Day 9 of the travel photo challenge Su of Zimmerbitch asked me to participate in, no explanation needed for the photo. I’m going with the retro look today for this Yellowstone shot. Today I’m nominating Dan of NoFacilities. Dan, if you’d like to participate, please pingback or link to my post or blog. And have fun.
After watching Old Faithful erupt, we were ready to head back to the cabin. It had been a long day–great, but long. The highway took us past another part of Yellowstone Lake (this time on my side of the van!) The lake covers 136 square miles and has 110 miles of coastline. Those dry statistics aside, it’s simply beautiful, and the approaching sunset made it even more so. At one picture stop, we able to rescue a family whose van battery needed a jump. Out came the trusty jumper cables that I always carry in our van and their van was good to go…at least if they didn’t stop until they could get a new battery or get it charged! It’s always good to be able to help someone.
The alarm goes off at 4:15 am and I fumble in the dark to turn off the unfamiliar clock. I’m forced to turn on the light eventually but Bill will have to get up soon, too. After getting dressed, I load the cooler with lunch fixings and snacks, grateful for the list I wrote the day before when I wasn’t sleepy. Then it’s time to wake the rest of our group and when our older daughter and her boyfriend arrive, we load ourselves into the van (most of us wrapped in blankets) and we’re off on a one-day whirlwind trip to Yellowstone National Park, America’s first national park and a unique place.
It will take us about 3 1/2 hours just to get to the park’s entrance, not because of simple distance but because that distance has many literal ups and downs and the first part of our trip is on an unimproved road. For “unimproved road”, read “a road that you’re lucky to go 30 mph on.” The washboard surface can slow you to about 5 mph and the effect of hydroplaning without the water. Luckily, the road is relatively smooth this year and we can make good time.
We leave in the dark.
After driving 2 days and over 1700 miles, I look forward to sitting on the Megabus for the 6 ½ hour ride from Chicago to Cleveland, even though it means I have to be up early to get to the Metra station for the express train into the city. A man asks if I need help getting my big suitcase onto the train and I’m thankful for the help, since the crush of people could be a problem. The train is completely full, so I hang back when we arrive, letting the crowd go by before heading for the restroom (try getting a suitcase and carry-on suitcase into a stall!!), then up the escalator to the street.
This, that and the other thing 