Arches, Grand Canyon, and COMING HOME!!!!

Hello all!   We are in Amarillo, TX!!!  Almost home!

I am feeling 98% better than the last time I talked to you!  I say only 98%, because I still have a massive blister that still has not totally resolved itself from Zion- doesn't it seem like everything happened to me in my favorite park?  

Anyway- We went to Arches the morning after my last post, and I felt better- but I still was miserable.....

I had acquired a new ache, this time in my back, and it probably cam from me getting up 13 times to go to the bathroom and walking on asphalt with bare feet to get there- yes, I counted my bathroom trips, you never know what stuff a doctor might like to know.....

So, Arches is very very very beautiful, but I have to say a bit hot and crowded when we went.  I really didn't get to see the park to its fullest, because by 9am it was already 90 degrees and my body told me to sit down every 15 minutes or so!   

I did make it to the Landscape Arch, which is the super wide, expansive arch in the pics, the Delicate Arch, and the fallen Wall Arch.  The Delicate Arch is the one on the Utah license plate, and is one of the most famous arches in the world!  (that must be why all the Germans, French, Dutch....you name it, and that country was represented)

So we left Arches, me feeling miserable and Josh just ready to be home......BUT I WILL RETURN!!! possibly in March or April in some years down the line- it has to be cooler then!

That night we went to the KOA in Flagstaff, where I had a very restful night, aside from the BRIGHT moon, children screaming until 10:30pm, and frightful wind......

OK, SIDE STORY-

I got up at 1:30am to go to the bathroom.  Groggily, I waddled to the facilities, and I finished my business with mister toilet.  Upon leaving my stall, I was confronted with an animal.......a cat?.....no.....a skunk!   Yes, ladies and gentlemen, a skunk in the men's bathroom staring me in the face, waddling towards my stall.  I hopped back into the stall, got on the toilet, and watched as he circled the bathroom and left.  Thank goodness he left, because at that point, I almost had to use the bathroom again! 

I cautiously went outside, looked around, and saw nothing of him.  But, while I was, again, cautiously walking back to the tent site, I saw him digging through a RV's trash about 9 sites down from ours.   As far as I know, he stayed away from us, because we through our trash away before we go to bed.

The only reason he scared me so much was because, I was half asleep, in sandals that I can't run in, and just got off the toilet- so that's the story, and I am stickin' to it! 

BACK TO THE MAIN EVENT! 

So after Flagstaff, we headed to the Grand Canyon early this morning for a whirlwind tour of it.  The canyon is absolutely spectacular, especially in the early morning light (8:30am).  I wish that we could have stayed longer, but we really needed to be getting back.   I will come back here again with enough equipment to hike down to the bottom! 

After the Canyon, we headed for home!  I finally got to press the “Go Home” button on my GPS, and it felt good, I have to say.  A month is a long time to be away from a place that you really do love!

When I woke up this morning, I felt really good, and I am glad that feeling has continued throughout the day.  I actually ate a whole meal today, and I didn't feel like I was going to throw up!  I promise I will disinfect before I come home!  I am also thankful for the many prayers and "thinking about you's" that I got!  You guys make writing this a joy, and your feedback is so wonderful!  

A special thanks to Mrs. Cleis Jensen for all of her little e-mails along the way, with helpful hints and stories- You're a first-class lady and one of the finest humans I know (but you know dogs and cats don't talk back), keep it up!  (just joking about the cats and dogs)

Hope you enjoy the brief and belated pics: Picasa is broken at this juncture, but here are the FB links: HERE and HERE

Thanks for reading!  I hope to be really close to getting home tomorrow!  Hoping to get to Memphis tomorrow!  (and no, we will not be seeing Elvis- I can’t stand him…)

EBS

Best and Worst Days of My Life: Zion

Ok, so.....

As many of you know by now, I have an illness- I say it like that because I am not really sure what I have.  We have gone through food poisoning, heat exhaustion, and now we have decided that it is a stomach virus picked up somewhere in Zion National Park.

