Salt Lake City and the Salt Lake

In Salt Lake City we saw the Mormon Temple and the Mormon Tabernacle. We also saw the Great Salt Lake from Antelope Island.

Jackson Hole

After we left the Grand Tetons, we visited Jackson Hole, which has Elk Antler Arches on each of the four corners of the park there.

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Jackson is also known for the elusive Western Jackalope, a cross between an antelope and a jack-rabbit.

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This post was written by Theodore

The Grand Tetons

After we left Yellowstone, we passed through Grand Teton National Park, and went on to Jackson Hole. The Grand Tetons are a line of mountains named by French explorers.

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<-- The Grand Teton itself.

Disaster averted in Yellowstone

While we were in Yellowstone, we had to change the two front tires of the van because they were so worn out that the metal wires in the tires were showing. If we had waited a little longer to replace them, we could have suffered two flat tires.

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This post was written by Theodore.

Yellowstone Scenery

I (Theodore) have compiled some random pictures of Yellowstone scenery to finish our Yellowstone posts.

The Lower Falls

The Lower Falls of Yellowstone are the most photographed part of Yellowstone. We had to climb down 328 steps to get there.

Animals in Yellowstone

We saw a lot of different animals in Yellowstone. The different animals are, in order: bison, elk, black bear, bison, and elk.

Disaster Strikes!

We have a good bit to catch up on but here's a hot update. Late yesterday afternoon, on the road to Mesa Verde, the trailer suffered two flat tires within an hour of one another. The second flat occurred to the spare just installed. To make a long story short, we left the trailer on the side of the road and spent the night in a hotel in Cortez, Colorado. Shortly, I'll go out and get the first tire replaced and then try to recover the trailer. Stay tuned! Howard

In Yellowstone we saw Old Faithfull and Riverside geyser.

<--Riverside geyser.

Yellowstone

We didn't have an internet connection while in Yellowstone, so this post is three days late. On our first full day in Yellowstone, the day after we arrived, we went to some hot springs and saw some geysers (including Old Faithful).














<-- People used to catch fish in the lake and then dunk them in this little hot spring to cook.
















<-- Wild life near the hot springs

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<-- Nathaniel and I (Theodore) at the hot springs

Day Whatever in Montpelier

Howard here, we are Idaho, not Vermont, staying in a KOA along US-89 North to Yellowstone. Our planned stop yesterday didn't work out to our satisfaction and so we shifted campgrounds. So far, we have traveled 5009 miles in the car and are 2166 miles from home. We're staying three nights in Yellowstone where we won't have power in the camper nor an internet connection. If we find a hotspot, we'll update the blog. After Yellowstone, we have one night in Salt Lake City, two in Mesa Verde, one in Colorado Springs and then we'll head home via Kansas City where Eve and Maryrose will fly home on August 3. The boys and I will be back around August 6, one month from when we left.
Thanks for all the comments!

Day 19-Bryce Canyon

A - North Rim Grand Canyon
B - Bryce Canyon National Park

Rare photo of entire family - taken on Bryce Canyon Rim Trail July 24, 2010

Geologic Rorshach Test - Hoodoo you think this is?

On days 19 through 20, we stayed at Bryce Canyon in Utah. The canyon was formed by rain and snow erosion but not a river. It was infested with Hoodoos. Hoodoos are pillars of rock formed by erosion. Hoodoo is a West African word that some people think is from Voodoo. This name was given by the local Native Americans, who believed that they were an ancient race turned to stone by a demigod.

<--Maryrose standing in front of some Hoodoos.

<--The Queen Victoria Hoodoo.

































Written by Nathaniel.

Day 18-Grand Canyon

We went to see the Grand Canyon. It was a lot bigger than I(Nathaniel) expected.

This is an interesting squirrel Dad saw. (Kaibab squirrel - has tall ears, white tail, and chocolate body.)

Hoodoos not wifi

We are without wifi here at Bryce Canyon, so will catch up tomorrow from Downey, Idaho on our way to 3 days in. Yellowstone. Cheers!

A Hot Dam Tour in Las Vegas

Today we spent in Las Vegas, and went to see the Hoover Dam. This is Day 17 for us guys. The Hoover Dam was built to control flooding in the Colorado River, but it also generates electricity for the surrounding area.

<-- This is Nathaniel and Theodore (me) standing in front of Hoover Dam.

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.<-- These are some of the generators in Hoover Dam. Enough water goes through one of these generators in 6 seconds to fill an Olympic swimming pool.

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<-- These winged statues are called The Winged Figures of the Republic. "They express the immutable calm of intellectual resolution, and the enormous power of trained physical strength, equally enthroned in placid triumph of scientific accomplishment." -- Oskar Hansen

Disaster Thwarted in Death Valley

Our pop-up camper suffered a flat tire while we were in Death Valley. Luckily, we had all the right stuff to change the tire.

This post was written by Theodore

(Not this stuff below)

{There was a death in Death Valley.

Our tire retired.

We had a bad day in Badwater Basin.

~Maryrose}

Death Valley

<-- Today we went to Death Valley.

The highest temperature we saw was 121 degrees Fahrenheit, but 120 was the average.

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<-- We tried to cook an egg on the road, but it wasn't hot enough.

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<-- This is Badwater Basin, the lowest point in the US, at 282 feet below sea level.

Theodore wrote this post