Day 1: Wed 6/23/10: PVD to SLC to Rock Springs, WY:

Flew all morning via Southwest, arrived in SLC around 10 AM. Called Acess RV to pick us up at the airport and we were introduced to our 23-foot motorhome, which was to be our home for the next 10 days. It was fully equipped with bathroom, heating, refrigerator, propane stove, generator, air conditioner, microwave oven, television and DVD player, and three sleeping areas (one master bed, one bed above the driving compartment, one living area that converted to a bed at night).

We had trouble finding the WalMart in SLC, so we stopped instead at Park City to stock up on food and supplies. The interstate in Utah and later Wyoming are wide and straight, and the speed limit is typically 75MPH, which is the fastest I’ve ever driven, never mind in a vehicle larger than I’ve ever driven. Strangely, after a few hours of driving my allergies started bothering me, and my eyes were strained and watery, even painful. At one point I had to stop the vehicle and allow W. to drive. We stopped again at a Wal-Mart and picked up some very nifty polarized driving sunglasses that fit over my prescription glasses, and the problem did not recur.

The kids enjoyed being able to eat in the vehicle. E managed to spill his cereal not once, but twice on the floor, and we had colorful particles of Fruity Pebbles in the cab for the rest of the trip.

Arrived at the KOA at Rock Springs, WY as a mid-point sleep stop, on the way to Thermopolis. Rock Springs is apparently not much more than a few restaurants (including an iHop), alon the highway, and the KOA is not much more than a dusty, hot parking lot with a pool. It was nothing like the campgrounds I was familiar with in the East, with no trees or natural setting of any kind. The evening was hot, and we went to bed with the RV windows open. As the night went on, the temperature dropped to the 50′s, and we were shivering in the vehicle. I had not yet discovered the thermostat and heater.

Day 2: Thurs: Rock Springs to Thermopolis

Eric spills his cereal and milk in the car, which we fear will leave a stinky residue (it doesn’t). On the way to Thermopolis we pass through the Wind River Canyon State Park, which is the first interesting natural setting, and we decided to stop for lunch. Unfortunately, we paid $6 to picnic in the state park, when we could have stopped at any rest stop for free. We then drove trough the beautiful canyon, arrived in Thermopolis and headed straight for the Wyoming Dinosaur Center. It is a very high quality museum with many significant artifacts from the local dig site (including a Supersaurus skeleton and an archaeoperix impression) and other specimens from other sites. There was also a tour of an actual outdoor dinosaur excavation site, which was highly impressive. We witnessed excavation of Camarasaurus bones and Allosaurus footprints and teeth. It was very hot.

We checked into Eagle RV Park and Campground in Thermopolis. Eagle was a nice step up from the Rock Springs KOA. There was no pool, but it did have cable TV. The campground owners informed us that the river float trip we had anticipated was cancelled due to high water. We got supplies at Blair’s market, and wine across the street at the combo liquor store/bar. Then we enjoyed a picnic dinner at the Hot Springs State Park, and E saw a deer standing on the very top of a hill. After dinner we drove through a bison sighting area, where we saw some bison right up along the road as the sun was starting to get low in the sky behind some clouds (8:30).

Sunset in Wyoming was after 9PM, and it was difficult to stick to our plan of going to bed early and rising early. We started fairly quickly going to bed around 9 or 9:30, and waking around 7AM. This second night we were smarter, and put on the heat and kept the windows closed overnight.

Day 3: Friday: 6/25/10: Thermopolis all day

The first thing we did after breakfast was get the key at the Thermopolis Hot Springs visitor center for the Legend Rock parking area. We drove about 20 miles to the site, which featured petroglyphs both ancient and more recent (“RH 1908″). I could have taken a closer look at some of the inscriptions, but it was really hot and the kids couldn’t take it much more. In addition to the petroglyphs, there was a nice colony of cliff swallows which built their nest in the cliff.

