After being restricted to Australia for the past 2 years due to COVID-19, we eventually were able to get away on a long planned holiday to the states with Alan & Di Hee. Whilst the planning was in the works for some time it wasn’t really till the month leading up to our departure that we were finally convinced we could go.
IDAHO
We flew into the Los Angeles & got a flight up to Salt Lake City, Utah, where we picked up a hire car for the 6 week trip.
From Salt Lake we drove up into Idaho with our main destination being the Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve.
The Craters of the Moon Lava Field spreads across 618 square miles (1,601 km2) and encompasses 3 major lava fields of around 400m2 (1,000km2). The 60 distinct solidified lava flows that form the Craters of the Moon Lava Field range in age from 15,000 to just 2,000 years.
This is a very strange and at times desolate looking place which does belie the fact that there is quite a deal of wildlife in the park.
WYOMING
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
The last time we had been to Yellowstone was in January 2020 during their winter which was a fantastic experience.
This time around we were maybe hoping to see snow on the mountains but were immediately surprised to find snow quite prevalent on the ground & in particular around our cabins.
As we started our Yellowstone stay we were hopeful of seeing a decent amount of wildlife and hopefully some of the lesser seen animals such as wolves, bears and moose.
We were to be completely satisfied by the end of the stay.
Our early venture out into the park treated us to a site rarely seen; a wolf feasting on the remains of what most believed to be an elk carcass. He may have been the star of the show but he wasn’t the only game in town that day and of course the views aren’t bad either!
Had a very ordinary lunch at Yellowstone Lake Lodge but had great views of the mostly frozen lake with views to the Absacola Mountains in the background.
Following day decided to head out to Mammoth and on the way saw a beautiful grizzly bear just over the creek. Continued on through Mammoth to Lamar Valley where we saw elk, bison & pronghorn.
On the way back we thought we would detour up to Tower as the Dunraven Pass road was closed it would be an up and back trip. What a good decision.
On the side of the road we spotted a Cinnamon Black Bear whilst further up we saw a Black Bear who had cubs up a tree but we didn’t get to see them. Turns out the black bear & the cinnamon bear are a mating pair according to a ranger we spoke to.
That night we had a nice drop of snow so the following day there was plenty of snow around from Canyon to Mammoth, Grant Village & Yellowstone Lodge.
Took a drive to West Thumb Geyser Basin via Fishing Village alongside Yellowstone Lake. After the snow the scenery was beautiful as only snow can make it so.
We got to West Thumb and walked around the boardwalk there. Saw elk among the trees and snow with geysers in and around Yellowstone Lake. Afterwards went to Old Faithful, had lunch and a walk around the geyser basin where we saw not only geysers but a female elk grazing on her own and a coyote both hunting for & eating lunch!
Headed off early next day to Mammoth Hot Springs where we went to the upper terraces. Not only are they truly remarkable but the view to the mountains in Montana are spectacular. Whilst there we saw a juvenile elk and a Bull Snake sometimes referred to as a Gopher Snake.
After this headed off to Lamar Valley and came across a female black bear with her cub.
Drove out of the park to Cooke City for lunch and after about 5 minutes inside the park came across a female moose with her calf.
On the way through the Lamar Valley all traffic was stopped a a black bear had gotten itself up a tree on the roadside and would not come down while traffic & people were around. Rangers kept cars well back from the tree till they could coax it down & let it move on. Decided to give Tower another go as it has been so successful previously & we were lucky to see a black bear & a cinnamon bear grazing.
The following day we said goodbye to Yellowstone & headed out to Jackson Lake Lodge which is positioned across Jackson Lake from the Grand Tetons. Huge amount of traffic going into Yellowstone as we were leaving due to Memorial Day long weekend. Dodged a bullet there!
Took a drive after checking in and came upon a coyote sitting in a field just looking at us.
Following day was not the best weather wise so we took a drive to Jenny Lake & Oxbow Bend. Drove to Mormon Row which was interesting to see how & where they settled in these parts. The weather was pretty ordinary so we went back to the lodge for lunch. As the weather improved we jumped back in the car & went to Dubois. Saw some nice countryside and also an Osprey mother bringing food to her chick in the nest.
