Author: Mike Marlowe

September 3-11, 2023

Had such a good time in Yellowstone in July, Tracey checked to see if we could get into our favorite campsites in September. Got lucky and found a few sites available after Labor Day. So, we went back. A little cooler, less crowded, and saw more animals. When we go again, I think we will skip peak summer and go in September again.

Day 1 – Sunday, Sept 3

Left home around noon. Stopped in Fall City for a Jersey Mike’s sandwich. Stopped in Moses Lake at Love’s for gas and iced tea. Drove on to 50000 Silver Dollars and camped there. Campground was crowded for Labor Day weekend. Had jambalaya and salad for dinner. It was a little rainy.

Animal sightings

None! Not even the prairie dogs. Too rainy I guess.

Day 2 – Monday, Sept 4

Left around 10 and drove to Missoula. Stopped at Loves for gas and tea. Went to Planet Fitness for showers. Ate a sandwich for lunch. Drove on to Canyon Campground (the one outside of Yellowstone). Got there around 5pm. Still a bit rainy. Plenty of spots. Had leftover pizza and tomato soup for dinner.

Animal sightings

None again. Not even a chipmunk. Still too rainy.

Day 3 – Tuesday, Sept 5

Left around 10 and drove into Yellowstone. Stopped at Mammoth and hiked around. Ate a sandwich for lunch. Tracey brought another Yellowstone sweatshirt. Saw a herd of elk in Mammoth. Drove around the north loop and saw a herd of bison near Mammoth. We saw a few bison and a hawk in the valley north of Canyon. Got to Canyon campground around 3pm. Checked in and set up camp. Went to the shops at Canyon. Bought a book about all the deaths in Yellowstone. Read the first chapter about people dying in thermal features. The worst was about a guy who dove headfirst into 200-degree water to save his dog. Got out and skin was peeling off. He died the next day. We ate jambalaya and salad for dinner. Sat by the fire. Rain seems to have stopped.

Animal sightings

Hawk. Bison, elk, raven, magpie, grackle, chipmunk, small squirrel

Day 4 – Wednesday, Sept 6

Got up around 10 and had some breakfast. Drove thru the Hayden Valley and saw lots of bison and a couple of swans. Did a hike around the mud pots. Saw a brown squirrel but no other animals. Went to old faithful. Had sandwiches for lunch. The power side door on the van wouldn’t close. Was able to manually force it closed. Did a hike up to an overlook and watched old faithful go off. Hiked by a couple of bison near old faithful. Hiked on to serenity geyser and watched it burp. Hiked further to riverside geyser and got to see it spew. It was pretty impressive. Hiked back to old faithful and it was just about to go again, so we watched it for a couple minutes. Got back to the van and luckily the side door is now working. Went to grand prismatic pool and hiked up to the higher observation area. It was pretty cool. Got back to the campsite around 7:15 and took showers. Got our campsite set back up for cooking right before it got dark at 8pm. Made a salad and tortellini with pesto for dinner. Sat by the fire before bed.

Animal sightings

Bison (lots), trumpeter swans, osprey, chipmunk, brown squirrels, Douglas squirrel, ravens, starlings

Day 5 – Thursday, Sept 7

Got up and ate breakfast. Packed up camp and pulled out at exactly 11pm (check out time). It had rained overnight so the bug tent was a little wet and muddy. Took showers and then headed to Norris Geyser Basin. Walked around it. Seemed like there were a lot more tourons here. Drove south and stopped for a picnic lunch on the Firehole River. Saw lots of ravens. They would look for crumbs on picnic tables as soon as people left. Went to Fountain Paint Pots and walked around it. Saw a large herd of bison. Headed south to the Tetons. Stopped for gas at Flagg Ranch. Tracey bought a Yellowstone water bottle. Stopped at the Teton park entrance and saw a big bull moose. Got to the Colter Bay campground around 5:30. Really nice spot. Set up the bug tent over the picnic table and walked out to the lake for a look. Back at the campsite, got food out to prepare and sat it on the picnic table. But it was too early to eat so we sat outside the tent. A chipmunk found his way in and was looking for food. He got trapped in the tent. He was climbing the walls. It was like “chipmunk thunder dome”. Tracey held the door open, and I went in and shooed him out the door. Ate Mac and Cheese and a salad for dinner. Sat by the campfire before bed.

