In Minnesota we had our second (count ‘em) spider in the car incident. It started with an innocent, ‘let’s get a picture of the welcome to Minnesota sign’ moment! There was, conveniently, a parking area by the welcome sign, and, not so conveniently, a large grassy area between the parking area and the welcome sign which we traversed for the photo op. (All for you, bloggers). Of course, in this trek a small but still terrifying spider made it its business to cling to my pants and crawl up my leg as soon as Alan began merging back onto the highway. It was then that I blacked out. I enter this phase of sheer panic in the presence of spiders. It’s the absolute worst in confined spaces and a million times worse when actual contact is made. I screamed bloody murder and squished myself as far up against the door of the car as I could while Alan simultaneously managed to merge with moving traffic and transport the spider from my pants to the window. Ugh. Thank god for a husband that vowed to kill the spiders for me. I hate spiders so much, if I could wish for anything in the world I would wish that spiders didn’t exist. ONE WISH. I would choose that over world peace and calories that don’t count. That’s how much I hate them.
::here it is, worth it?::
I digress. Aside from the spiders, we saw a nice little slice of southern Minnesota’s diner and gas station scene. We stopped for lunch in the town of Luverne at JJ’s drive-in, a 50’s feeling spot where we got our skinny burger, fries, and dessert fix. I love skinny burgers. In fact, the thinner the better. Yum. These were just right. And finishing it off with a Blizzard type ice cream concoction was mighty dynamite.
::JJ’s::
::mmm, skinny burger::
From there we drove through long stretches of corn and cows. While I can’t say I agree with the southern Minnesotan majority’s political and social views (spotted in southern Minnesota: anti abortion signs everywhere and an impeach Obama bumper sticker), the folks here are lovely, and their accents even better. The gas station attendant said, “here ya go” in the “oh Bobby, don’tchya know” dialect. That about made my day. We bought a lotto ticket at this Fairmont, MN gas station hoping it was one of those “random” enough places to win. (This is our new retirement plan… playing the lottery in weird places).
I’m pretty sure the folks in charge of naming stuff in Minnesota used up all their energy working on the names for towns (for instance, Welcome, Harmony, Blue Earth) that when it came to counties they just admitted defeat and numbered them.
Another observation made while driving through Minnesota: corn fed cows are not happy cows. (But they are tasty cows).
Also, the clouds here are real nice.
Big moves were made this day… we crossed the Mississippi! And, even bigger and more awesome milestone… we are back in the land of DUNKS! God I love Dunkin Donuts. They say America runs on Dunks, but it’s not true. Only the eastern half does, and it’s a shame, because the only thing holding back the west coast is its lack of Dunks. I’ve been told for years that a Dunks is coming to LA, but my pipe dream is yet to come true, so I live in bated anticipation of those pink and orange signs each time I make it back east.
Phew. That LONG day’s drive took us finally to Sconnie! Comin’ up next.
Before I forget, there are a lot of deer in the US. Everywhere. Tons of deer. Also, at frequent intervals on I-90 there are railroad crossing type gates that allow the authorities to close the highway. Presumably for bad weather, but I do not recall ever seeing this in the Northeast and found it interesting. And I have been meaning to write that for camping, if I had more space it would be nice to bring a citronella candle and a pop-up shelter. And I need to fill space because there is not much to say about the Corn Palace or Minnesota as seen from the highway.
September 12, 2013 (Thursday) – We exited the Badlands by completing the Highway 240 Badlands Loop Road, which is not actually a loop unless you complete it on I-90. There is a helicopter tour place by the park’s northeast entrance. Today was our longest drive of the trip at 700+ miles as we crossed most of South Dakota, all of Minnesota and some of Wisconsin to end up in Madison.
We passed 1880 Town which has old buildings and I think is often used for film sets. My notes are spotty again but I think I want to say some of the drive is pretty with hills and trees near the Missouri River. We noticed a lot of horses hanging out by billboards, seemingly even where shade was not provided. Less appealing to me were the multitude of Jesus signs and anti-abortion billboards. This is not the forum for religious debate and I am no theological scholar, but the believer in me wants to think that Jesus would rather you spend your money helping those in need instead of paying rent to Clear Channel.
Passing a sign for the town of Winner, I envisioned Charlie Sheen there holed up with hookers and blow. Which sounds more fun than the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota. Nonetheless, it is a famous roadside attraction and parts of it were neat.
The original corn palace was built in 1892 to showcase the rich soil of South Dakota and encourage people to settle in the area, after Lewis & Clark had proclaimed that one could not make a living farming here. I thought it would be a palace constructed entirely of corn, but it is actually a steel and brick building adorned with murals and decorations of corn.
Admission is free and there are educational exhibits and the most corn-decorated gymnasium I have seen.
All those pictures are made of corn
Local high schools and Dakota Wesleyan University play games here. Some proms are held here. This calls for jokes but it is a PG-13 blog. They sell corn palace wine and flavored popcorn balls. Really, this place is a shrine to corn and its primary objective seems to be promoting corn and ethanol.
Farmer Jen?
Shortly after crossing into Minnesota we stopped in Luverne for lunch at the Tasty Drive In.
I enjoyed my thin patty, greasy diner-style double cheeseburger and the fries we split. Dessert options include endless types and combos of soft-serve with mix-ins. I do not recall my pick.
DISCLAIMER: I have little doubt that Minnesota is a fine state and have heard good things about Minneapolis (not in the winter), the Boundary Waters, etc. There is a vibrant distressed investing community and I have friends who live in Minnesota. So I mean no disrespect and am only commenting on what I could see from the highway. I guess residents of New Jersey can empathize with Minnesota.
Visible from the highway, there is nothing but corn and windmills. I did stop at a gas station and see Tweaker energy drink on offer. And the highlight of our cross-state expedition had to be the town names. These include Blue Earth, Harmony and Welcome, in addition to Austin and Houston. The scenery becomes pretty and hilly right before crossing the Mighty Mississippi into Wisconsin.
