We Made it Home

We arrived home last night at 9:00 pm. What a trip!!! Even though we were not ready for the trip to be over, it was nice to pull in the driveway. Our house sitters had the place sparkling, and Gus was spoiled so much when we were gone that I think he is actually depressed that Jim and Marsha are gone. Keep checking back over the next couple days as we will put up some more pictures and even some product endorsements. Here is our trip by the numbers:

.5- miles traveled before our first disaggreement over directions (still in our subdivision)

5009- total miles traveled on the trip

10- things ruined or lost on the trip including bike rack, trailer window (forgot to put it down), trailer air conditioner (forgot to take the cover off), shifter on AJ's new bike (I accidentally broke it off), AJ's lucky cowgirl hat (lost it at Slough Creek), AJ's sunglasses (broken), spare tire rack, trailer bumper, cam shaft sensor, blown fuse (4 times)

60+- miles hiked on the trip (wait until you here about our Slough Creek hike and how I had to hike the mountain twice!!!!)

5- different campgrounds

4-different Wal-marts where we slept for a few hours during our travels (by the way there are some freaks that hang out in Wal-Mart parking lots in the middle of the night)

6- fishing licenses purchased (4 for Nick and 2 for Andrea)

0- hours of TV watched during the trip

500+- number of pictures taken. You could take 5 million pictures and it still wouldn't do the American West justice. You have to see it for yourself.

5- meals consisting of SPAM, Ramen noodles, or Corned Beef Hash. One mega-meal featured all three. That'll put hair on your chest!!!

Black Hills and Badlands

Hi! We've been out of cell/internet range for the past few days and are finally able to make a post. On Wednesday, the 16th, we hiked into Slough Creek in Yellowstone...I will let Nick update you on that when he has a free moment. My only words for that hike were flies and mosquitoes...enough said!

We left Yellowstone at about 3:00 p.m. to start our drive for the Black Hills. The drive took us through the Bear Tooth Mountains and the Big Horn Mountains. It was steep, curvy, tough driving for Nick, but it was amazingly beautiful! Nick drove until he couldn't stand it and we slept for a few hours in the Gillette, WY Wal-Mart parking lot. We were up and about at 7:00 and on the road.

First stop was the United States' first national monument, Devil's Tower in Wyoming. Devil's Tower rises 1267 feet above the Belle Fourche River. You can read more about this amazing formation by clicking on this link. As we drove through the park we saw tons of prairie dogs. It was fun watching them scamper around and listen to their "barks." We also saw two badgers.

Next stop was Jewel Cave. I had been looking forward to this stop since our trip began. We chose to do the lantern tour which involved a half mile, 105-minute tour of Jewel Cave's calcite-coated passageways while carrying old-style oil lanterns. The tour didn't disappoint and we were once again amazed! Read more about Jewel Cave.

Our busy day continued as we checked into our campground, Mount Rushmore KOA, which is located 5 miles from the Presidential Monument. As we pulled into to the resort, I told Nick I felt like I was at the Ritz Carlton of RV parks! The park boasted 500 sites and 55 Kamping Kabins, two pools and spas, a water slide, American Indian dancers, miniature golf, hayrides, a restaurant, and even car rentals! After setting up camp and taking a nice shower we grabbed a bite to eat at the resort’s restaurant and headed to Mount Rushmore. The monument was amazing, but the sun was setting in all the wrong places, which made picture taking difficult. We hiked the mile-or-so Presidential Trail admiring the artistic masterpiece and decided to come back in the morning for better photos. After a campfire and a few s’mores we were exhausted and ready for bed!

Heavy rain woke us up this morning, and it was challenging to pack up a wet camper. We were on the road by 7:30 once again headed for Mount Rushmore. After a few miles of driving the skies cleared. We had a nice breakfast overlooking the monument in the Buffalo Dining Room. We took a few pictures and were on the road again headed for the Badlands.

Last night we debated the slight detour to Badlands National Park, and finally decided to make the stop. Wow! We were sure glad that we did! Amazing, crazy stuff! God’s magnificent creations once again leave us speechless!

As our trip comes to a close, I wish I had more words to describe all of the phenomenal sights that we were privileged to view on this trip. The pictures are good, but can’t even come close to defining the 360 degree first-hand views.

Now for the drive home...only 1300 more miles and we'll be back in good-old Atlanta!

