and yet a 4th post

Just to keep track....animals that we saw...

antelope
grizzly bear
Kokonee salmon
mule deer
black tailed deer
black beer
trumpeter swans
big horn sheep
yellow bellied marmot
badger
bull moose
lots of elk
big horn sheep
sand hill cranes
white pelicans
blue grouse
turkey - not Eastern....
herds of buffalo
and a bazillion mosquitos!

3rd post of the evening

Pictures and our Top 10ish

16.  white water rafting...and ziplining
15.  horseback riding
14.  Bruce's tuna noodle casserole - Jillian says, "Yum"
13.  the Blue Lakes expedition...and hail hitting us on our descent...really, beautiful place
12.  Colter Bay showers!!!  yahoo!  Hot water...well, hot water anywhere really!
11.  warm beds...well, depends on who you are
10. Jillian says..."Bob and Kathy's house!"
9. rodeo in Cody, WY and Nathan sitting on a Bull
8. riding the tram to the top of Rendevous Peak, Jackson Hole Resort

7. black bear in the campground...near mom and Bruce's tent...and mom hearing her breathing!
6. mosquitos!
5. kayaking at Jackson Lake
4. 2 really, really big mule deer in Garden of the Gods
3.  big bull moose
2.  buffalo jumping a fence!
1.  seeing a grizzly in Yellowstone!

Friday night

Well, Wednesday, we were still at the Tetons.  We kind of relaxed for the day.  We went horseback riding in Jackson Hole...through the Snake River Village.  Nathan has never been on a horse, so we had fun watching him and it was a beautiful morning.  We got back from that and got a shower - hallelujah.  Mom rented 2 person kayaks and we went the whole way across the lake.  Great weather and a lot of fun!  After that, we went back to the campground and sat around until dinner.  Bruce made tuna noodle casserole which was yummy.  THEN...we went back to Mormom Row.  It is a well known area where there are wooden barns and many pictures get taken of this area because the Grand Teton is right behind it.  Anyway, we were on a bison hunt - AND we found them!  There were many of them in a herd crossing the road right by us.  VERY big and very cool.  After that, we went back to the campsite and packed up, because we were heading out in the morning for Cody, WY.  Thursday morning, we left and went back into the south entrance of Yellowstone and then out the east entrance to Cody.  We went to the town for Mexican lunch - yummy - and then to the Buffalo Bill Museum...very neat and well taken museum.  I will try to attach pictures.  We then went to the Cody Rodeo - Yahhhhooooo!  :-)  We all enjoyed it and Nathan sat on a bull, Hollywood, before the show.  It was about 2 1/2 hours of fun and laughing... neat place.  We stayed the night in Cody and left this morning.  We drove across WY into SD to Rapid City area.  We saw Crazy Horse - very neat.  They have a lot more to do and it doesn't seem much different from the last time I was there... but the face of Crazy Horse is finished....but the story on that monument is amazing.  It's in the Black Hills.  After that, we went to Mount Rushmore.  And now, we are in the foothills of Rapid City at a campsite.  It is Sturgis time - so Harleys are EVERYWHERE...by the hundreds.  Tomorrow night, we are at a hotel - hallelujah!  We are going to Wall (yay!) and the Badlands tomorrow.  Kids are in the hot tub with Bruce.  It's 8:00 pm here...  Leaving early for a long day of travels. 

Tuesday AM

Jillian and I are at Colter Bay right now, the closest electricity and showers...we are doing about 3 days of laundry. 

Yesterday we went on a 12 hour tour or Yellowstone.  We saw bison, mule deer, and a GRIZZLY!  No kidding.  She was just digging on a bank by the road.  Of course, we weren't the only ones to stop to see her, but her path off the hill was by us, so we left her - the big bear that she was.  We saw many waterfalls and mountains, and sparkling streams. We drove up to the top, Mammoth Hot Springs, and walked around a bit.  The top entrance, is close to Montana, so we drove north a bit to the original stone arch.  Very neat.  I love Montana.We also made it in perfect time to see Old Faithful and roam around the lodge.  Beehive geyser also went off...I've never seen that and it's taller then Old Faithful!

Reg and Randy are having fun looking for animals.... we have seen a bull moose, black tailed deer, white tailed deer - bucks as well as does, grizzly, mule deer, and antelope...also some weird big white bird I forget the name of. 

Jillian and Nathan have enjoyed themselves and have been great travelers.  Our mornings are a bit TOO early, but they adapt.  Yesterday, they were able to swim in a stream that the hot springs fed into, so it was warm.  They enjoyed that. 

Today, we are going fishing, horseback riding and into Jackson - a neat, beautiful  town!  We are also going to Jackson Hole and up to the top of the mountain on the ski lift.  Also, we are going to book a float trip on the Snake River for tomorrow.  Tonight, hopefully we get to relax.... :-)

I am attaching a few pictures... we have many more to remember. 

Monday morning

It's Monday morning... we traveled Friday from southern CO through western CO...I've never been there before.  Different terrain!  Anyway, we stopped in Pinedale, WY.  Lots of stories from the ride.  Saturday AM we left at 7ish for the Grand Tetsons which was about 2 hours away.  I have many pictures to add, but we are leaving for Yellowstone right now.  We are staying in Signal Mountain Campground - no electricity...or showers.  A bear was 2 feet from mom's tent last night and we saw it in the evening. We are going to Old Faithful today and the figure 8 loop of Yellowstone... beautiful doesn't give it justice.  We ate a Cadillac Grille in Jackson last night.  I truly love that little town...a little high scale, but beautiful.  We got groceries in the local store similar to Wegman's ($5 loaf of bread - yikes!).  Anyway,  I'll get back on tonight when I come back to this spot to do laundry.

