The Honeymoon is definitely over in our new home. Don't get me wrong. We do love this new fifth wheel. Maybe that wasn't the best title for this. Yes, this is a used rig and buying used you really don't know what you are getting yourself into. Doing a thorough inspection when we saw it, we knew that there where minor things that needed repairing or just maintaining. But living in it now for two weeks we are finding out the pros and cons of this rig versus our last rig.
Pro: First of all there is the quality issue. This Cardinal is built so much better than our last rig. It feels more solid and we do love the double pane windows for outside noise and insulation.
Pro: The six point leveling system. Push button ease.
Con: The six point leveling system. I thought that this would make it more stable. Not feeling people walking around and such. But it is almost as bad as our other one. The jacks pop in the morning and in the evening. Upon some research we have learned that it is from temperature differences. It can be a 40-50 degree difference from morning to evening here in Yellowstone. We feel that we are leaning a bit also. Maybe the ground is softer on one side or something. We are not parked on concrete so there may be some settling.
Pro: The double door refrigerator. There is now room for beer in it.
Con: Everything I need in the refrigerator is always and I do mean always in the door that I didn't open.
Pro: The construction seems better.
Con: The construction. It seems that no matter how much you spend on a rig, the manufacturers still take short cuts in building them. Staples for example. Why do they always staple shelves and panels together. You touch a panel the wrong way and it pops the staples loose. We developed a leak in the bathroom sink. So I took the faucet off the sink to look at it. It is nothing but plastic with a metal finish. You can't even take it apart to repair it. So with my big caulk gun I hope that I can stop the leak till I can get to civilization to replace it.
Pro: Cats.
Con: Buying a used RV with mice installed. We awoke our second night to the cats horsing around much more than they usually do. Lisa turned on the lights to see what the hell was going on at 3 in the morning and Moose was playing with a mouse. It was dead. Now he has the taste for blood. Also, every now and then we witness the cats just staring at a wall. I need to take a basement wall apart just to see whats in there and to put some sticky traps in there. But again when we get to civilization to buy us some traps. So hopefully when we go to sleep, we can sleep better knowing the cats are on duty.
Con: There are now 5 steps to get into our new rig rather than the 4 in the other one. So if you do the math, I have to climb the equivalent of 583 feet higher each year if I go in at least a thousand times a year.
Con: Our old screen door had a little spring loaded lever to unlatch our door without sliding that panel back. You just had to push down on it and whammo! The door opened. Now I have to go to the door, slide open the little panel, find the lever, push down on the lever, open the door, close the door, climb down 5 steps and then close the sliding panel. With all that extra work I will have arms like Arnold.
Con: Still don't know where everything is in here. "Lisa! Where are the spices! Where are my underpants! What side of the fridge has my beer?"
Con: Our last fifth wheel had a handle to help you up the steps. Just in case you where at a margarita party earlier. This one doesn't. Now I have to crawl up them which is a little less dignified for the margarita champion of Quartzsite.
So that is it in a nut shell. A nut shell the size of 39' X 8'.
Friday, July 29, 2016
Thursday, July 21, 2016
Happy Be-lated Anniversary to Us!
With our very busy week last week, we kind of over looked our anniversary. "What a cad! What an insensitive Baffoon! What a Louse!" You might say. But the anniversary I am talking about is our lifestyle anniversary. WHAT! No I did not come out of the closet. I was never in the closet and yes I do know what bathroom to use.
Enough with the Tom Foolery. July 10th marked our second anniversary of being fulltime RV'ers. The start of our third year so to speak. We went to an RV-Dreams rally in the spring of 2014, put on by Howard and Linda Payne. There we learned about the fulltime RV lifestyle. The biggest thing that I learned from that week long rally was that there is no wrong way to full time. And our second year is proof of that. It has evolved into something totally different from our first year. Our third year may even be different from our second year. Who knows?
