Day 14 - Last full day drive

Got up before dawn in Davenport, took a shower, got dressed, and took Bailey out for a walk. Dry camping at the Walmart is kind of fun, but it's really interesting the strange activities that go on after midnight. Groups of kids appear with their cars, rev engines, and play loud music. Delivery trucks come and go -- guess the drivers sleep during the day. Great job for a vampire!

We bought gas at the Walmart station before we headed out to put another 575 miles on the car and trailer. We were taking I-70 this time, planning to go through Indianapolis and on to Columbus to Zanesville, Ohio for our final night. Hit a lot of construction through Indianapolis. In fact, it seems every time we go through that city, they are working on the highways. It's starting to seem like Chicago. ;-)

Got to Zanesville around 7:15. Checked into a nice campground way off in the woods called Wolfie's. We only have about 5 hours to go Saturday, so we'll take our time and get out around 8:00.

Looking forward to getting home after two great weeks on the road.


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Location:N River Rd,Zanesville,United States

Days 12 & 13, You aren't a real RV'er until you've camped overnight in a Wal Mart parking lot

We got out of Colter Bay around 6:45 and headed south toward Jackson. We decided to take the southern (and longer) route to avoid the muddy construction on Togwotee Pass to the east of the Park. By the time we ended our day in Ogallala, Nebraska, it was 8:00 PM and 650 miles later. We used the self check-in at the RV park there. Only $29 and we got a pull-through so we didn't have to disconnect the car. Next morning we found a Starbucks in North Platte for a much-needed morning beverage and headed east.

We didn't have a reservation for the night on Thursday, so we decided to drive as far as we could and then look for the closest Wal Mart that would let us park in their lot overnight. We made it to Davenport, Iowa around 9:00 PM (630 miles this day). Ann Sue used an app she bought for her iPad that looked up the closest Wal Mart and whether or not they allowed overnight parking. The app is called All Stays Camp and RV, and really is a great help. Once in the lot, I went inside and spoke with the greeter to ask for the manager. He got her on the radio and we got permission to stay overnight. I picked up some supplies for the trip, including some of Wal Mart's delicious cinnamon bread from their bakery. Friday we are headed to Zanesville, Ohio after we hit the closest Starbucks in Davenport on our way out.



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Day 11 - String Lake

We wanted to go back to String Lake to complete the circuit hike around the lake. So, today we had breakfast at the Pioneer Grill at Jackson Lake Lodge again, and then headed over to String Lake. We started on the western end of the trail and followed it around the south side of String Lake and along the western side northward. After about 1.9 miles we reached the fork that took us the remaining 1.8 miles around The north end of String and back to the trail head.

This is one of the most scenic hikes in the Park. Views of String and Leigh Lakes as well as amazing closeups of the Tetons are accessible around the lake. Here are some of the highlights.














We got back to the Twinkie and took Bailey for a walk along the lake (or as close as the Park Service allows dogs), then came back and began breaking up camp so we could get out early tomorrow morning.

We were chatting with a couple next door in a 34 foot motorhome and ended up having a couple bottles of wine and hot dogs for dinner with them. They were from Santa Clara, California.

We'll get up early tomorrow and try to be on the road by 7:00 so we can get through Jackson before any stores are open and traffic picks up. Plan to head south through Jackson on 191 to I-80 and then east to our stop in Ogallala.


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Day 10 - Return to Jackson

Slept in this morning. After I got dressed and took Bailey for a walk, I ran down to catch the last glimpse of sunrise against the Tetons.


After the photos, I had to take a propane tank to be filled. It does get a bit chilly at night, so the propane goes more quickly.

We left the Twinkie around 10:30 for Jackson. Along the road into Jackson, there are a lot of scenic opportunities. It was a bit hazy from the ongoing fire southwest of Jackson, but we got some nice shots across the Snake River.






We got to Jackson around 11:30 and headed to Albertson's for some groceries. Bought gas and took the Sequoia through the car wash. Then we headed over to Mountain High Pizza Pie for lunch. It's still the best pizza ever!


We sat out on the deck and had our pizza. Temps were around 65, so it was pleasant. After lunch we drove up to Teton Village to check out the tram ride. It's pretty much a high end tourist trap. We didn't even do the tram ride as it was $29 per person! The drive out to Teton Village turned out to be fortuitous because we decided to take the alternate route back to the Park going through Moose and up a narrow road toward Jenny Lake. Along the way we saw a moose beside the road.

When we got back to the Twinkie, Bailey was waiting for a walk, then we had a snack and rode our bikes up to the store and got an ice cream cone. We had a little thunder shower, but it seems all storms are short and pass with little rain. It will probably be completely dry by morning.

