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Av EvaLena Hallgren - 27 juli 2020 12:27

Before heading to New Mexico Mom decide we had visit "The Garden of Gods" in Colorado Springs.....so I wondered is it time for repentance Mom? she responded that if anyone should repent it was me for chewing her cord............ooops we're still on that? I said I was sorry ok?

Just as we entered the park it started to rain heavily..........Mom, I think the Gods is trying to tell you something...........shut up she says afraid of slippery steep wet roads

Colorado Springs, at an elevation of 6,035 ft., is a city in Colorado at the eastern foot of the Rocky Mountains. It lies near glacier-carved Pikes Peak,  with hiking trails and a cog railway leading to its 14,114-ft. summit. Mom has already been to the peak and do not want to repeat that drive

The city's Garden of the Gods park features iconic red-sand red rock formations that were created during a geological upheaval along a natural fault line millions of years ago. Archaeological evidence shows that prehistoric people visited here about 1330 BC.

     



At about 250 BC, Native American people camped in the park; they are believed to have been attracted to wildlife and plant life in the area and used overhangs created by the rocks for shelter. Many native peoples have reported a connection to Garden of the Gods, including Apache, Cheyenne, Comanche, Kiowa, Lakota, Pawnee, Shoshone, and Ute people

The Park is popular for hiking, technical rock climbing, road and mountain biking, and horseback riding. It attracts more than two million visitors a year, making it the city's most visited park. 

Here's a dad trying to explain for his daughters how to climb, both seemed little interested in his lesson


 

It stopped raining while we drove around so finally we managed to get a parking spot and took a long walk on parts of the 21 miles trails


 


As usual, I do get a lot of attention and this little girl was hugging and tickling me so I couldn't stop laughing

 


I tickled her back with my whiskers and made her laugh too

 


Balanced Rock presents a popular photo opportunity but since this seemed to be the highlight of the park it was very crowded so Mom took pictures from the car as we drove through some pretty tight spots.

     

After this visit, we continued south towards New Mexico as planned. We drove on a highway route that roughly follows the Santa Fe National Historic Trail, which is now a National Scenic Byway.

 

We decided to stop in Pueblo which is one of the largest steel-producing cities in the United States, for which reason Pueblo is referred to as the "Steel City".


Mom located a dogpark where we spent a few hours meeting with other dogs, but as usual, I'm more interested in chasing the ball Mom throws,

There was a huge parking lot next to the park where Mom decided we could spend the night, and I agreed it was nice and quiet and lots of green grass.

At midnight we woke up by someone banging on the car so I barked my head off trying to chase it away, and Mom called out "just a minute" it took her a second to find the remote to open the hatch and there was this security guy with a sharp flashlight telling us to move. Ok ok Mom said but the prick wouldn't stop shining the light in her face, and I continued barking at him..........he was a prick, but no point in arguing so we moved to the good all Walmart parking lot which wasn't as nice but good enough for the rest of the night

Early morning we went to the Riverwalk, which was originally home to Native Americans, trappers, adventurers, and, eventually, a thriving business district, deteriorated after the devastating flood of 1921 and the subsequent relocation of the river farther south. The Pueblo Conservancy District, which was formed after the flood to oversee the realignment of the river and the management of it, led the way to reclaim the original river channel and revive, as well as beautify, the historic tract

   

There are 54 pieces of recognized art along the Riverwalk with plans to add more in the future.


     


and here's a beam from the World Trade Center. beams from this tragedy can neither be bought nor sold.The steel beams used as memorials are historically protected and were donated to various groups which agreed to construct appropriate memorials

 

We were here so early we were almost alone except these geese who left their poop everywhere, and when I tried to say hello they hissed at me

   


There's a boat ride along the path, which we both thought of as silly since it leads nowhere. You can launch your own canoe here though.

 

The swallows were showing off their expert flying skills and are so fast Mom couldn't get a picture in flight, but here's one at  his/her home under the bridge

 

Bullriders professional building had a cool statue 


 

Unfortunately, as we're driving around this was the only nice part of town, (besides the dog park) The rest of the town seemed very rundown and after a google search, I found out it was ranked the most dangerous city in CO 2018. 