So two night ago I started having some pain and discomfort in my stomach right after we ate dinner.  As the night went on, it started to get worse and worse.  Anyway, I was in extreme turmoil for most of the night that night and I only got 1 1/2 hours of sleep and a lot of exercise going back and forth to the bathroom.

After that night, we were headed to Bryce Canyon.  Well, that didn't work out because I was falling asleep in the car and half dehydrated from the previous night's adventure.  So we moved on past Bryce and spent the night in a small Utah town.  I am so disappointed that we couldn't go to Bryce, but I don't see how I could have enjoyed it at all!  

I am telling y'all, that was the worst I have ever felt.  I am still very weak from the experience, but I can say that I am getting better.  Thank heavens I am getting better.  I keep drinking fluids and eating small amounts, and resting.

I could go into more details about this illness, but seeing how Josh reacts to my frankness, I probably shouldn't tell all of you!  (you will thank me for it)

Anywho,

Zion National Park is my favorite park so far!!!  It is so competent and the most environmentally friendly park been been at yet.  Basically, you park your car at the visitor's center or your campground and a shuttle takes you throughout the entire park!  This is amazing, considering how much gas we have wasted trying to find things in other parks (Yellowstone).

I never knew ho beautiful Zion was, but I guess it was called Zion for a reason.  Besides the awesome, propane fueled transportation shuttle in the park, they also have limited plastic bottle usage.  They only sell bottled water at a few places, but if you have a reusable bottle, like a Nalgene, then you can have FREE Zion spring water!  And it tastes delicious! There are filling stations throughout the park.

So, on our first day there we decided to hike the Narrows.  This trail, or should I say waterway, is almost completely within the Virgin River and is about 5 miles one way.  We started off the trek at about 11am, and ended up in the Narrows at about 2.

So hiking in a river is a TON of fun, and besides that the river keeps you cool when you are out in 98 degree heat.   But, there is one thing about this hike that could concern many people- you sometimes have to hike in water that is chest-deep to over your head deep, with a strong-ish current running by you.  Everyone in the river that day- and there were hundreds- said that it was so cold, but I actually loved the cool water and didn't mind wading chest-deep in it.

The best thing about the hike is getting to see the Narrows themselves.  This is where Zion Canyon comes together, and the two sides of the canyon almost touch.  My pictures do not do it justice, and there are not a lot pics, because I was hiking in water with an expensive camera- it was in a dry bag most of the way!  

The smooth sandstone walls really are awe-inspiring when you get to see them on the scale of real-life! So many soft curves and colors!  On a side note, this trip has really peaked my interest in Geology!  Seeing the American landscape change has been an incredible experience all by itself.

Ok- Second and last day in Zion-

We went around to all of the other sights to see in the park, and we hiked the Angel's Landing Trail.  This is a tough trail with a 3,000 ft elevation change going up to a portion that you have to hold on to a chain to keep from falling.  Just so you know, I didn't go all the way- I some of that chain part, but I got scared and came back!  Is it just me, or do I not want to fall 3,000 feet to the jagged rocks below?

So after that, we rode the shuttle to the other areas of the park and finally came back to camp very tired.  And then the unpleasantness happened......

So there is my past couple of days....

We are in Moab, UT right now, and we are going to Arches tomorrow- or should I say Josh is going tomorrow if Eric doesn't feel well enough.    So you will be getting pictures from Arches, but they might come from Josh.

Here are in the Picasa link: HERE

Facebook also has pics up!

Prayers for a very speedy recovery are welcome!!

EBS

Yosemite and Death Valley: a story about evaporative cooling!

Hello all!

Good to be with you all again, this time from the great state of Utah!  I really do love this state, but it is a little hot.  When we first arrived here, the scenery was soo amazing, and I knew immediately that Zion is going to be absolutely amazing!