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Day 9 - Check out some other lodges in the park

Today's plan was to take our time, get up and enjoy breakfast, then drive down to Signal Mountain Lodge and Jenny Lake Lodge to see how they compared to Jackson Lake Lodge. At Signal Mountain Lodge, they had a really nice shop with local products. Signal Mountain Lodge is also a demonstration site for sustainable and eco-friendly products. They get much of their power from wind farm electricity.






Signal Mountain Lodge has a very nice bar, grill, and restaurant. We were there at 11:30 so we decided to have lunch at the grill. We had the Nachos Mountain -- delicious! Brought some back with us and Bailey enjoyed some of the chicken and ground beef. We've decided that the Grand Tetons concessionaire does such a good job we'd come back here and stay again. This time we'd eat out more!






After lunch, we drove down to Jenny Lake Lodge. On the way, we stopped along a scenic drive for some photos of the Tetons across Jenny Lake.





Jenny Lake Lodge area is very small -- the smallest of the lodges in the Park we think.

Headed back to the Twinkie and Chris vacuumed the floors and sofas, then we sat outside in the screened tent with Bailey, talking to the neighbors.

Weather today started out in the low 40s, partly cloudy. It cleared off later in the morning, although there was a brief light shower while we were driving to Signal Mountain even though the sun was out. We could see the cloud moving over the Grand Teton as it approached us and dropped a little rain. That went away quickly, and we had clear to partly cloudy skies and temps around 72 for the afternoon. Finally had a little thundershower right after sunset. Captured some interesting shots just before the rain.

Day 8 - Laundry Day

Nothing planned for this morning other than laundry. It's pretty crowded in the laundromat. Looks like we will be here for a couple hours. After, we will try a short hike before we go to dinner in the Mural Room at Jackson Lake Lodge.

Decided to do the String Lake trail. String Lake is a narrow (obviously) lake just north of Jenny Lake and connected to Leigh Lake further north. The circuit hike we were taking goes around the lake. There are some good views of Mt. Moran and it's glacier. Here are some photos from the hike.










After the hike, we went back to the Twinkie and took Bailey for a long walk. Then we headed out to Jackson Lake Lodge to have a drink at the bar overlooking the Tetons before dinner. Dinner in the Mural Room was excellent. Took some nice treats back to Bailey who was eagerly awaiting our return.

Oh, and the weather was excellent! High was around 75 with clear skies. The low this morning was around freezing according to the weather reports in the Tetons, but the thermometer we have outside only registered 45.

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Location:Colter Bay Village Rd,,United States

Day 7 - Jenny Lake and Cascade Canyon

This morning was a bit warmer that the last. The temperature was around 45. I got up and took Bailey out for a walk around 6:30. Then I went back to the Twinkie and got my tripod and camera for some photos of the sunrise


over Jackson Lake. Didn't get much color on the mountains this morning. I'll try again tomorrow. It's hit or miss with this kind of photography. Just have to be at the right place at the right time.
Drove over to Jenny Lake boat dock around 9:00 to catch the ride over to the start of the Cascade Canyon trail.
Got some photos along the way







It's 4.5 miles from the trail head to the fork at the end of the canyon. By the time we started the hike, it was 10:00, so we decided to walk until 12:00 and then turn around to be back by 2:00 so we could catch the boat to the Visitor's Center and get our Park Passport stamped.
The Cascade Canyon hike is a fantastic hike. Pretty tough first mile up to Inspiration Point, but well worth it.




You don't want to stop there, though. Continue on for another mile and you come to some cool Alpine meadows and great views of the glaciers on the side of the Grand Teton.






Most visitors stop at Inspiration Point. We went about another two miles. Never made it to the fork at the end of the canyon, but we were pretty close and got some nice views. Decided to take the horse trail back to the boat dock for a different view. It descended much more quickly. Although we had to dodge road apples, it was a quicker return trip and we made it back to the boat by 1:30.
We were back to the Twinkie before 2:30. By the way, here are some photos of our campsite. We really are close to the lake. You can see it just to the right through the trees in the second photo.






We're grilling filet mignon wrapped in bacon with baked potato and salad for dinner. .... If you're in the area, stop by and join us! ;-)

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Day 6 - Visit Jackson, Wyoming

We got up early this morning with the idea that we'd head out before sunrise on the road to Jackson and catch some good photos of the Tetons. Well, by the time we actually got out, it was well past sunrise and closer to 8:00, so we decided to drive on down to Jackson Lodge and eat breakfast in the Pioneer Grill. This is the same grill that Ann Sue ate in with her parents and Craig when she was young and they were on vacation.

The young man working our section was from California. He had graduated last year from Pepperdine with a degree in International Business. He spent the past year working in China teaching English outside of Shang Hi. He is working at Jackson Lodge because he loves the mountains. This is the Pioneer Grill



After breakfast, we drove down Hwy 191 to Jackson to do some shopping and see if there were any good Mexican Restaurants in Jackson. We seem to have started a tradition of seeking out a Mexican restaurant at every place we go camping for more than one night.

