TravelStream™ news feed for member shaysing on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/shaysing en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sun, 18 Oct 2009 09:02:25 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shaysing/3/1255811385/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shaysing/3/1255811385/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shaysing/3/1255811385/tpod.html Sun, 18 Oct 2009 09:02:25 -0400 Shay's Anatomy

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Seattle, Washington, United States

Before we get to our arrival in the Pacific Northwest, let's first talk about the lovely Alterra Coffee Shop we found in the Milwaukee airport (Airtran. I figured I would answer your question about why the hell we were in the Milwaukee airport before you even posed it. Airtran is a crappy airline, and they fly through Milwaukee). Next question I am sure: What was so special about this coffee shop? Zucchini bread. It was delicious! According to the label, the special ingredient was crushed pineapple. Who knew, right? I will be trying this at home.

After six hours in the air, we landed in Seattle…and it was sunny! No rain in sight. Also, no taxis in sight at the curbside either. Again, gentle reader, I will anticipate your question. If you are wondering how many adults it takes to find a taxi stand at the Sea-Tac airport, that answer is 4. Oh, and what a taxi we found! We went with the minivan since we had 4 people, and lots of luggage…and the guy took us for a ride. Literally and figuratively. About halfway to the hotel, Jason looks back at me and asks for the map of Downtown Seattle that I took from the rack of brochures at the airport (yes, I totally take brochures at airports!). After studying the map for a minute, Jason starts asking the taxi driver why he took us one way, to only backtrack and go the complete opposite direction. Our driver started stammering and had no good answer. He also had no good tip!

We got to our hotel, dropped off our bags, and were off to Pike Place Market (as any good bunch of tourists!). Elyssa and I could not whip our cameras out fast enough to take pictures of the "Public Market" sign. Now, most of you know that Elyssa and I have been friends for quite some time, but it has only been on this trip that we learned something new about each other. We take the same exact pictures!

The market was bustling, with more tourists than you could shake a Starbucks coffee at. The stands were so cool...fresh produce, fresh flowers (which I ran by in fear of an acute allergy attack), and obviously, fresh seafood! Elyssa and I were not quick enough to catch the famous fish tossing on film, but fear not, we witnessed it. At this point, it was a little after one, and we were all starving. We started down Post Alley, and came across Kell’s Irish Pub. It was sunny, there was a patio, and of course, pints! We were seated by a feisty Irish woman, whom Matthew decided would make an excellent grandmother. She told us a few stories in her lilting Irish brogue, and Jason astutely noted when she walked away: “An Irish person can tell the most boring story, but you will still listen because it sounds good!” The food was delicious. Matthew ordered a beef pasty, which apparently is meat and veggies in puff pastry. Not something you would find in a slaughterhouse-strip club, as we thought when we first saw it on the menu.

After we ate, we took advantage of the ridiculously well-maintained public transportation, and took the bus up to Volunteer Park in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle. A quick aside. Two stops after we got onto the bus, this guy with his arm in a cast up to mid-bicep gets on the bus. For some unknown reason, he was huffing and puffing like a pig trying to blow a house down. It was disturbing. And with all due respect (please read as none), he seriously needed to be introduced to a little friend I like to call “deodorant.” Poor Elyssa got stuck sitting next to him, and if I were a better friend, I wouldn’t have spent the trip snickering at her discomfort. But I am not, so I did.

Anyway, back to Volunteer Park. Our tour book claimed that the view from the top of the old Water Tower at the park was fantastic. Unfortunately, we will never know if our tour book is full of it, because as we approached the steps of the brick tower, a woman in a truck pulled over, rolled down her window, and informed us that “she had to close the tower down early today.” Dismayed, Jason exclaimed: But we came all the way from Alabama! In his New York accent. Why he thought that coming from Alabama (as opposed to Maryland or California) was going to gain traction with the tower’s keeper is beyond me. Nonetheless, she apologized and told us to come back. Ummm, tower lady? We are only in Seattle for two and a half days, and as you can plainly see, I have tabbed the crap out of this tour book. Exactly when do you propose I plan a second trip to Volunteer Park to climb this tower? Precisely. I cannot.

After that disappointment, we wandered over to the Seattle Asian Art Museum, and caught a glimpse of the Space Needle (tune in tomorrow for up-close coverage of this beloved Seattle landmark). We took a quick tour through the art museum, which I think Jason and I enjoyed more than Matthew and Elyssa. I guess you can’t please everyone all the time. But I was pleased, so that was okay. I took some pictures of my favorite exhibits: a beautiful hand-painted kimono, a carved dragon (Matthew and I are not only bicentennial babies, but also Dragons under the Chinese calendar); and a statute that looked like a set piece from “Big Trouble in Little China.”