Madison River Fishing

West Yellowstone

We arrived to Grizzly RV Park in West Yellowstone at about 10:30 on Monday and quickly set up camp, did a little shopping, and then we headed for the Madison River to do a little trout fishing. I was skunked, but did have one nice fish break my leader. Andrea decided not to fish and just sat on the bank and read and swatted flies and mosquitoes. I can’t think of too many wives that would volunteer for that!

Today we hit the river with our guide, Rob Orsini from Jacklin’s Fly Shop, to drift the Madison. Within a few minutes of fishing Andrea landed her first trout on a fly rod, a 16” brown trout. She ended up landing another and hooking several. Actually she hooked more than I did! I got a few browns and a nice rainbow, but lost a huge brown and missed probably 20 strikes!!! It was a frustrating day of fishing, but Andrea had fun and said she would like to do it again. Andrea also hooked me in the head on her back cast. She acted like it was an accident, but she was casting too good for that. Tomorrow we're off to Slough Creek in North Yellowstone.

Jenny Lake Hike

We hiked 12 miles which climbed over 2500 feet in the Jenny Lake area. The trail which started at the Jenny Lake Visitor Center took us partially around the lake to an amazing waterfall, Hidden Falls. From there it climbed dramatically to a beautiful overlook, Inspiration Point, which overlooked Jenny Lake and the surrounding area. From there we continued on Cascade Canyon Trail which took us through the mountain meadows of Cottonwood Creek. The trail followed the creek the whole way. We were able to see some beautiful wildflowers while gazing up at the Tetons. On our way back through the meadow we saw a mule deer and a bull moose. It is amazing to see these animals in their natural habitat.

This hike is a must do if you visit Grand Teton National Park. It is my favorite hike of the trip so far! We started at 8:45 and finished around 1:00. We were among the few hikers in the morning, but the trail really filled up on our way back. We were told that this is one of the most popular hikes in the area, so we would recommend starting very early in the day, possibly around 7:00 a.m. to avoid the crowds.

After our hike we were starving so we drove into Jackson to try a Mexican restaurant recommended by our river guide yesterday. We were both so hungry from our 12 mile hike we devoured our lunches! We then walked around the town and did a little shopping. Jackson has so many neat shops including souvenir shops, boutiques, and western stores. We only shopped for a few hours before the tiredness from our hike set in. We headed back to the campground for some rest. I took a two hour nap while Nick fished the Gros Ventre River behind our site. He caught 2 cutthroat and 2 white fish.

We spent the evening cooking brats, making s’mores, and sitting around the fire. This morning we woke up, packed up, and we are on our way to West Yellowstone.

July 12th- 5 Years: In Sickness and In Health

Our 5th anniversary didn’t start off as I had planned. I decided to turn off my mental alarm clock which has been getting us up at 5:30 and let Andrea sleep in. As she started getting ready in the morning she realized that she couldn’t read anything up close (Andrea does have prescription classes for seeing far away). After a couple of hours and still no improvement she called her eye doctor who told her to go to an Emergency Room. For a second opinion she decided to call our friend Leslie Guy (an Optometrist) who happened to be on vacation in Alaska, but AJ managed to call when they were in cell service. Within a few seconds and a couple of questions Leslie figured out the cause of Andrea’s blurred vision…a motion sickness patch. We then sat down to eat at a place called Bubba’s in Jackson. I had to read the menu to Andrea, but within a couple of hours of removing the patch her vision started improving, and within 12 hours was back to normal. Thanks Leslie (Dr. House)!!!!

After breakfast we met at Dave Hansen White Water where we were transported for a 13-mile float down the Snake River. It was absolutely beautiful. We saw 4 bald eagles, an otter, and some of the best fly fishing water in Wyoming, but they wouldn’t let me bring my fly rod on the raft. After the float we returned to Dave Hansen headquarters where we boarded another bus to the White Water section of the Snake. We were placed in an 8 man raft, and when the guide asked who wanted to be the front man I of course volunteered. However, I did almost fall out when we hit the first set of rapids. This was a ton of fun and Andrea has already talked me into booking another trip in the Carolinas.

When we returned from the trip we gathered up our clothes and walked a couple of blocks down the road to shower at the Anvil Hostile. Needless to say, Andrea had seen the movie Hostile and was a little freaked out, but to save a trip back to our campground there weren’t any other options.

