After 13 Days - That's a Wrap!

 

To quote Woodie Guthrie "This land is your land, this land is my land."  These United States of America are amazing, from coast to coast, top to bottom.  Every time I've traveled west to Yellowstone, it's been a different experience with new things to see and do each time.

After my time spent with the presidents (Eisenhower & Truman), I was in the final stretch home.  I contemplated staying overnight in Independence, Missouri (even had a recommendation for a nice B&B) but ended up opting to push closer to Milwaukee so I'd be home by midday on Sunday.  I ended up booking a hotel in the Des Moines area with a plan to scratch my nagging casino itch to play some cards at nearby Prairie Meadows.

The cards weren't very forgiving but I did enjoy a few hours of 3-Card Poker before turning in for the night sometime after 12:00am.  Expecting to sleep until at least 8:00am, I wasn't amused when I was awake and couldn't go back to sleep before 7:00am, so I went ahead and got showered and headed home.

For anyone interested, this is what my route looked like leaving Colorado on Friday morning.  I rolled into Casa Bennett around 2:00pm after logging just under 4,800 miles on my 13 day road trip . . . 10 nights car camping, with the final two nights in hotels.

 

I took over 1,300 photos and videos but could only share stories about a small handful of them here on my blog.  For anyone curious about my camera equipment . . . many were taken at nearly full zoom with a Nikon P900.  This camera is magic, capturing great still and video images at great distances.  Sometimes I have too much "shake" when fully zoomed out (2000mm) and should probably shoot using a tripod, but rarely do it.  I find the tripod cumbersome at times, and if not in great position for viewing among the throngs of other photogs, it just feels like more hassle than it's worth.  Sometimes the quality suffers, but since I'm taking photos for my own personal use and to share with others like here in a blog, I am not so hung up on how crisp or great my images are.

My future travels "west" will no doubt include more time to visit and explore in Kansas!  Ironically, just a week or so later, I was back in the Sunflower State while out storm chasing on a 10-day field trip with the College of DuPage's severe weather class.  Look for an upcoming blog about that fabulous adventure including several tornadoes from a single super cell storm.

I will close with a few more videos from Yellowstone not yet shared on prior blog posts from this trip. I hope folks have enjoyed the stories and photos/videos from my road trip.  I especially hope others are inspired by this great country of ours, to go out and explore it for yourself!  Until then . . . happy trails to you!

Bowling Alleys NOT Visited

Abilene, KS (closed)

It is always a challenge for me to avoid my shiniest of distractions when I'm on any sort of road trip . . . local or cross country.  I am hardwired with curiosity and when it comes to bowling, I especially love checking places out around the country.  And it doesn't help that I have bowling friends around the country, with GREAT suggestions for visits.  Sometimes, when I'm in need of somewhere to kill time, people have provided me with awesome places to check out.  Special shout out here to my friend Eric Jensen from Lincoln, Nebraska.  He is the best resource on bowling centers in the Midwest and beyond!

The fact of the matter is this . . . if I stopped at every bowling center/alley that I come across, I would never get to where I'm going.  It's just too easy to stop, engage with the owner or other locals, and the next thing I know it's an hour (or two!) later.

So I've become more vigilant and protective of my time to prevent adding literally days to getting to my destinations.  This trip was especially challenging because there were so many cool looking places in small rural towns between Wisconsin and Wyoming.

I will admit, I do use TOOTS (my Garmin GPS) to see if there is bowling in town, and with a GOOGLE search, if it's particularly interesting (i.e., VINTAGE) there's a possibility I will stop in to check it out.  That is how I discovered this gem in Jackson Hole, WY last summer!

Jackson Hole (WY) Elks Lodge

But for this particular road trip, I generally avoided the impromptu stops at random bowling alleys around the country.  It was also a bit easier as often they weren't open when I came through town . . . or sadly, they were permanently closed.  A couple of them, I had already visited on prior road trips (noted with an * below), so that saved me the temptation too.