We returned the key to the Hot Springs State Park and had lunch there at a nice grassy picnic area. Then we went to the “teepee” water park, a small water park with some indoor and outdoor thermal baths, plus a waterslide. The kids especially loved the waterslide, especially E (it was his favorite thing of the trip). After water fun, what’s better than ice cream, which we partook at the Dairyland on Park Street. We were learning that we could take the RV most anywhere that there is onstreet parking; the wide streets of Wyoming were well accommodating our wide vehicle. Ice cream was followed by a visit to the Hot Springs Historical Museum, which was a superb little museum loaded with western artifacts including a stage coach, the bar from the Hole in the Wall Saloon, and recreated building interiors including a bank, dentist, doctor office, photography studio, and much much more.

We returned to the campground for dinner, then it was back to the Hot Springs Park for another look for bison. We didn’t have as much luck, but the sun gave us a better display than last night, and I shot a few scenics. Then we decided to check out the footbridge over the Big Horn river, but were nearly devoured by mosquitoes. We returned to the campground around 9:15, put the kids to bed, had some wine, and went to bed.

Day 4: Saturday: 6/26/10: Thermopolis to Cody

Filled up with gas in the morning, and I was passed by a band of motorcyclists on the way to Cody. We arrived at Cody at 11AM and bought tickets for a 1pm trolley (bus) tour of Cody. Then we headed to the Sierra Trading Post outlet store to get shoes for S and a sweater for W, was well as a national park pass. A coupon for a free t-shirt netted me one plain boring white t-shirt.

From 1-2 we took the Cody tour bus, which pointed out the historical sites as well as the new fitness center and some other Chamber of Commerce-type locations. It was rather difficult to imagine the area the way it was 120 years ago, since there were so few landmarks that survived. S loved the tour, I was not impressed. After the bus tour we spent about 2-4 pm at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, which was a set of several very high-quality museums together in one spot. The kids most enjoyed the Draper Museum of Natural history, where they enjoyed a “treasure hunt” in which they got a small brochure stamped at several embossing stations. My favorite was the Whitney Gallery of Western Art.

After the Cody Historical Center we stopped briefly at the back of a souvenir store to see a huge diorama/train set tableau of the history of Cody and the West. Of course the kids wanted to spend their $10 souvenir allowance. We had dinner at the Sunset House Restaurant, where I had bison steak; the flavor was remarkably good, but it was much fattier and greasier than I expected.

At Cody we stayed at a KOA campground, which was very clean and well-run, with a pool and trampoline and an advertised free pancake breakfast. Well, the pancakes were free, but everything else cost money. We considered going to the 8pm Cody rodeo, a famous nightly show, but we decided it would be better to skip it and turn in early so that we could get a good start on Yellowstone. Looking back, I regret that decision; probably the rodeo would have been a lot of fun. Instead of going to the rodeo, I bought a bag of “burn in the bag” charcoal, and we cooked smores by the RV.

Day 5: Sunday 6/27/10: Cody to Canyon Village

On the way out of Cody we stopped at the Yellowstone Gift Shop, a reputed location of an elongated penny machine. I also picked up a christmas ornament and magnet. We stopped for gas and a newspaper (E desperately wanted to see a weather report daily) and then at the Cody Dam Visitor Center, where another elongated penny machine awaited us. We also picked up a small animal identification guide, which became our constant companion throughout the trip.

As we entered Yellowstone, the canyon became more steep and spectacular, and we even saw snow on the side of the road. At the entry gate, we picked up a newspaper, and W discovered a 3pm ranger hike at Canyon. We decided to make that our day’s goal; but we still had a way to go, yet. At least the GPS gave us a running estimate of how long it would take to get there.

At the Dam, E had asked for a parks passport, and we debated the merits of the request on the way to Fishing Bridge, Yellowstone. We decided that collecting a set of something would be a good way to encourage E’s interest in the trip, so we picked one up.