Ok, let's start with Yosemite-

So, Yosemite is an absolutely beautiful park, but there is one BIG problem- people!  Too many people come to this park to make it worth your while.  If you want to spend your day dodging the Korean tour buses, the hordes of RVs, and the many huge trucks that people bring up from Fresno. Me and Josh both agreed that this park needs to institute some kind of lottery system to let people into the park.

I think it is kind of ridiculous to call it a national park, when you can't even enjoy being there.  We toured Yosemite Valley early in the morning, and by 9 am the roads had started to get bad, with all of the campers and day trippers.  Also, we had to fight to get a campsite in the park, only to get the furthest campground from all of the sites, and we had to reserve this site in MARCH!!!    So we stressed over getting this campsite, only to get a campsite whose restrooms were not clean, at all!  (I will not go into details about this, you don't really want them anyway!)  Needless to say that we cut our stay from 4 nights down to 2.....

All that being said, Yosemite is a beautiful park, and it would be worth it to go, but not in summer- go in winter when you can pay $69 a night to stay at the lodge!  So that is what I will be doing next time, if there is a next time.  I have the pictures forever, so that is how I would like to remember it!

Onto Death Valley-

Death Valley was actually a vast improvement over Yosemite!  The colors of the rocks and the heat was actually invigorating- until we got to the bottom of the valley.  It was 106 F when we got down to the valley floor, and only went up.  The highest it got up to was 111 F and it was 6pm!

And, I know it sounds stupid, but we camped at the Furnace Creek Campground.  I have to say that it was not the most comfortable night I have ever had- but it wasn't the worst!  It was still 95 at midnight, and it only got down to 85 the whole night.

At the ranger's suggestion, we went to go cool off at the resort pool a couple hundred feet down the road.  (Yes there are resorts, with all the amenities, but they cost a lot!)  So, we went swimming in Death Valley, and it was so amazing!  The pool was fed by a warm spring, and it recycled the water to the golf course- the fact that there was a golf course there made me gag, if you know me well, you know why!  (Death to the Grass!)

So, we came back to the campsite after the nice pool dip and subsequent shower, and we tried to go to sleep.  We got to sleep somewhat, but then we woke up to go look at the stars.  For those of you who don't know, Death Valley is one of the darkest places in the US, and it is a great place to view stars!  We got up at 2 am and saw the spectacular Milky Way!

I think it is hard to look at the night sky and not appreciate how beautiful it is, or how complex it is! It is a very sad fact that most people will never see the Milky Way, but with so much light pollution in the world, it is a fact of life for most of us.  I really reccomend visiting Death Valley for this oppurtunity- but you can also go to Western NC- I saw the Milky Way from a place called Iron Bridge in Highlands, NC- AMAZING!   Josh was the only one to get pictures of this because I need a way better lens to get the quality of pictures that I would want.

Oh and I almost forgot!  GERMANS!! EVERYWHERE!  These are the real visitors to Death Valley, believe it or not.  Everywhere we went we were the only Americans there, all of the rest were German and a small percentage were French and Dutch.  But still, a lot of foreign people!  And you can tell it at the pool- poor choices in swimwear.......

I just want to take this opportunity to say that Dixie Damrel, you were completely right about the Germans, and that your advice was invaluable!  Thanks!!

Ok here are the links for the pics:  YOSEMITE
DEATH VALLEY

On a side note, we went to Las Vegas and the Hoover Dam too!  Both were so amazing, but I don't think that Vegas is for me- too much excess, ick!  The only thing that I am disappointed with is the fact that you have to pay to get into the Hoover Dam visitor's center! That is just outrageous! Something that the US gov't built!  $8 dollars is not going to leave my wallet to see displays showing how the dam was built, especially when I can turn on the History Channel or Google it and find out the same info!

Las Vegas was very nice, but as I said before, a lot of excess!  A lot of money wasted, and a lot of money made.  I didn't do any gambling-just not that into it, but I was confronted with many opportunities to do it- Vegas makes it easy.

