Rapid City, South Dakota
What a difference between a flight to Europe and a flight across just half of our continent! We flew out of the brand new terminal at Meadows Field in Bakersfield (and what a joy to finally have our airport send us to destinations besides L.A. and San Francisco, which used to be our only choices!) In less that two hours, we were in Salt Lake City for a quick transfer, and in less than two hours more, setting down in Rapid City, South Dakota.
Very happily, I was on the correct side of the plane to get my first glimpse of both the Crazy Horse Monument and Mount Rushmore from the air . They seemed very tiny, but could be seen quite distinctly.

We honored the dual heritage of the town: the American West and Scandinavia with a visit to the Prairie's Edge, a very impressive bookstore and Native American crafts store, and Scandia, a Scandinavian gift shop where I found a Forklover, a milk chocolate and hazelnut candy bar that had been my favorite when I lived in Norway. Then Rob napped for a bit while I went out again with Mom and Dad, who had arrived later in the afternoon.
At 6:00, the Tauck Tour officially began with a reception and dinner to meet our tour director, Danielle, and our fellow travelers. We had a nice visit with Arnie and Carol from Connecticut.
Friday, June 9, 2006
Rapid City, SD to Ucross, Wyoming





After another huge meal (country cookin' - fried chicken, apple cobbler) at a big old western roadhouse, we set off for Wyoming. While we were eating, the wind had come up and big, dark grey clouds rolled in, complete with lightning and distant thunder over the hills. It was very dramatic. We settled into the bus - just as the rain started to fall - for our long ride to the Ranch at Ucross in Wyoming. Rob and I dozed as we dropped out of the Black Hills into the rolling grasslands of eastern Wyoming. The air was very clear and we could see miles of prairie under the dark thunderclouds.

We saw the antelope frequently after that. They are pretty little creatures with short 9" horns and a white rump. They are the only animal that actually sheds horns. Antlers are shed each year, but horns in other animals are permanent.
As we moved west across Wyoming, the land got dryer and changed from a lush, tall green grass to a sparser short grass and sagebrush. All along the way, we could see huge black clouds and distant bolts of lightning. At one point, we could see all the way to Devil's Tower (site of the alien mother ship landing in Close Encounters of the Third Kind), still 60 or so miles distant, but very prominent on the horizon.


Our room opened onto a deck with a beautiful view of the hills and creek behind us. We had a nice chat with our "next-door neighbors", Courtney and Susan and Vinnie and Ann Marie from New York, then went for a swim in the heated pool. At 6:00, everyone gathered in the Ranchhouse for a sing-along with George, the resident singing cowboy, then moved into the dining room for another huge home-cooked dinner of trout, tri-tip, and all the trimmings. The food on this trip is more dangerous than on a cruise because it is all so hearty and served in such big portions!
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Big Horn Mountains to Cody, Wyoming

When we returned, it was time to board the bus for a second long day of travel - across the Big Horn Mountains. It took a couple of hours to reach the mountains, which rose dramatically above the plains. The land we crossed as we approached the mountains was covered with marshes and creeks. Redwinged blackbirds sat on the big cattails that lined the banks. As we wound our way up the mountain, Danielle pointed out the many signs that indicated the geolocigal ages of the rocks. The Bighorn Mountains are unusual because the uplift there has caused the more ancient rocks to sit on top.

The entire drive was gorgeous, but as we approached the top of the mountains, it got positively spectacular. We went through forests of lodgepole pines and past open alpine meadows filled with yellow arrowleaf balsamroot (a daisy-like flower), purple lupine, little white wildflowers. Think of the opening scene of The Sound of Music and you will have a picture of what it looked like. Naturally, we started planning how we could come back and explore this gorgeous area at more leisure.

After lunch, we crossed Granite Pass at about 9,000 feet, then dropped down the western slopes of the Bighorn Mountains, making a brief stop for a walk in Shell Canyon to view Shell Falls. As it was still spring, the snow runoff created a roaring torrent pouring through the narrow canyon and over the high granite cliffs. As we continued down to the western side of Wyoming, our road paralleling an old cattle trail which the cowboys had used to herd the cattle to the lush meadows above, the scenery changed quite a bit. This was a much dryer landscape, with eroded peaks of ancient volcanic mudflows.