The art changed dramatically and this is one of the nicest.

 

Leaving town continuing south Mom came across a place she has been to before.....she ate here and remember it mostly because the several toilets were sitting next to each other without walls    

But that time she didn't know about Florissant fossil close by, were beneath a grassy mountain valley lies one of the richest and most diverse fossil deposits in the world. Petrified redwood stumps up to 14 feet wide and thousands of detailed fossils of insects and plants reveal the story of a very different, prehistoric time

   

No dogs allowed on these trails and since Mom isn't super interested in this kind of stuff we got back on the trail going south.

Looks like there are a lot of interesting artists around here.........Mom liked this display of old bikes used as a fence

 

 

 

All of a sudden we get a warning about a severe thunderstorm over the radio and sure enough........it was thundering and lightning hard, so we pulled over at a rest stop and took a nap dry and comfortable in the back of the car, and Mom came to think of the struggle pioneers faced along the Santa Fe Trail. The trail was a challenging 900 miles (1,400 km) of dangerous plains, hot deserts, and steep and rocky mountains. The natural weather was and is continental: very hot and dry summers, coupled with long and bitterly cold winters. Freshwater was scarce, and the high steppe-like plains are nearly treeless. Also on this trail, there was a serious danger of Indian attacks, for neither the Comanches nor the Apaches of the southern high plains tolerated trespassers. In 1825, Congress voted for federal protection for the Santa Fe Trail, even though much of it lay in the Mexican territory. Lack of food and water also made the trail very risky. Weather conditions, like huge lightning storms, gave the travelers even more difficulty. If a storm developed, there was often no place to take shelter and the livestock could get spooked. Rattlesnakes often posed a threat, and many people died due to snakebites.

After the nap, or was it before??? doesn't matter .................we left the trail and drove along the Frontier Pathways Scenic and Historic Byway to Bishop Castle which took us over 9,200 feet above sea level .

 


I thought it was another church type thing because of the name, but it turned out the builder's name was Bishop
and he bought the land for the site for $450 when he was 15, and construction on what was originally intended to be a family project to build a cottage started in 1969. After Bishop surrounded the cottage with rocks, several neighbors noted that the structure looked something like a castle. Bishop took this into consideration and soon began building his castle.

   


Mom was put off by the many signs around

 


 Most of the 40 years he has worked on the castle "Bishop was engaged in a running battle with Washington bureaucrats over the rocks that he used," which came from the National Forest surrounding his property. "Bishop felt that they were his for the taking, the government wanted to charge him per truckload." That dispute has been settled. In 1996, he was challenged by the local and state government over unsanctioned road signs that pointed to the site.

 

The site has become a tourist attraction, and RoadsideAmerica.com devoted a chapter to the castle and rated it "major fun" and describing it as, "one man's massive-obsessive labor of medieval fantasy construction". But it also issued a "parent's alert," warning potential visitors that Jim Bishop is "a tough-talking man with strong, extreme beliefs, and sometimes he expresses them bluntly and loudly. If you and your children want to avoid potentially offensive rants (involving politics and race), you may want to steer clear.

We didn't climb on anything it didn't look safe and it was very dirty and dusty...............don't understand how they perform weddings here in all this mud

 

We drove back to route 50 and again south to Trinidad where we planned to stay the night, but the man at the lodge told Mom to take her mask off it's not needed it's a hoax because it's an election year. she turned around at the door because if that's the way they feel here it may not be safe ..................besides Colorado made it mandatory  

 


after a quick stop at the Coalminers memorial for photos, we went on to Raton 

 


Trinidad was first explored by Spanish and Mexican traders, who liked its proximity to the Santa Fe Trail. It was founded in 1862 soon after coal was discovered in the region. This led to an influx of immigrants eager to capitalize on this natural resource. By the late 1860s, the town had about 1,200 resident

The Coal Miner's Canary" honors the otherwise thankless profession of mine safety canaries; this chirpster is shown alive, not yet dropping off the perch from carbon monoxide poisoning. The Southern Coal Miners Memorial is a bronze sculpture by local art teacher Ben A. Johnson; the base lists the names of hundreds of miners.