But anyway, here is the link to the Vegas and Hoover Dam pics- HERE 


Also,

We have decided to go to all the parks we had planned to go to, except for Mesa Verde.  So we are going to the Grand Canyon, but we will not be going down in the canyon.   We will be driving by and stopping, so I am a little relieved to have that decision made!

Thanks for reading and for giving me your guidance last week!!!

EBS

We have a problem, a big problem......

Ok folks, I need you to help me decide something!

(The title of this sub-blog post makes it sound more serious than it actually is, but trust me, we have been debating this sooo much recently!)

As many of you know, we are coming up on the last leg of the trip.  That part includes Death Valley, Zion, Arches, Bryce Canyon, Mesa Verde, and the Grand Canyon.  The problem is that we think that we aren't going to get to all of those- actually we know we are not getting to Mesa Verde.

We need someone with a clear mind to tell us what to do!

In my opinion, we just just cut out the Grand Canyon (even though I know it is spectacular and all that mess) and go to all the rest.  If you look at the pictures below of the route that we are currently on, you will how convoluted it has become.  It is like doubling back on ourselves, and basically spending a lot more money.....

I have heard from most people that Arches, Zion, and Bryce are really amazing parks- and easily seen within the span of a few days.   We met some people from Greenville while we were in Sequoia, and they said that we shouldn't miss out on Arches.  Everyone has said that Arches is the place to go- it is apparently the favorite among all the smaller parks.

I know my opinion, but I want to hear your's!  So send me an e-mail (Greeneryisforme@gmail.com) or write on my FB wall- just get in touch with me and let me know what you think we should do!

Here are the screen shots from the current route- so that you can see how convoluted things are:

This is the whole trip back home from Death Valley, the other pics are just zoomed in shots from this map.

Huge trees, Beautiful flowers, and Heat!

Hello all!

Long time, no see!  I have been in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park for the last few days, and I have to say that it was the best park we have been to so far.  This is in part because we got to enjoy it without any rain, and partly because the park is set up very well!

The park has only two main roads, and one goes through the entire park.  This road also ends in the park.  So, we went to the end of the road, and we saw the attractions in the park from that end down- partly because we didn't want to drive up that windy road more than we had to already!

The road was the worst part about the park, and it will destroy brakes if you don't use lower gears- and we saw a LOT of people using their brakes all the way down the canyon!

The first day we were in Kings Canyon NP, we stayed in a campground called Canyon View, and in the morning, we went to hike a trail called Yucca Point.  This trail was THE HARDEST I have ever hiked, including the one up to Table Rock in SC!!  I think it was a combination of the heat, the steepness of the canyon, and the elevation.  The elevation has been kicking our butts for the whole trip, and it seems like we will never get used to it, but then again, we also stay in the parks only a short while and don't get a chance to adjust.   Needless to say, at the end of the day, we were soooo tired, and we collapsed into our tents.

That night we went to a campground called Sunset, and it had an EXCELLENT sunset!  My pictures made it to the picture gallery in my facebook and picasa albums. Links to come at the end of the post!

We were on the move again the next day, going to the General Grant Tree and some other HUGE trees!!  It was really nice to be among the giants, but I have to say that they look fake.  I mean, something that huge is so hard to imagine, and then you see it before you in an amazing forest setting.  You would come around a bend, and this massive tree would just appear like it had materialized from nothing, but it had been there all along.

Anywhos, (shout out to Grandma Musco!! Love you Lisa, stay Golden!), we went to another campground, and, unfortunately, it was all full- so we had to do everything we had planned to do over the next two days in one.  It was good that all of the attractions of park are very close to one another, and that they are easily accessible by foot!

We saw all the Giants, including General Sherman- The Largest Tree in the World (by mass)- and the Senate, the House, and the President.  We also saw Pine Martens, many different kinds of birds, Marmots, and even a BEAR!  We actually stumbled upon the bear while not really caring about the trail we were on.

We saw some people stopped dead in the path, and we were walking by them until they stopped us.  They looked at us and said, "Look!"  I was like, "OH HOLY CRAP! A bear right there, not 100 ft. from me!"  You can see him in the pics to come!

