Would we do it again?

ABSOLUTELY!

We had a great time, the camper worked out no complaints except I wish it had a bigger kitchen.

Rick did an amazing job planning the trip and we went to every place we had planned, that being said we probably crammed too much in and looking back we would have thrown out a few places but we didn't know.

Lessons learned:

If we ever go back to Yellowstone we would stay in different locations every couple days (South, middle & North).

Go to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon - not the North Rim, not enough railings.

Pepsi is made in Wyoming - hard to find diet coke.

You see a lot of bears early in the morning.

Showering in the little camper shower isn't really an option, research camp showers better next time.

It was a lot harder being without internet/phone access than I imagined.  Nice but we felt very isolated. 

Wrap up

Wed, Aug 8th, my cousin Jeff drove us up to Pike's Peak.  Grant got car sick along the way, if you've never driven up there it was insane!  Criss crossing across the mountain, we all got a little woozy.  Great views at the top and some hot donuts!  They were having the Pike's Peak car race this weekend so on Wed they were having test runs.  The cars start about halfway up but it's nuts there are blind turns and we could see some of the crashed cars being brought down.  No thank you!

That afternoon we went back to my cousins houses and got to see the animals and cactus.  The kids could have stayed there for days playing with everyone, but alas we went to my aunt and uncles house for a big family dinner.  Very nice to relax and catch up with everyone.  Showed off our pictures and kids played outside.  Great evening!

Thursday, Aug 9th, drove home across Kansas - so windy!  Rick fought the wind the whole way home but we made it in good time.  Then started the long process of removing everything from the camper and doing 15 loads of laundry.  Yuck

Tuesday, August 7th

Right there in Breckenridge is the Country Boy Gold Mine.  We took a tour of the cold, wet and dark mine, and realized that we wouldn’t have made it as a miner.  Then we did some gold panning.  No luck but the kids had fun trying.  Apparently there is still $50 million of gold on the claim behind the existing mine but to bring the mine up to current code and the equipment needed would cost $75 million – crazy!

On to Colorado Springs to where my Aunt & Uncle, Dottie & Duane, live and their four sons (my cousins) and their families.  My parents are also here they flew in to stay with my mom’s brother, and their sister, Sylvia flew in from OKC.  So we are having a little family reunion here.  We are parked at my cousin David and his wife Amber’s house, he actually lives next door to his brother, Stephen.  Very impressed, David’s house is a two story log cabin that he built himself!  They have some geese and a couple goats, and David’s also raises and trains falcons.  Next door Stephen and his wife Meredith have a few animals but she is focusing on an impressive garden this year.  They each have four kids and my kids were having a great time running around.  It was just nice to sit down relax and have a home cooked meal and adult conversation!

Tomorrow off to Pike’s Peak!

Monday, August 6th

After a slow start of getting out of Moab we headed to Breckenridge, Co.  Up and down some mountains we went with the giant RV hoping it would make it a few times on those climbs.  We made it to Breckenridge but it was pouring and cold.  Looked for a place to eat but there wasn’t any place to park the RV and it was raining so hard by then I was like let’s just go to the campground.

Oh my goodness, it was the nicest campground we had no idea there was anything like this.  It was an owner place where the lots were private lots and also log cabins around the outside.  You had a card key to get in!  The really deluxe RV sites around the outside of the park had sheds and patios for the campers which they were all these giant A class RV’s.  Those are the ones that are like a tour bus.  These weren’t like any A class RV’s we’d seen in the other campgrounds, these were tricked out and insanely nice.  There were a few fifth wheel campers, huge ones of course but we were the only C class camper there – I felt like we were in a hoopdee.  There was a clubhouse with a really nice indoor pool and hot tubs.  A similar lot to the one we were on was selling for $62,500!  For a concrete pad!  But I guess it’s because it was in Breckenridge but still!  We enjoyed our stint at a ‘luxury’ RV site.

Since it was pouring we went to the pool and ended up making microwave s’mores!   And I taught the kids how to play gin rummy.

Sunday August 5th, Moab, Utah

LAZY day – we don’t really have to be anywhere but plan on going to Arches National Park and skipping Canyonlands park.  We had scheduled two full days here but it is hot and we are going to go to Breckenridge instead.  The nice RV park here didn’t charge us for the third night and we found a beautiful place in Breckenridge that is more of a resort that allows RV’s to stay.

Since we finally have strong internet access I updated the blog this morning being a week and a half behind and added some pictures, they take a while to load so that is the frustrating part.

The kids played in the playground for a couple hours building this river with water from some hose, they had fun but they were pretty dirty so we got a late start to the Arches park.

It was beautiful!  So different than any other landscapes we’d seen, like the canyons but smooth and weird.  It was nice since you could walk in them and around and no serious cliffs to fall down.  Though Grant did climb a little higher than we liked and he was trying to do ‘parkour’ on the rocks – really and made me record him doing it.  This crazy French guy climbed in this crack to get a picture and I thought he was going to die so I was recording him to, and then I wanted to kill him myself because Grant was trying to follow him. 

