We enjoyed the rushing waters of Bridalveil Fall (it really is singular- both in letters and as a view!).  Walking up a short path in the May-June time period, you can find it hard to keep your footing, there is so much rushing water – and that it is a challenge to keep from getting a camera wet.  We wore waterproof jackets, but expect to get wet if you go that time of year.

Lower and Upper Yosemite Fall are both visible from many vantage points and, since they are accessible from the main shuttle bus route (free) that travels around the Visitor Center area, you might have a lot of company.  They are still worth seeing.

Another popular view, but also dangerous if you get too close, is the Mist Trail, which leads to the Vernal Fall and other hiking trails.  Vernal Fall’s trail is accessed by taking the bus to the Nature Center at Happy Isles, then go over a small bridge and follow the trail.  Early on, the trail is level, but later it becomes very steep.  We were told in one travel book that the trail was easy – no way!  By the top of the ascent before even reaching the bridge that overlooks Vernal Fall, most people are red-faced and puffing.  We asked a Park Ranger how difficult they consider that trail.  His response – “strenuous!”

So take travel books’ assessments of trail difficulty with a grain of salt.

By late in the year, the falls have a lot less water and are a lot less spectacular to view.  But go and enjoy the view if you can – nature surpasses herself in Yosemite!

Grand Canyon - just a very small part of the vast view

A trip to the Grand Canyon is a “must see” when you travel out West in the USA.  Arizona recognizes it as one of its finest attractions by designating itself the “Grand Canyon State” on license plates.Most people drive or come by bus to see nature’s show.  It is a drive from Flagstaff (80 miles) or Williams (59 miles), but can also be reached by the Grand Canyon Railway from Williams, a fun trip.

Upon arrival during the main summer tourist season, expect to park in the lot at the South Rim and use shuttle buses to get you to the viewing areas.

Mather Point is a focal point for viewing, but anywhere along the South Rim Trail is a great place to settle in for views.  (I found Mather Point to be overwhelming with tourists who were all jockeying for position to get “the” photo shot of all time.)

Grand Canyon view

Calming walking along the paved path the skirts the rim, I found spectacular views, including some views of the Colorado River ‘way down below. Close to dusk, we were edging down the South Rim trailhead, just trying to get photos from different vantage points when we were stopped by a Parks Ranger who told us we could not go any further at that time of day.  They are protective of people, since the path can be treacherous.  People do take mule rides down the trails, but late in the day, they keep people in “civilization.”

Grand Canyon with Colorado River way below

Grand Canyon at dusk

Food and Lodging

There are restaurants at the Park’s South Rim, but they are of the hewn wood and rustic variety.  There are landmarks like the El Tovar Hotel that have been around for over a century (which was refurbished a dozen years ago), as well as Bright Angel Lodge, Kachina and Thunderbird Lodges, Maswik Lodge, and Yavapai Lodge.  All of the previous have some form of dining facility.

If you are the intrepid sort and plan the strenuous hike to the Grand Canyon’s floor and need a rest stop, Phantom Ranch is the respite for those travelers.  (Reserve meals before you attempt the trip.) We did not attempt this long hike, which we understood could only be accessed by mule, hiking or river rafting.

Grand Canyon at nightfall

We recommend that you allow a day to hike around the various vantage points, take zillions of photos, and visit the various historic hotels for rest stops, food and souvenirs.

While in the Area…

We were impressed with the Grand Canyon, but if you are in the Southwest, we also highly recommend a side trip to Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park in Southern Utah.  Canyonlands is also vast and amazing, as well as Arches National Park. (See our other blogs on these national parks.  Just enter the name in the “search” box.)