Animal sightings

Bison, moose, ravens, osprey, geese, chipmunks, squirrels, a really grumpy hugely obese French bulldog with an owner who shared the characteristics of their pet.

Day 6 – Friday, Sept 8

Got up around 9 and ate breakfast. Left around 11 for Jenny Lake. Parking was full so we parked on the highway about 1/2 mile from the trailhead. Hiked to hidden falls and up cascade canyon for a bit. Ate lunch on a cliff side overlooking Jenny Lake. Saw 3 pikas and a momma moose with her baby. Saw a Dusky Grouse which is kind of rare. Hiked 9.3 miles total. Got back to the campsite around 5pm. Went down to the lake and swam. It was really cold, 58 degrees. But it felt great. Picked up some more cool looking rocks. Watched a 20-year-old couple pose for instagram pictures. Why do they all make the same unnatural poses. When walking back from the lake we saw a couple of mule deer in the campground right by our site. Had spicy ramen noodles with chicken for dinner. Saw a bat fly over our campfire. Walked down to the lake and looked at the stars before going to bed.

Animal sightings

Moose, pika, dusky grouse, chipmunks, squirrels, osprey, mule deer, bat

Day 7 – Saturday, Sept 9

Got up and ate breakfast and then moved our tent to the site across the road. We couldn’t reserve the same site all 3 days so had to switch. Drove up Signal Mountain. “National Park Karen” (aka Tracey) had to tell the people hiking on the closed trail that they are idiots. They literally stepped over the closed signs, hiked up a 50-foot trail and then had to climb over a barrier and then said, “I guess we should have taken the other trail”. Ya, I guess you are just a big idiot. Then Tracey was taking a picture of the mountains and a different lady walked right in front of her to take her own pic. So, Tracey walked in front of her and got her pic. I think the other lady was pissed but was oblivious that she had walked in front of Tracey. It was pretty funny. Drove down thru the park and took Moose-Wilson road to Jackson Mountain Resort and then into Jackson. Ate lunch at a place right across from the town square. Tracey asked the waiter “are you from France?” Waiter, “no Ukraine “. Tracey, “oh, well I hope you win. You know, the war with Russia.” Afterwards Tracey was saying WTF did I just tell that waiter. I spoke like it was a soccer match. We thought it was funny in a sad kind of way. Bought some stuff at Teton Mountaineering. Saw a cute ground squirrel in the grass at the town square. Drove back to our campsite. Did a 2.5-mile hike around Colter Bay and then went for a swim just before sunset. Sat on the shore and dried off for a bit before heading back to camp. Had a salad for dinner. Sat by the campfire for a bit then walked down to the lake and looked at the stars. You can see so many more than at home. Saw a bright orange shooting star.

Animal sightings

Moose, winter ground squirrel, pronghorn antelope, American White Pelicans, chipmunks, squirrels, ravens

Day 8 – Sunday, Sept 10

Got up and Mike is sick with a cold. Had breakfast with Chippy (the chipmunk) and packed up. Drove north thru Yellowstone thru the Hayden valley. Stopped in Canyon for lunch. Saw a few bison on the way to Mammoth. Stopped in Mammoth and saw a few elk. A buck was hanging around the entrance to the post office. We watched the rangers keep people back. Eventually they had to run him off since he was in an “elk restricted zone”. Driving north of Mammoth we saw a large herd of elk. Stopped in Gardiner for a few groceries and cold medicine. Got to the Canyon campground 15 miles north of Gardiner around 4:30. Set up our chairs and relaxed. Took a short nap before dinner. Had a rabbit come visit us. She hung around for 30 minutes. Mike had spicy ramen with chicken for dinner. Tracey had chicken with pesto. Saw a bat fly around at dusk.