There were a lot of tourists there suddenly and motorcyclists and it was really hot so we bowed out after a couple hours, Rick and I were tired of carrying the backpack with all the waters and cameras while trying to keep Blair in her flip flops from following Grant up walls.

We got back made dinner, kids went swimming and then tried playing some games, UNO and Jenga but whoever lost was resolved to tears and it quickly became a brawl. 

Saturday, August 4th

Today was our rafting trip down the Colorado River starting from the base of the Glen Canyon Dam.  Behind the dam is Lake Powell. 

The rafting trip is 16 miles, gentle waters, it was the only one we could find that would take 4 year olds.  Anyhow it was nice except we started at 7:30!  You drive through a 2 mile tunnel dug into the sandstone to the base of the dam and start there.  It was cold in the morning but got hot later.  We stopped and got off the raft at a little sand bar that is actually a National Park spot with Rangers and bathrooms. We viewed the Indian petroglyphs, got to say they were a letdown, Lauren said the Indian’s drew with crayons on the wall?  I had to leave then or laugh.  The kids chased lizards and they all stepped in the water – 47 degrees.  Rick said his feet hurt after a minute.  Some crazy Europeans in the group had their swimsuits and jumped in – briefly.

Back on the river the cliffs and wildlife were very impressive, we saw wild ponies, lots of birds and a fox that moved like a mountain goat on the cliffs – which is essentially the Grand Canyon walls.  We stopped at Lee’s Ferry which is right were the Grand Canyon officially starts, and rapids do too.  There was a group getting ready to start a trip and the only trips through the Grand Canyon are minimum 3 days because there is no way out except by helicopter!  They were going for 14 but some were leaving after 6 days.  Normal rapids are on a scale of 1-5, at the GC they are on a 1-10 scale they are so rough.  Crazy! 

Back at the dam we took a tour and it was very neat.  The Hoover dam is taller but this one is bigger.  Our guide was a Navajo Indian, and very knowledgeable.  There is also a coal plant nearby on the Navajo reservation and he said there is a giant coal mine on the reservation, who knew.  Grant and Rick loved it, so did I and the girls did pretty well.  We could have spent hours there but we needed to get going to Moab, Utah a 5 hour drive.

The five hour drive we broke down and let them watch movies, the ride is too bouncy to play games or read very long. Oh yeah and we let them have McDonald’s for breakfast. 

Aug 3rd, Friday, Grand Canyon, North Rim

So the Jacob Lake campground has showers – coin operated showers, 5 minutes for $2.25.  I have never showered so fast in my life, as adding additional quarters didn’t give you additional minutes.

Off to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, which is not the popular site usually visited by tourists.  Let me tell you why – there isn’t a big viewing area, you can’t really see the river (which we didn’t care about) but the trails were cliffs.  They had said not for the faint of heart but I assumed they meant the view not the walk.  I had a panic attack with four kids and a four year old that likes to run.  I decided to turn back with the girls and Cate turns around to talk to me and is walking backwards.  I lost it and drug them all up the path somehow.  Rick and Grant stayed and I think Rick clung to the mountain side while Grant skipped down the path with his eyes closed.  The girls and I went to the Grand Canyon Lodge where there was a more stable viewing area to wait for them.  I did walk out on a narrow path with Grant to an overhang with a little rickety railing around it and holes in the wire where a small child could easily slip through.  At that point we both wished we’d gone to the South rim and paid the $30 a person to walk out on the Indian owned glass overhang ledge, anything would have felt more secure.

That is Grant in the picture below and the area that I freaked out on - didn't like it when people passed.

Needless to say our trip there was short and we decided to head on to Page, Arizona where we are doing the river rafting tomorrow.  Got there in time to visit the dam visitor center and secure our tour tickets for the dam the next day.

On to the campground which is HUGE.  We are right next to an incredible playground and the kids had a blast until Grant wandered off with this boy to see his camper and we freaked out when we couldn’t find him for a few minutes.  Big trouble, so he had to go do laundry with me, and he was mortified and wanted to go to the pool with his sisters.  It was the only place in the campgrounds I got good wifi so I could check email and news on my phone but it was spotty.  I relented and went to the pool with him for a bit then we had to go get our laundry which he had to carry.  Windy night but we are excited for tomorrow.

Aug 2nd, Thursday, Jacobs Lake, Arizona

LAZY day, we hung around the camp ground until the afternoon and then finally all walked about 1.5 miles to this little store/hotel near the visitor’s center for Kaibab National Forest, Jacob’s Lake Inn.  It was a happening little spot with a diner and gift shop and small grocery.

We almost bought marshmallows and chocolate bars there but the marshmallows were all stuck together and the chocolate had almonds in it and someone flipped out.

