John Muir once said of Yosemite Park, "None can escape its charms. Its natural beauty cleans and warms like a fire, and you will be willing to stay forever in one place like a tree... But no temple made with hands can compare with Yosemite. Every rock in its wall seems to glow with life.” The Yosemite Valley truly is one of the most awe-inspiring places on earth. With El Capitan towering 3,000 feet to one side and Half Dome soaring at 4,737 feet on the other, the view is a humble reminder of our insignificance in this big ol' world. Traditionally, Yosemite has always held a special place in the hearts of my family. My grandpa has been roaming those mountains since he was a toddler. Forty some years ago my grandparents built a cabin in Greely Hill, about an hour west of the park entrance. Twelve years ago they built a house on that property and now live there full time. Since even the grocery store is an hour away, they consider the park to be right next door. You could say they know the Sierras like the back of their hand, and Yosemite has always been a favorite spot. Every one of my aunts and uncles has climbed the famed granite Half Dome monolith at least once. My grandpa has climbed it 26 times, my grandma 8. It's not an easy feat and it's a pretty cool family tradition. Over the years, though, things have changed. As more and more people have come to visit the park each year, roads have been rerouted. Parking lots have become over-crowded. A shuttle system has been implemented and pretty near mandatory if you want to stop and explore certain parts of the park. Traffic wait times have peaked at 2-3 hours. This year the park began requiring a reservation (made online at Recreation.gov) before you can enter the park, even if your intent is to drive through the park via state route 120 over Tioga pass, which locals have used since 1919 to get to the other side of the mountains. This population problem has led to my grandparents vowing to never go back to Yosemite again, a truly heartbreaking sentiment, and a testament of the times. All that being said, Yosemite was on our radar for this cross-country trip, but since we have been there several times, it wasn't a priority. What brought us to California was spending some quality time with FAMILY! We arrived at my grandparents' house on Friday and were greeted with a delicious dinner of beef stew, muffins, and homemade applesauce. Grandpa had us sufficiently hooked up with 30 amp power, water, sewer, and internet in no time. If we thought that was full service for a "moochdocking" stay, the next day grandma and grandpa took it to the next level. While I got all our laundry and schooling done, the guys changed the oil and rotated tires on the truck, scrubbed all the mud and bugs off the rig, and stapled wall panels that had been shaken loose during Rivy's 6,000 mile journey across the country. It felt so good to have a day to get caught up on those chores and maintenance that needed to get done, and we were so grateful for all the tools and space that my grandparents had so we could get that accomplished! On Sunday afternoon my aunts and uncles came over from the Modesto area to visit. Immediately my Uncle Stephen suggested wrestling with the kids. Three years ago when we visited, that's how he broke the ice, so apparently he thought wrestling a 10 and 12 year old would be a good idea. LOL! He certainly has a way with kids and it definitely worked because for the rest of the night they asked if they could wrestle again. This is how they will always remember U. Stephen--I'm curious what will happen on our next visit! We had a delicious dinner of Papa Murphy's Pizza (man, how we have missed this!) and a healthy salad. My birthday was the day before, so Dusty and the kids made my favorite Dr. Pepper cupcakes for dessert. The evening was filled with catching up, laughter, stories, good food, and fun. No time was wasted as we jumped in to great conversations! Monday we decided to try our luck at Yosemite. The last time we went was May 2019 and we decided then that it was too crowded for our tastes. But...you know...FOMO. We had to go. We set our trusty GyPSy Guide* for a tour of the park, listening to history, geology, and fun facts about Muir's favorite place on earth as we drove. (Quick plug: if you find yourself in a National Park or popular outdoor tourist destination, go to gypsyguide.com and see if there is a tour available for your location. Download the app and set the tour to play as you're entering the park. The tour runs off of GPS navigation, so as you approach a conversation point, your personal tour guide comes on and tells you about the location. He's funny and knowledgeable, and it's just like having a park ranger in your car as you drive. We use this app to help navigate parks and to determine the best lookouts, hikes, and activities, plus the history and science behind the parks makes for an enjoyable and educational experience! Forget driving blind. Get the GyPSy App. I promise, I don't get paid for this ad.) Our first stop in the park was to Tuolumne Grove, one of the larger groves of Giant Sequoias in the park. (Tip: If you want to see giant Sequoias, go to Calaveras Big Trees State Park. We didn't go this time, but what you see there is definitely worth the drive!) We hiked about a mile on a downhill paved road to the grove. The first fallen sequoia we came to, Brickhead got stung by an angry yellow jacket (or meat bee, as Grandpa calls them). We climbed through another fallen tree, then made our our own beeline back to the truck for some first aid. Thankfully, stopping at the El Capitan Bridge to watch the climbers took the sting off Brickhead's mind. What looked like a tiny house spider on a wall was actually a fairly large bright orange bivy tent and gear someone had set up for sleeping on the side of the cliff. With binoculars we spotted about six climbers that you could barely see with the naked eye. That granite monolith is just so enormous! We met Tom Evans, a professional photographer who captures the climbers in action. We didn't realize he was a celebrity in his profession, having been the only still photographer to catch Alex Honnold complete his 2008 famed three hour and 56 minute free-solo climb of El Capitan. He briefly told us of his climbing adventures and what these climbers have to plan for. Some of them spend more than two weeks climbing to the top of that wall! Before we left, we met two girls who had just finished a two day climb. Absolutely amazing. A little ways down the road, we stopped at a gently moving spot on the Merced River to wade in the cold water. John Muir said the Merced River was the most joyful stream born in the Sierra. "The sun shines not on us, but in us. The rivers flow not past, but through us." He was right...there is just something about wading in living waters that makes you feel...connected. Upon entering the Valley, it was immediately apparent that people were going to ruin this trip. (My grandma jokingly reminded me that I am some of those people! While that is true in a sense, it's a different kind of people who wreck the experience for everyone.) We didn't get further than the first pull-off that we heard no less than three car horns from different angry drivers frustrated by someone slowing down in front of them to take a picture or cutting them off to change lanes or park their car. In case your background does not provide you with this important bit of information, you should know this one fact: angry car horns do NOT belong in nature. Especially in one of the most beautiful places on earth. My patience with people ran out right then and there and I knew spending time in the busy section of the park was going to be a "no go" for me. From there, I drove around the parking lot a few times (because there was no parking availability) while Dusty and the kids ran to the gift shop for collector's tokens. Then it was time to escape! On the way out, we took a drive to Hetch Hetchy reservoir to walk across the dam. Three years ago, Grandpa took us out that way and told us about this controversial location. We listened to the story then, and were elated a half a year later when a homeschool field trip to our Nation's Capitol turned the story into a lesson on congressional voting. (Thanks to COVID, you can now find the interactive lesson here on the Capitol's website. I highly recommend a visit, especially for middle school kids--or adults--who would like to find out more!) If you don't have time though, here's a quick history lesson. You remember the 1849 Gold Rush, right? San Francisco’s population went from 1,000 people in 1848 to a whopping 25,000 by the next year. By the late 1800's, the city was desperately searching for alternative sources of water. In 1906, a major earthquake destroyed much of the city, breaking gas lines and igniting debris and spreading to structures that survived the quake. Lack of water made firefighting impossible. As they rebuilt they knew they needed a fresh water source, and Hetch Hetchy seemed to them the best solution to their problem. But the valley, which had been described as the twin of the Yosemite valley, was on protected land of the National Park. For over a decade, the city lobbied congress in hopes to gain approval to dam the valley in order to create a reservoir. In 1913, environmentalists finally lost out and the damming of the Tuolumne River was approved. The O’Shaughnessy Dam was constructed and a 167 mile aqueduct was built to deliver some of the cleanest water in the country to what is now 2.6 million people in San Francisco. The existence of this dam is still a matter of huge controversy in the area, and a vote went out a few years back to tear down the dam, restoring the valley to its former glory. Again, environmentalists lost and the dam still stands. After our quick visit to learn about this famed dam, we headed back to Grandma and Grandpa's for dinner. We spent the next day planning our future route and asking Grandpa for his expertise. As mentioned, he knows the Sierras like the back of his hand and was a wealth of knowledge about roads all the way through to Utah and Arizona.
We had a wonderful visit with my grandparents. I can't thank them enough for all of their hospitality and help with getting all our much needed maintenance and chores done. We don't get many opportunities to visit, so every time we do, I learn more about them. I thoroughly enjoy listening to their stories and am constantly amazed by the life they've shared. (I never realized how much time they've spent backpacking in the mountains!) I so admire their love for each other and all they do to keep involved and stay young! They are truly an inspiration and set a good example for the life our family hopes to live out together. Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa! We love you and are already looking forward to our next visit. *Contains affiliate link
0 Comments
The photo above makes me laugh so much. It's becoming a tradition for Dusty to try at least 4 times to get "the perfect photo" in front of these signs. Sometimes we even have to go back to the signs multiple times for the perfect lighting or if a helpful visitor didn't get the right angle. We all work hard to sit/stand, smile, and look perfect before the timer goes off. This time Jana decided to throw Daddy for a loop and jump just as Dusty got into place. And it turned out perfect! LOL! To review: Traveling south from eastern Washington, the skies filled with smoke from nearby wildfires, but one thing remained clear: the area was a hotbed of volcanic activity. You've likely heard of the Ring of Fire which encircles the moving tectonic plates of the Pacific Ocean. Within this ring are 452 active and dormant volcanoes, which accounts for nearly 75% of the world's volcanic activity, and about 90% of earthquakes. The west coast is full of opportunities to learn about, explore, and experience these forces of nature, so we made a few stops on the way south. Lava Beds National MonumentJust across the California border is Lava Beds National Monument. This park boasts over twenty caves of varying difficulty that visitors can explore. Unfortunately, most of them were closed when we visited. Bummer for us! On the plus side, if you choose to arrive any time in the near future, you'll be driving on smooth, newly paved roads throughout the park to get to your cave crawling destinations! Lava Beds is more than just stories of eruptions; it has been home to the Modoc people for over 10,000 years. The park does a remarkable job teaching Modoc culture and honoring their history, including the historic battles of the Modoc War, fought in the northern part of the park. If you're interested, be sure to pick up some pamphlets from the visitor center.