Once we were clean we walked to the Blue Lion Restaurant for our anniversary dinner. This was probably the best meal I have ever had in a restaurant, and it may have even surpassed our grilled SPAM and cheese sandwiches we had yesterday. Their specialty is the rack of lamb, which I ordered, while Andrea got a steak. If you are ever in Jackson, you need to try this place. We did a little shopping afterwards and didn’t return to our trailer until late. This morning we are getting ready to do some hiking around Jenny Lake.

Grand Teton National Park Day #1

July 11, 2008
Grand Teton National Park

We left Fishing Bridge Campground in Yellowstone around 7:30 this morning to head for Grand Teton National park. The drive through the Tetons was absolutely beautiful! Just as I thought nothing could be as stunning as Yellowstone…Wow! We arrived at our campground (Gros Venture) and set up camp. The campground is on a first come, first served basis, and Nick was a little nervous that we wouldn’t get a spot. We pulled and were relieved to hear that there were sites available. This campground differed from the other two being that it is much more rustic, more trees, very private and has larger sites. It is located on right Gros Ventre River….Hmmm…Anyone think this may have been the reason that Nick chose this campground?
On our way into the campground we saw 7 moose on the side of the river, 4 boys, 2 girls, and one baby. I was truly amazed at their size!

In the afternoon we took a trip into the town of Jackson (10 miles from our camp). It is such a neat little town with numerous shops and restaurants. We proceeded on to Teton Village which is a mountain ski resort. The resort operates its ski lifts during the summer so we were able to ride to the top of the mountain and admire the view. This picture was taken from the top. After lots of pictures we went to the next ski lift. This lift allowed us to take our mountain bikes to the top and ride down on specified bike trails. This was a very bumpy, steep ride, but we had fun!

This evening we drove back into Jackson to pick up a few groceries and s’mores supplies. I’m really excited because this is the first campground that will allow us to have campfires!

We were originally going to stay in Grand Teton for 2 nights, but upon arriving we learned there is sooooo much to do here. We extended our stay to 3 nights and pushed back our other reservations and fishing trips. Tomorrow we will be doing a 21 mile, 6 hour rafting trip. I have never been white water rafting, so I am really looking forward to this adventure. Check back tomorrow for updates and pictures!

Yellowstone Lake Hiking

July 10th, 2008

As Andrea and I have been mingling with the rest of the campers in all of the different RV parks we have begun to realize that we are the youngest couple in any of these parks by about 20 years. There is an Airstream (type of camper) caravan from South Carolina that is staying in our campground where the average age is probably 70. However, AJ and I are adapting to our surroundings. We have both started carrying fanny packs. I know they are a fashion no-no, but they are so practical. Where else can you fit a handful of sweet-n-low packets taken from the free coffee stand at the RV Park Office? AJ has a deluxe model with multiple zippers and compartments, while mine is a mini model which can only carry a camera, some asprin, tums, and any coupons that may come in handy for our day out exploring.

As for our day, we woke up early and hiked two beautiful trails on Yellowstone Lake. The first was Pelican Creek which was 1.3 miles and ended up with an excellent view of the lake. Storm Point was our second hike which took us 2.3 miles and took us through a meadow full of buffalo to the lake. We also saw several deer and a whole family of groundhogs which let Andrea get extremely close for pictures. After that we took our bikes 3 miles to Natural Bridge to see an arch over a small creek. It is very similar to arch rock on Mackinaw Island.

To finish off the day we were going to rent a boat on Yellowstone Lake, but the wind is so strong that they were keeping all boats in the first bay. Right now we are sitting at Pumice Point where I am going to do some fishing while AJ downloads the pictures. I hooked a nice fish (I presume a laker) yesterday which snapped my line. We are leaving bright and early for the Tetons tomorrow.

Fishing Bridge/Yellowstone Lake Area

Yellowstone July 8, 08
Written By: Fishingnick

We reached Fishing Bridge RV Park at about 9:30 and set up camp. The campground has about 400 spaces, pay showers, laundry, and a great central location to explore the park. After setting up camp we headed out for a tour of some geysers and wildlife. Our first stop was mud volcano. It was about a ¾ mile hike to see sights that do not belong on our planet. The best thing about this site was that I could blame all of the foul smells on the sulphur-scented mud pits.

From there we drove through Hayden Valley where spotted a Grizzly Bear with two cubs, tons of buffalo, and a coyote (which Andrea thinks would be good for playing with Gus).

We headed straight west towards Norris Geyser where we encountered more of the stinkin’ mud and geysers. It was about a two mile hike total to see all of the thermal features.