Animal sightings

Chipmunks, squirrels, ravens, hawk, bison, white pelican, elk, cottontail rabbit, bat

Day 9 – Monday, Sept 11

Got up and still felt sick.  Didn’t feel like eating.  It was sunny and nice but real windy so sitting outside wasn’t that pleasant.  So, we skipped breakfast and started driving at 9am.  Got to 50000 Silver Dollars around 3pm.  We were planning to stay here and then drive the rest of the way the next day.  But we got here a lot earlier than expected so we decided to just drive on home.  It is about 6.5 hours more.  Made for a long 12.5+ hour drive.  But with the hour time change, we got home before 9pm.

Animal sightings

None (other than cows and horses)

August 27-29, 2023

Took a quick two-night trip to Kalaloch Campground. This trip was similar to our previous trips here. Hikes on the beaches, collect some beach rocks, look at tide pools, etc.

Sunday:

Left home on Sunday around 11am. Stopped a couple of times. Got to the campsite around 3:30pm. Set up our campsite. Took a walk on Beach 2. It was low tide but not too low. We saw some starfish and anemones. Had salmon and a salad for dinner. It was overcast all day, but the sun did peek out at sunset.

Monday:

It rained a very small amount on Monday morning. Still overcast. It looked cold outside (typical gloomy Washington weather) but it was actually warm (low 70s). Drove up to Ruby beach, ate lunch, and hiked around. Went to beach 4 later in the afternoon and looked at the tide pools at low tide. But it wasn’t too low so not as cool as previous trips. Had pasta and salad for dinner. Walked out to the beach around 10pm for high tide (which was around 11pm). It was fun to mark the “high point” in the sand and watch the waves come even higher. We moved inland about 30 feet in the 30 minutes we were tracking the tide rise.

Tuesday:

Got up early and walked on the beach during the really low tide (-1.7 feet, yesterday afternoon’s low tide was +3.2 feet and high tide was +9.1) This was the lowest the tide got in the last 3 weeks according to the tide chart. There were a couple of sand bars that are usually under water. We walked way out on them. Watch lots of birds looking for food. Went back to bed and slept a couple more hours before getting up to pack up the site.

Drove thru Seabrook WA on the way home. This was a really cute little beach town founded in 2004. It was modeled after Seaside FL where “The Truman Show” was filmed. It looks a lot like that movie. Got home around 4pm.

Sorry, no great pictures on this trip. We took a few but it is the same content as previous trips only the pics look worse since it wasn’t sunny.

Day 1 (Sunday 7/9)

Packed up and left home around 1pm. Drove to 50000 Silver Dollar in Haugan Montana and camped in their free campground. Ate bierox for dinner and watched part of stage 10 of TDF.

Day 2 (Monday 7/10)

Drove to Missoula and went to Planet Fitness for showers. Stopped at Target for some supplies. Got to Canyon Campground on highway 89, about 45 minutes south of Livingston MT, just north of Gardiner. (This “Canyon Campground” is not to be confused with the “Canyon Campground” that is inside Yellowstone NP). It is first come first served. We got one of the 3 remaining spots at 5pm. By 6pm the rest were taken. It is a nice spot. Finished watching stage 10 (rest day for the riders). Had bierox again for dinner.

Animal sightings:

~50 prairie dogs at 50000 Silver dollars, 1 deer, 1 chipmunk

Day 3 (Tuesday 7/11)

Had breakfast at the campsite with one chirpy chipmunk. Drove into Yellowstone thru the north entrance. Stopped in Mammoth and went to the visitor center. Ate lunch. Walked over to the Liberty Cap thermal feature. Shopped at gift store and bought some shirts. Drove around the north loop. Did a short hike to Wraith falls. Drove via black tail butte dirt road to Tower. Stopped for a short hike to see Calcite Springs. Stopped at Tower Falls and bought some more souvenirs. Another short hike to see Tower Falls. Drove to Canyon and checked in at the campground. Went back to Canyon Village and checked out the shops. Tracey bought some more stuff. Back to the campground and set up our site. Ate jambalaya and salad for dinner.

