Wow, where do I begin? This'll be a long one....I realize its been about 3 days since I last posted, and we have experienced so much from then 'till now. The days are starting to run into eachother, my eating routine is off, and my sleeping pattern is non-existent! It's Sunday night & I'm currently sitting in a lovely lodge in Utah right outside Bryce Canyon. Unfortunately I came down with a fever today, and spent most of the day resting in my king size bed (ok, not the worse thing I could be doing). I think the trip is definitely catching up to us, so some rest was more then needed. I'm feeling better now...just a little fatigued. We pulled out some chairs & sat overlooking Bryce Canyon around dinner time tonight, and I think the fresh air and scenery helped cure me.
So before I rant and rave about what I've done and seen the past few days, I think it's necessary for some self-reflection (please excuse my sappiness). I have appreciated every little thing I've come across in each state I've seen, and it's all beautiful in it's own right. It wasn't until we were driving in Wyoming on route to Yellowstone National Park that I felt a shift in my perspective on life. Do you realize what a magical country we live in!? Take away the materialistics and the nonsense, and we're left with Earth's gift to us. The trees, the air, the smell, the mountains, the water, the ground, the sky, the animals....all are taken for granted far too often. At the risk of sounding cliche', we should all be in tuned with nature and truly appreciate the beauty we live in. When you realize how "little" you are in comparison, the feeling is unreal. I could not believe my eyes, and I could not believe it has taken me 25 years to see such amazing sights. As we were driving through this scenic drive, I felt myself lose my breath and my eye started to water. It feels so good to be in constant company of natural life without any human interference...it's refreshing to say the least. During this trip, I have forgotten to look at the clocks, check my cell phone, and my worries seem far too insignificant to even give it a second thought. So on that note, if you haven't had the chance to feel the way that I described above, my advice is to get out there and discover all these hidden gems. It is pure joy. :)
Ok now onto my days. We arrived in Yellowstone on Thursday evening and were getting nervous because we didn't have a place to stay. Actually, we never know where we are staying, we usually rely on my GPS to find us a place last minute. We were so unbelievably lucky on this night; we pulled up to a little lodge with log cabins called Pahaska Tepee & they had 3 rooms left! We accepted the room without a second thought, and had the experience to sleep in a log cabin for the night minutes from the entrance to Yellowstone! Before we walked into our cabin, a deer was about 20 feet away from our front door. What a welcome-very appropriate-and it was just perfect! We ended up taking our dinner into the park and finding a quiet beach to eat, watch the sunset & soak it in.
I must mention that we were so unbelievably lucky to see the animals we did during our stay. We saw 2 moose, a grizzly bear, deer, elk, bison, and a brown bear and her cub! It was just amazing. Some people were getting frustrated because they've been there for days and hadn't seen 1 wild animal...we saw all of the ones listed within just 2 days!!! I should probably give a shoutout to the people who actually "allowed" us to see these animals; whenever we saw a line of cars on the side of the road with people frantically grabbing their cameras, it was a good indication that you'd probably see something and wouldn't be disappointed. At one point, a bear crossed the street steps away from where I was standing!! Don't worry, I know not to approach a bear, especially with her cub in tow. I was safe - but some idiots just don't know when close is "too" close. Helloooo- this isn't a zoo, did they forget they are wild and not in cages!!??
Anyway, another piece of amazingness is that we got to witness Old Faithful erupt. It occurs every 90-120 minutes, so we were able to time it right. It was the coolest thing ever...thinking that the boiling water comes from miles below the Earth. It's just crazy!! We also stopped by Artist Point to see the waterfalls. There was a ridiculous hiking trail called "Uncle Tom's Trail" that you could take to get a closer view of the falls. The stairs that took you down to the bottom were wicked steep, and made of metal with holes in them so it was hard not to get discombobilated while walking vertically down. Needless to say, this wasn't the best idea for someone with a fear of heights, so I only made it half way down. :( Oh well - the effort was there! & the falls were still outstanding from where I stood.
The end of the day was near and again we needed to figure out where to stay. We decided to head 20-30 miles north and stay in Montana. It was a good way to add to the list of states we've been to. :) Ended the night with some pizza and ice cold bear, yum!! The Inn offered a free hot breakfast so that was a plus. Let me just say, there's nothing like eating your vegetarian breakfast with about 9 or 10 dead, stuffed animals staring at you. They are very proud of their taxidermy work there in Montana; I guess I should've known considering we were eating at the "Antler Room."
After finishing up Yellowstone, we headed south to Grand Teton National Park and awed at the humongous mountains before us. The Teton peak reached 13,000 feet high- crazy! We sat in a pretty spot, had lunch, and continued on 'till Idaho. We didn't have to go thru Idaho to get to Utah, but again, figured it could be another state to add to our list. I admit I was slightly uncomfortable going thru this little town in Idaho at first. I felt like we stuck out like sore thumbs with our Massachusetts plate and our non-farmer ways. Once we were cruising though, the scenery was beautiful and my discomfort quickly dissipated. We drove to Utah and ended up driving thru the Rockies at night (my mom drove this leg, I was too much of a wimp). It was so cool!!! The sky was a big blanket of stars as we were winding around the mountains. Our goal was to drive straight thru the night to our next destination which was Bryce Canyon. After many yawns later, we finally made it to Bryce Canyon around 4:00 this morning. We slept for an hour in the car 'till the sun rose, then we made our way into the park and did a little hike around the canyon. It was only around 6:30am, and not many people were out so it felt like we had this vast canyon to ourselves. It was at this time I started to feel sick...not sure if it was the lack of sleep, something I ate, the high altitude(8000 ft. plus) or just exhaustion, but that is when we got a room and this is where I am now. :) Mom is currently sitting next to me eating doritos and putting off a shower (she should probably get on that- our feet were nasty from running through woods and marshes trying to get a good picture of a moose. What we won't do for a picture!!)
The trip is almost over- however I don't know what's in store for us from now until San Diego...gotta love the anticipation! My mom joked today that we are on "scenery overload". It's so true. It's to the point where there is just too much to look at and take in. I admit, I'm starting not to be phased by seeing deer and mountains here anymore, and thats when I know I need to step back and remember where I am. OH one thing we're doing tomorrow (Monday) is visiting Best Friends Animal Sanctuary!! I am so excited. This is where all of Michael Vick's poor dog-fighting dogs were sent to be rehabilitated. We're able to take an hour and half tour, then give the animals some lovin'. :) Right up my alley!!!
Thanks for reading!!! I'll post more pictures soon, but I can't tonight. My bed is calling my name, and I decided I can not forfeit my valuable sleeping hours any longer.
Until next time,
Ang (& Mom) :)
Thought of the day: I want to own a cow
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