Our first year, we(meaning I), wanted to take the year off and travel. Explore, before we started finding work camping jobs. We knew we would have to work at some point to maintain this lifestyle, but taking a year off, we could manage that. So travel we did and as most of you know, the more you travel the higher your expenses are. Camping fees and fuel cost can get very high. After all we are not driving Prius's. Although we may have spent enough to buy a Tesla or two.
So our first year we were traveling around like some "happy-go-lucky" schmucks. Spending like drunken sailors. And our budget for that year shows it. But with every party comes the next day hangover. Year two was our effort to shrink that down and we did.
We had our first paying job. Amazon, which was a win, win. They not only pay you but you live in the campground for free. That was a 4 month gig. So no campground fees. Next, in February we spent a month in Quartzsite Arizona. $40.00 dollars for two weeks. $80.00 for the month. We went back to Moab and worked at the OK RV park. We worked one day a week and camped for free. And now we are working our second paying gig in Yellowstone. We pay a small amount for our site but they also pay us a wage.
After all the number crunching was done, we still came under budget of what we spent the first year. That even includes buying the Jeep and repair cost of said Jeep. Buying the new fifth wheel goes under year threes budget. Nothing but Ramen Noodle soup this year.
So as this evolves we are working a little more. We are trying to make an effort to work in places that we really want to explore and visit. Like what we are doing in Yellowstone. "Work smarter, not harder" has always been my motto.
Are we still enjoying this lifestyle? Yes we are. We do not see a stopping point in our future as of yet.
I would like to add one more thing. I know reading a blog without pictures may be a little boring. I am sorry for that. But being in this part of Yellowstone is terrible for internet service. We barely have any cell coverage. I bought a Wilson signal booster and trucker antenna. It is not much help here. Uploading one picture can take a half hour. I do not have the patience to do that anymore here. Plus no TV or even a radio station. I actually have to look at Lisa and talk to her.
"HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US!"
Enough with the Tom Foolery. July 10th marked our second anniversary of being fulltime RV'ers. The start of our third year so to speak. We went to an RV-Dreams rally in the spring of 2014, put on by Howard and Linda Payne. There we learned about the fulltime RV lifestyle. The biggest thing that I learned from that week long rally was that there is no wrong way to full time. And our second year is proof of that. It has evolved into something totally different from our first year. Our third year may even be different from our second year. Who knows?
Our first year, we(meaning I), wanted to take the year off and travel. Explore, before we started finding work camping jobs. We knew we would have to work at some point to maintain this lifestyle, but taking a year off, we could manage that. So travel we did and as most of you know, the more you travel the higher your expenses are. Camping fees and fuel cost can get very high. After all we are not driving Prius's. Although we may have spent enough to buy a Tesla or two.
So our first year we were traveling around like some "happy-go-lucky" schmucks. Spending like drunken sailors. And our budget for that year shows it. But with every party comes the next day hangover. Year two was our effort to shrink that down and we did.
We had our first paying job. Amazon, which was a win, win. They not only pay you but you live in the campground for free. That was a 4 month gig. So no campground fees. Next, in February we spent a month in Quartzsite Arizona. $40.00 dollars for two weeks. $80.00 for the month. We went back to Moab and worked at the OK RV park. We worked one day a week and camped for free. And now we are working our second paying gig in Yellowstone. We pay a small amount for our site but they also pay us a wage.
After all the number crunching was done, we still came under budget of what we spent the first year. That even includes buying the Jeep and repair cost of said Jeep. Buying the new fifth wheel goes under year threes budget. Nothing but Ramen Noodle soup this year.
So as this evolves we are working a little more. We are trying to make an effort to work in places that we really want to explore and visit. Like what we are doing in Yellowstone. "Work smarter, not harder" has always been my motto.
Are we still enjoying this lifestyle? Yes we are. We do not see a stopping point in our future as of yet.