Animal Sightings

1 chipmunk, a few elk (one up close)

Day 4 (Wednesday 7/12)

Got up, ate a little breakfast and headed to Old Faithful. Saw two bison near Canyon. Thought we see a lot more near Old faithful but never did. Stopped at a few sites along the way. Hiked 7 miles around Old Faithful and saw a few other geysers that were much more interesting. Also you were a lot closer to them. Lots of neat stuff to see. Saw a ground squirrel who was posing for all the tourists.

Animal sightings

Small red squirrel (not like the ones at home, more chipmunk sized) in the campground, chipmunk, ground squirrel, bison, osprey birds (one flew into an erupting geyser), ravens.

Day 5 (Thursday 7/13)

Got up late. Ate a little breakfast and then headed out. Went to Canyon and did a few hikes to various viewpoints of the canyon and falls. It was super nice. Saw a bison from the car but couldn’t pull over to stop. But the road to the trailhead parking lot wasn’t far and it looped back around towards where we saw the bison. So, we hiked thru the forrest back towards the highway to get a closer look. But halfway there we saw a 2nd bison. We were a little close so backed up and watched him eat. Then the other one came by. Pretty cool. We then went to hike the trails to see various views of the lower falls. Drove to the upper falls and had to stop to let a mule deer cross the road. Pulling into the upper falls area, a bridge crosses the Yellowstone River. A bison was walking down our lane across the bridge. So, we waited for him to cross. Then pulled into the next picnic spot that was just past the bridge and got out and took some good photos of him. It was funny to see him wander up and startle people who were there picnicking already. Hiked around the upper falls viewpoints. It was nice but not as cool as the lower falls. Drove south towards Fishing Bridge and saw an elk with huge velvet antlers. Also passed a bison walking along the side of the road. Tracey rolled down the van window and videoed as we drove by. Got within ~6 feet of him as we rolled by cautiously. He didn’t seem to care about any of the cars. Stopped at Hayden Valley overlook and saw a herd of elk, 1 bison, a swan, and some geese. But they were too far away for any good pictures. Got rained on and tiny hail while on the way to Old Faithful. Stopped at Old Faithful but didn’t stay since the next eruption wasn’t for 1.5 hours. Drove back to Canyon. Saw 2 sandhill cranes in a meadow. Otherwise, no animals on that side of the park. Took showers. Had salad and jambalaya for dinner.

Animal sightings

Bison, mule deer, elk, trumpeter swan, red squirrel, geese, osprey, sandhill crane, ravens, butterflies.

Day 6 (Friday 7-14)

Got up a bit earlier, ate breakfast and packed up our campsite. Tent was a little wet because it rained a little overnight. But it was nice and sunny the rest of this day. Took showers, bought a couple more souvenirs, and got gas before heading out. Stopped at some sites along the way in Hayden Valley. Saw several more bison. One was really close at the mud volcano. We were behind an elevated wood platform and railing and a ranger was right there so even though we were much closer than the “stay 25 yards away” they post everywhere, it was ok. Had lunch at a picnic area along the shore of Yellowstone Lake. Went back to Old Faithful. Got there just after it had erupted. So, we hiked around to see some of the other geysers. Saw a marmot. Got back to old faithful about 10 minutes before it was due to erupt. But it was not very faithful and was 20 minutes late. But this time it shot up higher and was more impressive. Drove to Flagg Ranch and checked in to our campsite. Had Mac and cheese and bierox for dinner.

