Jeremiah's 2015 Long Haul

Day 1 - We left Anderson, SC as soon as we were finished with the school year. Our main goal was to get past Atlanta before rush hour which we failed to accomplish. Check engine light comes in our Subaru Outback as we neared the Georgia/Tennessee line. Camped in Holiday Trav-L-Park in Georgia. Not a big fan of commercial camprgrounds but this was nice.

Day 2 - Visited the Subaru Dealer in Chattanooga, TN first thing. Luckily, it was just a software update but it turns out every light on the dash goes off when the Check Engine light goes off. Spend an extra 30 minutes showing our 560 Ultra to Sales and Technicians at dealership. We end up stopping in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Have a dinner with my cousin and her husband who is the weatherman on the local TV station. He sounds like a weatherman too. First time seeing the Mississippi River other than from overhead on a bridge for me. My wife and daughter it is their first time seeing it. Landing Point RV Park.

Day 3 - Travel most of the day in Missouri until we do a small stretch into Iowa and finally into Nebraska. We camp in Greenwood, Nebraska. Along I-29 we dodged either a small tornado or heavy thunderstorm. After stopping to let it pass, we see an 18 wheeler overturned in the median. Checked the internet the next day and the driver was unhurt. Highlight of the day was going into Kansas City to eat at Kansas City Joe's. Great ribs, brisket, and red beans/ rice. This allowed us to cross into Kansas briefly and get the state marked off our map for all 3 of us.

Day 4 - Drive most of the day in Nebraska before finally making it into Wyoming to Laramie, WY to a KOA. Stopped in Gothenburg for gas and went to see a Pony Express Station they maintain in a park there and got a brief presentation on it. Back at the interstate, we toured a sod house which was interesting. I am a history teacher and now I have answers to my kids questions. Saw our first pronghorn and a coyote. Snow on the mountains in the distance might not excite some of you but we are from SC and don't see it much.

Day 5- Drive across Wyoming to Grand Tetons NP. Meet some guys crossing the US by bicycle. One of them is from the next city over from us here in SC. Travel through the Wind River Reservation and finally Togwotee Pass(9544 ft.) Subaru makes it fine but I was worried. Figure if it makes it here, it can do anything. Get a site at Colter Bay. Drive down to check out the views at Lake Jackson Lodge and Oxbow Bend.

Day 6 - Float trip on the Snake River. I had done this trip 23 years ago and was excited to get to take my family on it. Had a great guide and a nice day. We saw a Bald Eagle and several mule deer. Lunch at the end of the trip was burgers and hot dogs. We got chased by by a sage grouse protecting her chicks after the meal. Checked out Jenny Lake and some of the other lakes in the area. First Bison sighted by the side of the road on the way back to the road.

Day 7- Moving day to Yellowstone but first we hike to Inspiration Point and Hidden Falls. Gorgeous views of the valley from the Point. Head to Jackson to buy groceries and eat at the Local Restaurant to celebrate my wife's birthday. Great Bison burgers!! Drive up to Bridge Bay Campground in Yellowstone to be greeted by a heavy thunderstorm. Luckily, we got dinner done and the side tent up before that.

Day 8- Laundry at Lake Yellowstone Lodge in the morning. Drive over to Old Faithful, Black Sand Basin and join the crowds. Rain off and on this day.

Day 9 - No rain. Start of the West Thumb Geyser Basin along the shores of Lake Yellowstone. This is beautiful and while there are crowds, nothing like the Old Faithful area. Drive up to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone which is absolutely gorgeous. View the falls from Artist Point and I hike down and back up the 328 steps on Uncle Tom's Trail to get a close up look at the falls. Hayden Valley is nice drive with a lot of wild life in it.

Day 10 - Move to Tower Falls Campground getting a spot at 8:00am. Wish we had moved sooner as this is what we like. Small campground with a little noise and no RVs. I talked my wife and daughter into trying it to be near Lamar Valley so we can view the wolves. It has vault/pit toilets which were not bad. Grizzly Bear comes near the campground but we did not see it.

Day 11 - Lamar Valley is the place to be if you want to see Bison in abuncance this time of year and the wolves. We see the wolves twice. Icebox Canyon further down the road we see our fist mountain goats. Afternoon we head to Mammoth to see the Terraces and the elk. Bittersweet day, we learn of the tragedy back home in SC.

Day 12 - Do some short hikes, eat Roosevelt Lodge, and get some Laundry done in the Canyon Village area to be ready to leave Yellowstone the next day.

Day 13 - Long day of driving to Glacier National Park. Stop and eat breakfast in Gardiner, MT. Stock up on supplies in Great Falls. Make it to St. Mary Campground in Glacier for the night.

Day 14 - My fist Father's Day breakfast wearing a down jacket. Move to Many Glacier Campground early since it is first come, first serve. Check out the area visiting the lodge and arrange a trail ride the following day. Hiked around Lake Swiftcurrent.

Day 15 - Trail Ride did not go as planned. Mary Ellen and I get thrown from our horses. A lot of sore muscles and one torn one in my calf. Started Physical Therapy yesterday and Mary Elln is going to start soon. Our daughter stayed on but it changed some plans for us. We do the hike to Lake Grinnell hike later though.

Day 16 - Plannned to do the Going to the Sun Road, but when we stopped at the Visitor Center are car would not start. AAA said it would be hours so fortunately the Park Service jumped started us and told us where to go in nearby Browning. Ended up seeing the Museum of the Plains Indian there since we were on the Blackfeet Reservation. Very nice museum.