On the way, we took a few pics of the Tetons. Here is one in the morning light.



Went by the Albertsons for some groceries, then parked in the free public
lot and walked around the downtown. Ann Sue made some purchases, and we got a tip about a Mexican restaurant to try. El Abuelito was OK, but not the great food we were searching for. Oh well, when we go back to Jackson next week, we will hit the Mountain High Pizza place we ate in last year. Hope they are still as good as we remember!

Jackson is a really nice town. Everything is neat, clean, and well-planned. Lots of good stores and restaurants. Not too crowded, either.

Bailey got some treats from the chicken enchilada. She was fine in the Twinkie while we were gone. She got a nice long walk, and then we sat outside in the screened tent relaxing. Took another bike ride and then Ann Sue baked some cinnamon muffins.

The temperature this morning was 32 degrees, but by the time we got to Jackson, it was close to 60. Got up to 75 today. No rain, clear skies. All in all, a very nice day.

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Location:Jackson, Wyoming

Day 5 - Colter Bay - Recover from the trip

Didn't go anywhere today. Decided to sleep in and recover from the four day drive out here. We got up and did some work on the Twinkie. I replaced the halogen lights in the cabinets with new LED lights to save electricity and reduce the heat generated. We set up the screened tent room outside so that we can sit out without being eaten by mosquitoes. They seem to come out after 2:00 or 3:00 in the afternoon.

Rode our bikes around the Colter Bay visitor areas and stopped by the Laundromat where there is free WiFi to check email, etc.

Around 4:00 we rode our bikes up to the Ranch House restaurant and bar and had dinner of fish and chips. I tried a local brew that was quite good. Here's a pic of Ann Sue at the bar.


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Location:Colter Bay Campground Rd,,United States

Day 4, Tetons Trip

We're getting ready to head out from Rawlins, Wyoming KOA for Grand Tetons National Park. We expect it to be about six hours driving time, so we'll get out around 9:00 and plan to arrive around 4:00. We're getting off I-80 here and heading up US 287 for the rest of the trip.

Had a little rain shower last night. Cooled down to about 58. Going to dress for cooler weather today.

We ran into construction on the Togwotee Pass on 287 again this year. They have stretches of the road torn up for expansion and it is single file led by a truck. Muddy, dusty, and rocky. We'll go back via Jackson south to I-80 even though it is more miles. It will take less time.




This is Bailey in her crate. We left the front flap up so she could see us better.



Arrived at Colter Bay at 2:45. Temperature here was 73. It was overcast and within an hour we had thunder but no rain.

We got a fantastic site. We can see Jackson Lake from the Twinkie. This is a primo spot. Got everything set up except the screened tent. Wanted to wait until after it rained before trying to set it up.


Yes, this view really is only about a 100 yard walk from the Airstream. We can see the lake from the trailer!

There isn't much cellular service. AT&T and Sprint are nonexistent. Verizon gives one bar intermittently. Looks like we will be making trips to the two WiFi hots spots near the general store and laundromat.

Location:Washington St,Rawlins,United States

Shhhhh.... ... It's me, Bailey.

OK, I've only got a minute. Typing on this iPhone is really tough with only four toes on your paw. Hey! I managed to snag Daddy's phone while he was driving. I think Mommy's asleep.

I snapped this picture from inside my crate. Not very good, but if I unzipped it, they'd realize I was smarter than they thought. Got to maintain my cover.

Anyway, I wanted to set the story straight on something that's been going around about me not sleeping on the road. If you were stuffed in a box and carted all over creation without any chance to watch a DVD (they've got a really cool one in the ceiling over my head) or listen to your favorite songs, you'd be having a hard time relaxing, too!

It seems like all we do is drive, stop every three hours to buy gas, and once in a while they let me out to pee. But do they ever ask if I'd care for a nice steak or maybe like to go chase a rabbit or something? Noooo, all I get is a couple minutes to pee in front of half the state as they drive by on the highway!

Oops! I think Mommy is waking up, I got to put this phone back on the console before she notices. Stay tuned, I plan to bust out of here and go chase something big. I hear there are these things called bears that are even more fun to chase than cats. Maybe I'll grab Daddy's iPhone and get a picture after I catch one. See you later!

Bailey

Location:Stuck in the backseat in a crate

Day 3 Tetons Trip

Well, we made it to Rawlins, Wyoming. It was 7:45 when we found the KOA campground. Hooked up the RV in the dark. At least tomorrow will be a shorter drive to the park.

Western Nebraska and pretty much all of Wyoming are really dry, desolate places. One of the few good points is you can see trains all over the place!

The temperature in Lincoln, Nebraska was 50 when we woke up. By the time we got to Cheyenne, it was about 85. We expect it to be much cooler in the Tetons.