We stopped by Old Faithfull to finish off the loop. We noticed that there was a steady line of cars leaving the parking lot. When I asked a person when it erupted he said, “About one minute ago.” Since we didn’t have time to wait another 50 minutes for the next one, we head back to camp for some Hot Dogs, Corned Beef Hash, and $3.25 showers. No fishing today, but we are going to hit some trails the next couple of days which could coincide with brief stints of angling.

July 9, 08
Written By: TravelGirl

Woke up bright and early this morning to try to do some wildlife sighting and beat the crowds to the good hiking places. We saw several herds of buffalo on our drive. One buffalo was right next to the road. So close I could have reached out and touched him. It amazes me how they completely ignore people and cars.

Our first destination was the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. We did a hike called Uncle Tom’s Trail. It started at the top and descended ¾ of the way into the canyon with a beautiful view of a massive waterfall. Since it was so early in the morning we only saw a few other hikers on the trail. The South Rim Trail is connected to Uncle Tom’s so we decided to do that hike as well. The trail went right around the canyon and once again we were blown away with the beauty before us. The trail ended at Artist’s Point which was a perfect picture opportunity. Although, Nick and I have commented quite often that everywhere you look out here is a picture!

After leaving the canyon area we headed toward Grebe Lake Trail. It is a 6 mile fairly level hike (3 miles each way). The lake was breathtaking! Nick did a little fishing and I enjoyed the scenery while sneaking in a little nap on the shore. He ended up catching 6 grayling with one being about 15 inches.

Then it was back to the camper for some lunch and a few minutes of rest. We hopped back in the truck and drove over to Old Faithful Geyser. After waiting about 45 minutes she erupted. The show lasted for about 1 ½ minutes and then it was done! We were glad that we didn’t miss it this time!

On the way back we stopped by Pumice Point on Yellowstone Lake. We could get cell service so we can post! Nick threw in his line and quickly hooked a fish, but his line broke so we didn’t get to see what it was. Tomorrow we are doing a few hikes and one bike ride around Yellowstone Lake. We are also going to rent a boat to take out on the lake. The following day we are headed to Jackson Hole, then West Yellowstone, up to Slough Creek, and finally out to Black Hills/Mt. Rushmore.

I will try to upload some additional pictures/videos over the next few days. Cell/internet service is really spotty inside the park.

Prime Rib, Shootouts, and Rodeos

Yesterday we started the day with a little shopping in Cody. The local shops offer lots of neat western clothing, accessories, and accessories. Since it was a Monday morning there were very few people out and about. We were back at the camper for lunch and then took a bike ride through town and out to the Shoshone River doing a little geocaching on the way. Lots of hills…my legs were tired!

The evening brought an all-you-can-eat prime rib dinner at Irma’s (Famous Buffalo Bill Hotel), street shootout, and Cody Rodeo. The rodeo was awesome! So much fun! I have lots of pictures and videos that I’ll post soon. I want to try to get this post made before I lose my internet connection.

Today we’re headed to Fishing Bridge Campground on Yellowstone Lake. We might not have internet or cell service for a few days, so if you don’t hear from us don’t worry. We’ll post as soon as we can.

July 6th

Fun day in Cody! We woke up around 8:00 and were on the road by 9:00. First stop Buffalo Bill Museum. I was a little hesitant about this choice, but it turned out to be awesome. I think I might have even enjoyed it more than “history lovin’” Nick. My dad will be proud!! Link to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center.

The museum has the most comprehensive collection of American firearms in the world. I’ve never seen so many guns in my life. Nick’s dad and brothers would have loved this part of the museum. Next we went to the natural history section, which taught us all about the animals and land features of Yellowstone. After that we learned all about “Buffalo Bill” Cody. What an exciting life he led! Finally, we visited my favorite part, the Plains Indians Exhibit. I think I enjoyed this section so much because I teach a Plains Indians social studies unit, and it was so neat to see the real artifacts, artwork, and clothing first hand. I took so many pictures! Nick and I were both so surprised at the size of the historical center. There was so much to see!

After a quick lunch back at the camper and a trip to the grocery store for some additional supplies we decided to check out the town and do some geocaching. Our caches took us outside of the main tourist area, so we got to see some areas that we normally wouldn’t have found. We found both of the caches, but the second one was really tricky.

East Newton Lake Fishing Report
Written by: fishingnick
Cody, Wyoming 7/06/08

We finished out the day by packing a picnic dinner and venturing out to a local lake so that I could do some fishing. AJ enjoyed sitting out by the lake taking in the beautiful scenery and getting some fresh air. When it became too windy, she watched me fish from the truck while reading her US Weekly.



