Response from Avis
The rep from Avis indicated that this was the deer incident and not the windshield incident. Her email stated that a "computer glitch" resulted in not recognizing the accident report I had submitted. She said they have now found it and are aware that I purchased the liability damage waiver. Therefore, I was not required to provide my insurance company information.
After the big sigh of relief, I decided I needed this in a more substantial form than merely an email. I sent another message asking that a hard copy of this be mailed to my home from Avis. The rep replied saying that the system can only generate automatic hard copy letters such as the one I received; she could not put her correspondence with me into a paper letter. However, she noted that she could send emails, faxes, or make phone calls. Since every hotel I stay at has a fax machine, this worked perfectly. I told her to fax this to me at my next hotel. I did not get a response by the time I left the current hotel. I wasn't sure whether or not she'd really do it.
My opinion on this is that the so-called "computer glitch" was a convenient excuse. It is just my opinion, but I'm guessing these rental companies attempt to intimidate people, even when they have purchased the liability damage waiver. They hit the driver with a threatening letter that has very short deadlines. If they can get the driver to provide the rental company with insurance company information, they can pressure the insurance company into paying for the damages. Then they get to pocket the liability damage waiver. Once the intimidated driver suddenly realizes they purchased LDW and let their insurance company know, it's too late. The insurance company would decide it's not worth it to fight the rental company for a reimbursement. Instead, the insurance company can just hit the driver with increased premiums for three years. It's important to always be diligent. It's too bad we have to be this way but we do.
Graceland
My next destination was Graceland, Elvis Presley's home. This is in Memphis, Tennessee. I was in Arkansas, near the TN border. Graceland was about twenty minutes away.
View Larger Map
The address I got from the web site took me to a one lane driveway. A bus was currently pulling out of it so I couldn't go in. I pulled off to a side street and called the office. I was informed that parking is available across a busy road from the estate. Signs did not seem to be very visible from the direction that I came.
When I pulled into the parking area, there was a long line to pay for parking. Parking costs $8, cash only. How am I supposed to get hotel points out of this purchase when they won't accept a credit card?
While waiting in line, I heard on the radio that Obama had just landed at the Memphis airport, on the way to the first presidential debate in Oxford, Mississippi.
Elvis is of course huge in this part of Memphis. There are multiple restaurants, museums, etc. focusing on the "King of Rock n Roll." Visitors can tour his private jet (I didn't). There are numerous gift shops near the parking lot. The mansion tour costs $27 if you don't have AAA or any other opportunity for a discount. Every 5 - 7 minutes, a shuttle bus came by to take people across the road for the tour. As people lined up, they were given electronic devices with headphones. (This type of device was provided at President Andrew Jackson's home near Nashville.) Dialing a particular number on the device would provide an audio tour.
When the bus dropped us off in front of the mansion, a guide gave us the rules. We could take as many pictures as we wanted, as long as we didn't use a flash. There were no guided tours; we just had to use our devices to get an audio tour. Staff were available in each room for questions. (They are also useful when the device stops speaking and you need to know what number to dial to get the narrative for the current room.) See the photos.
Elvis bought the estate in 1957 for $100,000. He moved his parents into the estate since they lived modestly while he was growing up. The mansion is nice but not gigantic. The formal rooms were elegant but not opulant like some of the presidential homes I've seen. (Examples of very opulent presidential homes would be Washington's and Rutherford Hayes' home. I would later see Benjamin Harrison's home and that could go on the list of opulent homes.) Elvis is a "king" so it's surprising. :) The kitchen seemed like a normal kitchen from the era. There was a room in the back on the first floor called the "Jungle Room." This room screamed out that it was from the 70s, but was tacky even by 70s standards. It's dark green with fake fur furniture. This was a makeshift recording area. There is even an artificial waterfall in the room. Outside, there are television sets which show the room in great detail, just in case a tour was so big that people missed the room. The basement rooms were late 60s/early 70s rooms. There was a billiard room and a family room with a bar. The second floor is not open to tours in order to respect the privacy of the former occupants.
Outside, there is a horse pasture and a building that Elvis and his friends used as a firing range. There is also a scale model of the home where he grew up in Tupelo, Mississippi. A separate building is known as the "Trophy Building." It contains his gold and silver records. It also has various outfits worn in performances. On the walls are posters for Elvis movies and other advertisements. See the photos.
A small pool is next to the house. Near the pool are the graves of Elvis, his parents, and Vernon Presley. Vernon had the graves moved to Graceland to prevent vandalism. There are numerous religius statues and memorials surrounding Elvis' grave. See the photos.
There were NO Elvis impersonators anywhere on the property or in the gift shops or anywhere else. I was surprised at that. But, maybe they wanted to keep this respectful.
After getting in the car, I heard on the radio that McCain had landed in Memphis on his way to the debate. I drove around Memphis a bit. I found that Graceland was only a few miles from the airport where both McCain and Obama landed.
Mississippi
I then went on to Mississippi. This was mostly a token visit so I could include one Gulf State in my trip. But, I did want to see northern Mississippi a bit. However, it was late in the day so I didn't have time to see much. At least this wasn't a token visit like the one I did in Oklahoma.
I stopped in the Mississippi Welcome Center. I don't think MS is a big tourism state (postcards are difficult to find). The staff at the Mississippi Welcome Centers are always very friendly. In this case, they were ready to give me a free soda. See Welcome Center photos.
I drove down I-55. I passed by Batesville. There was a billboard announcing that Batesville was the gateway to the first presidential debate in 2008. The Batesville exit would eventually take people to the University of Mississippi in Oxford. It was about twenty minutes from the interstate. I didn't go to the Batesville exit on the way down as I wanted to preserve daylight.
I went as far south as Tillatoba, about seventy to eighty miles from the Tennessee border. I was going to see one of the lakes near I-55, but the daylight was waning. I still had a long drive ahead of me as I had to be in Hayti, Missouri, for my next hotel.
View Larger Map
I stopped in Batesville. I almost thought about driving to Oxford just to see what it looked like right before the presidential debate. But, then I feared there might be a massive traffic jam and I still had hours to drive. I headed back to I-55 and listened to the debate on the way up to Missouri.
View Larger Map
GPS Adventures
After leaving Mississippi, I had to pass through Tennessee, Arkansas, and into southeast Missouri. The hotel was just off an I-55 exit. However, the GPS saw fit to take me off the interstate just after crossing into Missouri. It took me through the countryside and then told me I had reached my destination in the middle of nowhere. There was no building or anything else. In other occasions, the GPS has taken me to someone's private home instead of a hotel. But at least in that case, there was an actual building! Knowing that I wouldn't have luck with the GPS, I headed back to I-55. Finally, I found the hotel off an exit a few miles north.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
September 25, 2008 - Blanchard Springs Caverns in Fifty Six, Arkansas
The primary goal today was to move further east. My next hotel was in Marion, Arkansas, near the Tennessee border. More specifically, it was about twenty minutes away from Memphis. I wanted to see Elvis Presley's home, Graceland, which is in Memphis.