I would like to add one more thing. I know reading a blog without pictures may be a little boring. I am sorry for that. But being in this part of Yellowstone is terrible for internet service. We barely have any cell coverage. I bought a Wilson signal booster and trucker antenna. It is not much help here. Uploading one picture can take a half hour. I do not have the patience to do that anymore here. Plus no TV or even a radio station. I actually have to look at Lisa and talk to her.
"HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US!"
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
The Cats out of the Bag.......So to Speak
It has been a very hectic week to say the least. I posted a photo on Facebook, saying that "Our mini vacation was over" with a photo of our truck and camper. I didn't say anything about our "New" camper to see if anyone would notice. (We only told a few people about it) And surprise! Lots people did notice it.
For a few months we have been toying with the idea of getting a new fifth wheel. (New to us, anyways). When we were in Moab Utah we actually drove down to Tuscon and Phoenix to look at a few we found on line. We even put in an offer on a beautiful Cameo. But it wasn't meant to be, so we drove back to Moab empty handed. We got to Yellowstone and Lisa checked out some of the dealers around here. We drove to Bozeman and found one. But on final inspection we noticed some front nose damage that we could not live with and nixed that deal.
So the search continued. Finally Lisa finds a prospect in of all places, Minnesota. Anoka in fact. If we lived in MN it would have been 160 short miles away. But NOOO!!!! We are in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Over 1000 miles away. It was a very nice fifth wheel which deserved some more thought. With the crappy cell service and internet here in the park it did make it a little challenging.
We first got in contact with some friends of ours who own one very similar to it. I shall not include their names to protect the innocent, but their initials would be J and B. We asked them questions about theirs and we have been in theirs when they were not home in Quartzite because they didn't lock their doors.
We also contacted my Brother-in-Law and asked him if he could go take a look at it because he lives just a short distance from the dealer. So he was our eyes on the ground. He even went back a second time with my sister in tow to scan it again. We talked to the salesman several times asking questions about it. Things where looking good.
After many discussions between us, we asked for some time off from work, loaded things up in the fifth wheel and pulled out of Yellowstone on Sunday the 10th of July. We left Lil' Blue as hostage to ensure that we would return. The weather was not that nice that day. Hail as we were leaving. Threatening clouds the entire trip. Our plan was to get to Bismarck ND and stop. But it was around 5 pm and the storms that where chasing us were pretty bad. We were talking about golf ball size hail and 80 mph winds. So we pressed on. We got to Fergus Falls MN about 11 pm to Lisa's mom's house. Whew. 16 hours in the saddle. End day 1.
Day 2. We slept in for a little bit because we did all of our driving yesterday. We left Fergus Falls at noon and got to Anoka around 3.
Surprised our salesman because he didn't think we would get there until late. So he showed us the fifth wheel. It was very nice. Everything we where hoping for. It is a 2014 Cardinal by Forest River. It is like night and day from what we had. He said that with our approval they will install the washer and dryer first thing in the morning. SWEET! So with time to kill, we had dinner and went to my sisters house for cocktails and giggles.
Day 3 found us waiting for the install of said washer and dryer. Then the final John Hancock's on the paperwork. With that all said and done moving day began. Our two fifth wheels are parked side by side so that helped some. After hours and hours of moving stuff(note the nice word) I said to the salesman as he was checking on our progress "Really, we are not hoarders. I never new we had that much stuff (nice word again) stuffed in that fifth wheel." Like with all moves, at the end you just start throwing stuff (nice word) everywhere. We said our final goodbyes around 6 and got to Fergus around 10 pm.
Day 4 was running around. Oil change on the truck. Lunch with our son in Fargo for his Birthday. Back to Fergus to stock up on groceries.
Day 5. Drive to Glendive Montana.
Day 6. Drive to Yellowstone. We got to Yellowstone to a warm welcome from our co-workers. When we left we put a note on the board. Please don't rent our spot out. So we came back to "For Rent" signs on the Jeep and our spot. And everybody came out to look and laugh.