Our favorite? – I’ve been twice – is Bryce Canyon.

http://www.nps.gov/grca/

Leaving Jackson Hole after we whisked through (it is was very early and nothing was open, not even the visitors center), we headed north to Grand Teton National Park.  Before you arrive at the toll booth, a side trip to Craig Thomas Discovery Center puts the natural wonders of the area in perspective.  The land seems open and vast, a series of mountains with wildlife tucked away.  Friendly Park’s Rangers are happy to explain what there is to do and see, but the exhibits themselves are worth a few minutes to understand the forces and creatures (human and otherwise) that have created this area. The architecture of the Discovery Center is gorgeous and on a grand scale, befitting the land of which it represents.

Once on the road again, we paid our toll ($25 for a week pass that also gave us access to Yellowstone National Park) and saw deer just a few miles up the road.  It is telling that the sign said, “Elk, moose and buffalo crossing next 20 miles.”

A short side trip to Jenny Lake

We decided to take a little respite from driving and visit Jenny Lake.  The views were breathtaking and the area had very few people.  This was in late May, but the area was still chilly and we wore warm clothing.  (A pleasant change from the temperatures in our home state of Arizona where temperatures were soaring to the 100-degree mark.)

We walked along the lake, watched the boat (rides are available, but there is a fee and we didn’t want to spend the time or money) leave a wake in the water and enjoyed the stillness.  There were few people about, so we could really appreciate the scenery.

We’ll let our photos tell the story of our visit to Jenny Lake.

A camping store and a few amenities are available at Jenny Lake, but they are near the parking lot, not on the lake’s shore.  Fortunately.

When at the store area, you become aware of the fact that bears can be frequent visitors. The garbage cans have a special opening that would prevent bears from getting to the refuse.

Lunch at Jackson Lake Lodge

We grabbed lunch at the semi-rustic Jackson Lake Lodge in the restaurant.  The tab for two came to around $20 for our hamburger meal.  Most memorable was the very friendly wait person who took our order.  It seems that people are really eager to work at these locations as a “working vacation.”  The views are spectacular from the Lodge, but the prices to stay are spectacular, too. We saw rates of up to $300 a day for the rooms, which are fairly modest park lodging. (No television, no radio, no A/C – not that it would be that necessary, no wireless access in the room, but it is in the lodge.)

Jackson Lake Lodge Lobby

View from Jackson Lake Lodge

Leaving Grand Tetons

Eager to get to Yellowstone, we headed north.  There is some road construction, which can make the road only one lane so that cars take turns in each direction.  This can slow things down. We were lucky and didn’t have to wait for the ½ hour delay that the posted sign warned about.

We still saw a lot of snow clinging to mountainsides.

We have been so eager to share the most dramatic visits first, so now we’ll head back to civilization and visit Idaho for a few weeks.  Urban, but great!

Come back next time and we’ll visit Boise, Idaho.

Actually, there are two different falls that visitors can get fairly close to.  And we do mean close! – The sound of the water rushing is almost deafening at one location!

After you have visited the other locations we’ve told you about, it is definitely worth a ride to the Canyon Village area, which is in the vicinity of the Canyons and the falls (Upper and Lower).

The walks at each location are fairly short and you might have to jostle for position in some locations to get a good photo, but do take the time to see the falls!Canyon Falls Visitor Education Center

We stopped first at the Visitor Education Center to get our bearings and use the facilities.  The Park Ranger are very patient, despite the fact that they’ve probably heard the same questions dozens of times within the last hour.

At several locations, you can see the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, which has colorful cliffs that plunge 1,000 ft.

Colorful cliffs of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

To the falls -

Next, we headed to see the Upper Falls (109 ft. high, the materials informed us) from the special viewpoint.  We could hear and see the falls – right near us and, if the viewing platform and fence were not there, the falls would have washed us away at the bend the river.  Majestic and amazing!

Then, we headed to South Rim Drive and stopped at Artist Point, which attracted a greater number of tourists.  The view was from more of a distance of the Lower Falls (308 ft.) than we had seen for the Upper Falls.

