GSA 2019 - It's a Wrap!

Our summer (and fall) travels have ended as we are back in the St. Augustine, FL area so we can get in our medical appts. before the end of the year. Here's a recap -

5 months, 26 days 

7,712 total miles 

288 avg. miles per traveling day

3 new states, UT, AZ & DE

9 National Parks 

1 bridge/tunnel 

0 bears 

This was a bit shorter than last year due to Andy recovering from minor surgeries. Nevertheless, we made good use of our time.  Utah was new for us, and we enjoyed the 5 "rock" national parks, each unique in their own way. Despite our valiant (including buying bear spray) efforts, we still got skunked on seeing bears - again!

After spending time in MD seeing family and taking in high school football games for grandson Vince, we decided to go to Delaware so we could add that to our list of states. We stayed at Masseys' Landing, and went sightseeing in Lewes (the first city in the first state), and Dover. 

The bridge/tunnel is the Chesapeake Bay tunnel bridge. The tunnels are listed as 13'6" high. Our antennas did brush the ceiling of the tunnels a few times. We were both glad when we were done with those and very glad we didn't have any bad problems. After getting through the tunnel it was on to Charleston, SC. This is where we got married and a trip there wasn't complete without a trip to the gazebo at White Point Garden where we had our wedding ceremony. 

A bit older and grayer but still in love!

A good shot of the gazebo, site of many weddings!

In fact, there was a couple waiting to get married while we were there. Of course, we had to go over and tell them this was where we got married and wish them good luck.

On the way to FL. we stayed in the Wilmington, NC KOA. There we met John and Trish, fellow Tiffin owners. They are originally from England and it was a delight to meet them. Seems wherever we go, the Tiffin "family" is present. 

St. Augustine is familiar to us, and there is comfort being in a place you've been before. We'll be here until the end of the year. 

GSA 2019 MT Part 2 Glacier National Park

Zion, Bryce, North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands, Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. Glacier National Park is our 9th national park of the summer! With switching campgrounds, we knew we wouldn't have a full day for sightseeing on Sunday, so we opted for a boat tour on Lake McDonald.

Lake McDonald, Glacier National Park

The tours are done with wooden boats that have been in service since the late 1930's. (Don't worry, they meet all current safety standards.) The tour offered beautiful views of the mountains from the lake. 

Hanging Lights inside Lake McDonald Lodge

The boat tour leaves from Lake McDonald Lodge. The swiss chalet type lodge was built in 1913. It is rustic with no TV's available.

Monday we did the Going to the Sun road, one of the most famous drives there is. 50 miles long, it runs from the west to east entrances of the park (or east to west, depending on where you start). 

One of the many curves on Going to the Sun Road

Edge of the road on the left with a spectacular view!

Another view

River in the valley between the mountains 

Flowers near Logan Pass

Close up of flowers

One of the remaining glaciers 

BEARS. We thought, that if we were to see bears anywhere, it would be at Glacier National Park. Next to our campground was a general store. The manager there not only sold bear spray, but advised campers such as us good places to go where we might see bears. (You know where this story is going, right?) So we bought bear spray. We were up early and late, when bears are the most active, in order to see them. We searched near huckleberry bushes, which were in season and supposedly are a favorite snack of bears. We manged to see some incredible views with early morning fog, but NO bears. 

Early morning fog over the meadow

Moon over the campground trees

We had to go to the MN Zoo to see bears!

Wild horses in the middle of the road as we left Glacier National Park

Doing the most popular part of the park, we did not cross the border into Waterton. We're tentatively planning a trip to Banff next summer so may catch the rest of the park on our way there. Again, a plug for our wonderful national parks and the beauty they provide us. And do we have a favorite? No, they are each unique and beautiful in their own ways, and it's hard to make a comparison, let alone choose a favorite. 

Once we were done at Glacier, it was time to head towards Minot, MD for my 50th high school reunion. The class of 69 partied hard for three days, catching up with classmates and reminiscing. 

Band on Friday Night (former classmates) 

Our class had a unique senior year, with a flood and a teachers strike that had us out of school for the month of April that year. (The governor had to approve us graduating because of all the lost days.) Then it was on to Minneapolis to spend time with kids and grandkids before heading east to see the rest of the family in MD. We still have some time to explore this fall before getting to FL on Nov. 1st, so our adventures may not be done yet. 