The Buffalo Bill section included memorabilia from his life, including intricately embroidered jackets from his Wild West Show - he appears to have been the Elvis of his time with his fancy costumes! - photos, posters, and much more. Rob and I came to admire him for his "politically incorrect" views regarding the Native Americans. He was quoted as saying that every Indian uprising was the result of a broken treaty on the part of the U.S. government, and he was known for treating the Indians in his show as equals.

from feathers decorating the tips of spears to the incredible beadwork on all of their clothing to painted designs on the hides of the teepees.

We checked into the Cody Holiday Inn just in time to clean up and head down to the Bandana Room (where Danielle greeted us with a red bandana kerchief to tie around our neck) for another huge meal. This trip was becoming dangerous to my health, since...in spite of still being full from lunch...I managed to put away most of a dinner of ribs and baked potato. We sat with Cheryl and Richard and were entertained by stories of Cheryl's parrots.
But the day wasn't finished after dinner! What would a trip to the Wild West be without a visit to the Rodeo?!


Sunday, June 11, 2006
Cody to Yellowstone National Park




Although it was a lovely day, the air at that altitude was quite chilly. I had packed for warmer weather, so Rob and I walked along the lake to the General Store where I bought a very nice Yellowstone jacket. Then, at 2:00, it was back on the bus for the first part of our tour around the Park. We followed the Yellowstone River up the lush green Hayden Valley and saw our first bison. I had expected large herds, but all of them were scattered singly or in small groups here and there around the valley. The valley floor was filled with wetlands...little marshes and rivulets everywhere...and there were lots of Canada geese and merganzer ducks, as well as a number of large elk. I was still waiting to see my first moose!


After returning to the hotel, Rob had a nice nap while I visited with Mom and Dad in the lobby, listening to the piano player and having a little libation. (The sun was over the yardarm!) Then Rob and I took a little stroll down to a meadow to see if we could get pictures of the bison...but realized as we returned that we had totally missed seeing the sign that warned, "Danger! Do not go down this path. Bear activity." Oops! Well, we didn't see a bear...and the bison had moved off, too, but it was a lovely walk. When we returned to the hotel, we purchased our special momento of the trip...a beautiful stone and alabaster bison carved by a Native American artist.
Monday, June 12, 2006
A Most Amazing Day
Wow! Wow! and more Wow! Finally, we got to see up close and personal the amazing geothermal features of Yellowstone.





Too soon, it was time to return to the bus and continue on to the Old Faithful Snow Lodge, where we would stay tonight. We had been scheduled to stay in the famous Old Faithful Inn, with its enormous beamed ceilings and antler decorations...but it was being re-roofed and the project took longer than expected. But our hotel was very nice and comfortable - and convenient to Old Faithful and the other geysers of the area.




Some of the hot pools were amazingly clear...you could look down into their depths and clearly see the vent that led down to the hot magma below.
I really had had no idea of the extent of the geyser fields. The trail extended on for almost two miles, and there were pools and steam and spouting water everywhere we looked. It must have been an amazing sight to the first people...both Native Americans and mountain men...who first happened across this landscape!