But this has been the ONLY campsite where we can have a fire!  They seem to have thunderstorms in the afternoon and their fire threat is at moderate.  The fire rings are in the middle of the campground with picnic tables around them not right next to your camper like you’d expect but we were the only one’s there so it was fine and still very close to our camper for the 20 trips we made back and forth.

So very excited Rick paid $6 for 6 pieces of wood from the campground, you aren’t allowed to bring your own tainted wood in.  But we could use pine needles and someone else had left wood at another fire ring.  It probably took 30 minutes to start the fire with damp wood and no good kindling.  FINALLY got it going good after an hour and Rick had also bought marshmallows and chocolate from the camp office, you don’t want to know what he paid!

Trip 1 back to the camper – chairs to sit closer to the fire it was cold outside, trip 2 – popcorn, trip 3 – wipes, trip 4 – more popcorn, trip 5 – blankets, trip 6 – plastic wine glasses and wine, trip 7 – fire crystals (change the flame colors), trip 8 – more wine, etc.

We stayed out there a long time, the girls were collecting pine needles, and I told them that in Indian times this would have been their chore to collect kindling.  Well they took it very seriously and then made a huge pile and said they were making a bed, and Lauren really thought they were sleeping out there that night.  We all got a little crazy throwing pine needles on the fire they were fun to watch instantly combust but alas we had to douse the fire with provided water.  We went inside watched the movie ‘RV’ and ate mac and cheese.

Good day!

Wed, August 1st

Well after spending the night in Provo we were headed to Delta Utah for our Trilobite dig. We stopped first at Wal-mart, there was not a single family there with less than 4 kids. I noticed it and Rick mentioned it also. Only other thing we noticed was that produce was very cheap – a huge avocado for 78 cents, everything else was about half what it costs in KC.

We started heading west for Delta, Utah a small, small town. From there you drive another 20 miles of which is gravel, first tightly packed but the last 8 were rough. And there was nothing out there – not another car, building or anything, it was straight out of a horror movie, tumbleweeds and all. We weren’t sure we were going the right way but every once in a while there’d be a sign for the U Dig Fossil quarry. Finally make it there and there is a shack and a truck but no person (Rick almost drove the RV over a gravel cliff). We looked around finally I saw a cowbell to ring and right then he came up over the hills on an ATV. Gene must have been about 75, looked about 90 and talked so slow I couldn’t stand it! Very nice (his daughter lives in Lenexa) but we were a little hyped up after our scary drive out there and we still had a 5 hour drive to our next location – Grand Canyon.

This is the gravel road but aside from the gravel this is what it looks like all the way through Utah

So he finally took us out to the quarry and showed us how to split the shale, pretty cool, but giving a rock hammer to my four kids was a little frightening. The girls had refused to wear real shoes so they all had on flip flops – yes flip flops in a slippery rock quarry. I told them I wasn’t going to help them if they fell. Anyway Lauren insisted on also having a hammer and did her usual routine of singing to the rocks and dancing, Cate would find a trilobite and then spend 5 minutes explaining to us where she found it, and Blair kept saying ‘Found one!’ when a lot of times there were chips of ones. Grant in typical boy style climbed the hill and just swung his hammer trying to break whatever rocks he could, then he found the giant crow bar used to lift large rock sections. We were all fine as long as we gave him enough swinging room. It didn’t seem like we found that many but when we were done we had a good pile but you had to work for them, we were under the misconception that you just had to split some shale and there would be a trilobite – in reality it was about 1 out of 20.

Now driving the long drive to Arizona, Grant and Blair spent hours today doing Sudoku puzzles after I told them I pay 25 cents for each finished one. Kept them quiet for the longest time of the entire trip!

Leaving Yellowstone, Tuesday July 31st

Left early to look for the grizzlies but no luck – but we saw a huge black bear running by the side of the road, first time we saw one that close and far away they are cute but this was a big black bear, definitely one to be scared of.

No buffalo herds, but the check engine light came on.  Very nervous we are driving out of Yellowstone, no phone access and don’t want to ruin the rental.  Rick called (after I mentioned that I didn’t want to be charged for ruining the camper if we didn’t call!)  They were super nice and said it was the altitude and it should go away and not to worry and it was probably the gas too, they have 85 here and everything has a high ethonal content.  Well it hasn’t gone away…

We drove to Jackson Hole, Wy and took the ski lift tram up to the top.  Rick was very nervous but after looking over cliffs from the passenger side it didn’t bother me at all.  There isn’t much to do at the top except either go parasailing – no, or there is a teeny restaurant that serves waffles.  So we got waffles, yummy but again Rick was very nervous about the kids so we needed to get off the mountain top.  Before we left we saw a family of 5 getting ready to backpack down the mountain with sleeping bags, they didn’t look super fit and I hope they had bear spray but there is no way I would camp outside in a tent after all the creatures we’ve seen.