However, I was not going to waste a day simply driving to my next hotel. I also did want to see a cave in either Arkansas or Missouri. Thankfully, there s a cave about fifty miles from my hotel in Mountain Home, AR.
View Larger Map
The Blanchard Springs Caverns is run by the U.S. Forest Service. It was open for tourism in the 1960s or 70s. It's located in the city of Fifty Six, AR (population 163). (Note that on my Spring trip to the southeast part of the country, I made a point to go to Ninety Six, South Carolina, just because of the name. But they had a bigger population.)
The Tour Guide's Humorous Warnings
The tour guide was humorous. Before we began the tour, she gave the usual warnings (don't touch anything other than the railing because skin oil harms cave formations, etc.). Then she gave the litter warning: whatever we bring in must come out with us. She made a point to say that this includes spouses and children. They could NOT be left in the cave!
Touring the Cave
The tour was great. The "rooms" were larger than the Lewis and Clark Caverns tour I took in Montana.
Many of the features of the cave in Montana were similar to this one. However, this cave had one thing I didn't see in MT - piles and piles of bat guano. There were gigantic mounds of it. The tour guide pointed out that bats had not regularly been in that part of the cave for around 100 years.
Although we didn't see them on this tour, human skeletons have been found in the cave. They were dated back to 890 (no, not 1890, but 890).
I was not sure how well the photos turned out. It appeared that my left contact lens was not very good. I have a habit of looking in the camera viewfinder with my left eye. I had a terrible time focusing. But it was the contact lens, not the camera. When I looked at the viewfinder with my right eye (and a better contact lens), I was able to use the camera's focus to get sharp photos. See cave photos. See photos of the visitor area.
Rental Car Damage Letter
After the nice cave tour, I received some upsetting news. A certified letter was mailed to me at home by Avis, the company from which I rented my vehicle. I was asked to provide insurance information and to notify my credit card that there would be additional charges due to damage to the rental car. I had ten days to provide the information. I had 72 hours to inspect the car. Now, the last time I swapped cars was in Idaho Falls, ID (the eastern side of the state). I was not headed in that direction and I couldn't possibly inspect the car in such a short time. This is a ridiculous time limit.
I had two incidents of damage to the car that Avis is aware of: the deer collision and the cracked windshield. The letter indicated it was from the time period of July 26 - August 24, so that implied that it was the deer incident. (I have a third incident of damage. During my visit to Kansas, someone backed into my car while I was leaving a restaurant. Nobody was hurt and the car can be driven, so I don't have to turn this in until the end of my trip. I got the driver's insurance information.)
I purchased the liability damage waiver from Avis. There is absolutely no need for me to provide Avis with my insurance company information. My insurance would only come into play if there was damage to someone else's property or an injured party. But for damage to the rental car, I was paying by the day to cover that. I would not easily be willing to provide them with that information. I don't need my insurance premiums to increase when I've been paying for LDW.
I read about nightmare scenerios on the Internet in cases when people did not purchase LDW. Rental car companies can be very creative with all sorts of subjective fees such as estimation fees (these people are employed by the company to do just that), loss of profit to the company for the vehicle being totaled, etc. All of these are above and beyond the replacement value of the vehicle. In the case of the deer incident, it is likely that the vehicle was auctioned off rather than repaired and reused by Avis. From what I have read, rental car company "creative" fees can come up to the same amount as the replacement value for the vehicle. The driver's insurance company will reject these fees since they are unreasonable. The rental car company will then go after the driver. In my case, if for some reason the LDW would not matter, I could be liable for $10,000 or more in creative fees. Obviously, for that amount, I would get a lawyer and fight it. I'd also go to the state insurance board and the attorney general since I paid for LDW. If this was what I would be facing, I'd cut this trip short and head directly home. There would be no sightseeing along the way.
The person listed in this letter could be reached at an 800 number in Virginia. By the time I called, she was gone for the day. I called the local rental office. The rep I spoke with was perplexed (her word) about this letter. But, she said that this is an issue that must go through corporate, and not through the local office. She said she had a copy of my agreement when I signed for LDW. She said she would be happy to provide it to corporate. She looked up the records and assumed the letter was due to the cracked windshield.
So, if this was about the windshield, that would not be a problem. Even if I was forced to pay, it was just a windshield replacement. They could not get very creative with that, and the vehicle was certainly not totaled. I began to feel better.
Fifty Six, AR
I decided to look at Fifty Six before I started the long drive to Marion, AR. There was a small cluster of buildings along the main road. There were some side roads but I didn't have time to see those. I stopped at a restaurant (yes, they had one in Fifty Six). On the entrance, it advertised catfish and steak. (Catfish seems to be advertised on the outside of a lot of restaurants in the region.) I was not in the mood for either and hoped they had other things. When I got there, the waitress listed the specials of the day. One of them was Mexican food. It was cheaper than any of the other meals. I decided to try it and then braced myself for the worst. Afterall, this was not a Mexican restaurant. They likely could not cook the food as good as a real Mexican restaurant. I also got nervous because I had a long drive ahead of me. How long might the food take, especially if Mexican food was not normal for them? I was surprised to find my food delivered in five minutes. It was not as authentic as what could be found at a real Mexican restaurant. But it was not bad at all.
Getting to the Hotel
Finding the hotel in Marion was an adventure. It was not in the GPS. The GPS did not like the address because it was along the I-55 service road. I pulled over and called the hotel. The instructions they provided were not so great either.
View Larger Map
What Recession?
Finally, I arrived. This was a brand new hotel. The clerk told indicated that they were only open for a month. She told me that I only got the room because I had a reservation. She was turning people away all night. So, I have to ask....what is this I hear about a "recession"? Why would a new hotel be built if we're in a recession? School is in session all over the country. Why would the hotel be so full that people were being turned away? It's not like this is the only hotel in the area. There were plenty of others around.
Note to Avis
Once I got into the hotel, I wrote a long email to the Avis employee who sent me the letter. I informed her that I had purchased the LDW and needed an explanation as to why I had to provide insurance company information. I told her that even the local rental office was perplexed and that they have proof that I purchased the LDW. I also pointed out that I am still renting the car and am over 1,000 miles away from home. Thus I could not fill out the papers or inspect the vehicle. Her response the next day was quite interesting. Stay tuned for a LONG posting for September 26th...
However, I was not going to waste a day simply driving to my next hotel. I also did want to see a cave in either Arkansas or Missouri. Thankfully, there s a cave about fifty miles from my hotel in Mountain Home, AR.