The weather hadn’t improved the following day but we were not deterred. Took a drive and ended up in Moose and you’ll never guess what we saw there – yep, a moose with her calf. After that it was time to retire to the bar for a drink as the weather was getting slightly worse.
We woke to a very snowy morning, so much so that the shortcut we were going to take through Yellowstone was closed so we had to make a 200km detour and over an 11,000 foot pass with ice & snow over the road. Having never driven in conditions remotely like these, Brian’s knuckles were white for most of that part of the journey.
Arrived at Cody around 3:30pm after a long day driving but made somewhat longer by the conditions. Walked down to Irma’s, named after Buffalo Bill’s daughter, for a well deserved drink and a look around the old saloon. Buffalo Bill’s real name was William Cody hence the name of the town.
One of the main reasons for stopping at Cody was to go to the opening night of the Cody Rodeo. As luck would have it the rain they received the previous couple of days was enough to cancel opening night! Additionally we wanted to drive on the Beartooth Highway which is a spectacular drive by all accounts however they had 3 feet of snow the previous day so they closed the road being far too hazardous. So the two main things we came to Cody for are off the table. Had to be content with lunch at the Silver Dollar Saloon and hope our luck changes.
Left Cody and had a very scenic drive through canyons and an ever changing landscape and stopped off overnight at Gillette. Went to dinner at a place called Old Chicago where we were served by a waitress that was 20yrs old. She could serve us alcohol but couldn’t mix us drinks or open any ??? She told us that it is illegal to own a pistol till you’re 21 but you can own a rifle, shotgun or an AK47!!!
The following day was beautiful weather as we travelled to Wyoming National Monument other wise known as Devils Tower. Lots of prairie dogs residing around Devils Tower.
The following day we set off to Mount Rushmore. To be honest we thought it would be a bit kitschy but it was really good & is definitely a worthwhile place to see. That afternoon we also went to Jewel Cave.
Following day went to Custer State park. Bit disappointing as not as many animals out as we’d hoped.
We had an overnight stop in Fort Collins, Colorado on the way to our first stop the following morning at Rocky Mountains National Park. You have to book your entry time & our block was 10:30-11am. The queues to get in were horrendous & after a nervous wait we ended up getting to the gate at 11:01am and were allowed to enter. Stayed at Dillon the following night and had our first decent coffee of the trip at a café named True Blue. Yep, owned by an Australian guy from Sydney who had been over there for 30 years!
We booked a timed slot to drive up Mt. Evans, the highest paved mountain in USA, however a they had 3 feet of snow dumped the day before & it was closed to all traffic. Went up to Echo Lake instead and also as high as we could get before the road was closed. Had a walk around the lake & morning tea at the Echo Lake Lodge where we had our first ever sighting of Hummingbirds.
Stayed in for pizza that night to celebrate Belinda’s birthday.
The following day we had a fairly short drive to Colorado Springs so we naturally took the scenic route. This was a foretunate decision as we spotted a cinnamon black bear in scrub off the side of the road. We stopped & had a look then turned back for a better look & he in turn had a good look at us!
We had booked in to the Pikes Peak cog railway in the afternoon. After trying to get something to eat at Manitou Springs, where traffic & people were in over abundance. We had to settle for a packet of chips & an ice cream at Pikes Peak railway station. We had obviously heard of altitude sickness before but this is the first time we had experienced it. Its a combination of giddiness and nausea. Couldn’t wait for the trip back down!
The following day was one of the highlights of the trip as we had booked a VIP session at the Colorado Wolf & Wildlife Centre. This gave us a personalised tour interacting with foxes and a variety of their resident wolves. As our own dogs have their individual personalities so do wolves. A few like to come up and give you a lick on the face whereas another likes to be scratched under her front “armpit”. A great activity.
Following day called in to Back Canyon of the Gunnison on the way to Montrose. Quite a stunning canyon particularly as we’d never heard of it before.
Stayed in Montrose overnight and headed to Cortez the following day. Went through a pretty town called Ouray which they claim is the Switzerland of America due to their surrounding mountains, geothermal hot springs & winter activities. Whilst driving through we saw a sad sight of a young cinnamon black bear dumpster diving for food which is why all throughout the USA they have bear/animal proof rubbish bins.
Stayed overnight in Cortez so we could go to Mesa Verde National Park the following day. When we got there in the afternoon we couldn’t see the sky due to bushfires in the area. By the morning it had cleared and we had a beautiful sunny day.