Regrouping, we traveled back to the North Rim Drive, which is a one-way road from the south, for another vantage point for the Lower Falls.  We stopped at both Lookout Point and Grand View, which are not very far apart.  The different perspective from each location is a great way to view them.   At Lookout Point, the chemicals in the water provided a streak of color at the edge of the falls that doesn’t seem to belong, but is certainly a variation in nature.

Nature is certainly nothing to discount.  We enjoyed the views, and were glad of the vantage points that allowed us to see so much.  According to the Park’s literature, the “Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone plunges 1,000 feet.”  The volcanic activity that is at work in other parts of the Park is also at work here and created the colorful canyons we saw.

We hope you are able to visit Yellowstone, but enjoy our views!

Next week… We’ll backtrack and tell you about Grand Teton National Park, south of Yellowstone.

The next day, we weren’t disappointed. In a concentrated area at the Lower Geyser Basin, are some amazing, bubbling, perking evidence of very hot activity under the earth’s surface. The bubbling is in the Fountain Paint Pots and the nearby steaming is a series of geysers that are quite impressive.

A boardwalk takes you around the area and, as long as you stay on the boardwalk – which they require – you can see the activity and avoid the dangerous hot gases.

The first sight we saw was Silex Spring – a colorful pool with flowing water– but very lethal.  Hot steam and hydrogen sulfide are not especially great to inhale.

We walked around the Fountain Paint Pots, seeing something that could be out of MacBeth – “double, double toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble.”  And, there was certainly a lot of bubbling going on.  Even though we were early in the season, we still were able to see some really active clay-like deposits that, according to the Parks Department’s pamphlet, were used by the Crow Indian tribe to paint their tepees.

RECIPE – For the Mudpots of Fountain Paint Pots

As we continued our walk on the boardwalk, we came to an area that had a half dozen geysers in varying states of activity.  It was a bit hard to tell which one was which, but the photo here – we believe is Morning Geyser, which put on a spectacular show.  Notice the yellowish deposits in the geyser not erupting in front.  The deposits, while colorful, are other evidence of the many chemicals the erupting earth bring s to the surface.

Geysers erupting in Fountain Paint Pot areas

Almost nearing the juncture of the boardwalk path with the entrance walkway, there are some “Lodgepole pines” that have become mired in the earth’s eruptions. It is a stark reminder of how destructive, yet beautful the earth can be.

The entire walk around the Fountain Paint Pots Trail and the geysers in the vicinity can easily be seen in less than an hour.  It is great to stay longer and watch the changes.

Next week: We’ll travel to Yellowstone’s Falls  – the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.  We’ll explore from several vantage points.

While we waited for Old Faithful to perform, we wandered over to Old Faithful Inn, an old dowager of a National Park’s hotel.  The fascinating thing about the Inn is that it was built from stones, wood and other materials that were primarily brought from within a 5-mile radius, according to a tour guide we heard in the massive five-story lobby.  The lobby has large, rustic logs that have been burnished by time.  Nearby stairways are mini-sculptural wood pieces that look like antlers.  The lobby’s giant fireplace is also most impressive.

The main part of the hotel, built in 1904, has a dining room, also massive.  There are newer wings as well.  If you decide you’d like to stay in the Inn, plan to book ‘way far ahead!  The rates, unless you are willing to do without an in-room bathroom ($96), range from that low to a $500 price tag for a suite.  There are no modern amenities – no phones, TVs, air conditioning and Internet hook-ups, etc.  You are meant to get your entertainment from nature while at Yellowstone and, if you look around, you won’t be disappointed.

There are two other hotel properties nearby, but since we were afraid we’d miss Old Faithful’s performance, we didn’t stop to see them.

http://www.yellowstonenationalparklodges.com/

On to Points North

Heading north from Old Faithful, we passed the Upper Geyser Basin and were briefly sad that we had missed seeing the buffalo we’d seen on the way into the Old Faithful area.  We needn’t have worried about missing the buffalo because after a few minutes we encountered a whole herd of them stopping traffic when we landed in Lower Geyser Basin.