Near the end of the trail, we passed the Riverside Geyser right on the banks of the creek and noted on the little bulletin board that it was predicted to erupt shortly. Sure enough, when we had gone a little way along the path, we turned back and found it spouting away.
The eruption went on for a good five to ten minutes. It was very pretty with the water spraying up against the green hill and cascading down into the stream below.
x
The trail ended at the famous Morning Glory Pool which, sadly, is losing her glory as the clear, lovely blue water is being transformed to a rusty orange due to the thoughtless (or malicious) actions of tourists who throw foreign objects into the deep vent and block the flow of water. It is so hard to understand the motives of people who would destroy such a beautiful sight, in spite of the sign explaining the consequences!
We returned to the lodge at a brisk pace and ended our adventure with another surprise encounter with the bison. Two of them were now grazing in the meadow beside the trail, and a third was standing right on the trail! A ranger stood nearby diverting foot traffic to an alternate trail. The huge shaggy creature was quite unconcerned about all the gawking tourists and spent awhile scratching his great head against a wooden sign.
The day was very warm and sunny, so we stopped at the General Store for an ice tea, then returned to the Snow Lodge where Danielle was waiting in the lobby with our room keys. Mother and Dad had a room directly across the hall from ours, so I told them all about our walk then set out to watch the 3:45 eruption of Old Faithful while Rob had a little nap. Old Faithful faithfully erupted right on schedule. It starts with a few sputters and spurts, then it subsides for a moment and seems to go back to sleep, but suddenly a huge plume of water and steam thrusts up…up…up in a gorgeous fountain that goes on for several minutes.
After a short nap, Rob and I joined Mom and Dad for Old Faithful’s 5:15 eruption. The geyser teased us for several minutes this time with two or three false starts, but just two minutes after the predicted time, it exploded into a beautiful plume of white water and steam against the blue sky. Today was my dear parents' 59th wedding anniversary, and I can't think of a better place to spend it than standing in front of Old Faithful!
After a wonderful dinner at the lodge (Shrimp Etoufee for Rob and stuffed pork loin for me), we went out for a lovely sunset walk. It was a magical landscape. The air had cooled quite a bit, so the plumes of steam from the many pools and geysers in the valley below us became more visible. Everywhere we looked, we could see mists rising from the ground. It was so lovely, I couldn’t stand to go in, and took one last ramble by myself to the upper geyser field which we had not yet explored. The sun had gone down but there was enough lingering light to see the path. I was almost completely alone…just a couple of other people on the path. The colors of the pools were not so vivid without the sunlight shining into them, but it was so quiet and peaceful that I was much more conscious of the sounds… gurgling and bubbling and sizzling all around me. The concentration of pools and fumeroles was even greater than on the Morning Glory trail…there were little pools and cones all around me, and little rivulets of run-off water criss-crossing the ground everywhere.
Finally it became too dark to walk safely, so I headed back to bed, thoroughly enchanted. It was a most remarkable day!
Tuesday, June 13
Yellowstone to the Grand TetonsWe woke to more gorgeous clear blue skies, had breakfast, and boarded the bus at 8:30 a.m. Our first stop was at Isa Lake, which sits right on the Continental Divide, so that one side of the lake drains toward the Pacific Ocean while the other side drains toward the Gulf. (It was really just a pond, but Danielle related the story of the trapper who discovered it, saying, “What a pretty little pond!” To which the water replied, “I’s not a pond. I’s a lake!” Hence, her name.) Dad joked that, although he and Mom had been together at Old Faithful, they were now separated by the Continental Divide.
As we continued down the mountain, we watched a fascinating video about the great fires of 1988. It was quite interesting to see the effects of those same fires right out the bus window as we watched the film! Tall, black spikes of burned lodgepole pine trees…bare, fallen logs…thousands of new little green trees carpeting the landscape. 45% of the park burned, but happily – and surprisingly - only 250 large animals were killed in the fires.After only about an hour, we got our first glimpse of the GRAND Grand Tetons. They truly are magnificent…rising so suddenly out of the plains. It was a gorgeous, warm, perfect day with not a cloud in the sky, so the entire range was in our view. We stopped briefly at Colter Bay, which had a small, but very good, Native American museum.
