Along The Way

[Click on any photo to enlarge.]

Llama

*Critters we’ve seen on our 2015 trip so far: elk, mule, mule deer, llama, prairie dog, donkey, bison, coyote, pronghorn

*Birds we’ve seen on our 2015 trip so far: California condor, Brewer’s blackbird, American kestrel, spotted towhee, magpie, wild turkey, mountain bluebird, bald eagle, Canada goose

*National Parks/Monuments visited on 2015 trip so far: 6

 

It was time to make the final push to our summer home…Yellowstone National Park (www.nps.gov/yell).  Abby had her place in front of me keeping a sharp eye on the road ahead.  We passed through some magnificent canyons and incredible views along the way.  What an amazing country we live in!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      The day before we left FL one of the links on my brand new watch had come out, and we kept hoping to find a jewelry store along the way to fix it.  Unfortunately the stores in Moab were no help, and as we traveled down the road, I’d look online to see if there might be something along the way.  As we were approaching Springville, UT, I called Duke’s Jewelers (www.dukesjewelers.com/), and they said no problem.  The woman behind the counter was extremely friendly, and owner Richard Holmes couldn’t have been more helpful.  While he took my watch in the back, she told us that Richard had learned the craft at the knees of his father and grandfather.  The store was established in 1948 and has been in the family ever since.  (For more info and history, read this article that was in the Utah Business Magazine (UtahBusiness) earlier this year.) Richard returned in a couple of minutes with my watch repaired, said he had checked all the rest of the links just to be sure they were ok, and would accept no payment!  Russ hasn’t worn his watch since we hit the road and had brought it in with him to have the battery removed (something we could not do).  Richard gladly did it, and when Russ insisted on paying him something, he said “oh, $5 is fine”.  What incredible customer service and a wonderfully nice man.  If you have any jewelry needs or repairs and happen to be passing through Springville, UT, stop at Duke’s because they will treat you right!

 

We started heading north again passing the Great Salt Lake which could be seen not far off the highway.  Since we had taken a southerly route this year to get to Yellowstone, we’d be entering the park through the West entrance instead of the North giving us some different views.  Not long after entering the park, we encountered
our first bison of the season taking their leisurely stroll on the roadway alongside the Madison River.  This had been a mild winter for the area, and there was not much snow to be seen in the distance, but the views were still beautiful as we made our way along the river and passed by Gibbon Falls.

In some of the shadier areas of the park some remaining snow could be seen along the roadside but nothing like last year.  We were making our way north and had the “joy” of going through the construction zone between Norris and Mammoth.  Beginning last year
     they have been working on improving the pullouts and widening the roads creating up to 30 min. delays.  This project will be ongoing for a couple more years and makes for some slow, bumpy rides especially in a big RV!

 

Once out of the construction, we continued north going past Golden Gate so named because of the color of the rocks caused by yellow and orange lichens.  When the light hits just right, it truly looks golden.  Glen Creek cuts through the canyon, and the bridge attached to the side of the rocks above the creek has been rebuilt 3 times since the original wooden one was built in 1885.

 

Almost directly north of Golden Gate you pass through the Hoodoos (they look quite different than the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon!)  These massive boulders are pieces that have fallen over the years from a travertine landslide from Terrace Mountain.  There’s also a one way drive behind a section of the rocks that is a small portion of the old stagecoach road.

 

We finally arrived at Mammoth Campground and settled into the same site we’ve had the last couple of years, the best one in our opinion with a spectacular view down the valley.  It’s located in the lower loop which had been closed all winter and would be opening the next day.  So for now we enjoyed
   the peace and quiet and the company of the elk and bison who came to welcome us back.  As we got things set up, we also spotted a rabbit hopping across the site in front of us and a coyote running through the sage out in the field.  Hopefully one wasn’t going to be dinner for the other!

Not only did the critters show up to welcome us, but so did our friends Chip and Jill who are back to co-host this year.  They had arrived a few days earlier, staying in their same site as last year in the upper loop, and we were just heading up to see them when we spotted them coming down the road.