From there we moved to the foothills- it was the most desert-like area I had ever been in!  So dry, but it had lots of live oaks and sooo many wildflowers! Those are also in the photos- and I am very sorry for those of you who have to endure the gratuitous plant and flower photos, but remember this is my blog.......so...yeah.....All the plant nerds following this get it!

The campground we stayed at was called Potwisha- no kidding that is the name, and you said it correctly- it was a Moro Indian name, those were the people who inhabited the area until we came along and killed them......

So, we really didn't do much down in the foothills- we were too hot, and way way too tired to move by the second day we were there! Something hit us yesterday, and we became so tired that the we could hardly hold our heads up!  So, we spent the whole sleeping- or sweating to death in our tents.


All in all, it was my favorite park so far, and I can't wait for Yosemite!

Here is the link to the Picasa public album:  HERE

All of you that have Facebook, go to my photos and look for the Sequoia album- I am tired of linked to that....sorry!

See you all sometime after we get out of Yosemite!

EBS

San Francisco: The Saga....

Hello again!

I am in a hotel in Tracy, Ca, getting ready to head to Sequoia National Park.  We have decided to go to the park early because we need a break- in other words we just need to stay in one place for more than a day.

So, we went into San Fran yesterday, and it was an amazing day to go into the city!  Amazing weather, very clear.


We went to Golden Gate Park and went to the Conservatory of Flowers and the Japanese Tea Garden- Both were very amazing!!!  So many flowers!

I have made a picasa web album, just in case some of you don't like facebook, and here you can download some of the photos that you like the best!  This the link to the picasa page: HERE

If you still want to go to Facebook click: HERE

After we got out of golden gate park, we went into Chinatown for lunch, and ate at an amazing restaurant called House of Nanking!  It came with very high praise from the likes of Rachel Ray, Jamie Oliver, and Tyler Florence!

I had the Sesame Chicken- OK I really didn't try anything different- but this Sesame Chicken was soooo different than any I had ever had before!  It was sooo crispy, with a hint of spice, and it had fried sweet potatoes with it!   The sauce was so good and it coated everything, needless to say this was the best part of the day!

I wish that we could have stayed longer, but sitting on a freeway for 2 hours and not moving more than 2 miles is kinda ridiculous.  'nough said!   The traffic here is horrendous, and it is slowly becoming apparent that everywhere in CA has outrageous traffic!

So, I have to go!  We are leaving for the park soon.

Go look at the pics, enjoy them, and I will be back soon to tell you about the big trees!

EBS

In N Out Burgers!

So, I think I am begun the initial phase of Californication!  Some of you don't really know what this means, but to some you are saying, "well, it was bound to happen sometime!"  I might become a hippy and bike everywhere like they do out here- Seriously I have never seen so many bicyclists in my life in the number that they congregate in SF!

I am like a kid in a candy store out here with all the Whole Foods, Jamba Juices, and In N Out Burgers! That sentence basically describes my time spent out of the car here in San Fran so far......We went to Whole Foods to get groceries- cause it was nearest, can you believe that!- and right beside that was a Jamba Juice, that I might stop in tomorrow and have a breakfast shake or something, and we ate at an In N Out Burger!!!

Folks, many of you know that I am a HARDCORE Rush's Hamburger Fan, but these people almost have them beat......I thought I never would think those words in my life.  Right now, I am fully contented on a diet of FRESH, OMG FRESH Cali cherries and a In N Out burger with fries!  

Life couldn't get better, the freshest fruit, the best produce, simply the best life here in Cali!   If only they had grits and my family-  sorry Cali, but I don't think I will call you home- love to visit, not to stay.  

The major downside to living in Cali is the traffic.  I know we are in the city right now, but people over here act like the drive badly on purpose- me and Josh noticed this several times today.  And we probably got our fair share of California Howdies, if you know what I mean.....