View Larger Map
The Blanchard Springs Caverns is run by the U.S. Forest Service. It was open for tourism in the 1960s or 70s. It's located in the city of Fifty Six, AR (population 163). (Note that on my Spring trip to the southeast part of the country, I made a point to go to Ninety Six, South Carolina, just because of the name. But they had a bigger population.)
The Tour Guide's Humorous Warnings
The tour guide was humorous. Before we began the tour, she gave the usual warnings (don't touch anything other than the railing because skin oil harms cave formations, etc.). Then she gave the litter warning: whatever we bring in must come out with us. She made a point to say that this includes spouses and children. They could NOT be left in the cave!
Touring the Cave
The tour was great. The "rooms" were larger than the Lewis and Clark Caverns tour I took in Montana.
Many of the features of the cave in Montana were similar to this one. However, this cave had one thing I didn't see in MT - piles and piles of bat guano. There were gigantic mounds of it. The tour guide pointed out that bats had not regularly been in that part of the cave for around 100 years.
Although we didn't see them on this tour, human skeletons have been found in the cave. They were dated back to 890 (no, not 1890, but 890).
I was not sure how well the photos turned out. It appeared that my left contact lens was not very good. I have a habit of looking in the camera viewfinder with my left eye. I had a terrible time focusing. But it was the contact lens, not the camera. When I looked at the viewfinder with my right eye (and a better contact lens), I was able to use the camera's focus to get sharp photos. See cave photos. See photos of the visitor area.
Rental Car Damage Letter
After the nice cave tour, I received some upsetting news. A certified letter was mailed to me at home by Avis, the company from which I rented my vehicle. I was asked to provide insurance information and to notify my credit card that there would be additional charges due to damage to the rental car. I had ten days to provide the information. I had 72 hours to inspect the car. Now, the last time I swapped cars was in Idaho Falls, ID (the eastern side of the state). I was not headed in that direction and I couldn't possibly inspect the car in such a short time. This is a ridiculous time limit.
I had two incidents of damage to the car that Avis is aware of: the deer collision and the cracked windshield. The letter indicated it was from the time period of July 26 - August 24, so that implied that it was the deer incident. (I have a third incident of damage. During my visit to Kansas, someone backed into my car while I was leaving a restaurant. Nobody was hurt and the car can be driven, so I don't have to turn this in until the end of my trip. I got the driver's insurance information.)
I purchased the liability damage waiver from Avis. There is absolutely no need for me to provide Avis with my insurance company information. My insurance would only come into play if there was damage to someone else's property or an injured party. But for damage to the rental car, I was paying by the day to cover that. I would not easily be willing to provide them with that information. I don't need my insurance premiums to increase when I've been paying for LDW.
I read about nightmare scenerios on the Internet in cases when people did not purchase LDW. Rental car companies can be very creative with all sorts of subjective fees such as estimation fees (these people are employed by the company to do just that), loss of profit to the company for the vehicle being totaled, etc. All of these are above and beyond the replacement value of the vehicle. In the case of the deer incident, it is likely that the vehicle was auctioned off rather than repaired and reused by Avis. From what I have read, rental car company "creative" fees can come up to the same amount as the replacement value for the vehicle. The driver's insurance company will reject these fees since they are unreasonable. The rental car company will then go after the driver. In my case, if for some reason the LDW would not matter, I could be liable for $10,000 or more in creative fees. Obviously, for that amount, I would get a lawyer and fight it. I'd also go to the state insurance board and the attorney general since I paid for LDW. If this was what I would be facing, I'd cut this trip short and head directly home. There would be no sightseeing along the way.
The person listed in this letter could be reached at an 800 number in Virginia. By the time I called, she was gone for the day. I called the local rental office. The rep I spoke with was perplexed (her word) about this letter. But, she said that this is an issue that must go through corporate, and not through the local office. She said she had a copy of my agreement when I signed for LDW. She said she would be happy to provide it to corporate. She looked up the records and assumed the letter was due to the cracked windshield.
So, if this was about the windshield, that would not be a problem. Even if I was forced to pay, it was just a windshield replacement. They could not get very creative with that, and the vehicle was certainly not totaled. I began to feel better.
Fifty Six, AR
I decided to look at Fifty Six before I started the long drive to Marion, AR. There was a small cluster of buildings along the main road. There were some side roads but I didn't have time to see those. I stopped at a restaurant (yes, they had one in Fifty Six). On the entrance, it advertised catfish and steak. (Catfish seems to be advertised on the outside of a lot of restaurants in the region.) I was not in the mood for either and hoped they had other things. When I got there, the waitress listed the specials of the day. One of them was Mexican food. It was cheaper than any of the other meals. I decided to try it and then braced myself for the worst. Afterall, this was not a Mexican restaurant. They likely could not cook the food as good as a real Mexican restaurant. I also got nervous because I had a long drive ahead of me. How long might the food take, especially if Mexican food was not normal for them? I was surprised to find my food delivered in five minutes. It was not as authentic as what could be found at a real Mexican restaurant. But it was not bad at all.
Getting to the Hotel
Finding the hotel in Marion was an adventure. It was not in the GPS. The GPS did not like the address because it was along the I-55 service road. I pulled over and called the hotel. The instructions they provided were not so great either.
View Larger Map
What Recession?
Finally, I arrived. This was a brand new hotel. The clerk told indicated that they were only open for a month. She told me that I only got the room because I had a reservation. She was turning people away all night. So, I have to ask....what is this I hear about a "recession"? Why would a new hotel be built if we're in a recession? School is in session all over the country. Why would the hotel be so full that people were being turned away? It's not like this is the only hotel in the area. There were plenty of others around.
Note to Avis
Once I got into the hotel, I wrote a long email to the Avis employee who sent me the letter. I informed her that I had purchased the LDW and needed an explanation as to why I had to provide insurance company information. I told her that even the local rental office was perplexed and that they have proof that I purchased the LDW. I also pointed out that I am still renting the car and am over 1,000 miles away from home. Thus I could not fill out the papers or inspect the vehicle. Her response the next day was quite interesting. Stay tuned for a LONG posting for September 26th...
Sunday, September 28, 2008
September 24, 2008 - Eureka Springs, Arkansas
My major destination for today was Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Since the goal was to get home to the Northeast, obviously, going from Missouri to Arkansas is counterproductive. But, I wanted to see AR nonetheless. Last year, I only saw a tiny portion of the state in the northwest area.
I also visited a little bit of rural Missouri. I headed to Monett through some very twisty roads. You absolutely must pay attention because there are no guard rails and it's a long drop off. Night driving on these roads is probably not a good idea. At a certain point, the GPS again had me floating through empty space. It told me to turn left, then corrected itself after I had driven around ten miles. The GPS just does not like the Ozark Mountains.
After crossing into Arkansas, the road to Eureka Springs was also quite twisty. Guard rails were present more often. The drop-offs were much higher in this area. The GPS did not seem to have a problem with the roads there.