Next, we walked around the park grounds, and I could not resist taking pictures of flowers. Oh, and I totally climbed a tree. In the process of doing so, I pulled a muscle I am pretty sure I haven’t used since circa 1987. Ouch. There was also an enormous tree, which Elyssa and Jason assured Matthew and I was a sequoia.

Our day was coming to a close, and happy hour was calling, so we hopped on the bus (stink-free this time, thankfully) and headed back to the hotel to get ready for our first night on the town!

After freshening up at the hotel, we headed out to Barrio, a Mexican joint that was supposed to have an awesome happy hour. That they did, as well as the most comfortable bar stools this backend has ever had the pleasure of sitting on. Now, when we plopped down at the only four seats in a row at the bar, little did we know that we had sat down in front of a true artist of a bartender. Seriously, this guy was the bomb-diggity (to borrow a phrase from 1996). In fact, we were watching him make a drink for another couple, and the four of us were so entranced by the complicated nature of the ingredients, we had to order one for ourselves. I believe the name was a michelada, and it consisted of lime juice, beer, spicy homemade bloody mary mix, a cucumber and pepper. I took one tiny baby sip (pansy alert!), and determined it was way too spicy for my delicate palate. Jason and Matthew were downing it, and about halfway through the drink, decided that what it really needed was: (1) more bloody mary mix; and (2) a shot of vodka. (Insert pucker face here). The bartender obliged, and Matthew and Jason somehow choked the rest of the drink down. Kudos to them and their iron stomachs.

A few more beers, and one gorgeous sunset later, we decided to find a spot for dinner. We asked the bartender for some suggestions, and he mentioned a pub around the corner, the Elysian. If only the pub had lived up to the bartenders description! Alas, the bar only had microbrews and the pint Elyssa ordered was aptly described by Matthew as tasting like “hammered feet.” I took a sip, and while never having tasted a “hammered foot,” I can confirm it tasted gross. Things went downhill from there. We were seated for a good ten minutes without being greeted, and then we overheard our server tell the hostess: “You have to give me some time, because I am not with it tonight.” Sensational. Exactly what every customer wants to hear out of the person who holds the fate of dinner in her hands. She finally took our order, and when the food came out, Elyssa and Matthew’s entrees were acceptable, but mine and Jason’s were questionable. Karma for subjecting the two of them to the Asian Art Museum apparently. (P.S. – In case you are wondering about the weird pickle in a pint glass picture, Elyssa could not finish the hammered foot beer, so it ended up being a receptacle for Matthew’s unwanted pickle!)

As the nine-o-clock hour approached (midnight for us East Coasters), I was about to fall asleep on my feet…we decided to call it a night so we could rest up for our first full day in Seattle!
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Seattle, Washington, United States

Considering how much we had to see in our only full day in Seattle, we got an early start, fueled by the free continental breakfast served at the Silver Cloud Hotel. I am probably making it sound better than it actually was, but it was free, so who am I to complain? Much better than the breakfast, however, was the free shuttle service the hotel offered to several downtown destinations. The shuttle dropped us off at the Westlake Center, which is where you pick up the monorail to Seattle Center. Now, it was at about this time in the morning that I learned something new about myself, courtesy of Matthew and Elyssa. Apparently, I say "monorail" incorrectly. I put too much emphasis on the second “o.” This provided endless fun for Elyssa and Matthew. I finally just stopped using the word.

The mon-O-rail was a short ride that took us right through the Experience Music Project, Seattle's music museum. The outside of EMP looks like an enormous public art piece, and it was awesome to ride right through it. After getting off the train, we headed straight over to the ticket line for the Space Needle observation deck. Elyssa and I were a little nervous, because Elyssa gets a little freaked out by heights, and I get a little freaked out that I am going to become the victim of a terrorist attack whenever I am at the top of any landmark (including, but not limited to, the Empire State Building in NYC and the Hancock Building in Chicago). After the 41 second elevator ride, we stepped out and had gorgeous views of Seattle. We could even see the snow-capped Mt. Rainier off in the distance. Elyssa and I did a quick loop, then went back inside while Jason and Matthew spent some more time outside snapping pictures.

Next up was the EMP. We realized on the way in that connected to the EMP was also Seattle’s Science Fiction Museum. Matthew was pumped (he is my little sci-fi geek!). In the middle of the EMP is this huge tower of guitars. It left me wondering how in the world they securely fastened all those guitars. I smell a tort suit! The museum had a great exhibit on Jimi Hendrix as well as the '90’s grunge movement. But the best part was when we went on stage to sing! The EMP has a stage set up where you basically get to play Rockband, and they videotape you while you sing. We had to first pick a name for our band. Matthew and Elyssa thought the only appropriate name would be “Hammered Feet.” Next, a song. The song choices were meager, and we were torn between “Wild Thing,” “Purple Haze,” and “I Love Rock-n-Roll.” Because we were under pressure, we went with “Wild Thing.” Jason took the drums, Elyssa was on guitar, Matt on keyboard, and I was lead vocals (shocker). Now, for those karaoke fans in the audience, you might have already realized our mistake. “Wild Thing” only has like 10 words. And many many seconds in between each chorus. It was not pretty. Now, I hate to toot my own horn, but I believe I might have provided the highlight of Hammered Feet’s Seattle performance when, as the final chords were fading, I yelled: “We love you Seattle!” It quickly became our group’s battle cry for the weekend.

