Toronto with Andrea & family, Blue Ridge Summit, Washington, DC and Home!!

All stories must come to an end, and since I am writing this post from my home office, you can reasonably ascertain that my journey that began on April 29th has come to closure.  11,170 miles after leaving Bluffton, the not so prodigal son has returned.  This will be the last post associated with Boyd's first cross-country adventure in retirement.  I suspect there will be more opportunities to add to this Blog titled Travels Now and Then, but a little hiatus is in order.  But I get ahead of myself.  We pick up the thread of the story with Andrea's arrival July 2nd. in Toronto at Pearson International Airport.  Sandy (Andrea's sister) and I scooped her up from the outside arrival Gate 3 at 8PM with a clearly elated Andrea.  She, the intrepid traveler she is managed an almost impossible sprint through the terminals to catch her flight to Toronto from Atlanta where she arrived late.

We celebrated later in the evening with a bottle of a 25 year old Bordeaux Sauterne coupled with fine aged cheeses and fresh French bread.  When they came up with the words ambrosia of the gods, they must have been drinking this fine wine. What an incredible treat and what fun to see the younguns (Victoria and Jake) enjoying this delectable liquid gold along with the adults.

The next morning, Friday, July 3rd., we unhitched the SUV from the Go, leaving it in the long driveway at Sandy and Jim's and navigated with some wrong turns to Andrea's mother's senior residence, where we arrived a few minutes late for the early lunch at 11:15AM.  Wilf.  While into his eighties he plays a pretty mean stick and kept the competition going for a good hour plus.  Later in the afternoon, Wilf's son Chris and his wife, along with Sandy, Jim, Victoria and Jake arrived and we headed over to a laid back  German restaurant called Wolfgang's.  We all enjoyed gorging on great German food from this Swiss trained chef and before dropping  Frieda and Wilf off and heading back to Richmond Hill on the northwest side of Toronto.

Frieda & Sandy Kofalvi, Andrea and Victoria Roberts at  Amica, Oshawa, Ont.

After lunch I played some pool with Frieda's (Andrea's mother) husband

Toronto never ceases to amaze in it's vibrant growth and seemingly endless rich emigres from China and Iran (though they insist hail from Persia).  Home prices have gone through the roof even with all the McMansions that have crowded out much of the agricultural land surrounding Toronto.  A small 1,100 ft. brick bungalow will sell for $750,000 in Richmond Hill. The downtown continues to be populated by towering cranes building ever more skyscrapers.

Victoria, Andrea, Boyd, Jake, Sandy and Jim on Toronto Island

Saturday we all headed downtown and boarded the Trillium, a vintage 1910 side paddle wheel ferry that has been reconstructed, for the fifteen minute ride to Toronto Island.  This island just off the coast of Toronto in Lake Ontario is an urban park of large dimensions where thousands of Torontonians and tourists alike were enjoying the sunny day, swimming in Lake Ontario, botanical gardens, and a vibrant albeit small amusement center for children with old fashioned rides like the log ride and Swan boats.

Andrea and Sister Sandy on Toronto Island, Toronto, Canada

We meandered about walking along the beach and taking pics, with Andrea scoping out the lighthouse on the island.  For dinner we drove to Queen St. and dined at Tabule's, a noted Lebanese restaurant where finger foods were the hit of the day.

Sunday, and we were off about an hour away to get in some walking along the Niagara escarpment.

Sandy, Andrea, Jim, Jake & Victoria at Niagara Escarpment 

Boyd at rest during Niagara Escarpment Walk on his 65th B-day

The rock formations that make up the escarpment were impressive as were some of the stone nooks with their sheltered ferns and lichen.  Coming home we passed by one of the venues for the Pan AM Games, the equestrian center.

Monday, Sandy had to return to work as she is an Asst Principal at one of the neighboring secondary schools, and Andrea and I returned to visit with Frieda and Wilf before meeting Sandy for a short tour of her school.  I regrettably had to drop Andrea off at the airport around 6PM for her return flights to Savannah, and I followed the directions Jim had given me to wend my way back to their house along the myriad expressways.  My GPS had no Canadian maps loaded, so it was back to handwritten notes, since my phone also would have been prohibitively expensive to operate on roaming.

Sandy Kofalvi, Asst. Principal

I overnighted with Sandy and Jim and took off early around 6AM for Blue Ridge Summit, PA via Niagara Falls.  Had an uneventful drive and was reminded again just how beautiful PA with its rolling, green countryside can be.  Arrived at my friends David Le Jardin's around 4PM and he took me for a nice stroll out and around the historic area of Blue Ridge Summit. I was vaguely familiar with my surroundings as I came here to visit my Godfather, for whom I was named, the Rev. Boyd Davis in around 1959.  Boyd had married money as they say, having married Alice Stanley of the Willard/Stanley family,  The Willard of Willard Hotel fame in Washington, DC.  The summer home had some 23 rooms with a grand semi-circular driveway set on five acres of lawns and old trees.

David Le Jardin's at the home once belonging to my Godfather, the Rev. Boyd Davis

When I was 9 or ten, I spend my time catching butterflies while listening to my dad talk about such things as the value of owning Cadillacs, and how if you have to ask how many miles to the gallon you get, you probably shouldn't be owning one!  The experience at the time was one of genteel elegance, with maids and butlers to look after our needs.  This was quite the juxtaposition, since we had just returned from one of our family camping experiences (read camping in old fashioned, no floor tents).