Eventually droves of people began moving to and through Oregon and south via the Applegate Trail through Modoc ancestral lands. Some new settlers were ruthless murders who coaxed their way into Modoc villages to murder men, women, and children. Our government considered natives to be "in the way" of progress, so they began promising better lives-- provisions of food, shelter, and clothing-- in exchange for relocation.
The fight didn't end well for the Modocs. If winning could be decided by tallying casualties, the natives certainly should have won, but that's not the way it ever ended. Desperate, the tribe eventually gave up and returned to the reservation. The beautiful lake which their culture relied on was drained and turned to farmland. Their way of life was nearly erased. Thankfully, some traces of the Modocs still remain. In places like Symbol Bridge and Big Painted Cave, visitors can barely see paintings left on the cave walls. But those paintings are nothing compared to the carvings one can see at Petroglyph Point Trail. This short trail takes you along a cliff wall filled with 5,000 individual carvings. But, again, there is something strange. The carvings are 9+ feet high on the cliff wall. How could they have carved this artwork so high? What now is a flat, wide expanse of wavy rock used to be Tule Lake, and the cliff used to be an island. As the carvings are suggested to be up to 6,000 years old, it's possible that generations of Modocs paddled out in canoes to carve into the soft volcanic rock. Sadly, much of the customs or meanings behind these petroglyphs have been lost as that information was not able to be passed down through the generations. The history geek in me loved the stories of Modoc culture, while the geology geek loved the lava! Throughout the park, lava flows take on different forms, sometimes jagged boulders and sometimes fairly smooth flows that even left behind casts of trees it took down as it slowly cooled. We learned the difference between a crater and a caldera. A crater is a lava vent that has filled up or closed off. A caldera is formed when the mountain implodes as the magma chamber collapses. For this reason, scientists have been asking for Crater Lake to be renamed Caldera Lake for decades. Lava Beds NM does actually have several craters though and visitors can easily hike to them. As mentioned, you can also find lots of lava tubes caves here. We were only able to see Skull Cave and Mudpot Cave, both "eh" on the scale of excitement. If we had the chance to come back again, we would definitely make sure the caves were open! We've heard from several people that they are pretty top notch and you should make sure to bring flashlights (and back ups!) Lassen Volcanic National ParkMaybe you've heard California is in a terrible drought. I'm not sure how long it's been since they've had rain, but judging from the wild fires, numerous dried up lakes, dusty earth, and dried up crops, I'm guessing it's been a long while. The Ramseys have been enjoying beautiful weather throughout our entire trip, but luck ran out when we arrived at Lassen. Or you could say we brought good luck with us! Because the day we arrived, it poured for hours! So much so that the higher elevations of Lassen got up to 5 inches of snow, closing down about 20 miles of the road through the park that connects the North and South entrances.
The next day, the kids and I stayed home at our dirty trailer park campground (Lassen West Village is NOT recommended!) to do some school work, but Dusty was determined to see more of the park. He drove around to the north side and visited the Butte and Manzanita Lake sections of the park and what he saw and did that day put Lassen at the very top of his favorite parks list. Not having been there, I think this post will best be told in pictures.
Lassen is one of the few places on Earth where you can find all four types of volcanoes: a shield, composite, cinder cone, and plug dome. After his Cinder Cone climb, he drove on to the north entrance for better views of Lassen Peak, one of the largest plug dome volcanoes in the world. He drove the 20 miles of the park road that were open, then returned to Lake Manzanita and waited out a thunderstorm to get a good view of the peak's reflection in the water. The solitude gave him time to sit with nature and relax in the peace and quiet, leaving him glowing and recharged when he got home.
Our trip to Lassen wasn't what we expected due to road closures, and because of the Dixie fire that raged through much of the park in 2021, leaving many trails closed. Bumpass Hell, a hydrothermal hotbed of activity, and major park attraction was completely closed off, and we've decided that, given the chance, we would love to come back and explore what we missed (or see it again, in Dusty's case.) Traveling south from eastern Washington, the skies filled with smoke from nearby wildfires, but one thing remained clear: the area was a hotbed of volcanic activity. You've likely heard of the Ring of Fire which encircles the moving tectonic plates of the Pacific Ocean. Within this ring are 452 active and dormant volcanoes, which accounts for nearly 75% of the world's volcanic activity, and about 90% of earthquakes. The west coast is full of opportunities to learn about, explore, and experience these forces of nature, so we made a few stops on the way south. Newberry National Volcanic Monument Ever heard of Newberry? Yeah, neither had we. Traveling south on 97 near Bend, Oregon, we were struck by the sudden lava bed of basalt boulders and a small cone volcano right next to the highway. We made a quick exit at the Lava Lands Visitor Center and met some engaging rangers who sold us on coming back later to explore. (We needed to get to our campground before they closed the gates and made us spend the night in the pizza shop parking lot. Literally--that's what they told us.) Newberry is the largest volcano in the Cascade Range. Born some 500,000 years ago, its eruptions have covered 1,200 square miles and have produced over 400 volcanic vents and cinder cones (those perfect little cone volcanoes with the round vents on top) during its active periods. Much of the park centers around the five mile wide Newberry caldera, which includes lakes, hot springs, waterfalls, and obsidian flows. We drove an hour and 45 minutes north of our campground in hopes that the trip would be worth our time, and Newberry did not disappoint. We started our adventure at the park's youngest lava flow, the Big Obsidian Flow. This eruption occurred 1,300 years ago and produced a slow, 150-foot thick flow of lava. When the Ranger told us the flow was 10% obsidian, I didn't expect to find much. Boy, was I wrong! Native American tribes used to travel for days to stock up on a year's supply of obsidian for arrowheads and tools, but even with those stock piles removed, the boulders of shiny, black volcanic glass were scattered everywhere. (Fun facts: Surgical blades made of obsidian are sharper and allow for faster wound healing. More fun facts: Back in the 1960's, scientists from NASA came to the flow to extract water from rocks, in hopes of discovering a way to live on the moon.) Our kids have been dying to find a hot spring since we traveled to Iceland in 2017. Part of the draw to our visit to Newberry was real hot springs you could swim in, so we were sure to pack our suits and towels. The ranger told us it was a short 1.5 mile hike to get there. As it turns out, it was almost a three mile hike, and at about 2.7 miles in, a big clap of thunder rang through the mountain. Something we hadn't prepared for was a storm. But after hiking much further than we had anticipated, nothing was going to stop us from soaking in those springs! We continued on, found a copse of trees to change in, and rushed through the cold air to the hot springs, dodging raindrops along the way. Then... as soon as our bottoms hit water, it started to hail! Then hailed some more. Every time we thought it was going to let up, it started hailing harder. So, there we were, laying in this primitive, shallow gravel bed at the edge of Paulina Lake while small balls of ice pelted our skin like needles. We toughed it out for a good 15-20 minutes until it really let loose, followed by a louder clap of thunder that caused us to skedaddle real quick! After leaving the hot springs, we had the pleasure of walking over a nice bed of ice balls to change into our partially wet clothes and hike back! Ahh...the memories! Newberry is considered a National Monument and isn't advertised like the parks are, but is well worth a visit. It's still an active volcano and has nine United States Geological Survey monitoring stations to detect early and subtle signs of activity. The campground only has room for smaller RV's and tents, but is a peaceful area right on the lake. The obsidian flows are phenomenal, and worth the visit in themselves. Newberry can easily be paired with a trip to Crater Lake. I'm sure the hot springs are much more relaxing when it's not hailing, so always be sure to check the weather before you go! Crater Lake National Park Seven thousand, seven hundred years ago, Mt. Mazama (go ahead--say that out loud) stood 12,000 feet tall, but beneath its snow-capped peak, the earth was angry. Heat and pressure built up in a magma chamber below until an eruption 100 times the magnitude of the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens emptied its chamber, causing the summit to implode. Left behind was a caldera (not a crater, as you'll later find out in Part 2) averaging 5 miles wide. Over time, rain and snow fell into the caldera, creating the deepest lake in the United States at 1,943 feet deep. Since there are no inlets carrying sediment or pollution into Crater Lake, the water is actually cleaner and clearer than what comes out of your faucet at home. We stopped at Crater Lake in May 2019 during our west coast trip, but the winter snowfall still had the main visitor section under six feet of snow and most of Rim Road was impassable. During our first visit, we were absolutely awestruck by the beauty of the crystal blue lake, offset by the white snow all around. This trip was different given the slight haze leftover from wildfires nearby and wind that disturbed the smooth glass of the lake. Nevertheless, you can't visit Crater Lake without being wowed. We spent the day driving the 33-mile Rim Road, stopping at major overlooks, and taking lots of photos like good tourists do. We climbed Watchman Overlook for a view of Wizard Island, a cinder cone volcano that erupted out of the lake about 7,300 years ago. (Fun fact: three other cones have erupted under the lake, but don't reach the surface.) We spotted the Phantom Ship, an island that looks like a ship sailing away from the shore, and did an easy hike out to Plaikni Falls. We finished our visit with a hike down Cleetwood Cove Trail, the only lake access point in the park. Here, visitors can board tour boats (no longer running when we arrived), or go for a swim in one of the cleanest lakes in the world. We zigzagged down the steep, ashy path and were surprised when we got to the bottom. The access point was just a huge pile of boulders! We didn't find a spot to swim--it was too cold for that anyway--or even wade, really, so we each found a spot to stick our feet in the water just so we could say we did it! Crater Lake is certainly one of America's most beautiful locations. If you go, be sure to look for Old Man of the Lake. This vertically floating log was originally found floating in the lake in 1896. It's splintered white trunk sticks up about four feet out of the water. Peering down through the clear water, you can still see the roots below. But this tree isn't rooted in place; it floats--vertically, I remind you--through the lake and can be spotted in different locations each day. We didn't find out about this until the day after we arrived, so if you find it, we want photos!
