Parks Project: People with Passion

Dogs are God's best idea and National Parks are America's best idea. Due to the present government shutdown, be sure to check local facilities before visiting a park.  Services during this "lapse in funding" period may be interrupted. Check out the work being done at Parks Project, a non-profit group committed to funding, advocacy and support for American's 84 million acres of natural beauty through a network of volunteers and the sale of merchandise.

Arches National Park

We had a super fun Thursday starting with a pancake breakfast in bed during a loud thunderstorm. The storm moved out and it was a beautiful day for touring the last of the Mighty Five Utah National Parks: Arches. We did a few short hikes in pursuit of arches and then the big pilgrimage to see the Delicate Arch. The road to the arch was shut due to wash out from the morning storm so the hearty folks hiked up the mountainous route a mile and a half (felt like way more actually) to view the famous arch. Great people watching and so rewarding. Back at camp we relaxed a bit before Ubering to La Sal for a special dinner to celebrate our wonderful time in Utah. Where to next?

Moab

For being a global destination, home to the amazing Capital Reef NP, Torrey UT was a throwback little town to days long gone by. It was our first really rainy day as we departed Torrey for Moab, home to the final two of the Mighty Five National Parks in Utah. It was another scenic journey on UT 24 east. Goblin Valley State Park was a fun detour with magical rock formations under a moody sky. We rolled into Moab early afternoon and had lunch at Spokes, a cute bike-themed restaurant. Luckily, we were able to find a campsite right in the town of Moab.

After settling in our site at Canyonlands RV Resort and Campground we walked through town and did a little shopping. It's a big town filled with thrill-seeking, outdoor adventurers. Great vibe and lots of people keeping a basecamp to the wilderness in Moab. We even walked to the Moab Brewery and joined two strangers at a table for a lively dinner and conversation.

Dead Horse and Canyonlands

Another day, another natural wonder or three. Wednesday we took in Dead Horse Point State Park and Canyonlands National Park. We did short hikes in both parks and enjoyed the drama of the scenery. We were able to extend our stay in Moab for another two nights. It's nice to be in an urban campground for a change. We took an Uber to Sabaku Sushi and then a stroll for ice cream. Moab is a great town with loads of visitors.

Capital Reef State Park

Thousands Lakes RV Park in Torrey UT was our home for two nights while exploring Capital Reef NP. The RV park was nice but close sites. The NP however...what a beautiful place. The “reef” was so named by explorers/sailors when confronted with a massive land barrier to travel with geologic features resembling a capital dome. Red rock formations and deep canyons changed color and dimension with each view. We had a fairly strenuous hike through Cohob Canyon with amazing panoramas. The clouds were accumulating and I was getting worried about all the flash floor horrors people shared with us this week. We rewarded ourselves with the freshest fruit pie ever in the quaint visitor center of Fruita. Back at camp we showered and made broccoli cheese risotto in the InstaPot. Yes, we glamp with an InstaPot.

Cedar Breaks, Red Canyon and Bryce

It was a full Friday out of our basecamp at Riverside in Hatch. Aside from a morning hike at Cedar Breaks National Monument, our day was leisurely, filled with awe and complete with a lunch sandwich from Burger Barn. We drove the scenic byway Route 12 into Bryce National Park and did some reconnaissance for Saturday in the park. Back at camp, we grilled Utah beef and enjoyed the fire and amazing sunset over the river.

Zion National Park

Beautiful.

Visitors Center and Davis Bayou

After a 22 minute movie and nature presentation about life within Gulf Islands National Seashore, I have a whole new appreciation for hurricanes replenishing life at the coastline. NC continues to be pounded by rain and winds from Hurricane Florence's landfall Friday morning. A half a million people are without power.

We bought a National Parks Passport from Davis Bayou where we enjoyed a lovely campsite and comfortable amenities. $11 a night. 😂

Glacier National Park

Sat 03 - Glacier National Park, Post Falls

Bill said we hit the jackpot at the Staybridge Hotel because of the free laundry facilities. I said, "If they did the laundry for us, that would be hitting the jackpot." I offered to do Jack's laundry, too, but he insisted on doing his own. We had a leisurely breakfast, included with the room, and ventured out to Glacier Nat'l Park. It was rainy and cloudy most of the ride to Glacier. Once actually in the park, the sun was out, but the rain clouds added huge drama to the magnificent landscape. The bears were out, too. A mama and her two cubs elicited a bark out of timid Solo. Then a lone bear was seen crossing the road right in front of our car. It was such a thrill for all of us to finally see real live bears! The road through the peaks was very scary at times, especially when we were in one of those clouds. Bill did a great job, and we all got beautiful pictures. That was just the start of our day. As it turned out, we could not find a room from here to Spokane. Well, 20 miles east of Spokane. We pulled off I-90 at 2am (EST). Luckily, we gained an hour traveling into PST. Long day. We learned a good lesson about being fussy about hotels.

On the Road to Montana

Fri 02 - Missoula

The air mattress is a problem that must be dealt with soon. It definitely caused sleeplessness last night. The chilly temps did, too. It was in the 30s when we woke this morning. We started breaking down camp with our coffee, and I put a pot of steel cut oats on the stove. The teens woke to a nice breakfast and we packed up the car. It was a beautiful ride out of Yellowstone Nat'l Park, and became increasingly more beautiful as we travelled into Montana. It was about a six hour ride to Missoula, where we booked a two bedroom, two bathroom hotel suite after eight nights of camping. The Staybridge was perfect. Even Solo had his own bed. Bill scouted out a Jiffy Lube-type place and got the car's first oil change. A car wash, too. We had a nice pasta dinner at a little Italian joint, and went back to our TVs and wireless worlds. We all slept very well in the comfy beds.