After exiting EMP through this enormous sound-stage like room, we headed over to the Science Fiction Museum. Matthew was in heaven! They had historical exhibits on the evolution of science fiction novels, as well as science fiction movies. There were Star Trek, Star Wars, and robot exhibits. Unfortunately, we didn’t have any time to spare, so we didn’t stay at the SFM long enough to thoroughly enjoy it. We took the mon-O-rail back to downtown, grabbed sandwiches, and then went to the Seattle Art Museum. The SAM had an Andrew Wyeth exhibit that was closing soon. The exhibit was small, but amazing. I am now determined to buy a Wyeth print for the house. And then, of course, we had the obligatory “modern art” discussion. Because really, I am not convinced that a toilet filled with fake poop is “art.” Or a plain white canvas. Or even better, and enormous black mouse on top of an all white person in a white bed. Perhaps I am uncultured. But maybe I am just not gullible.

Next, we were off to Pioneer Square, the oldest part of Seattle. The buildings were beautiful, and the shops were cool. We walked around for a while, sightseeing and people-watching. Finally, it was time for the Underground Tour. Apparently, when Seattle was being built, the city was at a lower elevation than today. Because of that, there are still underground parts of the older buildings. And because most Americans are hot to make a buck, this one guy decided to dig them out, and create a walking tour to charge tourists $15 a pop. Cash only. Sidebar. The snack bar in the tour building had Coke in a glass bottle. Matthew bought one, and it was delicious. We realized approximately 7-10 sips in, the Coke tasted so good because this particular bottle was made in Mexico. With pure cane sugar. No high fructose corn syrup up in that bottle of Coke. And it was phenomenal.

The tour began with a short introduction in a restored saloon, and all the tour guides are also comedians, so needless to say, it was funny. Then we were off to the underground tunnels. They had pictures of the buildings as they were back in the late 1800’s, so we could get a sense of the city as it was when these areas were being used. I managed to snap some cool pictures, even with the dim lighting. Back up on the surface, we jumped on the bus back to the hotel to rest up for our big night on the town.

After a wonderful recommendation from a co-worker, we made dinner reservations at Ray’s Boathouse, a restaurant on Puget Sound in North Seattle. The cab driver to the restaurant, Mookie, gave us his number and told us to call him if we needed a ride back. People in Seattle are so nice.

The restaurant was wonderful, and the food was even better. Seriously, I kind of felt like I was in the middle of a Top Chef episode. We started off with a sampler appetizer of Dungeness & Alaskan king crab, mussels, and clams. Delicious. We all ordered different entrees; Elyssa ordered scallops, I ordered halibut, Matthew ordered prawns, and Jason ordered Alaskan king crab legs. We got our food, and because I am picky, I thought the halibut was a bit too peppery. Matthew offered to trade, and I think it was a win-win for both of us. I wasn’t even halfway through my prawns, when I looked over, and Matthew’s plate was clean as a whistle! And because we couldn’t resist, we ordered three desserts: Pumpkin spice cake, white chocolate cheesecake, and PB& J, the adult version (Concord grape sorbet with PB cookies. It tasted exactly like PB&J when you ate it!).

Finally, we were stuffed, and decided to call Mookie to come pick us up. Apparently, he couldn’t make it, but being the friendly Seattleite that he was, he sent his brother instead! Mookie's brother drove us back to Pioneer Square, so we could check out the nightlife. First, we headed into Merchant’s, which claims to be the oldest restaurant in Seattle. The DJ was spinning, but the place was dead (and so were my eardrums after a mere 30 seconds inside this bar). We headed back down the main drag, and decided to go into The New Orleans Creole Restaurant, which had a live Blues band playing. The band was rocking, the beer was flowing, and the people-watching was outstanding. There was a group of fun-loving grandmothers, who got up and rocked the dance floor. There was also an extremely drunk woman in an even more extremely low-cut dress, who thought it would be a good idea to stumble around the bar without her shoes. She was a real hoot. I kind of wanted to kick her in the face. And then put her feet in an alcohol bath, because who the hell knows what kind of germs she picked up from that floor! Next, we were off to Fado’s, an Irish pub around the corner. We scored a booth (which was good for me, because at this point I was so tired my goal had morphed from having fun into staying awake), and settled in to listen to the band. The Seattle music scene is no joke, because this band rocked the house also. But because we knew we had to get up early (I am sure Elyssa, Matthew and Jason’s version of events would be “because Shannon cannot stay out an hour after sundown”), we headed back to the hotel to get some sleep. Hammered Feet is taking this Pacific Northwest tour to Vancouver, British Columbia tomorrow!
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Seattle, Washington, United States