Then started a terrible drive down to Provo, Utah.  The highway followed the mountain range down on the west side all the way but I was really surprised at how much of a desert it is around here.  No trees, except in suburbs and no grass – no grass, it’s all brush and sandy dirt.  Not what I expected.  The drive was terrible because we were already tired and had to go through some curvy mountain passes, and the highway from Salt Lake to Provo was under construction and there was no shoulder.    

We are only in Provo for the night then off to dig for trilobites!

Yellowstone Day 5, Monday July 30th

Old Faithful area - since the first time we went there the kids had a mutiny and wouldn't walk we went back today to try again.  This time we only had a small mutiny.  See Lauren's face? 

We walked quite a ways out to 'Morning Glory' it was a longer walk than expected, hot and everyone wanted to be carried.  We finally got there and it was kind of disappointing, tourists throw rocks and things in it and it makes it not so hot so it isn't as bright.  So I didn't win any points for dragging everyone out there.  Lauren had to go to the bathroom and all they have out there are latrines.  We went in there but I couldn't do it, I suggested we go behind a tree but suddenly she could hold it.

We stopped at the Prismatic Springs - giant pools of hot water, bright blue, worth the stop, and the only way we got the kids through it was counting all the hats that were in the fields off the walkways since you can't retrieve them.  There were at least 12 hats, it was a windy day.  There are no people in these pictures their faces were grumpy!

Dragged ourselves back to the campground after we stopped at a creek and threw rocks and waded, when the kids are restless and driving us nuts it's a good break. 

Back at the campground we all did the showers and Rick did laundry.  Blair looked in her shower and was like can I have a different one - no they all look like that.  We all finished up before the laundry was done so I cooked dinner in the parking lot, microwaved food, real impressive.

We drove back out to see the buffalo herds near us and we only saw lone buffalo no herds, so headed back to campgrounds we were all exhausted.

Yellowstone Day 4, Sunday 29th

Rick woke up before 6 am unhooked the camper and drove out of the campgrounds.  I was awake but the kids were all asleep.  He got about 3 miles and screamed ‘BEARS!’  There were three grizzlies out the drivers side on a little hill between some trees, digging at the ground and eating stuff.  A mom and a teenager and a smaller one but not real small.  WOW the two younger ones walked in front of our camper and looked at us, it was amazing.

After that the day seemed a little boring..

We drove back North towards Lamar Valley since it was still early and there are supposed to be wolves up there.  Well it took 2 hours to get there since we had to take the scary road again and you just can't drive fast around Yellowstone.  No wolves but we saw some more black bears.  Then off to Mammoth Springs since we didn't really see it the day before and we had a chuckwagon dinner about 20 miles from there that afternoon.  We pretty much drug Lauren around Mammoth Springs as she spent the whole time saying her legs hurt, they were tired and she wasn't going to walk.  This is us all staring at her...

The chuckwagon dinner was fun, we rode out there in wagons to the dinner site and the best part was the kids got to sit in the front seat with the driver.  There was also a guide in the wagon that explained things on the 45 minute ride.  When we got to the spot they had a ton of food prepared.  Though the kids didn't really eat as they were more interested in playing with the other kids in this little muddy creek that was nearby.  The 'cowboys' sang some songs and told some stories.  We drank some cowboy coffee or tried to - supposedly it is equal parts coffee and water, tasted like it or maybe it had some rust in it.

Yellowstone Day 3, Saturday July 28th

Big Day!  We drove North this time to do half of the top loop.  But one of the roads was listed as scary and not really RV friendly.  They weren’t kidding, I was sweating bullets and Rick looked nervous too, the roads were so curvy and they are on mountain cliffs with again no guard rails.  Rick tried driving down the center as much as possible but being a Saturday it was a little more crowded.  I never want to take that road again, Canyon to Roosevelt Tower, 19 miles that took an hour, but a year off my life.  Of course the kids are oblivious and fighting or looking out the window for animals.

Drove on to Mammoth Springs much tamer road, but Mammoth was crazy busy, and there were elk sleeping in the main square.  The area is very popular like Old Faithful, and there is a lot of park ranger living quarters there, but we couldn’t find a place to park the beast so we drove on out of the North entrance of the park to Montana.  Along the way saw the big horn sheep on the mountain. 

Stopped at the grocery store and headed back, for our actual destination, Boiling River.

Boiling River is a spot where the hot springs from Mammoth flow down into the freezing river.  It’s one of the few places you can swim, but it is a 3/4 mile walk to the spot.  Blair didn’t want to swim so she didn’t put on her suit.  So I walked in with her and the others got in, it was very hard the rocks were big and slippery, cold and there was a current, but when you got near the spring water - ywoh it’s hot and around 170 degrees!  The spring looks so pretty but there are signs everywhere that state ‘Scalding hot water will burn!’ or something like that, and Grant of course was like oh that waters not hot, but he learned real quick!  Blair decides she wants her suit and I didn’t bring mine either I was picturing more of a wading situation than hot tubing so I walked ALL the way back to the camper with her and back again as fast as we could!

