Another Sensational Summer

*Critters we’ve seen on our 2010 trip so far: javelina, mule deer, desert grassland whiptail lizard, white-tailed antelope squirrels, jackrabbit, juvenile Chuckwalla, Great Basin collared lizard, bats, llamas, Utah prairie dogs, chipmunks, coyote, yellow-bellied marmot, moose, beaver, elk, pronghorn, river otters, bison (buffalo), wolves, grizzly bear, bighorn sheep, black bear
*Birds we’ve seen on our 2010 trip so far: white-wing dove, ravens, Gamble’s quail, western tanager, roadrunner, violet-green swallow, California condor, great blue heron, mountain bluebird, wild turkey, black-chinned hummingbird, juniper titmouse, magpie, osprey, Canada geese, bank swallow, common mergansers, chipping sparrow, American white pelican, Great blue heron, red-tailed hawk, bald eagles, killdeer, sandhill cranes, peregrine falcon
*National Parks/Monuments visited on 2010 trip so far: 25
*State Parks visited on 2010 trip so far: 4
*Total number of Jr. Ranger badges so far: 19

[Click on any picture to enlarge…then arrow back to the blog]


Since we left FL on April 24, we logged 5,963 miles in The Folly and another 3,680 seeing the sights in the Saturn. Over the past 4 months we saw magnificent wildlife and incredible natural beauty. We visited 25 national parks/monuments plus 4 state parks, some repeats from last year and some for the first time. We added 4 states to where The Folly has spent the night bringing the total to 38, and brought the total number of earned Jr. Ranger badges to 19. We reached new heights while on the Beartooth Highway at an elevation of 10, 947 ft. We bid a final farewell to a good friend, but also made some new ones along the way.

People always ask which park is our favorite, and we’ve always found it difficult to answer because each one offers its own uniqueness. However, we think we finally decided that Yellowstone ranks at the very top simply because we love seeing all the wildlife in their natural habitats. There’s nothing like watching wolf pups frolicking in the sage, a bald eagle or an osprey soaring overhead, a bison protecting her calf as they cross the road, or a mama grizzly teaching her cubs how to forage for roots. These sights and so many more can never be described in words…they have to be seen. We know we’ve been extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to see so much of this glorious land, and we treasure every moment. As we’ve said before, we hope that one day you have the opportunity to experience it as we have.

It was finally time for our summer tour to end and make the roughly 1,400 mile drive to St. Louis for our annual visit. We spent the first night at a small campground in Lander, WY, (that was being overrun by thousands of grasshoppers!), followed by a night at the Wal-Mart in Sidney, NE, and another in St. Joseph, MO.

One thing we’ve discovered over the past 3 years is that interesting and unexpected sights are not only found in our national parks but also as you travel from one place to the next. For example, as we left Grand Teton we had decided to take the Togwotee Trail (pronounced Toe-ga-TEE), another one of those winding, scenic roads. We knew construction was being done with possible waits of up to 30 min., and of course we came upon one. What we didn’t expect was a cowboy, who on behalf of the WY Dept. of Transportation, was walking along handing out copies of a CD as an apology for the inconvenience of waiting. Entitled Tales From the Togwotee Trail Radio Hour, it’s modeled after an old time radio show and designed to keep you entertained for the next hour with music, poems, and stories by local performers. A little hokey but entertaining.

Another section of our drive was designated as where 4 historic trails crossed: the Oregon Trail, the California Trail, the Mormon Pioneer Trail, and the Pony Express Trail. The sign says its part of the auto tour route, but we know nothing about that…we were just cruisin’ down the road.

Passing through Laramie, WY, we spotted this huge bronze head of Abraham Lincoln. It weighs over two tons, is 13.5 feet tall, and is perched on a 30-foot granite pedestal. It was built in 1959 to honor Lincoln’s 150th birthday and can be seen for miles.

As we continued our drive, we came upon Our Lady of Peace Shrine in Pine Bluffs, WY, just west of the Nebraska state line. This 30 ft. tall concrete statue of the Virgin Mary was erected in 1998, stands on a 10 ft. tall pedestal, and weighs 180 tons making it one of the largest concrete structures in the U.S.

Driving America’s back roads, and even the highways, can give you unexpected pleasures and a bit of nostalgia. If you take the time to look and not be in such a hurry, you’ll definitely be rewarded.