 

 

    


Trinidad was dubbed the "Sex Change Capital of the World", because a local doctor had an international reputation for performing sex reassignment surgery. In the 1960s, Stanley Biber, a veteran surgeon returning from Korea, decided to move to Trinidad because he had heard that the town needed a surgeon. In 1969 a local social worker asked him to perform the surgery for her, which he learned by consulting diagrams and a New York surgeon. Biber attained a reputation as a good surgeon at a time when very few doctors were performing sex-change operations. At his peak, he averaged four sex-change operations a day, and the term "taking a trip to Trinidad" became a euphemism for some seeking the procedures he offered.

 

 Not sure where we land next, but it'll be south I'm sure

  

  Time to get going .............

 

 

 

 







    

Av EvaLena Hallgren - 25 juli 2020 15:46

so in order to catch up to where we are now, I got Mom to keep on writing after her coffee and my whizz 

This is why I'm on the shitlist for awhile .............................hmmm I thought mom was over it already? 

I've been chewing on the straw to her water bottle too ..................at least she got over that 

 

we are now ready to leave this mountain motel where we stayed 2 nights, very reasonable and VERY clean which is super important to my Mom. I even got a bath here ...............she claimed I was dirty too??

 

it still a little cloudy over the mountain area but Mom says we'll be ok, we can't stay here forever and we really need to get down to sea level

 


To continue where I left off............

We left Ouray on the way to Salida a nonstop drive: 166 miles  (267 km) which means driving time: 3 hours, 18 minutes

 but of course, it took us much longer because Mom drives slow and stops a lot to take pictures

     

I thought it was no more switchback roads said Mom, but boy was she wrong .............

       


We are at Monarch pass which is widely considered one of the most scenic in Colorado, offering a panoramic view of the southern end of the Sawatch Range from the summit. During the summer, a tram from the parking lot at the summit carries visitors to the top of Monarch Ridge above the pass (at approximately 12,000 feet (3,700 m) above sea level),(it was closed due to the virus) allowing a wider view of the surrounding peaks. (Mom said the view is fine from here) 

 

     

 

they got some heavy-duty machines to get around in the winter here................

 

 

Mom was going to open her hood too but changed her mind when the guys in the jeeps just glared at her............ha

 

 

The bikers up here seem a little bit different compare to the ones we met before?

 

 

 

No matter how scary it has been (don't think it's over quite yet) for Mom to drive on these roads she says she's glad we did it because the views are so totally amazing, so we often park (Mom can't look while driving) just to take it all in (and for me to relieve myself

   


We're now ready to leave Salida and continue south ............unless Mom changes her mind, which is something you have to get used to traveling with her. That's why I'm the best travel companion because I go along with whatever, although I do wish she would find me more parks with GRASS.............everything here is covered in gravel and sticky little green stuff here and there..... I do not like it

behind that fence looks good to me................but again noooooo no no 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

here's a story about how these little towns came about..............lots of mining then and mostly tourists now

 

SO off we go and hopefully, I'll be writing from New Mexico tomorrow

 

wet kisses to y'all

 

 

 



Av EvaLena Hallgren - 25 juli 2020 12:37

Yesterday was a really bad day...........(for Mom), Mom used up all the power in her PC and when she plugged it in it went poof? and why? somebody had chewed the cord? Oh well, I'm sorry I didn't know it was a big thing? 

Mom thought it still could be fixable in Salida where she found a PC doctor on Thursday. When we got there they were closed because the wifi was gone?

We stayed in a Mountain motel hoping for help first thing Friday morning. We were at the store at 9 AM and Mom was still hopeful it was fixable, but Nooooooo, it was caput. Only shop that sells PCs here was Walmart and the pickings were very slim because of Corona they got no deliveries and homeschooling meant more Pcs sold.