So all is history now. We are trying to re-organize everything and get rid of the mess inside so we can live in it comfortably. We don't have any good pictures of it yet because of the mess. But someday.
For a few months we have been toying with the idea of getting a new fifth wheel. (New to us, anyways). When we were in Moab Utah we actually drove down to Tuscon and Phoenix to look at a few we found on line. We even put in an offer on a beautiful Cameo. But it wasn't meant to be, so we drove back to Moab empty handed. We got to Yellowstone and Lisa checked out some of the dealers around here. We drove to Bozeman and found one. But on final inspection we noticed some front nose damage that we could not live with and nixed that deal.
So the search continued. Finally Lisa finds a prospect in of all places, Minnesota. Anoka in fact. If we lived in MN it would have been 160 short miles away. But NOOO!!!! We are in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Over 1000 miles away. It was a very nice fifth wheel which deserved some more thought. With the crappy cell service and internet here in the park it did make it a little challenging.
We first got in contact with some friends of ours who own one very similar to it. I shall not include their names to protect the innocent, but their initials would be J and B. We asked them questions about theirs and we have been in theirs when they were not home in Quartzite because they didn't lock their doors.
We also contacted my Brother-in-Law and asked him if he could go take a look at it because he lives just a short distance from the dealer. So he was our eyes on the ground. He even went back a second time with my sister in tow to scan it again. We talked to the salesman several times asking questions about it. Things where looking good.
After many discussions between us, we asked for some time off from work, loaded things up in the fifth wheel and pulled out of Yellowstone on Sunday the 10th of July. We left Lil' Blue as hostage to ensure that we would return. The weather was not that nice that day. Hail as we were leaving. Threatening clouds the entire trip. Our plan was to get to Bismarck ND and stop. But it was around 5 pm and the storms that where chasing us were pretty bad. We were talking about golf ball size hail and 80 mph winds. So we pressed on. We got to Fergus Falls MN about 11 pm to Lisa's mom's house. Whew. 16 hours in the saddle. End day 1.
Day 2. We slept in for a little bit because we did all of our driving yesterday. We left Fergus Falls at noon and got to Anoka around 3.
Surprised our salesman because he didn't think we would get there until late. So he showed us the fifth wheel. It was very nice. Everything we where hoping for. It is a 2014 Cardinal by Forest River. It is like night and day from what we had. He said that with our approval they will install the washer and dryer first thing in the morning. SWEET! So with time to kill, we had dinner and went to my sisters house for cocktails and giggles.
Day 3 found us waiting for the install of said washer and dryer. Then the final John Hancock's on the paperwork. With that all said and done moving day began. Our two fifth wheels are parked side by side so that helped some. After hours and hours of moving stuff(note the nice word) I said to the salesman as he was checking on our progress "Really, we are not hoarders. I never new we had that much stuff (nice word again) stuffed in that fifth wheel." Like with all moves, at the end you just start throwing stuff (nice word) everywhere. We said our final goodbyes around 6 and got to Fergus around 10 pm.
Day 4 was running around. Oil change on the truck. Lunch with our son in Fargo for his Birthday. Back to Fergus to stock up on groceries.
Day 5. Drive to Glendive Montana.
Day 6. Drive to Yellowstone. We got to Yellowstone to a warm welcome from our co-workers. When we left we put a note on the board. Please don't rent our spot out. So we came back to "For Rent" signs on the Jeep and our spot. And everybody came out to look and laugh.
So all is history now. We are trying to re-organize everything and get rid of the mess inside so we can live in it comfortably. We don't have any good pictures of it yet because of the mess. But someday.
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
Soul Searching
We are coming up to our second year anniversary of being on the road. And with the amount of time that a person has in this lifestyle, it gives a person many opportunities to look inward. To glance into the inner soul of your being and to analyze. Not only to analyze but also to reflect upon this person that we call ourselves. Have we become the person that we thought we would become when we had all the hopes and dreams of a six year old?