GSA 2109 Montana Part I

Our next stop was the Fairmont RV Park in Anaconda, MT. This would be our base for exploring the neighboring city of Butte and the rest of the area around it. We had no idea of the mining history of Butte and Anaconda. 

Mines were known as 1 mile high and 1 mile deep

Butte was known for its mining of copper and Anaconda, for the smelter plant it had for processing the waste from the copper mines. Railroad cars transferred the waste from Butte to Anaconda. 

View of the Smelter from the road, it can be seen from 20 miles away

The brick smokestack was built in 1918 as part of the Washoe Smelter. When the smelter itself was built at the turn of the century, it was the largest nonferrous metallurgical plant in the world. The stack is still the largest free standing masonry structure. The facility was shut down in 1980. Anacondans saved the stack from demolition in 1985. It stands as a monument to the thousands of men and women who worked at the smelter, as a symbol of the complex industrial history of this one company city, and as a towering remembrance to the people of Montana of the power of the Anaconda Co. in the state's history. 

Butte was once known as the "richest hill on earth". Originally prospectors came there looking for gold. But what they found was rich deposits of iron and manganese and also copper. With the advent of electricity, pioneers Marcus Daly and W.A. Clark opened mines to provide copper for the increasing electrical industry. In 1882 the district produce over nine million pounds of copper.

These towers dot the landscape of Butte

One of the mines

Hardhats required for our tour at the World Museum of Mining

A tour at the World Museum of Mining gave us a chance to see an abandoned mine. The temperature changed quickly as we descended. We got a first hand look at the conditions the miners endured. 

We also attended the Butte Folk Festival, held every year in July. For the second year in a row(!) we met up with good (college) friends Jan and Jim F. Montana has it's share of natural hot springs, and we were fortunate to have one next to our campground. We made good use of it while we were there. 

From Anaconda we went to Polson, MT to stay at the Polson Motorcoach & RV Resort. This had been on our bucket list of places to stay as we had heard many great things about it. It did not disappoint us. The location is near the beautiful Flathead Lake in MT. This is a place I could come back to every year!

Flathead Lake in MT 

Polson is a small resort town without a whole lot of things to do, but there is the Miracle of America Museum. It was started by a gentleman who decided that certain things, like military items, needed to be preserved for future generations to see. Thousands of artifacts are housed in multiple buildings. 

Aliens?

While in Polson, we also drove around the area, going up to Whitefish, MT. There I revisited the Great Northern train station that I had been at years ago on a ski trip to Big Mountain, MT. 

Today's waiting room at the train station 

Our goal for the rest of our time was to get to Glacier National Park. Since Polson was an hour and a half away, we decided to move the RV closer to the park so we didn't have the extra driving at the beginning and ending of our day trips to Glacier. We were able to find a spot at North American RV Park near the west entrance of the park. 

GSA 2019 Grand Teton & Yellowstone National Parks

Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks have to be two of the best known and popular national parks to visit.  Although we visited Yellowstone last summer, we felt we didn't have enough time to see it properly so it made it back on the list for a visit this summer. Since they are so close together, it's worth it to see them both at the same time.

Yellowstone Bison

This BIG guy was right on the side of the road. See the yellow line? We were in the other lane driving when we saw this bison. He was HUGE!! 

Our new base was Idaho Falls. Our original campground was about 25 miles outside of Idaho Falls. After experiencing sprinklers coating our coach with hard water during the night, we moved to another campground that was near downtown Idaho Falls on the Snake River. When Andy checked in he received the following gift:

My "birthday" snake

He promptly declared this to be an early birthday gift. Most of you know I HATE snakes so you can appreciate the sarcasm in this "gift".  :) 

We did do some exploring along Idaho Falls and walked along the falls and Japanese gardens downtown. Idaho Falls reminds me a lot of the falls in Sioux Falls, SD.

Falls in Idaho Falls 

The Tetons are magnificent. There is nothing like seeing these peaks that rise directly from the prairie. 

Jenny Lake, Grand Teton National Park

A common photo op with cabins in the forefront

Small Episcopal Church in the park - what a view from behind the altar!

Grand Tetons rising above the clouds

View of the Tetons from the top of the Gondola

A side trip we took was to the Jackson Hole Ski area where we took the gondola ride to the top of the mountain (34 degrees at the top). This was the first BEAR sighting of the trip as those on the right side of the gondola were able to see a bear moving up the side of the mountain. (I, alas, was on the left side of the gondola.) 

