THREE'S A CROWD

Somebody got the great idea to take us all on the drive today.  Three doggies and four humans, squeezed in a little car. Just about as much fun as it sounds!

We drove over 100 miles from our campground to the Lamar Valley to see the herds of bison and as many other creatures as we could find. I was standing up the whole way, but Gianni and Bella got tired and slept on my blanket.  It was a beautiful drive and we saw many animals, stopping every time we saw anything that looked like it was moving. The Lamar Valley is away from the most popular places in the park,  so it wasn't too crowded.  But once one car stopped, a whole bunch of cars stopped. Everyone was yelling, and pulling out cameras. What is it? What did you see!

We did see two bears, but we were too far away to get a clear picture. We saw several hundred bison in large groups, but we were so far away that they just looked like peppercorns on a green salad. Couldn't get a closeup picture at all. Finally, on the ride back to camp there was one very large bison right on the shoulder of the road. Kathe took this shot and we were able to see the little birds on it's back.  I growled at him and he moved on to the other side of the road.

If anyone asks, I'm staying home tomorrow.

MAMMOTH HOT SPOT

This morning Kathe and Jim asked me if I wanted to sit in the car for six hours while they drove from West Yellowstone to Mammoth Hot Springs. Guess what? I declined.  Stayed home instead in the nice cool motor home curled up on a soft blanket. Most of the places here don't allow dogs anyway.

They were looking for wildlife as they drove the fifty or so miles to Mammoth Hot Springs.  As soon they got past Madison campground the crowds thinned out and it was a pleasant drive. There were elk, swans, moose, buffalo and even a bear on the side of the highway, but nothing was close enough to photograph.

They stopped at Artist Paintpots and hiked up to the highest view point for some pictures. When they reached Mammoth Hot Springs they hiked the upper and lower terraces. That was strenuous because they had to climb hundreds of stairs to reach the top.  It was worth the effort as there were so many beautiful thermal features along the path.

The most exciting part of the trip was the ride home when Kathy T sighted a grizzly bear off in the distance.  By the time they backed up and stopped about twenty other cars stopped too,
causing a "bear jam" which scared the bear away. Better luck next time!

GRIZZYLAND

We left the Tetons this morning and drove to Yellowstone National Park.  We said goodbye to the beautiful snow capped mountains and cool weather and hello to warm weather and another million tourists!  We drove into the Park from the south entrance and drove past many of the iconic thermal features on our way to camp in West Yellowstone.  The road through the park was a narrow two lane highway and we had to slow down to 25 or 35 miles per hour in many places. We saw several herds of buffalo and even a bald eagle on the trip.

We also saw a lot of tourists and decided that tomorrow we will wait until the late afternoon to visit Old Faithful and some other sites. Hope that works.

West Yellowstone is known to be more friendly to the bigger motor homes and the campsites within the Park are all booked way in advance. That's why we are here at Yellowstone Grizzly RV Park. This place is like Disneyland.  They have over 300 sites! It's gigantic! Both of our grassy sites are 85 feet long and there are beautiful young pine trees along the sites and roadways. It's brand new and only 3 minutes away from the Park entrance.
Wow, finally everybody is happy!

A BEAR HUNT

We've been here several days now and everyone around us has spotted bears. One man showed us pictures of a grizzly that he saw up the highway near the Continental Divide, then another camper told us about a black bear he saw yesterday morning in the same area.  So, last night the Kathies went on an expedition by themselves. No luck, they saw some deer and one elk up, but no bears.

This morning they all went to Jackson Hole to ride the aerial tram to the 10,450 foot summit. Along the way up they spotted this bear.  It was a 12 minute ride to the top where they enjoyed waffles and hot chocolate before heading down.  Since the lift ticket included another gondola ride to the Bridger summit at 9095 feet they rode that as well.  They saw another bear on that ride too. Guess the bears must like the ski runs.