Anyway, she bought what they had and went back to the store hoping pictures could be saved which they did.

While we waited Mom took me to the dog park so I can play ball which was fun for a short time, but the altitude is tiring me quickly and I feel Mom is not in the best of mood, so we found a spot in the shade and took a nap.

After we picked up the new PC Mom spent a lot of time trying to get back everything like it was in the old one, and she wasn't happy because some of the features she was used to didn't exist on this one............oh well I know she'll get over it eventually. By the time she was ready to continue the drive it started to rain and looking at the clouds over the mountains she checked the weather forecast and it said thundershowers. Under no circumstances did we want to get caught driving these roads in this weather so we went back to the motel and got our old room back. Shortly after we got our things in the room all hell broke loose ...........lightning and lots of rain ..........and wifi has gone

Now is five AM and all is well now I think, but it's time for both of us to get down to sea level because this altitude we're on now 7083 ft is exhausting.

So, back to our story...........

We woke up in Silverton and were now ready to drive over the mountain to Ouray and it is only 25 miles in length but takes about 42 minutes. Mom asked natives if it was very scary and they were smiling and said yes it is but the good thing is you'll be driving on the mountainside which sounded good.....so off we go

 

 




 



It was very scary says Mom, I wasn't worried I napped


We finally arrived in Ouray and what a cute little town, Mom got out of the car on shaky knees ready for a walk in a seemingly empty town ( I tried to tell Mom it's empty because most people do not get up with the sun)The city population was 1,000 as of the 2010 census.

           

I met a giant dog and Mom thought he was very cute, I didn't agree at all and didn't even want to say hello

   


All the streets are steep and Mom is out of breath the entire time...............she needs this


 

we parked by the opera house one of the many gorgeous buildings in town



     



Then we ran into the police, and Mom I do know I was wrong chewing on the cable, but please let me go I will not do it again........................promise, Actually, the officer was a very nice guy and he told Mom she's getting 30%less oxygen into her lungs breathing here and that's why she's so tired

 


these little mini Libraries is a great idea Mom thinks but she does not need any books at the moment


 

we're not sure what this place is all about? the decor is a little strange? there was nobody home and it's too early for a beer anyway



     


This guy was having breakfast all by himself, so I decided to join him...........too bad he only had donuts, but I made him share anyway.

   


this is the Colorado flag

 

We have now driven Silverton and Ouray, to Ridgway, the highway that did deliver jaw-dropping vista after vista. It was cut from the side of the mountain and became known as the "Million Dollar Highway". It's one of the most scenic drives in the USA. The road climbs up to 3 very high mountain passes. Coal Bank Pass (10,640 ft /3,240 m); Molas Pass (10,970 ft /3,340 m) and Red Mountain Pass (11,018 ft /3,358 m). Mom googled stories about this road AFTER the drive, which is a good thing because of some gruesome stories she may have changed her mind 

       


houses here are so gorgeous and we found one for sale, but no we do not want to live here. After a couple of hours walking around, we decided to conquer another stretch of mountain roads before we call it a night...............but now I have to go out and take a leak. 

Will continue my story shortly











Av EvaLena Hallgren - 23 juli 2020 02:47

What a day with so much adventure, we stayed inside Mesa Verde national park which was absolutely amazing, and in the morning we had company. We also had an opportunity to eat unlimited pancakes at 7 AM. and I could join..... I didn't care much for the pancakes but the bacon was yummy 


   



I'm not sure why Mom keeps insisting driving these roads since she's so darn scared, but I suppose she's doing her darnest to overcome it because of interesting places to see.


   

Mesa Verde National Park is in southwest Colorado. It's known for its well-preserved Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings, notably the huge Cliff Palace. Mesa Top Loop Road winds past archaeological sites and overlooks, including Sun Point Overlook with panoramic canyon views and it was very windy, so again I choose to stay in the car

 


In the late 19th century, there were no laws against treasure-hunting or selling artifacts in Colorado in addition to the ever-present threat of vandalism and looting, scholars and tourists alike had the habit of taking valuable items from Mesa Verde as trophies. A Swedish explorer Nordenskiöld loaded Mesa Verde artifacts into Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad boxcars and headed for Europe, with most of the items eventually ending up at the National Museum of Finland.