Blue Ridge Summit is where the elite from Washington spent their summers to avoid the heat in the early 1900's.  A railroad was constructed to get families up to the cooler clime and their homes. There were a number of summer embassies that operated here as well, plus some four, thousand bed hotels, which were all burned down once the automobile came into vogue and the tourists dried up.  It's now just a delightful, somewhat forgotten enclave of civility, populated in part by folks such as the Deputy Director of the CIA, who has nice digs overlooking the valley.  Around Blue Ridge you have some interesting real estate including Site C, the communications hub for the east coast military, Site R, the mountain that is carved out to house the government elite from Washington in the event of nuclear war or other calamities and the quintessential Camp David, where presidents retreat to when privacy and natural surroundings are called for.

David's home is surrounded by beautiful gardens, he being a Master Gardener.  His other skill set is historic tour guide which he accomplished with aplomb.  We took in both Gettysburg and Antietam in one day.  The magnitude of death and destruction between the north and south is something to behold, when in one four hour period in a corn field at Antietam, 10,000 soldiers died (basically one soldier every second).

Antietam Cornfield in distance where 10,000+ died in 4 hours of fighting

On Thursday, 9th, I had a leisurely morning stroll with David, and we toured a home in the historic district that was for sale.  Seven bedroom, five bath older home on 3 acres for $345K.  Had a crazy thought it might make a good B&B, but it had been added on in sort of a higgly piggly way.  If you just had a big family that needed nice digs, $150K investment in fixing it up would make it into quite a stunner inside.  I left Blue Ridge Summit around 10:30 and drove to my cousin Nita Fancher's small rental unit in Braddock Heights just outside Frederick, Maryland.  Nice rolling country thereabouts, and after a brief tour of her rental unit, we headed into Frederick for lunch at The Orchard,

Nita Fancher at The Orchard Restaurant, Fredrick, Maryland

then toured the Civil War Medical Museum in the downtown.  Frederick is quaint with much potential, but growing exponentially with folks wishing to commute to Washington, DC from there, where prices are more reasonable.

After getting a tour of Nita's senior living residence called Spring Ridge, I drove to Reston, VA where my niece Ellie, is manager of one of three stores that sell boutique baby items. Reston is a high-end place, no doubt about it.  Around 5PM I drove past the store, and Ellie, in her bosses Honda Pilot, led me out to her bosses home where I could house the Go for a few days.  Since the driveway was being refinished, I parked along the road in front of a very imposing home, one of many in Great Falls, VA.  We got into D.C. and once settled, had a nice bite to eat on Ellie's deck.

Ellison Heath at Baby Boutique she manages in Washington, DC

Washington, DC is full of row homes, some of which have been beautifully restored.  Ellie, lives in one of these on the 2nd. floor where she and Rich (her significant other) have lived for 10+ years. The apartment is way convenient, near Dupont Circle and three metro lines, and a short walk to one of the stores she manages.  On Saturday morning after seeing Ellie off to work, I walked to the National Archives on the Mall, arriving around 10:30AM.  Quite a set up with exceptional security and customer service.  I  arrived, and was told I would have to register as a researcher, after which I needed to complete some pull forms for both my GG Grandfather's military and his wife's pension  records.  I then had a quick consult with another group and completed a form to pull the medical cards that would include those of my GG Grandfather, Henry N. Colston, from NH.

By 11:30 I was in the large and relatively opulent 2nd. floor reading room and I signed out the military papers associated with my GG Grandfather.  Was given all original documents and proceeded to photograph them, after which I did the same for his wife Rachel Colston's (Thornton) Civil War pension records.  Incredible to have these documents in my hand and to confirm my GG Grandfather was indeed on Hilton Head Island in 1862, and was then in St. Augustine, FL before being posted on extra  duty to Beaufort.

I went into the main reading room and signed out a large box of perhaps 300 alpha sequenced medical cards from the Civil War for as many soldiers.  I proceed to find my GG Grandfather's medical card that confirmed he was returned from St. Augustine to Hilton Head Hospital for chronic diarrhea, and debilitation.

Henry N. Colston's Medical Card from U.S.A. General Hospital, Hilton Head, S.C. 1863

He was mustered out of the NH Infantry Company F on May 8th, 1863, and returned to his home in NH.  He had left his wife Rachel and children in NH while at war, and lived till 1879, when he was hit by a horse drawn carriage and died at 49 years of age, thus setting up the pension for Rachel.

Go figure!  Here I thought I was the first person in my family to ever have resided on Hilton Head Island, and come to find out I was preceded by my GG Grandfather by 153 years.  Then, to learn he worked as a male nurse as I have done was just icing on this genealogic story.

On Friday evening Ellie and I took Uber into the N.W. quadrant and had a pleasant outside dining experience at a place called Mintwood, then toured Kalorama, a neighborhood of large mansions.  Many of the mansions now house embassies.  Towards the end of our walk, I found myself in Massachusetts's Ave where my Godfather, the Rev. Boyd Davis had a home next to the Czechoslovakian Embassy in the early 60s.  Unfortunately, as a young lad I hadn't paid much attention to exactly where it was, just remembered being greeted by the butler who escorted us to our rooms in  the large and sometimes dark mansion.  Further investigation of this home will need to be made on a return trip to Washington, after I hopefully get some directions from my mother on the likely address.

Saturday morning I drove up to Baltimore to see my cousin, Chuck Fancher, along with his wife Heidi and their two boys and grandmother from Hawaii.  As usual, ate well, having a nice pancake breakfast at the Nickle Tap Booth, in the Mt. Washington neighborhood.  Mt. Washington is one of the nicer areas in Baltimore, which is kind of sketchy in places, with lots of homeless panhandlers in the downtown area.  Returning to D.C. about an hour's drive south, Ellie and I dinner at home with someone I had wanted to meet for years.

