June 30, 2017
Elias' Rookie Card
His coach surprised the team with their own Topps baseball cards... Now we just have to order some reprints to meet all the autograph requests that Elias is expecting.
June 22, 2017
Earlier posts updated with photos - go back and look...
We saw that a few of the earlier posts had problems with the photos/videos we tried to upload from the road. I've updated a number of those now, so feel free to go back and look...
Monday through Wednesday - Yellowstone and Home
We left Grand Junction around 9:30 on Monday morning, after making a quick stop by the house we lived in 2005-2007. We had a VERY long drive into Utah, up into Idaho, then over and up into Montana to West Yellowstone, where we arrived around 8:30 pm. After road food all day, we were both really happy to get a big salad at Three Bears. It wasn't hard to fall asleep right after we finished dinner.
Tuesday morning we left early to drive to park headquarters at Mammoth, WY, where I had a few meetings set up that morning with the program leads at the Yellowstone Center for Resources. After talking science, bison, cultural resources, and admin processes for the morning, we grabbed lunch then hit the road to explore for the afternoon. We spend a few hours at Norris Geyser Basin and were blown away by the geysers, hot pots, springs, and fumaroles (steam vents). We bought a simple dinner at the Mammoth General Store, then camped in the truck at the Park Service spot held at Mammoth Campground.
Wednesday morning I had another meeting on bison with Yellowstone's lead for biology programs, then we hit the road for the 4 1/2 hour drive back to Missoula. We got home around 3 pm, having put a grand total of 2,579 miles on Mossy Wind, aka The Paddy Wagon.
Click here to see the final route on Google Maps
The trip was GREAT. Finn was an incredible traveler, we visited with wonderful people, and we saw amazing things that we're so thankful our country had the foresight to protect for all of us to see. We owe Mom (October) a big thanks for holding down the fort and encouraging us to have this adventure!
Some final pics:
And finally home, exhausted:
Tuesday morning we left early to drive to park headquarters at Mammoth, WY, where I had a few meetings set up that morning with the program leads at the Yellowstone Center for Resources. After talking science, bison, cultural resources, and admin processes for the morning, we grabbed lunch then hit the road to explore for the afternoon. We spend a few hours at Norris Geyser Basin and were blown away by the geysers, hot pots, springs, and fumaroles (steam vents). We bought a simple dinner at the Mammoth General Store, then camped in the truck at the Park Service spot held at Mammoth Campground.
Wednesday morning I had another meeting on bison with Yellowstone's lead for biology programs, then we hit the road for the 4 1/2 hour drive back to Missoula. We got home around 3 pm, having put a grand total of 2,579 miles on Mossy Wind, aka The Paddy Wagon.
Click here to see the final route on Google Maps
The trip was GREAT. Finn was an incredible traveler, we visited with wonderful people, and we saw amazing things that we're so thankful our country had the foresight to protect for all of us to see. We owe Mom (October) a big thanks for holding down the fort and encouraging us to have this adventure!
Some final pics:
Finn did NOT care for the sulfur smell of the vents
Finn still asleep in the Paddy Wagon at Mammoth, WY
And evidence of dragons snorting just underground:
And finally home, exhausted:
Saturday and Sunday in Grand Junction
Brendan back to writing...
For a weekend break, we went over to Grand Junction, where Finn was born, and stay with our good friends, the Campbells. It was great to reconnect and pretty much just hang out and visit at and in the pool. Josh, Laura, and Bryce took Finn on a mountain bike ride at Rustler's Loop near Loma, and stopped for photos at a spectacular rocky outcropping high above the Colorado River. Brendan and Ryann opted to go for a photography hike, and spent the morning with the macro lens investigating small things that we normally don't take time to look at closely.
October and the kids sent Finn with two wrapped gifts for Father's Day, and we were PSYCHED to find that Josh and I each got a pack of 350 easy-fill water balloons. We had two major battles that used up all 700 balloons in short order, and we all had a good laugh when, afterward we got into our swimsuits and could see all the red welts over Brendan and Laura's backs... Wrapped up Sunday night around their fire pit with smores while Finn played guitar and Ryann treated us to a few melodies on the sax.
We're so thankful for friends that we might not see for a couple few years, but then easily and and naturally pick right up where we left off.
For a weekend break, we went over to Grand Junction, where Finn was born, and stay with our good friends, the Campbells. It was great to reconnect and pretty much just hang out and visit at and in the pool. Josh, Laura, and Bryce took Finn on a mountain bike ride at Rustler's Loop near Loma, and stopped for photos at a spectacular rocky outcropping high above the Colorado River. Brendan and Ryann opted to go for a photography hike, and spent the morning with the macro lens investigating small things that we normally don't take time to look at closely.
October and the kids sent Finn with two wrapped gifts for Father's Day, and we were PSYCHED to find that Josh and I each got a pack of 350 easy-fill water balloons. We had two major battles that used up all 700 balloons in short order, and we all had a good laugh when, afterward we got into our swimsuits and could see all the red welts over Brendan and Laura's backs... Wrapped up Sunday night around their fire pit with smores while Finn played guitar and Ryann treated us to a few melodies on the sax.
We're so thankful for friends that we might not see for a couple few years, but then easily and and naturally pick right up where we left off.