So this spot used to be ‘Party Cove’,  but now there are signs that outlaw alcohol and nudity J But there was this person there that had on a bikini but was a man, I think he was transitioning and I tried not to stare but the guy is wearing a Fred Hardy type bikini – that looks like tattoos and has sparkles all over it and chains, it wasn’t easy not to look.  But Blair noticed and Rick said the other kids did too, because that bikini bottom wasn’t covering up his goods very well.

We’d finally all cooked ourselves or frozen so started the long drive back home when HELLO – there are about 20 cars pulled over and people running (that’s your clue in Yellowstone that they have spotted something good!)  Oh it was a BEAR!  A cute black bear in this little valley walking around, hitting flowers and then it followed a stream into the woods – very cool!  The people next to us had seen grizllies swimming and a ton of bears they said you had to get up early to see them – great.  Then we saw another on down the road a way and this lady was kind of close, so we jumped out and we ended up climbing the ladder on the camper to see it but these dumb guys walked off the road into the grass to find it – it was a lot closer than they realized.  The park ranger pulls up and takes their driver licenses and he was pissed!

Tried making brownies in the oven tonight – YUK – didn’t think you could ruin a box mix but I did, we are at a higher altitude and the box has different directions, whoops, and the oven it terrible, it is gas with only a thin line down the middle so brownies were raw on top and burned on the bottom and a weird texture since I didn’t dr them up for the altitude. 

Yellowstone, Day 2, July 27th, Friday

So we have figured out how to control the kids.  We take days away – that means a day of no TV or computer.  Losing a day affects all of them as a group, so far working VERY well.  They are on 3 days so, this means when we get back to KC no TV or computer, but they can also earn the days back with good behavior – good luck at that!

Because there really is no computer or TV here.  We have no cell reception, no internet and I had to make a pay phone call today, there is a bank of them near the campground office with showers and laundry.  Took the kids with me to make the call and they were fascinated – so sad.  Also showered at the campgrounds – hmm not the cleanest thing ever.  We get 10 showers for all of us for the next 5 days.  I tried to shower in the RV but there was only six gallons of hot water and I felt like I was in a coffin.  We normally keep a cooler in the shower as it is just wasted space. 

Stopped by the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, there are various paths to top views and bottom views, the first path we tried had a bear on it!  We didn't see the bear but were told to get off the path it was coming towards the parking lot, then suddenly the rangers said the path was clear.  Really?  Where did that bear go?  We went to another viewpoint.  It was one of those - kids don't lean over too far and stay away from the edge sort of places, I can't stand the cliffs with no railings!

Got a late start but headed towards Old Faithful.  It is two stops away from us on the bottom half of the figure 8, doesn’t look far but 20 miles takes at least 40 minutes, the roads are too curvy and you have to watch out for buffalo.  Each chunk is about 20 miles so you get nowhere fast.  We stopped at the first ‘town’ West Thumb and did their sights, more hot pools and geysers.   

The Old Faithful area was fun the visitor center is huge the kids were more interested in it than the geyser, but then Blair had a melt down and we headed back.  We accomplished part of the park but we weren’t going any farther with her.  The nice thing is we can stay in a parking lot and make them some food or put on a movie.  We brought this Popeye dvd set that is from the 1930’s that came with a warning about some of the material is maybe not appropriate by today’s standards.  Lovely.  But the kids are enthralled by the cartoons. They even want to eat spinach – yes they are asking me to buy some at the store – if nothing else good comes of this trip I’ll never forget they asked for spinach!  But watching them play Uno or help each other learn to skip rocks I figure no matter what the trip was a success, even if they spend the majority of the time fighting. 

Saw more buffalo on the way home as we didn’t back track but continued on around to our campground about a two hour trip.  We’ve seen some deer but no elk or bears – we really want to see a bear!

YELLOWSTONE, Day 1, Thursday 7/26

Long drive here from Devil’s Tower, worst part was crossing the Big Horn mountains and driving on roads with no guard rail and shear cliffs on my side.  8% grade up then 8% grade down and burning brakes.  Don’t want to do that again.

Yellowstone, the main drag makes a figure 8 in the middle of the park which is 2.2 million acres.  There are 5 ways in North, South, East, West and Northeast entrances that all connect to the figure 8.  We came in the East entrance, not too exciting, a lot of burned trees or you were driving through forests with trees right next to the road so you really couldn’t see much.  Finally make it to the camp grounds about 5, and noticed there are signs all over the campground about bears and if you leave food out you will be kicked out of the park.  We walked to the little visitor center near us, a short walk and tried to get the feel of things.  Ok seems very woodsy, we were staying at Fishing Bridge next to Yellowstone lake (huge).  Decided to drive around about 7 or so saw some buffalo as we drove towards Canyon, which between us and Canyon is Hayden Valley (learned later this is one of the main animal gathering spots).