Animal sightings

Bison, ravens, marmot, chipmunks, squirrels

Day 7 (Saturday 7-15)

Got up late. Ate breakfast. Watch the campground security confiscate a bunch of our neighbors stuff. They left a bunch of food and cooking stuff like coffee maker, ice chest, utensils, etc. out and left without putting it inside their camper or the bear box. The campground employees make a big deal about it when you check in and there are signs everywhere. So they definitely should have known about it. Went for a hike around Flagg Ranch and down along the snake river. Left around 11am to go back into Yellowstone. Went to see the Grand prismatic pool and hiked around biscuit basin. Had to wait about 45 minutes to get to the grand prismatic pool because the rickety boardwalk broke and the rangers had to fix it. But once it reopened it was nice because we were one of the first and nobody was there yet. Got back to our campsite at Flagg Ranch around 5:30. Our scofflaw neighbors aren’t back yet. It will be interesting to see how they react to all their stuff being confiscated. Took showers around 6:45 and the neighbors returned while we were out. Didn’t see any sign that they cared. I guess they got their stuff back. Had pasta for dinner.

Animal sightings

Prairie dogs, squirrels, red tailed hawk, raven, osprey

Day 8 (Sunday 7/16)

Got up leisurely, had breakfast and packed up. Drove south towards Jackson. Took the route through GTNP and took Moose-Wilson Road to the Jackson Hole ski area. Walked around the base area. Watched some ultra trail runners finish a 50k 8000ft vertical trail run. Saw some baby horses, super cute. Drove into Jackson and bought some groceries and gas. Walked around the square and bought some souvenirs. Drove back up to Colter Bay. Saw ~12 pronghorn in a meadow. Got checked in to our campsite. It is a short hike to Jackson Lake. So, we took a swim. Water is cold but not too bad once you get used to it. Super scenic swim with the Tetons as the backdrop. This is our favorite campsite so far. Ate salad and jambalaya for dinner.

Animal sightings

Squirrels, ravens, pronghorn antelope, geese with babies.

Day 9 (Monday 7/17)

Got up and had a quick breakfast but didn’t leave the campsite until 10:45. When cleaning our dishes a little chickadee kept flying around and landing just a couple of feet from us. I guess she wanted to help wash dishes. Drove down to Jenny Lake. Parking was full as expected so pared on the side of the highway about 3/4 mile from the trailhead. Made some lunch and packed it and Bunbun and Nut in our packs and headed out on a hike to Hidden Falls. Saw a garter snake on the trail. Saw a moose in a pond eating. She would put her head under water for a long time. Not sure what she was getting to eat. Got to the falls and ate lunch. Hiked up a little further and looked out over Jenny lake then headed back. When we got to the car we noticed another VanDOit parked nearby. Drove down to the main GTNP Visitor Center and checked it out. Watched the movie about the park and bought some souvenirs. Started heading back to Colter Bay. Saw the other VanDOit still parked so we pulled over and got a picture of the 2 vans together. Tracey posted it on the VanDOit Facebook page. Took the drive up to the top of Signal Mountain. Saw a bear walking through the forest. That was really cool. Took some pictures of the Tetons from the top of Signal Mountain. Drove back to our campsite at Colter Bay and hiked down to a lake and went for a swim. It was pretty windy and the water was churned up so it was a bit colder than yesterday. Swam for a bit then sat out and let the wind and sun dry us off. On the hike back to our site we ran into a mule deer on our trail. We backed off and took some pictures. She seemed a little scared of us but eventually meandered on into the woods so we continued along the trail. But the we saw her little fawn. We didn’t want to be between mama and her baby so we walked on by and the the little one trotted off after her mom. It was super cute. While getting ready for dinner a raven was flying near and squawking at a bald eagle the was flying by. While sitting around before dinner a robin, woodpecker, and chipmunk kept coming by to check on us. We had a really good animal sightings day. Had leftover pasta and a salad for dinner.

Animal sightings

Ground Squirrel, garter snake, moose, giant butterfly, black bear, mama mule dear with baby, bald eagle being harassed by a raven, chipmunk, downy woodpecker, robin, chickadee that really wanted to help clean dishes.