So, in conclusion, I will be having another or three In N Out burgers before we leave Cali, that is a definite, but I will leave with fond memories and the promise of seeing my family!

- EBS

San Francisco!

Hello all,

I am writing to you from the comfort of my tent on a beautiful summer day here in San Francisco!!!  And I do mean beautiful!!  It was 72 today with a low of 56 tonight, and perfectly clear days from now until Sunday!  (I know that is a lot of exclamation in one paragraph, but after the rain we had, the exclamation is needed!)

This morning we leisurely took out time getting things together to head down here from Eureka.  That was one of the best mornings yet, except for the last minute oil filter change....but it was necessary.

(OK I have to stop here and tell you all that Josh just found a mole and is obsessing about the mole capping off his mole hill after he removed the dirt from it.)

Anywhoos....

So we got on the road and drove through some more nasty weather for about an hour, until we finally saw it- THE SUN!  Yes, gleaming there in the skies above California, was the sun!  That was the most magical part of the day, and then it the temperatures went up to 70!  Needless to say I felt closer to heaven at that moment.

Then we started going through the rolling mountains and hills lining the PCH (pacific coast highway).  This highway is soooo beautiful, and mostly well maintained!   The views are breathtaking, even when it was cloudy and rainy on the northern coast, I can't describe it in words.  One of my favorite parts of the trip so far.

Then we started getting into wine country, and I have never seen more vineyards in my life.  I don't know if we will be able to go to any, but we are in Petaluma, CA right next to Sonoma and Napa...so we'll see!   I saw a vineyard guide and all the cheap wines are here, like the beringers and the oak leafs and such- like grandma's Koolaid!

We went into San Fran for a little bit to see if we could camp at the Golden Gate National Rec Area, but all of the campsites were taken:(...

But I did get to see the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and a really good view of the city!!! So excited for tomorrow!!!

If any of you have suggestions on where to go please send them to me before 10 am Pacific time tomorrow!!

Until then this is where I was thinking of going- any of these might happen, and I know I won't get to a lot of them-


1. Ghirardelli
2. Golden Gate Park
3. Alcatraz
4. the Seashore
5. Golden Gate National Rec Area- Lighthouses and such here

So there's that, we'll see if we can do any of that tomorrow!

Until then here are some pics for you all to look at (OMG I just heard a peacock somewhere around our KOA- their scream used to be an ill omen to people- I can see why, very creepy sounds from those birds!) Here is the link to the pics- HERE

See ya lata,


EBS

Redwood, oh Redwood.....

Well people,

You probably didn't expect to hear from me two nights in a row, but here I am again!

This time it is because of our old nemesis, the RAIN!  Yes, rain has driven me from Redwood National Park, and with a fury, too!  It was raining so hard when we were setting up camp that the tarp couldn't keep up with the deluge, and we looked at each other, and said it wasn't worth it!  So, here I am in a Kabin (it disturbs me that the "K" is not a "C", but that is how KOA likes to do it) in the KOA in Eureka, CA in the warm comfiness! (is that a word?)

I love having internet and a roof over my head, especially when it is raining outside like cats and dogs...

Josh and I were talking and to some of you it might seem like we are being a bit sissy about the whole not staying out in the rain thing.  But hear me out!  When the place you are staying gets over 130 in. of rain a year, and you know you are going to wake up in a pool of water and go hiking in water all the next day- you really would like a place to dry off.  We noticed that no one else was tent camping- and we know why.  So, before you patronize me for not wanting to go floating through the forest on my air mattress, think about what you would have done if you felt like a wet rag in a drainage ditch....


Ok, so now I am going to explain the intricacies of Redwood National Park...

First- it is not just a National Park, it also a collection (and I do mean collection) of Cali State Parks.
      This is the first thing you have to understand about the park- all of the camping is basically in the state parks, and to this moment, I don't know if I ever saw the actual national park....someone please tell me where it is!  We couldn't find it, so please enlighten me.