We continued our adventures through the Ring of Fire as we traveled south to Lava Beds National Monument and Lassen Volcanic National Park. You can read about those stops in Part Two of We Fell In to a Burning Ring of Fire. Until then, I'm curious, what areas with volcanic activity have you been to, and what (or where) surprised you the most? My whole life I've been the runt. I say this laughingly now, but you can be sure that for the majority of my adolescence I believed it was anything but funny. Growing up in Ohio I was the smallest in my family, smallest in my class--and at several points, the smallest in my school. I was always called "skinny," a word I detest to this day, and my pale, knobby "chicken legs" made me self-conscious to wear anything that wasn't ankle length, especially if gym shoes were involved. As a teen, I remember my dad once telling me that we're just a family of late bloomers. The thought provided little comfort at the time, but being as how I take after him genetically, it stuck with me. It wasn't until adulthood when we starting taking our children west to visit my dad's family that I really understood what he meant. My dad grew up in Modesto, California and moved to Ohio in his late teens to try something different. He left behind his mother (a Denlinger), his dad (a Brubaker), and four brothers and sisters. Since the 1980's his side of the family has grown exponentially. And I mean that for real. My grandparents currently have 16 grandchildren and 22.5 great grandchildren (one is still cookin')--and only six grandchildren have started making babies! Looking back at the family tree, my Great Grandpa Ira Denlinger was a handsome fella with a bone structure that has dominated his offspring for generations. Among these traits are long arms, a high metabolism, the "Denlinger bump" on the back of the skull, and knobby knees, ankles, wrists, and elbows. Most importantly are the famous "Denlinger Toes," which hilariously become a source of familial competition among those who have been blessed with them. (Who has the longest toes? Whose toes are the boniest? Is your middle toe longer than the one next to it? Are they even "real" Denlinger toes or are they a bit too chubby?)
As he grew, he was meeting milestones, but growth was slow. He always has remained in the low 0-5% percentile on growth charts, and for the majority of his early years doctors would hound me to do testing for any abnormalities. I stuck to my guns: why subject him to testing like something is "wrong" with him when common sense tells us genetics are alive and well in this child? With all of that background in mind, let me tell you about our visit to see my Aunt Karen and Uncle Jamie's family in eastern Washington. Dad's younger sister, Karen, had five children, and already has eighteen grandchildren, ranging from 16 years to 3 months, likely with more to come. Their family is eyebrow deep in big time agriculture. On top of a hill overlooking fields of peppermint and echinacea, a peach and pear orchard, and dusty lots full of big farm machinery, sits my aunt and uncle's cozy and beautiful home. For four nights, we parked our RV behind their shop, with views of their manicured green yard and minty fields right out our window. As a special treat, one of my cousins and her children drove up from Oregon to spend a few days with us. I hadn't seen my cousin, who travels the world as a missionary, in over twenty-five years. (It always seemed that if she was home, we were overseas and vice versa.) All of the kids played outside, rode around on the golf cart, and swam in the creek. I was just a tad embarrassed when Brickhead inspired my cousin's oldest daughter (age 6), then his sister, to climb to the top of the gazebo. (We'll file that under "things you never thought you'd have to tell your son not to do.") Then Aunt Karen spoiled us with a wonderful dinner complete with the family's own homemade mocha ice cream for dessert. (This is a Brubaker family tradition. I don't know how often they make this, but every time we come to visit, someone fixes mocha ice cream and totally makes my year!) During that visit, I laughed at all the things we had in common. My cousin has the same slender legs and long arms. She's the only person in my family who also gets the heebie jeebies when she thinks about "settling down," because moving every few years is just too exciting. She also has a "mini" child, destined to always be considered a few years younger than she actually is until she reaches her mid-thirties! The morning after we arrived, Dusty flew off to Boston to do a job interview with Liberty Mutual's flight department, so he was gone for two days. We happened to arrive during harvest season and in the middle of the week, so since Dusty was gone and everyone else was at work during the day, the kids and I had some much needed time to get caught up on school work and chores. I was beyond thankful that Aunt Karen allowed me to wash all our bedding in her laundry room! It felt so good to sleep in clean sheets and blankets again! Tuesday evening we had Papa Murphy's Pizza with another of my cousins and his adorable family. (Mary and Gary, if you're reading this, you can bet we talked about you! We miss our Pizza Nights!) The next day, after lunch the kids went swimming in the creek with his oldest girls. Good ol' farm fun! Since they live just up the driveway from Karen and Jamie, we got to see his sweet wife and kids a bit more, but now I'm realizing I didn't get many photos of them, and not a single photo of my cousin! A few of my cousins live a little further west of their parents, so Wednesday we drove to visit my other cousin at his shop, Cliffco, where he fabricates metal parts on his high tech laser cutter and metal press. He was so nice to stay after normal work hours to make the kids a souvenir. Originally he had planned a 3-D dinosaur puzzle, but when he found out the file was corrupted, he resorted to a cutting out of Darth Vader (Score!). Brickhead was thrilled and can't wait to hang it on his wall. It was a short visit, but totally awesome meeting his wife and watching his laser machine in action (wow, that thing is fast!)
One Aunt and Uncle, four out of five cousins, and LOTS of kids in just four days of fun. Y'all...these are my people. The whole time I was recognizing bits of myself in all of them. Those Denlinger genes are strong, let me tell ya! So many petite kids (and adults, too, really.) So many long arms with strong veins and knobby wrists. We didn't have a toe contest this time, but I know they were there under socks and shoes! All these attributes are celebrated here, and I just felt good "belonging." (I promise, all of this is not to say I have a complex. I don't have a problem with fitting in, and I'm also thankful for the attributes I get from my mom's side...but all this family was just so similar!) It's kind of cool--and also left my Banana asking me if her toes were skinny and boney enough because she really wanted to fit into the Denlinger toe clan, too! I just love it so much.