Tatiana Campbell, Boyd and Ellison Heath at Ellie's Apt. in Washington, D.C.

Her name is Tatiana Campbell, the daughter of my best childhood friend, David Campbell.  She came with her boyfriend Charlie and we had a lot of fun sharing stories of her family and generally getting to know her and Charlie.  Of all the people outside my immediate family, the Campbell's (Jean and George her grandparents) had the most impact on my world view and stimulated the wanderlust that in part still drives me to take off and experience what the world has to offer.  We wrapped up the evening on the back porch around 11PM and this guy took himself off to bed on the oversized air mattress that took up a large portion of the front living room.

On Sunday, Ellie had to do a little work at the store, then we took the metro towards the mall, getting off at El Enfant, and going to the Hirshhorn Museum where we took in a exhibition of  photographs from a renown Persian photographer.  Following this we toured the outside sculpture gardens before returning home and greeting Rich, who was just returning from a business trip to Seattle.  We again took Uber and headed back to a different part of the N.W. Quadrant called Bloomingdale.  We had another superb dinner on an outside patio while people watching, and then did a walking tour of the row homes.  This neighborhood until a couple of years ago was a drug haven, and now the renovated row homes give credence to the gentrification process ongoing in many part of the Washington.

Early (5:45AM) the next morning, Monday, July 13th, I headed the SUV back to Great Falls, VA and after picking up the Go, I plugged in "Home" as the destination on the GPS and following a very boring drive of 8 hours south on I-95 arrived in Bluffton. Along the way I was able to text Andrea, who suggested I not go immediately home as she had a surprise for me that wasn't quite ready.  Hearing this, I drove to the bike shop where I had purchased the defective Thule bike rack.  Jim, the owner and I surveyed the damage and why the rack had failed.  He took the mountain bikes into the shop for a gratis check-up and said he would follow-up further with Thule and would find a better solution for me.

The Go at nice digs in Great Fall, VA

I got through half a glass of Chardonnay at the Okatie Ale House, before Andrea called and said she was home and I could join her.  She proudly showed off our very pulled-together abode and surrounds that she had kept up in my absence.  While sipping a glass of wine with Andrea, I happened upon the surprise, a new Apple Desktop computer that the whole family had chipped in for, for my 65th birthday.  What a complete, unexpected and totally delightful end to my trip.  With all the photos I have and scanning to do for my genealogic work,  the Apple will be a blessing.

Did I learn anything from my cross country sojourn?  Oh yes, for certain! My home away from home, the Sylvan Sport Go is a great piece of engineering, that served me well whether on rough unpaved roads or motoring along at 80+ MPH across the desolate stretches in the West.  It was comfortable and turned heads everyone where I landed.  It will undoubtedly be my source of accommodation on many future road trips.  The two mountain bikes I loaded on top of the Go provided me an unparalleled way to intimately get to know the environment whether urban or pastoral.  I've also learned that not all campsites are equal when it comes to bathing opportunities, so lakes and rivers become a valuable resource, albeit with some limitations if exceptionally cold or not sufficiently private to bathe in!  While creating a Blog can be a great way to chronicle your travels and capture your thoughts, the process is very time consuming and should only be contemplated if you are willing to put a considerable amount of effort into it's creation and maintenance.

I will also venture to say that you can count on coming away knowing more about yourself when undertaking such an expansive trip. Of special note, is the enhanced value I place on family and the exceptional quality of people that make up my circle of friends.  To all those I visited, I extend a hearty thank you for your hospitality and the chance to again take part in some small ways in your lives.  Having traversed 11,000 miles across this continent of North America, I have to say, we in the U.S. have been blessed by it grandeur, beauty and yes, those still places of quietude that still nourish our souls.

Lastly, while I loved the adventure and the opportunity to gain on-the-ground experience in some of the best topography this exceptional land has to offer,  I could not escape the fact that I have a need for my daily fix of Andrea,.  She who radiates such a joy for life, and who engages so passionately in whatever we encounter together.  So Andrea, when are you retiring so we can trip the light fantastic on our magical mystery tours of the world together?   The world beckons, and we are just getting started on the grand adventure!

Spending Some Productive Time in Wisconsin and on to Toronto via Michigan June 17th - July 2

Well, dear reader, have to say I was recalcitrant not keeping up with this blog after hitting Wisconsin and Michigan.  My decision to move east on a quicker schedule panned out well, as some of the work I anticipated in Wisconsin took longer than first thought.  I wasn't able to download necessary drivers from the Epson Scanner I had purchased and sent on to my mother's, even after spending considerable number of hours with Epson support.  They finally gave up and recommended I call Microsoft support to see if they could resolve why the file wouldn't download.  I did connect with Microsoft for a one-time issue support of $99 and they resolved the issue by completely deleting all prior driver files and uploading the necessary file from the Epson site.  I called Epson Support to be compensated for the $99 since their product is guaranteed to work with Microsoft and they couldn't resolve and had to have Microsoft intervene.  At the present time they refuse to compensate me, and I will be following up with a letter indicating that my reviews of the product and support will not be favorable and this will not be conducive to their marketing efforts!

It's always a little difficult to be I.T. enabled at my mother's as she is of the generation that doesn't avail herself of computers/internet.  This state of affairs is becoming more untenable as everyone fully expects customers/patients to have internet and email.  I have by default become my mother's electronic communication conduit.