First impression: woah, Rapid City is like a legit, proper city! I had this fleeting feeling of guilt towards the residents of Rapid City. Do they feel bad that we all forget about them? Has anyone outside of South Dakota ever, like ever ever ever stopped to think about Rapid City, South Dakota? And there’s a whole bustling city there! Not a New York, or Chicago, or even Boston’s worth of people, but 70,000 people nonetheless. I don’t know, sometimes I have these moments where my anxiety and panic about overpopulation really take over and I freak out that these places I’ve never heard about, much less think seriously about, have so many people I guess I get a little emotional. So, I’m publicly apologizing to the people of Rapid City, for never ever thinking of you. I hope you enjoy your little city. Also, I apologize to the town of Interior, South Dakota, population 67, because I also (literally) never heard of you. I guess I can’t be totally to blame as there aren’t all that many people in the state altogether. Case in point: travel 440 miles across South Dakota and the area code never changes. How’s Ludacris gonna tally his hoes in this state?
Anyway, I guess people do think of South Dakota for a few reasons – Mount Rushmore chief among them. Lots of people like to ask us now, “is Mount Rushmore worth the visit?” Well, it’s most certainly worth stopping by on your drive through South Dakota. Is it worth a plane ticket and hotel and car rental from pretty much anywhere else in the world? Probably not. Though I do think that a nice little quick vacation would be the South Dakota tourist quadruple header (Mount Rushmore, Badlands, Corn Palace, and Wall Drug – more on the rest of these below) in conjunction with Devil’s Tower (Wyoming, but not too far). To be sure, I thoroughly enjoyed the fifteen minutes we spent at Mount Rushmore (exaggeration, but hardly). You could probably extend your time at this site if you tried. The town right next to the monument, Keystone, is full of touristy, kitschy shops and restaurants. They do also do a lighting ceremony at 8pm (I believe daily) and I’m told the fireworks on July 4th are pretty spectacular there. Also you could get an ice cream cone, as apparently Jefferson is responsible for the first ice cream recipe in America. Note that it’s $11 to get into the parking lot and it’s not covered by the national parks pass (lame-o) and your parking attendant is not guaranteed to have teeth.
Off and onward with our touristing of South Dakota we headed next to the road-trip destination of Wall Drug. You could miss it if you tried really hard, but there are about 10 million signs for Wall Drug all along I-90. It’s essentially a mall, but the shops are all owned and run by the same company. It’s a pretty brilliant idea/marketing job (is Hustead a Kellogg grad??), as it apparently draws in $10m a year. Not bad for a drug store in the middle of South Dakota. Alan tried the 5-cent coffee. It was really only a nickel, and he said it wasn’t half bad. That was really the highlight. That and being able to say we went to Wall Drug. So, I guess a win.
Alas, we get to the really awesome tourist destination – the Badlands. They are pretty badass. The landscapes are a mix of awe-inspiring, beautiful, and trippy. The animal sightings were also superb. We saw tons of prairie dogs, many more pronghorn deer, and a coyote, and this was all at once! In addition, we saw a badass badlands bunny who reminded me of a chocolate bunny because someone had taken a bite out of his ear as I have many an Easter basket gift. We were warned of rattlesnakes but encountered none of these today.
::badlands bums::
::badass badlands bunny::
::coyote::
::coyote, deer, AND prairie dogs::
The history in this place is pretty neat too. There are short walks throughout the park where you can read about the history of the formations and look at fossils of crazy animals that used to exist and live in these lands many years ago. We did a short hike here, called the Notch hike. It was a very easy hike, though true to the US park service’s form, they warn you big time that it will take 1.5-2 hours (took 50 minutes with lots of stopping and hanging out for pictures), and a big warning that it’s not for those with a fear of heights. I of course fear said obstacle so naturally we forged ahead. Going up was no problem. Going down I panicked slightly at first, but it’s really not even remotely comparable in scary heights to some other hikes I’ve done (think especially Devil’s Backbone on Mount Baldy in California… oh my god I can’t put into words how much I hate that stretch of the hike!!). Definitely worth the trip though, it was really neat to get in there and explore the rocks on a closer level and get a 360 view of the landscapes. We would have tried some of the longer hikes had we had more time there (only had an afternoon essentially), though I believe they are more walks than hikes (i.e., no elevation gain). We spent the better part of an afternoon at this park, which was perfect. We felt we saw everything we wanted to (we stopped at almost every viewpoint and did the one hike that is closest to actual hiking). You could definitely take your time a bit more and spent a full day or two around there, but I wouldn’t alot any more time to this park.
“not for those with a fear of heights”
::cue Rocky theme song here::
::seussian, isn’t it?!::
::trippy::
::i’m obsessed::
For lodging we forewent the national park camp right by the entrance and opted instead to camp at the KOA nearby. Meh. While the KOA at Devil’s Tower was pretty nice, I think I’ll make a moderate effort to avoid KOAs in the future. It was not super impressive, largely because much of it was shut down as part of their post-labor day reduction, notwithstanding the fact that they neglect to tell you that they close most of the bathrooms so you have to walk forever to get to them. Oh well. One pretty awesome perk of the location however: our evening spent camping in the Badlands was peppered with the sounds of coyotes howling at night. I kept thinking of the poor prairie dogs they were getting ready to eat.
This was our last night camping for a while as we prepared to head into cities and family time in the Northeast. We tallied it up and noticed we spent 14 of our first 27 nights camping. Woot woot to the budget!
Of note on the drive east from the Badlands, there was a little town off I-90 that was set up like a little 1880s village. Nothing but fields and plains as far as the eye can see, then this little pop up of old time village. Neato. Didn’t stop but I imagine it’d be a nice diversion.
Last but certainly not expected to be least, was the corn palace. I’ve been irrationally excited to see this thing for nearly 9 years, ever since my college friend and Milwaukee native, Emily, told me about it freshman year. A palace made entirely of corn? Yes please. But talk about a build up that disappoints. To be clear, Emily didn’t really hype it up that much, I think I built this up this experience in my head to be akin to the way one might feel when they first look at a newborn child. I don’t know why, but I did. It’s a palace made of corn, people! Is no one else’s imagination picturing something as cool as mine was? Well. To start, it’s a brick and steel building, decorated in corn only for a few mural-like spaces. Bummer. Also, it’s kind of a shrine to the corn industry inside. Major bummer. There were some pictures inside of the historical corn palaces, including the first one, made in 1892, which was much more impressive. Also, it’s free. So who can really complain? Also they have flavored cornballs. Didn’t try them, but man did they smell good.
::slightly more impressive corn palace::
::auditorium/basketball court of course decorated with corn murals::
Mount Rushmore was good to check off the bucket list but may not merit extensive travel on its own. The Badlands National Park was spectacular, and a visit to these two combined with Devil’s Tower in northeast Wyoming would make a lovely long weekend.