When I was six, did I think that I would be a skeptical 52 year old adult? Or should I say an adult with many years of experiences that have shaped our personalities into what we have become. I think that the little six year old with all the hopes and dreams of innocence would have never thought in terms as an adult person does. Therefore, never even imagining the trials and tribulations that people go through that eventually shape and hone beings into what we eventually become.
Life often gives you opportunities. What you do with those opportunities is entirely up to you. I know now you are probably wondering what mountain I have climbed down from. You may also be wondering if I have been enlightened by the wise man or am I the wise man? Maybe the thin air has finally gotten to me and my brain has popped due to the lack of oxygen.
Well, none of the above. What I am talking about is that every once in awhile life lets you step into another persons shoes. We have been here in Yellowstone for just over a month doing a job that I have never really thought much about. And since I haven't thought about the job, it goes with out saying that I never thought about the people that do that job. The job I am talking about is cashiering.
The newness of the job has definitely worn off. The customers are nice because you always get new ones coming in and they are all on vacation. The questions we get, always seem to be the same. Some of the things we get asked are just unbelievable though. We as simple cashiers in a store in a small part of the park and are expected to know just as much information as the people that man the information stations in the visitor centers. A lot of the questions are just dumb. Remember being told when you are learning, that there are no dumb questions.
Well there are. Here are some samples:
How far can you see with these binoculars? (I can see the moon if I look at it)
I heard there where bears here yesterday. Where are they today? (On the other side of the park)
Can you tell me what animal that is on the ridge outside? (Not without seeing it)
How long will it take to clean the bathroom? (I don't know, I am not cleaning it.)
Where can you see grizzlies? (Over in the toy section)
Where are the wolves? (Next to the grizzlies)
Have you seen any animals today? (Not since I have been in the store)
Where are the animals? (They haven't let them out yet)
And it goes on and on.
Just a few tips from a cashiers point. Don't throw your money at us. If you do I will take my time to pick up each bill, straighten it, line it up correctly before I give you back your change and let you get on your merry way. Please don't give us change after you have been asked if you have the change and we ring it up in the computer. Please don't get to the counter, have your items rung up and then realize your wallet is in the car. And most of all don't write "See I D" on your credit card and then don't have your I D. What do you want me to do then? It is a no win situation for me. If I refuse your sale you will be mad, if I go ahead with your sale you will think I don't check I D's. Also in this day and age, who thinks they can still buy alcohol or cigarettes with out I D's.
That is the tip of the iceberg. Until I have to vent again.
When I was six, did I think that I would be a skeptical 52 year old adult? Or should I say an adult with many years of experiences that have shaped our personalities into what we have become. I think that the little six year old with all the hopes and dreams of innocence would have never thought in terms as an adult person does. Therefore, never even imagining the trials and tribulations that people go through that eventually shape and hone beings into what we eventually become.
Life often gives you opportunities. What you do with those opportunities is entirely up to you. I know now you are probably wondering what mountain I have climbed down from. You may also be wondering if I have been enlightened by the wise man or am I the wise man? Maybe the thin air has finally gotten to me and my brain has popped due to the lack of oxygen.
Well, none of the above. What I am talking about is that every once in awhile life lets you step into another persons shoes. We have been here in Yellowstone for just over a month doing a job that I have never really thought much about. And since I haven't thought about the job, it goes with out saying that I never thought about the people that do that job. The job I am talking about is cashiering.
The newness of the job has definitely worn off. The customers are nice because you always get new ones coming in and they are all on vacation. The questions we get, always seem to be the same. Some of the things we get asked are just unbelievable though. We as simple cashiers in a store in a small part of the park and are expected to know just as much information as the people that man the information stations in the visitor centers. A lot of the questions are just dumb. Remember being told when you are learning, that there are no dumb questions.