Eureka Springs is a tourist area. There are lots of little shops and hotels. There are tour buses as well. One hotel had a German restaurant. I started having fond memories of Leavenworth, Washington. I wished I had had time to eat there but I had a long drive to my next hotel.
Finding the Thorncrown Chapel
My first destination was the Thorncrown Chapel, which is a chapel made primarily of glass. There is metal and wood to support it. This is a nondenominational chapel in the woods. I missed the sign for it when I first drove into Eureka Springs. It's a few miles west of Eureka Springs. There is a tourism office and I was able to get directions and a map of the area from one of the tourist staffers.
Thorncrown Chapel
When I arrived at the Thorncrown Chapel, there was a greeter. She asks everyone where they come from before explaining the rules of the chapel. When I explained where I came from, she asked what I was doing all the way in Arkansas. I explained that I was finishing up a cross country trip (I forgot to mention that I was still 1,200+ miles away from home). The Thorncrown Chapel is a "sit down chapel." Photos are allowed but you must be seated. In the short time that I was there, a lot of people came in and out to pray. See the photos.
Eureka Springs
I briefly drove by the interesting shops in the downtown section. By the time I got to this area, they were mostly closed.
Eureka Springs has a play of our Lord's Passion. It was not being shown on Wednesdays, but is available other nights. There is an entire street named after the play. The area is huge and there are lots of vendors surrounding the play area.
Beautiful fountain
Before entering the play area, there is a beautiful fountain of the Holy Family. There are lots of gorgeous flowers surrounding the fountain. I've never seen most of the types of flowers that were present here. See the photos.
Chapel and piece of the Berlin Wall
Once I got to the statue area, there was a small chapel and a large piece of the Berlin Wall. I recall once seeing a very tiny piece of the Berlin Wall in school shortly after it came down. But this was the largest piece I've ever seen. See the photos.
The statue
Finally, I saw the statue. It's a simple statue with our Lord's Arms outstretched. There is also a viewing area of the Ozark Mountains nearby. See the photos.
The long drive to Mountain Home, AR
My hotel room for the night was in Mountain Home, AR. This was about 100 miles east. I was used to interstate speeds and figured this would be about two hours maximum. When I checked the GPS, it was well over two hours, bordering on three. There are no interstates and it was getting dark. I was a bit nervous about the drive, considering the twisty roads I encountered. But, I trusted in God and began driving. Thankfully, there were no twisty roads at this point. There were some mountainous areas in the distance. At one point, a large coyote considered crossing the road. I did not want to hit yet another animal. Thankfully, the coyote decided to wait until I passed by.
I also visited a little bit of rural Missouri. I headed to Monett through some very twisty roads. You absolutely must pay attention because there are no guard rails and it's a long drop off. Night driving on these roads is probably not a good idea. At a certain point, the GPS again had me floating through empty space. It told me to turn left, then corrected itself after I had driven around ten miles. The GPS just does not like the Ozark Mountains.
After crossing into Arkansas, the road to Eureka Springs was also quite twisty. Guard rails were present more often. The drop-offs were much higher in this area. The GPS did not seem to have a problem with the roads there.
Eureka Springs is a tourist area. There are lots of little shops and hotels. There are tour buses as well. One hotel had a German restaurant. I started having fond memories of Leavenworth, Washington. I wished I had had time to eat there but I had a long drive to my next hotel.
Finding the Thorncrown Chapel
My first destination was the Thorncrown Chapel, which is a chapel made primarily of glass. There is metal and wood to support it. This is a nondenominational chapel in the woods. I missed the sign for it when I first drove into Eureka Springs. It's a few miles west of Eureka Springs. There is a tourism office and I was able to get directions and a map of the area from one of the tourist staffers.
Thorncrown Chapel
When I arrived at the Thorncrown Chapel, there was a greeter. She asks everyone where they come from before explaining the rules of the chapel. When I explained where I came from, she asked what I was doing all the way in Arkansas. I explained that I was finishing up a cross country trip (I forgot to mention that I was still 1,200+ miles away from home). The Thorncrown Chapel is a "sit down chapel." Photos are allowed but you must be seated. In the short time that I was there, a lot of people came in and out to pray. See the photos.
Eureka Springs
I briefly drove by the interesting shops in the downtown section. By the time I got to this area, they were mostly closed.
Eureka Springs has a play of our Lord's Passion. It was not being shown on Wednesdays, but is available other nights. There is an entire street named after the play. The area is huge and there are lots of vendors surrounding the play area.
Beautiful fountain
Before entering the play area, there is a beautiful fountain of the Holy Family. There are lots of gorgeous flowers surrounding the fountain. I've never seen most of the types of flowers that were present here. See the photos.
Chapel and piece of the Berlin Wall
Once I got to the statue area, there was a small chapel and a large piece of the Berlin Wall. I recall once seeing a very tiny piece of the Berlin Wall in school shortly after it came down. But this was the largest piece I've ever seen. See the photos.
The statue
Finally, I saw the statue. It's a simple statue with our Lord's Arms outstretched. There is also a viewing area of the Ozark Mountains nearby. See the photos.
The long drive to Mountain Home, AR
My hotel room for the night was in Mountain Home, AR. This was about 100 miles east. I was used to interstate speeds and figured this would be about two hours maximum. When I checked the GPS, it was well over two hours, bordering on three. There are no interstates and it was getting dark. I was a bit nervous about the drive, considering the twisty roads I encountered. But, I trusted in God and began driving. Thankfully, there were no twisty roads at this point. There were some mountainous areas in the distance. At one point, a large coyote considered crossing the road. I did not want to hit yet another animal. Thankfully, the coyote decided to wait until I passed by.
September 23, 2008 - Branson, MO
I decided I'd stay a second night in Branson. Since shows happened at night I didn't want to have to drive through the twists and turns of the Ozarks in the dark in order to get to a hotel outside of Branson.
Branson has a main "strip" where all the shows take place. There are of course restaurants and souvenir shops as well. The surrounding roads have lots of billboards advertising specific shows. I noticed there was a 3pm show called "Legends in Concert." I misinterpreted the meaning of this. I thought it meant talking about legends in a musical setting. But, it was a 3pm show and I decided I'd go to see it since I had such limited time in Branson.
Springfield, MO
My first stop for the day was Springfield, MO. This is about an hour north of Branson. As I began, there was a scenic overlook for the Ozark Mountains. See the photos.Had I stayed at my job, I would likely be going to Springfield in early October for the Higher Education Web Development conference. I've attended it in Rochester, NY since 2005. This year it was moved to the University of Springfield. I didn't get to see much of Springfield because of the 3pm show I wanted to see back in Branson.
On the way up to Springfield, there were billboards advertising a Russell Stover store. I had never seen a whole store devoted to Russell Stover. I briefly stopped there. I tried a gourmet mint truffle. The center did not taste like mint at all.