Later in the day they stopped at the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve a little known area in the Grand Teton National Park.  It was a quiet spot for reflection with a beautiful visitors

center. Kathe and Jim hiked a short distance to this waterfall.  Limited parking kept most of the tourists away. Next time we come here we will spend more time in this beautiful spot.

CATCHING UP

Since it's so hard to stay connected here at the Fireside Buffalo RV I missed telling you some of the stuff that happened yesterday. Like the fact that last night we had a another hailstorm.  It started out like a heavy rainstorm, but then the sky started throwing snowballs at us. Luckily the ice was so slushy we didn't have any damage, but it was quite a storm.

Later that evening both Kathies got gussied up and the men took them to a fancy dinner at the Jackson Lodge. Would you believe they had prime rib and didn't bring any home. They saw a herd of elk cross the road that night on the way home which caused a big traffic jam.

This morning while Kathe and I caught up on our beauty sleep, Jim and Warren went for a bike ride back in the National Park.  Jim got stopped by the ranger for riding an electric bike on the path and had to convince her that he didn't even have the motor on. She gave him a warning and let him continue along with the ride.

You'd be surprised how tiring it is chasing critters here and sticking my nose into every squirrel hole in this campground  There must be a billion holes, and I've yet to flush out even one squirrel.

NOT CONNECTED

Sorry about last night.  We had no service. No cell service on either carrier, no sending pictures, no texting, and no internet even with our special WIFI booster. I guess it was the cloudy weather, but who knows.  We had to use the walkies just to communicate the Taylors about dinner.

Yesterday, every one went into the town of Jackson for shopping and took a picture in front of the stacks of antlers in town. Then they had lunch at the World Famous Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. The bar has a million silver dollars embedded into it's surface and the stools are saddles. None of my crew were brave to try to sit on one of the saddles. Just watching the other tourists trying to get on and off was enough entertainment.  One lady got stuck and it took  two guys to get her off the saddle and back on the ground.




This morning we moved to the Fireside Buffalo Resort just about 15 minutes from Jackson Lodge, but outside of the National Park, so it's much less crowded and very quiet. This is a picture from the front of our coach.  We'll  be here for 3 days. There are tons of squirrel holes to sniff and a bunch of horses beyond the fence to bark at.  I'm loving it.

g it.

EXPLORING GRAND TETONS

Okay, now we are officially on vacation!  We went exploring all over the park today. Kathe and I have been walking all around the camp ground.  Although the weather isn't great, it's been in the 50's all day and overcast. There's very little wind and the rain showers are brief.  Not exactly great  weather for hiking.  This crowd is hoping for a little sunshine tomorrow. They are not letting the weather spoil their fun.

Today the humans drove a big loop all around the park. They drove up to the top of Signal Mountain, for some great views of Jackson Lake.  Then they took the Jenny Lake scenic drive, stopping along the way for pictures.  There wasn't much wildlife to be seen.  I think even the animals are taking shelter waiting for a sunny day.  They saw several pronghorn, a moose and some white pelicans. There were thousands of tourists and lots of tour buses everywhere.  It's summer you know!

There are warnings everywhere about the danger of bears. Luckily we haven't seen any of them but Jim bought the bear spray just in case!  The scariest thing I've seen today was a raven that was bigger than me.

VERY GRAND TETONS

Well, we almost didn't have a blog tonight.  There is no internet in the National Park and no cell phone coverage in the campground.  So, Jim placed our handy little cell phone booster on the roof of the coach and we're able to use our hot spot tonight. But it is really slow going!

The drive here was spectacular! We took a lot of pictures which we couldn't download because of the limited cell coverage on Kathe's phone.  Jim took some pictures when we arrived here at Coulter Bay Village Campground.  We walked down to the bay and got a picture of the Teton mountains that are still covered in snow.  There was a little bit of frozen rain on my walk around the campground after dinner, but the sun came out again shortly thereafter. I love it here out in the wild, I've already spotted some chipmunks at the campsite and there were several deer sneaking around in the trees.

