Day 16: The Home Stretch and Top 10 Best Things
If you have been reading this blog for the last couple weeks, you have been following our vacation saga. We sure did a lot. The easy ride of Day 15 didn’t go as planned, but all in all it was not a disappointment because it got us that much closer to home; in actuality, it brought us just a few short hours from home.
I mentioned in my last post that we had driven the long 800 or so miles in one day to reach Bend Oregon. I also mentioned that after seeing so many beautiful things, it may have begun to pale. Well, when we hit the drive back through our home state I would say I have to take that back. We did decide to take a long vacation from our home state, but coming back reminded me of just how beautiful Oregon is. In our days of travel, as we met the local people of Idaho and Wyoming, we were also reminded, because many of those kind people also told stories of the wonders to be found here. If you have not made it out this way, and you love outdoorsy-type beautiful, I would definitely recommend it.
The Lava Flows
Our last scenic drive took us over the McKenzie Pass, which cuts through the Cascade Mountains of Oregon. Although it may seem logical that, among so many active volcanoes, there would be lava somewhere, somehow seeing lava flows outside of places like Hawaii always surprises me. The McKenzie-Santiam Pass Scenic Byway is one of the best places to see the evidence of one of these lava flows.
Driving through dense National Forest, you come to a place in the pass where out spewed tons of lava, and still after 1500 years nothing seems to grow. Here is a picture of where lava has flowed from Little Belknap around two much older flows that had grown vegetation.
Of course, much like Eskimos of the North, Hawaiians, masters of all things volcanic have a word for this pattern of nature: kipuka. It is quite a neat thing to see.
Another cool thing to check out when you are in this neck of the woods is the Dee Wright Observatory.
Built from chunks of lava rock, this observatory is very cool.
When you enter the observatory and look through the thick walls to the outside, each window is pointed at a different labeled mountain; the little room gives the names of each mountain in the panorama. Quite a creative feat of engineering.
When you climb to the top of the structure for a clear view of the area, there is a brass “mountain-dial” that gives you the same type of mountain identification but now in a unobstructed 360 panorama.
Just a really neat place to visit.
Driving through these familiar trees, I was certainly starting to feel back at home.
When you have spent enough time in the outdoors in a specific place: hunting, loafing, camping, relaxing, the signature of the ecology of a place just tells you where you are. I have spent a quite a few months of my life in a few different forested areas around this country, and at one time I would guess that if you dropped me blind folded into one forest or the other, I would be able to tell you where I was. I’m pretty certain that if you did it today I could tell you if I was home.
Yellowstone Vacation – Blogging Scrapbook and Cameras
This has been the first trip I have blogged about, and certainly I have had to leave out so many details of the trip. I really liked blogging about it, because usually I have created a lazy woman’s version of scrapbooking for our adventures, and with digital cameras it certainly is a much different experience than the days where I packed up 20 or so rolls of 35mm film. In all honesty, and I think I have mentioned it in this post, I do miss using my 35mm. I plan to purchase a digital SLR soon. Digital SLR camera’s prices have come down, and I would like to see if a digital SLR will satisfy me or if I need to just keep both a digital and a 35mm with me when I travel.
There are certainly pros and cons to using either a 35mm or digital camera. I have been using digital cameras now for years, and perhaps I have become a snob, but it has somehow taken some of the fun out of shooting pictures. I really hope that getting an digital SLR will bring some of that back. One thing I have considered is that like a musical instrument, a camera has to feel real good in your hands, perhaps me and my digital camera just never made friends with each other.
Yellowstone Vacation – The Final Mileage Count
I calculated the final mileage for the trip and it came out to 3400 mile, give or take about 30. This is actually one of the shorter of our epic two week road trips, mileage wise. This trip was quite good considering what we saw and the fun we had. We actually stayed in one place, touring each day from a home base, more this trip than the others which were very large touring loops. It was great that we could do that on this trip.
There are pros and cons to both driving forward every day or so and establishing a home base. Setting up a home base to travel from gives a better impression of one particular location; a real flavor for an area. Overall, I wouldn’t have changed much on this trip, other than to add a day here or a day there.
Yellowstone Vacation – Top Tens
During our vacation we play a sort of game where we talk about our “tops” every couple days. I like it because it keeps our conquests fresh in our minds, and keeps us thankful of the road we had journeyed on. We share the things we found interesting and the time is really an investment in spending even more quality time together. This road trip was just a wonderful time and had no lack of quality time.
So I have consulted with my other half and we only give our opinions on these things with the stipulation that we can change our minds at a moments notice. Smiles… really it is much too hard to put these in any fair order, as it was all such a great time, but here is a quick shot…
I have added a link to the description of the location or event, click to read…
Number Ten – The Oregon Coast, Riding Trains, and Checking Out New Instruments:
Day 2: There’s Something Beautiful About Trains and Instruments
Number Nine – Idaho Scenic Drives:
Number Eight – The Cody Rodeo:
Number Seven – Seeing Wildlife:
Day 6: Back in Time – Second Day in Yellowstone
Day 9: Day 5 in Yellowstone, Norris, and Our First View of the Tetons
Number Six – Dinner at Mammoth Hot Springs, Dinners at Jackson Hole, Picnicking in the Tetons:
Day 9: Day 5 in Yellowstone, Norris, and Our First View of the Tetons
Day 12: Jackson Hole, the Tetons, and Lots of Hot Air
Day 13, 14, and 15, Bliss, and 812 miles
Number Five – Camping:
Day 7: Yellowstone to Beartooth Highway – Awesome
Number Four – Thermopolis, Dino Museum and Site Dig:
Day 11: Cody, Dinosaurs, and Jackson Hole
Number Three – Excelsior Geyser & Prismatic Spring:
Day 5: Back in Time – First Day in Yellowstone
Number Two – Beartooth Highway:
Day 7: Yellowstone to Beartooth Highway – Awesome
Number One – Hot Air Ballooning:
Day 12: Jackson Hole, the Tetons, and Lots of Hot Air
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Of course being on a road trip is just fabulous in my book, and putting the Tetons and Yellowstone on the list would be too obvious. Geysers should be on there, and horse back riding, but this list could just be easily a top 30 or 40 list.
What a great time, and thank you all for traveling with me. It has been fun having you along.
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