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Published: August 18th 2013
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HORNS A'PLENTY
Downtown Jackson, WY Annette and Tom were leaving the reunion and flying north to the Arctic Circle to tour around the Svalbard Archipelago. Steve and Ellie were heading south to New Zealand and the rest of us were driving east or west to our homes. We decided to do some exploring on the way back to California so when we left the Black Hills we headed for the back roads of Wyoming, Idaho and Oregon. We probably wouldn’t have found Crazy Woman Battlefield, Rattlesnake Lane, Poison River, Massacre Rocks or my personal favorite, Bumpass Hell, along the interstate highways.
Wyoming has to be one of the prettiest states in the union. Buffalo is an old frontier town which saw its share of battles both between Indians and settlers and between farmers and the cowmen. It sounds like a song from “Oklahoma.” Basque herders settled here to tend their sheep in the Bighorn Mountains because they (the mountains; not the shepherds) resemble the Pyrenees in Spain. All throughout Wyoming there are posted signs giving the name and ages of the various rocks. There are limestone rocks that are 350 million years old. We drove by sediment that was over 500 million years old…now that
BUFFALO
Beautiful beasts on the plain is some old stuff. We crossed the Powder River Pass at nearly 10,000 feet and saw spectacular rock formations and scenic vistas along the way. There were grazing buffalo and wild sheep and antelopes. And the nicest part was that there was very little traffic on the roads, which allowed us to meander along at a leisurely pace.
We found a great place to stay in Thermopolis which is surrounded by natural hot springs and geothermal displays. A treaty signed by the U.S. Government, the Arapaho and Shoshone Indians guarantee free access forever to the mineral springs and that is still true today. This is the largest hot springs area in the world pouring forth millions of gallons of mineral water every day at a constant temperature of 135 degrees.
We had dinner at the Safari Restaurant where every square inch of space is filled with dead things, I mean big game trophies. It was kind of eerie to have stuffed lion, bear and zebra, to name a few, watching us eat.
We were crisscrossing the Oregon Trail as we made our way through Wyoming. There are places where the wheel ruts from the wagon trains can
OLD GLORY
A unique arrangement of pennants in Thermopolis, WY still be seen.
The next day we drove up the Wind River Canyon…another nature wonderland. We made it all the way to Jackson Hole and watched the sunset over the rugged Grand Tetons. We like the downtown with its western style buildings, old wooden sidewalks and the elk antler arches around the main square.
Crossing into Idaho, we took another scenic byway to Craters of the Moon National Monument. This huge volcanic plateau located in the south-central part of Idaho is a geologist’s dream-scape. Rivers of lava cover the countryside, along with cinder cones and thermal vents. The last eruptions were 2000 years ago and supposedly witnessed by the Shoshone Tribes.
We passed thru Picabo (I see you) and Magic City and spent the night in Mountain Home. Since we were missing baseball we decided to order Mexican food and watch the All-Star Game in our hotel room followed by a moonlight swim in the hotel pool.
We took Highway 20 across Eastern Oregon over Stinking Water Pass and into the tiny town of Hines where we had a choice of two restaurants for lunch, the graphically named Meat Hook Steak House or the Hilander Chinese
Café. We were badly in need of an Asian food fix so we opted for that one. Run by a husband and wife team, they put out some fine noodles. I don’t know where they get their fresh vegetables in this remote outpost but they manage to serve almost gourmet dishes.
We spent two nights at a resort outside of Bend, Oregon. The Seventh Mountain Resort is in the foothills of the Cascades near Mt Bachelor. A beautiful spot where we spent two days hiking along the Deschutes River, swimming and listening to three kids scream in the condo next to ours. Their young mother had her hands full with these toddlers.
Driving south, we passed Crater Lake and crossed back into California with the snow capped Mount Shasta dominating the skyline. Lake Shasta is experiencing low water levels due to the western drought. There are hundreds of houseboats sitting in their covered docks waiting to be rented. The lake is almost 100 feet down from normal levels which can make boating a bit of a challenge.
We had never visited Lassen Volcanic National Park, so we spent our final night of this trip nearby. This area
is called the “Land of Smoke” because the park is filled with boiling mud pots, sulphur springs, alpine lakes and volcanic caldera. Kendall Bumpass came here in the 1860s and was burned so badly by a 230 degree mud pot that he had to have his leg amputated. Thus the name “Bumpass Hell.” Lassen last erupted in 1914.
Then it was just a short drive back to Sausalito and our boat. After two weeks and 3700 miles our road trip came to a successful end. Exploring the western U.S. by car is such a joy and is quite a contrast to our usual floating travels. The sheer volume of wide open spaces is astounding. The physical beauty and natural diversity are awe-inspiring. The history is fascinating. On this trip, our family reunion was the splendid icing on the cake. And that’s how we spent our summer!
P.S. We just received word that my sister Judy has beaten cancer for the fourth time. We think it was all the positive vibes and love at the reunion that aided in her return to good health.
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bill krupa
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ENJOY
travel safe--stay healthy--have fun---Bill Krupa