9/4/13 Mammoth to Old Faithful

We departed Mammoth Hot Springs and traveled approximately 83 miles to Old Faithful.  

We took a short detour on our way and crossed over into Montana for some lunch and then continued on, stopping by the Painted Pots.
 

 

Old Faithful - view from the boardwalk at sunset...

NEXT POST: 9/5/13 - Old Faithful to Jackson, WY

9/3/13 - Yellowstone National Park - Mammoth Hot Springs

We traveled approximately 142 miles on this day, entering Yellowstone National Park around 10:30 a.m., reaching heights of 9300 feet above sea level; lunch at Elk Valley Lodge.

We arrived at Mammoth Lodge at 4:30 p.m. and the temperature was 85 degrees - oh, how nice that temp sounds on this snowy winter day!  When we arrived in our hotel room, Bob said how much it reminded him of the movie "The Shining"....yikes!

NO TV! 

NO A/C!  

 

Later that evening in our "Bates Hotel" room, Bob decided to practice his elk calling abilities - which, by the way, is illegal...just in case you're ever there, DO NOT try to call in the elk!  I think Bob was quite surprised when one lone male elk started bugling back to his call!

You could be kicked out of the park {BOB!}. 

 

 

The highlights for me were the travertine terraces and for Bob it was the overall landscape of Yellowstone.

Simply amazing!

NEXT POST: 9/4/13 - Mammoth to Old Faithful

9/3/13 - Parks & Canyons Continued!! Cody to Yellowstone

We began our day at the Buffalo Bill Museum, Cody, WY.  WOW, what a spectacular collection of exhibits, including game, guns (thousands of guns!), Native American items, old west, etc.

 This is the car that Bob took a chance on but didn't win (insert sad face)...

This is the HAPPY FACE that would've been seen for a LOOOOOOONNNGGG time if Bob would've won the above car!

Happy husband, happy... - oh wait, that's happy WIFE, happy LIFE!  :)

We departed from Buffalo Bill Museum at 10:00 a.m. bound for Yellowstone...constantly on the lookout for the elusive game that we kept hearing about (buffalo, elk, moose, mountain goats, etc.).  

Up to this point we hadn't seen much in terms of game we were all on high alert - staring out the window hoping to spot anything that moved!

Next thing you know, as we're traveling along at a nice clip, these guys decided they wanted us to share the highway...

 Let's just say that we were VERY happy that we were in the bus and NOT on a motorcycle!!

As I sat sideways in my seat taking in the beauty as we traveled, I was lucky to capture THIS through the bus window. I think I sat sideways for most of the trip with camera in hand and for good reason!

YAY! We finally spotted a huge gathering of buffalo so we pulled off the road momentarily to get some great photos!

TAIL IN THE AIR - you better run for cover!  It doesn't mean what you probably think it means!

According to Mary, our tour director, Buffalo have been known to "charge" when the tail goes in the air!

Back on the bus in a BIG hurry and off to another scenic stop on our way to Yellowstone...

NEXT POST: 9/3/13 - Yellowstone/Mammoth Hot Springs

9/2/13 - Sheridan to Cody

Day 3 - September 2, 2013 (We traveled approximately 260 miles. The temp in the a.m. was in the 50s which was CHILLY considering we were accustomed to much warmer temps. Later in the day, the temp rose to the low 90s but dipped back down to 75 when we arrived in Cody around 4 p.m.  Oh how I miss those warm temps!)

We started our day traveling to the site of the Little Big Horn Battlefield - visiting the actual site where Custer fell.  What an amazing sense of history as we toured the grounds.

 

 

 

We headed to Cody via the Bighorn Mountains after we left the Battlefield Memorial.  I believe, if my notes are correct, that this mountain range is a spur of the Rockies.

We were constantly at increasingly high elevations during our trip and this portion of the trip was no exception.

We stopped part way up the mountain at a scenic area to do the normal photo opp stuff.

When we got off the bus, there was a crowd of people at the rim of the look-out so of course everyone on the bus rushed over to check out the scene.

Much to our surprise, there were a couple of hang gliders waiting for the wind to pick up so they could jump off the edge of the mountain and fly like a bird.

 

Unfortunately, the wind was not blowing in the least.

As a result, no one was jumping off the side of the mountain!

Bummer!  That would have made for some really awesome photos!

We continued on our journey up the mountain, stopping for lunch at the Elk Mountain Lodge for a wonderful buffet.

The change in terrain was simply amazing - from completely flat, see-forever-in-the-distance to windy, rugged mountains with gorgeous waterfalls and trails seeming to appear out of nowhere.

The mountain ranges seemed endless at some points!