September 11, 2013 (Wednesday, cont’d) – After visiting Devil’s Tower we drove a couple hours to Mount Rushmore via Rapid City, which was surprisingly urban. On the way we passed Spearfish which has a water park and several commercial establishments, as well as Sturgis which is famous for its annual motorcycle rally. Neither Reptile Gardens nor Bear Country USA drew us in, and we breezed through the very touristy and kitschy town (think fudge and general schlock stores) of Keystone just a couple miles from Mount Rushmore. Western South Dakota is more developed than I expected.
Parking at Mount Rushmore costs $11 (and the annual pass is not accepted) unless you find a spot on the street and walk a bit up the hill. There is no charge to enter the monument. Information and food concessions are available. There is a walkway with stone (?) columns representing each state and displaying its flag and the year it was admitted to the union. By coincidence, we visited three national parks/monuments on September 11. Some ribbons on the New York column here were the only visible difference we noticed.
Each night there is a lighting ceremony at 8 pm and they recommend you arrive an hour early. There are some orientation films and walks available but we missed these.
Here are a few stats and things we learned: each face is 60 feet tall; each eye is 11 feet wide; Washington’s nose is 21 feet long while the others are 20 feet long (what’s up with that?); the sculptor was Gutzon Borglum, and there is also a small bust of Gutzon carved by his son Lincoln; Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, blah blah blah, but critically he is credited with the first ice cream recipe in America.
The explanation offered in the park’s official newspaper for why these Presidents: Birth (Washington, first President); Expansion (Jefferson, Louisiana Purchase); Development (T. Roosevelt, Panama Canal + Trust Buster + National Parks); Preservation (Lincoln, saved the union during Civil War).
After leftover pasta in the parking garage (you see, there are advantages to keeping your job), we returned to I-90 where the landscape began to look more like the plains. Innumerable billboards starting from afar battered us into visiting Wall Drug. This is a famous attraction that is essentially an old shopping mall where all the stores operate under a single entity. It has been there since 1931 and is worth a look if you are in the area. Among countless other necessaries, one can purchase a five cent cup of coffee or a bottle of Red Ass Rhubarb Wine. I was surprised by how many young foreigners work at Wall Drug.
You’ve been warned, Bordeaux
Inside Wall Drug
Just down the road we entered Badlands National Park. Almost immediately we saw some bighorn sheep by the road and proceeded to stop at several overlooks. There is a paved driving loop which is the obvious activity for any visitor. The overlooks have explanatory displays and various hikes are possible. The scenery is otherworldly.
We entered the park from the north where you are atop the plateau and look out and down at formations and canyons. The loop descends so that on the south side you look out and up at formations and mountains.
The cracked earth and multitude of rattlesnake warning signs reveal the harshness of this terrain. The park service addresses the name’s origin as follows:
The Lakota people were the first to call this place “mako sica” or “land bad.” Extreme temperatures, lack of water, and the exposed rugged terrain led to this name. In the early 1900’s, French-Canadian fur trappers called it “les mauvais terres pour traverse,” or “bad lands to travel through.”
Today, the term badlands has a more geologic definition. Badlands form when soft sedimentary rock is extensively eroded in a dry climate. The park’s typical scenery of sharp spires, gullies, and ridges is a premier example of badlands topography.
Many fossils have been discovered here and there are educational displays about the animals that previously ruled the area. We fortunately avoided sabre-toothed big cats and encountered prairie dogs, pronghorn antelope, a coyote (all three prior animals visible in a single photo below!), and a rabbit with part of his ear missing that Jenni dubbed the Badlands Badass Bunny.
Badlands Badass Bunny
At Burns Basin Overlook there was a big green patch partway across the canyon, and I just know that if Trump were president then future generations would find fairways and waterfalls here.
The air was clear and we could easily see Eagle Nest Butte 30 miles away from Panorama Point Overlook. Though it was nearly 90º in the afternoon, the weather was delightful by the time we hiked the Notch Trail. This requires ascending a wooden ladder where Jenni subdued her fear of heights.
Ladder on Notch Trail
End of Notch Trail
While the park allots 1.5-2 hours, the out and back hike took us only 50 minutes, including time to frolic at the end over views of White River Valley.
Quite a spot
Shelter
Another view of the ladder if you look closelyFear shmear
At the south end of the park is the town of Interior, population 67. There are a handful of camping and budget accommodations here, and we camped at a KOA nearby. It was passable but we were disappointed to learn that post-Labor Day the pool is closed and so are the toilets near our site. The coyotes howling at night were a nice touch. I have been surprised in general at how much changes after Labor Day in terms of availability of facilities and tours etc., at least in terms of the northwest and north part of the country. I guess that is the trade off for fewer crowds and often better weather. Next time at Badlands I would probably try to stay at Cedar Pass Lodge which is just inside the park and I believe has camping, cabins, etc.
Today was a great day filled with new experiences. I certainly enjoyed our time in the mountains of Montana and Wyoming, but I have done so much of that in my life. This was a welcome change!
This post is really about Devil’s Tower National Monument, but since the scenery along the drive by Shoshone National Forest was so breathtaking…
View driving east on highway 26
September 10 (Tuesday) – We packed up camp at Colter Bay and stopped briefly for another glimpse of Oxbow Bend before a long day of driving to Devil’s Tower National Monument in northeast Wyoming. On route 26 we passed the Togwotee Mountain Lodge, a place we had considered staying for our time in Jackson. I am glad we did not, as it is much further from the action.
With very few cars on our route, we crossed a pass over 9,500 feet and saw beautiful mountain cliffs and formations more reminiscent to me of Bryce or Zion or New Mexico than northern Wyoming. There was a silver structure atop one of these mountains and I cannot figure out what it is…so if you know, please do tell!
What is that building?!
Shoshone National Forest
There were great views from the area by Brooks Lake. We passed Triangle Ranch and Lava Creek Ranch. There are so many ranches in this part of the country. I would imagine some are private while others offer the great western outdoor experience to those willing to pay.
My notes are a little spotty but I think there was a big vista where the road crosses the Wind River. We stopped for gas in Dubois which backs against red and beige hills that reminded me of Sedona. Here there are several gas stations, a food store, the National Bighorn Sheep Interpretive Center, and the obligatory large “D” on the hillside. Making its way onto the list of signs I rarely see where I live was a motel touting “Bikers Welcome, Gun Shop, Lots of Ammo.”