On the way to Canyon we did stop to see pelicans at LeHardys Rapids, and for our first geothermal attractions: Dragon’s Breath and the mud volcano. Plus we saw some elk and bison.

We arrived at Canyon just in time to put on shoes and sunscreen, and join the ranger for his walk. It was a good presentation; the ranger gave an overview not just of the canyon but also of the whole park, its mission and history. We saw the lower falls from several vantage points on the south rim, plus bear claw marks, the different kinds of pines in the park, and more.

After the walk we made a beeline for the grocery store at Canyon, only to find the power out. The power outage made grocery shopping slow, and also made campground check-in extremely slow. We had a quick dinner and went back south to Hayden Valley to see wildlife: a few bison, elk, and one grizzly bear in the far distance. Then we returned to Canyon Village for ice cream.

At the campsite, I balanced two sets of three rocks. It was impressive enough that an elderly tourist had his picture taken with them the next morning.

Day 6: Canyon to Gardiner, 6/28/10

One of the problems with the RV style of travel is that I cannot get up early and drive to a location for photography. I have to wait in the RV until everyone wakes up; at that point, we can drive to the location and the others can eat breakfast while I do my photo thing. Such was the case this morning, as I waited until 7:30 to drive to Artist Point (sunrise was around 5:40). I shot what I could shoot at 7:45, had breakfast then returned to Artist Point again at 9:45 to catch the famous “10:00 rainbow”.

At Artist Point, E was clearly jumping to do some rock climbing and get some outdoor exercise. So we decided to split up, with W and S going to Canyon Village to do some shopping with E and I took the Uncle Tom’s Trail down to the lower falls. The trail wasn’t exactly rocky as much as it was a series of steps, many many metal steps down to the falls. When we got back to the top, we had to wait for W and S to return, as it was a short hike.

Next we drove again, toward Tower-Roosevelt. Prioritizing, we skipped the Lamar Valley entirely and decided to do a short hike at the Yellowstone Picnic Area, which was written up in one of our guidebooks as one of the top Yellowstone short hikes. The sun was scorching hot, but we enjoyed a view of the river valley which was breathtaking. And we saw some interesting birds. After the hike itw was time to drive to Mammoth hot Springs to get ice cream. There were quite a few elk grazing right there in the town square. E got his Passport pass, and there was a penny machine in the Mammoth gift shop.

From there it was off to Gardiner for grocery shopping. By then I was feeling woozy and tired, probably significantly dehydrated. We went to the Yellowstone Campground, a private campground in Gardiner, and I tried to nap while W and S watched a download of Dr. Who, which was quickly becoming S’s favorite conversational topic of the trip. In retrospect, what I should have done at that point was take E and the RV to the north entrance of the park, which I had wanted to photograph in evening light; however, I was so light-headed and tired that the thought did not occur to me. By the next morning, the gate was in shadow, and the shot was not ideal.

The campground was situated right on the river, but our site did not have direct river access. The sun was hot, with no shade anywhere; the campground was like a big desert parking lot. I tried some rock stacking, but the rocks were almost too hot to handle.

Day 7: 6/29/10; Gardiner to Grant Village

We got gas in Gardiner and headed to Mammoth Hot Springs. On the way, we had to stop at the sign that announced the 45th parallel. I thought it would appeal to E’s love of geography.

We saw the Lower Terraces, and even did the Upper Terraces Drive. The signs said that the Upper Terraces Drive was closed to RV’s, but our guide book said that vehicles under 25 feet were allowed; ours was 23 feet. It proved to be a fine decision, as we were well able to negotiate the drive. There were some particularly beautiful geysers along this drive.

After the Terraces, we saw a mother and bear cub along the road.