Even more interestingly is that it's not just physical attributes. Personality traits get passed down too. (I've been told more than a time or two that this is where my temper comes from! Maybe a little bit of "tell-it-like-it-is"--also known as blunt honesty. Everyone there was so kind and down to earth, and I'd like to think that maybe some of that got passed down too. Our visit was wonderful and also too short. I'm so thankful for the technology that has kept us all in contact enough over the decades that we feel like we know each other, even though we've really only been together a few weeks of my lifetime. My beautiful family welcomed us with open arms and treated us far too good while we were there. (Let's face it...farmer people are the best people.) I'm not sure where we'll be next, but I hope they all know that they are just as welcome at our next home as they made us at theirs. Thank you, Rumbles! We have so many wonderful memories to take with us. Hoping to make more again soon. After a refreshing long weekend with long-time friends, we traveled north to Glacier National Park. Before arriving, there were four things we knew about Glacier: 1. The Going to the Sun Road was remarkable and not to be missed. 2. You needed a pass to drive the Going to the Sun Road. 3. There are a lot of people. 4. You should arrive early. As prepared travelers, we made sure to log on to Recreation.gov at 8:00 a.m. the day before our arrival to get our three day pass. But we later found out that we severely underestimated the number of travelers in the park and just how early we should arrive. You've likely heard that the National Parks have been pretty busy since 2020, so to regulate the visitor population, heavily traveled parks or park attractions have implemented a reservation system. Since Glacier stays closed under 18-24 feet of snow for most of the year, an exorbitant amount of people flock to the park during the four-month open season. Visitor reservations are supposed to aid in overcrowding, but there are some loopholes in the system. The main road through the park is closed from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., but the entrance is still open. So, once visitors get in the gate, no one checks their reservation and they're free to go anywhere they want. Taking full advantage of the loophole, visitors without passes just wake up earlier! We talked to one group that said they entered at 4:30 a.m.! As you're about to find out, we learned passes don't really mean a hill of beans when it comes to controlling the number of visitors. We were imagining that the two hour drive along the Going to the Sun Road would have lots of stops along the way with beautiful overlooks and short hikes that would fill an entire day with activities. And, in theory, that is likely a correct assessment. So when we set out Tuesday morning, we were prepared with a packed lunch and "just-in-case" dinner, but left our day-hike backpacks at home. We were able to stop at the first pull off for views of a river and teeny waterfall, and we found parking at "The Loop," the only switchback on the mountain and an engineering marvel of its time, with beautiful overlooks. But by the time we reached the mid-way Logan's Pass Visitor Center where we would find our first hiking options, the entire parking lot was full and at least thirty cars were zig-zagging up and down rows waiting for a spot to open. We drove around the lot for about 25 minutes, then gave up. Every parking lot from there to the end of the road were completely full. We cruised out to Many Glacier at the eastern side of the park for views and hiking, but every trail there was 9-15 miles and we weren't prepared for that kind of distance that day. (Lessoned learned: be prepared for anything!) So, we returned to Going to the Sun Road, retracing our route, hoping to find parking. We drove past Sun Point: no parking. At St. Mary's Falls, the small lot was full and five cars were already waiting at the side of the road, trying their best not to block traffic. We drove back and forth, back and forth, waiting to park. Nada. Decided to drive back to Logan's Pass. The lot was so full then, that rangers had completely blocked it off and were guarding the lot entrance so no one else tried to enter. At that point, we were left with two choices: burn up fuel driving back and forth until we could park or go home. Of course going home is never an option for those with FOMO (eh-hem Dustin Ramsey). Fortunately we had our trusty GyPSy Guide* to listen to along the way. Had the info memorized by the third or fourth trip through. We managed to snag a spot by St. Mary's Lake near the tiny Wild Goose Island, which is famous for it's opening scene in The Shining (1978). There was an overlook with a gorgeous view and a short, skinny trail leading to the lake. Another visitor wanted to venture down to the lake, but he was afraid to by himself (grizzlies and black bears are plentiful in this area), so we all grabbed our bear spray and dabbed our feet in the crystal clear water for a bit. Later, we took turns sitting in the unparked truck while we visited with a family of wild mountain goats near a boardwalk off the main road. Around 3:30, we decided to try our luck at the main visitor's center again. Y'all, we found a parking space! The day was almost over and we felt like we could finally begin our adventures! The Hidden Lake Overlook was 2.7 miles (one way) through a golden valley surrounded by sedimentary striped mountains. We watched a herd of 15-20 big horned sheep grazing on the grasses as we passed. The cool air and beautiful views must have put everyone in a good mood, because all of the hikers were chatty on the trail! One family even gave us their phone number so we could call them when we get to their stomping grounds in California! The next day we went white water rafting with Glacier Rafting Company down the Middle Fork of the Flathead River. The river was pretty calm with only one level three rapid and our guide was quite capable, making sure no one in the boat went swimming in the frigid waters. Our boat certainly wasn't full, with just the four of us and two older gentlemen, so Dusty and I and our guide had to work pretty hard to fight the wind that seemed to come out of nowhere. The kids learned to work as a team and stay in sync with other paddlers, and of course loved the thrill of going through the rapids, though they both said they wished they had a wilder ride.
lay those purple mountains majesty that we've always sung about, with little white glaciers tucked between their ridges. We saw a mountain goat and finally got to see our black bear! Fact: Scientists predict that the glaciers at Glacier National Park will all be gone by 2030 if the warming trends continue. When seeing gorgeous views like this, it didn't take long for nature therapy to do its trick. After an elevation gain of 2200 ft, we reached the mountain summit, revealing Grinnell Glacier tucked between the peaks and the ice melt lake below . What. a. sight. I just had to stand there for a moment taking in the strange and peaceful views. The fog hung low, so we couldn't tell just how high the surrounding mountains were. As it turns out, we were so in awe of the view that we didn't take many pictures, not that it would do it any justice.
mountain. The views were just as beautiful seeing them from the other direction. Of all the hikes we've done, in all corners of the earth, this hike was my favorite. Absolutely stunning from start to finish. Tips for GlacierGlacier is absolutely beautiful and has a lot to offer, whether you prefer enjoying the views from a car or ferry or you're wanting to get into the backwoods and explore. If you have a chance to go, I highly recommend it. Due to the high volumes of visitors, we don't feel like we were able to make the best of our visit, so if you ever get to go, here are some recommendations. 1. Don't underestimate the crowds. Don't forget to get your pass on Recreation.gov to make life easier on you, but also don't think it will help thin the crowds that much. We went after Labor Day, hoping to miss summer crowds...but so did everyone else! We didn't have traffic, per se, but we couldn't find parking. Some people say they've actually been stuck in lines of traffic the whole way down GTTSR.
a pretty penny, but you'll be able to say you rode in a Red Jammer, which has been serving park visitors since 1936, and you'll have a personal tour guide.
3. Campgrounds are nicer in West Glacier, and the park campground is first come, first serve. Have an idea of what you'd like to see and do and plan accordingly based on where you're leaving from.. We wasted a lot of time driving back and forth. 4. Check the National Park Service website for trail closures. Glacier has the highest population of bears among the national parks, so they often close trails due to bear activity. 5. Part of the park is in Canada! Glacier is the world's first International Park, sharing territory with Canada, the U.S., and the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. We unfortunately didn't get to Canada, but if you go, bring a passport and check it out! 6. The best way to conclude your days at Glacier is with huckleberry ice cream at the Huckleberry Patch in Hungry Horse, just west of West Glacier. Here you will find anything you can possibly imagine made of huckleberries from jam to honey to gummy bears, pies, tea, coffee, BBQ sauce, and more. 7. Lastly, if you are physically capable, don't miss the Grinnell Glacier hike! If 11.6 miles is too much, consider purchasing tickets on the ferry to get you across Swiftcurrent and Josephine Lakes to cut at least 3.5 miles off. Either way you choose, you won't regret it! *Contains affiliate link The year was 2009. Our friend Micah had discovered this secluded beach about an hour away from us. In South Korea, "secluded" was a luxury that we hadn't experienced in a while. Dusty and I and five or six other couples enjoyed a whole day on the beach--a bunch of Americans on a Korean beach--with no Koreans! We found starfish, did handstand competitions, drank (a lot), and I'll always remember Micah building a raft out of a bunch of trash he found and paddling his kids around on it. This was a day that all of us would cherish and talk about for years to come. For the last thirteen years, we never imagined that history would find a way to repeat itself. As a young married couple, stationed in Korea, Dusty and I did everything with our DUSTOFF family. The team of medevac Blackhawk pilots and their families were closer than any other group we've been around during our entire military career. Most of us had dogs and no children, but there was one couple with two sweet children that we all looked up to. The Helsers were the coolest. Micah and Katie were adventurous, easy going, talented, creative, insightful, resourceful, fun, and they were amazing parents. After Korea, they spent a few years at Ft. Drum before exiting the military to live their dream. They bought a plot of land in Montana and became true homesteaders. They lived off the grid in a horse trailer while building a house, and, over time, dug irrigation ditches; put up fences for horses, chickens, and cattle; planted their garden; and so much more that I will never begin to comprehend, all while raising two children. Sadly, as all their dreams were coming to fruition, Katie was diagnosed with cancer. She recently passed away, but Micah, Natalie, and Jake have kept her love alive on this farm. We lost touch with the Helsers over the years, but our bestie from Korea kept in contact with them. "Uncle Mike," as our kids know him, even though they have only seen him a few times, drove four hours to Wisconsin to visit us as we passed through in August. He had missed us so much that he knew a few days with the Ramseys wasn't enough! (Isn't that right, Mike?!) He had the bright idea to call up Micah in Montana and ask if we could all come out for a big reunion. The plan was set, so September 1, Mike and his kids and the Ramsey family showed up on Micah's doorstep ready for some fun! In all reality, none of us knew what to expect from this stay in Montana. We hadn't talked to Micah and the kids since 2010. Mike's daughter had come to see us in Wisconsin, but we hadn't seen his son since he was a baby. Our kids are all the same age, but would they all get along? Micah's kids were all grown up, freshmen and seniors in high school, and who knew how they would respond to these 10-12 year olds running around their house.Turns out the feelings of love and welcoming on this farm are palpable and it took no time at all to get comfortable. As Dusty, Mike, and I got the RV all set up, Micah had all four of our kids out on a farm tour, then jumped on the trampoline with them for about 20 minutes until his kids got home from school. All six of the kids jumped into friendship like they had all known each other forever. Literally, the kids jumped into friendship. Within an hour, these adrenaline junkies had given up on regular trampoline activities, and decided to start jumping off the roof (no, really...literally). Natalie and Jake were so great at engaging with the kids. In Banana's words, "I thought they would be like every other teenager I've ever met and only play on their phones, but they were so cool!" Seeing the three families interact together after never having met each other was...heartwarming, to say the least.