The drive continued to be very scenic east of Dubois. I noticed that most trucks here have imposing metal bars on the front, perhaps to minimize damage to the vehicle when colliding with wildlife? About 40 miles west of Casper we stopped at Hell’s Half Acre, an area composed of deep ravines, caves, rock formations and hard-packed eroded earth (thanks wikipedia). Native Americans drove herds of bison into this area for slaughter during hunts.
Salt Creek Days appears to be an event in mid-August celebrating central Wyoming’s history and frontier spirit. We missed it, and also skirted most of Casper which seems to be an industrial and oil and gas city. Probably not the kind of place where you want to be at the bar for last call.
Some general thoughts: we invented a new road game here, where the goal is to find a vehicle that is not a Ford pick up truck; people quickly and unabashedly express their dislike for Los Angeles; there are a lot of towns around here where the elevation in feet greatly exceeds the population; a lot of two lane roads with speed limits of 65+; a lot of Caterpillar and Deere and Case equipment.
The idyllic picnic spot we sought never materialized, so instead we pulled over across from a broken down truck. It was in this very spot that I invented the Central Wyoming Bahn Mi. It consists of wheat bread, sliced left over teriyaki pork tenderloin, carrots, mustard and green Tabasco sauce.
Check out the decal on rear window
Good living 🙂
As we continued on our way, we saw tons of bison, some pronghorn, not as much cattle as I would have thought, and the (self-ordained?) energy capital of the US: Gillette, Wyoming.
In the late afternoon we arrived at Devil’s Tower. Per wikipedia, it is an igneous intrusion or laccolith in the Black Hills of northeastern Wyoming, above the Belle Fourche River. It rises 1,267 feet above the surrounding terrain and the summit is 5,114 feet above sea level. Devils Tower was the first declared United States National Monument, established in 1906 by President Theodore Roosevelt. The surrounding area is attractively composed of hills strewn with pine and reddish rocks.
We camped in our first KOA of the trip (vs. state or national parks) which had an unbeatable location directly beneath the Tower and about 100 yards from the road entrance. This campground seems more popular with RVs but there is a big grass field for pitching tents with scattered fire rings, picnic tables and potable water pumps. A handful of cabins are available for rent. There is wifi and free hot showers. The mosquitoes were relentless but worth tolerating to be so close to this magical monument.
Doesn’t Sven look content?
Other direction at camp site
The RV pitch was made to us by a couple from Louisiana on their way back after a trip to Alaska that began in May! I am not ready for that step, but I did consider the appeal more than I had before. This is our first night outside bear country in a while so we can be more relaxed about our spread. The tent field was practically empty so I got my first Frisbee sesh of the trip with Jenni, my reluctant yet talented partner. We cooked up some three cheese tortellini with pesto and enjoyed an epic sunset with a Tuscan red blend.
The iPod portable speakers finally came out and we got along famously with Norah Jones.
We had driven 440 miles from Jackson yet the area code remained the same. Still in Wyoming, it felt like South Dakota to my mind’s imagination.
September 11, 2013 (Wednesday) – The morning was surprisingly wet but we had a busy day ahead, so after a feeble attempt to dry our tent we entered the Monument at 8 am. It would cost $10 without the annual pass. Black-tailed prairie dogs are everywhere as one ascends the road to park near the base of the Tower. We did a 1.3 mile paved loop around the Tower, and flip-flops were fine.
Geologists agree that Devil’s Tower was formed by the intrusion of igneous material, but they cannot agree on exactly how that process took place. The Tower is sacred to many Native Americans, and there are numerous, less scientific legends of its formation. One tells that some girls went out to play and were spotted by several giant bears, who began to chase them. In an effort to escape the bears, the girls climbed atop a rock, fell to their knees, and prayed to the Great Spirit to save them. Hearing their prayers, the Great Spirit made the rock rise from the ground towards the heavens so that the bears could not reach the girls. The bears, in an effort to climb the rock, left deep claw marks in the sides, which are what we see today on the sides of the Tower. When the girls reached the sky, they were turned into the star constellation the Pleiades.
The Tower is a climbing mecca and it is estimated that about 1% of the Monument’s 400,000 annual visitors break out the ropes. We were fortunate to spot a pair high up the east side, which was impressive and offered some scale.
Can you find the climbers?
The loop affords soothing views over the river and plains. I do not consider myself a very spiritual person, but there is something special about this place beyond its sheer beauty.
Entering Wyoming we were coming off our first storm (while camping, and you will all remember from my super helpful diagram that camping in the rain is no fun), and to top it off, I was sick. I don’t get really sick that often, and it got to the point that I pulled the sick card. I said to hell with the budget, if we can Priceline a hotel for a reasonable price in Jackson then we’re not camping, we’re nursing my cold and the first of my strange red spots (it’s getting a little weird, I keep getting bites or rashes on this road trip that are inexplicable. I thought the weird sicknesses don’t start til you go to third world countries!?) at a hotel with walls, a roof and a shower that has hot water in it. Well, Priceline, you disappoint me. (Has anyone really ever gotten the deals I always hear of?? We keep trying Priceline and HotelTonight and all that and while it may be a deal to us in our former lives where we were um, employed, they are not real life steals). Anyhow, I suppose it was a blessing in disguise, because after I bought like 4 types of generic cold medicines I was able to sufficiently knock myself out on our gravel bedded campground at night and stop my sniffling enough to enjoy the great outdoors Grand Teton style. We camped at Colter Bay, which I imagine looked a whole lot more like a bay when there’s water in it. All in all, solid little campsite. My two complaints, the area clearly cordoned off as the tent area is laid with gravel. What the? Gravel doesn’t feel good to lie on?? Also, the man at the little shop (which was great, guidebooks, food, huckleberry soft serve, fire starters, so on and so on) had an Aussie accent and told us he was from Florida. He also told me bear bells attract cubs and hence angry momma bears. I’m fairly certain he’s a serial killer. Also, they are beyond bear aware here, they are bear awarely serious. As in, no water bottles in the tents! Holy tchotchkes, did I hold the bear spray close when peeing at night!
::picturesque::
Hedging our bets that I’d feel more up for physical activity after a day of rest, and due to the fact that Taste of the Tetons happened to coincide with that date, we spent our first day in Wyoming checking out the town of Jackson. Driving down from our campsite we were treated with some phenomenal views of those peaks. Majestic! To top it off, there was a herd of 100s of buffalo along the road and the cloud cover parted for our photographic benefit.
