My apologies to anyone who is trying to follow my blog. I've had technical problems, some of which I'm sure are because I'm still in the twentieth century, instead of the twenty-first, when it comes to computer smarts. I've managed to totally lose tons of written text and will have to recreate as I go.
For now, I'll just say that as the blogging has not gone according to plan, neither have our travels. We had a glorious day's drive (text to be recreated later) between Logan, Utah, and The Grand Tetons, arriving in Teton National Park as dusk was becoming dark, and rain becoming snow. Only one place to stay was open: the Jackson Lake Lodge, and just beyond that the south entrance to Yellowstone was closed because of the snow. We were more than happy to pay big bucks to stay anywhere, especially when we awoke the next morning to find our Tracker and trailer covered in several inches of snow!
By then, three of Yellowstone's entrances were closed with more snow on the way. Since going through Yellowstone was part of our route to Glacier National Park, we decided our visit there would have to wait until another trip. Meanwhile, my vision of a roaring fire in the lounge of the lodge, with me drinking coffee and gazing at the amazing view of the Grand Tetons would also have to wait - we could see the bottom half of the Grand Tetons but the upper half of the peaks were completely obscured by fog. Good thing I saw them twenty-five years ago!
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| Tracker and Trailer Covered in Snow at Grand Teton Nat'l Park |
By then, three of Yellowstone's entrances were closed with more snow on the way. Since going through Yellowstone was part of our route to Glacier National Park, we decided our visit there would have to wait until another trip. Meanwhile, my vision of a roaring fire in the lounge of the lodge, with me drinking coffee and gazing at the amazing view of the Grand Tetons would also have to wait - we could see the bottom half of the Grand Tetons but the upper half of the peaks were completely obscured by fog. Good thing I saw them twenty-five years ago!
Now it was on to Mt. Rushmore via an offbeat route through an Indian Reservation (text to be recreated later). It was either snowing, raining, or hailing the entire day, but we had four-wheel drive and foolish, happy hearts, so on we went to Custer City, South Dakota. At the Custer Visitors' Center, "Mr. Peppy" assured me that we'd be able to see Mt. Rushmore despite the weather, and suggested a wonderful wandering way through buffalo country and up into the hills with challenging U-turns and S-turns, through one-lane rock tunnels which would perfectly frame the four faces on Mt. Rushmore, up the pig-tail turns with timber bridges built by the CCC during the Depression, and don't be so mesmerized by the sight of Mt. Rushmore that you forget to visit the underground museum that will be right beneath your feet as you stand gazing up at those imposing stone presidents. Nature decided, Mr. Peppy didn't. There were no views through the tunnels and nothing when we got to the monument - fog. fog, and more fog. Still, the road and the pig-tail turns were amazing.
On to Chicago! Maybe we will be successful at seeing my daughter Liz when we get there.... And, I did get to visit the world-renowned Wall Drug (kitsch and more kitsch) and ride on a giant Jackalope, so all was not lost!
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