Angry locals charged Nordenskiöld with "devastating the ruins" and had him arrested at midnight at the Strater Hotel even though there were no laws at the time supporting such a charge. In addition to the issue of removing artifacts, xenophobia may have played a role in Nordenskiöld's arrest. 

When Nordenskiöld was arrested on 17 September 1891 he sent this telegram to his father: "much troublesome expense no danger"

     


In 1893 published one of the first books about Mesa Verde, The Cliff Dwellers of Mesa Verde, Southwestern Colorado: Their Pottery and Implements, a monumental report of his excavations, describing in detail the buildings, pottery, skeletal remains, and tools found at the sites

   


Nordenskiöld's collections from Mesa Verde were bought by a Finnish collector who eventually donated them to the University of Helsinki. They are now held by the National Museum of Finland and were on display at the Museum of Cultures in the Tennispalatsi building in central Helsinki. The natives are very angry and want it back, and we were told it was in the making ......100 years later

     


Recommended book to learn more for  anyone interested is"Shadow of the century"

Driving backroads (Mom get too sleepy on the highways) she spotted a sign on a shack that reminded her of her puppyland, so she made an Uturn


Mom knocked but no answer so we stepped in and there was no one there? but behind was a lady that was soooo happy to see us and yes My husband is Swedish and she fetched him

His name was Bruce Bjöklund and he told Mom he was born on the ship coming to America.

 


Now Mom should have asked for his age but that's not polite so we can only guess 

He had a huge dog that was super nice, and head was as big as all of me and he wasn't into playing either

 


We continued on early morning made a stop in Durango and then went on to yet another horrifying road and now were in Silverton. elevation 9 318ft.....population 637a cowboy town. I'll tell you all about that tomorrow because it's time to snooze. 

Mom says these heights are making her very sleepy.....................

Av EvaLena Hallgren - 21 juli 2020 14:43

We are in Moab which is a city in eastern Utah. It’s a gateway to massive red rock formations in Arches National Park.  Canyonlands National Park features mesas and buttes carved by the Green and Colorado rivers, plus Native American rock art. Dinosaur tracks can be found at sites like Bull Canyon Overlook and Copper Ridge. In the city, collections at the Museum of Moab include dinosaur bones and archaeological artifacts

 

The park consists of 76,679 acres (119.811 sq mi; 31,031 ha; 310.31 km2) of high desert located on the Colorado plateau The highest elevation in the park is 5,653 feet (1,723 m) at Elephant Butte, and the lowest elevation is 4,085 feet (1,245 m) at the visitor center. The park receives an average of fewer than 10 inches (250 mm) of rain annually.

 The area was originally named a national monument on April 12, 1929, and was redesignated as a national park on November 12, 1971. The park received more than 1.6 million visitors in 2018

   

Mom said this looks like the three vise men.................hmmm here we go again


   



 

it was 104F (42C) so we waited to drive here as late as possible but making sure we got out of the park before dark.

It would have been terrifying to drive here in the dark.

I only went out once it was more comfortable in the car with ACon.

     

Again we can not imagine how the pioneers walked across this barren land? 



 


A brave little tree is trying to survive



    


     


Mom didn't feel like walking on any of the trails either so most pictures are from the car........but some brave people hiked to the arch

 


Balancing rock

 

Is this a doghouse or ?

 


Utah will celebrate Pioneer Day on Friday with parades and fireworks...............if it wasn't for the virus it would have been fun to participate says Mom...............truly I'm glad we don't stay,too much noise for me

We will continue East today ....................I think???

Mom say we need to get upNorth to avoid this scorching heat.....................we'll see what she come up with


wet kisses to ya'll 


Av EvaLena Hallgren - 21 juli 2020 05:18

Final day in Yellowstone we went to see the famous Old Faithful.......we got there at 8.30 and she wasn't ready to erupt until 9.45 so we walked around a bit before I had to sit in the car since, again no dogs allowed on the walkways. 