This was the first time I had fished a lake for trout with success in a long time. I tried tossing olive and black bunny leeches (suggested at the local fly shop) with no success. I saw one fish rise and switched to a Goddard Caddis. I caught a few decent rainbows (12-13 inches) and then I had an absolute monster take my fly. I got lucky and must have dropped that fly right on its nose because as soon as it hit the water its head came right out of the water and engulfed my fly. After about a 5 minute battle and a couple of nice runs I landed him. I didn’t get an accurate measure but it was well over the 20” mark on my rod.

We Made It!!

We pulled into Ponderosa Campground in Cody at about 5:30 Wyoming time. Nick and I set up camp quickly and headed to the bathhouses for a nice shower. We are now off to the town for something to eat. Just wanted to let everyone know that we made it safe and sound. Stay Tuned!

Last Day of Driving

Yesterday was another fun-filled day of driving. Luckily, we stopped a disaster before it happened. Somewhere in Western Missouri we stopped for an Iced Coffee and gas and I noticed that the bike rack on the rear bumper of the camper was sagging a little. The welds on the bumper had broken from the extra weight of the bike rack and the bikes. We were probably only about one good bump from losing the bumper, the rack, and both bikes...including AJ's new bike. On a side note, when she bought that bike I accidentally scratched it while putting it on the bike rack.

We drove until about 11:30 p.m. to North Platte, Nebraska. Stopped at Wal-Mart and found a cozy little spot next to all the other Wal-Mart campers. Being that it was the Fourth of July the parking lot was filled with teenagers blasting their radios and shooting off fireworks. What else is there to do in Nebraska but hang out in the Wal-Mart parking lot on our nation's birthday. When the noise died down we were able to get a few hours of sleep and were up and ready to hit the road about 6:30 a.m.

While waiting for AJ to get up and around I decided to sit in the truck, running the GPS, satellite radio, and charge the laptop battery while making this post. I was also thinking of plugging the toaster into our dual power inverter to enjoy a warm Pop Tart when the cigarette lighter fuse blew. I guess all of our technology was a little bit too much for the Dodge's system.

After trip into the Wal-Mart automotive department and $2.47, the fuse is replaced and we're back on the road. 600 more miles and we will be in Cody, WY, our first official stop on this two week adventure.

Griswold Vacation Continues!!!!

Last night we drove until about 1:30 a.m. making it just east of St. Louis. We pulled right into a Sam's Club/Wal-Mart parking lot and popped up the camper. There were already two other trailers parked there for the night. We fell asleep in two seconds, exhausted from the drive. We woke up at about 7:00 ready to begin another day of driving.

Nick drove about 400 feet (not even out of the parking lot) and the transmission light came on. At first we didn't think it was that big of a deal, but then the truck started sputtering when we got above 50 mph. We pulled off at the next exit to check it out and determined that it was the cam shaft sensor. We tried calling a Dodge dealership. Then we remembered...IT'S THE FOURTH OF JULY!! Nothing is open! It was really starting to feel like we were part of the Griswold Family Vacation!


Nick had the bright idea of looking on Craigslist for a traveling mechanic. We found a posting by Terry of Good-N-Tight Mobile Auto Repair and gave him a call. He was out the door and to our truck in about 30 minutes. The truck was fixed and ready for the road 15 minutes and $40 later. Thank goodness for wireless internet cards! It is our hope that this will be the last minor "snag" of the trip. We'll have to see...


We just drove through St. Louis and over the Mississippi River. We saw the St. Louis Arch and I was able to take a picture from the car. I wish we had more time to stay and sight see. It looks like a neat city, but Yellowstone here we come!!

*Nick is really starting to think he is Chevy Chase. He has started belting out the song "Holiday Road" and keeps glancing in his rear view mirror expecting Christie Brinkley to cruise up in her convertible. :)

Well that's all for now. Thanks for checking in on us!

We're Off!!

We got on the road today about 2:00. As of now we only have about 1775 more miles to go! (What did I get myself into?!) I am posting this from the passenger seat. So far our Sprint internet card is working great. Well, that's all for now. Keep checking back for updates!

Love,
Nick & AJ

Cheap Gas!!!

Everyone seems to think we are crazy for driving out to Yellowstone. However, we are driving through the region of the country with the cheapest gas. Check out this link.

http://www.gasbuddy.com/gb_gastemperaturemap.aspx