Earth Day at Yellowstone

Okay, so I wasn't supposed to go to Yellowstone today. What happened? I changed my mind. Actually, it wasn't a difficult decision. I was already thinking about it when I left Dillon, MT this morning. After getting some deli Chinese chicken salad for lunch at Safeway, I headed out with the intention of doing another day of exploring more old buildings. But, my heart really wasn't into that plan. And, when I discovered the two towns weren't really open for the season anyway, I just continued on to Yellowstone National Park. About 30 miles from the park, I saw my first significant wildlife. A traffic sign alerted me to the (possible) presence of wildlife...specifically bighorn sheep...near the road. Sure enough, there was!

I didn't see any rams...just ewes and lambs. And, some of them appeared to be wearing tracking collars, too. I also saw some bison, but I would be seeing a lot more of those later, so I didn't even stop. When I reached Yellowstone, I made a quick decision to just spend the afternoon leisurely enjoying the sights of Norris Geyser Basin. After eating my lunch in the car, I was eager to see some geothermal wonders. At the trailhead, there was an information board and this particular notice caught my eye. Is it really that much of a problem, I wondered.

Since I've visited this particular geyser basin at least a couple of times in the past, I wasn't so much into taking photos of everything I saw. Rather, I was looking for creative shots. With the sun shining and temps in the low 50s, it was a picture perfect day!

Tomorrow may not be quite as sunny, but it's not supposed to rain either. I'm just looking forward to another relaxing day at Yellowstone. It just never gets old. Happy Earth Day!

Park visits and...SNOW!

After yesterday's disappointing sightseeing day, I was ready to start afresh. Leaving Missoula, I drove south with light rain falling. As US Hwy 93 went through the Bitterroot mountains, I started climbing and there was more and more snow on the ground. Soon, it was actually snowing lightly and there was a thin layer of slush on the ground. Thankfully, it didn't last as I drove out of the mountains, and I soon arrived at Big Hole National Battlefield.

The parking lot was empty...not surprising since it's Easter Sunday. This park preserves the history of a battle that took place in 1877 between a band of Nez Perce Indians and the U.S. Army. The U.S. government by treaty set aside a large reservation for the tribe, but reneged when gold was discovered in those lands. When war erupted in the region, the Nez Perce chose to flee, but were hunted down by the cavalry. The battle that ensued at this location was a defeat for the Army and the Nez Perce continued their flight north toward Canada. Sadly, they didn't make it and were forced to return to their reservation.

When I arrived, I chatted with the ranger and told her that I worked at the main Nez Perce National Historical Park in Spalding, ID back in the 80s. I was well versed in Nez Perce history, but I didn't know the story of Big Hole very well. I learned a lot from the video presentation available at this visitor center, and I even recognized a few people in it from my park years. I had hoped to walk along the park's Nez Perce Camp Trail, but because of all the rain, it was too wet and thus closed to the public. So, I just took a pic of the site from the visitor center.

After eating my lunch in the car, I continued down the road about an hour to Bannack State Park. I last visited this park in 2017, but didn't spend a lot of time there. Since I had all afternoon, I planned to go inside as many buildings as I could. It also allowed me to get creative with my photos. I think the overcast skies helped, too.

That building above is the schoolhouse and yes, that is a chamber pot. You DO know what that's for, right?

I had a weird thing happen before I went inside the little solitary house above. Right before I opened the door, I could have sworn I heard someone exhale or sigh loudly. Naturally, I thought someone was inside. There was no one inside! There have been ghostly occurrences reported in the park buildings. Was that one?

I had another unexplained thing happen right before I went down the staircase shown above. In the corner of my eye, I thought I saw a dark shadow briefly in the space to the right of the railing. I backed up, thinking it was MY shadow, then moved to the top of the stairs again. Nope! When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I looked behind it and found a small...and empty...closet. Was that a shadow person checking me out? Creepy!

Well, things are finally beginning to look up. The weather forecast has NO RAIN for the next several days! And, just in time for my planned visits to Yellowstone National Park! But tomorrow, I have one more day of looking at old buildings...and maybe some animals.

The best made plans...sometimes flop

I woke up to overcast skies and rain in the forecast. The weather people were correct...it rained pretty much all day, which nixed my plan for a hike. I had a couple of alternative activities, though. I left Pullman and traveled north to Coeur d'Alene, ID and bought a cheesesteak sandwich for lunch. I continued east on the interstate to the historic silver mining town of Wallace. I had hoped to visit an authentic bordello. Yes, you heard me right, but it's really just a long closed bordello turned museum. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that it hadn't opened yet for the season. Yes, my pre-road trip research failed me! So, I just took some photos of the old downtown buildings AND the place I was supposed to see, too.