Oh Well, it wasn't too hot so I got a good nap while Mom stood outside to film

    

Discovered in 1870 by the Washburn Expedition, Old Faithful geyser was named for its frequent and somewhat predictable eruptions, which number more than a million since Yellowstone became the world’s first national park in 1872. 


 

The mathematical average between eruptions of Old Faithful is currently 74 minutes, but it doesn't like to act average! Intervals can range from 60-110 minutes.


I could see most of it from the car it was cool

    


She erupts on an average 20 times a day



   

Yellowstone National Park is a nearly 3,500-sq.-mile wilderness recreation area atop a volcanic hot spot. Mostly in Wyoming, the park spreads into parts of Montana and Idaho too........I don't think Mom has a clue what state we are in at the time,,,,


      


we are currently in Utah


After Yellowstone, we continued south towards the Grand Teton National Park which is an almost pristine ecosystem and the same species of flora and fauna that have existed since prehistoric times can still be found there. More than 1,000 species of plants, dozens of species of mammals, 300 species of birds, more than a dozen fish species, and a few species of reptiles and amphibians inhabit the park. Due to various changes in the ecosystem, some of them human-induced, efforts have been made to provide enhanced protection to some species of native fish.

   

Mom claims she sees a St, Bernard on this mountain? She always "sees" imaginary things but this one I see too

 

 

I wasn' totally sure what to do about this little girl that didn't seem interested in me at all? She was showing her teeth? is that a threat? That was a first for me so I sat down and waited for her move.........nothing?? and then her Mom took her away

 

The human history of the Grand Teton region dates back at least 11,000  years, when the first nomadic hunters and  Paleo Indian began migrating into the region during warmer months pursuing food and supplies. In the early 19th century, the first white explorers encountered the eastern Shoshone natives. Between 1810 and 1840, the region attracted fur trading companies that vied for control of the lucrative beaver pelt trade. U.S Government expeditions to the region commenced in the mid-19th century as an offshoot of exploration in Yellowstone, with the first permanent white settlers in Jackson Hole arriving in the 1880 

Jackson was packed with people so we continued on, but from what we saw driving through it's a place to visit at another time.

 

     


there was lots of these big Bisons on the road again.

   


This town with the name Afton which means afternoon in Moms puppylanguage? town is empty? but found a way to biggest on earth for something........ almost no people, but Mom spotted a bakery with an open sign and ran in hoping to buy some rolls, but nope ...........only sweets

 


Next was a furniturestore with bears all over............Not sure what the connection is, but it was cute.........


       


At this lookout there was a "coplike"guy sitting watching traffic and he had a huge watertank on tow ...............Nosy Mom ofcourse has to ask why


It turned out that ALL  boats should be checked for  invasive speices upon entry to the park. Recreationists transporting any watercraft, including non-motorized vessels such as canoes and kayaks, are required by law to stop every time they pass an open inspection station. Watercraft that are dirty or have standing water will require a more in-depth inspection and potentially decontamination. 

How about that? they are serious about keeping the enviroment un harmed ............So cool of this guy so I decided to give him a real big schmoosh

   

 

Unfortunately we see a lot of this in different stages of decomposing on the roads..........we need to slow down........Mom read a sign that sad "70 is plenty, the pioneers walked" 

 

 

 

Mom have done some killing too

 

 


we followed Greys River and this caboose caught Moms eye and it looked like a cool place to stay for the night.  


We pulled in and met the owner who wanted $10 for one night...........and we got a spot in the shade because it was 93F (33C).........The owner was from Jacksonville? I did not like him at all,but I didn't growl, still something fishy about him.

 

We spent the the night and it was freezing for Mom, not me I was ok,,,,,,,,,,,,,48 F(10C)........?? How can it go from 90 to 40 in 8 hours?

   

It's my birthday so I get brushed to look cute and I got an extra treat. Mom again met a lady with same interests. Her name was Renee ......it was a lot of bla bla ........when I get a chanse I;m going to lick that Love2Quilt sticker from the car.