Day 10 (Tuesday 7/18)

Got up and walked down to the lake while most were still sleeping. Took a couple of pictures of Colter Bay. Came back to the campsite and relaxed. Saw a deer walk through the campsite. She hung around for a bit and wasn’t too concerned with the campers. We had some breakfast and packed up. It was so hot south of us (Colorado, Idaho, Central Oregon were 100 Degrees), we decided to cut our trip short and avoid the heat as much as possible. So, we took the northern route similar to how we came here. We drove north back through Yellowstone but went out the west entrance thru West Yellowstone. We stopped for lunch in Idaho overlooking Hebgen Lake. Drove on to Missoula MT and stopped at Planet Fitness to take showers and clean up. Then, we headed on to 50000 Silver Dollar. Ate dinner at their restaurant and camped in their free campground.

Animal sightings

Deer, Chipmunk, Ravens, Prairie Dogs

Day 11 (Wednesday 7/19)

Got up and had some breakfast and then got on I-90 for the drive back home.

Animal sightings

Prairie Dogs, Hawks

May 14-15, 2023

It was unseasonably hot in Seattle, so we decided to beat the heat and head for the beach for a couple of days. It was early enough in the season that Kalaloch Beach campground was still on a first-come first-served basis, so we headed there and hoped for the best. We have been to Kalaloch 3 or 4 times now. When the weather is good, it is great. Unfortunately, peak summer season tends to sell out in days. So, you have to plan ahead to camp here. But if you can make it during the off season, you can just grab a spot. Lucky for us, it wasn’t too busy. The prime sites along the water filled up but the rows back had plenty of spaces available. We were lucky enough to get a site on the first row, but on the other side of the road from the beach side. But honestly, that is probably better. It is a little less windy, and the sites are more level and larger than the ones right on the water. We hiked around the beaches, saw the tide pools at low tide, climbed on the rocks, watched beautiful sunsets, drank wine and ate salmon and stayed cool. Way better than sweating in the heat at home.

Day 1 Bothell WA to Boise ID (almost)

Left Bothell around 11:45am. Plan was to get to Boise but we didn’t make it that far. A crash on I-90 outside Ellensburg added an hour. And it started snowing pretty heavy in the dark and we had to go ~35mph. Got hard to see the lanes so we stopped at a Love’s gas station in Ontario OR, about an hour NW of Boise. Ate bierox for dinner in the van. The new rack is working great to hold the microwave and organize a lot of our stuff.

Day 2 Ontario OR to Provo UT

Left Ontario around 10am. Good weather during the day. Got to Salt Lake City at 5pm. Went to a Planet Fitness near downtown SLC. Paid $3 for parking but found out when we checked in that we could have had free parking with our PF membership. Just took showers and got back on the road. It had started snowing pretty heavy while we were in PF. Had to drive thru SLC during rush hour so slow going. Stopped for gas at Costco then headed further south. Snow was heavy enough that we could only go 35mph. Stopped at a Love’s south of Provo. Had bierox in the van for dinner (again). Decided to stay here for the night since it is so snowy.

Day 3 – Provo UT to Moab UT

Left Provo around 10am and got to Moab a ~3 hours. Got gas and then went to Arches NP. Picked up our pass to hike the Fiery Furnace tomorrow. You have to watch a video and answer some questions with the ranger so you know what you are getting into and to make sure you don’t destroy habitat. The weather was perfect, sunny and 60 degrees. We drove thru the park and stopped at most of the sites. Took some photos, hiked a couple of short hikes (.25 mile out and back) and then headed to Utahraptor State Park a few miles north of Arches. Campsite was ok. It is former BLM land that is being converted into a state park. So no longer free but only $15 for the night. Cooked some salmon for dinner. Saw lots of stars.

Day 4 Fiery Furnace hike, Moab UT to Gallup NM

Got up and it was windy and threatening rain. Ate some breakfast. Packed up just before the rain started. Went to the Fiery Furnace and started our hike. This was one of the coolest hikes I’ve ever done. Lots of scrambling and route finding wasn’t easy even with a GPS. The wetness made it trickier. I definitely recommend it and would do again. Preferably when it is dry. They limit the number of people, and you need to reserve your permit a week in advance.

