Needles Eye Tunnel
More tunnels…I know…This was crazy though…As you cruise along the Needles Highway in Custer State Park in South Dakota, enjoying the altitude and the crazy rock formations, you happen upon a bottleneck like you have never seen before: the Needles Eye Tunnel.
It is a tight fit to get through—8 feet 9 inches wide and 9 feet 8 inches high, blasted through sheer granite. Cars and pickup trucks were lined up to make the short journey through the opening—and many just barely fit.
We got out of the car, after passing through it, to watch others try. It was entertaining and a little scary for some of the vehicles. If you get to Custer State Park, this is a “must do.”
What a Rush-more
One of our “have to” destinations during the Excellent Adventure is Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. We went today. We were not disappointed.
The monument is visually stunning, especially when seen in the context of all the other amazing natural stone formations that are in the Black Hills. It is definitely an in-person “must see.”
We found one of the coolest features of the area is that two of the vehicle tunnels on the Iron Mountain Highway in Custer State Park (next to Mount Rushmore) actually were constructed so you could see the monument as you entered and exited the tunnels. I applaud those who decided to construct the tunnels that way. It was amazing to experience. Back at the monument, there is additionally a side view pull-off area where you can see just George Washington peering out from the heights. It is worth taking the time to see.
Also of note--at the snack area at Rushmore, you can get a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream that is made to Thomas Jefferson’s own personal recipe. The founding father apparently knew about something more than just government…the ice cream is mighty tasty.
Little Big Horn
As a child, the story of Custer’s Last Stand back in 1876 fascinated me, so we decided to stop on our trip for a few moments at the Little Big Horn Battlefield in Montana on our way to South Dakota.
Visiting the site of the deaths of so many brave warriors and soldiers on a gloomy gray morning seemed appropriate.
I was struck by the sparse, open landscape. It was quiet, except for the sound of the wind. Nearby a few horses grazed on the battlefield. It was peaceful scene, but sadness still hung in the air.
‘War, children, it’s just a shot away…’
I Can’t Bear the Smokey Air
This past week has been filled with fun, adventure…and smoke. We have now set out on an easterly course to South Dakota to continue the Excellent Adventure in clearer skies, leaving behind a wealth of great memories created in Montana and Idaho. Some of the highlights are:
A whitewater raft trip along the Middle Fork River next to Glacier National Park. The water was down and there were just a few whitewater encounters, but it was really fun for a couple of Texans (see Dinah and I in the back of the raft in the first photo) who had never rafted before.
A visit to a real gold mine—which is something I had wanted to do since I was just a young lad. It was a fascinating tour for “Trouble” and “Booger” (our official names on our borrowed helmets at the mine), and we even got to pan for some gold. I am sad to report that we came up empty on the quest for the shiny metal, but settled instead for a delightful meal at the nearby Radio Brewery in Kellogg.
A 17-mile bicycle trip along the Hiawatha Trail on the Montana/Idaho state line. The amazing pathway has been created along a railroad route winding through the heights (thankfully it is all downhill!) Trains no longer travel there, and the tracks have been replaced by a bike path that passes through multiple tunnels and across trestles that span amazing valleys of beautiful scenery (which were of course, mostly obscured by the smokey haze). One tunnel was 1.5 miles long, and pitch dark inside except for the bicycle lights. It was an exhilarating ride and left us wanting another chance at the trail when visibility would be better.
Finally, we were able to reconnect with a family friend from long ago for a delightful visit and dinner. Kay and Jim Guyette invited us for a tour of their ranch in the Montana hills, and we were amazed at the breadth and beauty of their property. Kay is the oldest daughter of Jim and Elizabeth Tomberlin, who were close friends of my parents when I lived in LaPorte, Texas. We had not seen each other, except for once at a funeral, in about 50 years.
We decided not to venture any further west because of the limited visibility, so once again Dinah the Planner has been hard at work setting up the next leg of our trip in South Dakota. We will be visiting George, Thomas, Teddy and Abe real soon…
The Planner
After one month on the road, our Excellent Adventure is rolling on, even though we are not proceeding as originally planned. We have had to change routes, dates and locations almost daily due to many unforeseen circumstances. It has been like this trip is a giant jigsaw puzzle, and the pieces are constantly changing shape.
Fortunately, my wife Dinah is a planner of the highest order.
None of this extended cross-country trip would be happening if not for her. Each day she is on the computer, mapping out the reservations and routes for our next stops, all while trying to integrate into the schedule the sites we really want to see.
If that isn’t enough, she has diagnosed and repaired a serious refrigerator problem in the RV, installing the part herself between trips to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. Oh, she also diagnosed and fixed an electrical problem in Sherlock’s control panel. Oh, and she climbed on top of the RV along a Montana freeway in a strong crosswind to retrieve some loose trim which had come loose and was whipping loudly on the roof as we drove.
Oh, and…well, you get the picture. So, here are a few pictures of the MVP (Most Valuable Planner) at work. As you can see, I am one lucky guy…
The Center of the Universe
After contemplating the Milky Way and the amazing starfield on display in Glacier National Park, it was only natural for us to continue our space quest by locating the center of the universe.