Our flights home were leaving around noon, so we only had time to grab breakfast before getting to the airport. We made the executive decision that we were going to eat one real breakfast meal before leaving Seattle. We decided on Zeena's, a diner around the corner from our hotel. Wow. It was so much better than the hotel’s continental breakfast. I ordered one of the Specials of the Day, Banana Bread French Toast. Delectable! I seriously may never eat any other kind of French toast. Time was running short, so we trekked back to the hotel and caught our Lincoln Town car to the airport (because we are high rollers. Not really, it was just cheaper than a cab.)

As we were pulling away from the hotel, I think I know what was going through everyone’s mind: We are Hammered Feet! We love you Seattle!

Here are some of the B-side photos from our trip. Enjoy and thanks for coming along with us!
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Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Today, we were taking our trip international, and heading to Vancouver, British Columbia. We arrived at the train station bright an early (with yet another free continental breakfast in our stomachs) and were off after overcoming a small obstacle. Inexplicably, the Amtrak station in Vancouver had printed Elyssa and Jason's tickets, and they were not allowed to print another set. The best explanation the Seattle Amtrak workers could come up with as to why Vancouver had printed the tickets was: It’s Canada. What do you expect? This spawned an entire day of us singing at random: Blame Canada! Blame Canada! (If you haven’t watched the South Park movie, you won’t get this reference. Your loss.)

The train ride up was fairly uneventful, although we did discuss on numerous occasions how delicious our meal at Ray’s was. After the train arrived, and while waiting in line at Customs, I was once again heckled by my travel mates for asking whether I had to declare the Planters snack pack of nuts and granola trail mix I had in my bookbag (look, the Customs form asked whether I was bringing in food, including nuts. Technically I was. As a lawyer, I stand by the letter of the law. When I told the Customs agent that I was unsure whether my snacks had to be declared, he commended me on being diligent. I believe his exact words were: It is better to be safe, and declare it. The other way around could cause problems. Please insert picture of me sticking my tongue out at everyone else here.)

We were officially in Vancouver. Jason had been there before, so he quickly took the lead (actually, he had the map, so the rest of us had no idea where we were going). The city is very clean and modern. We followed a bike path along the water to the Yaletown section of downtown. We had it on good authority from a co-worker of Elyssa’s that Yaletown is the "hip" area of Vancouver. It had a lot of cool shops and a bunch of restaurants. It kind of reminded me of Georgetown. We also realized during our spin through Yaletown that it was the Canadian Thanksgiving that day. This of course developed into a conversation about whether Canadians eat turkey for their Thanksgiving, because let’s be honest, turkey is yummy! We left Yaletown and headed over to Granville Island.

A quick aside about Elyssa’s shoe choice might be appropriate here. She did not bring tennis shoes, and instead was wearing little ballet flats made out of sweater material. Cute, but perhaps a tish impractical, as we had to walk a LONG way to Granville Island. Needless to say, her poor feet were not holding up well. You might even say they were hammered. Hammered feet, again.

Once on Granville Island, we went to the Public Market, which was nearly as busy as Seattle’s Pike Place Market. The food looked delicious, and I was one hundred percent captivated by the bakery booths. Everything looked so scrumptious! I wanted to try one of everything (can you tell that at this point in our Vancouver visit, we were all starving?) We tried to eat in the food court, but unfortunately, the fish-n-chips place recommended by our guide book did not take MasterCard (it seems those Visa commercials aren’t lying. Visa really is accepted more places worldwide.) We decided to eat at Tony’s Seafood, and what a fine choice that turned out to be. Elyssa and Jason loved the clam chowder, I had the halibut sandwich, and Matthew went with an Oyster po’ boy. Having quenched our thunder, we wandered around the Market, stopping in a toy store to buy some playing cards for the train ride back (and grabbing some band-aids from the clerk for Elyssa’s blisters!) Unfortunately, our time in Vancouver was too short, and we decided to head back to the train station, as we had to go through Customs again. The walk back was, again, long (sorry, Elyssa’s feet!).

We made it through Customs (phew) and got on the train. In the 14 years I have known Elyssa, I don’t think I have ever seen her so happy to sit down. The train ride home was relaxing, although Elyssa and Matthew did go through a loopy period of about 20 minutes where the two of them could not stop giggling. And in case you were wondering, no, we did not play with the Canadian deck of cards. Good purchase on my part, huh?