June 19, 2017
Saturday, June 17
Instead of going to the Colorado Gator Park, we went sand-boarding on the sand dunes! dad was very worried that if he told mom, she would cancel it. But as soon as we got there, I bet dad was thinking, "Maybe we should just go back and play some Uno?" I got a snowboard, and Dad got a sled. (As some of you know, he can't handle water slides, so this was a big stretch.) It was sooooo much fun. I have never been snowboarding, skateboarding, or anything like that, so I did pretty good! We didn't do any steep dunes, but it was still remarkably hard. then, at about 11:00, we stopped to get a park souvenir pin, then we had to go to Grand Junction (where I was born) to see some friends. It was a 5 hour drive through beautiful topography. When we got there, it was a lot of fun, and I stayed in their pool for about 5 hours, and taught their only son Bryce how to do a backflip on a trampoline.
Thursday night and Friday at Great Sand Dunes National Park, San Luis Valley, Colorado
Thursday we made our way towards Great Sand Dunes National Park and dad and I got a free campsite that was meant for 4 families! Then, instantly after we unpacked our stuff, we went for more swimming... in a river! Medano Creek is a special river that only appears for a few weeks a year, and disappears into the sand dunes. it was very shallow, but it was a blast! every 20 seconds (approximately) there was a surge wave, where upstream, a sand wall formed, then broke, sending a small wave coming our way.
Then we met up with dad's friend, Fred, who gave us a full tour, including seeing the most important paleoindian site in all of the northern hemisphere, where paleoindians jumped forty bison and left lost of artifacts, about 9000 years ago.
Finn playing in the 'surge waves' at Medano Creek
Happy that the Jeep engine fire is under control...
Finn with 2 of the arrowheads we found at a secret archeological site inside the park. No, we didn't (and couldn't!) keep them... just enjoyed them, took some photos, and put them back.
Finn and the locally famous Fred Bunch
Then we met up with dad's friend, Fred, who gave us a full tour, including seeing the most important paleoindian site in all of the northern hemisphere, where paleoindians jumped forty bison and left lost of artifacts, about 9000 years ago.
The first cool-down soak in Medano Creek
Finn playing in the 'surge waves' at Medano Creek
Happy that the Jeep engine fire is under control...
Finn with 2 of the arrowheads we found at a secret archeological site inside the park. No, we didn't (and couldn't!) keep them... just enjoyed them, took some photos, and put them back.
Finn and the locally famous Fred Bunch
On Thursday, we traveled to Florrisant fossil beds, and we had a blast! We learned a bit at the visitor center, then we met the Superintendent and the Chief Paleontologist, and we got to see very highly protected fossils, including a whole entire bird that a 4th grader found, lots of plants and leaves, insects, and, most impressive of all, we saw the iconic wasp of all of the Florissant fossil beds park! We also saw the largest petrified tree stump in the whole world! It was from a giant sequoia that used to occur in this area and was at least 12 feet in diameter. Apparently what happened to form these monster tree stumps was that there were these huge trees, then a volcano spewed ash, then rainfall came and mixed with the ash to form a gooey substance called lahar. The lahar encased the bottom section of the trees, then the top section died away, and the lahar was excavated to reveal the petrified stump.
Laramie to Camp outside Florrissant, CO
Wednesday was a big travel day... after I had a swim in the hotel pool while dad caught up on work emails, we stopped for coffee and hot chocolate at a cool used bookstore downtown (The Night Heron).
Then we hit the road and came back into the heart of the Rockies as we crossed into Colorado. We couldn't avoid Interstate 25 for a short while, but mostly took 2 lane winding state highways.
We found out that if you sleep at 8,100 feet, you might just wake up to frost on your pillow. It was very cold, but the stars were very beautiful. The first thing that we saw was Jupiter. That is something of a surprise, because usually the first thing you see is Venus. Then the stars started to pop out, and the first satellite we saw was something along the lines of OAO 356. Apparently it is a military spacecraft that is used for detecting enemy aircraft and ships. Dad owed me a candy bar, because I pointed out the first bat. I chose a nice king sized Butterfingers that I'm saving for later.
And a few more photos from camp Wednesday evening:
And a few more photos from camp Wednesday evening:
Soaking up the hot breeze in cool Lost Creek
Lost Creek Panorama
Getting a little practice in before dinner
Camp nachos, and an ice-cold grape Fanta that I surprised Finn with...
June 14, 2017
Hard rain in the camper Monday evening
"It feels like nails that aren't poking through!"
Good thing the quarter-sized hailstones missed us by a couple miles...
Windy south of Casper, WY
We ventured out onto the prairie looking for a campsite out of the 40+ mph winds. No luck, so we drove another 90 mikes to sit in the lap of luxury in a hotel in Laramie. After getting Finn a long swim in the pool this morning, we're back on the road to Florissant, CO. We're doing great, but for running low on ruffles and lemonade. Otherwise, we're chewing a lot of bubble gum and listening to The Hunger Games audiobook.
Expecting to find an open campsite here tonight: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/riverside-co/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=73561
Expecting to find an open campsite here tonight: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/riverside-co/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=73561
June 13, 2017
June 12, 2017
We're off!
Finn and I are hitting the road on an epic road trip.... driving 2500 miles over ten days to visit at least five national parks - Florissant Fossil Beds, Great Sand Dunes, Colorado National Monument, Grand Teton, and Yellowstone. We'll be posting from along the way... camping tonight somewhere in eastern Montana and tomorrow night somewhere in southern Wyoming. Stay tuned...
June 3, 2017
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