Lucky for us, we were able to find it just a few hours away—in Wallace, Idaho. The town has proclaimed itself the “Center of the Universe,” and even has a metal marker imbedded in the main street concrete to commemorate the designation. Since our travel plans have temporarily been disrupted due to the smoke and haze-filled skies in the area due to wildfires in Oregon, we decided a visit to the northern Idaho town was in order.
The Center of the Universe is a bit different than we expected. Quiet streets and quaint shops dominate the scenery. Long stairways run from the downtown streets up into the surrounding neighborhoods, while tourists meander outside creative window displays of local businesses. I kinda pictured a more Jetson-esque environment for such a significant locale, but what the heck…it is great to know you can still get a tasty pizza throughout our vast astral system. -with Dinah DeLuca
The Grandeur of Glacier
Our first trip to Glacier National Park in Montana started badly yesterday, as we were turned away on the “Going to the Sun” road by park rangers who had determined there were already too many visitors already up the road in the higher elevations.
Thankfully, later in the day we were able to traverse the legendary path. We were able to see the Jackson Glacier, MacDonald Lake, Baring Falls, Florence Falls, Logan Pass and Wild Goose Island. It was an unforgettable experience.
The camera seems a woefully inadequate tool to communicate the grandeur of the setting here. The sweeping views of mountains, valleys, lakes and sky are breathtaking. There seems to be little way to adequately share vicariously the experience of seeing God’s creation in person in a place like this; the scale of what is laid out before us is unimaginable. Seeing these things in person is one of the greatest thrills of my life.
The Quiet Beauty of Idaho
Escaping some of 2020’s chaotic twists and turns is one of numerous reasons we embarked on Louis and Dinah’s Excellent Adventure. Our first extended stop has been near Ashton, Idaho, which we picked because of the reasonable rates available there at RV campsites that are within reasonable driving distance to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. Turns out we couldn’t have picked a better place, but not for the reasons we thought.
Of course, we have appreciated the cooler August and September temperatures. But our two-week stay here has been magical. Idaho has refreshed us with its’ quiet beauty, especially compared to what we had experienced during decades of big city life in Texas. But the pace of life and simple beauty of this part of the state has captivated us.
There photos were taken as we journeyed to and from our campsite to Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, and a variety of other attractions.
We are looking forward to passing back through northern Idaho later in our trip. Until then, thanks Idaho, for being just what we needed.
A Last Glimpse of Yellowstone
We spent much our last visit to Yellowstone in the car, mostly because we got caught in four—count’em, four wildlife traffic jams. One snarl lasted over 1.5 hours, and involved several bison and later some elk. Not exactly rush hour on LBJ stress-wise, though; all we had to do was look out the car windows at the crystal blue streams and rivers, and the majestic trees lining the road to relax as we waited. The first photo in this post, where the Bison is leading traffic along the paved road, was taken through the windshield while i was driving (very slowly of course). And Dinah says I can’t multi-task…;)
We explored the northern part of the park, which included the Mammoth Hot Springs area. We also revisited our favorite spot, the Grand Prismatic Pool, this time opting for a ground-level view, as opposed to the overlook perspective we got from a hike we took a week ago.
We also saw another bison posing for photos while laying beside a stream, very similar to the bison image I shot earlier last week. We didn’t stop this time because he had attracted quite a large crowd of people. But I swear it was the same bison that I had photographed earlier, doing the exact same thing. So I have named him “Poser.”
We will be saying a heartfelt goodbye to Poser and Yellowstone, as we pack up Sherlock tomorrow and head for our next destination—Glacier National Park in Montana.
Two-fer Tuesday
Trying to visit both the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone in the same day seemed a little crazy to attempt, but over 300 driving miles and 12 hours later, we returned to our base camp in Idaho with a day full of memories and lots of photos.
Starting from Jackson, some of the highlights of the trek included getting our clearest view of an elk, driving on the road navigating through a couple of Bison, and seeing the Tetons enveloped in clouds and fog for most of the morning. Also we were able to visit the Cunningham Cabin, the Snake River turnout, the Lewis Falls and Lewis Canyon in the southern part of the park.
We also were thrilled to spend some quiet time at Jackson Lake and Yellowstone Lake. A delightful surprise were the thermal features off of Yellowstone Lake at West Thumb, where some of the hot springs were actually situated in the lake water. In fact, we were told one of the hot springs there was known as “Hook and Cook” back in the day, where you could literally catch a fish from the lake, and just swing your catch over to the springs to cook it right there on the spot!
Oh, and also noteworthy was a delicious piece of strawberry-rhubarb pie alamode at a restaurant in Jackson. All-in-all, a great day…
Moon and Moose
Went for a sunset light drive with tonight with Dinah in rural southern Idaho...the haze had mostly cleared as we looked east and we caught a beautiful moonrise over the Tetons.
And if that wasn’t enough, we were driving on some farmland rocky roads, and entered a thicket of trees, and as we came around the corner—there was a moose! I don’t think he saw us (we were going very slow because the road was bad).
The closest community to where we were is actually called Squirrel—so we saw a ‘moose in Squirrel,’ and the road was ‘rocky.’ How crazy is that? (For all you Rocky and Bullwinkle fans.)