We made two more stops for pictures, one at the base of the mountain range and one at beautiful little Jenny Lake, where we learned the story of “Beaver Dick” and his beloved Indian wife, Jenny, who died, along with all six of their children, from the small pox she caught while nursing a settler.Next stop was the town of Jackson, (home of Harrison Ford and various other celebrities), where we had a great lunch at The Merry Piglets and explored the town. It is very touristy…upscale shops and pricy art galleries…but has a fun western atmosphere, with a Cowboy Bar where you literally saddle up to the bar, a stage coach parked by the town square, and the antler arches framing the four corners of the park.
About 3:30, we piled onto the bus and headed for the Jackson Lake Lodge. Our room was a rustic cabin (with a nice large room) under the trees. The main lodge had a lovely large sitting room with huge windows affording magnificent views of the mountains across the meadow and lake, as well as several nice shops and restaurants.After another wonderful dinner, Rob and I went out on the deck that overlooks the meadow, and I finally had my last wildlife wish fulfilled…there was a female moose grazing in the pond just below us. We watched her for awhile, then took a little stroll around the hill by the lodge and headed for bed. The clouds were beginning to move in, so I suspected we might be in for a bit of “weather” tomorrow.
Wednesday, June 14
Grand Tetons Trails and Snake River RaftingSure enough, around 4:30 or 5:00 a.m., I woke to the sounds of loud thunder. After several rumbles, there came a loud rapping on the roof. It was much noisier than rain, so I suspected…and later confirmed…that we were having a hail storm. The lightning, thunder, and finally rain, continued for quite a long time, but it was really pleasant to lie all cozy in my bed and know that, for once, we didn’t have to get up and get ready for the bus! The storm finally blew over, so Rob and I went up to the main lodge for a good breakfast buffet, then set out for a five mile hike around Christian Pond, across the highway from the lodge.
Our hike turned out to be quite an adventure! The clouds had parted and the chilly morning began to warm up a bit. The Tetons, which had been completely shrouded in clouds when we went to breakfast, became visible, although it was quite a different view from yesterday’s clear view, with low clouds filling in the valleys and swirling around the peaks.
We crossed the highway and found the trailhead, with its sign warning, “This is Bear Country. Use caution.” We wound along the trail above the pond, which was filled with ducks. Pretty bird songs filled the air. We took the extended loop up over the hill, looking down on Oxbow Bend where the Snake River widens around several pretty little islands. It was a beautiful hike with a varied landscape including open meadows, thick pine woods, areas of aspen and willows.
The only obstacle to my perfect enjoyment of the morning was my worry about bears. Throughout the entire walk, we were on the lookout “Scan left, scan right, look behind”…singing, talking, calling out whenever we came to a hill that we couldn’t see over, “Hello, bears. We are coming!” but the only wildlife we encountered on the trail were the birds, one mule deer, and lots of mosquitoes! I finally took my ponytail down and let my hair cover my neck, which did help. In retrospect, I should have relaxed and enjoyed the serene aspects of communing with nature, but we had had so many warnings about the dangers of wildlife encounters that I was truly feeling a bit nervous. But about halfway into our walk, my fears of the bears were replaced…or added to…by the fear of electrocution! Just as we passed Lake Emma Matilda at the farthest end of our trail, black clouds darkened the skies and the rumble of the thunder started again. I love thunderstorms, but this was the first time I have ever been caught out in one. We still had about two miles to go, and some of it through open meadows with no big trees to act as lightning rods, so the last third of our hike was a brisk walk to get back! Rob and I had always joked that, if a bear came, he didn’t have to outrun the bear…he only had to outrun the person he was with, so now it was my turn to joke that I was okay because lightning strikes the highest point, and he is taller than I am! As we walked, I kept up a running monologue with myself to scare away the bears and the moose that I suspected were hiding in the huge willow groves…and just hoped that the lightning didn’t get too close. Luckily we both had our raincoats in our backpacks. The last mile of the hike got quite cold and it started to hail again, stinging my unprotected hands.
In spite of all the (real or imagined) dangers of our hike, we made it home safe and sound. After a good hot shower and a light lunch with Mom and Dad (buffalo barley soup - yum!), we set off on our second adventure of the day...a raft trip on the Snake River. This adventure almost didn't take place. Sadly, a Tauck Tour rafting trip just last month had hit a submerged log and overturned and three people were killed. Tauck Tours chose to cancel our scheduled raft trip until the investigation was complete, but we were allowed to book the trip on our own.