On the train, we had tossed around the idea of grabbing a drink once back in Seattle, but we were all so tired by the time we pulled into the train station, we called it a night and headed back to the hotel. Our time in Seattle was quickly coming to a close…
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Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States

Top Five Quotes from our trip to Yellowstone:

5. "I think my face is windburned." (Beck, on Day 7, repeatedly).

4. "What, did they expect a dozen clowns to ride in the backseat?" (Matthew, on Day 6, commenting on the six cupholders in the backseat of our Highlander, when the front seats have no cupholders).

3. "We are such a**holes." (Matthew, every day, whenever one of us would undoubtedly say something snide about other travelers).

2. "That's two things I have done more this week than in the past ten years...sneeze and walk!" (Dad, on Day 5, after yet another sudden sneeze).

1. "Is that a fish sandwich?" (Shannon, on Day 7. You've read the story).

Thanks for coming along to Yellowstone with us!
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Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States

We started off our last full day in Yellowstone like any proper tourists should...we spent way too much money on souvenirs. Seriously. We had to ship stuff home because we didn't have enough room in our suitcases. And in case anyone is wondering, it only took two days for our package to make it from Yellowstone to Arbutus. Impressive.

Matthew picked our final hike: a three-mile loop to the Natural Bridge, a fifty-foot high rock arch created by water rushing under the lava rock. The hike was fairly easy, winding through a forest of lodgepole pines. We came across a couple of trees with the bark quite scratched up, most likely by bears or bison. At this graphic evidence of bear claws, I began to get a little scared. Not so much lions and tigers and bears as just bears. I was on high alert for the remainder of the hike.

The wind did not help. Oh, did I forget to mention how gusty it was outside today? Well, let me expound. The wind was whipping through the trees. The pine trees were creaking and screeching, and cracking up against each other. We heard at least one tree fall, and witnessed a huge branch come down. As my anxiety rose, I thought back to the time I was in the outhouse when the rest of the Singletons saw the wind funnel rip up two trees in ten seconds. At this point, I was thankful for my small bladder. As evidence of the wind, take a look at the video Matthew took of Lake Yellowstone, which looked more like Yellowstone Ocean today.

The Natural Bridge was well worth the risk of bears and windburn (Beck, that one is for you). We climbed up under the arch, took some pictures, and then proceeded up the steep, switchback trail to the top. Amazingly, there is one lone tree growing on top of the arch. We all agreed this was one of our favorite hikes.

After making it back to the car without seeing any bears (insert huge sigh of relief from me here), we proceeded on to the Midway Geyser Basin. The two main attractions here were the Excelsior Geyser and the Grand Prismatic Spring. Because of the winds, the steam was out of control, and apparently, so were hats. We must have seen half a dozen different hats laying around on the ground around the geysers. I am certain there were quite a few people with sunburned scalps. And if you know anything about Matthew, he was gripping his hat like it was the last hat on Earth.

With all the wind, it was hard to capture all of the brilliant colors on film, but we tried. The Excelsior Geyser was definitely my favorite. It dumps 4,000 gallons of steaming water right into the Firehole River every minute. Yet another Yellowstone sight that somewhat defies description.

After a quick drive down Firehole Lake Drive to see some more geysers, we headed back to the Fishing Bridge General Store for dinner. A little backstory here may be necessary. We ate at this general store earlier in the week, and they had the best fish sandwich ever. So, I wanted another fish sandwich before we left. I had been talking about it for days. We arrived at the diner, and luckily we had beaten the dinner rush. Our waiter came right over and took our order. We then sat back, rehashing the day. About 15 minutes later, our server was back with our food. Grilled cheese and chili for Beck. A fish sandwich for Dad. Grilled cheese and soup for Matthew. And nothing for me. That's right. He forgot to write down my order. At this point, Dad tried to be nice and offered me his fish sandwich. I refused, because I knew how hungry he was. I decided just to wait patiently for the kitchen to rush out another fish sandwich. Yes, you just read that correctly. Me and the word "patiently" in the same sentence. What a pipe dream.

As I sat there trying not to eat my own arm, I noticed another server making fun of our waiter for screwing up our order. She thought it was hilarious. Well, about ten minutes later, as our waiter was waiting on a family of seven, my fish sandwich was ready. The lady in the kitchen yelled our server's name. He did not respond because he was taking the huge family's order. Instead, the girl server who thought it was so funny that I didn't get my food strolls over to the window, looks at my sandwich and then casually walks away. Without picking up my food and running it to me. Like any good server would have done.