Well there are. Here are some samples:
How far can you see with these binoculars? (I can see the moon if I look at it)
I heard there where bears here yesterday. Where are they today? (On the other side of the park)
Can you tell me what animal that is on the ridge outside? (Not without seeing it)
How long will it take to clean the bathroom? (I don't know, I am not cleaning it.)
Where can you see grizzlies? (Over in the toy section)
Where are the wolves? (Next to the grizzlies)
Have you seen any animals today? (Not since I have been in the store)
Where are the animals? (They haven't let them out yet)
And it goes on and on.
Just a few tips from a cashiers point. Don't throw your money at us. If you do I will take my time to pick up each bill, straighten it, line it up correctly before I give you back your change and let you get on your merry way. Please don't give us change after you have been asked if you have the change and we ring it up in the computer. Please don't get to the counter, have your items rung up and then realize your wallet is in the car. And most of all don't write "See I D" on your credit card and then don't have your I D. What do you want me to do then? It is a no win situation for me. If I refuse your sale you will be mad, if I go ahead with your sale you will think I don't check I D's. Also in this day and age, who thinks they can still buy alcohol or cigarettes with out I D's.
That is the tip of the iceberg. Until I have to vent again.
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Been There, Done That
We have been here in Yellowstone for nearly a month now and every weekend we have had off from work we have been exploring the area. This park is huge to say the least. I am confident that we have seen about 80% of everything near the roads that go through out the park. I am talking about all of the pull-outs, short auto loops, all of the overlooks and and scenic site.
There are 5 entrances to the park and we have even taken each one of those to look at the views from each as you enter or leave. I would have to say that the most scenic drive into the park is the East entrance from Cody WY. The mountain views are breathtaking. The only downside is you have to drive through a section that was burnt in the 1988 fire. It is re-growing but very slowly.
The few areas we have not seen yet have been to crowded to get into on the day we were there, so we will keep trying to elbow our way into them to see them.
There are so many creeks and waterfalls scattered throughout the park. Mountain views and vistas as far as you can see. So with that I am just going to include photos of the many various areas of the park. Hopefully I can remember what they were.
Now we will be able start some hiking to get into the back country more. So enjoy the scenery.
There are 5 entrances to the park and we have even taken each one of those to look at the views from each as you enter or leave. I would have to say that the most scenic drive into the park is the East entrance from Cody WY. The mountain views are breathtaking. The only downside is you have to drive through a section that was burnt in the 1988 fire. It is re-growing but very slowly.
The few areas we have not seen yet have been to crowded to get into on the day we were there, so we will keep trying to elbow our way into them to see them.
There are so many creeks and waterfalls scattered throughout the park. Mountain views and vistas as far as you can see. So with that I am just going to include photos of the many various areas of the park. Hopefully I can remember what they were.
Now we will be able start some hiking to get into the back country more. So enjoy the scenery.
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| A view from the Chief Joseph Highway |
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| Cascade Falls |
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| Yellowstone Lake |
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| Hot springs run off into West Thumb, Yellowstone Lake |
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| Underwater geyser in West Thumb geyser basin, Yellowstone Lake |
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| Trestle bridge over the Gardiner River |
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| Porcelain Basin |
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| Gibbon Falls |
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| Mud Volcano |
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| Fire Hole Canyon |
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| Yellowstone River in Canyon |
Friday, June 24, 2016
Blow Holes Galore
I am going to start at the end of our weekend instead of the beginning.
Monday was our day to go to Old Faithful. If you go to Yellowstone it is a must do. The most popular sight here in the park. And because of its popularity is why coming to see it is ruined. I say ruined for Lisa and I because this is strictly our personal experience and our opinion. What I am talking about is the over crowding. This area might as well be smack dab in the middle of Disney. Don't get me wrong, I love Disney. But when we go to Disney, we know there will be crowds and we are prepared for it. When you are in Yellowstone, you don't expect to see this.