Yellowstone Part Deaux
This amazing landmark continues to surprise and amaze. Today’s itinerary included the Yellowstone Grand Canyon and the waterfalls that are part of that landscape, as well as the Gibbon Falls, the Artist Mudpots, and several other scenic areas. A few bison even wandered close enough to photograph.
Right Place, Wrong Time
A well-worn cliche, yes, but certainly true when it comes to photography.
Our first trek to the Tetons was marred by bad timing and poor planning on my part, as I wasn’t aware of the positioning of the mountains in relation to the direction of the sunlight.
Long story short, Dinah and I arrived in the very late morning and missed the window of beautiful early light on the amazing mountain range. All that was left was a high sky with a hazy view of the peaks. We salvaged the day by hiking around Jenny Lake (not the easiest hike for an old guy) and then scouting the best-angle locations for our return trip a few days later.
First Glimpse of Yellowstone
Yellowstone, quite simply, is breathtaking. A monument of natural beauty that speaks to the consummate Artist. No photograph does it justice. No visiting time is ever long enough. Overwhelming, exhilarating, intoxicating…Can’t wait to experience more of this magical place.
Falling For Idaho
Deciding a Sunday trip to Yellowstone was a bad idea crowd-wise, we elected to visit some of the local sites near us in Ashton, Idaho.
It was delightfully surprising to find three beautiful waterfalls within an hour or so of our camp. The Upper Mesa Falls, Lower Mesa Falls and Cave Falls (which technically is in western Yellowstone) captivated us with uncrowded up-close experiences. Despite a hazy day because of smoke in the air from wildfires, we enjoyed a tour of these local spots, as well as the Idaho countryside.
At a local restaurant in Ashton, we sampled a delicious pizza--with potatoes on it. It was called the “Darth Tater.” As an Italian, this seemed a heresy to me…until I tasted it. White sauce, bacon, onion and cheese completed this local delicacy. Oh yes, we will eat it again.
Our RV Sherlock barely made it up the 10% grade on the highway climb out of Jackson, Wyoming, en route through the Tetons. Top speed was 25 mph; I was afraid we might start rolling backwards at any minute.
We are seeing Yellowstone first starting tomorrow on this leg of the “Excellent Adventure,” hoping the smokey haze will clear somewhat later in the week so we can see the beautiful Tetons more clearly.
Hope you enjoy the photos.
Louis and Dinah DeLuca
Mellowing in Colorado
The Excellent Adventure has settled in for a few days in Limon, Colorado, using it as an RV base to explore parts of the state.
We will be packing up and heading out tomorrow for an extended camp near the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone.
Sherlock has finally been behaving himself, with just an occasional blown circuit breaker to reset. We have been taking the Jetta into the Colorado Springs area to see the Garden of the Gods, Pike’s Peak and the Royal Gorge (photos are attached to this post).
A few random observations:
1) Oklahoma roads are ridiculously rough; it is like you are hitting a speed bump every 30 feet on Interstate 35.
2) It is worth the time and effort to drive to the top of Pike’s Peak—it was amazing experience, although kinda scary.
3) It is hard to breathe at the top of Pike’s Peak.
4) Frito Pie is an underrated dinner option.
5) Are observations #3 and #4 related?
6) People in Colorado have seemed exceptionally nice. Is this just because of their good-naturedness, or is it because they are more medicinally mellow?
Westward Ho!
Dinah and Louis
Oh, Black Water, Keep On Rollin’
“The Tongs of Blackwater” sounds like it could be a chapter in our Lord of the Rings book. But in our case, ‘Blackwater’ is more of an equipment failure than a folksy riverside village, and the ‘One Ring’ is a failed gasket.
Our son Jade doing tech support in the belly of the beast.
Louis and Dinah’s Excellent Adventure has unfortunately not been very excellent so far. We have been like a NASA rocket launch that keeps getting delayed…
A faulty switch in the RV, a generator that would not turn off, a missing gasket in a water filter and a toilet clog have combined with the current dangerous heat wave to keep us bivouacked at an RV park in Aledo (west of Fort Worth) since Wednesday.
Luckily for us this is near the home of our son Jade, who kindly offered his expert help in diagnosing the switch and generator problems. On the plus side, we have gotten to see him and his wife Brittney, who is pregnant with our first grandbaby.
Friday morning was highlighted by a run-in with RV “black water.” Anyone who has RVed knows what this is. Unlike the famous Doobie Brothers song, our black water would not “keep on rollin.’” Tongs and a yardstick were eventually deployed in the toilet to ease the situation (see included photo).
Unluckily, we have been marooned in the 105-108 degree heat in Aledo, working in our 85-degree temperature RV to remedy the problems, as Dinah masterfully reworks our schedule to get us somewhere cool fast.
After the events of the last two days, we will definitely not be asking, “What else can go wrong?”
We plan to head north Saturday morning, going to Kansas on the way to swinging over to Colorado, as we travel out of the heat as quickly as possible to some of our preferred destinations.
There hasn’t been much to photograph, but included for your enjoyment are a few images…
Stay cool!
Dinah and Louis