One of the main purposes for me scheduling days in Rhinelander/Minocqua beyond having quality time with my sister, John and mother, was to rebuild my sister's deck with Trex.  When I say deck it is a bit of an understatement as evidenced by the pics.  Trex delivered late on Monday and couldn't start work till Tuesday.  I shored up and leveled the supporting frame and John and I started laying the Trex on the Tuesday.  Later on in the afternoon, our expert deck builder Jim, showed up and we had to make a few alterations to the under frame, but essentially were  on track.  We finished up the upper deck that day, and later in the week, John, me and Jim laid down the balance of the Trex decking material.  The Trex decking is similar to tongue and groove wood, and is held onto to the deck with a plastic "T" piece that screws down between the boards and puts pressure on the Trex decking grooves.  Quite clever.  We did have to do some screwing of the deck on the starter boards to insure they were well adhered to the under frame. I left on the Sunday with just the side boards to be installed where Jim had built frames.  Only potential maintenance is to power wash occasionally if there is mildew over the winter.

John Brant and Boyd rebuilding Trex Deck at Susan & Johns House

Success!

This is a multi-tiered affair with lots of steps. We got the deck mostly finished before I had to leave on Saturday evening with the exception of the side skirting.

Beyond the hard labor, I was able during this time to complete scanning of a number of old family photos dating from the 19th and 20th century, which will be incorporated into the family genealogy. Mother clarified some information about some of the family members and we solved a riddle of some pictures we couldn't all identify, determining they were my great-grandfather and great-grandmother after extracting them from their museum mount frames.

Great Grandfather, John McCleary

Great Grandmother Mary Aline (Illingsworth) McCleary

I had lunch and dinner at the Rhinelander Pub with my mother and friends, Jean and George Pratt, and we had a great family dinner at Jacoby's Restaurant not far from Susan and John's.

Unfortunately, while I was with my mother at a hospital clinic, Susan got distracted and fell off the new deck, breaking a bone in her foot so had to be in a cast.  Coming up the stairs was quite a feat using a walker, plus a gardening chair and a swivel routine.

Susan is now in a walking boot so life is a little easier thank God.

Spent the last night at my mother's in Rhinelander and after being stocked up with home made cookies from my mother, took off at 6:30AM for Boyne Falls, MI to pick up Ryan, my stepson, who works at the Boyne Mtn. Resort as the Adventure Center Supervisor.  Got to Ryan around 2:30 PM after an uneventful drive across the Upper Peninsula and down over the Mackinaw Bridge.  This is always spectacular with bright blue skies reflected in the waters hundreds of feet below.  We motored West to Traverse City after catching a sub and a beer in the car and met Jeannie and Bonnie Sommers, old friends from Ann Arbor days when I worked at the University of Michigan Medical Center.  Had some good Michigan brews lakeside, transferred two cases of Rhinelander Shorty beers to Jeannie and then drove to our campground on the Leelanau Peninsula.  Very nice campsite located just feet from Lake Michigan.  Leelanau Pines Campground is one of the nicest I have stayed at, very clean and well organized.  Ryan enjoyed setting up the Go and we had spectators as is often the case when setting up the ultralight camper.

The next morning, June 29th, we drove to the Grand Traverse Lighthouse

at the tip of the peninsula then made our way down to Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes.

Ryan Ley squinting at Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes

This is truly one of natures wonders as it crests hundreds of feet high and continues in it's undulating mode to Lake Michigan with Glen Lake behind to add to the brilliance of the scene.  Ryan climbed some of the high dune and threw his frisbee disks far afield then jumped off and cartwheeled down the face of the dunes.  As usual, getting off the beaten track meant no one other than us were at this location, with 95% of the tourists climbing only the first hill then turning around to their cars.  Getting off the beaten path is always pays off when attempting to fully appreciate one's natural surroundings.  We had a great shared lunch in Glen Arbor, then into Traverse for a beer before retiring to camp in the evening.

Dropped Ryan off at the resort after a Yelp recommended breakfast at a hideaway joint in Traverse, then drove to Fort Gratiot, MI to stay with my old friend from elementary school, Bill Doyle.  Met his delightful, artistic and beautiful daughter Elizabeth and we had a nice dinner after chatting at his home.

Boyd with Elizabeth & Bill Doyle at their home - Fort Gratiot

We went into downtown Port Huron and had dinner along the Black River.  They mentioned it was only a three hour drive to Toronto from Port Huron, being right at the border crossing to Canada at Sarnia.  In the AM I made the decision to bypass Ann Arbor, though with regret as I wouldn't see my friendS Lori and Todd.  The combination of them coming in from Washington DC late in the evening and then adding three hours to my Toronto commute made my decision.

Elizabeth Doyle at restaurant - Port Huron

Around 9:30 the morning of July 1st. Bill and Elizabeth took me to a friend's restaurant in Port Huron for breakfast.  A most interesting place stocked with antiques and memorabilia.  After breakfast of stuffed blueberry french toast with honey cream cheese, I got on to the bridge to Sarnia.  After a short interrogation at the border into Canada, had a fast 3.5 hour trip to Richmond Hill (everyone doing about 20km/hr over the speed limit of 100km/hr.)  and a warm welcome at the Robertson's (Andrea's sister, brother-in-law and children Victoria and Jake).  We had a dinner of brats on their back deck and later rode out bikes to the Canada Day fireworks

about 4km away.  You know you are in Canada when there is a dude on stilts in hockey uniform.

Stilted hockey player - Canada Day Celebration Richmond Hill, Ontario

Had a fun time on the bike path in the night coming home with five of us tooling along with Jake barking out the future turns and twists along the path.

Today, July 2nd, is catch up day for email, and blog before picking up Andrea from Pierrson International Airport in Toronto around 7:45 PM.

