2017 - Blog #3 - Wyoming to Oregon

The Wind River Range in the Shoshone National Forest

Remember when we said we would let you know how our visit to Lander, Wyoming was and that we hoped we could meet up again sometime with Sue Ellen and Carey, who we met in Saratoga?   Well, we feel like we hit the jackpot when we stopped in Lander over the 4^th of July weekend.    We stayed in Popo  Agie Campground (which is a Crow Indian word, pronounced po- po – shuh) in beautiful  Sinks Canyon State Park, right next to a rip-roaring creek. 

Our campsite in Popo Agie Campground, in Sinks Canyon State Park

  We hiked up to one of the widest and prettiest waterfalls that we have seen and the next day, who came knocking on our door but Sue Ellen and Carey!    They changed their plans and came to Lander too.  We were able to have dinner with them at a great Thai restaurant in town and watch the parade with them the next morning….. what fun! 

Middle Creek Falls in Sinks Canyon

   The “Western” 4th of July parade here was so very different from the parades that we are used to in Venice.  The Indians from the nearby Wind River Reservation were on horseback, some wearing war paint, one with  war paint on his horse and yelling out what sounded like war cries.  It was so interesting.   What we had heard about the fireworks being extraordinary was SO correct.   We went up to the hilltop “by the hospital” to watch the fireworks and ended up at the rodeo grounds watching the last half of a rodeo, including the bull-riding (for free!).   Every 4^th of July, the whole town of 7,400 people shoot off “big” fireworks from about 10am until after midnight.   As far as you can see from west to east fireworks like we are used to seeing only at the sites designated by a city, are exploding everywhere.  It truly is a sight to see!  Even though we stayed a day longer than we had planned to stay in Lander, we were sad to leave this beautiful place.

We forgot to bring our Western Birds book!

On our hike to the falls

so many beautiful butterflies

.... and wild flowers too

.... and this is why our hikes take twice as long as everyone else's hikes!

From Lander, we headed west into the Grand Teton National Park.   Jean had been here 53 years ago with her family and she really enjoyed seeing it again but this time as an adult, and with Jerome.   We camped in Upper Teton View which was our first experience camping in a dispersed campsite in the Bridger-Teton National Forest. 

the view from our campsite

  You can’t get a better view of the Tetons than from this spot, as long as you are willing to camp without any electric, water, or toilets…. ‘just the “bare necessities.”    The only downside is if people driving a humongous big rig pull up behind you and say they can’t back up so that they can “steal” the prime spot that you had your eye on, then park horizontally to the view, blocking much of the view from all those behind them.   Needless to say, our “neighbor” chewed them out and by the time we left, everybody camping there was complaining about them.   Hopefully we will never meet up with “the dip*#+@*” again!   On the positive side, we met some wonderful people here and especially enjoyed visiting with Jaimie, Jeremy, and little Ruby.  If you get a chance, check out Jaimie’s artistry at www.CrazyDiamondStudio.Etsy.com.    While we were here, we also went into Jackson Hole to see an art fair in Miller Park and to see the “famous” antler arches in the city square that Jean remembered so well from being here so long ago.  

As with the “western” parade being so very different, we also found this “western” art show to be just as different from the ones we see in the south.   We saw styles and mediums that we have never seen before as well as the western scenes instead of the tropical, beach scenes.  We had planned on kayaking also while here in the Tetons but were sorely disappointed when we found out that, unlike the other national parks,   Wyoming as well as the Tetons National Park BOTH charge for boating permits.   The combined permits would have cost us $50.00 so we sadly had to pass on this plan.

The majestic Grand Tetons and the river we wanted to kayak

... more of the Grand Tetons

As we headed westward into Idaho, Jean also wanted to visit another of her childhood memories – Craters of the Moon National Monument.   We camped in the Lava Flow Campground amidst the miles and miles of mounds of black lava flows and hiked into a lava tube.   We expected camping here to be really hot, especially without electricity for air-conditioning, but we were blessed with strong winds which made it tolerable and a very interesting, worthwhile stop.  We learned that not only did the astronauts train here for the trip to the moon, but they are also training here for the trip to Mars.

view from our campsite

sunset over the lava flows

.... lava flows for miles and miles and miles!

The next campground we stayed in was the hottest, most miserable 2 days of our trip so far.   The review of Macks Creek Campground on a reservoir just outside of Boise, Idaho said that it was shaded with waterfront sites.   What it didn’t say is that described the tent sites.   The RV sites were up on a hillside across the road without shade, in the blazing sun.   We thought the site in Pratt, Kansas was hot, but it was nothing compared to here, and at least we had air-conditioning there!    The radio said it was 98 degrees outside, but the thermometer on the outside of our trailer read 121 degrees, and the thermometer on the inside of our trailer read 101 degrees.    We tried to take Carly with us down under the trees by the water where there was a bit of a cool breeze, but she freaked out from all the loud boats and jet-skis.   Jean took her back up to the trailer and fanned her a bit with our road atlas and she just slept while we felt like we were melting.    The scenery was stunning but we don’t plan on ever coming back here! 

pretty view but we won't be back!

 

 Thank you, thank you for electricity and air-conditioning.   After 14 days of boon-docking, ie: no electric or water hook-ups, we felt like we were in heaven-on-earth when we pulled into a full-hook-up RV park in Burns, Oregon.   This particular park was an exceptionally nice RV park, well-manicured and green like an oasis in a desert.  It’s in the middle of nowhere, 130 miles from Bend, and 130 miles from the Idaho/Oregon line, with hardly anything but wide-open land and mountains in-between…. ‘not even gas stations.   When we pulled into our site, a deer was laying in the grass beside the tree and wasn’t in any hurry to leave. 

....both of them trying to figure out what the heck they are looking at!

  Even though we only spent one night here, we met some really nice people who we enjoyed visiting with and hope we will cross paths with again in our travels.   Thank you Jana and Corey for sharing your delicious pizza!

We are heading west along the route of the Oregon Trail and plan to be to the Oregon coast by the beginning of next week.   Hopefully by the time we reach Sisters, Oregon and get into the Deschutes National Forest it won’t be so gol-darn hot!    ‘Hope life is treating you well.   ‘Until later,   Jerome & Jean