In the main square of Jackson was live music and a host of local restaurants serving up small tastes for $2-4 a piece. After tasting the Tetons to our hearts delight, and exploring the rest of the downtown area we went into a sports bar (the Town Square Tavern) so Alan could enjoy some football while I was too weak to protest. I was sick, but I’m still myself, so I ordered a crappy beer and pulled out my laptop (free wifi, the best thing Town Square Tavern has going for it). Alan also ordered a beer, and when the waitress came back, no sooner than she dropped off the glasses did she say, “can I get you anything else, tequila shots? Jager bombs? Car bombs?” The glasses hadn’t hit the table, much less our lips. Um, no thanks. I’m not cool enough for that anymore. Clearly. The waitress clearly picked up on our relative uncouth early and decided to not ever bring us the waters we asked for nor come to our table ever again. In case you’re wondering we opted against ordering food from this classy establishment. Sorry waitress, bet you wish you knew you were serving a pair of travel bloggers 😉 If only we were that bad ass. But can you imagine one day? Where like, if you gave us crappy service your establishment would hurt when we post??? Haha, OK I fantasize.
::pronghorn::
::some deer hanging in the parking lot::
::buffalo::
::glacial gorgeousness::
::even the puddles here are beautiful::
Anyway, we drove over to Jackson Hole ski area afterwards and meandered the green slopes for a bit before checking out the various restaurants on site in search of the proper one for viewing the Giants season opener. We picked one of the lodge restaurants where the bartender was a fellow Giants fan and wound up seated next to a group of 5 guys also watching the game and eating “307 fries” (a large plate of fries soaked in braised elk and buffalo gravy, smothered with cheddar and of course Alan had them add bacon on top). Alan was in heaven: meat, dark beers, whiskey, manly men and football. Except for the Giants’ pathetic loss. I sat on the corner with my salad and iPhone and prepared myself for a terrifying drive home (yes I was sober but we drove through Grand Teton National Park on this practically unpaved and extremely winding road in the pitch-black darkness, rain and some of the most opaque fog I’ve ever seen. EEK.)
The next morning we set out to do some hiking along those rugged Tetons. We went up to Jenny Lake (obviously you can tell from the name that it was lovely). We spent $12 on a round trip boat ride that cuts out about 4 miles of non-vertical trail up to the base of the mountains. We then hiked along a beautiful valley trail which kissed a small creek along the way. Not much in the way of wildlife other than some pika. It was a bit cloudy but we got some decent views of les Tetons Grand (did you know the French men named them after tatas? Them ladies musta had some pointy lady parts). We stopped to eat our picnic lunch a few miles deep, and the trail having lost it’s vertical entirely by that point we decided to head back and see if we couldn’t find this granite hot spring our bartender had told us about.
After about a 30 mile drive south of Jackson we arrived at the turnoff, which lead to a 10 mile dirt road. This would probably take an SUV a couple of minutes, but in Sven? An hour. Each way. But boy was it worth it! We arrived at this gigantic pool filled entirely by a natural supply of hot water that flows out into a waterfall below. You pay $6 a person to use it and it’s incredibly refreshing. Added bonus, it does not smell like sulphur because the water is heated from some sort of mineral composition in this location.
Coming home we neared our campsite around sunset and stopped at famed Oxbow bend to snap a few pictures. One must come prepared to throw some bows at Oxbow bend, as the photographers there are serious and even more serious about the vantage points they’ve sought out and don’t intend on sharing with an amateur with a point and shoot.
Alas, we made it back to camp that night in time to cook and enjoyed some teriyaki pork tenderloin and baked potatoes on the hibachi grill.
::by the hot springs::
::the shadow of the tetons as the sun sets::
::can’t get enough of those mountains!::
::oxbow bend::
::oxbow bend::
::sunny skies::
Driving out of Jackson we encountered what Alan coined “the most unexpected magnificence.” Brooks Lake National Forest, leaving Shoshone National Park we saw some beautiful mountains. A bit further the landscape changed again and I swear I thought I was driving through Arizona. We stopped to check out Hell’s Half Acre, which is like a little Grand Canyon where the Indians drove herd of buffalo to slaughter. The caves and pigeonholes reminded me a touch of Cappadocia. It goes without saying the drive through Wyoming was a pretty one. Alan made the astute observation that almost all the towns’ elevations were much higher than their populations. Our foreign car stuck out like a sore thumb on a road filled with all American pick-ups. To the point that we invented a new road game where we tried to spot vehicles that were not Ford pick-up trucks.
Pronghorns and buffalo dotted the otherwise sparse views along the highway the rest of the route. Mind-blowing numbers of these pronghorns. You know how when you first see something exciting you go, “Oh my god, a [blank!] Look, it’s a [blank]!” and you feel the need to point it out first to anyone in your vicinity? Well, it started like that with pronghorns, and by the end we were pointing pronghorns with an incredulous, “Oh my god, another freakin’ pronghorn! Pronghorns everywhere!” Who needs Yellowstone when you can go to Gillette, Wyoming?
::loveliest gas station!::
::beautiful landscapes::
::az? or wy?::
::alan got all iron chef out in the boonies::
::cottage cheese and saltines at the prettiest rest stop around. ha::
And lastly in Wyoming we arrived at Devil’s Tower (America’s first national monument!). This was probably the happiest and most serene I’d been yet on this trip. Maybe it’s the relaxation that comes when you exit bear country on a camping trip, maybe it’s the view of the tower and the spectacular sunset we had from our picnic table, the cows mooing in the distance, or perhaps the family of deer that wandered sheepishly into our campsite, or maybe just the Norah Jones and bottle of wine that I shared with my love. But whatever it was, this was a moment that caused me to step back and truly appreciate the incredible opportunity and experience this is for me, for us. (And then the septic pump picked up and our moment of zen was somewhat diminished by the overwhelming presence of poo scent.)
::sven looks happy here::
::check out that view!::
::perfect sunset::
::really just epic::
We went up to the tower itself the next morning (our first of three national monuments that day!), driving all of 100 yards and then cashing in the full value of our annual national parks pass (thankfully early, as the national parks are now shutdown!! Thanks government. But really, how third world must the tourists who’ve come here to see our national parks think we are??).