We had a great time stopping at Shell Creek Canyon for more photos.  This location proved to be one of the many beautiful stops in our quest for beautiful scenery as we traveled through God's beautiful country.

This is Mary, our awesome Tour Director for Globus.

If I haven't said it before, Mary did an outstanding job!

She's a total rock star as far as tour directors go!

Hi Mary, we miss you! ;-)

NEXT POST: 9/3/13 - Cody to Yellowstone

9/1/13 - Deadwood, Tatanka and Sheridan

Day 2 - September 1, 2013

This day on our trip was fairly low key.  We departed from our hotel in Rapid City, SD en-route to visit Tatanka and take a tour of Deadwood City, the location of Wild Bill Hickok's last poker game and eventually his demise.

Tatanka is a touristy spot that has a mini Native American village on display.  I believe, if my memory serves me correctly, that it came about with involvement from Kevin Costner who starred in Dances with Wolves which was filmed in South Dakota.   He lived in the state for several years after filming ended and became involved with the Native American people.  Tatanka means "buffalo" in Native American.  The buffalo was the main source of survival for the Lakota people.  It was not only used as a food source but shelter, clothing, tools, and many other things.

 

 DEADWOOD

Famous for Wild Bill Hickok's death over a game of poker.  He had a hand of all aces and eights which led to Jack McCall killing him.

Deadwood City is now a 'touristy' town filled with shops, casinos and restaurants.  One such restaurant, Midnight Star, is owned by Kevin Costner and is filled to the roof with movie memorabilia from many of his movie roles. 

 

After grabbing lunch at the Midnight Star, we traveled about 265 miles to Sheridan, WY, which would be the one of the very last times to make a last minute Walmart run.

You're probably thinking Walmart run??  

Yep, I forgot to bring my iPad SD card adapter so we jumped on the hotel shuttle and headed to Walmart shortly after arriving in Sheridan.  

While we were there, I insisted that we buy a backpack to attach to my wheelchair for the trip which was a real bone of contention at the time.  Bob INSISTED that we did NOT need a $20 backpack.  

I held my ground (I know, you're probably thinking highly unlike me, right?!)...something that later would prove to be a $100 savings.  

That story will be told later! 

NEXT POST:  9/2/13 - Sheridan to Cody 

8/31/13 - Crazy Horse and Mount Rushmore...

We were awakened at 3:45 a.m. to the lovely but deafening sound (insert sarcasm here) of a train traveling through town (Rapid City) which really sounded like it was in the next room!  Later, we realized that our hotel practically sits on the railroad tracks...brilliant, just brilliant and I forgot to pack our earplugs. :-)
Our tour package included breakfast (in the form of a buffet) each morning and several dinners which was nice so that was one less thing we had to think about.  We made our way through the buffet line and sat at a table with two retired couples (of course!) on separate tours and ironically both couples had done their life work in the psychology field - didn't stay long at their table in fear they'd start analyzing us!

We departed the hotel at 9:00 a.m. sharp.  Our bus driver, Dale, turned out to be a pretty nice guy - loading and unloading all the luggage at each new destination; driving tirelessly for hours on end while maneuvering that big honkin' bus in and out of traffic; through windy, switch-back roads snaking up and down some seriously tall mountains.  We have a new respect for most truck/bus drivers!

Our tour director, Mary, was a veteran - she had conducted tours ALL.OVER.THE.COUNTRY!  If we drove by it, she knew all about it and proceeded to share the history along the way.  What an amazing woman!  She rocked!  Funny thing, Mary had previously traveled through our little county.  In fact, she said that our local Wegman's was her favorite - how ironic!  Hopefully she's in the area one of these day so I can buy her lunch!

First stop: Crazy Horse Memorial

A little history as shared by Mary (paraphrased, of course)... In the 1920s when Mount Rushmore was under construction in the Black Hills of SD, the Sioux Indians became quite outraged since the very land used in for the project was land that they had been swindled out of by, none other than our government.

The Sioux wanted their own memorial of significance and since Crazy Horse was their hero, they settled on a Crazy Horse memorial.  Ironically, the sculptor entrusted to work on the project had actually worked on Mount Rushmore but was fired.

Blasting of the mountain began in the 1940s by this one and only man.  Eventually, over time, others came to help with the project that still remains unfinished to this day.  The private leaders of this project have rejected assistance by the government on many occasions.  It is completely funded by private donations and funds from the visitors center that was built on site to handle the outpouring of national public interest.

This project remains a family run operation to this day with the descendants of the original sculptor.

 When people lose their heros, 

they lose their dreams.  

When dreams are lost, 

life is no longer good.

Second Stop: Mount Rushmore

Of course EVERYONE has seen photos of Mount Rushmore at some point in their life but to see it in person was quite amazing! 