Ozark Mountains
The Ozark Mountains are quite beautiful. They have some rock formations, but they're mostly covered with trees.
The Strip
Once I got back to Branson, I drove on the strip for the first time. It is a long, slow drive due to the amount of traffic. There is so much to do and see on the strip. It's like Las Vegas with the shows, except it doesn't have any gigantic hotels. It also does not have any gambling.
Hollywood Wax Museum
Before I got to the Legends in Concert show, I stopped at the Hollywood Wax Museum. I didn't actually tour the museum, but I took photos of the outside of the building. They have a tacky/humorous equivalent to Mount Rushmore, on a much smaller scale. See the photos.
Legends in Concert show
When I went to the Legends in Concert ticket office, I found that these are imitators of famous performers such as Elvis, Liza Minelli, etc. It wasn't what I initially thought it was. But, it was too late to go to any other afternoon shows and I was interested in seeing something. I bought a ticket.
The first act was an imitator of Garth Brooks. He tried to excite the audience by occasionally getting into the faces of various elderly women and singing directly to them. Then he walked behind some of the chairs and just poured his water bottle all over people (thankfully, not me). There were two large televisions showing the real Garth Brooks performing. On the stage in Branson, there were dancers who are used in all the acts. The imitator then asked people to dance, claiming that he wanted to break the record from yesterday's performance and get at least fifty couples out there. After the dance, he announced that a record had been broken because this is the first time in his act that anyone danced.
After "Garth Brooks" was done, "Liza Minelli" came out. This was even cheesier. She actually talked about "her" awards and "her" career. (The Garth Brooks imitator simply played the music and did ridiculous stunts.) While I can understand the imitation singing part, I kind of thought the idea of talking as if she was the real Liza Minelli was over the top.
At various points in the Liza Minelli act, I decided that this was all I could take. I just was not being entertained by this. But, I didn't want to be rude and walk out. However, I noticed someone else walking in with popcorn. So, since she left without disturbing anyone, I decided to do the same. Yes, I did not get the full value of the ticket, but this was becoming a waste of my time. I have never seen an imitation act before and probably never would again. It simply does not appeal to me.
I drove to the next hotel. I went to a different hotel even though I was staying in Branson again because it would allow me to get more points. This hotel actually gave discounts for some of the shows. But, the discounts didn't apply to anything that seemed to interest me. The hotel would even obtain reservations for their customers.
White House Theatre
There is a White House Theatre which looks like a tacky version of the real White House. They have breakfast and dinner shows. See the photos.
Dinner Shows
On the way to the hotel, I did see an ad for a dinner show that seemed interesting. But I assumed you could just walk in at any old time and catch part of the show. The show started at 5pm and I didn't get there until 5:30. I then realized that I should have been there at 5pm because everything is scheduled.
I then became interested in the Tall Timber Logger Show. This is one of those shows where loggers spin on logs in water. From the video I had seen on the Internet, this is more like the "bloopers." They purposely fall in the water in humorous ways. A show like this is of course not in one of the small theatres on the strip. It's a few miles out, near a dam. I called DiscoverBranson.com to see if it was too late to get tickets. The person answering the phone could not seem to provide me with any info and then finally said the show wasn't happening at this point. That conflicted with the dates given on papers provided to me by the hotel. I called the hotel, but the staff member who handled show reservations had already left for the day. I tried driving out there based on the map but I couldn't find anything.
On the way back, I noticed a historical show called Sons of the Pioneers. I thought I might try that. But, by the time I got there, I was informed that dinner was already in progress. Seating for dinner began at 3:45pm! By that time it was about 6:30pm.
In the end, I went to a restaurant. I had a nice meal. There was a singer there. He was advertising teeth sparklers and announced that one of the employees came from New York just to demonstrate them. That perked my ears up a bit, though I later found that he just says these sorts of things. On another occasion, he "introduced" a waitress. He said her name was Flo. Then he said "Come on Flo, tell everyone 'Kiss my grits!'" (reference to the 70s show Alice).
I went to purchase some postcards at a souvenir shop. They were priced at 25 cents each. The clerk joked that if I paid 50 cents each, he'd buy me dinner at Taco Bell.
Lights on the Strip
As I made my way back to the hotel, I could see all the lights on the buildings on the strip. It's definitely like a miniature version of Las Vegas, minus the gambling. I could have gone to a late show, but by then I was just tired and ready to go back. I also just don't think these kinds of shows would really be that interesting to me. I was looking forward to moving on the next day. Northern Arkansas was next on my trip.
Branson has a main "strip" where all the shows take place. There are of course restaurants and souvenir shops as well. The surrounding roads have lots of billboards advertising specific shows. I noticed there was a 3pm show called "Legends in Concert." I misinterpreted the meaning of this. I thought it meant talking about legends in a musical setting. But, it was a 3pm show and I decided I'd go to see it since I had such limited time in Branson.
Springfield, MO
My first stop for the day was Springfield, MO. This is about an hour north of Branson. As I began, there was a scenic overlook for the Ozark Mountains. See the photos.Had I stayed at my job, I would likely be going to Springfield in early October for the Higher Education Web Development conference. I've attended it in Rochester, NY since 2005. This year it was moved to the University of Springfield. I didn't get to see much of Springfield because of the 3pm show I wanted to see back in Branson.
On the way up to Springfield, there were billboards advertising a Russell Stover store. I had never seen a whole store devoted to Russell Stover. I briefly stopped there. I tried a gourmet mint truffle. The center did not taste like mint at all.
Ozark Mountains
The Ozark Mountains are quite beautiful. They have some rock formations, but they're mostly covered with trees.
The Strip
Once I got back to Branson, I drove on the strip for the first time. It is a long, slow drive due to the amount of traffic. There is so much to do and see on the strip. It's like Las Vegas with the shows, except it doesn't have any gigantic hotels. It also does not have any gambling.
Hollywood Wax Museum
Before I got to the Legends in Concert show, I stopped at the Hollywood Wax Museum. I didn't actually tour the museum, but I took photos of the outside of the building. They have a tacky/humorous equivalent to Mount Rushmore, on a much smaller scale. See the photos.
Legends in Concert show
When I went to the Legends in Concert ticket office, I found that these are imitators of famous performers such as Elvis, Liza Minelli, etc. It wasn't what I initially thought it was. But, it was too late to go to any other afternoon shows and I was interested in seeing something. I bought a ticket.
The first act was an imitator of Garth Brooks. He tried to excite the audience by occasionally getting into the faces of various elderly women and singing directly to them. Then he walked behind some of the chairs and just poured his water bottle all over people (thankfully, not me). There were two large televisions showing the real Garth Brooks performing. On the stage in Branson, there were dancers who are used in all the acts. The imitator then asked people to dance, claiming that he wanted to break the record from yesterday's performance and get at least fifty couples out there. After the dance, he announced that a record had been broken because this is the first time in his act that anyone danced.