An area near the Coulter Bay Store was roped  off and there was a crowd of people taking pictures of some foxes that are living under the laundry building.  There was a red Momma fox and 5 cute gray baby pups rolling around in the woods. Maybe tomorrow we can get closer and get some better pictures.

WIDE OPEN SPACES

Here we are at Highline Trail RV Resort in Boulder, Wyoming.  It's quite a change from where we have been for the last 4 days.  We have a nice wide site with a view of the snow capped mountains. We're not squished together with 350 other coaches on the fairgrounds anymore.  It's quiet and beautiful here and there's lots of open space for walks.  It is a little cold, but not windy which is making everyone happy.  I wish we didn't have to move tomorrow.

Today is the first day of summer and someone forgot to tell Wyoming.  Tonight it's supposed to  go down to 27 degrees and they told us to unhook our water hose to prevent freezing!  Funny, last summer it was so hot I was complaining about the heat and this summer we are freezing! A fur coat sure comes in handy.

About 8 miles from this campground is the Lander Cut-off, the northern fork of the Oregon Trail.  You  can still see the ruts of the trail from the side of highway 191. This important route was used from 1857 until the coming of the railroad in 1869.

IT"S STILL WINDY

Our last day here in Rock Springs and the winds are still blowing!

All four days here have been filled with activities for Kathe and Jim. I know my blogs haven't been too exciting as I haven't done much except walk around in the wind, and meet and greet other doggies. I'm mostly waiting around in the coach for Kathe and Jim to come back from seminars and meals.  They promise me that the vacation will begin starting tomorrow when we get on the road  toward Jackson Hole and the Grand Tetons.

Today was a repeat of yesterday; more seminars, shopping and eating.  Tonight I'm late with this blog because the entertainment after dinner was a Beatles tribute band and Kathe stayed to listen and sing along.

It's so windy and cold tonight that Kathe was actually running me, instead of walking me. This is me in the wind.  I am not enjoying it one bit.  Glad to get back inside before the rain started, again!

REALLY WINDY WYOMING

Another day here in Rock Springs.  Much of the same today at the Tiffin Rally, seminars and
shopping.  The only thing a little different is that we have a HIGH wind warning.  It's been very windy every day, so we can't wait to see how much higher the winds are going to be this afternoon.  We're bringing in the outdoor carpet and chairs and of course the awnings, in anticipation. It's blowing so hard right now that coach is rocking.

Today they are having a coach decorating contest.  The theme is Happy Trails! Lots of people are participating. The judging was supposed to be at 3:00 this afternoon, but they moved it up 2 hours because all the decorations are blowing away.  Warren and Kathy decorated their coach and we saw the judges come back twice to check it out. Keeping my paws crossed that they win something before it all blows away down the street!

WIND AND RAIN IN WYOMING

Second Day here in Rock Springs, Wyoming.  Second day of wind and raindrops.  Dark clouds pass over us, giving us lots of warning that a storm is coming.  Just enough time to get out the umbrellas and windbreakers.  Then, as soon as the storm arrives, it's gone again.  I guess it's so windy that the clouds keep moving on.  I am getting the lay of the land and I can tell you that there are tons of doggies here. They have posted signs on the golf course that say no pets allowed, but I have seen a lot of dogs on that grass that apparently can't read.  I'm no scofflaw, I take Kathe along the gravel path every time.

Kathe and Jim spent the day in seminars and drooling over the new motorhomes on display.  Jim took a class on the Aqua-Hot water heater and Kathe took a class on tips and tricks for storage.  And of course they didn't miss the ice cream social.

Jim and Warren found a new upgraded panel for our Spyder electrical system and they both installed the panel on their bedroom walls this afternoon.  Now Kathe can turn off the lights,  close the vents, and lock the door without getting out of bed. Progress!

