CARAVAN TOURS
MT RUSHMORE, YELLOWSTONE, GRAND TETONS
SEPTEMBER 23 - 30, 2010
Flag of South Dakota
Became a state November 2, 1889.
(Click on any picture to magnify.)
September 23NEW YORK***RAPID CITY, SD
Flew out of Newark with Luz on Delta #5695 at 11:30 am arriving in Minneapolis at 1:30 pm, met up with Heidi, flew out on Delta #4686 at 2:20 pm and arriving in Rapid City at 3 pm.
Transferred from Rapid City airport through the Radisson Hotel shuttle.
After checking in, we walked around the nearby area. Statues of the U.S. Presidents were on every corner.
Had dinner at The Firehouse where we met some fellow Filipino tourists.
Later we attended the briefing from the Caravan tour director, Adam Della Rocca.
September 24
CRAZY HORSE MONUMENT***MOUNT RUSHMORE
After breakfast our tour started and we drove through the Black Hills. Our first stop was at the Oglala Lakota Chief Crazy Horse Memorial, a work-in-progress. It was commissioned by Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear to be sculpted by Korczak Ziolkowski. It was started in 1948 and still far from being finished.
The museum and visitors center.
Ruth, the widow of the sculptor, graciously took time out to pose with us before her interview with BBC.
A Native American Indian lady showing me a tattoo of a wolf she hunted.
The Nature Gates and the tractor that the sculptor used on the mountain.
Next we drove to Mount Rushmore, where the 60-foot faces of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Lincoln were carved on the mountain. Work started in 1927 by Gutzon Borglum and finished after his death in 1941 by his son, Lincoln Borglum.
Wild mountain goats on a rock promontory by the visitors center.
I was reminded of the movie "North by Northwest" while viewing the scenery, including scenes from the cafeteria where I had a delicious barbequed pork and Luz and Hidel had bison burgers.
September 25
MOORCROFT & SHERIDAN, WY***LITTLE BIGHORN BATTLEFIELD***BILLINGS, MT
Flag of WyomingBecame a state on July 10, 1890.
This morning we drove to Wyoming and the bus stopped for a photo op of Devil's Tower then a brief rest stop at the Moorcroft Texas Trail. We ate lunch at Wyoming Ribs and Chops in the old western cowboy town of Sheridan.
Flag of MontanaBecame a state on November 8, 1889.
Next we entered Montana, Big Sky Country, and visited the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument where in 1876 the Sioux and Northern Cheyenne forces led by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse defeated Custer and his cavalry.
Custer's Last Stand painting
Paintings of warriors and horses on animal skins.
Details of "Reno's Retreat"
More American Indian paintings of warriors.
George Custer; Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill; Sitting Bull.
Next we stopped at the Yellowstone County Museum which had some nice artifacts.
Stayed overnight in Billings which is nestled between the Yellowstone River and the red Rimrocks. Lewis and Clark camped in the area.
September 26
BILLINGS***CODY, WY***YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK***OLD FAITHFUL
Flag of WyomingBecame a state on July 10 1890.
We drove through the wide-open spaces of Montana en route to Cody, Wyoming where we visited the Buffalo Bill Historical Center.
Tim McCoy Poster; Buffalo Bill's boyhood home; Sacagawea, Lewis and Clark's guide and interpreter.
Cody Firearms Museum
Whitney Museum of Western Art
Plains Indians Museum
Draper Museum of Natural History
Arrived in the afternoon at Yellowstone National Park, established in 1872 and the first national park in the world, as Old Faithful was just starting its show.
Checked in at the Old Faithful Inn and marveled at the lobby with its very high ceiling and huge fireplace.
Walked around the vicinity of Old Faithful and saw shimmering pools of blue water with mineral deposits in different shades of oranges and browns and ochers. Then Old Faithful started gushing again! What an amazing sight to behold!
Later I had dinner at the dining room of the inn with Hidel, Luz, and Lucette and Raymond, a couple in our tour group who are from Strasbourg, France. After dinner, I had a beer and hung out in the magnificent lobby with Irene and Andy from New Jersey.
September 27
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK***MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS***CONTINENTAL DIVIDE
Schedule today is a full day tour of the park. Along the way we passed by a herd of bison, the Yellowstone Lake, and the Lake Yellowstone Hotel.
First stop was at the Fountain Paint Pots where we saw mudpots, hot springs, and fumaroles.
Luz and Hidel with Adam, our Caravan tour director; more hot springs, geyser, fumaroles.
At Mammoth Hot Springs hot water ascends through limestone deposits to sculpt magnificent travertine terraces. Bacteria in the warm pools have tinted the travertine shades of brown, orange, red, and green.
Terrace Mountain and Minerva Terrace
Liberty Cap, a dormant hot spring cone; Mike, our Yellowstone guide; Adam on the piano at the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel.
Elk-sighting as we leave Mammoth Hot Springs.
Bison-sighting along the road.
Yellowstone River; Tower Fall in Hanging Valley.
Artist Point: Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
More wildlife sightings: bison and wolf.
At the Continental Divide.
Our Yellowstone guide Mike, bus driver Bob, tour director Adam; Old Faithful Inn yellow tour bus.
After going back to the Old Faithful Inn, we went once again to roam around the area near the inn. Checked out the visitors center, where I got my National Parks passport stamped, and the nearby other hotel, the Old Faithful Snow Lodge. As it started to get dark we decided to once more view the famed geyser. Once again, Old Faithful Geyser shoots up!SEPTEMBER 28
YELLOWSTONE***GRAND TETON***SNAKE RIVER***JACKSON
As we left the Old Faithful Inn this morning, we saw a herd of bison grazing near the hotel What an awesome sight to see these huge animals! Some people got dangerously close to them.
Arrived at Grand Teton National Park through the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway. The Teton Range, part of the Rocky Mountains, consists of the 13,770 ft high Grand Teton and another eight peaks that are over 12,000 ft. Seven of these peaks make up the Cathedral Group.
At Colter Bay Visitor Center, a beautiful view of the Grand Teton.
At Jenny Lake, another beautiful view of Grand Tetons.
Next on our schedule was a float trip down the Snake River with amazing views of the Grand Tetons.
Our boatman, Tom, was a summer worker from Oregon; a bald eagle perched on top of a tree; an angler.
Jackson was next with its impressive Elks Antler Arches.
I had a beer at the famous Million Dollar Cowboy Bar where the bar stools were horse saddles. Browsed at some shops then had an ice cream cone before meeting up with the group.
Stayed at The Virginian Lodge.
SEPTEMBER 29
JACKSON***OREGON TRAIL***BEAR LAKE***MORMON TABERNACLE
Flag of IdahoBecame a state July 3, 1890.
Entered Idaho this morning and crossed the route of the Oregon Trail and visited the Oregon Trail Museum.
Flag of UtahBecame a state January 4, 1896
Next we stopped to view beautiful Bear Lake, the largest freshwater lake in the Utah-Idaho border then drove through Logan Canyon on our way to Salt Lake City.
Salt Lake Temple; Mormon Tabernacle.
Pearl and Charlie; Assembly Hall; Luz
Bobbi and Fred; Tabernacle; Hidel
********************************** FAREWELL DINNER AT THE HILTON HOTEL **********************************
SEPTEMBER 30
Flew out of Salt Lake City with Luz on Delta #1260 at 10:05 am arriving in Newark at 4:42 pm. Bob picked up Luz and I took the bus to Manhattan. Got caught in a huge traffic jam and finally arrived at my apartment at 8 pm. Great to sleep on my own bed at last! Always enjoy my National Park trips!
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