They have built a boardwalk around Old Faithful for the people to view it. There are probably a couple of thousand people every time it goes off. If you want to get a front row seat, get there about 20-30 minutes early, which means you will bake in the sun that much longer. Also you will start to hear all the people around you that much longer also, bitching and moaning about the heat and the sun. Soon the little kids will get crabby and start to whine and cry and scream. So then the beauty and the magnificence of the whole event gets flushed down the toilet. Pretty soon you feel claustrophobic with all the late comers trying to inch into the area you staked out because you where early and plan better. Soon it is a fight for territory and you are just wishing someone would just flip the switch to Old Faithful and get it over with.
While we were waiting, we got to see another geyser not far away erupt. So that was a bonus. I am not sure of the name of this one. I thought it was Steamboat Geyser but I was corrected.
Monday was our day to go to Old Faithful. If you go to Yellowstone it is a must do. The most popular sight here in the park. And because of its popularity is why coming to see it is ruined. I say ruined for Lisa and I because this is strictly our personal experience and our opinion. What I am talking about is the over crowding. This area might as well be smack dab in the middle of Disney. Don't get me wrong, I love Disney. But when we go to Disney, we know there will be crowds and we are prepared for it. When you are in Yellowstone, you don't expect to see this.
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| Boardwalk around Old Faithful |
While we were waiting, we got to see another geyser not far away erupt. So that was a bonus. I am not sure of the name of this one. I thought it was Steamboat Geyser but I was corrected.
This geyser is very near the boardwalk, so if you are lucky enough to be close to it you can get geyser snot on you. That one really erupted with lots of pressure. It must have been young.
Finally Old Faithful did its thing.
After Old Faithful, the crowds dispersed and headed to the parking lots. Total grid lock as everyone was trying to leave at the same time. We then headed to the Grand Prismatic Spring. But it was too crowded for us to even get into the parking lot. Off we went to go to the more quieter parts of the park.
So that was our blow hole experience.
Friday, June 17, 2016
Grand Canyon Explorations
So we saddled up Lil' Blue and headed south into the Canyon area. Buffalo traffic was light so we made good time. We first pulled into the Canyon Village. We wanted to check out the other Delaware North stores so that if we worked here again we would know what the other stores looked like. They have two in Canyon. We then just looked at the Canyon Lodge area to see what they offer. They have cabins, restaurants, gift shops and a campground. We drove through the campground and if you want to camp here there are a few spots that are big rig friendly.
Next we headed to "The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone". The Yellowstone River has carved out a fairly deep canyon here and there are two beautiful waterfalls. The first one we came to was the Lower Falls. There is a 1/4 mile hike to the brink which we took. There is a 600 foot elevation drop to get there, which means there is a 600 ft. climb on the way out. So we both have thighs like Hulk Hogan now.
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| The brink of the lower fall |
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| The Lower Falls |
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| Canyon view |
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| View from Inspiration Point |
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| Glacial Boulder |
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| The Upper Falls |
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| The Upper Falls |
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| From Artists Point |
A Bison standing next to a Buffalo. We have been here 3 weeks now and I still can't tell the difference between them and I am Native American. To me they both look like Ta-tonka.
On the way to our next destination we came across a mud volcano. We are in the Yellowstone Caldera now so the geo-thermal sights are popping up. The smell of sulphur is everywhere.
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| Mud Pot |
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| Mud Volcano |
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| Beautiful Yellowstone Lake |
Just a side note. I talked to a young couple last night. He was from Russia and she was from the Ukraine. They had that very thick Russian accent that was neat to listen to. They where on a trip to see America from east coast to the west coast. It was amazing how much they had seen and still had to see. I thought it ironic that their rental car was a good old fashioned Mustang convertible.
That is it till next week. This blog that used to take a couple of hours is now taking days to write because of our slow internet here in the park. 3 G most of the time which has been slower than dial up.
I would like to add one more thing. I would like to say how fortunate we are to be living inside such a beautiful National Park like Yellowstone. The sun is shining and the birds are signing.
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