Our first stop was ‘Mud Volcano’ – cool spot where there is Dragon’s Breath – a hole that steam is shooting from, and obviously pits of boiling volcanic mud.  It stunk like sulfur but was a great first stopping place with the kids.  They have little wooden paths you are supposed to walk on that keep you off the hot ground or falling though.  They are only a foot off the ground so no guard rails.  We were winding around following another family, it was pretty quiet, and then there was a giant buffalo, right next to our little walking path.  Thankfully we were at a spot where there was a railing like a look out (2 feet high).  I could have hit the buffalo but there are signs all over the park to leave them alone and more people are gored each year than mauled by bears (2 people died of bear attacks last year in Yellowstone).  So he finally walked by us and had to step over the wooden path which his big butt broke and the board snapped and hit him.  Very worried he’d be angry.  We quickly walked down the rest of the path, it was very hilly, and then there is another buffalo on our right – no guard rail this time.  Rick and I were kind of freaked out scared the kids and made a run for it, because girl buffalo have horns too.  Fun adventure but glad to be back in our giant RV, started back to the camp ground and was stuck in a giant buffalo herd, they were sleeping on the road, snorting at cars, there were hundreds.  Slowed us down maybe 20 minutes but very fun diversion.

Rained of course that night and it was in the 40’s the next morning.

Wednesday - Dinosaurs, sharp camper corners

We woke up real early Wednesday morning and left Devils Tower while the kids were still asleep, and didn't wake up for another hour.  We needed gas and the closet station was 60 miles the direction we were going.  At the gas station we were going to get a diet coke, no Pepsi is made in Wyoming.  We had to go to three stations to find diet coke!  I also broke down and let the kids buy snacks cookies, and pop tarts.  I told them this is it we aren't doing that again!(we'll see)  We were driving to Thermopolis, Wy which was about 4.5 hours away.  But you have to drive through the Bighorn Mountains.  It took a lot longer than expected, just with the mountain climb and they were doing construction, crazy construction where they were grading the side of a hill with a bulldozer and it had to be a 50 or 60 angle.  At one point on the descent we pulled over to take pictures and get out and the brakes were burning.  So we stayed there a while and let them cool down.  It was all very pretty but once you got through the mountains it was a desert on the other side.  All rock, sand no dirt and scrub brush. 

The Thermopolis Dinosaur museum was pretty cool, kids enjoyed it.  But Thermopolis has the largest hot springs in the world, so we went to check those out.  They have three swimming pool complexes right next to the mineral spring pools and they use that hot water.  Two pools charge and one is a free state run one.  The state run one looked the nicest but there were mainly older people there and we saw 4 bicycles outside and you could tell they were biking across the state or country, and using this place as a bath!  There was also a van that was full of stuff and Cate said does someone live in there and I was like maybe and he's probably in there too taking a bath.  So we skipped the free state pool.

We skipped swimming Blair was afraid that it was too hot and then Lauren fell out of the overhead bunk above the front seats and really scraped her leg on a sharp edge under the cushion.  The camper doesn't have many sharp corners but I've managed to run into them all with my leg or shoulder.  I have a terrible bruise on my leg from this dumb drawer right by the front passenger seat, which I hit twice.  There are these sharp cabinets right by our head in the bedroom, which I've elbowed. 

The grocery store in town is called Blair's so of course we had to stop, we forgot dish soap.  We went to the camp ground and had a quiet evening.  The campground does tubing down the river but we looked at the river and it was flowing a little too fast with all the rain.  And of course it rained last night but today, Thursday we are on to Yellowstone!

Tuesday, July 24

We got up early and left Custer State Park and headed North.  Our first stop was Reptile Gardens, which was one of USA Today's top 10 roadside attractions to visit in the US or something. 

It was really neat, they had huge crocodiles, alligators and a ton of posionous snakes.  And giant  pythons and boa constrictors.  We were there around noon and it was a hot day and the snakes and bugs and huge crocs were in this doomed building, very warm and tropical inside.  Well they were all awake and moving, we watched a mamba try for 10 minutes to shed his skin, rubbing his face on his trees.  Blair was enthralled.  There was also this Chicken in a box that answered questions Yes or No and of course got food for doing it - that is the pick below.

Then outside they had two giant tourtises, one was 600 lbs.  He was very nice and you could reach in by his neck and scratch him and if you scratched him under the chin he stood up he loved it.  We could have stayed there all day.  Blair and Lauren below.

Last interesting thing was the Alligator Show.  Looked really boring at the beginning but again we were there at about 1 now and they were awake and started moving.  We were both like this kid doing the show is going to get bit and were ready to grab the kids.  They were all snapping and fighting in the water around him, very exciting but we were nervous.

Drove through Sturgis on the way, much smaller than I expected but all motorcycle.  Actually there are motorcycles EVERYWHERE, not just Sturgis.  At the campgrounds on the roads, which I can see why the highways are not congested.