I've said many times before that Bailey hates riding in the car. She lies in her crate behind us and stares at me the entire day. We've never seen her sleep one minute. So, sometime after lunch we are riding down the highway and suddenly I hear this snoring sound. I look over to see if Ann Sue fell asleep, and she is looking right over at me to be sure it wasn't me snoring. Then we both realized it was Bailey! Bailey was sawing logs like a lumberjack. She probably slept for about 20 minutes before she woke up and resumed staring. Guess that is going to be the only sleep she gets on the road. Poor Bailey!

Location:Washington St,Rawlins,United States

Day 2, Tetons Trip

Today was just over 550 miles. We left Illinois around 8:00. We knew we were in Jack-In-The-Box country now, so we kept our eyes peeled for one for lunch. However, around 10:30 passing through Warrenton, Missouri, I saw one just off the Interstate, and we couldn't resist. We had tacos for brunch.




Squeezing the Twinkie into the drive-through was tough, but we wanted tacos!

We did pass through St. Louis and saw the arch.



Just before we got to St. Joseph, Missouri, we had to detour off the Interstate because I-29 was closed due to flooding. We took some state routes on up to Lincoln, Nebraska. Had a chance to see some parts of Kansas and Nebraska we'd never see from the Interstate.

Arrived in Lincoln at the Camp A Way campground around 7:30. The weather is wonderful here. It's in the 60s and dry. Much better than the 100 degree weather we had when we were in Mt. Vernon, Illinois last night. The campground is very nice. They have a fenced pet run, so Bailey had a chance to stretch her legs for a while before we went back to the Twinkie.

Bailey was sound asleep in no time at all. She never sleeps in the car.





We plan to leave early tomorrow. We're heading to Rawlins, Wyoming for the next night.

Location:Campers Cir,Lincoln,United States

First Day on Tetons Trip

Overnighting at the Quality Times RV park in Mt. Vernon, Illinois.


Just a place to park for the night. Can't beat the $25 site fee.



Bailey enjoyed getting out of the car after we arrived. She spent most of the time in her soft side crate in the car, only getting out when we stopped for gas (often!), meals, or just a break. Total drive was just over 700 miles.

We decided to get out of town early Friday night, and left our house at 8:45. We were on our way out of Frederick, Maryland with the silver twinkie before 10:00 pm. We drove until about 2:30 in the morning -- my favorite time to travel. Then we pulled into a Rest area and took a nap for about two and a half hours. Got on the road by 6:00 Saturday morning and found a Starbucks in Huntington, WV for breakfast.

Got to Mt. Vernon around 4:30 pm CDT. Had a sandwich for dinner and watched some of the LSU-Oregon game before we crashed for the night. Bailey was sawing logs before we even went to bed.

Location:Broadway St,Mt Vernon,United States

Finger Lakes, July 2011

Had a chance to take a week off from July 18 - 24, so we decided to go up to New York and the Finger Lakes. We've never been there and heard that there were lots of wineries. Also got a tip that Cornell University in Ithaca has a really neat ornithology lab and trails called Sap Sucker Woods. So, we loaded up the Airstream and headed off to Watkins Glen KOA for the week.

Bailey decided she liked the screened tent we set up outside the Airstream. Great smells and no bugs!

This is our visit to Sap Sucker Woods in Ithaca. You could spend a day there if you pack a picnic lunch. Lots of easy trails and wildlife. They will even loan you a pair of binoculars.

Went down to Corning to visit the Corning Museum of Glass.

Ann Sue tried her hand at making a glass flower.

One day, we took a hike into Watkins Glen State Park. This is an amazing gem that New York maintains near Seneca Lake. The hike is about 1-3/4 mile uphill (over 400 ft elevation change). Lots of waterfalls and pools to see and photograph. Unfortunately, pets are not allowed on the trails and Bailey stayed back at the campsite in the air-conditioned trailer. (Did I mention that it got over 100 degrees this day?)

Went back into Corning to try out Atlas Pizza (excellent!) and see the old town square. There was a farmer's market going on.

 Our Airstream is the second one (to the right) in this photo. There were four Airstreams at the KOA campground most of the time we were there.

The Village of Watkins Glen has a park and swimming area at the south end of Seneca Lake.

This was a great trip. Picked up 2-1/2 cases of wine and plan to go back again soon! My favorite was the Wagner 2008 Semi-Dry Reisling.

Yes, we even drove over to see the Watkins Glen Race Track. Out in the middle of nowhere, but it is huge.
We'd recommend visiting the Finger Lakes. We saw Keuka Lake, Seneca Lake, and Cayuga Lake. There are almost 100 wineries within a short drive of Watkins Glen. Many B&Bs and Glenora Winery also has a very nice hotel that overlooks Seneca Lake.