Buffalo Bill Country - Buff at Big Horn National Park and On To Devil's Tower

Great drive to Cody, Wyoming, home of Buffalo Bill and the nation's rodeo capital.  Had been here with family back in 1990 en route to Calgary, Alberta, Canada where I was starting up a new business enterprise (Physician House Calls of Alberta).  My two children were young, just five and seven and they got a kick out of the white water rafting and rodeo.  Cody was always a favorite of mine, as there is a strong persona about it that appeals to me.  My son Dane, came close to being named Cody, but in the end, Dane won out.

Found a camping spot at the Buffalo Bill State Park, about seven miles west of Cody by the reservoir. Love the colored buttes in this part of the west,

Campsite at Buffalo Bill State Park, WY

especially has the sun goes down and the cliffs with their variegated colors change dramatically as the sun drops and receding.

View back of campsite at Buffalo Bill State Park

Once again, however, the campsite was too close to the highway to get away from the noise of the big rigs passing through at speed.  This campsite was a bit exposed and with only three campers in the 1/4  mile loop I felt more vulnerable and took the precaution of bringing the pepper spray into the Go for  the overnight period.

Upon entering Cody, I couldn't help but notice a lively looking establishment called Cassie's.  I had to text Cassie and joke with her that I wasn't aware she had secretly made such a non-traditional investment in this part of the west.

Cassie's Bar & Lounge, Cody, WY

When first driving into Cody, I recognized Wyoming Rafting from my prior trip in 1990, and on a lark went in and signed up for a 1.5 hour rafting trip down the Shoshone River which was running high with all the rain they had been receiving.  I put two layers on top expecting to be a bit chilled during the ride downriver.  We bussed it down to the river which was only minutes away from the office, and I was put in the front of the raft to help paddle.  It was partially overcast and the sun would pop out occasionally.  A number of the passengers had not chosen to get rain slickers from the company, and were quite cold from the water splashing up and around when crashing through the waves generated from the rapids.  About half the passengers left the rafting experience after 30 minutes and were dropped off at a designated spot.  The balance of us now in lighter rafts made fast time despite headwinds downriver.  The Shoshone was running at 6,500 cubic  feet per second, with the reservoir 95% full, with many trees standing in water.

Our guide did a great job of navigating and we apparently did well under his command paddling as necessary to position the raft to safely maneuver around eddies that could potentially flip the raft. My only issue was the cold water on my hands which resulted in my Renaud's kicking in, leaving my fingers white and numb.  Took 10 minutes under warm water upon return to get the blood circulating properly again and to bring  feeling back.

The next morning I broke camp in about an hour and headed east driving through Ten Sleep Wyoming, where I had a somewhat bland lunch of chicken Parmesan.  Ten Sleep is a small burg, with no grocery store.  It got it's name from the Indians.  Back in the day, many Indian tribes would pass along this route between gathering places, and Ten Sleep was actually ten sleeps (overnights) between Grey Bull and another major meeting place.  The trip on to Bighorn National Park was highlighted by canyons cut out from rushing rivers with multi-colored towering buttes standing watch above.

I was thrilled to see along the way, a low wooden barn with a sod roof that was slowly disintegrating back to nature.  Am sure there were many more in past years before modern roofing materials found their way to these isolated parts of the west.  I found Sitting Bull campground without effort about twenty miles from Ten Sleep and found my reserved site #6 overlooking a large meadow that rose up to a forested area bisected by a fast flowing mountain stream.

Campsite by meadow - Sitting Bull Campground, Bighorn National Park, WY

Soon after setting up camp I went exploring the area on my mountain bike, then took the car up the highway to see a chapel in the woods the park host had mentioned.

Tranquil Chapel in the Woods - Bighorn National Park, WY

This Episcopal chapel for travelers was nestled amongst the pines in the open area, and there was a tranquility there that was awe inspiring.  It was a simple affair, surrounded by a wood split rail type enclosure, with wooden plank seats and a simple wooden alter with cross.   Way to go to be closer to God!

I travelled along the same dirt road gaining elevation as it climbed through open meadows, and turned off to go to a now abandoned fire watch tower that was built by the CCC in 1942.   I climbed the tower and had an uninterrupted panoramic view of the surrounding countryside.  Sans mosquitoes and with a warm sun to bask in, I couldn't resist going au naturelle.  While I did capture this event digitally, I chose to only share with my wife, since the typical reader would undoubtedly see more of this person than they would want to see. And at any rate this is a "G" rated communication tool:) Viewing of said pic would have to come at the discretion of Andrea, while I remain in absentia somewhere in the hinterlands of America.

1942 Fire Watch Tower, Big Horn National Park, WY

This is one of only three fire watch towers from this era left standing in the Big Horn Park.  These towers were manned over the summers usually by couples, and were the principal means of gathering information on fires during that time period before satellites made them obsolete.

Further along the dirt road, I came upon an abandoned log cabin with it's roof caved in from past winter snows.

Rustic-dilapidated log cabin

It was so melancholy looking and I wondered who would have put such an effort into building a small cabin in such a remote location.  There was evidence of  a corral, so horseback was probably the mode of transportation at the time of construction.

With my exploring satisfied for the day, I returned to camp and settled down in my lounge chair overlooking the meadow for a glass, make that two, of Viognier wine with the last of my cheese snack crackers.  The evening brought rain and I snuggled down into my winter sleeping bag as the temp dropped to 35 degrees overnight.

Made some coffee broke camp and headed east out of the mountains through Power River Pass at almost 10,000 ft. elevation.

I was above the clouds as I descended to the plains below and it was ethereal from that vantage point.

View down from Powder River Pass

Along the way, small herds of elk could be seen up in the meadows.

I pointed the SUV towards Devil's Tower, a unique geologic entity in the middle of relatively flat open country. up flow that later was surrounded by sedimentary rock, which has since eroded away.

