Cody Fousnaugh Veteran Member Has this in his postings. "Love Rocky Mountain AND Yellowstone National Parks!" That reminded me of completing one of our goals during retirement. 1st. goal was to lose weight & get fit enough to enjoy hiking. That took almost two years. 2nd. goal to take a road trip to see the north west. Now physically fit we packed our car with essentials to begin our trip. We left about mid May thinking travel temps would be good. We didn't have a time frame, or particular destination. The only plan was to just drive around to see what that part of America there was to see. After the states of Utah, Washington, Idaho we headed to Wyoming to visit Yellowstone. We were on the western side and stayed a week in the small town about a mile from the western entrance. We found a little country store where we could buy picnic food & supplies. The place we stayed had a small kitchen which we liked since we don't like to eat at restaurant & fast food places. To our surprise inside the park the picnic area we found, we were able to watch Buffalo grazing. Eating wasn't the priority, hiking was. Viewing Old Faithful topped the list of what to see. Instead of sitting in front of the hotel where that huge seating area is, we hiked the boards to where we could watch from a knoll about 1/8 mile on the back side. After watching Old Faithful be faithful from that vantage point we hiked around the various pools that others typically don't go to see. Another day we went to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. When we went we used the metal stairs anchored to the wall. I'm not sure but I think there were about 234 steps to get to the landing at the bottom. Once down looking back up at the water fall is unforgettable. Traveling on we left Yellowstone via the Beartooth Mountain to cross into Montana. At the top there still were pockets of snow. We got out, built a small snowman, had a snowball fight ate something, then continued our trip to go see Mt. Rushmore. Along the way we stopped for a few days to watch a re-enactment of Custer's last stand. Funny stuff like before reaching Mt. Rushmore there was a bear park to see. Once inside the fenced in area there was a bear sitting in the middle of the road. We knew instinctively the bear park owners frowned on bumping the bear with our car so we waited until it decided we were not going to feed it. While waiting my wife pointed out to me a large really aggressive male bear attacking a smaller female bear. I just snickered a little. With no time frame we included touring the mid west. Somewhere in mid Nebraska we stopped to see what a small town was celebrating. I don't remember what it was but the whole town was enjoying the food that was being cooked in a variety of stands. I do remember the awesome steak & sides that seemed to me to be dirt cheap. But that was exceeded by the people that were super friendly. No route planned we stopped anywhere & everywhere to see what ever there was to see. The only real plan was to find motels that had small kitchens, simply because controlling what we eat is important to us. People wonder what to do in retirement. Best advice, See America. Whether in the northeast seeing Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine. Charter boat fishing in N.J. The Pioneer coal mine tour Ashland, Pa. Cades Cove in Tenn. or The river walk in San Antonio, Tx. There are tons of places to experience the uniqueness of America.
Labor day we are hooking the camper up and heading West. No time frame no hard plan. Roughly track Route 66 from West of St. Louis to Arizona. Then North to Nevada,and Utah. From there it depends on weather,money and desire. When I was 17 I hitched from NY to Bakersfield,then North to the big trees,got work in Ogden for a few weeks and was informed by my parents that I had gotten "Greetings from the President of the United States". Shortly after that I became a taxpayer supported world traveler!
You are sure on my bucket list before I part this world. Problem is funds as I am now retired and have no superannuation to draw on now.
@Peter Renfro Much of US 66 is pretty well deserted, parts are included as Interstate 40, at least west of Oklahoma. Reaching westward beyond Ash Fork, AZ, I believe 66 is part of I-40, but upon getting to Seligman, 66 veers off and completes one of the most scenic loops (IMO) on it's entire length, passing through some beautiful high-country, towns of Valentine and Hackberry, winding up in Kingman, back on I-40. Not too far out of Seligman, be sure to stop and see Grand Canyon Caverns, it's a marvelous natural wonder! When I lived in Vegas, taking my Mother to visit old friends in Albuquerque, the section of I-40 between Kingman and Seligman had not been completed yet, pending high-cost slicing away of mountains to maintain the grades below the originally prescribed maximum steepness. You will enjoy the area immensely! Frank
Ten years ago, I fulfilled my lifelong dream and we set off in our RV to see America. We spend 4-5 months every year out there and so far, we've been to 44 states and Canada. We've been two miles high and one mile down, we've dodged buffalo and mined for gold, we've followed Route 66 and dead end roads. We've been in big cities and tiny towns that time forgot. It's been an adventure.
Have been in RMNP and to the top, called The Summit, which is at 12,183 feet up. Trail Ridge Road. Part of the way up, there is no guardrail and all that is seen is tree tops. At The Summit, a person can see Elk grazing in a valley below. After crossing over The Continental Divide and coming down the other side, into Grand Lake, we stopped to take some photos of a Moose Cow and her calf. BTW, my wife cried twice going up, but we ended up making it to the top. Visiting Yellowstone, we went to both the Upper and Lower areas. Was right next to the big falls and The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Yellowstone Lake is very big and, for those that don't know this, is a volcano. While in the parking lot of the hotel, there were large-rack Bull Elk walking all around. Actually, at the time we were there, there was a fire going on and the Forest Service had an area where overnight tents were set up. Some smoke could be seen in the distance, but that was it. Seen Old Faithful erupt during a hail storm. Got people on video running away from Old Faithful when the hail started. Seen a buffalo herd in the valley, a Bull Moose sleeping in some brush, a small bear coming down the side of a mountain (and a Warden there to make sure it didn't get hit going across the highway). Walked around the geyser's and mud pots. Highly, highly interesting and unforgettable trip!
A few photos at Yellowstone we took: Lower Yellowstone Falls One of the very, very hot geyser's. The U.S. Forestry Service Fire Camp in Yellowstone.
Also went to the Cody Museum in Cody, Wyoming, which is just outside of Yellowstone N.P. Here is a photo, looking down from Trail Ridge Road, going to The Summit in Rocky Mountain National Park.
I sure hope that was a one-way road..... On Needles Highway in the Black Hills of South Dakota, there is a very narrow tunnel carved out that made us nervous just driving a pickup through. Twice a day, people park along the road to watch a huge tour bus inch its way through the tunnel. You wouldn't believe it could be done, but done it is! It's a major tourist site in the area.