ROCK SPRINGS

 
Here we are at last, at the Sweetwater Event Center, for the Tiffin Summer Rally.  By 4 o'clock this afternoon there will be over 350 motor homes parked here on the fairgrounds in Rock Springs Wyoming. There are four days of seminars and events scheduled including meals and entertainment.

There will be products for sale and service technicians to repair and install whatever we may need for our coach.

Not much is happening today as the opening ceremonies will be this evening, but starting tomorrow all the humans will be running around trying to fit as many activities into each day as possible. They will also have the newest Tiffin models on display, only I hope Kathe and Jim don't buy a new model.  I'm just getting used to this one, and you can't teach an old dog and so forth!

   
Everyone is taking it easy right now, it's raining so we're all inside this afternoon. I took a picture of Gianni and Bella napping. I might just curl for a nap myself.  Why not!

A BEAUTIFUL DAY

I hope that you don't think my blog is too boring, but we are just traveling all day and spending only one night in each place and traveling again the next day.  If you think that's boring, try sitting in a crate all day long looking out the window.

Tomorrow they promised me that we will be staying for 4 days in Rock Springs, hope there's more to do there than here.  We're at a KOA in the middle of nowhere, and the best thing I can say about it is that there is grass and dirt here!

We arrived here in just enough time for all of the doggies to get a bath. Jim and Warren are cleaning their motor homes and the Kathies are doing laundry. Boring!

Our drive to Lyman, Wyoming was really, beautiful.  So much wide open space, and lots fluffy clouds in the sky. We were following Warren and Kathy the whole 180 miles.  My Kathe took these pictures out the windshield.

ONE NIGHT STAND

Another long driving day. We passed many large farms and ranches along Interstate 15 on our way to Spanish Forks, Utah. The drive was very pleasant except for a little rain along the way.  Nothing like the storm we had last night, lightning, thunder and pea sized hail bouncing down on us. Then, when that was over, there were fire works for the opening ceremonies of a girls soccer tournament just down the road.  What a night!

We are camped tonight in a county park in Spanish Forks, but no one is very happy about it except me. There are lots of beautiful oak trees and grass, but the sites are not level and we only have 30 amp power and water without sewer.

As I said, us doggies are happy, but the humans not so much!  Luckily, the temperature is cooling down, so the power shouldn't be an issue tonight.  We are only here one night and it's my guess we'll be pulling out early tomorrow.

SNOWBALLS IN JUNE

With the time change, we all slept in this morning, even me.  When we finally went outside, we found a post office next to our campsite with a big, beautiful green lawn. I left a special delivery this morning before Kathe saw the sign that read, No dog walking in this area!  Oh well, sorry, I can't read.  Guess we will be walking somewhere else from now on.

After breakfast, they all drove off leaving us four-legged types at home.  Cedar Breaks National Monument is about 22 miles from the town of Cedar City, an uphill climb over 10,000 feet above sea level. It's an unbelievable drive up to the Visitors Center.  There are aspens, junipers and some weather beaten bristlecone pines all the way up the mountain.  The temperature dropped below fifty degrees. Soon, they started seeing snow on the side of the road. Then it was everywhere. They had to stop and take pictures and throw a few snowballs.

Tonight my friend Warren is cooking a tri-tip on the grill, hope we can have a taste before the rain starts.  I can hear the thunder and lightning already.
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A LONG DRIVING DAY

I was alone last night while all the humans went to the Vegas Strip for dinner and gambling. They must have had a great dinner because there were no leftovers for me. Kathy and Warren are teaching my humans how to play poker and they didn't get home until it was way past my bedtime. I fixed them though, I woke them up at 3 AM to take me out, and again at 5AM for my breakfast! Then everyone had to be up by 7:30 to get an early start for the drive to Cedar City.