The valley around the tower is home to a city of black tailed prairie dogs. Uber cute. Closer up, I had an embarrassingly frightening wildlife encounter with… wait for it… a squirrel! That thing ran at me so fast and with such gumption that I literally yelped and started running the other way!!! Hey, it could have had rabies. It gave me a sense of what it might be like to be under attack by a wild animal of legitimate size and why someone might pee their pants in that situation. Once I braved it enough to pass the squirrel we checked out the tower in closer detail. I adored the folklore about how the tower came into existence. Scientists themselves can’t agree on how it was actually formed, so I’ll choose to believe one of the Indian stories. Legend has it that two young girls were being chased by a big bear so they ran as fast as they could and then prayed to the gods for help, the gods then raised a section of the earth below them and the bear’s claws left the grooves along the sides as he tried to reach them. It’s not until you get some context that you realize how large each of those grooved columns actually are. Luckily we got to see some climbers making their way up. Incredible! Check out the pictures below, it is so hard to comprehend the size of the rocks until you see that little man tackling it. I have much respect for any climbers that can do that climb. 1280 feet of practically sheer vertical.
Sept 9 (Monday) – In need of some exercise after a Sunday Funday, we drove to Jenny Lake and took the $12 (round-trip) boat ride across the lake to the trailhead for the Cascade Canyon Trail. You can walk around the lake to the trail, but a little pressed for time we chose the boat which shaves some miles off the round-trip. The Cascade Canyon Trail ascends far up into the Tetons and one could hike to Solitude Lake. We ascended perhaps three miles on a gently sloping path, I estimate about 600-800 vertical feet.
Lunch view on Cascade Canyon Trail
We began by taking the horse trail up and to the right which soon meets back up with the more popular trail and runs along a mountain stream. It was a little cloudy but we got frequent views of the Tetons peeking through. Our lunch spot had inspiring views of an emerald green valley with water cascading down from glaciers. On the way down we stopped at Inspiration Point for views over the lake, and also glimpsed Hidden Falls.
Hidden Falls
There are ample hiking opportunities in the area. Jenni was sick much of the time in Jackson and we got a late start, so the idea of hiking up to the top of Jackson Hole and taking the tram down was off the table. I would like to return some day to do a bit of backpacking because these mountains are so beautiful.
Ted, our bartender yesterday at The Spur, had strongly recommended we check out Granite Hot Springs. It was already 2:15 pm and quite a drive to get there, but we had a nice moment abiding by our “let’s not be lazy on this trip” motto. The springs are about 30 miles southeast of Jackson (itself a significant drive from Jenny Lake). The drive was very pretty, and then we turned off the main road onto a dirt road leading to the springs. When one travels in a convertible, 10 miles on a dirt road takes about an hour. This was one of many highlights of our journey, as this area is rugged, remote and gorgeous. The dirt road runs along and above a river with abundant views of granite mountains.
The road to Granite Hot Springs
There are camp sites in the area. I did not research this, but it seemed that perhaps the ones closer to the hot springs can be reserved and have pit toilets while those closer to the paved road are fully wilderness camping. If I had a better vehicle and some preparation, this would be a delightful place to get away from it all.
At the end of the road is a hot spring fed man-made pool area. It costs $6 each and there are changing rooms and pit toilets available. The temperature of the pool fluctuates between 93º in the summer and a scorching 112º in the winter. We met a nice man from Iowa on a fly-fishing trip who told us he is not remarkably skilled but sure does look good courtesy of the Orvis catalog. He also said the Atherton Creek Campground at Lower Slide Lake is great. Rumor has it one may cross the creek just below the granite falls and enjoy a two-person sized natural hot tub for free.
River near the hot springs
So nice after a hike!
On the dirt road we saw some signs that could indicate points of interest. These included Payson Ranch, Jackpine summer homes, Granite ranch and the Safari Club International. We stopped at Albertson’s on the way home and found these Zip Superstarter fire starters at 6 for $6, which sure beats Duraflames at $5 each. In this area between the town of Jackson and Route 22 are more affordable shopping options like Albertson’s, K-Mart etc. if you want to buy anything or stock a condo while visiting, and there are countless outdoor outfitters.
The drive back to Colter Bay afforded some spectacular views and lighting, and we stopped at Oxbow Bend for sunset and mountains reflecting in the water. This is a famous photography spot, and you will see camera gear that costs about as much as a car.
Back home we grilled up some teriyaki pork tenderloin (which will appear in the next post, too) and baked potatoes. There is an American Alpine Club Climbers’ Ranch with a superb location near Jenny Lake. I do not know what is required to join the club, but it is something to consider. The Jackson area also has a museum of wildlife art and a national fish hatchery. We did not see any moose or bears here but a lot more bison and some pronghorn. And many more miles driven alongside rivers, which I enjoy.
Jackson Hole holds a special place in the hearts of skiers and boarders worldwide. It boasts more than 4,000 vertical feet and arguably the best advanced terrain in the country, if not the world. I spent a week skiing Jackson in 2002 and hope to return in the winter soon, and I am eager to visit Chamonix in France which is another contender. While most famous as a winter destination, Jackson’s scenery, outdoor activities and proximity to Yellowstone make it a wonderful summer spot.
September 7 (Saturday, cont’d) – We exited Yellowstone at the South entrance and continued down to Colter Bay Campground, finding our first clean view of the spectacular Teton Mountains on the way. We also passed a sign indicating the 45º mark, i.e. the halfway point between the equator and the North Pole. For those unfamiliar with this area, perhaps a brief orientation would be helpful. Jackson, Wyoming is a town that is at the southern end of the Grand Teton National Park area. Jackson Hole ski resort is 12 miles northwest of the town, in Teton Village. Colter Bay Campground is on Jackson Lake, about 40 miles north of the town of Jackson. Hotels in the general area tend to be very expensive. There are several options for camping. We were told that Jenny Lake is the most sought after and tends to fill up early in the morning, so that was not an option for us. There is also camping at Gros Ventre, but I read that is somewhat out of the way. The important information I want to convey is pay attention to where you choose your lodging, because the area is fairly expansive and you could end up an hour away from where you want to spend most of your time.
We arrived at Colter Bay a little after 5 pm and got site D88 from many available sites. It costs $21/night and is spacious but privacy is not great and the designated tent area is a gravel-covered rectangle. There is a general store that is very well-stocked with food (including a deli counter) and supplies as well as guidebooks and camping gear, cabins available for rent and a gas station. Potable water and flush toilets are scattered throughout. Here they are stricter with bear warnings, advising against even bringing water bottles into your tent at night if such bottles ever had anything scented inside. But you can still keep food in the car or a bear locker.