After "Garth Brooks" was done, "Liza Minelli" came out. This was even cheesier. She actually talked about "her" awards and "her" career. (The Garth Brooks imitator simply played the music and did ridiculous stunts.) While I can understand the imitation singing part, I kind of thought the idea of talking as if she was the real Liza Minelli was over the top.
At various points in the Liza Minelli act, I decided that this was all I could take. I just was not being entertained by this. But, I didn't want to be rude and walk out. However, I noticed someone else walking in with popcorn. So, since she left without disturbing anyone, I decided to do the same. Yes, I did not get the full value of the ticket, but this was becoming a waste of my time. I have never seen an imitation act before and probably never would again. It simply does not appeal to me.
I drove to the next hotel. I went to a different hotel even though I was staying in Branson again because it would allow me to get more points. This hotel actually gave discounts for some of the shows. But, the discounts didn't apply to anything that seemed to interest me. The hotel would even obtain reservations for their customers.
White House Theatre
There is a White House Theatre which looks like a tacky version of the real White House. They have breakfast and dinner shows. See the photos.
Dinner Shows
On the way to the hotel, I did see an ad for a dinner show that seemed interesting. But I assumed you could just walk in at any old time and catch part of the show. The show started at 5pm and I didn't get there until 5:30. I then realized that I should have been there at 5pm because everything is scheduled.
I then became interested in the Tall Timber Logger Show. This is one of those shows where loggers spin on logs in water. From the video I had seen on the Internet, this is more like the "bloopers." They purposely fall in the water in humorous ways. A show like this is of course not in one of the small theatres on the strip. It's a few miles out, near a dam. I called DiscoverBranson.com to see if it was too late to get tickets. The person answering the phone could not seem to provide me with any info and then finally said the show wasn't happening at this point. That conflicted with the dates given on papers provided to me by the hotel. I called the hotel, but the staff member who handled show reservations had already left for the day. I tried driving out there based on the map but I couldn't find anything.
On the way back, I noticed a historical show called Sons of the Pioneers. I thought I might try that. But, by the time I got there, I was informed that dinner was already in progress. Seating for dinner began at 3:45pm! By that time it was about 6:30pm.
In the end, I went to a restaurant. I had a nice meal. There was a singer there. He was advertising teeth sparklers and announced that one of the employees came from New York just to demonstrate them. That perked my ears up a bit, though I later found that he just says these sorts of things. On another occasion, he "introduced" a waitress. He said her name was Flo. Then he said "Come on Flo, tell everyone 'Kiss my grits!'" (reference to the 70s show Alice).
I went to purchase some postcards at a souvenir shop. They were priced at 25 cents each. The clerk joked that if I paid 50 cents each, he'd buy me dinner at Taco Bell.
Lights on the Strip
As I made my way back to the hotel, I could see all the lights on the buildings on the strip. It's definitely like a miniature version of Las Vegas, minus the gambling. I could have gone to a late show, but by then I was just tired and ready to go back. I also just don't think these kinds of shows would really be that interesting to me. I was looking forward to moving on the next day. Northern Arkansas was next on my trip.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
September 22, 2008 - Wichita to Branson, MO
I spoke with the person who handles mini-leases at the rental office. He said I could extend the vehicle for less than a month. There is a flat day rate no matter how many days I chose to rent.
Since I did not have to rent for a month, I elected to skip Texas and Oklahoma. They're both out of the way for me. Although it would be nice to add Texas, I can see it on another day. I chose to go through southern Missouri instead.
I had some errands to take care of in Wichita and then I would be on my way. The errands took me through the aerospace industrial area. My friend had shown me this area on my first or second visit to Wichita years ago.
My destination for the evening was Branson, MO. Branson has all sorts of live shows year around. They even have an amusement park called Silver Dollar City which operates year round. It would be over five hours with no stops at all. I was leaving around 1pm. I thought that if I did it without any stops beyond gas, I could make it in time for a show.
View Larger Map
Wichita is a huge, sprawling city with a population of over 350,000. For the most part, neighborhoods consist of homes with a tenth acre piece of land. There are of course lots of business and shopping areas. After spending so much time there, I was not happy with the surroundings. Once I got out into the country and saw the rolling hills, farmland, etc., I felt so much better. It was great to start seeing these things again after two weeks of just seeing a sprawling city. I guess I simply like small towns and wide open spaces as opposed to medium and large cities.
I had driven these roads when going TO Wichita from Missouri. But in both instances (September 2006 and July 2007) I drove it at night. It was great to see all of this beauty in the daytime. Of course, in this case I was going in the opposite direction.
Oklahoma visit - the cheesiest token visit yet
As I looked at the GPS, I noticed the Oklahoma state line was very close to my path. I decided I couldn't resist making a token visit to OK. When it came time to do this, the GPS went crazy, screaming "Recalculating" over and over. Since I was headed east, going directly south was not making the GPS happy.
I drove into Oklahoma near Coffeyville, KS. I spent only a few minutes there. There was basically nothing in the area other than the road. Finally, I found a place to turn around and head back to Kansas. This has got to be the cheesiest "token visit" to a state yet. I did not even buy gas or postcards in OK since there was no place to buy anything. But, in any event, I can now say Oklahoma was (briefly) a part of this trip.
Once I got into Missouri, for old time's sake, I stopped at a familiar truckstop in Joplin. In 2006, when I just wanted an excuse to say I had visited Missouri, this is where I stopped and had dinner. Then I said I had been to MO and took a four hour trip back to Wichita. At least this time I will have real destinations.
I stopped at a few more places along I-44 as I drove further. Each stop cut into the time. I finally realized I wasn't going to see any shows in Branson that evening.
There was about an hour of driving once I got off I-44. This is the Ozark Mountains area. There were lots of twists and turns in the road. It reminded me a bit of West Virginia since they have the same situation.
The GPS doesn't like the Ozarks. On at least one occasion, they GPS showed me driving in empty space with the road running parallel to the area where I was driving. This got me nervous as I couldn't tell where the hotel would be located. Finally, the GPS began to realize that I actually was driving on a road. It was and got me to the hotel.
By the time I arrived, it was 9:45 pm or so. I definitely missed any opportunities for shows in Branson by then. But, I was exhausted anyway.
Since I did not have to rent for a month, I elected to skip Texas and Oklahoma. They're both out of the way for me. Although it would be nice to add Texas, I can see it on another day. I chose to go through southern Missouri instead.
I had some errands to take care of in Wichita and then I would be on my way. The errands took me through the aerospace industrial area. My friend had shown me this area on my first or second visit to Wichita years ago.
My destination for the evening was Branson, MO. Branson has all sorts of live shows year around. They even have an amusement park called Silver Dollar City which operates year round. It would be over five hours with no stops at all. I was leaving around 1pm. I thought that if I did it without any stops beyond gas, I could make it in time for a show.