Two minutes and many more curse words in my head later, the lady from the kitchen screams our server's name again. He was still taking the family's order. The other server walks over to the window AGAIN and informs the cook that he is busy. And she starts to turn away again. At this point, hunger took over and I yelled across the restaurant (scaring the crap out of my father-in-law in the process), "Is that a fish sandwich?" Unbeknownst to me, as I am turned around in my seat throwing daggers with my eyes at the lazy, good-for-nothing server, my overwrought waiter is rushing over to get my sandwich. So now, it seems like I am yelling at him. He runs the sandwich over to me, apologizing profusely. I now feel awful for yelling, because I really wasn't mad at him. And the rest of my party loses it. Everyone dies in a fit of laughter at my ridiculous behavior. After about five minutes (and half a fish sandwich later), I am finally able to see the humor. Lesson learned? Do not get in between me and a fish sandwich. And my family has assured me that I will NEVER live that moment down. I fully expect to walk into a room in twenty years and have one of them scream at me: "Is that a fish sandwich?" I suppose I deserve it...(BTW, Matthew has informed me after reading my recount of the fish sandwich debacle that I left out how I also yelled at him for laughing at me. It's true. Before my blood sugar was back up, I kind of yelled at him because I did not think it was funny. Luckily, he knows how I am when I haven't eaten, and he is not holding it against me. Plus, I told him I was really sorry).

After dinner, we took one last drive through the Hayden Valley to watch the wildlife. And we are sure glad we did. We saw bison headbutting and running around a little crazy. We also saw another grizzly bear feeding on a bison carcass. Actually, feeding is too calm. Devouring. Fur was flying everywhere. Second lesson of the day? Bears are scary.

Tomorrow is going to be long...we are headed out at 6 a.m. to the airport. Here's hoping we can sleep on the plane!
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Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, United States

Today, we ventured outside of Yellowstone and spent the day in Grand Teton National Park. The drive down took us a little longer than expected, thanks to some roadside tree trimming, a coyote sighting, and a quick hike out to Lewis Falls (I just cannot pass up a good waterfall).
Once inside Grand Teton, we headed straight for Jenny Lake, a glacial lake in the middle of the park. Our guide book said it would be crowded and it was. We squeezed into a "parking spot" along a curb, and headed down to the boat dock. We jumped on a pontoon ferry to cross to the western bank of the lake. The view of the Tetons from Jenny Lake is breath-taking.

Once on shore again, we began a half-mile climb to Hidden Falls. And believe me, the falls really are hidden. The whole climb up I kept taking pictures of the cascading river, believing that I was at the falls. Sometimes, I am just not smart. Once we really got to the falls, there was no way you could miss it! Hidden Falls were by far the best waterfalls we had seen yet.

Instead of riding the ferry back, we decided to take the two-and-a-half mile trail around the shoreline of Jenny Lake. The terrain in Grant Teton is much different than Yellowstone...the underbrush is heavier and the trail was dotted with berry bushes. And guess who loves berries? Chipmunks. And guess who loves chipmunks? Me! I managed to snap a picture of a cute little critter snacking on a red berry. Adorable.

Once back in the car, we drove up Signal Mountain Drive. At the top, we stopped at two overlooks; one had a view of the Teton range and the other a view of the valley. Both were beautiful. It really is quite difficult to describe how amazing the views are here. I know the pictures do not do them justice.

The ride home was fairly uneventful, although we are all somewhat loopy at this point in our trip. Perhaps I should mention that we get no radio stations here in the parks, and we forgot to bring any CDs, so we have resorted to singing songs in the car. Today's features included "Jitterbug" by Wham, "Hotel California" by The Eagles, "Riders on the Storm" by The Doors, and "Bette Davis Eyes" by Kim Carnes. I say again, we are all somewhat loopy...

Tomorrow is our last full day in Yellowstone, so hopefully after a good nights sleep, we can make the most of it!

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Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States

Today was a day for the history books...horseback riding in Yellowstone. I felt like John Wayne, then Jeremiah Johnson, and finally, Billy Crystal in "City Slickers." We got up early and met our guide H.A. Moore, a nice old cowboy, in North Yellowstone. His face was old and weathered and he spoke with a drawl. Shannon said he reminded her of Sam Elliot in "The Big Lebowski." I knew it was going to be a good day.

H.A. got us saddled up on our horses one by one; I jumped on Blaze, my dad got on Paco, Beck on Brownie, and Shannon got the biggest horse (yes, we're still trying to figure that one out) Pedro. After a quick lesson on riding a horse, we were off into the open prairie, heading for Electric Peak. The sun beat on us as we headed down the trail and got adjusted to our saddles. Shannon's horse insisted on rubbing its nose on H.A.'s horse (we never did catch his horse's name), Beck's horse seemed happy following anybody else's horse, mine was fine on the way out (we'll get to speedy later), and my dad's horse didn't move fast for anything except to avoid hikers. Yes, it appeared Paco had distaste for those walking on two feet; he would take the long way around them each time. I didn't care about how ridiculous we looked on our horses because in my mind, I felt like The Duke riding with his posse. I was a cowboy. I was tough.