Devil's Tower, WY

Upon entering you couldn't help but be entranced by the ubiquitous prairie dogs.

Ferret Food

I thought what a treat our old ferret would have.  She would have thought she had died and go to heaven to see all those four footed creatures laid out like a smorgasbord before he.  Took a short drive down the road to Sundance, not of Robert Redford fame.  This town was more typical of a cattle oriented town in the west, stolid if uninteresting.  The bank building says it all.

Stolid Sundance State Bank

Still is had a quaint bar/restaurant which I took advantage of.

Longhorn Bar and Restaurant, Sundance, WY

I concluded a long day's drive through boring, flat, Iowa in Worthington, MN where after going in to five  different hotels, I found one, the Comfort Inn that had a vacancy.  Go figure.  Didn't think I would have any problems finding a place, but by the time I arrived, with the time change to Central Time, it was 8:30PM and the standard fare of hotels at the interstate were solidly booked out.  Am looking at about a 6-7 hour drive today, June 17th, to Rhinelander where I will lovingly throw my arms around a sprightly 95 year old lady, called Bettina; my mom.

Spokane, WA and on to Yellowstone National Park

Monday June 8th broke bright and beautiful in Spokane.  Following one of those delicious real showers at the Monahan’s I progressed from cool downstairs to the first floor which had taken on some of the heat from the previous day and night, but was still comfortable.  As I entered the kitchen and looked out front, Beth in running gear was heading out for the same three-mile run we did previously.  I proceeded to turn on the coffee pot to get the day going chemically, since I didn’t choose to run and crank up the body through a run.  Dick and Liz soon arose and we reviewed my drive plan for Three Forks, Montana.  

Actual leave time turned out to be 7:30 AM, when I steered the Highlander and attached Go from their driveway on 38th St.  Spokane and the Monahan’s were super hospitable, and I was sorry to see them in my rear view mirror.  

The drive East was through the mountains and a relatively low level pass into the farmlands below. Montana looks like it must still be getting some rain, though crops were being irrigated with the large overhead sprinkler systems on wheels. After listening to Lawrence and the Arabs for a few hours via DVD, I arrived in Three Forks, and picked up a few supplies at what looked to be one of the few grocery stores, then found the Headwaters State Campground a few miles out of town. It may have been out of town, but was definitely within earshot of I-90.  Had a nice pastoral campsite in close proximity to the bathrooms and went exploring with my bike down to see the three rivers that come to a confluence in this area.  The rivers are the Madison, Gallatin and Missouri.  

Since the campground had no showers, I decided to find a secluded spot and stripped off for a quick bath.  The water was relatively warm and running fast, so it was necessary to stay close to shore. To the best of my knowledge, I bathed in the Madison River which was a short bike ride through pasture type land from the campsite.  Drove back into Three Forks for dinner and had a nice salad and glass of wine in the renovated Sacajawea Hotel. They did a beautiful job restoring the property and I would want to stay a night in the future, albeit with my lovely wife Andrea.

Boyd on side lawn of Sacajawea Hotel

Read for a while that evening then called it a night around 10PM with the sky still partially illuminated from the sun that had not long ago moved on to illuminate another part of the globe.  

Arose Tuesday early, and was visited by a young bunny.

Baby Bunny at Headwaters Campsite- Three Forks, MT

I then decided to head out to the West Yellowstone entrance as I was unsure of where the Flagg Ranch campground outside Yellowstone was located.  They didn’t answer any of my calls at the front desk so had to wing it.  Took a good 10 minutes to enter the park along with a throng of other vehicles. I learned at the visitors center, that the road that normally would allow me to drive to Old Faithful then exit from the south entrance was closed so I chose to drive to Canyon, where I picked up some info on hiking.  The rangers strongly suggested I rent or purchase bear-spray, since I would be hiking alone.  I took their advice and $49 later had a large but slender can with a specialized nozzle and holster.  Bob Pawlishyn, my friend from Hilton Head had worried that I had no protection, and with this, I have everything I need.  I doubt Bob was thinking of the bears, but this would be equally effective from 20’ on any human that threatened.  

Oh the Bison will roam

With a speed limit of 45 it took some time to navigate to Canyon, and the traffic was stopped along the way due to a pair of bison wandering along the road.  I went on to explore the North Rim of Yellowstone Canyon, and the upper falls. Quite a spectacular canyon with multiple hues of colored stone from yellow, through orange to red. Near the upper falls was a pinnacle of rock upon which nested, you guessed it if your are from Hilton Head, an Osprey with chicks that were just coming out of their shells. There were numerous cameras focused on the chicks since it is unusual to have a vantage point from above the nest.

I determined from the ranger at the Back Country Hiking office that my campground was located 2 miles south of the south park exit in Wyoming.  With this knowledge, I headed south, eventually getting on to the John D. Rockefeller Memorial Hwy, that took me directly to Flagg Ranch where I checked in and got the lay of the land and my campsite.  The campsite is somewhat dense packed with others, and close to the highway so there is considerable road noise to contend with.  This seems to be a common thread amongst campsites, probably as they need to be convenient to the highways. There were threatening clouds and thunder as I pulled in, and I quickly set up camp, which was just as well, as the heavens opened up shortly thereafter with me inside enjoying a glass of wine and listening to the large raindrops pounding away at the tent material.  

The rain eased off enough for me to go to the lodge and have dinner of bison taco salad at the bar, before I returned to the campsite and went for a short walk behind the camp.  While walking, I came upon a totally relaxed young male mule dear,

A relaxed Mule Deer behind Headwaters Campground - Flagg Ranch

just content to observe me as I walked past from some 50’ away.