We were originally going to stay another night in Moab, but the weather wasn’t great, so we decided to head further south. Got to Gallup NM just after dark and stayed at another Love’s. Even ate fried chicken from the attached Chester’s Chicken. It was pretty good.

Day 5 Gallup NM to Roswell NM

Well, I finally came down with the flu that Tracey has had since before we left. I thought I had avoided it, but I didn’t. Hiking in shorts in 45-degree rain probably didn’t help. We left around 10am and drove 2 hours to Albuquerque. Stopped at a Planet Fitness and took showers. Went to a pharmacy and got some cold medicine. Had lunch at a Jersey Mike’s. Drove to Roswell. Since we both still feel crappy, we decided to get a hotel room for the night. Surprisingly most were sold out. Not sure what is going on in Roswell this weekend. Got one of the last rooms at a Super 8. Not great but it will do. Wasn’t that hungry so just ate snacks in the room and watched some TV before going to bed early.

Day 6 Roswell NM to Carlsbad NM

Got up at 9, went to the “free breakfast” at the hotel at 9:30 only to realize it ended at 9am. So, we just ate some snacks for breakfast. Checked out, filled up with gas and went to the UFO museum. It was a pretty interesting place. More crowded than I expected. Overhearing others, I think there are a lot of conspiracy theorists. Pets were allowed in the museum. We even saw one lady walking her pet lamb on a leash. Had sandwiches for lunch and headed to Carlsbad NM. Camped at Sunset Reef campground. It is a free BLM site a few miles outside of Carlsbad Caverns National Park. We got here around 3:30pm and all of the designated sites were taken. But there was still some room to park around the perimeter. Got a good corner spot near the toilet, put out our “rug” and table and had a good setup. Had to weight the rug and table down because they were getting blown away. Surprisingly good cell signal so we were able to stream The Oscar’s on the TV. Had the last of our salmon for dinner while watching TV.

Day 7 Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands

Got up and leisurely packed up the campsite. Our reserved time to enter the cave wasn’t until 11:30. Got to the cave around 11 and still had to wait in line for 20 minutes. Did the “hike in” (vs “elevator in”) option. Pretty cool. Hiked down ~800 feet underground and then hiked around the great room for a couple miles. Then elevator back out. It was fun but to many idiots that just stop in the middle of the trail and cause a traffic jam. Took about 2 hours for the hike. Left around 2 and went to Upper Karr Canyon campground near Cloudcroft. It was really pretty. But it was at ~8500 elevation and there was still snow on the ground and Tracey was bitching about being too cold, so we left and headed to Las Cruces. We stopped at White Sands around 6:30 about an hour before sunset. Just enough time to drive through and hike around the dunes for a bit. It was really pretty. But it is really just like a giant beach with gorgeous sand and dunes but no water. I was surprised how busy it was. Lots of kids sledding down the dunes. Left just at dark and went to Las Cruces. Passed by the White Sands Missile Range but couldn’t see it in the dark. Stopped at a Love’s (again) and had Subway meatball sandwich for dinner. Camped in their lot.

Day 8 Las Cruces to Petrified Forrest

Got up and went to a Planet Fitness and took showers. Then went to a Walmart superstore for some groceries. Left Las Cruces around noon. Nice drive thru New Mexico backroads to Petrified Forest. Pulled into a campground/gift shop just before 6pm, but they are closed. Parked for the night. Had the last of the bierox for dinner.

Day 9 Petrified Forest to Grand Canyon

Got up and left without our normal breakfast or morning drinks because we wanted to get to the Petrified Forest visitor center and use their restrooms. Went to the visitor center and walked around some trails looking at lots of petrified wood. Drove thru the park and stopped at some sites. It was super windy. Heading to Flagstaff we saw signs for a big meteor crater. We took a detour to check it out but it seemed like a tourist trap ripoff so we opted to save $50 and skipped going in. Stopped in Flagstaff for a little late lunch then went on the Grand Canyon. Checked in to our campsite and then went shopping. The grocery store was really nice (for a park store) and they had a nice outdoor gear shop too. We bought some sweatshirts and t shirts. Drove to the visitor center but it was closed. Walked around and out to Mather Point to see the canyon. On the way back to the van we saw some deer roaming around. Then on the drive back to the campground we saw some elk. Had salad with chicken and tomato soup for dinner.