On Friday we took it easy all morning, then went to cheer on Natalie and Jake at their cross country meet. Afterwards we went to Polson, on the southern end of Flathead Lake, spent some time diving off the dock into deep clear water, and chilled on the shore for the afternoon. You might be wondering how all ten of us traveled together. Let me introduce you to Lil Buddy. Several months back, Lil Buddy came across the Helser's radar in a For Sale ad and they couldn't pass up the opportunity to own this 1988 fifteen passenger luxury van, equipped with a ladder and roof rack. The ten of us cruised around the Flathead Indian Reservation, windows wide open, enjoying the views and good company with big smiles spread across our faces. Saturday, we celebrated Mike's birthday by loading Lil' Buddy up with a rowboat and a canoe and heading out to Finley Point on Flathead Lake. Locals always know the best places, and the Helsers did not disappoint for this special occasion! Tucked between million dollar homes on the lake are small slivers of public land you wouldn't even notice if you didn't know they were there. We pulled Lil' Buddy down to the shore, unloaded boats, paddles, life jackets, lunch, swimsuits, and towels, and got ready to launch. Now, I feel like we're a pretty adventurous family, but we took the risk factor up a notch or two this day. Imagine this: ten people. All our gear. One canoe. One rowboat. The goal: row out to three tiny islands a half mile off the shore of Flathead Lake. We donned as many life jackets as we had and threw extra floatation devices (aka pool noodles) into the canoe and hoped for the best. The trip out was a little touch and go, but we all made it to the remote islands safely. (Thank you, Jesus.) Then we all had a ball! Here we were again, three former Blackhawk pilots and their families on a secluded beach. These three tiny islands are essentially piles of huge rocks covered in pine trees and shrubs. Parts of the surrounding lake are deep enough to dive in, while others are so shallow that you can walk most of the way between the islands. And so we passed our day swimming in the fairly cold water, relaxing on the pebbly beach, and watching all of our kids explore the islands together. The kids named our island "Lost Pants Island" because as we landed ashore, we found someone's pants (including photo ID, cash, credit cards) laying behind a bush. After a few hours, Ryan Spencer finally came back to retrieve them, but he sure did give us a lot to laugh at in the meantime! Eventually the kids got a wild idea to build a raft out of huge driftwood logs. They worked as a team to roll the logs out of a debris pile. They sourced a few ropes from the row boat, put their knot tying skills to good use, and successfully created a raft, christened the S.S. Rosehip. (Funny how history repeats itself.) All six of them paddled together around the islands, and could have paddled all the way to shore if it weren't for an oncoming storm that made us grown-ups a bit nervous. Sunday, before the Hendersons left for the airport, the kids organized a talent show. Everyone had to participate and it gave us a chance to see just how talented the group was. We had a lot of laughs as we found out that Dusty could *almost* guess numbers, Mike could *almost* read minds, and Micah can reach any goal he puts his mind to. The kids did magic tricks, gymnastics, sang in Gaelic, juggled knives, won staring contests, and made rose hip tea. We cracked up at different skits and were almost worried when Natalie and Jake performed a sword fight complete with fake blood as the finale. The whole weekend with the Helsers and Hendersons was perfect. Being together again was surreal and watching our kids form bonds was absolutely magical. Seeing Little Natalie and Jake all grown up and getting to know them again was...overwhelmingly special. For the grown-ups, it was like a lifetime had passed, yet no time had passed at all. We all left reluctantly, but with hearts full of gratitude for such special friendships.
Mike, thank you for initiating this weekend and flying out to Montana. Micah, Natalie, and Jake...none of us can thank you enough for your hospitality and the gift of spending time with your amazing family. Our Favorite ExperiencesWe hope you were able to read Yellowstone Part One, which set a foundation with fun facts about Yellowstone. Seeing these features in action, and in such huge abundance in a small area, is mind blowing, and truly some of the most beautiful and other worldly sights that our country has to offer. Compile that with once in a lifetime experiences and you have a perfect vacation! Artist's Point at Canyon Village
Midway and Lower Geyser BasinsIt was getting to be dinner time when we arrived at the trail to see the Grand Prismatic Spring. This is the one you see in all the Yellowstone advertisements, with vibrant colors of the rainbow ranging through the hot spring--deep blue in the center and spreading out to yellows, oranges, and reds on the edges. Arrival was a bit of a letdown. Not only was it so steamy that you couldn't see the colors, but being eye level with the huge spring was much less dramatic than the aerial views you see in photos. FOMO to the rescue! Dusty had read about a Prismatic Spring overlook you could hike to at the Fairy Falls trail head, the next stop on the loop map. We made sandwiches in the car and arrived to find the last parking spot in the lot--with a bison grazing just in front of the asphalt! By this time we had seen several male bison on the sides of roads and weren't too concerned about him. We parked, watched him graze two feet away from our front bumper while we ate dinner, and waited for him to move away so we could get out of the truck. Finally, he moved...right to the trail head, where he continued to munch on his dinner for another 20 minutes. By that time, two large groups of people were forming, waiting to enter and to leave the trail! The bison was not phased and continued his feast until he was ready to leave! Finally we were able to start our hike and got that good view of the vibrant hot springs from above! As we left the overlook trail, the sun was beginning to set. We arrived at the Lower Geyser basin to find an ambulance in the parking lot. Turns out another bison was moseying along the boardwalk and rangers had been called in for protection. Upon interviewing the rangers, they said they come mainly to monitor the people, not the bison. He escorted us and a small tour group to the boardwalk and it became increasingly clear why rangers are needed to monitor people. As the bison starred down the onlookers (clearly threatened), some old dude in a bright red sweatshirt turned his back to the bison and moved in closer for a photo op. SMH. Sometimes I just can't even begin to understand people. Eventually the ranger gave us the go ahead. This basin contained all four types of hydrothermal features, including mud pots, hot springs, fumaroles, and geysers, so we went forth! We were admiring how cool the Red Spouter fumarole was when suddenly the Fountain Geyser started going off. This geyser typically erupts every 4-7 hours, so being there when it went off was purely by chance. Even more amazingly, the bright orange ball of the setting sun lined up perfectly with the exploding water and steam so it looked almost like a roaring fire blazing out of the earth. The eruption continued for about twenty full minutes, and two other geysers, which must share the same plumbing system, danced along with the Fountain. Talk about a show! We couldn't have asked for a more perfect way to end our day! Two close encounters with two bison and a water works show just for us! Wow... The next morning, we left the house totally exhausted from the day before, but afraid we would miss out on any level of excitement if we didn't get up with the animals. As it turned out, all the animals were on vacation on Monday--all day-- so we didn't see anything except one bison on the side of the road early in the morning and a few more way out in a field later that day, as well as a few pronghorns. Sheepeater CliffAn hour and a half into our drive, we stopped for a short hike at Sheepeater Cliff. Basalt columns formed by slowly cooling lava flows created these cliffs millions of years ago. Clearly, the rocks were calling my family's name, so all three of my children decided they needed to conquer the cliff. I stood by at the bottom in case I needed to seek medical attention, but as it turned out, they all did great reaching the top, and making it down safely. Their Guardian Angels have their work cut out for them, but I'm so glad they are such steadfast protectors! Swimming at Firehole Canyon
Eating OutI can't finish this post without mentioning the food in West Yellowstone. There is a great new burger place called T.R.'s Burgers. The burgers were pretty o.k., but the fried cheese curds with huckleberry sauce was to die for. Not only that, but the restaurant is dedicated to Teddy Roosevelt, complete with a slideshow playing on a big screen with tons of fun facts and photographs about Teddy's life. The history nut in me was going ballistic! The Espresso and Ice Cream House has delicious ice cream AND bubble waffle cones that make for the best treat after a long day, and the staff is so sweet. Dusty highly recommends the huckleberry ice cream, a tradition for this area of the west! We also recommend Wild West Pizzeria and Saloon for delectable wood-fired pizza (the best I've had in a long time!) If you take your children, though, be prepared to explain why the bathroom doors are labeled "pistols" and "holsters." Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center
This post is getting long, and to us, this just seems to be the tip of the iceberg for such a fun-packed two and a half days. Yellowstone is truly a wonderland and a place everyone should see if you can make it happen. Our advice: stay longer if you can. Take two days to really enjoy the lower loop. The upper loop isn't nearly as exciting, so if you only make it to Mammoth Hot Springs, that's ok. (Side note: the upper loop was fully open after the record breaking spring floods, however, the north entrance is closed and the road through the Lamar Valley was only partially open to a limited number of people who reserved tickets on recreation.gov. If you intend to go anytime soon, be sure to check the closure statuses.) Final advice: let your FOMO take control and get to Yellowstone!
*Contains affiliate link How much of Yellowstone can you explore in two and a half days? That depends on whether or not your husband has a serious case of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and how much your family allows you to squeeze into day light. Turns out, since our kids are AWESOME (and my husband has the biggest case of FOMO you could imagine), you can experience pretty darn close to all the Grand Loop features. Yellowstone became the world's first national park when Ulysses S. Grant signed a law setting the land aside for "the enjoyment of the people" in 1872. We've always known Yellowstone was special, but none of us were prepared for the geological wonderland that lay before our eyes. Fortunately, we had our trusty GyPSy Guide* to lead us through, explaining geologic features, the park's history, the struggles in bringing back bison and wolves, and, of course, all the best sights that were not to be missed. (We purchased this app for Grand Teton NP as well, and absolutely loved having a guide to the park. Not only do we highly recommend this app, we wouldn't dream of doing this park without it.)
Our first day at Yellowstone, we woke up before the sun, spent 14 hours experiencing the south loop, hiked 14.3 miles, and managed to "do" all the things recommended by our GyPSy guide. I'm still not sure how we managed, but it involved not stopping to eat and very few bathroom breaks! Monday we were on the road by 7 and got home at about 6:30, having an enjoyable day on the north loop. I don't have time to tell you everything we did, so I'll humor you with some fun facts, then share some of our favorite experiences. Fun Facts--There are over 500 geysers in Yellowstone; that's over half of the world's geysers. We've seen geysers in Iceland that erupt quickly and then the show is over, but many of Yellowstone's geysers erupt for a long period of time. Old Faithful usually erupts for 3-5 minutes, the Fountain Geyser erupts for about 20 minutes each time, and there are some geysers in the park that erupt continuously.