For my birthday we took an overnight trip to West Yellowstone, stopping at Mesa Falls in Idaho along the way.

Mesa Falls, Idaho 

We purposely visited Yellowstone in the evening, because the animals are more active at night and there is a better chance of seeing wildlife. Anytime something is spotted, there is usually a backup on the road from people stopping. Our first sighting was a moose, although he was too far away to get a decent picture.  Our next sightings were of pronghorn antelope. 

Again, Andy sees a bear but by the time he tells me, we are past it and I have missed it. (In case you're counting, that's Andy bear sightings 2, Jean 0.) But we hit the jackpot with the buffalo. Our best and close up view was the first picture (above). It's amazing how close we were, and just how big an animal they are. Technically, we were closer than park rangers recommend, but we were in the car and just happened upon that big guy walking along side the road. The following morning we also saw buffalo close to the road. and huge herds in meadows.

Another picture of how close they get to the roads 

We also pulled off at a turnoff and this time they were right up close to the parking lot. One gal was no more than 10 feet away from one of them! We choose not to get out at that stop. We also saw deer and bighorn sheep, and maybe an elk (too far away).

On our first trip to Yellowstone, we concentrated on the west loop, seeing Old Faithful and the many geysers on that part of the loop. This time we took the east and south loops and were able to see the Grand Canyon area of the Yellowstone River. 

Yellowstone River Canyon

Mud hole in the park

Yellowstone gets my vote for being one of the most diverse national parks. You can see geysers, hot springs, mountains, rivers, canyons, lakes, and valley's, not to mention all the different types of wildlife. We were disappointed that we didn't see more bears, but maybe we will see some at Glacier National Park when we go there. So far we've been to 8 national parks this summer! Up next, Montana and Glacier National Park. 

GSA 2019 Utah Rocks-Finishing Up the Big 5

Our 2 weeks in Moab were full as we finished up the Big 5 (as they are referred to) of national parks in Utah.

My T-shirt of the Big 5 

The Big 5 are Bryce, Zion, Capitol Reef, Arches & Canyonlands National Parks. As someone commented to me, they are all rock based, but they are unique in their own ways.  On the way to Moab, we did the Scenic Hwy 12 route through central Utah, which took us through Capitol Reef. The drive was beautiful. We were a bit worried because there were two tunnels to go through, both labeled at 13'6". (That is very close to the height of our RV.) We made it through both of them without any trouble. :) Hwy. 12 is narrow (no shoulder) and at times I made the comment "keep your eyes on the road" because the drop offs were severe. 

After arriving in Moab, we set out for Arches National  Park first. 

Balanced Rock, Arches National Park

Rock Formations

Another view of Balanced Rock

We both thought Canyonlands was stunning. You drive out on a plateau with grassland on both sides of the road, not realizing that anywhere from 200-500 yards from the road are canyons that drop off thousands of feet. I should clarify that we were in the Island in the Sky section of the park. The other two sections are more remote (one accessible by hiking or atv only).

These rival the Grand Canyon!

Mesa Arch, Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands National Park

This is the view you get when you walk up to Mesa Arch and look through to the valley

On the way to Canyonlands, you pass the turn off for Dead Horse Point State Park. We almost didn't go, but decided to see what they had to offer. Again, we weren't disappointed by one of Utah's state parks. According to one legend, the park was once used as a corral for wild horses. Cowboys herded up the horses to the neck of the point. The horses where then corralled. Supposedly the cowboys choose the horses they wanted and left the rest to die of thirst. 

View of the Green River 

Another view 

Is he or isn't he on the edge? 

We also did another UTV trip with friends James and Connie R. while in Moab. This ride went up steep stretches of rocks known as slickrock. We also saw dinosaur remains. 

Our tour guide took this picture 

We also met Robert and Deborah L., fellow Tiffin owners who were also heading to the Tiffin rally in Rock Springs, WY. Thanks for reaching out on Facebook, Robert! The Tiffin rally was fun and we had a chance to get caught up on some of our annual maintenance needs as well as hang out with other Tiffin 40 IH owners and swap stories. 

Next up are two more national parks, Grand Teton and Yellowstone, the 7th and 8th national parks of the season.