View Larger Map
Wichita is a huge, sprawling city with a population of over 350,000. For the most part, neighborhoods consist of homes with a tenth acre piece of land. There are of course lots of business and shopping areas. After spending so much time there, I was not happy with the surroundings. Once I got out into the country and saw the rolling hills, farmland, etc., I felt so much better. It was great to start seeing these things again after two weeks of just seeing a sprawling city. I guess I simply like small towns and wide open spaces as opposed to medium and large cities.
I had driven these roads when going TO Wichita from Missouri. But in both instances (September 2006 and July 2007) I drove it at night. It was great to see all of this beauty in the daytime. Of course, in this case I was going in the opposite direction.
Oklahoma visit - the cheesiest token visit yet
As I looked at the GPS, I noticed the Oklahoma state line was very close to my path. I decided I couldn't resist making a token visit to OK. When it came time to do this, the GPS went crazy, screaming "Recalculating" over and over. Since I was headed east, going directly south was not making the GPS happy.
I drove into Oklahoma near Coffeyville, KS. I spent only a few minutes there. There was basically nothing in the area other than the road. Finally, I found a place to turn around and head back to Kansas. This has got to be the cheesiest "token visit" to a state yet. I did not even buy gas or postcards in OK since there was no place to buy anything. But, in any event, I can now say Oklahoma was (briefly) a part of this trip.
Once I got into Missouri, for old time's sake, I stopped at a familiar truckstop in Joplin. In 2006, when I just wanted an excuse to say I had visited Missouri, this is where I stopped and had dinner. Then I said I had been to MO and took a four hour trip back to Wichita. At least this time I will have real destinations.
I stopped at a few more places along I-44 as I drove further. Each stop cut into the time. I finally realized I wasn't going to see any shows in Branson that evening.
There was about an hour of driving once I got off I-44. This is the Ozark Mountains area. There were lots of twists and turns in the road. It reminded me a bit of West Virginia since they have the same situation.
The GPS doesn't like the Ozarks. On at least one occasion, they GPS showed me driving in empty space with the road running parallel to the area where I was driving. This got me nervous as I couldn't tell where the hotel would be located. Finally, the GPS began to realize that I actually was driving on a road. It was and got me to the hotel.
By the time I arrived, it was 9:45 pm or so. I definitely missed any opportunities for shows in Branson by then. But, I was exhausted anyway.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
September 9 - 21, 2008: Wichita, Kansas
I spent all of this time in Wichita, resting up and doing some volunteer work. I was also figuring out where I would go from that point. Obviously, I would head east. But, there were many possible routes.
The most sensible route home would be to go back up to Kansas City, then through St. Louis, Springfield, IL, and then through Indiana and Ohio, eventually getting up to I-90. This would be B-O-R-I-N-G. I already drove up to Kansas City and I did not feel like doing it again. Besides, there are a number of places I wanted to see that are east of Wichita and didn't happen to be on that path.
The rental car was initially due back on September 24th. By waiting until September 22nd, there would be absolutely no way to get the car back home in two days. The clerks available over the weekend thought the only possibility would be to rent for an additional month since I was on a monthly rental. If that was the case, I would have a car for several more weeks. I didn't feel like letting it just sit in the driveway until I got home (you can't turn a car in early or else it will cost extra). So, I came up with the idea of adding Oklahoma and Texas to this trip. This would be my first ever visit to Texas. I also thought about making a token visit to Louisiana (due to lack of time and the potential for a hurricane) just to add that state to my list of visited states (it's one of only six remaining unvisited states).
The gas shortages happening as a result of Hurricane Ike had me worried. Indiana, Georgia, Virginia, and various other states were being hit hard. Gas was actually being rationed in Indiana. It's good that I decided against the most sensible route since that would take me through Indiana. Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri did not at all seem to be affected. The price for gas (according to the gas price temperature map) in these states seemed to be quite cheap.
The most sensible route home would be to go back up to Kansas City, then through St. Louis, Springfield, IL, and then through Indiana and Ohio, eventually getting up to I-90. This would be B-O-R-I-N-G. I already drove up to Kansas City and I did not feel like doing it again. Besides, there are a number of places I wanted to see that are east of Wichita and didn't happen to be on that path.
The rental car was initially due back on September 24th. By waiting until September 22nd, there would be absolutely no way to get the car back home in two days. The clerks available over the weekend thought the only possibility would be to rent for an additional month since I was on a monthly rental. If that was the case, I would have a car for several more weeks. I didn't feel like letting it just sit in the driveway until I got home (you can't turn a car in early or else it will cost extra). So, I came up with the idea of adding Oklahoma and Texas to this trip. This would be my first ever visit to Texas. I also thought about making a token visit to Louisiana (due to lack of time and the potential for a hurricane) just to add that state to my list of visited states (it's one of only six remaining unvisited states).
The gas shortages happening as a result of Hurricane Ike had me worried. Indiana, Georgia, Virginia, and various other states were being hit hard. Gas was actually being rationed in Indiana. It's good that I decided against the most sensible route since that would take me through Indiana. Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri did not at all seem to be affected. The price for gas (according to the gas price temperature map) in these states seemed to be quite cheap.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
September 8, 2008 - Independence, MO: Harry Truman's Home
I headed from Lee's Summit (a suburb of Kansas City) to Independence, Missouri. As I drove, I saw a sign for Raytown, MO. I really never thought Raytown, MO actually existed. It's the location where the show Mama's Family took place. This was a skit on the Carol Burnett variety show in the 60s/70s which later became a brief spinoff.
View Larger Map
Independence, MO
Independence, MO is the home of President Harry Truman. It's in the northwest area of Missouri. This is the first presidential home I've visited on this trip, and possibly the only one. The only other place associated with a president that I visited on this trip was Medora, ND, (blog entry, photos)which is associated with Theodore Roosevelt. Of course, I also saw Mount Rushmore (blog posting, photos).
Something Somewhat Familiar
On the outskirts of Independence, I saw a familiar name: Price Chopper. It's a grocery store. But from the outside it looks nothing like the Price Chopper we all know. See the photos.
It should be noted that in my trip to southern Missouri two weeks later, I saw stores called Price Cutter. I don't have any photos of those.
Downtown Independence
The downtown section of Independence celebrates Harry Truman. There are banners around the city. There is a statue of Truman near the courthouse. There are signs pointing out where to buy tickets to see his home. The home is owned by the National Park Service. Tickets can be purchased in a building several blocks from the actual home. Specific tour times are given. When I obtained my ticket (for free since I have the national parks annual pass), a couple were scheduled for the same tour time. They bought tickets but never actually showed up at the house. See the photos.
The weather was quite cold. The park ranger said that it should be in the 90s at this point. It was in the 50s with very light rain. I had to wear a jacket.