So without further adieu, there are photos of all of the bowling centers I drove by quite by chance.  None of them were "on purpose" but rather, just on the way from here to there and back.

Red Lodge, MT (still in business)

Cody, WY (still in business) *

Jackson Hole, WY (closed) *

Lander, WY (still in business)

Walden, CO (still in business) *

Abilene, KS (closed)

Wamego, KS (still in business) and I did go inside this one!

Sugar Creek, MO (still in business)

Independence, MO (still in business)

An Afternoon with the Presidents: Eisenhower & Truman

Ten years ago I discovered the Passport to Presidential Libraries . . . a program administered by the National Archives and Records Administration, "an independent Federal agency that preserves and shares with the public records that trace the story of our nation, government, and the American people."  My first two visits (and stamps) were from the Nixon & Reagan libraries/museums.

The Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum in Independence, Missouri and the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum & Boyhood Home in Abilene, Kansas are only two and a half hours apart along I70 and have long been on my road trip wish list.  It was an easy choice to come home from Yellowstone along a new route that would make this possible.

Coming east out of Colorado, I overnighted in Abilene so as to make it possible to maximize my time available with an early morning start.  As I previously wrote, I found there to be so many interesting places to see, that I really did have to cut short my time here.  Additionally, because I was on a tight timeline, I wasn't able to schedule a tour for the boyhood home, which is also located on the grounds with the library and museum. 

At 10:00am, the first available tour would have been late afternoon, which would have eliminated the possibility to get to the Truman location before closing for the day.

I enjoyed learning more about Eisenhower the Army General, as well as about his personal life and time as our 34th US President (1953-1961).  The museum is well done with interactive exhibits and archived video and photographs to help tell his story.   Here are a few more photos I took while doing the self tour.

As I feared, with the impromptu stop at the Wizard of Oz Museum in Wamego, I barely had enough time to tour the Truman Museum! Arriving at 4:15pm, I had just 45 minutes before closing time, but I made the most of it.  These historical museums really do help to educate folks on a time in American history and culture that was quite different that the 21st century.  Truman was the accidental president, having never really even wanted to be the vice president to FDR.  But that is what happened when Roosevelt unexpectedly died just 82 days after beginning his final elected term.

Truman fulfilled that unexpired term and ran for reelection in 1948.  He did not seek another elected term however, and in 1952 Eisenhower was elected by the American public.  Truman's was not a popular, hence his choice to not run.  Summarized by the History Channel "Truman made the decision to use the atomic bomb against Japan, helped rebuild postwar Europe, worked to contain communism and led the United States into the Korean War (1950-1953)." all of which culminated in a less than popular presidency during a time of transition in American history.

I wish I had more time to explore and learn about Truman, and will probably return at some point in the future.  For now, here are a couple of the photos I took at his Presidential Library & Museum.

Because I still had some time to spend in Independence, I drove around a little to see what else was in town.  Truman's boyhood home is now part of the US Park Service and is open for tours.  Unfortunately, it was already closed by the time I wrapped up at the Truman museum.  The Harry S. Truman National Historic Site has a visitor center in the downtown area.  The boyhood home is located a couple of miles away and accessible for exterior photos 24/7. So for now, this is what I have to share here.

Slogging Across the Heartland - We ARE in Kansas Dorothy!

 

Abilene, KS

When you're in America's heartland, many think of tornadoes.  As a novice storm chaser myself, I'm always keeping my eyes ahead and on the skies.  Coming out of the Front Range of Colorado, I knew the potential for severe weather was ahead of me on I70.  It had been sweltering and humid, so an afternoon thunderstorm was fully expected. 

Looking north near Colby, KS

As thunderstorms fired up, I did pull off into a rest area to let the blinding rains pass.  There were a couple of different lines of storms passing through, both to the north and south, accompanied by high winds.  The safest place for me was sitting still for about 30-45 minutes.