Now wer're heading to Spanish Fork because there was something Mom wanted to see there........But there was a rodeo thing in town so we kept going and all of a sudden we spotted this building?

 

The Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple was built to meet the needs of the Hindu community in Utah County. The temple hosts seasonal festivals, weddings, receptions, and other weekly services for prayer and meditation.

We walked around the park and admired the ornate building..........almost empty place

 

 

another little town we went through had this memorial for coalminers that died 

 

 

 

This another one of out reststops I like green grass a lot, but it's not much of it around here, most everything is covered with dust,,,,,,,,,,

 

 

anyone have a clue what this is used for?

 

we spent the night at a rest stop somewhere in Utah and this night Mom slept very good after she had stopped at a Walmart to buy another comforter.

Early morning coffee, and off we go to .............

 

 

Today the temperature was 104F (42C) so we're staying at a motel with AC now

 

 


We are in Moab, and we have been to yet another National park, guess ............. 

 

But I'll tell you about that in the morning

 

slobber all over ya face

 

 

 

 

 


Av EvaLena Hallgren - 19 juli 2020 06:57

Yes, I'm a day behind again but it isn't Moms fault this time, we couldn't get good wifi so there was noway uploading any photos. The rule here in Yellowstone is that you can't park and sleep for the night anywhere in the park and if you do the rangers can take your pass and make you leave. So playing by the rules we drove out on the East side of the park this time. There were very few campsites open and the ones that were, had no room since they're booked for weeks at the time, and most are huge fifth wheelers or RVs we were forced to take what we can find and that was this super expensive fake log cabin. It was filthy and I found a pill on the floor that I chewed on, but Mom quickly took it away from me.

   


they advertise that this is Buffalo Bills hunting lodge

 


but before we ended up here we spent the previous night at the west entrance of Yellowstone and was back on the road early dawn. Mom said all animals are early risers ......I beg to differ? but it's ok because I go back to sleep as soon as we get into the car.

This morning was super exciting because Mom spotted a black bear and parked in the middle of the road to get a picture. She didn't let me out to see him tough.

 om wished he would turn around but was afraid to call his attention


 


Yellowstone has three loops, and the first day we only made the North loop.

It's a big park and we're stopping often to admire the fantastic scenery and for me to take a leak and sniff everything

 

  

When we left there were no coffee places open but inside the park, we found a gas station with fresh coffee and Mom got a muffin............yes I had a treat too but was mostly interested in these curious little critters. They kept looking at me but as soon as I tried to say hello they disappeared underground


 


so far we have seen a Black bear, bluebird, hummingbird, Bald eagle, elk, coyote, bison, prairie dogs, and chipmunks...

if we only got to see a wolf too........

Bisons was on the road again and the are huge.............this one kept walking right towards us and I was wondering what will happen? but he avoided the car slowly 

 



we had lunch at a place called Silver Spring and we met this lady, Her name was Diane and she was an artist who paints nature. we sat here for a very long time since she and Mom seemed to have a lot in common, She too was driving and sleeping in a car. I kissed her a lot

     



Se claimed that this lodge across the street was Teddy Roosevelt's hunting lodge, but Mom tried to google to makwe sure it was facts, but couldn't find it?


 

The restroom at this place was very "rustic" and a couple of pillows on the floor if you felt like meditate ???

 

Continuing on we stopped many times to take pictures. The speed limit is mostly 45 throughout the park and many times even slower because of many sharp bends.

         

Mom is afraid of heights, so she decided we should drive the Beartooth highway?

The Beartooth Highway is the section of U.S Route 212  It traces a series of steep zigzags and switchbacks, along the Montana-Wyoming border to the 10,947 ft (3,337 m) high Beartooth Pass in Wyoming. The approximate elevation rise is from 5,200 ft (1,600 m) to 8,000 ft (2,400 m) in 12 mi (19 km) in the most daring landscapes............sounds just like the kind of road she's scared of.............I don't get it? but who am I to question her? That's why I'm the best travel companion she says

   


One of the most fascinating sights you’ll see along the way is a near-perfectly carved pyramid rising up between the granite mountains. It almost looks as though someone picked up one of the great pyramids of Egypt and placed it among the Beartooth mountain range. Carved exquisitely by glaciers, its unique shape led the Crow Indians to name it “bear’s tooth,” which is how the mountain range and highway got their name.