Second, the fees to camp in this round about park are just outrageous- we paid A LOT less for Yellowstone.
     They charge 35 bucks for a tent site, and they make you pay for showers- quarter slots in the shower- ghetto, just ghetto....As you can see I was fed up already....hence the decision to go to Eureka.

Really there is not much to do in Redwoods, other than to look at the trees, which is fine with me- but all the trees are along the roadside- all the big ones anyway....so that makes it not as exciting for me.

This is just how I saw it, but I am sure it better on a sunny day-

Here are some pics from Redwood:  HERE (note the crazy faces- the rain had seeped into our brains....)

EBS

OK here are the pic links

HERE: PICS FROM OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK

Click on the link above to see pics from Olympic,


'Night,

EBS

Where the Moss Hangs Low and You Might Get Charged by an Elk....

Hello again, I know soon isn't it!

We had a wonderful time in Olympic NP these past two days, and the weather was CLEAR and WARM!!!!  Which, if you know anything at all about the Pacific Northwest, having a clear day is a BIG deal!   It was like God wanted me there...he works in mysterious ways you know....

So, Olympic National Park-  very convoluted in the way you get around it, but what you do see of it will blow your socks off!  The moss and the size of the trees will amaze you, and if this thing uploads before I post tonight, you will get to see my pictures too...

We went to Sol Duc Falls the first day, which are in the photos.  These falls are quite impressive, but there spray is totally massive- they keep the bridge next to it completely wet year round.  And I can only imagine the plants that inhabit the spray area and no where else- diversity is always a good thing!

Today we explored the Hoh Rainforest (Yes you pronounced it correctly)- yes this is the name, and yes we have had as fun much fun with it as you can imagine!   But, in all seriousness, the rainforest is a place that is filled with awesome sites in every step you take- the amount of moss alone overwhelmed me!  And the streams there are so clear and filled with a aquatic plant that has such a fascinating look to it in the water- I could watch it all day!

Well, the battery is dying, I will post some pics in the morning- goodnight!!!

EBS

Blogging is hard to do with no internet!

Ok guys-

We have had no internet at our hotel in Forks- because the management was very unhelpful with getting that issue solved- but I won't go into all of that crap that we went through.  (Forks is a really crappy town- most of the movie was shot in Portland, OR or British Columbia).

We left Yellowstone two days ago, and we are now in Port Angeles, WA ( Yes this is where the Twilight books are based, I am aware of that, and as I mentioned before we stayed in Forks, WA)  Yellowstone was going to be rainy for a while, so we decided to come to the rainiest place in the contiguous US, LOL.   But it's not raining here!!! It is actually very clear for the next two days- with a small chance of slight rain!  And it is BEAUTIFUL!!

I looked at the weather for Yellowstone- rain for the next month basically....glad I am not there.  It is 49 with rain and fierce wind.....yeah not staying outside for that....

The most beautiful part about this area is the beaches!!  We went to La Push beach (please hold your girlish screams of excitement), and it was really not all that great....I mean it was pretty, but they used another beach in the movie- all of your visions from the movie are crap!   I mean, it is basically right, with all the trees and things, but the beach and the town are MUCH different.  There is a lot of Twilight crap everywhere in Forks too, and I saw one too many girls that are clinging to these books to give them a sense of what love really is, that is, desperate women......just an observation.....

In other words, for those of you who want to see where the movies were filmed, don't go to the actual locations- but it is fun to see where Stephanie Meyer was when she was dreaming this stuff up.  On the other hand, I really don't think it looks like the Forks that she saw anyway- just a big tourist trap now, with a bunch of opportunistic businesses.

But that is not why we are here....


We are here to see beautiful Olympic National Park.  And to tell you the truth, it is set up kinda weird.    It has areas of interest, with no roads running through the park.  So what you see is just a tenth of what there really is, but what you see is REALLY awesome!!! So when I get around to uploading these photos, you will see how awesome and plant filled it is!!!

