Out last stop, before heading back to Kansas, was Bear Country USA, located just a few miles from Rapid City. We hoped to seen bears except for one on our road trip, so this was a good way to get up and personal safely. The park was a two mile drive through a wonderland of animals. At first, we weren’t sure if the cost would be worth what we would see. We differently were not disappointed. Entering the 200 acres of Black Hills beauty we saw bears everywhere, just roaring. We could stop anywhere along the way and bears would come up to the car. There were all kinds of animals and most of the wildlife were born on the premises and were hand-raised by the park staff. Adventure! We had been awestruck by the scenery of Grand Teton, Yellowstone and Badlands National Parks, marveled at the sight of Mount …
We had made our upper west loop of our adventure, it was time to turn back east, back to Rapid City. The morning was very gloomy and raining so the mountains were hard to see as we left Jackson Lodge. We came upon Lava Mountain Lodge, situated on The Togwotee Pass in the Shoshone National Forest. We dashed into the General Store as the sky opened up and dumped a ton of water on us. The store housed the Wilderness Boundary Restaurant, a liquor package store, a full service bar, and a laundromat. They had a gas station, small campground, lodge rooms, vacation rental cabins and camping cabins. There was also a wide selection of the usual tourist items and snack foods. By the time we were ready to leave the rain had slowed and we were able to take in the sights on the outside. The bear was so …
Dragon’s Mouth has a temperature of 170.2°F and is 18X30 feet and is 16 feet deep. Tower Falls is approximately 1,000 yards upstream from the Yellowstone River, and plunges 132 feet. Its name comes from the rock pinnacles at the top of the falls. We took time to see Mammoth Hot Springs, different from other thermal areas at Yellowstone National Park. There was two levels with wood walkways to view the inside out caves. In the Mammoth area, the hot, acidic solution dissolves large quantities of limestone on its way up through the rock layers to the hot springs on the surface. When it is exposed to the air some of the carbon dioxide escapes from the solution. Without it the dissolved limestone can’t remain in the solution, so it reforms into a solid mineral. This white, chalky mineral is deposited as the travertine that forms the terraces. Picture could not …
As we entered Yellowstone National Park, this buffalo was walking down the road. He was walking down his side of the road. Don’t know where he was going or where he was coming from! A stop at the West Thumb Geyser Basin gift shop. Old Faithful Geyser reaches the height of 106 – 184 feet and last 1.5 – 5 minutes every 90 minutes with temperature of 204° F and discharges 3,700 – 8,400 gallons at a time. We spent some time walking the area’s scenic trails. We were told to stay on the trails because of the thermal area break so easy and there is scalding water just under the ground. We saw lots of steaming vents, spouting geysers (small ones), bubbling and boiling geothermal features and quite a few turquoise blue hot springs. There are rustic and meandering boardwalks that allow us to have personal access to thermal …
We did not have the Devil’s Tower on our list to visit but Rumi said it was a must see. So we whizzed down I-90 towards the tower enjoying the Bear Lodge Ranger District of the Black Hills National Forest. Devils Tower, a laccolithic butte composed of ignesous rock in the Bear Lodge Mountains in the northeastern Wyoming, was the very first official United States National Monument. It was proclaimed by President Theodore Roosevelt on September 24, 1906. Devils Tower isn’t simply tall, it’s also very wide. Its summit is around 180 feet by 300 feet, roughly the size of a football field and the circumference of its base is around one mile. Devils Tower was famously featured in 1977’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” culminating in a scene in which an alien mothership descended upon the rock formation. This first picture is when we started seeing the tower …
Our “Great American Road Trip” started with the Rotchfords flying into Kansas City. We spent the time catching up on things and went out toFogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse for dinner. They had an unbelievable salad and sides bar that included gourmet salads, rare exotic vegetables, fresh breads (my favorite), imported cheeses, and cured meats. After all of that, who needed the main course. There was a continuous table side service of fifteen signature cuts of beef, pork, lamb and chicken cooked over an open flamed pit. The meats were served with traditional Brazilian side dishes of polenta, garlic mashed potatoes, caramelized bananas and warm Pão de Queijo (bread cheese bread). We were given a small green and red sided chip. The green side signaled the “Gaueho” chefs to bring out skewers of sizzling meats, while the red side indicated a stopping point. To get more meat we simply displayed …
This video was made on our last day in South Dakota. Will have more postings in the coming days. http://youtu.be/u-z9s–K7PU
We checked into the Holiday Inn Express in Casper Wyoming and asked for a recommendation for dinner. Sanford’s Grub & Pub was just across the way so off we went. Sanford’s Short Story Once upon a college exam, a few guys got together drinking beer, eating food and watching reruns on the boob-tube and began thinking of what the heck they were going to do with the rest of their lives. So, realizing what they do best which is drinking beer, eating food, and watching T.V. they decided to open a place called Sanford’s. Now the only thing that stood in their way was designing the decor it ended up being the easiest job, however. After a few garage sales, digging through basements and a couple of junk yards, Sanford’s Grub & Pub was born. So what the heck, we learn something in school! The building was surrounded by old …
As we left the rain and hail behind we arrived in Dubois. It was a neat town with rustic log buildings lining the street. Dubois is located between the Absaroka and Wind River mountain ranges. The valley was carved out by the Wind River and was travelled by Native Americans, explorers and adventurers. We stopped by the local Dairy Queen for a lunch of ice cream. We were now in the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming. It is one of the largest reservations in the USA. As the road unfolded before us, we were amazed by the Painted Hills also known as the badlands. The term badlands was from the land being so rough from the sandstone and conglomerate that you can’t ride through. The reds, pinks, browns, blacks, greys, yellows and purples form a colorful landscape. To take a better look at the photos, click once or twice …
This morning we had breakfast at Jackson Lodge. It was a wonderful buffet with a very large fresh fruit tray. There was also the usual breakfast fare plus HUGE waffles and tiny waffles. Everyone said if you got a small waffle you would come back for another one and they were sooo right! The Teton mountains were covered with clouds and fog. Â As we left the lodge to start our trip across the mountain through the scenic Togwotee pass, it started to rain. It turned out to be a memorable off road trip. The road, which traverses the continental divide, was undergoing some MAJOR construction – they tore up all the pavement! By now it was raining hard and the road turned into a slick mud pit with ruts. There was a lead truck taking us through the construction which lasted for miles and miles, so it seemed. The sign …