Enormous (about 3,000 lbs.) and shaggy from molting their winter coats, the buffalo (or bison) munched their way around the fields, but some, without any seeming reason, decided to saunter across the road.

STOP!! Traffic stopped in both directions.  It was that or potentially go head to head with the beasts.  They absolutely did not care about the vehicles lining the road and began a road crossing, one by one, as if following some silent cue.  They came very close to our car.  So, we stayed put and watched.  For about ½ hour we watched.  It was quite entertaining.

At one point, we even saw babies – calves – nursing from the momma bison in the middle of the road.  They are big!

We didn’t feel inclined to rush, as we’d come to see wildlife, and this certainly qualified as wildlife.  We’ve since spoken with other people who never saw buffalo, but we saw them in abundance, both on our first day in the Park and the following day.

What we didn’t see were bear.  Everyone warns about bear and how dangerous they are.  We saw none of them.

We did see other creatures, including birds, deer and a bald eagle’s protected nest. You weren’t allowed to stop and we got a picture of the nest, but the picture, from our moving car with one chance to get the shot and an army of cars pushing behind, has only the nest, not the bird’s head peeking above the rim of the nest.)

Mammoth Hot Springs and the Elk

On our second day at Yellowstone, we decided to contend with a half hour stoppage between the locations called Madison and Norris.  Construction on a new bridge is slowing things and they only allow one lane to travel at a time, while the other direction sits and waits.

When we finally reached Mammoth Hot Springs, we stopped to see phenomenal things that the earth is doing.  In essence, the earth is perking, with colorful displays cascading down platform-like areas and pools of colorful residues formed that sweep living things in their wake.

There are boardwalks that take you around to see the pools and the terraces that show the relentless bubbling and flowing that have created an other-worldly environment.

Once we’d seen the Terraces, we headed to the Mammoth Springs Hotel, where we enjoyed a visit with the extremely tame elk (we counted at least 10 drifting around on the grassy areas), totally unconcerned about humans, as they munched on the grass and totally ignored us.

There is a small museum in addition to the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, a very attractive-looking place.  Interestingly, the Hotel’s dining area is separate from the hotel.  We figure that was to prevent possible fires from spreading as easily.

With most of the Park to drive through before dark and two falls to see from various vantage points, we did not stop to explore the hotel.  Room rates range from $87 for a room without bath to suites at $439. Again, forget the technological amenities.

http://www.yellowstonenationalparklodges.com/mammoth-hot-springs-hotel-cabins-95.html

(Both of the hotels above do not stay open year round.)

Come back next week for Yellowstone’s Canyon and falls and more…

Yellowstone National Park southern entrance

Getting there

Entering Yellowstone from the south via Grand Tetons (more on that park another week) we drove in on Route 89/191/297.  We had paid for a park pass at Grand Teton that was good for both parks for seven days.  ($25 in our case, an annual pass is $50)

In late May, as we headed past Lewis Lake, the water was still frozen and it was still cold outside, as evidenced by our need to use the car’s defroster.  According to the map, the road on which we entered was actually closed until mid-May.  Apparently, only the two east and one north entrances are open year round.

First stop: Old Faithful and more

Everyone has heard about Old Faithful, so we decided we’d see that iconic natural feature first.  We could just imagine how busy the area would be in the middle of summer, with a big parking area very crowded in late May!  Heading in to the drive to Old Faithful, we saw several buffalo on the roadside, but couldn’t stop because of traffic.  We regretted not being able to spend time viewing the bison, but more than made up for that later on…more on that in another blog.

We followed the path to Old Faithful once we’d parked and found low benches in a giant semi-circle surrounding the area where Old Faithful spews once every- approximately – 70 minutes.  A posted sign said that the next spouting would be at approximately 3:57 PM, plus or minus 10 minutes.  The Parks Service is very clear that they are predicting, no scheduling.

