decided to cut up through Colorado and take the scenic route instead. Time for me was QUICKLY running out and I even considered calling in for a few days after having an entire month off, HAHA. We headed for Four Corners.
Pulled up here at Black Bear Pass and told a couple who were airing down the tires on their Jeep that I was heading on up and asked if they thought I would make it. I thought the woman was going to pass out until I started laughing. Someday we'll drag the Jeep out here and try it.
This is the Bay of Chickens in the Blue Mesa Reservoir. Spent an entire day here swimming. Water was perfect. Nobody around.
Our last night of real camping before hitting the freeway home.
Once we saw that festering boil on the face of Colorado called Denver off in the distant smog we knew it was time to put the pedal to the metal. Made it home so fast I could have spent another day swimming in the Bay of Chickens. Dang.
But we made it home safely and had not a single issue with the camper or the truck, except for the fact that it rolled over 100,000 miles somewhere in Wyoming.
I know we missed lots of places to see out there but that will give us something to look forward to. Definitely want to return.
Mike