Day Three Yellowstone

Thu 01 - Yellowstone Day Three

There is a slow leak in air mattress. Urghh! Another round of thunderstorms passed through the campground just after we settled in the tents for night. Despite the inconveniences, we woke up refreshed and ready for another beautiful morning. We cooked bacon and pancakes before going out for a boat ride. There is a marina at Bridge Bay, so It was easy to rent Whaler-type craft and zip around Yellowstone Lake. Awesome! Afterwards, it was a perfect day to be lazy and just enjoy camping. Playing with the dog, or just doing nothing is elevated to a new level. Lake Lodge Restaurant was on the agenda for our last night in Yellowstone. We all had a terrific dinner. In fact, Jack ate more than I have seen him eat in a while, and a fairly exotic selection: wild Alaskan salmon, corn and scallion risotto, and asparagus. Billy had elk, bison and antelope sliders. Bill had bison tenderloin and I had plain 'ol halibut. It was all excellent. Billy drove us back to camp. The guys made their evening fire and Bill and I retired to our books. Tomorrow starts a new adventure. We'll go through Montana, stay in a hotel and plan the next leg of the trip. We heart Wyoming!

Day Two in Yellowstone

Wed 30 - Yellowstone

There are few things more unpleasant than camping in the rain. Luckily the thunderstorms didn't start until we were all tucked away in our tents. The wind challenged the stability of both tents, and the lightening, under flimsy protection, was scary, especially for Solo, but we woke dry and fairly rested. We made our coffee just before the next round of showers, and sucked up the first bit of nasty weather in a week. After breakfast at camp we headed west with the ultimate objective of seeing Old Faithful, showering and getting an Internet connection. Our first stop was West Thumb Geyser Basin.

The percolating hot springs are intriguing.

Our mission was accomplished by noon, and we continued through the park to Midway Geyser Basin after a nice lunch at Old Faithful Inn.

On to the Artists' Paint Pots, and the conclusion that if you've seen one mud pot, you've seen 'em all. The dead trees everywhere are becoming rather unsightly, too. I left my heart in the Tetons. A couple more stops, and we headed back to camp just before 6pm. Mac and cheese is on the camp menu with fire-toasted French bread and sliced apples. Yes, giant marshmallows for dessert.

Yellowstone National Park

Tues June 29 - Yellowstone

With fully charged electronics, and clean clothes, I left the laundromat and helped pick up camp. The Tetons National Park far exceeded our expectations. We left the park and entered Yellowstone in under an hour. Our campsite, Bridge Bay is approximately 40 miles into the park. After setting up camp, we went to a grill for lunch and started touring Yellowstone. We saw Mud Volcano, Sulphur Caldron, and Artist Point to view the Upper and Lower Falls within Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

After a quick stop for supplies at Canyon Village, we headed back to camp. The sky was looking rather ominous just before the first sprinkling of the evening. We convened into the master suite, er tent, and played some cards until the coast was clear. We had Dinty Moore Beef Stew cooked on the open fire (yuk) and a great salad (yum). Giant, really giant marshmallows were for dessert. Another great day in the wilderness, although Billy is having Rachel withdrawals, or maybe simply tech separation anxiety.

The Grand Tetons

Mon 28 - Moose Wyoming

Big government has this National Park undertaking fully under control. This is a remarkably well managed property! The views are as crisp and clean as the mountain air we breathe. We have had six stellar days of perfect weather. It was a little chilly in the tent this morning, and Bill delivered his freshly brewed coffee to my sleeping bag. He's becoming a great camper! We all enjoyed a light breakfast at the site, and got into our hiking boots. Our three mile hike, in the most picturesque setting, was humbling.

We communed with nature in the most sacred setting. The biggest concern on anyone's mind is how to charge our electronics. Life is good:) Jack and I had our first-ever egg salad sandwich for lunch, a concoction I made in an effort to clean out the ice box. It was excellent. Into the village for showers, and off to the Mural Dining Room at Jackson Lake Lodge, a fancy restaurant in the park, for dinner. We passed on the dessert menu in anticipation of s'mores at our campsite. Walk the dog, a game of spades, marshmallows and bag, I mean bed.

Another New State: Wyoming

Sun 27 - Casper, Jackson

The guys confessed that they used lighter fluid to start the campfire. I said, "That's cheating." Bill then replied, "Unless you're rubbing two sticks together, everything is cheating." he has a point. We packed up camp and hit the road just before 8am. With Stephen King's Under the Dome back on the car radio, and miles of road without another car in sight, we crossed into Wyoming. Elevation 4300. After a couple hours, in the far off distance, we had our first glimpse of the majestic, snow capped mountains. It was a very scenic ride through the sagebrush basin adorned with beautiful wildflowers, high elevation canyons, pine forests and the alpine with lingering snow. We picked Colter Bay campground in Grand Teton National Park for the next two nights. It's about 6800 elevation. We made steaks on the grill, played cards and nestled into our sleeping bags just after 9pm. The temp during the night was in the low 40s.