Archive for the ‘Wyoming’ Category

Falls

Sunday, July 3rd, 2011

The melting snows are making for some awesome,powerful waterfalls. Their power is incredible!

Still No Moose!

Sunday, July 3rd, 2011

We got up at 6ish one morning and crept out into the park on an animal quest (moose). It is surprising how fast the sun rises, once it appears.

Well we saw a daddy elk with a huge “rack” and a couple females across the way.  A  deer family and a coyote walking by them but not looking interested. A marmot, a vole, and some bison were the sum total of our animal count.

Still in search of the elusive moose, we even went off on a few trails into the forest and were attacked by a band of marauding mosquitos.

Only the gift-shop stuffed moose gave me any affection.

Ole’ Faithful

Sunday, July 3rd, 2011

Folk at the park say she “blows” every 90 minutes, give or take 10.  How do you figure out mother-nature?  We watched it 6 times…twice on time, once 5 minutes early,once 10 minutes late, and once 30 minutes late. But everyone hung around until she blew! and it did not disappoint.

Now there are MANY geysers in the park and they are all HOT, from 140 degrees to over 200. Just like a sign for wet paint, it’s hard not to put your finger in and test the waters.

Heat-resistant bacteria give some of the vernal pools their awesome colors, and some of the bubbling caldrons just look like mud but are really liquid rock.

Yellowstone Via Tetons

Sunday, July 3rd, 2011

Things I learned: that this was the First national park signed into law by President Grant in 1872 . But most amazingly, it is sitting on a huge inverted volcano! All this steam, and geysers, and bubbling caldrons in the the ground are the volcano giving off energy, and I wouldn’t want to be here when it blows!

The Tetons were the south entrance of  Yellowstone, the youngest mountain range in this country (how do they tell?) were like teeth biting the sky.

There is snow everywhere, wildflowers covering vast fields of green, and the bluest of skies.

Where Oh Where…Here Moosie, Moosie

Wednesday, June 29th, 2011

I have been a lot of places, and I have always wanted to see a moose in the wilds. You can’t find one at a zoo, or even the wild animal park.  I have been to Alaska, Maine, Yosemite and NO moose! I like moose, I have things I wear with moose on them. I am a nice and sincere person who is on a moose-quest!

Okay, so tomorrow is another big chance. They say there are lots of moose in Yellowstone Nat’l Park.I will be there  3 days and it is the TOP of my bucket list. SO you know they heard I am close and are going into hiding, but I am on a mission!

Dubois By Any Other Name

Wednesday, June 29th, 2011

Every turn in the road reveals more awesome and dynamic scenery! Laramie to Dubois with a brief stop in Rawlins and Landers. This is our longest drive time day.  But we are listening to tapes and yakking and  rejoicing in the amazing creation.  Here is Steve at the wheel of our cherry-red impala and some view in the background. All of these are truly cowboy towns, and because of the huge winter snows that haven’t melted yet, they too expect some flooding.

Laramie

Tuesday, June 28th, 2011

Well I learn something new everyday!

To think we kinda all know of Laramie Wyoming. But at a population of 27,000, it’s about half the size of Poway, and who has heard of Poway?  We hit it on the perfect afternoon, we were told.

The 24 hr. average for wind is 12 miles an hour, 24/7/365! It is known as THE windy city. It is named after trapper La Ramie!

Lots of grassy plains, cows, and mosquitoes!!! I didn’t even think to bring something for bugs on this trip!

We are staying at a Ramada Inn, can you spell dump? It is the first place I have ever opened the bedding to check for bed bugs, and maybe I’ll skip the morning shower?

Denver June 2011

Tuesday, June 28th, 2011

Our suitcases were calling out, so after one month up on the shelf, they are packed again and on an excellent adventure.

Steve is working a convention in Denver (that is the convention center with a big blue bear sculpture looking in) for Pfizer and that is always an open door to see more of the world.  

We are headed to Yellowstone National Park, and Couer d A’lene, Idaho with lots of stops on the way. We fly home from Seattle.

This is new territory for me!