Since I still had time in my day, I continued on to U.S. Forest Service Ninemile Remount Depot and Historic Ranger Station. From 1930 to 1953, the depot supplied pack horse teams for firefighting and backcountry work projects. The historic site was only a short drive from the interstate, but I was dismayed to find the dirt road leading up to it was muddy from the rain. I drove slowly to minimize the amount of mud to the underside of my car.

I was soon disappointed...yes, again...that this place also had seasonal visitation. Despite the fact all the buildings were closed, I was still able to walk around the grounds and snap a few pics. The buildings and corrals are self-explanatory, but the scales were used to weigh the horses and wagons to make sure they weren't too heavy for any bridges they might travel on.

Needless to say, my day was not very fun. I was ready for some kind of pick-me-up. It was only 20 miles to my pit stop for the night, Missoula, MT. Before checking into my hotel, I decided to visit Drum Coffee, owned by Fitz and the Tantrums drummer, John Wicks.

I don't drink coffee, but from my two previous visits, I've found their baked goods are very tasty. Naturally, I was hoping John would be there so I could say Hello. And, he actually was in the building, but unfortunately, John was busy working on a music project with a client. Oh, well...maybe next time. After a day of disappointments, I knew I couldn't go wrong with a Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers dinner! Even though there is still more rain in the forecast for tomorrow, I'm not going to let that stop me. I might even do a hike...I got a raincoat and umbrella!  Things can only get better...

Return to Cougarville

It's spring and that means ROAD TRIP!  I left home this morning after telling my cat Hoshi to be a good girl in my absence.  It was raining...not a good way to start my vacation.  Traveling south, I made a brief stop at Uwajimaya in Bellevue to pick up some food for dinner and other meals.  There won't be as many places open for Easter, so I was planning accordingly.  As I crossed Snoqualmie Pass, the rain stopped and the sun appeared.  It also became quite warm...low 70's!  I'm currently not accustomed to those temps, but it probably won't last as I head into the Rockies.

I drove east to my destination of the day, Pullman, WA...home of Washington State University!  As a Cougar alumnus, I always feel at home on the campus. Since it was too early to check into my hotel, I parked my car in their lot and walked up to the Compton Union Building...also known as the CUB.  As those who attended Wazzu know, the campus sits on a hill, so that means walking up...a lot!  I got a good workout hoofing the mile to the student union building. I was there to attend a special presentation by former Cougar quarterback Ryan Leaf.

Most who are familiar with Ryan know about his lofty expectations playing in the NFL...and his tremendous fall and failures.  But, there was also his refusal to give up and his amazing comeback and redemption.  His story is truly inspirational and I found myself mesmerized with him telling it. I didn't get any photos from the event, but here is one courtesy of Washington State Athletics.  That's me sitting in the front row, third from the right with the glasses.

After his presentation, Ryan took questions from the audience and also did a little meet and greet.  I took the opportunity to shake his hand and tell Ryan that I enjoyed hearing his story.  I wished him good luck with his life and future endeavors.  I probably should have gotten a pic with Ryan, but I was just happy to meet him.  Before leaving the CUB, I stopped by The Bookie...the student bookstore...to grab some Coug gear.  Then, I made the mile walk back to my hotel...much easier going downhill!  And what did I have to greet me in my hotel room?  My old friends, the half pillows!

As usual, I brought my own pillow since there is NO WAY I can sleep on those!  Tomorrow, I'll be continuing east to Idaho and Montana.  Unfortunately, it looks like rain all day, so I'll be planning indoor activities.  I'm just hoping by the time I reach Yellowstone, the rain will be over!

Wind, wind go away...

When I left Boise this morning, I was not looking forward to the seven hour plus drive I had ahead of me. It was actually a pleasant drive until I came down the steep grade over Pendleton, OR and was literally hit by a wall of gusty crosswinds. Oh, no! Not again! Thankfully, I experienced the worst of it for about a half hour. As I headed north, the wind became less intense. I arrived at my pit stop for the night...my last of this road trip...in the Bavarian town of Leavenworth, WA.

It was still pretty windy, and I found out when I checked in that they had sporadic power outages in the morning. In fact, there was a warning sign on the hotel's elevator to use at your own risk. Not worried about getting stuck inside, I used it anyway. I was also informed that some businesses in the village...where most of the stores and restaurants are located...had closed due to the power outages.

Now, my plan for dinner was to get the iconic German dish, wiener schnitzel. I wanted to get takeout from one particular restaurant, but it was closed. I tried another one...also closed. But, I lucked out at the third restaurant. When I got back to my hotel room and looked at my food, I was a bit disappointed...hey, no gravy? And, it tasted just okay...that's spaetzle and red cabbage with the pork cutlet. I should have gotten the bratwurst!

