10 years later, Yellowstone!

After a 10 year detour, we finally made it to Yellowstone! Entering from the East gate was totally spectactular! Heck, even the Shoshone National Forrest which lead to Yellowstone was pretty fantastic!
Although we just drove through the park today, we saw plenty of Buffalo and Elk. We are really looking forward to spending the next week dallying in the dales...Since everyone has a picture of Old Faithful, I thought I would post one of a hot springs in the valley of fire...some pretty amazing things to be found in Yellowstone!


Jim and Cathy

South Dakota!

We have worked our way back to Mountain Time, arriving in Rapid City, South Dakota Thursday afternoon via Corn Palace, a Lewis and Clark encampment, and the Badlands scenic highway.  We'll be staying in the area until after Memorial day, and plan on seeing Mount Rushmore again (its only been ten years....) and the other attractions in the Black Hills. 

 

Our arrival was a bit unsettling, however.  the first thing the camp management did was offer us a job as campground host...Our initial response was that we have made other commitments, and other plans....but Cathy wondered later, perhaps this is the place we should settle down, since it was the first place any one had offerd us a job!

 

 

Jim and Cathy

goodby to the Mighty Mississippi...

Well, we have finally left the Mighty Mississippi, after following it up from New Orleans. OK, we weren't dogmatic about it. We didnt follow the National River Road the entire way, but we certainly got a good feeling for the different areas, from the Mississippi Delta region to the hill country of Wisconson and the Plains of Minnesota. As you can see, Jim showed off by walking across the Mississippi, without benefit of boots, bridge or boat. Not many places you can do that!


Jim and Cathy

Our Lake Itasca Pilgramage

Yesterday we completed our pilgramage to Lake Itasca. As the photo shows,
we capped our adventure by christening our Itasca motor home with water from the lake, thereby making it official. We had always thought that Itasca was a Native American name, but it turns out that it's a contraction of two latin words meaning Truth (verITAS) and Head (CAbos), because what up until then had been called Elk Lake was the true headwaters of the Mississippi. (Turns out, Mississippi is an approximation of the Objibwa word for long, winding river....so how appropriate is that!)

So, our Durango has been to Durango, Colorado (many times), and now our Itasca has been to Lake Itasca. I guess that means a Saturn is probably not in our future...

I am trying to find a place to post the movie version of the motor home christening, if you would like to see it before then you can E-mail me and I will send it to you when we get a good broad band connection...

Jim and Cathy