Then it was on to Norris Geyser Basin. I wanted to have lunch at an overlook, but we wound up having lunch in the parking lot of Norris. After lunch we sunscreened up and headed for the Norris Geyser Basin. Steamboat geyser amazed us with its hissing and gurgling, we were sure it was due to erupt any minute; it’s also the world’s tallest geyser. Then we learned that it has not erupted since 2005, and we gave up on it. My favorites here were porkchop geyser, churning pump geyser, and beautiful emerald spring.

From the Norris geyser Basin we drove to West Yellowstone, Montana. First I stopped at a photo store and bought a polarizing filter, which I had forgotten to pack. I knew that a polarizer would bring out the colors of the hot springs and darken the sky. I had also heard that geyser water contains silica, which can damage camera lenses. Next up was dinner at the Timberline Cafe, where I had trout. Then more souvenirs, a penny machine, ice cream, and a drive back to Yellowstone. We saw the Lower Geyser Basin and the Upper Geyser Basin as we drove on across the Continental Divide (twice) to Grant Village Campground. Grand Campground is a lovely wooded campground on Yellowstone Lake, but there are no views from most of the sites. There is no hot water at the campground. As we went to bed, we heard the pitter-patter of raindrops on the roof of the RV.

Day 8: 6/30/10: Grant to Old Faithful to Colter Bay Campground

In the morning we rushed out to Old Faithful as early as possible. We caught the 10:30 eruption, which was mostly steam, then separated for a tour of the closest loop of the upper geyser basin. I shot a lot, my favorites being Blue Star Spring and Pump Geyser.

Back to Old Faithful for the noon eruption, which was better but some guy stood up in front of my camera, ruining my video. I’d have to reshoot OF from the front row. Had lunch in the RV, then it was back to OF for the 1:30 eruption, before which a child repeatedly asked “when will it erupt? when will it erupt?”, which became kind of a catchphrase for the rest of the trip. The eruption went off very beautifully, it was the best eruption of the day and I managed to sit right up front. We then took a longer geyser walk; I wanted to walk to the famously beautiful Morning Glory Pool but the kids were reluctant. It was hot but breezy and we persuated the kids to make the hike by promising ice cream at the end. I got squirted by the Sawmill Geyser. The water was hot but not painful, and spray did get on my new polarizing filter. Other favorites included Grotto, which according to E. looked like Abraham Lincoln, Beauty Pool, and of course Castle Geyser, whose eruption we had missed while eating lunch.

We returned to the Old Faithful Inn for the promised ice cream, and by that time it was nearly 4:30; time for Old Faithful to erupt one more time (the weather was turning cloudy). So we would up watching four eruptions total.

By this time we knew we had to head to Colter Bay, which was out the southern entrance of Yellowstone, in Grand Teton. At Colter Bay, we discovered that the float trip was booked solid, but there was room on a boat cruise (which was shorter) so we booked that. The guide also suggested we hike to hidden falls and inspiration Point at Jenny Lake. E got his passport stamped, and we had dinner at the cafeteria at Colter Bay. The campground was very woodsy and cozy, and even had electric hookups and hot water in the showers.

Day 9: 7/1/10: Colter Bay and Environs all day

Tried to get out a little early, and drove to the Oxbow bend overlook. Actually, we intended to turn for Jenny Lake, but it’s a good thing we missed it; we would not have stopped at Oxbow bend otherwise. From there, we backtracked a little bit to the Jenny Lake road, and at Jenny Lake had breakfast and took the ferry across the lake to the Hidden Falls/Inspiration Point trail. It’s a short but very rewarding trail; the waterfall is gorgeous and the view from inspiration Point is gorgeous. The whole hike reminded me of the White Mountains of New Hampshire, with thousands of pine trees and rocky overlook points. We had a small snack and hiked back down to the ferry.

We drove back to Colter Bay to make our 3:30 boat cruise time. On the way, we saw traffic stopped along the road, just south of the Jackson lake dam; there was a bear with two cubs eating a kill, and walking down to a stream for a drink. The spectators were blocking the road until a ranger came and ordered us to move along.