We had a lot of time to spare, so we wandered about, getting a feel for the area.  In the distance, many small geysers seemed to be steaming, but on the particular day we were there, another geyser, Castle Geyser, seemed to be spewing and throwing giant clouds of steam into the air northwest of Old Faithful.  We were informed by the Park Ranger that Castle Geyser is unpredictable.  However, unpredictable as it may have been, it was more amazing than we expected.  Especially when…

Old Faithful- faithful, but maybe not as impressive as others

We finally saw Old Faithful do its performance. After a long 45 minutes of little gassy clouds, almost at the end of the predicted time, the geyser began foaming slightly and then raised a cloud of steam into the air, before calming down.  With Castle Geyser going off over 10 times as high in the distance, Old Faithful was a disappointment to everyone. You could tell because the end of the quick time of eruption and the almost instantaneous departure of the crowd made it apparent that no one was entranced.

Old Faithful does its thing (click here for video)

The numbers in the Park newsletter for Old Faithful were more impressive as they state that Old Faithful averages heights of 130 feet in the air and spews out between 3,700 and 8,400 gallons of water per eruption. The water temperature at the vent at the start of eruption is 204 degrees F. (95.6 C)

We were spoiled by Castle Geyser’s spectacular performance!

Castle Geyser - less often, but more spectacular!

So, take a look at the photos and picture yourself surrounded by geysers steaming and spewing in many places around the park and, then, you can understand why Yellowstone was originally called after early explorer John Colter’s observation,”Colter’s Hell.”

More in next week’s blog on Yellowstone.  Anyone who can get there will find it an amazing place. Plan to spend a couple of days or more to see the many sights.

Some other business activities have been keeping me busy – which I’ll share with you all soon. We also had the infamous “technical difficulties.”

In the meanwhile, we’ve been traveling and will, over the weeks to come, be offering our accounts of our visits to Yellowstone National Park, Southern Idaho and travel eats and accommodations along the way.

We’re getting very close to having traveled to every state in the United States – especially my husband – and on this particular trip, we were in five different states – Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.

In the Western United States, spaces seem more spacious.  Although places may look close on a map, you can drive for many miles before seeing another town or any humans. Other than car occupants, what we saw more of than anything in our travels were buffalo – or bison – at Yellowstone National Park.

We also saw one lone buffalo that had strayed out of Yellowstone and was munching placidly on grass in the small resort town, West Yellowstone, adjacent to the Park.  The buffalo was now legendary, as he had been in West Yellowstone for a week.  Turning up behind a restaurant, behind someone’s home and in various other parts of town, no one seemed too concerned about their new inhabitant.  The theory seemed to be, “let it be.”

Tune in next week and we’ll share more about our trip to the 2.2 million acres!! (we didn’t get to all of them, but many amazing locations) of Yellowstone National Park.

Actually, Saguaro National Park is two parks – located about an hour away from each other.  Saguaro National Park West  (Tucson Mountain District) – and Saguaro National Park East – or the Rincon Mountain District offer two different views of cacti.

Of the two parks, we preferred the West version.  For sheer thrills just getting to the Saguaro Park West is a daredevil ride down the mountain, with curving, narrow roads and a fabulous view of mountains in the distance.  The driver, however, should be concentrating on the road.  It is that hairy a drive.

Once at Saguaro West, there is a modern visitor center and amenities (there is no food at this or the Saguaro National Park East.)  In the immediate area, they have spectacular views with saguaro and other Arizona flora and fauna on view.  Park Rangers give talks and there are exhibits on display.  One fascinating exhibit we saw was of a “boot” that is formed as a bird invades the saguaro.  In response to the bird, the saguaro forms a hard coating around the chamber, which can serve as a refuge for the birds.  When the cactus eventually dies, those “boots” have been picked up people.  Symbiosis at its finest! (Two living things working together.)