When we got out of the valley and on the mountain, things cooled off for us. A small stream trickled down on our left, and the mountain stood strong to our right. We crossed the stream, and some horses, Pedro and Paco, had to drink some water-a lot of water. Shannon attempted to jerk Pedro's head up from drinking water; however, it was a feeble attempt. Little woman, big horse, who's in charge? Not the little woman.

Right after crossing the stream, and beginning our ascent up the mountainside, H.A. pointed out a female moose and her calf to the left, just past the stream. All of use froze. Shannon grabbed for the camera for the first time since she saddled up on Pedro. I know this is hard to believe considering on most of our journeys she is running off snapping pictures one after the other. She fumbled for the camera. So did my Dad. The moose and her calf started to slowly move into the forest, as I heard the snap of pictures. H.A. waved at us to move on and with a little kick of the heel, our horses continued up the trail.

Noting Shannon's hesitation to use the camera, I asked if she was taking any pictures. She informed me "No. Horseback riding is a two-handed event." I decided to take the camera from her so we could at least have proof that we went horseback riding. Unlike Shannon, I was able to free one of my hands long enough to shoot some video.

A few minutes later, I saw Shannon pointing down toward the stream. Lying in the shade was a huge bull moose. His antlers were enormous. Because I had the camera, I was able to take pictures. The bull really did not seem bothered by us, which was a good thing considering H.A. informed me later that he has had moose charge him before. I am glad Shannon was out of earshot at that point.

We continued down the trail until we reached a small clearing in front of Electric Peak. H.A. snapped a few photos of our group, and we then turned the horses around and headed back to the trailhead. On the ride back, we passed by the moose again (unscathed thankfully). I could tell our group was beginning to feel the effects of being in the saddle for three hours by how quiet everyone was. With about a mile left, we ventured off the trail to avoid another horseback riding group. Once the other group had passed, I attempted to spur Blaze back into action. For some reason, I thought two kicks in the side were necessary. Blaze took off running (it was probably only a trot, but it felt like a full speed gallop to me). It was at this point that I felt like Billy Crystal.

We all managed to get back to the horse trailer safely. Dismounting was easy. Walking again was a challenge, especially for Shannon (apparently, her entire lower half had fallen asleep). I was kind enough to shoot some video of Shannon right after she slid off of Pedro...

After the horseback ride, we spent some time walking around Mammoth Springs, which has some insanely white limestone terraces. As we drove back toward Old Faithful, we stopped off at the Lower Geyser Basin and then took a two mile detour through the Firehole River Canyon.

Another action packed day. Tomorrow is Grand Teton...


]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shaysing/2/1219104000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shaysing/2/1219104000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shaysing/2/1219104000/tpod.html Sun, 24 Aug 2008 20:34:08 -0400 Oh Give Me a Home

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Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States

Before I begin Day 4's official entry, let me say this, the bison is my favorite animal. You'll understand this fact through videos and photographs-simply put, the bison is a beast!

Our day started out simple, and we planned on making it a short day since we have to get up early tomorrow for horseback riding; however, we actually got back to the cabin later than we have been. On our way to Mt. Washburn, we pulled over and number of times to look out on the vast frontier, snapping pictures at each stop.

On our way, Shannon found lots of butterflies to take pictures of, and she would burst with excitement as each one landed on a different wildflower-Shannon's two favorite things: butterflies and wildflowers...imagine the excitement. My dad and I strolled up part of the mountain to get a better view as Shannon and Beck stayed back to focus on birds and butterflies. The view was exceptional with evergreens scattered across the hills and mountains with pastures working as nice dividers between each clump of forest. My dad and I sat and stared out at the landscape and discussed how Yellowstone is the most beautiful place we've ever seen, and then we hiked back down to the parking area.

A couple of us used the bathroom close by (yes, this is important), and I recommended to Shannon that she should use this restroom since it was the cleanest one yet, so she did. While Shannon was off in the outhouse, my dad, Beck, and I heard a subtle hissing of the wind down the mountainside. The hissing turned to a howl as a small wind funnel came around the bend and literally blew a tree over. As the thud of the tree faded away, the small twister ripped the top of a burned tree off and threw it to the ground, and then the wind was gone. And then Shannon returned from the bathroom. Yes, she missed the entire thing! This was not good for all involved. Can you imagine the pouting that took place? Now that you have that image in your mind, I'll leave it at that.

Matthew went to take a shower, so I am taking over this post. And I feel I must clarify, the pouting was not that bad. Okay, so there may have been some foot stomping, but in my own defense, I missed a mini-tornado that took out two trees...how often can you see that?

After Mount Washburn, we continued north, and stopped at Tower Fall. After taking in the view of the waterfall, Matthew and I hiked a short, but fairly steep path down to the canyon floor to splash in the Yellowstone River. Next stop, a petrified tree that is over 50 million years old. Back on the road north, we read in our guide book about the glacier activity in the area millions of years ago. Boulders are sprinkled all over the hills here. And interestingly, most pine trees have grown right next to a boulder, because it provided the shade needed for the tree to grow, leading botanists to call these boulders nursery rocks.

