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Showing posts from August, 2014

Root 66 RV park

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Driving from Colorado to Arizona is quite a feat when you are just driving to get somewhere and not taking time out to enjoy the sites along the way... not our usual mode of travel!  However, we did pretty well trading off and stuck to main hwy to make better time.  Arrived in Arizona for one last night at RV park before making it to home - wanted to empty tanks and all that fun stuff.  So, Early finds this cute little place along Hwy 40 just east of the town of Holbrook.  Not much here but some petrified wood and good electricity etc... so we parked it and here was our view 

Petrified Forest

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While we were staying overnight up at Sun Valley, AZ we took a little ride through the Petrified Forest.  Couldn't do much since Earl had to stay in car pretty much but stopped at a few overlooks and did have the wonderful site of an antelope come running across the road from seemingly no where to run right in front of us and back into the wilderness.  We have seen antelope before but usually in small herds and of course we did not have camera on at time of event! oh well.. it was a thrill for us just the same.

Goodbye Colorado!

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What a crazy week this has been.  It began with our trip to Rocky Mountain National Park that I enjoyed as best I could with Early left in the car with the shakes and wrapped in a wool blanket.  After a few days he noted his leg hurt and was afraid he had a blood clot.  After looking at his leg that had turned bright red and terribly swollen we drove into town to call the nurse on the hot line.  She suggested we go straight to ER but he felt ok and leg didn't itch - just red and swollen?  What is going on - so that evening (our last night in area) we had dinner with nephew Jim and his little family.  He and son Cole (who will be 1 this month) greeted us and when wife Theresa (doctor in family) came home from work she went straight to looking at Earl.  She freaked out and immediately called ER and insisted on coming with us to see the doctors there.  What a long evening as you can imagine if you have ever been in an ER!  Theresa's being a doctor helped to speed things up some b

Rocky Mountain National Park

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Watching the weather for this area closely due to what would seemingly be an expected thundershower each day.  Packed a lunch and off we went to try once again to see this wonder of nature.  Our 1st trip here in 2001 was too early in the year and the park was all snowed in.. did see some mangy looking elk and big horned sheep but wanted to really see the park.  So on our way all of a sudden Earl says he has the shakes and needs me to drive.  He has a coat on and gets the wool blanket out from the trunk of the car (I was in shorts and cooking already early in the day) - so I took over the driving and he assured me he was ok although he was having the chills!  He assured me he was ok for me to continue.  I stopped at two visitor centers and drove the road thru the park up to the highest point just above 12,000 ft and was thrilled beyond words!  It was a gorgeous day and the views were spectacular!  I did worry about Early all day though so after 2nd stop turned the car around and headed

Sacajawea's gravesite

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After leaving the Grand Tetons we planned to stay overnight at a casino near Lander, WY.  Just so happens Sacajawea was buried in town of Fort Washakie next to Lander.  So took a little drive up to pay our respects to this very courageous woman.  When I think of how important she was to the exploration of Lewis and Clark and all she had to go thru it is mind boggling.  She was tremendous and to top it off she had bum of a husband (ha!)  Anyway, it was very cool to see she has a nice monument in her honor.  She is buried between both of her sons.  As we walked through the cemetery we noticed the names repeated many times .. a good indication there were many descendants.  

Grand Teton National Park; Jackson Lake

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After about a week in Yellowstone we traversed south to the beautiful Grand Tetons.  Driving in I felt the tears well up these mountains are so rugged and majestic!  It was a fairly nice day and after setting up camp at the Colter Campground we took a little walk around the area to get our bearings.  The walk to the lake front thru the woods was easy and nice (even found a doe munching a patch of grass).  The waterfront was bustling with all sorts of people in and out of the water.  The picnic area was full of people so we continued on to the marina and general store.  They had nice facilities; a restaurant and cafeteria as well as cabins and big laundramat with showers ($4.25 each).  Nice campground divided into sections for electric hookups or not or tents etc.  This park allows all downed wood burnable - never noticed that at a National Park before but that was great.  Although one day took the ride to the top of Signal Mountain and saw where they are getting ready for a perscribed

Yellowstone National Park

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After our wonderful time in Idaho with the family we continued on to West Yellowstone where son Alex and his wife Katy and daughter Jordan met up with us and son Roy along with granddaughter J and friend Natalie joined us ... we had one day to drive through the park to see as much as possible.  Alex's family left early the next day.  We spent the next few days visiting other parts of this wonderful National Park.  One day we drove up to the Lamar Valley to find river otters. Didn't find any otters but did find a bison sitting under a tree not wanting to be disturbed.  Another day was spent at Canyon and still another just shopping in West Yellowstone.  A lot to see in a short amount of time but we did pretty good.  Earl took them back to airport in Bozeman on Thursday.   We did take one day and go out to see Quake lake.  This lake was formed by an earthquake in 1959 - a funny coincidence by grandmother along with Aunt and Uncle had stayed there at the campground just the d