 




           


The road was amazing and the views incredible, Mom became mute and that's never happened before trust me......not sure it was because she was scared amazed or concentrated on the road.............all three Mom said,

It was so windy on the top I wasn't let out of the car because mom thought I blow away.

 

   



Anyway, she let the window open so I called out to this little guy, and he came running and we had a chat, I'm sure he wanted to make friends but Mom didn't think so. She said she didn't even know what it is? He looked sad when I left...........bet he doesn't have too many friends up there 

     

There's a motorcycle rally in Red Lodge so there are billions of Harleys everywhere, and these three bikers we met at the badlands last week..........great people, we may see them again.

 

at one of our stops on the way down, the bikers were feeding chipmunks sunflower seeds...........aren't they ruining the tuff guy biker image when they do that?

 


MOm wanted to do that too and begged for some seeds.........the little buggers didn't even care that I was there hoping it was a treat that  I like too.......but noo. I noticed they didn't eat the seeds, the just filled up their faces which got bigger and bigger, so I decided to back off before they blow up....(Mom made me)


Here's the last stretch back to the valley

 

Before we left the park I met a park ranger, That's like a cop for the forest Mom said, I really liked her and tried to get her mask off to kiss her face. She loved me too so we smooched for a long time, while Mom visited the ladies room.

   


we passed this sign a few times too 

 


so now my story is back to where I started and that was the expensive lodge at the east entrance. 

again we left early to head to Old Faithful and then the Tetons but I'll tell you all about that tomorrow,

Right now we're at a campsite south of it all, we drove quickly through Jackson which was too crowded and super expensive.

I think town we're in is called Greys river

 

sleep tight..............

  




Av EvaLena Hallgren - 17 juli 2020 04:43

As we're sitting in the swing on the porch I heard a noise I never heard before, I stayed alert in case I have to defend Mom from whatever owns that moo grunt sound?

I know Mom heard it too but didn't seem one iota concerned so I decided to stop worrying about it but as we're leaving in the morning Mom stopped and rolled down the window and said: this is what made that noise last night.

Wow, those puppies are BIG, not sure I could have defended me against those giants. They gave me the shakes

On March 1, 1872, Yellowstone became the first national park for all to enjoy the unique hydrothermal and geologic wonders. From their energetic sounds and interesting aromas, mud pots and fumaroles provide some of the richest experiences for the senses.  

we entered the park at the North entrance and the first stop was at Mammoth Hot Spring. We are now at 5314 ft(1620m) 


   


No dogs were allowed on the boardwalks and that was fine with me because that water is hot. I watched the car (took a nap) while Mom climbed those stairs.

           



the first town we came to was Norris, and there had been a fire at a restaurant the day before and it was still smoldering and town smelled like smoke

 


we took a quick walk to look around but nothing was open because we were too early...as well I thought we don't need all the souvenir trinkets anyway.


     


A river ran through the town and we walked out on the bridge a bit, 

   

since we couldn't camp inside the park we drove to the west entrance to spend the night. As soon as it get light in the morning we'll be going back into the park to make another loop and hopefully see Old Faithful.

This park is big but we only made the upper loop today which is only 70 miles (113km). Still, it took all day because Mom drove slowly so we don't miss anything and we made at least 100 stops........I didn't go out on all stops I felt perfectly fine where I was laying. 

I definitely didn't go outside when Mom stopped for these beasts,,,,,,,

     


at the last waterfall, I did take a walk and met my cousin...

   


more pictures from the park

       


We did go for a walk in the town we are in now, but again, it's stores are wall to wall tourist trinkets Tshirt Time to rest so we get going early says Mom 

Good Night

 

















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