Month: June 2015

Gardiner, MT

We are staying in Rocky Mountain RV Park in Gardiner, MT. By coincidence it is the same camground where our son, Greg, stayed 10 years ago on his cross country trip. We did not plan it and discovered it only when the campground owner noticed that another person with last name of Burt from Plainville, MA had stayed here before. We compared photos and turns out that our site today is almost in the same spot as Greg’s was.  I just love coincidences like that.

The reason we are in Gardiner is to visit Yellowstone National Park. Our campground in only a mile or two from the North Entrance. We have been in the park each of the four days since we arrived and are not done yet. Yellowstone is amazing and very large. Below are only some of the sights we’ve seen.

Welcome to Yellowstone

Yellowstone is the oldest National Park. The original entry is a beautiful stone arch. Unfortunately we were not able to get near it due to construction. But I got a picture.

Hot Springs and Geysers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spectacular Views

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone / Yellowstone River

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wildflowers

 

 

 

Wildlife!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Old Faithful Inn

 

Petrified Tree

Yesterday we left Coer D’Alene, Idaho where we stayed for a few days. Coeur D’Alene is the location of an incredible lake (Lake Coeur D’Alene).

We walked the boardwalk at the Coeur D’Alene Resort. The marina is surrounded by worlds longest floating boardwalk. The boats go in and out of the marina under an elevated section of the boardwalk  between two towers.

Of course there was a kayak trip involved in our visit. We passed the first few days due to windy conditions and choppy water. But on the third day (another choppy day) we decided to go anyway.

We are now in Issaquah, WA near Seattle.

On Wednesday we drove into Seattle to see the sights.

Pike Place Market reminded me a lot of Faneuil Hall and Haymarket Square in Boston.

 

 

 

We walked  through the Seattle Sculpture Park.

 

 

 

We, of course, visited the Space Needle.

 

 

 

 

Near the Space Needle is Chihuly Garden and Glass. This is an art exhibit featuring works of blown glass created by Dale Chihuly. It is really quite amazing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The piece below is outside. There is a robins nest and Mrs. Robin in the sculpture.

 

 

Also near the Space Needle is a great water fountain where many children and a few adults were cooling down.

 

 

We walked by a Cisco Building. I don’t think I know anyone who works in the Seattle office.

 

 

 

The following day we took our bikes to Alki Beach and rode a few miles.

 

We were in Portland last week to attend my daughter, Kathy’s graduation from graduate school at Portland State University (PSU).

The day before graduation we had a picnic at Dabney Park.

 

 

 

The following day we attended the hooding ceremony.

 

 

 

After the graduation we spent a few hours in Portland.

 

After we left Yosemite we spent some time on the Oregon coast. Our first stop was at Pacific Shores Motorcoach Resort in Newport, OR.

We saw some beautiful views right from the campground and the beach below.

 

 

 

 

 

We drove up the coast from Newport as far as Lincoln City and enjoyed some beautiful scenery. It was very windy but sunny and bright.

 

 

 

 

And we got a closer look at the Lighthouse.

 

 

 

Our next stop was at the RV Resort at Cannon Beach.  From there we visited Tillamook Cheese Factory (no pictures) and Haystack Rock.

 

 

 

The road to Yosemite were not built for a 37 foot motor home pulling a car. Bill, as usual, did an amazing job navigating our RV over the steepest and twistiest roads I have ever been on.

We saw all the famous sites in Yosemite Valley.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the second day we visited Wawona & the Mariposa Grove (giant Sequoias)

 

 

 

It’s been a while since my last post because the internet at our previous campground was horrible.

Last week our good friend Debi arrived to travel with us for a few weeks. She flew into Las Vegas and we stayed at Lake Mead Village Campground in Boulder City for a few days.

We spent a day in Las Vegas. It was extremely hot that day (105° F).  We walked the strip but kept ducking into air conditioning to keep cool.

The Bellagio had a fun Ocean themed display.

 

 

 

We visited the Auto Collections on the top floor of the Linq.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jake and Elwood were at the auto collection.

 

 

We walked by Paris.

 

 

 

Saw gondolas at the Venetian.

 

 

And finally drove north a ways to visit Gold & Silver Pawn shop (of ‘Pawn Stars’ fame).