--Back in 2020, when we were all expecting the end of the world, I read an article about a super volcano at Yellowstone that could theoretically erupt and take out most of the United States. I never gave two thoughts about it until I saw this huge pink area (35 miles by 40 miles) on the Yellowstone map that read "approximate caldera boundary." Knowing that a caldera is a crater left by an erupting volcano, my curiosity was peaked. Turns out, there was a HUGE volcanic explosion 2.1 millions years ago, followed by two others that all make the 1980 Mt. St. Helens eruption seem like a blip on the seismic radar. In fact, Yellowstone is still considered an active volcano, given all the hydrothermal and seismic activity in the park. --Speaking of seismic activity, Yellowstone experiences mini-earthquakes every day. These work in two ways: 1. They shake mineral build-up out of vents, allowing geysers, fumaroles, and other features to keep working, or 2. they block vents, open new vents, or otherwise reroute vents so that the hydrothermal features are constantly changing. --Wildlife is abundant at Yellowstone. The park is famous for its rehabilitation of the wolf population. Before our understanding of complex ecosystems, wolves were often shot on sight. The wolf is an important predatory animal that's needed to help control other species' populations. For decades, there was no evidence of wolves in the greater Yellowstone area. The elk population expanded, and as they ate much of the willow and other grasses, other species populations, such as beaver, began to dwindle, creating an imbalance in the ecosystem. In 1995, wolf packs were reintroduced to Yellowstone and biologists have been surprised by new animal activity that hasn't been seen here for a long time. We didn't get to see any wolves, however, we were lucky to see several elk and quite a few bison along the side of the roads. And even though we were fully prepared with bear spray, we didn't see any of those either. This post is getting quite long. I hope you got yourself some good edumacation about Yellowstone in Part 1 of the two part series. Tune in later as we discuss our favorite experiences in Yellowstone.
Have you ever been to Yellowstone? What were your favorite experiences? *Contains affiliate link Upon leaving Dubois, Wyoming, where we spent two nights recuperating from COVID, a shopkeeper told us we didn't want to go to Jackson. "That's not Wyoming," she said. Now, I know that every year hundreds of thousands of tourists come to Jackson Hole and describe it as one of the best vacations they've ever had, even returning repeatedly for the experience. After three days there though, I'm inclined to agree with the Dubois shopkeeper. In the 1920's and 30's John D. Rockefeller, Jr. bought up thousands of acres of land around Jackson Hole with the intention to donate it to the government to expand the boundaries of Grand Teton National Park, protecting it from over-commercialism. It took some time for locals to get on board with the donation, and in fact, the acceptance of the property was debated and declined by congress for over a decade. Finally, Franklin D. Roosevelt accepted the property with an executive order in the 1940's and the locals accepted their fate, turning to tourism to make a profit. Today we have Rockefeller to thank for the pristine beauty of the National Park. We have big money, capitalism, and greed to thank for what has become of the city of Jackson and the state of the art skiing facility of Teton Village. What makes Grand Teton National Park so special can be traced back to the geologic formation of the place. (Have I mentioned how cool geology is yet?) As two tectonic plates collided, one slipped under the other, pushing an abrupt mountain range into the sky. During the last ice age, glaciers eroded the mountains and formed the valleys and lakes we see today. But the most dramatic view is the level prairie that gives way to the majestic Grand Tetons. We started off our first full day with an early wake up to hit the trail around Jenny Lake, formed by glaciers some two million years ago. The day before, Dusty and the kids had been to the Visitor's Center to find all the parking lots full and cars lining the streets for about a mile. By arriving at 7:30 a.m., we beat the crowds, though certainly weren't the only people on the trail. We admired the scenery around the fairly flat border of the lake, then began our ascent to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point at 7,200 ft. The views were spectacular and the chipmunks were photogenic. All of our bodies hadn't fully recuperated from COVID, so it was evident that the 9.5 mile trek around the lake wasn't going to happen. We paid $44 for a 4 minute trip on a full ferry back across the lake (which I'm still quite bitter about.) We purchased the GyPSy Guide* app for Grand Teton and Yellowstone. The GPS-navigated audio guide tracks exactly where you are in the park and is like a ranger right there in your vehicle! We learned about the history, geology, animals and environment, and best places to stop for views, hikes, or finding moose, bears, or elk. We highly recommend this app for anyone traveling our country's national parks. The GyPSy app guided us through some beautiful back roads and recommended some interesting stops along our park loop drive, which lasted for the rest of the day. We saw a few moose, a herd of elk, lots of antelope, and...chipmunks! During the winter, we are told that some 20-30,000 elk move into Jackson Hole (the valley). Traditionally, elk would pass right through the Hole because winters there are just too difficult and food is not plentiful enough to feed them. As settlers came in, putting up fences for cattle, they essentially trapped the elk inside. In the early 1900's, during a particularly rough winter, thousands of elk died of starvation. Settlers began feeding them, a tradition that continues to this day in an area known as the National Elk Refuge. Visitors cannot take home elk antlers they may find at the park. However, you can purchase found elk antlers for $179 at one of the local gift shops in Jackson.
There just aren't many RV parks in the area, hence the supply and demand price gouging that occurs at The Virginian. But it doesn't end there. Everything is more expensive in Jackson. So...I don't recommend activities in Jackson. I don't recommend the ice cream in Jackson (Banana actually had to throw her overpriced ice cream away because it was nasty). I don't recommend dining out in Jackson. Unless you are a millionaire and not frugal like me, or if you are celebrating a special event that you don't mind throwing all your money away on. Personally, I decided I'm never going back.
I'll be honest with you. I've written this post three times and it always sounded like a lot of complaining. Staying in Jackson was my own personal kind of hell, and my mood reflected that. However, Dusty loved the Tetons, so he would recommend the park. Just stay somewhere else.
The Tetons are beautiful. There are a lot of people. Jackson costs a lot of money. *Contains affiliate link If South Dakota is the little sister who is screaming for attention, waving obnoxious billboards asking you to come visit and fall in love with her, Wyoming is the brother who tolerates your arrival and doesn't give a damn if you like him or not. These proud people are nice, don't get me wrong. As long as you're not some liberal Californian moving into Jackson Hole and trying to change the face of their state, you just might be ok. This nearly 100,000 square foot state is so scarcely populated that only one area code covers all its inhabitants. In an area that sparse, you'd better believe these people know a thing or two about survival. Vore Buffalo JumpOur first stop in Wyoming was an introduction to survival the Native American way. Long before horses became part of their tradition, Plains Indian tribes used to come together on foot every fall to stage a buffalo jump, rounding up hundreds of buffalo, scaring them into a stampede, and directing them off a cliff or, in this case, into an 85 feet deep sink hole. The Vore Buffalo Jump, for many years, was a typically avoided sinkhole on Vore ranch land. It wasn't until the 1970's, as engineers were planning the route of I-90 that a soil sample discovered bones--lots and lots of bones! The sinkhole was turned over to archeologists who determined that over a span of 250 years, the site was used for at least 22 hunts. Only 10% excavated at this time, archeologists have found over 500 bison skeletons, all very well preserved. Stone tools, including arrowheads, axes (used to break the skull to remove brains or leg bones to remove the marrow), and cutting tools have all been found on the site. Visitors can learn all about the native tradition--and art-- of buffalo jumps, the importance of these jumps for survival through harsh winters, and the many ways the buffalo was used. My mind blowing moment: learning that buffalo tongues were used, not only for meat, but as hair brushes! Dung was used as diaper powder, and the kids thought that using buffalo bladders for water bottles and "the original ziplock" was pretty spectacular! We highly recommend this stop, right off I-90, with excellent personalized tour guides to take you through the site. Devil's Tower
Back at the campground, we couldn't pass up the opportunity for an outdoor movie showing of Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind. If you've never seen it (which we hadn't), Devil's Tower plays a major part in the movie as a secret meeting place between our government and aliens, and was filmed in the 1970's right where our campsite was. The KOA plays the movie every single night. Dubois: Worth the trip, but we didn't see anythingLeaving Devil's Tower the next morning, it was evident that our attempt to infect all four of us at once failed and our bout with COVID wasn't quite over. Banana's fever spiked on the drive west. We decided to forego our Harvest Host boondocking night at a llama farm and keep driving west to our next full-hookup campground. No sooner did we pull in to Windhaven RV Resort in Dubois than a bunch of campers/locals drinking beers at a picnic table outside the office started razzing Dusty about his truck. (I told you...they'll tolerate you, but they aren't trying to be your best friend.) Dusty jumped in like they'd been buddies for years and won them over with a volley that went something like this:
Cowboy: "You drive that thing long enough and it'll turn into a GMC." Dusty: "Well, I needed something that was going to get me across the country, so I wasn't going to buy a GMC." Cowboy: "A GMC is much sexier. You should have bought a GMC." Dusty: "Why do I need a sexy truck when I got all this?" (Motions his hands up and down his body like Vanna White revealing the missing letters.) I'm going to let you sit with that vision for a bit. If you're rolling in your chair laughing, you're almost where I was at that moment. Oh. My. Goodness! He passed the test, was declared "ok" in their book, and the wife of the cowboy even said they needed to hang out. Dustin Ramsey. Way cooler than me. So. freaking. Funny. God, I hope I never forget that moment. The little western town of Dubois, Wyoming, just an hour and a half east of Jackson Hole is worth a visit in its own right. Little shops like The Honey House and museums like the National Big Horn Sheep Center and hikes with gorgeous lake and glacier views, as well as their own version of the badlands, could make for a vacation in itself. However, we stopped here for two nights to recuperate since both of the kids were sick by this point. Dubois will definitely be a town added to our "come back later" list. I'm almost certain that, secretly, they want us there, they just don't say it outloud. We were so excited to explore the Black Hills of South Dakota that we changed our three night booking to five nights at Custer Crazy Horse Campground. We had a bunch of "must sees/dos" on our list, but also had a few days to play around with whatever else looked fun. Turns out, COVID hit Dusty on the first day, so our plans changed. We were about to head out the door for a day of adventures when Dusty tested positive. He felt fine, but was a little stuffy. Normally, he wouldn't have even tested under those conditions, but we knew we had an exposure. So...we reluctantly ditched him at the RV. Symptom free and donning