What’s a saguaro?

Saguaro

(pronounced – sah-wha-ro) It’s the image you see of Arizona – other than the Grand Canyon –that straight-looking cactus with arms reaching toward the sky. The large ones that you see are very old, as they only grow about an inch a year for the first eight years.  Typically, they live for as long as 125-200 years.  And, there are some interesting variations with rarer saguaro that have crests and curvy arms.

A hillside of saguaro - notice the one with arms waving

(Information courtesy of Saguaro National Park Web site. http://www.nps.gov/sagu/planyourvisit/upload/The%20Saguaro%20Cactus.pdf )

Flowers bloom, really showy, gorgeous white flowers, after about 35 years. As a custom, Native Americans removed the buds before they flowered and brewed them into a rich, intoxicating drink for their harvest feasts.

Saguaro on a slope

We have seen saguaro north of Phoenix and as far west as California.  They also grow in Mexico.  However, they do not grow everywhere.  So, a sight of them is exciting – especially a whole hillside of them.

Back to the Parks…

Given a full day and children with a good attention span, visiting Saguaro National Park West, Old Tucson Studios (in the vicinity and detailed on Monday, January 25) and Sonoran Desert Museum (also in the vicinity, but we won’t be discussing this right away) might be possible.  But, start early and expect to spend some time at each location.  Bring snacks, as only Old Tucson Studios and Sonoran Desert Museum have food.

Saguaro National Park East is an hour away from the Eastern version.  We found it to be flat and less interesting geographically, however you can see mountains in the distance.

Hiking trails are available at both locations.  Views are memorable. The visitors centers have exhibits and friendly National Park Rangers who will answer questions.

Saguaro National Park East and West –

Admission – $10 for a car-load of people.  The receipt you receive for your admission is good for a week at either of the two Saguaro National Parks, just show it to gain admission to the other park.

Saguaro silhouetted at sunset

The Parks open at 7 AM until sunset, but the visitor centers are only open from 9 AM until 5 PM. daily.  Especially in the summer, we recommend an early visit as it gets very hot by late morning!

There are picnic tables on a first come-first-serve basis.

http://www.nps.gov/sagu/index.htm

The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM) maintains the largest collection of historic air and spacecraft in the world. Located in Washington, DC on the National Mall, it also has a companion facility at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles Airport at Chantilly, VA.

The space shuttle Enterprise is housed at the Udvar-Hazy Center, as is one of Amelia Earhart’s planes.

The NASM holds in trust some 50,000 objects, including air craft, space craft, engines, rockets, uniforms, space suits, balloons and artwork. The Wright Brothers 1903 Flyer is on display with related artifacts. A whole section is dedicated to the Wright Brothers with original and replica flying machines.

Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis

Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis from his 1927 flight is suspended from the ceiling of the National Mall building, along with the Bell X-1 (Glamorous Glennis) flown by Chuck Yeager when he broke the sound barrier. Planes from both World Wars, including uniforms and equipment, depict the United States at war.

Chuck Yeager's sound barrier-breaking Bell X-1 "Glamorous Glennis"

The space race and moon exploration are shown in scenes with the space suits worn by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, plus a Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV), duplicate of the one still sitting on the moon. Other milestones of space flight on display include the Mercury Friendship 7 and the Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia. As you enter the front door of the museum, you encounter a touchable moon rock and millions of fingers have stroked it in wonder and awe.NASM also has a large archive of historic manuscripts, photographs, films and documents. To tour the entire facility takes the better part of a day and a lot of walking. Divided up into historic groups, areas and eras, the Museum has full size aircraft and space craft, plus miniature and cutaway models. The photographs and documents on the walls and panels are well worth stopping to view and read.

The history of aviation in the United States is contained within these walls and the hangars at Dulles. For anyone interested in history and aviation, both sites are essential to view and tour.

www.nasm.si.edu