Once past, there was clear sailing ahead . . . even caught a quick glimpse of a rainbow.  I had booked a hotel room in Abilene, KS as my next day (Saturday) would start with the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library & Museum.

My hotel was miserable . . . so much so the desk manager comped my night's stay.  It is fortunate that by the time I was to my room for the night, I was mostly ready for sleep since the TV remote didn't work making it pretty challenging to find and watch a show before bedtime.

The next morning I was up early.  I was hungry for a nice hot breakfast, so I checked out early and headed on into town.   It didn't take me long to realize that I could probably spend a full day tinkering around Abilene.  I loved the small town feel and met several nice people including a lady walking her dog while I was walking around taking photos.  Wearing my Roo Yori "Adopt a Dog" t-shirt was an instantaneous conversation starter.  Her pooch was super friendly, so I got my photo taken with it!

I had an excellent breakfast at the Hitching Post which was not in the downtown area pictured above, but rather out by the old train depot where there was a small railroad museum and frontier town.  With the Eisenhower Presidential Museum opening at 10:00am, I had some free time to kick around after breakfast.  (NOTE:  I see they are now open at 9:00am!)

This area alone is probably worth a few hours to tour.  Train rides are also available from the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad.  I did spend some time visiting their free museum inside the depot. 

Only open in the summer over the weekends (Saturday 11a-4p & Sunday 12pm to 4pm), Old Abilene Town is also worth checking out.  For me, with a tight schedule for the afternoon, I didn't have time to come back after my visit at the Eisenhower Presidential Museum.  I did walk around a little and take a few photos however.

After spending a couple of hours at the Eisenhower Presidential Museum (see next blog about that, along with the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum visited later in the afternoon), I hit the road east for Independence, Missouri.  With Truman's museum closing at 5pm, I knew I would need to hustle.  That said, it didn't keep me from taking an hour~ish detour to check out the Wizard of Oz Museum in Wamego.  Yes, highway billboards are effective!

There is a nominal admission fee here . . . $10 adults, $8 kids and $9 college students.  They have mostly collections of reproductions from the movie like Dorothy's gingham dress and ruby slippers, plus a very large collection of Wizard of Oz themed games, toys and books.  There were also photos from the movie stage set as well as other interesting items.  And if you are a weary traveler and just need a place to sit and relax for a few minutes (or a couple of hours) you can enjoy the full length feature movie in their Wizard of Oz Theater.

I must say . . . I loved Kansas and look forward to visiting again when I can spend a full weekend exploring!

Just Passing Through - Rocky Mountain National Park

After my "COVID year" visit to Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), I gained a renewed appreciation for this treasure located about eight hours south of Grand Teton National Park (GTNP).  I'm not sure if comparing RMNP to GTNP or even Yellowstone is fair . . . because they really are quite different.  As I planned my return home, I decided I would use this park as a stopping point for my last car camping overnight of my trip.  It turned out to be an excellent choice!

I left my camp in the Tetons around 5:30am, with several stops along the way.  I already wrote about my chance encounter with the grizzly bear eating a recent kill about 20 miles south of the Moran entrance to the park.

I also enjoyed a wonderful breakfast in Dubois, WY and a grocery store stop in Lander, WY.  I had briefly thought about stopping in Rawlins but I lost so much time earlier in the morning, that I kept moving.

I must say the drive from the WY/CO state line to RMNP is growing on me, in spite of the roadwork going on to repair damage caused by the fires of 2020 and 2021.

I did stop to make time to check in at the visitor center of the Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge so I could get my passport book stamped (because it was closed due to COVID during my stop back in June 2020).  I wish I had more time to venture deeper into this area, but unfortunately, I also wanted to be sure to get to the Kawuneeche Visitor Center near Grand Lake before they closed at 5:00pm.  My timing was perfect as I arrived at 4:45pm!

As a point of interest . . . RMNP is now on "timed entry permit" requiring reservations to enter the park May 26th through October 22nd; from 9:00am to 2:00pm, unless you have a campsite or activity reservation.  For more information about this system, CLICK HERE for the NPS website and the link to purchase your permit.