masks, the kids and I set out to see the Crazy Horse Memorial. Crazy HorseIn 1939, while Mt. Rushmore was being built, Chief Henry Standing Bear asked sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski to create a tribute to show that Native Americans have great heroes too. Ziolkowski mulled the idea over in his mind for several years while he finished up other commissioned sculptures and fought in WWII. It wasn't until he came back from war that he understood his life's calling and dedicated his life to seeing this sculpture come to life. He began with nothing; spent seven months living in a tent, building roads and a rudimentary cabin, and finally began work with a hammer and a few sticks of dynamite. Eventually he got married, had ten children, and spent the rest of his life working on living out the dream with the help of his family. Decades later, the Crazy Horse sculpture is still under way, but has grown to be much more than a carving on a mountain. On the premises is a huge campus consisting of a museum, art and cultural center, and even a college for Native Americans, which help bring in funds for the project, since no federal or state funds have been accepted. Upon arrival, we immediately went to a Native American flute demonstration by Jonah Littlesunday. If that type of art/music interests you, I highly recommend downloading his work. I was moved to tears throughout the whole concert, either by his story or the beauty in his music. Jonah is a great example of the Native spirit, or of Spirit in Native Americans (however you choose to interpret.) Either way, this show was a highlight of our day, along with a presentation we attended about the dying art of porcupine quilling. Custer State ParkSight-seeing just wasn't the same without Daddy, so we decided if we were going to get sick, we may as well all be sick together. Custer State Park is known for its hiking and scenic drives, so we waited for a hail storm to pass, then drove out to Needles Highway, winding around spectacular rock formations jutting up through pine forests and through tiny tunnels that the F350 barely made it through. We finished the drive on Iron Mountain Highway known for it's tunnels that point to Mt. Rushmore. It's a bizarre experience to drive into a tunnel and see good ol' Abe Lincoln peeking out at you as you exit! If you go, don't expect these drives to be short. All together, we probably spent three to four hours on the road that evening. The ice cream we promised the kids ended up being a late dinner, and we almost missed the shop's closing time of 8:00! The next day we decided to hang back and get some chores and school work done and stay away from people. By 3:00, Dusty was getting antsy and decided a secluded hike would scratch his itch. Brickhead read about the strenuous 3.2 mile Sunday Gulch Trail, which promised rock scrambles and water falls, and since Dusty still had plenty of energy, we headed out. Throughout the hike, raspberry bushes lined the trail and glittering slivers of mica lit our path. We also hid our second Geocache Tracker, a little minifig who is looking forward to seeing what adventures await him! We finished the trail around Custer's beautiful Sylvan Lake, clocking five miles that day. On our way to Mt. Rushmore the following day, COVID hit me. I got to see the mountain, then walked back to the car to sleep while the rest of the family explored the visitors center, completed their Junior Ranger badges, and hiked to the base. They really enjoyed the visitor's center video that showed the workers swinging around the noses of the presidents' faces on Bozeman chairs! Fun Fact: Mt. Rushmore was 90% carved with dynamite using a point system of measurement based off a 1:12 size model. You can read more about the carving here. Trying our best to avoid people, we went back to Custer State Park and started out on another three hour drive, this time around Wildlife Loop Road.
By Saturday, the kids were still symptom free and Dusty was feeling great, so they left me at the RV for some more adventuring that didn't involve sitting in a car. Their first stop was Wind Cave where they drove through the park and completed the Junior Ranger badge, but didn't do the cave tour (thank you, COVID.) As a reward, the kids went swimming at Cascade Falls in Black Hills National Forest (where I'm almost certain Brickhead almost drown, but they all assure me everyone was fine. I'm guessing it was touch and go there for a bit though.) Technically, the falls are a hot spring, but the spring stays 67 degrees (which may not be warm on a 90 degree day, but in winter it never freezes, holding tight to that same temperature.) They enjoyed their time walking the streets and wading in the rivers at Hot Springs (city), then they hiked the grounds of Jewel Cave, again skipping the tour. An All-American send off at Mt. RushmoreAn American can't visit Mt. Rushmore without a renewal of American Spirit. Each night they have a lighting ceremony that begins just before sundown with a Ranger Talk and video in the outdoor amphitheater. This ended up being such a special moment for Dusty and the kids. At the end of the video, the National Anthem played and everyone in attendance sang along as they lit up the carving. Afterwards, they asked for all active duty military and veterans to come to the stage. Several were chosen to retire the flag, concluding the ceremony with hearts full of pride for our country. Sunday we left Custer, headed north with a brief stop in Deadwood. Deadwood is a highly commercialized, past home of Wild Bill Hickok and other outlaws that still hold fame status in this shoot 'em up wild west town. While the town is quite a bit more lawful these days (and very commercialized--did I already say that?), it's definitely a party town by night, as referenced by the piles of dried vomit that line the streets. The town was an easy "no thank you" stop for us. Cross that off your bucket list.
Last year I would have imagined South Dakota as being a "flyover state," not worth the stop. Between the fun we had on I-90, the Badlands, and the beautiful Black Hills, my expectations were blown out of the water. South Dakota is a must see and should be on everyone's bucket list. If you can't hike it, you can drive it and there is plenty to see. We'd love to come back. Imagine: you're driving through nothing but flat corn fields, which gives way to even more flat prairies. Grasslands continue for miles and miles. It shocks you when you start seeing a few jagged buttes and peaks jutting out of the the grass, but then suddenly and without warning, your entire surrounding is nothing but these horizontally striped peaks and canyons reaching as far as the eye can see. It's hard to describe the beauty of the Badlands. It's even harder to imagine trying to find your way through before modern roads and cars with air conditioning. Sitting here writing this, I'm at a loss for words to describe what photographs can not do justice. My best advice: get Badlands National Park on your bucket list and make it happen. You won't be disappointed. We arrived Sunday, August 14 at Badlands Interior Campground just outside of the park boundary in the evening, got dinner, and rushed to the Visitor's Center to find that they had already closed. (We've found "summer hours" are over come mid-August in South Dakota.) There were, however, park ranger talks happening at 8:30 (All About Badland Snakes) and 9:00 p.m. (Astronomy). Yes, please! We drove around for a while, admiring the strange landscape, listening to the kids yell, "AWESOME! Can we climb those!?" Much to their excitement, the rangers told them YES they can in fact climb anywhere they wanted to in the Badlands. The only rules are: 1. Don't climb into any place you can't get yourself out or down from. 2. Don't pet rattlesnakes. 3. Mom and Dad are allowed to veto any place you think you might want to climb. (Thank you, rangers!) Monday morning we awoke early to attend the geology ranger talk at 8:30. We learned that the Badlands was a shallow sea 67-75 million years ago. By 34-37 MYA, tectonic shifts around the Black Hills had forced the water out, leaving a hot humid forest, similar to southern Florida today. Water from rivers and streams carried sediments from the Black Hills. The thick red bands were formed 30-34 MYA in dry, cool forests. By 28-30 MYA, the area had turned to dry shrubland, more similar to the environment of today's prairie. As the plates shifted over these millions of years, cracks formed in the rocks, then became filled by much more dense volcanic ash carried from the Hills by streams. These clastic dikes, as they are called, create a lattice work of grayish-white lines running diagonally through the striped sediment. Over time, the Badlands have formed by erosion, losing an average of 3/4" every year. The area is a hot bed for fossils, as demonstrated at the paleontology lab at the Ben Reifel Visitors Center. We spent the day driving the Badlands Loop and the gravel Sage Creek Rim Road, followed by Rt. 44 through the Buffalo Gap Grasslands. I mention this because we thought we were doing the Badlands Loop Road this whole way. Turns out the Loop road takes you back to 90. I'm not sure we can say that we recommend the 24 mile Sage Creek Rim Road. It was a bit long and quite bumpy, but we made the best of admiring the formations, seeing wild bison for the first time, and watching the deer, prong horned antelope, and prairie dogs do what they do best. The kids took advantage of the "climb whatever you want" rule, leaving us constantly on lookout for areas where we needed to lay down the law. Luckily these kids are amazing climbers and, as usual, they surprised me (and other tourists) by what they could safely do. At night we attended another park ranger session on prairie dogs, then attended the astronomy talk on a much clearer night. We could clearly see the Milky Way and they had several telescopes out, so we got to see the rings of Saturn clearly for the first time. I could keep going on about the beauty and wonder of the Badlands, but instead I'll leave you with some photos. We really just spent one FULL day exploring (and slept two nights) here. There were new sights to see around every corner and the many ranger talks offered daily really gave visitors an opportunity to get to know the park. People always say that when traveling the Great Plains, expect vast dull, flat prairies, and corn. Lots and lots of corn. We expected our drive across Interstate 90 through South Dakota to be extremely boring, but it turns out it was anything but that! Thanks to Atlas Obscura and our Boondockers Welcome membership, the trip became fairly entertaining as we cruised this uncharted (by us) territory. We left St. Paul for a four hour drive just west of Sioux Falls to our overnight stay at Porter Sculpture Park. If you aren't aware of it, it's easy to miss this quirky stop right off the interstate, especially with the current construction and closure of any eastbound exits for 20 miles. We had made prior arrangements with Wayne, the owner, to boondock here, so we were on the lookout--and still missed our exit! Wayne learned blacksmithing from his father and has been building art with metal ever since. His home in Pierre doesn't bring much tourism, so he bought the property along I-90 just over twenty years ago. He moved his artwork to this roadside attraction and now spends his summers camped out at the visitor's center and his winters back home creating more additions to the site. Visitors can walk the trail, admiring the sculptures and poetry, taking a trip through the human experience of highs and lows; pain and joy. We spent a beautiful night overlooking the hills, watching the cows graze, and listening to the crickets and the sound of Interstate 90 in the background. The next day, with a list of interesting road stops and a very giddy husband (this type of journey feeds his soul), we hit 90 in search of The Corn Palace. An architectural marvel and folk art icon, the world's one and only Corn Palace has been astonishing tourists and locals alike since 1892 with it's murals made of--can you guess? Corn! Every single year, the last year's corn is removed in May to July and replaced with the current harvest's bounty. Thirteen shades of locally grown, colored corn cobs are shaped and stapled into new artwork, often submitted by local artists. Approximately 275,000 ears of corn are used annually.