Once in the Lamar Valley, we saw a bunch of people crowded on a hill. We pulled over, trekked out, and found out the big show was a grizzly bear feasting on a bison carcass! At one point during the bear's lunch, six ravens began to circle the bear. Feeling territorial over his food, the grizzly literally sat on top of the carcass. It was unbelievable. So the ravens perched on nearby rocks and tree limbs staring at what could have been dinner.

In addition to the grizzly bear, we also managed to spy two pronghorn antelopes. These antelopes are beautiful, and can sprint 60-70 miles per hour! Unfortunately, the two we saw were not in the sprinting mood. Now, the craziest animal sighting of the day was during our dinner at the Canyon Junction General Store. An elk with huge antlers stumbled into the parking lot. Word blew through the store, and everyone rushed to catch a peek...children first, with parents not far behind!

Finally, on our way back to the cabins, we shot some insane videos of the many bison that live in the Hayden Valley. Bison swimming. Bison wallowing. And finally, bison protecting its mate. Enjoy!

.S.: This is Matt again...I assure you, Shannon's pouting was that bad!

]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shaysing/2/1219017600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shaysing/2/1219017600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/shaysing/2/1219017600/tpod.html Sun, 24 Aug 2008 19:46:20 -0400 Oh Give Me a Home

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Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States

One our way to breakfast early this morning, the first thing we noticed was a giant mound of bison poop outside of our neighbor's porch. If it would have been outside our porch, I most certainly would have stepped in it. As we have learned, I do not watch where I am walking. After breakfast, we went down to the marina to rent a boat to explore Yellowstone Lake.

We rented an 18-foot aluminum, outboard boat, and we spent about two hours exploring the Lake, which perhaps we should have mentioned is very large. The Lake is 20 miles long and 14 miles across at its widest point. The views of the surrounding, snow-capped mountains were incredible. Oh, and speaking of snow, I should also tell you that 6 weeks ago, the Lake was still frozen over. Needless to say, the water was not warm.

We spotted some wildlife - ducks, cormorants, pelicans and cliff swallows. I also managed to spot way off in the distance some steam-pots right on the shore of the Lake (at which point I asked everyone to refer to me as Eagle-Eye). We cruised on over, and sure enough, saw Steamboat Springs, a group of four thermal steam springs right on the shore of the lake. We then circled around Stevenson Island, an island in the middle of the lake named after the first man thought to climb Grand Teton, James Stevenson. If you look very closely at one of the pictures of the ridgeline, you can see the Tetons in the background!

After we brought the boat back in, we rode up the road to Fishing Bridge Village, ate lunch, and continued our way north. Along the way, we stopped at LeHardy's Rapids, a whitewater portion of the Yellowstone River. We walked along the rapids, and Matthew spotted some cutthroat trout in the water. I spent most of the time taking pictures of all the wildflowers on the shore (sometimes I can be such a girl!).

Next, we were off to the Mud Volcano. This area of Yellowstone is fairly young, having been "born" in the 1970s. The whole area was hot and reeked of sulphur. We saw some really cool albeit gross stuff. Check out the videos. And while at the Mud Volcano area, we spotted our first (of many) Yellowstone bison! They were pretty much just wallowing in the muddy stink. They appeared to love it. This has led us to hypothesize that bison must smell disgusting.

Not two minutes north of the Mud Volcano area, the entire landscape abruptly shifts. We had entered the Hayden Valley. The valley is ridiculously picturesque, with the ever so blue Yellowstone River gently winding through. Bison are everywhere. On the hillside. In the river. And in the middle of the road. Right in front of our car! I was terrified they were going to ram us. Luckily, they left us alone. As we were driving through, Beck managed to spot a coyote right on the side of the road. We pulled off, and watched as it stalked, and ultimately ate, its prey (we are guessing it was a rodent of some kind. Or at least I am telling myself it was a rodent, because we have also seen a lot of super cute chipmunks here in Yellowstone, and if the coyote ate one of them, I would be crushed). It was like a nature show right outside our car. Awesome.

Finally, we made our way up to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. We drove up to Artist's Point, which is named for all the colors on the canyon walls. We saw both the Lower and Upper Falls of the Yellowstone River, and they were incredible. At this point, we were all pretty zapped, so we climbed back into the car, longing to get back to the Lodge to eat dinner. Not so fast, said the hundreds of bison roaming the Hayden Valley. It took us about 45 minutes to travel 19 miles simply because so many bison kept standing in the middle of the road! The video is hilarious!

Well, I know this post has been very long, so you can imagine how tired we are. Off to bed now...


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