Wednesday at 5:30AM I was out of the Go and in my car to explore the gravel road to Grass Lake. I wished to see if I could spot any wild beasties along the way.  It was foggy, and but for a few birds, didn’t see anything other than some remote campsites in the Targee Forrest.  These I found out are first come first served, and with Flagg Ranch only a few miles down the road, a good deal at $0.00 per night.

Found the Kapiti Trail Head and after changing from jeans into hiking shorts and shoes headed out on the trail.  Came across a pair of wary elk

Pair of Elk along Kapiti Trail to Clear Lake

soon after starting off across large, green meadow lands.  They kept their distance and I proceeded on to Clear Lake about a mile down the trail.  This is a beautiful blue-green lake which happens to be acidic, so bathing is ill advised.  

Boyd by Clear Lake

I then took the route to Lily Pad pond and on to Artists Point on the South Rim of the canyon. Hoards of people there but beautiful views of the Lower Falls.  

Upper Falls and a Hilton Head Hiker

The ranger spoke of how the canyon was unique in the world as is was created from a lava flow, softened/weakened by geysers, and eventually carved out in a mater of a century 14,000 years ago with the end of the ice age.  That amazed me, as it is some 1,000 feet deep. Also of note, is that under normal snow conditions, you can't enter to Artists point till July, but this years meager snowpack had already melted which afforded me the opportunity to explore the area.

From Artist's Point I continued to follow the South Rim trail to Uncle Tom’s trail which descends some 500’ via 328 steps to a viewing platform close to the Lower Falls.  

Upper Falls, Yellowstone Canyon

The trail was rated for 45  minutes, however even at 8,000 ft. elevation I surprised myself by ascending in seven minutes to the top. The trail then proceeded along the South Rim to the Upper Falls where you could see tourists on a platform across on the North Rim.  Also of note was some serious snow still banked on the cliffs not far from the falls.  I looked for what I thought I remembered was a trail that transects the Clear Lake Trail back to Kapiti Trail Head, but after going back and forth for a while, I gave up and retraced my hike to Clear Lake and back to the trail head. I was one tired puppy with somewhat sore heals, upon conclusion of the 12 mile hike.  Beer and snack time upon return to the Highlander since the cooler was keeping things at a nice cold temp even while away for a few hours.  

On the drive South, came upon more of the Mud Caverns,

A cauldron of hot springs and mud

and a huge male Elk along the road,

At least here I can say " nice rack"

which had stopped traffic in both directions.  The Elk still had all of it's velvet on the antlers and was quite a sight to behold, therefore the traffic jam along the roadway. Was pretty exhausted when I got back to the Go, so took a quick nap before cleaning up for the day with a pleasantly warm and long shower. Had dinner at the lodge again as it is so convenient, and it was threatening rain, which just makes dinner outside a drag.

Last Day In Yellowstone and on to the Grandeur of Grand Teton National Park

Decided this needed to be primarily a driving day today as the 12 mile hike yesterday to Clear Lake and on to the Lower and Upper Falls of Yellowstone Canyon had worn me out a bit with some heels that were a little sore.  All things considered however, the lightweight Merrell boots Andrea and I purchased while in North Carolina before I left on the trip have worked out very well.  I would recommend them as I have encountered no blisters which is a blessing.  I was thinking back to hiking in Nepal when I was 22 years of age, in double soled Indian moccasins.  They were comfortable for the average walk but totally lacked arch support and were a bitch in the cold of the Annapurna Base Camp ay some 14,000 ft. In those days the alternative (unless you deemed yourself a self-respecting Hippie like me), were heavy leather hiking boots that often had to be well broken in with multiple blisters along the way. 

Heading north again, I saw workman taking down the sign that the bridge to Old Faithful was out, so asked, and they said it was supposed to open at 7AM.  Since it was then 6:45, I changed plans spur of the moment like, and instead of driving to Tower-Roosevelt and Lamar Valley, detoured west to Old Faithful.  The geyser did erupt on schedule around 8:15AM, but the area was shrouded in clouds, so the net effect was less than exciting as the steam from the geyser blended so well with the fog from the clouds. ^th century when it became unmanageable, and Congress then chose to have a monopoly concessionaire, which is still primarily the case today.  Lots of lodging right at Old Faithful should one choose to accommodate oneself in style.

A subdued looking Old Faithful in the clouds

I did hook up with a guided ranger tour through Geyser Hill with its bubbling pools, timed and untimed geysers and colored calcifications from the thermophiles (bacteria that like hot water conditions).  After a talk about the history of Yellowstone, which at least for the white man, started in 1872.  It was at this time that Congress sent an expedition to the area, based on rumors from trappers that there were steam geysers in the area.  Soon this to be the first national park.  There were then numerous concessioners in the park till the turn of the 20th century when Congress decided a monopoly would be best.  There is a great deal of nice lodging right at Old Faithful for those willing to pay the piper.

After leaving Old Faithful, I turned north on the Grand Loop Rd. towards Madison where I first came in from the west entrance.  From there I drove up to Mammoth Hot Springs, but only after a considerable wait along the way.  Large mudslides had closed the road and big earth moving equipment was trying to clear the way.  Did see a young black bear along the way. 

Young Black Bear near roadside

You inevitably know that there is exceptional wildlife present when there are 40-50 cars parked haphazardly by the roadside often with rangers directing traffic.  So it was in this case. 

Mammoth Hot Springs is indeed mammoth, with multiple flows covering encrusted travertine rock along a stretch of perhaps a half mile.  I climbed up to the most significant flows and did marvel at the orange coloring of the rock from the thermophiles. 