And, so, my road trip...my LONG road trip...has come to an end. Tomorrow, I'll be driving back HOME! I've been away for nineteen days, and it's time to get back to my own bed and my beloved cat. I'll have driven over 5000 miles on this trip...the longest so far! I had a lot of fun and collected some wonderful memories, both literal and in photos. It won't be long before I start planning my next road trip...

The battle to Boise

After checking out of my hotel in Salt Lake City, I went to my car to load up my stuff and found it was covered with muddy spots. Apparently, an overnight rain coupled with a layer of dust resulted in an unsightly mess. Oh, well...I think it might rain again tomorrow! I had about a five hour drive to Boise ahead of me, but it wasn't all smooth sailing. I had to fight rather strong crosswinds the whole way, which played havoc on my gas mileage. My poor mileage reminded me of what I used to get with my Chevy Blazer. I usually fill up at a quarter tank, but that was every 300 miles! With my Outback, I'll average at least a hundred miles more than that...more if I'm not city driving or going too fast. Which reminds me...80 mph is too fast! I find myself driving 75 mph to get a little better MPG.

I had enough time this afternoon to visit the Idaho State Museum located in Boise. About five years ago, there was a smaller historical museum in town which I think turned into this much nicer museum.

This museum does an excellent job illustrating what makes Idaho such an interesting state. History, geography, industry and recreation are highlighted in visual and interactive exhibits. Here is a beautiful statue of Sacajawea, who accompanied Lewis & Clark on their Corps of Discovery Expedition.

There were also some unusual items on display, such as a 9000 year old sandal, a very old and large pencil sharpener, a vintage snowmobile and an outfit once worn by Paul Revere of the band The Raiders. And, yes...I did touch the otter tail.

In their Stories of Idaho gallery, which showcases the personal stories of Idahoans, there was actually someone I knew included. Horace Axtell was a member of the Nez Perce tribe, and I while I worked at Nez Perce National Historical Park in the mid-80s, his wife Andrea was a secretary there. I did have the pleasure of meeting Horace during get togethers, both official and informal.

Tomorrow is my last real road trip day before I make the final push toward home. I have another LONG drive ahead of me, but at least I'll gain an hour going from Mountain to Pacific Time. AND, I'll gain another hour because of Daylight Savings Time tonight!

Some things SHOULD stay in Vegas!

I had a long driving day today...SIX HOURS! I made sure to have a nice leisurely lunch midway, but because I entered the Mountain Time Zone, I lost an hour. And, by the time I arrived in Salt Lake City, it was time to check into my hotel and grab some takeout dinner. So, I will update what happened YESTERDAY.

I left Williams, AZ and drove straight to Las Vegas. I would be spending only a day and night in Sin City, but I decided to make the best of it. I had lunch at my very favorite road trip fast food hamburger place... Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers! Yes, even better than In N Out, Culver's, Shake Shack, Whataburger, etc, etc. I can get my burger without cheese and just mustard, onions and pickles...they have nice, big pickle slices! And, the crispy shoestring fries with fry sauce! And, the wonderful frozen custard...the single is a big, generous scoop of deliciousness!

After lunch, I headed over to what is currently considered the best museum in Vegas... Zak Bagans' The Haunted Museum. If you aren't familiar with him, he's on the Travel Channel show, Ghost Adventures. He typically visits places known to have ghosts and spirits, and either finds evidence that they exist or debunks the rumors. I've watched the show, which made me extremely curious as to what I would find at this museum.

As I waited in line to get in, I was required to sign a waiver, basically releasing the museum of all liability should sometime bad happen to me while inside the building. I know, rather ominous.

Once inside the building, I paid my admission and waited briefly in the small lobby area. This was the only room we were allowed to take photos, video, etc. The rest of the building was off limits as such, which is explainable for various reasons. So, enjoy the creepy doll pic.

So, what was the museum like? I could only describe it as a combination sideshow, haunted house and museum of oddities and the macabre. The guides were informative and animated as they walked us from room to room. There were some genuinely creepy and horrific things, like the exhibits on real-life monsters such as Charles Manson and serial killer John Wayne Gacy...the latter's clown paintings were on display. I won't give away much because I don't want to ruin things for anyone who would like to check this place out. But, the scariest stuff were Peggy the possessed doll speaking via a spirit box, and the famous Dybbuk box containing an evil Jewish spirit. Yes, I saw them both and thankfully, I came away not experiencing anything unpleasant...or have any evil attach themselves to me! I would highly recommend visiting this unique museum next time you visit Las Vegas...if you dare!