The afternoon continued to be cloudy and cold, and we got a stern warning from our guide, "If you are wearing shorts, you WILL be cold. You can cancel now if you want." Well, we didn't want, so we set off with the five other brave souls from our tour, Liz, Bernadette, Will, Richard, and Cheryl. They were a fun group and the scenery along the river was gorgeous, but it WAS cold. Rob and I huddled together under a woolen blanket and that did help. We saw only a few animals...a couple of elk, a large bald eagle, ducks, Canada geese, a beaver lodge (but no beavers) and several turkey vultures feasting on the carcass of an elk that had apparently drowned. The trip lasted about two hours and took us 10 miles along the river. The current was swift, but there were no rapids. The recent accident was obviously just a freak accident.
When we returned, Mom and I had a game of Spite and Malice in the lobby then joined Rob and Dad for another wonderful dinner (filet mignon and chocolate mousse). Then it was time to pack up for another early departure the next morning.
Thursday, June 15
Grand Tetons to Salt Lake CityFollowing our breakfast buffet, we went out on the deck for some last photos of the Grand Tetons...and spotted another moose and several elk grazing in the meadow, as well as a beaver swimming in the pond below us. Then it was time to set off for a long day of bus travel. There was quite a bit of fresh snow on the peaks around us as we left Jackson Hole...evidence of yesterday's storm.
As we drove along the the western border of Wyoming, the hills became more gentle and rolling. We crossed into the lower corner of Idaho, passing through a string of little ranch towns and dairy farms. Lunch was at the Ranch Hand Truck Stop...a funny little slice of Americana with a cheesy little gift shop full of key rings, ugly t-shirts, goofy postcards.
Finally, at around 5:oo, we crossed the Wasatch Mountains and dropped down into Salt Lake City. After settling into our very nice room at the Hilton, we joined Mom and Dad for dinner at Christopher's Steak and Seafood restaurant around the corner from the hotel. The Mormom Tablernacle Choir was scheduled to be rehearsing at the nearby Conference Center, but we were tired from the long day and just headed off to bed.
Friday, June 16
Olympic Part and Salt Lake CityI woke up early feeling nice and rested. After breakfast, we headed out for our last guided tour, After driving past some of the sights of the city, we stopped at Emigrant's Canyon, with beautiful views of the city and Great Salt Lake below.
There is a large monument which declares, "This is the Place!" in commemoration of Brigham Young's decision to have the Mormom emigrants settle here.
We continued on to Park City and the site of the 2002 Winter Olympics, which is now used as a training site for athletes. We were greeted there by Carl Roepke, an enthusiastic young man who was a five time National luge champion and announcer at the Olympics. He took us to the top of the luge run and demonstrated how he drives it down the track. We also got an impressive look down the ski jump (where we almost froze from the wind chill!). It is absolutely amazing to me that people willingly hurtle themselves down that almost vertical drop!
The park also included a very interesting Olympic museum, with medals, uniforms, and giant white elk and bison puppets that had been paraded around in the opening ceremonies of the 2002 games. We ended by watching the ski jumpers practice by flying into a swimming pool.
When we returned to the hotel, we were met by Bryce and Karen Johnson, a very nice young couple we had met on the Paul Gauguin cruise. The sun had come out, and we spent the afternoon exploring Salt Lake City. It is a lovely city...filled with flowersand green parks with fountains and sculptures everywhere, as well as the attractive buildings that house the various activities of the Church of Latter Day Saints.
We started in Temple Square, where we saw several brides on the temple steps. Karen remarked that the brides are a common sight here, as so many LDS girls want to be married at the Temple. The tabernacle itself was closed for renovations, but we saw the new modern "Supernacle" and visited the Family History Center, where I tried to locate some of my ancestors. I did locate Rob...with an incorrect G as a middle initial!
Bryce and Karen drove us up into the hills, past gorgeous mansions and up to a park with bike paths and trails. The day continued warm and sunny, so we had some spectacular views of the city. Rob and I agreed that this might be a great place to live, although I reminded myself that we were seeing it at its best...the winters can be long and cold, and Bryce said they have a winter inversion layer that keeps the smog in. Hmmm...sounds like Bakersfield.
That evening, Tauck Tours held a farewell reception for us, followed by a wonderful steak dinner at Spencer's, one of the nation's top ten steak houses. Then it was up to our room to pack up one last time before our flight home in the morning.
Another wonderful trip! It was a real treat to explore some of our own country. Rob and I love Europe for the history, art, and architecture...and the tropics for the water and fish...but some of the most spectacular scenery anywhere in the world can be found right here in the United States.