We arrived at Colter Bay just in time to get our stuff together and get on the boat. The tour was relaxing and informative, but probably not a highlight of the trip. In the evening, W went to get some computer time at the laundry room while the kids and I checked out the gift shop; then we headed to the lake to see if we could get a photo of the sunset on the Tetons. Unfortunately, we locked W out of the RV until we got back.

Day 10: 7/2/10: Colter Bay to SLC;

This day was mostly spent driving. In the morning we stopped at most of the viewpoints in the Tetons, including a return to Oxbow Bend. I had a sense that this was where Ansel Adams took his famous photo, but I’m still not certain. In any case, there are lots of very short trails to the river that were fun to explore. At one point I slipped and fell, and I think my sunglasses fell off my head, never to be seen again.

We took one last stop at the visitor center to get some final souvenirs, then it was off to Jackson for gas. We didn’t stay long in Jackson, and headed back to SLC via a route determined by my GPS unit. I’m not completely sure what route we took, but we followed the Snake River along the ridge of a canyon, with spectacular views and a twisty, windy road. Then, we were in Idaho, which was mostly flat but with mountains in the distance. Always mountains in the distance. We tried to spot which fields were growing potatoes, but it wasn’t always so obvious.

In Idaho, the interstate speed limits were 75, and the roads were dead straight, for the most part. Handling an RV at 75 mph was not difficult, really, but it did require great attention to the road, as there was no room for error. We stopped for dinner at a IHOP outside SLC, and arrived at Homewood Suites Salt Lake City around 7pm. I parked the RV across the street, in an area reserved for 45-degree parking. I parked parallel to the curb, so that the vehicle would not stick out into traffic. I was worried about getting a ticket, but I made it OK.

Day 11: 7/3/10: Salt Lake City

The first job of the day was to find a gas station where I could fill up the RV with gasoline and propane, then return the RV. W gave me permission to explore the city a bit while she and the kids rested up at the hotel. From the RV place, I took a light rail line to downtown. I got off by the courthouse, and admired the old buildings on Main Street downtown. I was impressed by the architecture and ambience of Salt lake City’s small but well-preserved Main Street, with its little bookstores and restaurants. At the north end of Main Street (actually, the center of town) is the Mormon temple complex, and north of that is the state capitol. The walk from the state capitol to our hotel was about 45 minutes; from the temple to hotel about 30 minutes. A hop on the light rail could shave 10 minutes off that time. Next to our hotel was a wonderful, lively farmer’s market.

After my morning walk, I joined W and the kids at the hotel for lunch and a dip in the pool. Dinner was at Denny’s, a short walk away.

After dinner I headed back downtown for some stock shooting at sunset. I had two specific goals: the State Capitol building and the mormon temple. As I arrived at the Capitol Building, the sun was behind a cloud. I waited and waited for the sun to appear from behind the clouds, and was eventually rewarded with a dazzling illumination of the capitol dome. There were a few other shooters there, including a local guy who I chatted with. I finished up the Blue Hour at the Mormon Temple, which was beautifully lit, but had an earth mover machine parked in front of it. It was tricky to shoot around the construction equipment. I was back at the hotel by 10:15.

Day 12: 7/4/10: Salt Lake City to Home

I woke at 5AM to shoot sunrise. My hope was to capture the first rays of the sun hitting the mormon temple. However, it turned out to be a poor result. Sunrise time was 6:02 AM, but the hills to the east meant a delayed sunrise. Also, the sky was mostly overcast to the east, so there was to be no direct sunlight this morning.

I had promised W that I’d be back at the hotel by 7:00, so I didn’t have much time to wait for better light. I made it back to the hotel at 7:05, then we were off to the airport and our long flight back home.

Good King Wenceslas duet from Kenneth Zirkel on Vimeo.

Star Spangled banner from Kenneth Zirkel on Vimeo.

Unfortunately, I was late on the video, and didn’t have a tripod.