The bay was bone dry but Jackson Lake was not, and the backdrop of the glaciated Tetons is jaw-dropping. There is no view from the camp sites themselves, which are set back in the woods. We saw a couple large deer in the parking lot.
September 8, 2013 (Sunday) – This morning I began reading Investment Biker, written 20+ years ago by Jim Rogers, the famous investor and former partner of George Soros. He is impressively prescient and raves about Samarkand (Uzbekistan), which Bob had just said is outstanding. This combo sparked our focus on visiting Central Asia on the first international leg of our trip.
We headed to the town of Jackson with spectacular views of the Tetons along the way. At one point there were countless bison on each side of the road, and we stopped (the first of a few) to savor the scenery at Oxbow Bend.
Bison and the Tetons
Come again?
We parked before 10:30 am and walked around town. The fall arts festival is ongoing and today is the Taste of the Tetons on the antler-adorned town square. Jackson is a great mountain town with abundant galleries, shops, bars and restaurants. While no match for Jackson Hole, the Snow King ski mountain is right in town and offers fairly impressive pitch. There is a Mangelsen photo gallery (I had perused the one in Park City on many occasions but believe he lives in Jackson) with some incredible nature shots. The line at The Bunnery told us it is a favorite for brunch.
Taste of the Tetons had perhaps 20 local establishments offering food for $2-4, and there was live music on the square. Between eating and the hour it was acceptable to make Jenni watch football the rest of the day, we walked around some more. She purchased Eagle Creek packing cubes at the small but effective Skinny Skis shop. We also passed a structure surrounded by a fence of alternating wood and actual skinny skies. They had the Dynastar Verticals and of course the classic Rossignol 4S Kevlar in teal green!
Taste of the Tetons at Jackson town square
Fence, Jackson style
The Giants had their season opener at night vs. the Cowboys, but there were hours to kill before then. We made the mistake of picking the Town Square Tavern for earlier games. The beer selection was weak and our waitress far worse.
Desiring to see the ski resort in daylight anyway, we broke early for Teton Village. While not nearly as developed as many ski base areas, there are several lodging properties, shops, restaurants and bars at Teton Village. It was surprisingly difficult to find a place that would show the Giants game with sound. I figured the Mangy Moose, an après-ski staple, would be our best bet. But they had no sound, so after much debate we settled at The Spur.
We sat at the bar and thoroughly enjoyed our conversation with Ted, an excellent bartender/waiter who grew up in Manhattan then went to school in Boulder before moving to Jackson for the skiing. Another group of young fellows sidled up to the bar and I sat next to Grant, who had also gone to school in Boulder and lived in Vail before moving to Jackson for the snowboarding. I was really struck by the passion these gentlemen had for the area and the mountain terrain. Ted went so far as to proclaim that skiing at Jackson is a different sport from anywhere else. I have often said this when comparing east coast vs. west coast skiing, but saying that Jackson is in a completely different league from the best of Colorado and Utah etc.?! Here were two guys who lived years in Colorado and were still awe-struck by the mighty Jackson Hole. That says a lot, and I am drawn to places where inhabitants display such passion.
OK, here the truth comes out. I have delayed my blog posts so long to avoid having to address the Giants’ season. The opener against the Cowboys was a harbinger of bad things to come. Despite many opportunities to win the game, the Giants secured an embarrassing loss rife with turnovers. My pain was comforted by the 307 Fries, which are the rich man’s version of chili cheese fries. This is a dish of pommes frites, braised elk and buffalo gravy smothered with Lark Meadow Farm cheddar cheese. I overheard the locals next to me talk of adding bacon on top, and I wanted to seem cool so abandoned my kosher principles and added some swine. Brilliant. If you were wondering, 307 is the local area code.
I love ski towns like Jackson. They offer fresh mountain air, natural splendor, outdoor activities, good food and beer, liberal attitudes and a unique balance of cowboy gruffness and cosmopolitan sophistication. They also tend to attract adventurous spirits and travelers. In addition to Ted and Grant, we met another guy working at The Spur who spends four months each year in Thailand bouldering the limestone karsts between Phuket and Krabi. He said he enjoys bouldering in the ocean because he can fall up to 50 feet with less devastating consequences! He also dives the Andaman Sea and Ko Tau in the Gulf of Thailand. I have always admired, perhaps even idolized, those who live life this way. It made me really happy that Jenni and I could now tell a story of our own lives that made these people say “wow, that’s so cool!”
The drive back to Colter Bay on the Moose/Wilson road was rough. Jenni was forced behind the wheel by my indulgences and encountered uneven dirt roads in the eery rain and fog with no lights anywhere except Sven’s headlamps.
Leaving Glacier we stopped in an adorable town, Augusta, for brunch. We chose Chubby’s Diner and we were totally taken with the signage, which, among many others, included the following admonitions: “Tabs are due the 1st of every month – not when you feel like paying” and “due to the number of weirdos not paying for their food we will no longer serve outside. You can still order, prepay and eat outside if you desire.” Oh, Montanans.
I should also share the story of a little gem of a man we met in Glacier. While using the nockies (also known as binoculars, to y’all non hip campers) at dusk to hunt for bears we met a man from Choteau who came up to Glacier every fall with his wife. (Choteau is a small, relatively middle-of-nowhere town on the drive into Glacier). His accent and outfit alone were charming enough, but I most intrigued when overhearing his conversation with another camper a while later. He and another man started talking all things animals and anti-government when the second gentleman began to talk about a book he’d read. He started, “Have you ever heard of the book –?” and before even getting to the title our man from Choteau cut him off with a deadpan response of “Oh, I don’t read.” And that was that. Ha! I had never heard such an unbridled conviction admonishing literacy. I will forever associate Choteau with the man who doesn’t read and ain’t ashamed. Oh, Choteau.
::the essentials::::chubby’s::
Anyhow, we spent our last few days in Montana in the college town of Bozeman. We have little to share with you about the draw of this town as we sought it out primarily as a shelter from the storm, a wifi hotspot to catch up on the blogs (which, as you can see, we shamefully slacked on afterwards. Sorry readers!! Catching up soon!!!!), and a place that might have a nice dinner for Alan’s 36th birthday. (36! Can you believe it!? Time flies). Our first semi-disappointing AirBnB experience was had in Bozeman, but only in that we tried to find a place to stay the day before we arrived which was never confirmed and so we had to opt for a cheap hotel last minute. No big loss, as for less than $100 we had two(!) large beds and a pleasant enough room to blog, free wifi all day and waffles in the mornings.