It was a long drive, made longer by 18 miles road of road construction in the Virgin River Gorge. Add to that an hour time change and we finally arrived here at 3PM.  This is a picture of the Taylors driving in front of us through the Gorge.  Despite the traffic it was a beautiful drive. We're staying tonight in a tiny RV Park in back of a motel in Cedar City, Utah. Only 10 sites.  Very quiet and private.  They serve free barbecue every night with s'mores for dessert and a full breakfast every morning.  Not that any of these guys would ever get up early enough to enjoy it.

Here's a picture of the wedge salad my pal Warren made for dinner tonight.  A piece of bacon even kind of fell off his plate for me.

RED ROCKS IN LAS VEGAS

Who new! There's a spectacular sandstone canyon right here in Las Vegas. The humans drove a few miles out of town to the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area today.  It was a 13 mile, one way drive in the Mohave Desert that rises up to an elevation of 4771 feet and overlooks some really beautiful scenery.

Although it was really hot today, they were able to hike a short trail and find some pictographs on the red rocks at the end of the trail.  The Joshua trees were blooming all over the desert and the yellow flowers were prolific due to the heavy rains this winter. They even found a shady spot near a stream for a picnic.  Doggies might have been allowed on this trip, but 4 humans and 3 doggies in a hot car didn't sound like fun to any of us.


Kathe took me for several great walks around the Resort.  It's really a beautiful place, very exclusive and there are many large lots that have outdoor kitchens, firepits and lush landscaping.  The dog parks are pretty fantastic as well, lush green lawns and no fences.  You can run around and jump in the grass to your hearts content.  I especially like my walks at nighttime when it's cool and quiet. I'll rate this place 4 paws up!

IN TO THE WILD

We are arrived here in Wild, Wild Las Vegas a little bit after noon. We have a great site at the Las Vegas Motor Coach Resort. As soon as we were set up Kathy and Warren returned from a trip to the casino to make us lunch.  It was great to see them again, but really great to see Bella and Gianni my pals from last summer.  All of us doggies went for a short walk, trying to find a cool grassy spot was a little hard.  It's 107 here and the pavement is blazing hot.

After lunch and after a little catching up with our friends, we doggies opted for a snooze in the air conditioned coaches while the humans went to Cabellas/Silverton for some shopping and casino action. Kathe took some pictures of the wildlife in the store so that I would feel like they were really outdoors! Hopefully we won't run into any real live critters like this.

We might be in big trouble though, Kathe and Jim have learned how to play poker and spent the rest of the night at the casino.  So much for the penny slot machines!

BOO!

I've been looking for ghosts here in Calico, but I think they all melted before we got here.  It's 107 outside and I'm sure that any self respecting ghost has found a nice cool place in one of the abandoned silver mines to rest and wait till the temperature drops before they go a haunting.

This area was one of the largest silver mining camps in California during the late 1800's.  Now the ghost town has become a State Park and a tourist attraction. We drove all through the State Park campground and it was truly a ghost town, with only one RV parked for the night.

We're at the KOA just down the road from the State Park, with full hook-ups and 50 Amp power.  I do love my air conditioning.  It's so nice to come in after a walk on the hot sand and chill out on the cold tile floor.

Only here for one night before heading tomorrow for Vegas where it's just as hot as it is here, what a way to start the vaca!

COUNTDOWN TO 2019

It looks like we're getting ready for another Adventure!  I'm packing for a 2 month trip to Utah, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. 15 cans of dog food, check, 4 bags of treats, check, shampoo and conditioner, check, vitamins, medications, and a nice clean pad for my crate, check. All systems go on my end, but you should see the pile of junk Jim is packing in our car!

We leave tomorrow and will spend one night in Calico Ghost Town before we head to Vegas to meet Gianni and Bella and their humans. I haven't seen my friends since last summer and I'm eally looking forward to a good bark fest when I get there.

This will be the ninth year of "Adventures" for me. That's me with a little bit of gray hair, but I'm still hanging in there and ready for another long trip.