Day 17 - Going to the Sun Road is awesome. Great views, a lot of waterfalls, and since the area had a low amount of snowfall this year it open earlier than normal. Fight for 20 minutes for a parking space at Logan's Pass. Hike to Hidden Lake Over Look partially in the snow. See mountain goats up close, mountain sheep and a grizzly bear. Drive down to the Trail of the Cedars. West of the park is very different from the Many Glacier side where we are camping.

Day 18 - Leave Glacier for Spokane or Nine Mile Falls, WA driving around the southern perimeter of Glacier. Pass Flathead Lake which looks like a nice place. Next 3 nights we are out of Jeremiah at my cousins. They live on a lake there and it is 2.5 days of rest and fun on the lake in the 100+ temps.

Day 19 - Start the 2600+ mile trip for home. Make it to Billings after 600 miles of driving. Pick up some cherries before leaving the Northwest in St. Regis, MT. The Conoco station there is a nice place to stop if you are passing through.

Day 20 - Leave Montana, back into Montana, and the rest of the day is South Dakota. Hate to miss stopping in the Bighorn area to check out the Battlefield and the Crow Reservation but we have to make time. We do stop at Wall Drug for lunch, the water of course and to scratch it off our list. Sioux Falls, SD after 700+ miles.

Day 21 - A little of SD left, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois and stop near Paducah, Kentucky. More BBQ in KC. This time it is at LC 's Barbecue. Great brisket and burnt ends. See the Arch in St. Louis although we managed to get into rush hour traffic and there is a Cardinals game that night also. 803 miles.

Day 22 - 500 miles to home. We get through Atlanta this time well ahead of rush hour.

6629 total miles traveled
Begin odometer 43,206
End odometer 49,835
States traveled through - 11
States camped in - Georgia, Missouri, Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota, Kentucky
Nights camping - 19
National Parks - Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, & Glacier
Number of People who can sleep in a 560 Ultra - 3 including our teenage daughter.
Tours of our 560 Ultra - A LOT
Bags of Ice - Lost Track
Torn Muscles - 1
Bruised Gluteus Maximus- 1

We had a great trip minus the trail ride. Our Camp Inn gave us the opportunity to see the West for the first time together. Yes, it is cozy with three in there but we made it work. Our Solar Panel worked nicely at keeping the battery charged. Looking forward to some shorter trips the rest of the year, but looking ahead to the Grand Canyon and the rest of the Southwest for next summer.

BBQ in Kansas City

Parking Lot at Wall Drug in South Dakota

Not use to hiking in the snow, although my wife is from Long island but even she was excited by the snow in June.

St. Mary's Campground in Glacier NP

Mountain goats at Logan Pass

Lake Swiftcurrent at the Many Glacier Lodge

Lamar Valley

Bison in Lamar Valley

Mammoth Springs in Yellowstone

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Went down the 270 steps of Uncle Tom's Trail and back up those same steps.

West Thumb Geyser Basin

Old Faithful

Jackson Hole with Jenny Lake viewed from Inspiration Point

Warren, Katie, & Mary Ellen. Yes we all fit in a 560 Ultra and sometimes two dogs.

Elk near the Jenny Lake Lodge in Grand Teton NP

Mt. Moran

Mule Deer at Oxbow Bend

Towogtee Pass entering Jackson Hole with the Grand Teton Range in the distance

 

What a great trip. You covered a lot in a short time. What did you see that you want to go back and check out more thoroughly? I'm looking forward to the pictures.
I hope you have recovered from the horse incident.

 

Now, that's a major road trip! Thanks so much for sharing. We've been to several of the places you made, so beautiful at any time of the year. Glad you had a great time

Sorry about the Gluteus.

Sue and Jim

 

We want to go back to Wyoming and see some of the state that we just drove through, Wind River Reservation, Lander area, Bighorn Recreation Area. The Bandlands and some of the western area of South Dakota.
Started PT yesterday and he thinks it will be a couple of weeks of that plus some more work on my own. The best news for me is I can get back on my bike as long as I don't overdo it. Actually, that is good news for my family as I drive them crazy if I cannot ride.
My wife starts her PT next week for her hip.

 

It is amazing to travel and see the country but just because we have been there doesn't mean it won't be worth another trip. There are major happenings that make big changes. i had been to Yellowstone several times. When i went in the early 80s there were massive hillsides full of dead trees. I said to my friend, "what this place needs is a good fire." Within a month the whole thing was burning. I went back in the fall after most of the fires had run their coarse. It looked devastating. The next spring there was green grass everywhere and grazing animals were thriving. The healthiest animals survived and reproduced. And on and on. Just an example of how you can see places over and over and they can change majorly.
Mountains blow their tops as in Mt St Helens. Major hillsides collapse and trees grow back if we let them.
By the way Diane/Michael, don't miss Mount St Helens if you can help it.

 

Warren and Mary Ellen. PM me your address and I'll mail you your Long Haul Pin. Kathy Piggott (KathyBob)

 

Awesome travels! Thanks for sharing all the info!

 

Your travel log brought back many great memories of trips to family reunions held at my cousins home in West Glacier, with lots of wanderings before and after the reunion through MT, WY, WA, ID OR, ND, SD. We have probably been through Glacier, and Yellowstone parks a half dozen times or more, but always see something new, and never tire of seeing the astonishing beauty. Thanks for resurrecting those great memories one more time!

 

I remember those Montana cherries. Like mentioned above - every time you go back to one of the NP's - you see or experience something new. Spring, summer or early fall also make a big difference. The drive through Idaho from Glacier to Spokane is quite scenic.

Appears to have been a great trip except for the horse experience.

Thanks for sharing.

Bob

 

Finally, definitive proof we did our Long Haul summer.

 

Great pictures. Sounds like you had a great time. The worst part of a long vacation (or any vacation) is that they always seem to end and you have to go back to work.

 

...unless you chuck everything and become a full-timer!!