Here are the links to Yellowstone and the AMAZING time we had in Seattle: HERE and HERE

Until the next internet,

EBS

Yellowstone.........

So guys, I am in Moses Lake, WA right sitting in a motel 8 trying to figure out the next 3 hours, because frankly that is all I can handle right now.  I will be posting a fullllll blog about why I am here so early, and why we didn't stay in Yellowstone as long as our itinerary says we are supposed to (about 7 days)!  Don't be dismayed that you can't read about the whirlwind tonight, you will get a dish full tomorrow after I go through beautiful Seattle!

See you tomorrow-

EBS

PS- I am thinking about setting up a flickr or picasa account for my pics, only because I think that they are a lot easier to use than Facebook for veiwing pictures.

Grand Teton National Park!

Hello everyone!

Wow, it has been a wild time in Grand Tetons!  We camped there for three nights, and boy did we camp in some weather! It rained most of the time, off and on sprinkles- but last night was a real downpour.  It rained from the time we got in our tents, until the time we woke up this morning- and as far as I can tell it is still raining up there.

We are in a hotel in Jackson, WY right now, and I have to say it feels good to be back in civilization- even if it had to be in snooty Jackson.  (sorry but I have to rant here a little)  So, Jackson, WY is one of those towns like Highlands, NC- only the rich can live here.  They apparently have building codes that makes every business put a wooden face on their building, no matter how crappy the business.  It just seems that towns like these are putting on a face for society, and I don't like that!  I would rather see realness in this town, but apparently the tourism industry has dragged the authenticity out of this town.  So if you want to visit, be prepared to pay a lot, and see a lot of tourists- and I know that this is ironic because I am tourist.  ANYWHOOOZLE----

So Grand Teton-

Upon driving up to the park, we were trying to guess which mountains were the Tetons, and then we saw them- very unmistakable!  These mountains area absolutely HUGE! I mean over 13,000 ft tall!  When we got into the park, the road offered the best views of the mountains, even though they were partly covered by clouds and it was a little rainy.  This did not discourage us.

We got into our campsite, set up, and then went exploring, and we even came into Jackson, WY to get some supplies- my first experience with this place.  We got back that night made dinner, got the fire going, and had time to relax.  The first night was bad for me folks- no sleep, even after a Tylenol Simply Sleep (Which are amazing if can find them).

But thank goodness the rest of the nights spent there we filled with sleep!  It might have something to do with the amount of activity we participated in over those 3 days.

The day after we got there, we went hiking around Jenny Lake, and hiked up into Cascade Canyon until the snow got to be too deep- we're talking 4-6 ft!  That hike was up around The Grand Teton, AKA Big Daddy Teton, AKA Don't Mess With That Mountain!!

On this mountain, we saw a lot of interesting animals, chipmunks, golden marmots, so many different bird species, and Pikas- which are like round little balls of fluff.  There are pictures of most of these on my Facebook and here is the public link for those pics: HERE

Oh and interesting tid bit about that hike- We got up to Inspiration Point on the mountain, which is an incredible vista, and there was a family playing with a chipmunk up there.  The chipmunks up there were very used to humans feeding them- go look at the pics, you'll see!

So one of the kids is playing with the chipmunk, and he goes chasing after it.  He stops at the edge of the cliff, and then decides to climb down the cliff- his mother and father were some distance away, and they yelled at him we they finally paid attention to their kid.  It was really seriously scary, and the cliff was quite sheer!

The next day we went to Two Ocean Lake Trail, and this hike was very uneventful but very worth it! It was a great day, and in the evening it turned very sunny in the afternoon.  When that happened, we happily took advantage of it and went down to the lake to sun ourselves and bask in the 70 degree weather, the warmest we encountered.

So overall, the mountains are awe inspiring, and anything I tell you about them would not do them justice.  Go See Them!  It is worth the hassle of getting out here, and, for some of you, worth the hassle of camping in the great outdoors!

See you in Yellowstone, if I can take advantage of some Internet there!

- EBS