Atlas Obscura also recommended a ghost town around Okaton, touting great photo opportunities. True, this ville is full of crumbling homes, but at least one, maybe two, families still live there and, as we drove through (and passed another RV tourist), I felt largely embarrassed driving our brand new 2022 F350 and carrying our nice new home behind us, when the people who lived there weren't near as fortunate. Further down the road, we passed a few fun sculptures, including a man walking a dinosaur skeleton. By that time, most of us just wanted to get to park our house and be out of the car for a while, so when Dusty wanted to get off the interstate to see a twelve foot prairie dog, I almost put my foot down. Fortunately for him, it was at our exit to our campground, so he got his wish! And in the process, we learned that instead of just driving by a ridiculous prairie dog sculpture, we would also have the chance to feed a colony of prairie dogs peanuts as we passed. The kids loved getting close to these cute little guys and listening to their calls to each other. Having been fed for years on end, the chubby rodents were not shy and walked right up to us asking for food. The stop at the Badlands Ranch Store was worth it after all.
There may be a stretch of South Dakota interstate that is fairly dull, but roadside attractions will keep you on your toes. Whether billboards provide entertainment to wake you up on a long drive, or the stops give you a place to stretch your legs, South Dakota will welcome you to the Wild Wild West, educate you on their way of life, and sell you lots of kitschy souvenirs to add to your collection.
From Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, we didn’t have many plans until we got to the Badlands. Fortunately, we met some amazing friends in northern Wisconsin to help us pass a few days literally out in the middle of nowhere at Weavers Resort and Campground on Pelican Lake. Linnea and Viv, friends from Germany, drove up from southern Wisconsin and Mike and Ev, friends from South Korea came from Duluth. We didn’t do much sightseeing, aside from Hodag hunting (see this blog post) and chowing down on gigantic ice cream cones from The Shabby Shack. The kids enjoyed swimming in the lake (until they found leeches) and playing at the playground, while the adults chilled at camp and enjoyed catching up. These people you meet while stationed overseas become your family and it was heartwarming being together again, reliving old memories. We left Wisconsin a day early so Dusty could do a meet-and-greet with 3M’s flight department on Thursday (which ended up getting rescheduled for Saturday.) After a 4.5 hour drive, we arrived at Lake Elmo Park Reserve around dinner time. We attempted to get some school work done, which is becoming increasingly difficult due to having too much fun exploring new places! In lieu of a history textbook, we took a field trip on Thursday to Historic Ft. Snelling and got a much more enriching history lesson than we ever could have imagined. At the confluence of the mighty Mississippi and the Minnesota River, this area has a long history, juxtaposed with multiple connotations, dependent on your ethnic affiliation. For the Dakota and Ojibwe people, this is a place of creation, a location that archaeologically traces native history back some twelve thousand years. The Fort represents a land that was stolen; a place where their warriors died trying to defend their land and feed their children. The same area that once meant spiritual rebirth and healing now represents a stockade that held hundreds of women, children, and elderly. Many Dakota died in horrific conditions within this camp, while the rest were banished from their ancestral lands. For African Americans, Fort Snelling means bondage even after freedom. It was home to Dred and Harriet Scott, who at that time were owned by Dr. Emerson, a surgeon at the Fort. Because of the Missouri Compromise and the location of Fort Snelling on the border of a free state, Scott and other Blacks should have been free, but an exception was made that military officers could own slaves regardless of their state’s legal standing, and many at the Fort did. Scott sued for his freedom and lost in a landmark case that shook the nation and served as a catalyst for the Civil War. For the American military, this post represents an introduction to proud military tradition for the many men and women who passed through to begin their service to their country before being shipped off to fight in wars both at home and abroad. It was home to the Military Intelligence Service Language School where hundreds of Japanese Americans released from internment camps volunteered to learn to be translators, spies, and interrogators in order to defend their country during World War II. Additionally, Fort Snelling was a leading hospital for rehabilitation for amputees and PTSD after WWI and WWII. This living history museum remarkably honors the long military history, while also telling the story of discrimination and horror, with attempts to make retribution. We spent six hours at the fort—well over the hour and a half recommended time! If you’re in to history, this is a stop not to miss. (Free for military families.) Friday we fulfilled the kids’ dreams at the Mall of America—all day. We again took advantage of the military discounts and got wristbands to ride til our little hearts were content. I can’t remember ever being in an indoor amusement park, so being close to the roof was a little disconcerting for me, but we had a good time. Brickhead took controls of the Brain Surge, a ride that goes around in circles in a car that spins upside down. He spun me around in a way that reminded me I’m getting too old to partake in that nonsense. The Rock Bottom took us to the ceiling before dropping us straight down then flinging us into inverted loops and corkscrews. A family favorite was the Log Chute, which had two drops in it.
The kids were excited to shop at the LEGO store, which was touted as a three story LEGO shopping extravaganza, having every brick you could imagine and all available sets. Brickhead gathered all his money and went in with a shopping list, but was extremely disappointed to discover that the store was not nearly as stocked as he had hoped. They got a few minifigures and called it a day. However, a highlight was Fly Over America, a virtual flight simulator over some of the most beautiful scenery that the United States has to offer. If you ever have a chance to do it, we all really enjoyed it. Saturday we got ready to leave, but not before we went with Dusty to an informal meeting with the Chief Pilot at 3M. We visited their WWII era wooden hangars and learned about past floods, as well as life as a corporate jet pilot for 3M. Time will tell if St. Paul becomes a future Ramsey home. By Brickhead (age 12) One hundred twenty six years ago, Rheinlander, Wisconsin was thought to be a land that lacked excitement. Whilst other states had something, Wisconsin had nothing. But one day that all changed with the first sighting of the Hodag. It was said that a man by the name of Eugene Shepard caught a glimpse of the terrifying creature perched atop a fallen pine. Eugene un-boxed his camera and caught a photo of the beast just as it readied to pounce. The camera caught an image that would never be forgotten. The photo displayed a strange beast, coated in green fur with malevolent red eyes peering out from narrowed sockets. The creature displayed terrifying razor sharp teeth. Glistening claws protruded from the beast's leathery hands. Curved, white horns crept out from its frog-like head. A row of terrifying spikes emerged from its dinosaur-like back and continued out across its foxish tail. After emerging from the sighting of the beast, Eugene proudly displayed the black and white photograph, and knew that Rheinlander now had something to live for: It was Hodag Country.
About a year after the discovery that was now Rheinlander’s fame, the news of the attack had spread across the nation, right to the capital in Washington DC, and to the Smithsonian. The world famous museum quickly sprang at the opportunity and announced that they would be sending a group of their best biologists to investigate this strange creature. When the news made it to Rheinlander, Eugene Shepard was forced to fess up. The Hodag was a hoax. The now famous photograph was a fake, and the creature in the image was made of wood, metal, and ox hide that Eugene had pieced together for the trick. It was a tremendous let down for Rheinlander and for everybody else in the US who had been looking forward to the Smithsonian’s research on the new-found creature. But the citizens of Rheinlander knew the truth: The Hodag was no hoax. This beast, no matter how cruel and terrifying, lived on in their hearts, and it would until the end of time. While Wisconsin may now be famous for its cheese, the little town of Rheinlander celebrates their legendary hoax of a beast with commemorating statues, restaurants, shops, the town high school, their local newspaper, and even a country festival called the Hodag Country Festival. (Creative, right?) The Hodag has its own website, kids activity pamphlet, fan club, and a discovery center for learning about the Hodag. So if you're ever driving through Wisconsin and stumble upon the little, seemingly boring town of Rheinlander, take a stop at the Chamber of Commerce and learn everything you need to know to begin your HUNT for the HODAG! Hidden around the town are twenty-five Hodag statues, all with a unique, creative designs. Once you return to the Chamber of Commerce with photographic evidence that you have found the bounty, you will be rewarded with a trinket from the Hodag's 'Gold' Collection. You can also download a special scavenger hunt app called Adventure Lab, where you find five key statues and answer questions about each one to complete the Hodag hunt. The Hodag hunt is on! |
Archives
October 2022
Categories |