I was happy to get into the park early enough to check into my campsite and get familiar with the Timber Creek Campground before venturing further into the park.  The only campground on the west side of RMNP, I was very happy with its location.  Not so happy not having shower facilities inside the park however, so I did venture over to Estes Park and a local laundromat.   It cost me $7 . . . perhaps the best money spent on the entire trip as I hadn't showered since my last day/night in Yellowstone three days earlier.

This national park may be one of the best places to see moose!  When we were here in 2020, we saw them several times, and this evening I saw moose several times in a couple different areas. This big bull moose was hanging around along the road for at least 90 minutes as I saw him heading in both directions when I went out for my shower.  I also saw what I believe was a cow plus a pretty good size calf.

I also saw some elk and a cool looking coyote that was raiding nests along the Sheep Lake not far from the Falls Creek entrance to RMNP.  Unfortunately, I did not see any of the bighorn sheep this area is known for . . . so obviously I'll have come back another time!

By the time I was heading back to camp, it was dark, so driving on the switchbacks across the mountains required going slow.  Good thing too, as there was a large bull elk coming down the mountain in the middle of the road without a care in the world.

Fortunately before dark, I did get to enjoy the beautiful snow covered mountain landscape on my initial trip from camp to Estes Park.  I comment about this because the next morning, it was very foggy with relatively no visibility at all.

RMNP taken around 6pm local time

Beautiful scenery entering Colorado midday

A Random Chance Encounter

Keeping an eye on "something" behind it!

Hey!  Whatcha looking at?  Every time I'm out where I hope to see wildlife, I know there is an element of great luck . . . right place at the right time sorta stuff.  And every trip I make, whether it is out west to Yellowstone or south to the Smoky Mountains . . . or even here in the Upper Midwest . . . decisions made in the moment determine what luck I am going to have.  As I was planning for my departure from Grand Teton National Park, I had decisions to make about timing to leave the park . . . perhaps lingering around for the morning in hopes of seeing #399 + 1 . . . and what route to take to my next destination - Rocky Mountain National Park about eight hours away.

Waking up that morning right about sunrise, I was out of my campsite by 5:30am heading south.  I decided that I would take US 287S out the Moran Entrance towards Dubois and Rawlins, mainly because last summer there was a bear with cubs hanging around the highway requiring ranger intervention to assure they stayed safe and that humans didn't create unsafe situations for all concerned.

Imagine my surprise and delight when about an hour after leaving camp, I noticed a pick-up truck pulled over on the shoulder of the road.  Not sure what was going on, I slowed down.  The driver's lady friend pointed down into the clearing, trying to tell me something.  Whatever it was, it was pretty far out and barely visible to the naked eye.  (The photo to the right is what I saw from the road.)  But with binoculars, I could see a large brown (grizzly) bear. I thought with its back to me, it was just foraging . . . until I saw it pick up and move the deer it had presumably just killed.

I repositioned my car so I would be well off the road and with enough room to get comfortable watching and photographing this amazing bear.  I spent over 30 minutes just enjoying the sight, while also taking photos and videos too.  Several cars started to congregate, including a family from Ohio who was originally from where I grew up in Virginia.  I enjoy helping others learn about wildlife on such encounters, sometimes forgetting that seeing a bear in the wild for some (maybe even many) is a once in a lifetime occurrence.  So helping them to make the most of the experience, including sharing my images with them later by email, is something I'm always willing to do.

I must admit, this particular sighting was VERY special for me too!  I don't recall the last time I had the privilege of being so close to the time of a kill, that I could watch the bear enjoy its meal.  Through binoculars and my camera lens, I was able to see up close . . . teeth, blood, bones . . . all of it!  An experience such as this, in the moment, makes a trip to bear country worthwhile.  As apex hunters, grizzly bears are at the top of my list of animals I want to see and photograph.  Black bears are more "cute and cuddly" but don't try that . . . mommas with cubs can be as dangerous as brown bears.