Our first night in Bozeman we checked out Montana Ale Works for some good brews and some snacks, and it’s a solid option if you’re itching for a beer and some barfood. The next night, Alan’s birthday, we went to Plonk, which came highly recommended by friends we met on the road. It was a lovely dinner, though writing this now over a month later I remember little about the food itself, other than us asking the waitress her thoughts on certain dishes vs. others, to which she replied that the pork belly appetizer was delicious but “not that big” and “light.” Friends, it was six inches thick of pig fat. Lordy. Montanans do “light” meat like meat eating champions! After dinner, though Alan tried to go home, all tired and full of pig fat, knowing him well enough I convinced him to check out nearby Copper Whiskey Bar for a drink, and then rushed us out just in time to get some birthday desserts before the local co-op closed. We went for a walk around town while we enjoyed the treats and I sang him happy birthday using a lighter as his “candle” to blow out. Rounding the corner on our walk home, we came across the cutest rock star in history… a thirteen year old guitar player/singer and his dad! Oh. My. Goodness. We stood and watched, all smiles, as this little kiddo serenaded us with a cover of Guns N Roses’ “Sweet Child of Mine.” I requested Freebird in encore, but it was not yet in his repertoire, so we heard Sweet Home Alabama before I decided this was definitely where I wanted to spend the $5 I found on the street in Portland and had been carrying in my pocket for the “right occasion” ever since. I wish I got his name. He’s going to be the next Mick Jagger. You rock, little man, you rock. Having had a few cocktails at our dinner I left little Jagger with the $5 bill in his guitar case and flashed him the rock/devil’s horn signal and a hearty, “ROCK ON!” Go on, judge me. I was bewitched by his pre-teen rockstarness.
::world’s littlest rockstar::
::getting our birthday treats::
::keep on rockin in the free world::
I leave you with a couple other interesting things to note.
Somewhere on the road in Montana we saw a billboard for the Testical Festival (testyfesty.com). Woah. So, that’s a thing apparently. I’ll let you check out the website for yourself if you’re so inclined. (Yes, the website is really testyfesty.com)
Reading Update. I figured I’d share some of the more interesting reads I’m enjoying on this trip, and while in Montana I finished Lorrie Moore’s A Gate at the Stairs. Beautiful book. I’ve read a number of her novels now and I’m so totally enamored with her. Her work is chock full of delicious sentences. Every sentence is pure delight and mastery of the English language. To the point that Alan disenjoys my company while I read her work because I want to stop at every page to share with him a sentence, or a beautiful metaphor she’s used, or the entire chapter. Oops.
August 30, 2013 (Friday) – As I noted earlier, I am covering Yellowstone in its own post as it is deserving and we covered the park in two days. Today was the first, which entailed a very early start. We hopped in Dave’s rented SUV with some of his family in Big Sky and he drove about an hour to the town of West Yellowstone, MT. Dave organized and hosted a full-day tour, I believe the company was Buffalo Bus Touring Company. We did the lower loop tour which may have been modified from the traditional route as this was a private event.
Traffic…
Elk
We visited Upper Yellowstone Falls which is nice but not comparable to the spectacular Lower Yellowstone Falls which sit at the end of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Flip-flops sufficed for the walk down Uncle Tom’s trail despite the warnings of how treacherous it is. The up-close vantage point of the falls and nearly constant rainbow make this well worth a little effort.
Upper Falls
Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
Uncle Tom’s trail at Lower Falls
Rainbow at Lower Falls
After a pre-packed lunch on the bus we arrived at Old Faithful having just missed an eruption. The good news is that it is called Old Faithful for a reason so we were secure in our belief that the next eruption would come within 90 minutes. Moreover, the lodge there is spectacular and our two gargantuan scoops of huckleberry ice cream (for a very reasonable $3.60) helped pass the time. We walked much of the loop around various thermal features, some of which look like hot tubs with mesmerizing colors.
Old Faithful
Near Old Faithful
Happy Huckleberry campers
Old Faithful delighted and then we continued to Fountain Paint Pots where we were treated to a not-so-ordinary eruption of Fountain Geyser. Though diminutive compared to Old Faithful, it was awesome to see the boiling water slosh around violently when the steam dissipated. In the same area we observed a steam hole where the fissures emit a sound like a jet engine.
Fountain Geyser
Fountain Paint Pots
The day was wonderful, except for hitting my head inside the bus really hard, twice, and mildly breaking my sunglasses in the process. Our guide was Matt Henry and he was excellent. Very knowledgeable and informative while also lighthearted and funny. The town of West Yellowstone looked a little Western kitsch but kind of neat. There is the well-regarded Playmill Theatre, some BBQ joints and of course touristy shops and tour companies.
September 7, 2013 (Saturday) – Today we headed east from Bozeman to Livingston, MT then south on Route 89 through Gardner and entered Yellowstone through the Roosevelt Arch. The approach was lovely.
Roosevelt Arch
Undine Falls
The Albright Visitor Center area is like a small town/campus with a justice building, post office, etc. Undine Falls was quite nice. We saw some pronghorn up close and lots more bison today.
At Tower Roosevelt service station I noticed the word Longmeadow on the Excel Dryer…small world, it seems that company is based in East Longmeadow, MA. From there we drove 20+ miles out the Lamar Valley as this is nicknamed America’s Serengeti and we had aspirations of sighting some serious wildlife. Alas, we did not. In luckier times, folks may see elk, bears or wolves.
We re-traced our path then drove south to Canyon Village and past the lake to exit out the south entrance. It was pretty in this area with a river gorge.
Some recollections on what I might have learned in Yellowstone: Ravens are super smart and they will steal things from your bag if you are not very careful. There are legends of ravens stealing cash and diamonds. Then again, they are from Baltimore. Bison can apparently jump up to 6 feet vertically and run 35 mph. They may look slow and laborious, but…Our guide told us of the Sheep Eater Indians, I think a band of Shoshone, who fashioned bows from the horns of bighorn sheep. Yellowstone Lake lies at over 7,000 feet and is the largest lake in North America at such an elevation. A wolf can eat 20 pounds of meat in a sitting…like me at Peter Luger.
champagne&backpacks 