Blue Lakes - Beautiful

So.... at 7:00 this am... we headed out to the Blue Lakes.  We drove down CR - 7 about 8 miles...all dirt roads... back to no where - but it was the trail head.  We hiked UP about 1,500 ft through switchbacks to the Blue Lakes.  We were in the Uncompagre National Forest.  Beautiful doesn't give it justice.  Columbine, CO's state flower, was everywhere and many other native flowers.  It truly was amazing.  We were high enough for snow and Reg, Jillian, and Nathan had a snowball battle.  We had lunch at the lake and were amazed by the sight.  It took us 3 hours to get there...and 2 hours back down. On the way down, it started to rain and actually hail.  We hustled down... to warmth and our car.  Many stories have come out of that trip.  Jillian and I did laundry and now we are getting ready to have dinner... marinated chicken, corn on the cob, cole slaw, and watermelon.  I know... too much information.  :-)

thanks for the comments to all...and the text messages. having a blast.

Wednesday - traveled from Salida to Ridgway State Park and Ouray

Gunnison

LOVE this town.  Beautiful place... seriously, google it.  OURAY, CO. 

 I could teach there... graduates 20ish.

It sits in the foothills.  We went to the town for a bit, swam in the hot springs, and hiked to Box Springs Canyon. Beautiful!

See the falls on the right.  Fast and loud! 

Came right out of the mountain.

From a bridge looking down on the waterfall.  Randy has a video that won't compress to attach it.

Tomorrow hiking back to the Blue Lakes... leaving at 7:00 am.

The kids

We have the kids!  Today, we arrived in Salida around 5.  Made a quick stop at Wal-Mart...and then met mom and the kids at a great Mexican Restaurant.  After that, we went to Bob and Kathy's until just about a 1/2 hour ago... Tired!  Head to Ridgway State Park Ridgway State Park tomorrow.  We are staying there for 2 nights and going on a good hike to blue water...that runs off of the mountain.  We are going to explore a bit in Crested Butte, Gunnison, and Ouray.  Can't wait.  Two people who I work with, Bruce and Marilyn, have been there on separate trips and say it is amazing.  

random pictures from the day

pulling over to feel the Arkansas River

Sangre de Christo Mountain Range ( I think that's spelled right)

Me in the Arkansas

Funny sign going up to Pikes Peak

Royal Gorge

MULE DEER

Pretty animal... mule deer from Garden of the Gods... that's his address.  We have 82 other pix of it if you'd like to see one.  lol

...Driving to the top of PIKES PEAK

 To the top of Pikes Peak...we are IN the car looking down. 

Reg taking a picture of a flock of turkeys.... like we don't have those in PA.

It's 12:30, Tuesday.  We drove to the top of Pikes Peak this morning...it was scary - see pix! - in parts...and very high...they need more guard rails on some of that road!  It's 17 miles UP.  It's 14,000+ feet high.  Beautiful.  Reg and Randy were looking for animals the whole way up.  We turkeys, a few chipmunks at lunch, and mountain goats.  I am attaching a few pix... and have more.  We are actually driving to the Royal Gorge right now and I'm in the car using my laptop and the Internet off of Randy's Droid...technology is crazy, isn't it? 

Tuesday morning

So... quick update... we left PA around 2:00 pm on Sunday, picked up Reg at 3 and were in Colorado lines by 11:00 am the next morning (remember we are 2 hours behind) ... that's called - straight through.  :-)  We had little traffic and great weather, so with trading off driving, it was smooth sailing. 

Our first stop was my old town of Burlington, Co.  We stopped where I used to live which happens to be across the street from the Kit Carson County Fairgrounds - my old stomping grounds.  The county fair ended last Saturday, but there is an OLD, beautiful carousel that I remember riding...and it was open! Oddly enough, dad's old secretary, Marion, was the one at the ticket booth (25 cents to ride).  So, I was able to get Uncle Reg and Randy both on it. She swirled us around as I rode the lion...and before Randy was completely sick, the ride was over. We also went by my elementary school and I left a note on an old friend of our's, Cindy's door.  Not much else to see in that never-changing-town.  Off on I-70 in the plains again to Colorado Springs where Pikes Peak was at our backdoor for the night.  We visited the Air Force Academy Air Force Academy (beautiful chapel and grounds), Garden of the Gods Garden of the Gods (incredible scenery and a BIG muledeer...I think Randy took more pictures of that then anything...lol) , and ended the night with a few drinks and pizza across from our campground.  Beautiful campground and clean which is always a prerequisite. :-)  Randy was up at the crack of dawn - not even... it was 5:00 AM!  and being quiet - NOT - Reg and I were both up too. We are leaving soon to go to the top of Pikes Peak.  Once we are done with that, we are going to hitch back up to the trailer and then off to the Royal Gorge Royal Gorge - a bridge about 1,100 feet up that we will go over.  After that, we will meet the kids and mom and Bruce in Salida and spend the night there. Phew...is this vacation?

Kansas windmills... for MILES....

It is long...and this flat... for 8 hours... across Kansas.  Monday morning.

We made it!! 

Our church in Burlington.... I have many photos of Reg and Randy on the carousel...:-)

Air Force Academy Chapel.  We went to the Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, and Buddhist temples, chapels, and places of worship in it.

Garden of the Gods - Monday evening

Randy and I on a rock called Balancing Rock

Setting up the camper.