Day 10 Grand Canyon

Last night I dumped the leftover soup outside by a tree. 4 ravens found it and ate it for breakfast. We had some breakfast and then went to the visitor center and watched the Grand Canyon movie. Hiked a couple miles round trip along the rim trail. Then we drove south along the rim stopping at most of the pullouts. Each viewpoint was gorgeous. Got back to the campsite and took showers and did laundry. Then drove around the campground and saw 4 elk walking thru. Cooked dirty rice and salad for dinner. Watched the season 1 finale of Poker Face on TV.

Day 11 Grand Canyon

Got up and ate breakfast. Waited around for it to warm up a bit. Drove to the visitor center and then caught a shuttle bus to the Bright Angle trail head. We had packed everything except our micro-spikes. The trail was covered in packed snow and ice. Decided to try it anyway. Hiked down about a mile then turned around. Going up was easy but going down was a bit slippery at times. It wouldn’t have been an issue except for the exposure. Hiked the rim trail a few miles back to the car. Went back to the campsite and rested for a bit. Watched TV before dinner. Salad with Chicken and leftover dirty rice for dinner. No clouds tonight so the stars were super bright.

Day 12 Grand Canyon to Prescott to Quartzite AZ

Left Grand Canyon and went to Prescott AZ. Stopped a Planet Fitness and then grocery shopping at Walmart. Drove on to Quartzite AZ. The drive was really nice. Twisty mountain road. Stayed in a Loves parking lot. Had a subway sandwich for dinner. This Loves was a little sketchy. Heard a few guys arguing in the parking lot around 3am. Luckily they left.

Day 13 Quartzite AZ to Joshua Tree

Got to Joshua Tree after noon. Stopped at the visitor center. Was going to drive thru the park but the entrance was backed up so we just went to our campsite. We stayed at Indian Cove which is in the park but you enter on a separate road and it is a dead end so little traffic. Hiked on some trails around the campground. Climbed up the rocks at our campsite. Had Mac & cheese and salad for dinner.

Day 14 Joshua Tree and Palm Springs

Had breakfast and then drove thru the park. Stopped at a few sites and hiked around a bit. Finished earlier than expected so we drove into Palm Springs. Stopped at a Planet Fitness for showers. Then headed back to our campsite. Super windy and a little rainy. Storm is coming. Cooked pasta with sausage and vodka cream sauce for dinner.

Day 15 Las Vegas

Originally planned to go to the California coast but a huge storm is expected so we decided to go to Las Vegas instead. Drove thru the Mojave desert. Got to Vegas around 2pm. Stayed at Treasure Island. Valet parked the van had to tip the guy to park it in the VIP area since it won’t fit in the garage. Was starving so we grabbed so Chinese food and ate it in the room. Walked around the strip until ~7:30 then ate at the sports bar at Treasure Island.

Day 16 Las Vegas

Slept in. Grabbed some Starbucks for breakfast in the room. Walked up and down the strip, about 7 miles. Stopped for lunch at MGM and had some Mexican food. Went back to the room to rest. Then walked back to Eataly at Park MGM for dinner. Walked back in the dark and saw the Bellagio fountain show and Mirage volcano show.

Day 17 Vegas to Bliss Idaho

Drove 8.5 hours today. Took Highway 93. On Google maps it also refers to this as “the loneliest highway”. It was pretty desolate but was a nice drive. Pretty scenic and not sketchy at all. Got to Bliss around 9:30, filled up with gas and ate some dinner. Stealth camped at Loves gas station. This is one of the nicest ones we have seen yet.

Day 18 Bliss ID to home

9.5 hour drive home