Mammoth Hot Springs

Old flows were a bright, bleached out white which provided a great deal of contrast to the palette of rocks.  Many of the tourists were paying more attention to the Mule Deer across from the hot springs than the springs.  It does show how starved many of us are for nature, in that we will spend a good deal of time and effort trying to photograph the creatures, who in some cases have become inured to the crowds of people and their vehicles. 

From the hot springs it was a pleasant drive through the mountainous terrain to Tower-Roosevelt and on to Lamar Valley, which is a positive must-see.  Saw another black bear, multiple pronghorn antelopes

Pronghorn Antelope by the roadway

and elk along the 5 miles I ventured into the valley.  Best times to visit are in the early morning and at dusk, when it is said you can see numerous wolves and bear out foraging for their food.  I have yet to see any wolves, but haven’t been out in the Lamar Valley at the right time to observe them. 

It takes me too long to drive there from the south entrance to be there as day is breaking unless I arose at 3AM.  I arrived back at camp around 5:30, tired from my ten hours stopping off and driving around Yellowstone.  Cleaned up with a shower within the context of the customary stalls with their white plastic shower curtains.  Gotten into the routine of cleaning up in the evening post hiking, then on to the lodge for dinner and a glass of wine, while uploading pics from the camera and phone.  They say they have internet, but I haven’t been able to get on the limited bandwidth from the satellite connection.  Dinner at the lodge has now become a nice, albeit more expensive routine, than trying to fix something for myself at the campsite which for two days had been getting rain in the evenings.  It is staying light here now till around 10PM, but I am generally turning off my Kindle around 9PM (nothing new there J).

This AM, June 12^th,  I tried to get on the internet at the lodge, but again to no avail.  I left around 6:30 and turned the SUV south toward Grand Teton National Park.  Before too many miles passed, the sights of the Tetons just blew me away,

The Tetons

especially against the alpine lake waters.  I pulled off at the String Lake Trailhead and had a nice leisurely hike around the lake for an hour and half while texting a few folks with current pics and talking to David Love on the phone. 

Had a quick snack by the String Lake picnic area then drove further south with the goal of getting to Jackson Hole, WY. 

String Lake and Teton in background

Jackson Hole has a special place in my heart.  In 1971, returning from the Rose Bowl, Conrad Johnson, a young lady who must remain nameless (because I can’t remember) and myself, got a drive away car in L.A. that needed to be driven to Chicago.  It was a big Olds, with a huge 8 cylinder engine, with all the bells and whistles of the time.  I well remember coming out into Nevada and finding no speed limit at the time, so we hiked it up to 110 MPH and made tracks.  We had a set number of days and miles to get to Chicago.  All that being said, the snow was beckoning, and Conrad had friends living in a trailer in Jackson Hole.  To make a long story short, we disconnected the odometer, and made for Jackson Hole where we had a great time skiing, and drinking beer that was made in 55 gallon trash bins within the trailer.  The problem came trying to get back on to the interstate.  The snow kept coming and we ended up being stranded in Fargo North Dakota for a night of Pinochle at the at hotel bar.  We had told the owner of the Olds that the Interstate was closed, which it definitely was, but then we were over a hundred miles from the Interstate at that moment, with a few hundred extra miles on the car before the odometer was reconnected.

Well, back to Jackson Hole. I drove into Teton Village which is now quite glitzy in comparison to 1971, and bought a ticket for the aerial tram which didn’t exist when I was last here.  $32 later I had a ticket and went up to the top of Rendezvous Peak at some 10, 770 ft.  It was a spectacular view with those awesome, bright, clear blue skies.  Grand Teton Peak was showing it’s majesty at over 13,000 ft. 

Grand Teton

The downhill runs were ridiculously steep, and I can only think that this is not the area I skied back in the day, with only jeans as protection from the cold.

Another View from  atop Rendezvous Peak

Had a nice lunch at the Mangy Moose Restaurant and Bar, then rence S. Rockefeller Preserve which has some great displays and history on the Phelps Ranch that was donated to the American People in 2007.  On the way back came across a nice Moose.

Mr. Moose

Following this treat, made my way back to the Flagg Ranch campsite where I proceeded to open my lounge chair, pour some Chardonnay and enjoy the balance of the afternoon sun and warmth.

It's the morning of June 13th, and I am off early to hike up Death Canyon.  What a great hike with views of Phelp's Lake, staggeringly beautiful creek and snow still present in the valley's niches.

Phelp's Lake

The inveterate hiker at Phelp's Lake Overview

Came across a party of four  who were rock climbing.   I hiked the 4 miles to the Static Peak Junction, also called Alaska Basin, with a log patrol hut, horse rings and corral. The only creatures to be seen on the way up were some curious Woodchucks and ground squirrels,besides the ever present Robins.  On my way down, a runner of 20 something in just running shorts and water pack came jogging up the hill I had just traversed while breathing heavily.  He asked about the views further up and I told him they were  spectacular with the rushing creek.

Rushing Creek in Death Canyon

He said he had only limited time as he had to attend a wedding in Teton Village.

I proceeded down and found the runner and three other hikers at the Phelp's Lake overview.  One lady was still breathing heavy and was discussing the large brown bear that was in the middle of the trail that she turned away from.  They hesitated to proceed, so I took out my handy bear spray and led the way down.  We had no incidents and didn't come across the bear.  Hiked the rest of the way down with the runner whose name is Kyle, and who lives in Burlington, VT. He is an ultra marathoner, and therefore this energetic training style!

The 8.5 mile hike covered uphill elevation gain of 2100 ft. and I completed the hike in 3.5 hours.  Have now made my way to Jackson, where I got the car washed and am presently in Starbucks completing this post, which of necessity requires the internet.