On toWyoming and Devils Tower.  Wyoming is beautiful (SD had a lot of burned trees or dead diseased trees) and the campsite at Devils Tower was the best so far.  It was at the base of the entrance to the park and right there was Devils Tower from 'Close Encounters with the Third Kind', the campsite shows the movie everynight.  We went up to the tower visitor center (Lauran ran onto the main road not looking - bad girl) and there is a path you can walk around it 1.3 miles.  It seemed like 3, worst marked path ever but you were just going around it but it was through the boulders that had fallen off of it and all around the base there are trees so it was hard to tell where you were.  The kids had a good time but we had a great time at the campground, they had a playground with big kid stuff and a pool, very cold. 

We had a little 'Listen Here Kids' meeting with them at Devils Tower.  After Sturgis it started raining and it gets a little dicey with the camper.  They were crazy in the camper playing but of course someone always gets hurt.  I think I started to loose my voice and if I'd had muzzles I would have used them.

The electronics ban is easier than expected since we have such spotty service.  Grant still doesn't have his ipod, and I won't let him touch the computer.  We have been watching a movie at night, it's either Ratatouilee, How to Train your Dragon, or Madagascar.  Yep that's our selection since I brought blu ray discs that won't play.  We also broke down at Devil's tower and bought french fries and onion rings from the camp restaurant - 4 orders they were soo good.
Thunderstorm, that night was a terrible thunderstorm, the kind where it lightenings and the thunder is immediate.  RV is swaying in the wind the power goes out, but we didn't realize it at first.  It rained for hours.  We have had thunderstorms every night since we left and some showers during the day.

Tatanka! Tatanka!

Yesterday we saw deer everywhere in Custer park but today we got up early and left the campground at 8 and headed to Custer park where we had to do some of the dangerous road from yesterday but we were going on the wildlife loop road around the park.  The park has some tunnels carved out of the granite hills and they list the height and width so we spent a lot of the day backtracking and not taking the most direct routes because we had to avoid tunnels with names like 'Needle eye'.

To say we saw buffalo is an understatement.  We were in the middle of a herd that took a nap in the road and saw a lot of calves (even one with it's face covered in ticks!).  They were right next to our car I could have opened the door and hit them but they were a little big to pet.  But we had a lot of fun looking for them but of course after a while it was like oh - another buffalo, hmm whatever.

The loop was 17 miles and we didn't see any animals after the buffalo for a good ten miles, we almost turned back but then were rewarded by seeing burrows!  Yes wild burrows, well not so wild, they stuck their heads in the RV and when you got out they followed you around for food, Rick had one chasing him as the girls were too scared to get out until we realized they were very, very tame and sort of fat.  We illegally feed them carrots but had a great time!  Other people were feeding them bread so I didn't feel too bad about a carrot!  Blair our animal lover was terrified and wouldn't get out but later she said it was because of the horse flies, if you didn't know the Bassett children all have an unnatural fear of bugs - scream if they see a house fly.  We think it from us saying close the door you'll let bugs in.

Then on to Sylvan lake and a few of the participants were willing and others were not so happy, but of course after we got out and started walking around and found a cave and shiny rocks everyone was happy to participate again.  The trail went all around the man made lake but one side was granite outcroppings, it was pretty rough and Rick had to carry Lauren a little and I wasn't sure we were going the right way but then we saw some elderly people on the path and figured we were going the right way.  We were rewarded with a waterfall and a tunnel.  Had a good time climbing but then Lauren stepped on a fish hook - it barely went it but of course there was a lot of screaming.  She wanted a cast. 

On to Mount Rushmore, which thankfully was a short drive from Sylvan lake.  Really nicely done and the first place we'd seen food for sale, did you know Thomas Jefferson was one of the first Americans to write down an ice cream recipe?  It was really hot and we didn't realize there was a path you can walk close to the bottom but the only way we were going to get the kids to go was ice cream.  Once we were cooled off we started the path and then noticed park rangers walking quickly in front of us.  They closed the path - a fire had started about two miles away and they were closing the path but for now keeping the park open. So the fire we were detoured by yesterday (it was huge!  we saw all the firemen tents at the high school) seemed to be out on Monday, it had poured Sunday night.  So we left to come back to the campgrounds and we never saw any smoke but we did see firemen having a meeting outside of the monument.

Long day and there are a lot of cranky on each others nerves kids and there is another big thunderstorm on its way.  Wish we'd get some of this rain in Kansas!

Sunday was pretty good until the forest fire...

Sunday was good we walked around the camp ground briefly and then all watched Rick try and empty the 'black water' tank.  Went pretty well no splashing! 

Then we headed to the Badlands (or as Lauren calls them the Badmens).  They were very cool and everyone loved them.  They were white, sharp, rocky mounds.  They went on forever.  We got out and walked around and went up to the edge of one and it was a cliff!  But we had a great time walking around and climbing them and Grant was the bravest and climbed to the top. 