Here is a video plus a couple more photos of this bear that through my chance encounter exiting the GTNP region, made my first nine days on the road totally worthwhile!

The Tetons and Jackson, WY - A Little More Heaven on Earth

There may be no more iconic image from Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) than this one.  If there is, it would be the image posted below . . . the Moulton Barn on Morman Row, with the Tetons looming large behind it.  I have been to the Tetons on almost every trip I've made to Yellowstone, but prior to this trip, had never actually stayed inside GTNP.  For this trip, I opted to camp at Colter Bay for a couple of nights.

This place holds special importance to me, as both of my grandparents' earthly remains have been scattered here.  Living and raising their family in Wyoming, the Tetons are seemingly part of my ancestral DNA.

Generally when I've been to Yellowstone National Park, I've camped on the southern most end at Grant Village and made day trips to the Tetons.  Often, the travel time (roughly an hour give or take) has resulted in my missing the magical hours for photography and wildlife viewing.

I have also been so engrossed in my experiences, that I wound up booking a hotel room down in Jackson and punting my already paid for campsite.  So this year, I was just smarter about it and planned for two nights of camping inside the park.

In past visits to GTNP it has been mostly feast or famine in terms of wildlife viewing & photography.  This is where the world famous bear known simply as #399 resides and has raised many cubs right in full view of her adoring fans.  This is a photo I took during a full morning I spent with her and first year cub back in June 2016.  Just a couple of weeks later, the cub had been hit and killed by a vehicle during the night.

When at the age of 24 she had QUADS back in 2020, people were caught up in the mania like never before.  And this year, folks were abuzz in anticipation of whether or not she would survive the harsh winter and emerge with cubs again.  Well she did, and on May 16th at the age of 27, it was confirmed she had a singleton cub-of-the-year (AKA COY).

Like so many other visitors to the park, I had hopes of seeing and photographing her this year too!    This was my place in one of the larger pull-outs near the Pilgrim Creek bridge where she had been frequently seen in recent days.  I spent more than three hours here on each of the days I was in the park!

Unfortunately for me, I did not see her, although I did just miss her when I went over the bridge one evening heading back to camp.  There were lots of people reporting that she had just crossed the road and had headed down the treeline along the creek. Being too dark to really see much of anything, and with mosquitoes pretty thick as the rain began to fall, I continued on my way back to Colter Bay. 

My patience was rewarded the next evening with this moose sighting along the Gros Ventre River just outside of the park boundary.  But like sighting other wildlife, even the moose have been hit or miss for me over the years. I am always happy to see them . . . even more excited when I can get a photo or two because they just seem so damn elusive.

Last summer living in Montana, I did have a few nice days in the Tetons and learned more about the history of the park and those who settled here in the 1800's.  Being able to get out and walk more on this trip, I visited the Cunningham Cabin.  It was an early morning short walk (probably about a mile round-trip on a mostly flat gravel trail).

Built in 1888, the Appalachian style log cabin is one of the few buildings still standing from the homestead settlement of the Jackson Hole valley.

As I did one night last summer, I spent Wednesday evening at the Jackson Hole Elks Lodge where they have four vintage era bowling lanes.  The manager Sam remembered me and was gracious as before.  I thoroughly enjoyed my visit as the league bowlers arrived. As I've said before, there are no strangers, only friends I have yet to meet. This is Gwendy, who is originally from Rhinelander. She's been living in Jackson for over 30 years now. When she overheard that I was vacationing from Wisconsin, she asked where and we struck up a great conversation.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to take the Jenny Lake Ferry on this trip . . . leaves something for my next visit!  The park was incredibly busy and the parking lots at the major tourist areas (like Jenny Lake) were simply mobbed with people, cars and RVs.  All in all, however, I had another great visit and will be back!

Taken as the rain ended one evening