Mesa Verde was an interesting place that was inhabited by the Ancestral Pueblo people for 700 years but deserted the place 700 years ago. Currently Mesa Verde has over 4,700 archaeological sites including 600 cliff dwellings and the mesa top sites of pithouses, pueblos, masonry towers, and farming structures.
Why they left is a bit of a mystery but it is generally accepted that where there is no food and particularly water then there will be no people. Mesa Verde is a dry mountainous place with less than 10 inches of rainfall per year.
The following day we were off to what we were hoping to be one of the highlight destinations of our trip – Monument Valley. It didn’t disappoint. The views are spectacular and in some instances familiar thanks to the occasional cowboy movie & Cars! Went on a tour with a Navajo guide who was really interesting and took us into the back areas of the valley as well. The only disappointment was that as we were in the Navajo Nation territory you couldn’t buy alcohol anywhere! A fact Brian discovered that night when asking for the wine list!!
Following day went to the Painted Desert & Petrified Forest National Park. Got up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit whilst driving through the park. Had a bit of a walk around the petrified forest which is quite amazing to see complete logs turned into stone that almost looks like opal in some instances.
On the way to Page, where we will be staying so we can go to Antelope Canyon the following day we stopped in at Horseshoe Bend which is again quite a stunning piece of nature whereby the Colorado River bends around a piece of land which it has carved out over 5-6 million years. We also had a drive to Glen Canyon Dam & Lake Powell where they dammed the Colorado River to build a hydroelectric power station, taking 10 years to construct, opening in 1966. You can see how the water level has dropped over the years. They need rain!
Following day did our Antelope Canyon tour. The canyon itself is both beautiful & amazing but they herd so many people through there it does take some of the enjoyment out of it. It is also challenging to get photos without people in them. Amazing to see the amount of sand drifting down into the canyon while we were in there. This raises the floor and eventually the hard rains come (hopefully) and wash the sand back out of the canyon to drop the floor level again.
On the way to Grand Canyon north rim the following day. Passed by Vermillion Cliffs & Marble Canyon and across the Colorado River to Jacob Lake. Amazing how the scenery changed from desert to quite lush surroundings as we got higher and closer to the north rim. Beautiful views over the Grand Canyon which was also a great spot for a picnic lunch.
Left Grand Canyon and headed to Torrey, Utah, which is our overnight stop for Bryce Canyon. We hadn’t been to Bryce Canyon since 2005 and were keen to see it again we remembered it quite striking. Our memory was proven correct. Bryce Canyon is probably the most visually spectacular canyon to visit. The scale of the scenery and the bright orange hoodoos give Bryce an almost otherworldly feel. Did a walk down “Wall Street” (I’ve done New York & it’s not this steep!) and deserved our lunch afterward. Not sure but think going down was harder than going up.
Following morning headed off to Moab for 3 nights, our last stop on our trip. On the way we did a few walks one to Hickman Bridge and one at National Bridges Monument, both of which have great examples of natural rock arches that have formed over millions of years.
Our main “mission” in Moab was to visit Arches National Park. We split this into two visits one day after the other as there is so much to see and do and you would be completely wasted trying to do everything in one day.
Quite an array of rock formations and significantly different rock arches/bridges. A great way to round off the holiday.
Finished at Arches about 1:30pm absolutley pooped so we went back to the hotel, changed our shoes, freshened up and went into town for lunch at the Moab Brewery. After that tried to buy wine for later that day – what an experience!
In Utah you can only buy liquor & wine (apparently beer isn’t alcoholic) from the State Liquor Stores. I.D. must be shown at the time of purchase & Brian produced his NSW Drivers Licence which is unacceptable?? If you’re from OS you have to show your passport to purchase alcohol. What a nanny state!
After in excess of 10,000 kms we arrived at Salt Lake City airport for our flight back to LA and on to home.
We covered some ground on this trip but like Australia if you want to see what the place has to offer you’ve got to get in and get around as best you can.
We saw and experienced a lot and it is only on looking back that we come to realise what an extraordinary trip we had and we were able to experience it all with our very dear friends the Alan & Di Hee.
A flight home – a 7 week break – then off again …………………….
Maguire Travel 