It was pretty hot and we were ready to leave the Badlands and head to Hot Springs to go to the Mammoth museum.  It was supposed to be an hour away - so 4 hours later we finally arrived.  The main road we had planned to take turned out to be gravel, not RV friendly.

Mammoth museum was ok, I think our expectations were too high.

Then the fun started.  We were headed to Custer and it should have taken about an hour 1/2.  But we could see a big forest fire in the distance.  Well it turned out our highway was closed and we were diverted through the Custer State park on a long scenic route that was NOT RV friendly.  Basically Rick drove and average of 25 mph the whole way there and that was too fast for me.  Because it was raining, not hard but enough and Rick mentioned the word 'slipping' as we went around a tight curve.  A few times there were straight drop offs on my side of the turn and I was gripping the door so tight and pushing my foot like I was braking.  Finally 2 1/2 hours later we got to the campground and we were all exhausted.

So I turned on a movie, one of only three I brought, unfortunately some were Blu Ray and won't play. 

Overall a good day and the best was when after we left the Badlands Grant said, 'I was a little worried about this trip but that was great!'  And then at the campgrounds Grant found a rock and broke it open with a rock hammer and it was a geode! 

We have very little internet and it is so spotty - it's very odd not being able to check email, facebook or even the news.  I am also having trouble uploading pics.

Errr - 11 hour drive was NOT fun!

Movies that yesterday reminded me of - Poltergeist, Mommy Dearest and Animal House.

Yesterday we got a late start 10:30, but then I realized I forgot my wallet and by the time we left the second time it was almost noon.  And that's when the trouble began...

I am very unpopular right now with a particular 10 year old boy, this morning he is speaking to me but yesterday I got glares and tears.  Which is exactly why he isn't on the computer or listening to his ipod. 

The ride started out fine but then they all wanted to move around and ride over the cab.  There are only 5 seatbelts in the back so they are right next to each other, and that sofa is a love seat.  I pictured everyone ready or sitting at the table doing workbooks or playing games. 

Reality - it was too bumpy for games, too much poking and touching going on and by the time I was ready to let them watch a movie we couldn't get it to work while we were moving (I didn't want to turn the TVs on because we have satelite and I don't want them to know!). 

Poltergeist - Rick was driving very carefully but there was a lot of construction.  At one point or a couple he got going a little too fast.  He tried to avoid hitting a turkey walking across the highway and swerved - the fridge flew open and half the food fell all over the floor, cabinets opened and we all screamed. 

Mommy Dearest - I am pretty sure my head also spun around at one point but we didn't leave the RV for 12 hours straight and were all going a little nuts.  But I was saying things like(that I can print):

• Do you want us to turn around and go home right now!  I think I said that 20 times
• You look/put your feet on/ show your chewed food at your sister/brother again and your won't watch TV for a month.  I said this 50 times
• And then at the very end - is this the best you can do because if this is how you are all going to behave I don't want to spend the next 3 weeks with any of you!

I'm glad we didn't have guests with us.

And last Animal House - by the time we got to the camp site it looked like we'd had a kegger.  There were solo cups everywhere, and the kids were only wearing underwear because they thought it was hilarious and delirious.  fter a big fight about where everyone was going to sleep we all crashed falling asleep to lightening and rain!  The room was spinning because the RV was swaying in the storm, I felt a little motion sick.

Hopefully today is good - it can only better.  As of right now everyone woke up in a good mood and we are going to go explore!

Ahhh! What are we doing?!?!

For three weeks we are renting a 32 foot C class RV and traveling out West!
Link to the RV brochure, 3170DS (double slideout!)

We are going to Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone and the North rim of the Grand Canyon.  We will be digging for trilobites in Utah, panning for gold, checking out dinosaur bones, rafting down the Colorado River and going to chuck wagon dinners.

So our concerns/fears before we go:

• BEARS
• What is we can't hook the RV up at the camp in the dark - newbie fear
• If we need to go to the store we have to take our 'house' with us
• Rick might need to back up the RV which will involve a lot of yelling...
• Someone (Grant) might get too close to the edge at the Grand Canyon
• The fridge is so tiny it belongs in a college dorm, we are bringing a lot of coolers
• We have no idea what we are doing!

Rick picks up the RV this Friday in the afternoon and then has to drive it home from Grain Valley in rush hour traffic.  We will load it up Friday night and take off early Saturday morning.  Rick has the trip planned down to the hour and has mapped out all the Costcos, Walmarts and Bass Pro Shops.  Walmart and Bass Pro let you park in their parking lots overnight if necessary, so they are our backup if we get behind schedule.

My goals for the trip:

• No fast food or junk food allowed (no Reese's peanut butter cups and the RV can't go through the drive thru)
• No DS's or computer time for the kids (they don't know that!)
• Spend quality family time together playing games and reading
• RELAX & SURVIVE