Sculpting of the faces of Mount Rushmore began in the 1920's in the Black Hills of South Dakota.  

{Reasons these presidents were chosen...paraphrased and plenty of details missing!}

Washington - founding father of our country.  

Jefferson - expanded the new world with the Louisana purchase which doubled our land size.

Roosevelt - some said he was a "friend" of the scupltor; instrumental in the purchase and development of the land at the Panama Canal which opened up free trade; big advocate for workers - his policies lead to worker rights.

Lincoln - united the country in a time of divide with the civil war.

This is the view opposite of Mount Rushmore...

 We had the opportunity to go back to Mount Rushmore for the night show that they offer.  The Park Ranger provided a history of the monument and at the end of the evening, she invited all the veterans (or surviving family member) up on the stage for the retirement of the flag ceremony in recognition of their service given for our freedoms.  One of the gentlemen participating in the lowering of the flag happened to be on our tour...THANKS ED!

NEXT POST: 9/1/13 - Deadwood, Tatanka and Sheridan

8/30/13 - 20 Years and Counting...

Twenty years ago on this very date, September 18th, I married my best friend and "Love of a Lifetime" at a beautiful ceremony at the PA Grand Canyon.  I thank God each and every day that HE placed Bob in my life!

Back then, we were incredibly blessed to have honeymooned in Hawaii.  What an amazing dream come true for each of us!  Unfortunately as life happens, vacations sometimes take a backseat.  It's hard to imagine where the past 20 years have gone but looking back and considering the many medical obstacles we've gone through/overcome, it's no wonder that vacations weren't a priority.

About 3 years ago, Bob mentioned to me that he wanted to plan an "out west" trip for our 20th.  I appeased him (as any good wife would do) and said that if he'd make it happen, I'd go wherever he wanted to go - NEVER really thinking we'd actually go through with it!

When the time rolled around last September for us to actually meet with the travel agent and book the trip I have to admit, I was pretty shocked that Bob's "dream vacay out west" was on the verge of being realized! 

* * * * * * * * * * *

Fast forward to 8/30/13 -  8:00 a.m. departure out of Harrisburg International Airport (HIA), connecting through Chicago, IL to our final destination Rapid City, SD.

Over the course of our 15 day vacay we've jotted down notes and highlights and hope to share some of those memories here.  Today we start an adventure that will take us over 5000 miles, through at least 15 states (counting our flights) and encompass a 15 day vacation that has been a dream in the making for over 3 years!

2:30 a.m. - Let me just say, it should be illegal to get up at this hour in the morning! Even though you'd think we'd have plenty of time to finalize packing and get the car loaded, we scurried around trying to make sure we I didn't forget anything...

• bags packed - check
• personals packed - check
• meds packed - check
• wheelchair in the trunk - check
• dog/house sitter in place - check
• car packed - check
• ON THE ROAD at 4:15 a.m. - check

Approximately 5 miles into the trip, something popped into my mind that we I forgot to grab!  Back to the house we went for the grab and go-all-important medication that I knew I'd need for the trip!

Finally, we arrived safe and sound for an early check-in at HIA! Upon arrival at the airport, Bob realized that he left home without our ca$h!  Thankfully, there was a MAC machine in the airport...saved the day!

As we approached the check-in counter, I prayed all the way that my bag (a.k.a. "the volkeswagon") would NOT be over the weight limit of 50 lbs.  My bag barely squeaked through weighing in at 50.3 lbs!!  Thankfully, we didn't have to pay the $100 over-size bag fee!!

We had an easy flight into O'Hara but practically had to run/wheel through the airport dodging people and luggage all the way across what felt like the entire airport!  We finally reached the gate and had to walk/wheel out onto the tarmac to catch our connecting flight to Rapid City (yeah, unfortunately, it was one of those puddle jumper-type planes)!

We arrived in Rapid City, SD and settled into our hotel room then decided to head out and check out the town.  As we were cruising around (I was cruising in my wheelchair - Bob was pushing me), we decided to grab a bite to eat a a local eatery, The Firehouse Brewery, in the outdoor seating BUT thankfully under the roof part of the seating area.

Part way through our meal, the sky opened up and DUMPED on the city and surrounding area!  The storm threw down some serious hail AND a tornado even passed through nearby!  We ended up staying at the restaurant for about an hour after we finished our meal because the weather was so horrible.  We shared "cover" with some wonderful folks, Paul and Rowena, who were in the states on holiday from Scotland. 

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: Sitting with our new friends chatting in complete amazement while watching the hail bounce off the roof of the building across the street - what a joyful way to begin our memory making journey!

NEXT POST: 8/31/13 - Crazy Horse and Mount Rushmore