Clinton Soda Fountain
Since it would be a while before my tour started, I went to the Clinton Soda Fountain. This has historic significance because Harry Truman had his first job there. They sold memorabilia related to Truman in addition to selling sandwiches and desserts. I had a root beer float (to be expected in an old fashioned soda fountain).
Tour Started Early
When I arrived for the tour, I still had ten minutes to wait. The park ranger saw my car parked and had me come in about ten minutes early. It was the last tour of the day and I think she wanted to finish up since the weather was getting bad.
Truman's Home
Photographs were not allowed. When standing on the porch of the home, you could look in the garage. Truman's car was parked in the garage and has not been driven since 1972 when he last drove it. Much of the home has been preserved as best as possible from the time the Trumans lived there. Even things like the toaster used by the Trumans is still on the table.
Harry Truman's coat and hat are still hanging from the last time he used them. Bess Truman specifically wanted them to remain that way. When I walked over to look at them, the park ranger informed me that the exact spot where I was standing was where Harry Truman stood when he received word that North Korea had invaded South Korea.
There are a lot of intricate details on the walls of the house. The metal work on the doors is also quite intricate. But the interesting thing is that the home has what looks like the crest symbol of the National Park Service in various spots. At first I thought the Park Service had actually added it. But the ranger pointed out that absolutely nothing can be changed in the house. That symbol was there long before Truman ever thought about being Vice President.
Presidents Nixon and Carter both visited Bess Truman. There is a couch in one of the rooms where both of them sat over the years.
Privacy Fence
After Truman left the presidency, the neighbors all welcomed him. However, they would crowd around the house at all hours. A fence had to be constructed for distance. People would still crowd around the fence. There is a study and Truman would spend his days there. When the light went out, people would know he retired for the evening.
Up to the end of his life, Truman took a walk for at least a mile every day. The coat and hat were left hanging after his final walk.
The tour only included the main floor. The upstairs was currently undergoing repairs, though I'm not sure if it's ever actually part of the tour.
Other Possible Presidential Homes on This Trip
President Truman is chronologically the most recent president whose home I have visited. Before this trip is over, I could visit Benjamin Harrison's (#23) home in Indianapolis, IN. But, I probably won't due to the gas shortages in Indiana. I might visit James Madison's home in Montpelier Station, VA, for a second time. His home was being renovated last time I visited and the work was expected to be completed by September 17, 2008 (Constitution Day). It all depends on where I choose to go on my way home.
The Drive Back to Wichita
It would be a three hour drive back to Wichita. I drove most of that route back to Wichita last August when I was going to Wichita from Omaha, NE.
View Larger Map
I dropped into Olathe, KS, on the way back. I was only there briefly.
By the time I got back to Wichita, I was totally exhausted.
View Larger Map
Independence, MO
Independence, MO is the home of President Harry Truman. It's in the northwest area of Missouri. This is the first presidential home I've visited on this trip, and possibly the only one. The only other place associated with a president that I visited on this trip was Medora, ND, (blog entry, photos)which is associated with Theodore Roosevelt. Of course, I also saw Mount Rushmore (blog posting, photos).
Something Somewhat Familiar
On the outskirts of Independence, I saw a familiar name: Price Chopper. It's a grocery store. But from the outside it looks nothing like the Price Chopper we all know. See the photos.
It should be noted that in my trip to southern Missouri two weeks later, I saw stores called Price Cutter. I don't have any photos of those.
Downtown Independence
The downtown section of Independence celebrates Harry Truman. There are banners around the city. There is a statue of Truman near the courthouse. There are signs pointing out where to buy tickets to see his home. The home is owned by the National Park Service. Tickets can be purchased in a building several blocks from the actual home. Specific tour times are given. When I obtained my ticket (for free since I have the national parks annual pass), a couple were scheduled for the same tour time. They bought tickets but never actually showed up at the house. See the photos.
The weather was quite cold. The park ranger said that it should be in the 90s at this point. It was in the 50s with very light rain. I had to wear a jacket.
Clinton Soda Fountain
Since it would be a while before my tour started, I went to the Clinton Soda Fountain. This has historic significance because Harry Truman had his first job there. They sold memorabilia related to Truman in addition to selling sandwiches and desserts. I had a root beer float (to be expected in an old fashioned soda fountain).
Tour Started Early
When I arrived for the tour, I still had ten minutes to wait. The park ranger saw my car parked and had me come in about ten minutes early. It was the last tour of the day and I think she wanted to finish up since the weather was getting bad.
Truman's Home
Photographs were not allowed. When standing on the porch of the home, you could look in the garage. Truman's car was parked in the garage and has not been driven since 1972 when he last drove it. Much of the home has been preserved as best as possible from the time the Trumans lived there. Even things like the toaster used by the Trumans is still on the table.
Harry Truman's coat and hat are still hanging from the last time he used them. Bess Truman specifically wanted them to remain that way. When I walked over to look at them, the park ranger informed me that the exact spot where I was standing was where Harry Truman stood when he received word that North Korea had invaded South Korea.
There are a lot of intricate details on the walls of the house. The metal work on the doors is also quite intricate. But the interesting thing is that the home has what looks like the crest symbol of the National Park Service in various spots. At first I thought the Park Service had actually added it. But the ranger pointed out that absolutely nothing can be changed in the house. That symbol was there long before Truman ever thought about being Vice President.
Presidents Nixon and Carter both visited Bess Truman. There is a couch in one of the rooms where both of them sat over the years.
Privacy Fence
After Truman left the presidency, the neighbors all welcomed him. However, they would crowd around the house at all hours. A fence had to be constructed for distance. People would still crowd around the fence. There is a study and Truman would spend his days there. When the light went out, people would know he retired for the evening.
Up to the end of his life, Truman took a walk for at least a mile every day. The coat and hat were left hanging after his final walk.
The tour only included the main floor. The upstairs was currently undergoing repairs, though I'm not sure if it's ever actually part of the tour.
Other Possible Presidential Homes on This Trip
President Truman is chronologically the most recent president whose home I have visited. Before this trip is over, I could visit Benjamin Harrison's (#23) home in Indianapolis, IN. But, I probably won't due to the gas shortages in Indiana. I might visit James Madison's home in Montpelier Station, VA, for a second time. His home was being renovated last time I visited and the work was expected to be completed by September 17, 2008 (Constitution Day). It all depends on where I choose to go on my way home.
The Drive Back to Wichita
It would be a three hour drive back to Wichita. I drove most of that route back to Wichita last August when I was going to Wichita from Omaha, NE.
View Larger Map
I dropped into Olathe, KS, on the way back. I was only there briefly.
By the time I got back to Wichita, I was totally exhausted.
Monday, September 22, 2008
September 6 - 7, 2008: Wichita and Hutchinson, KS
Things were more routine these days. I was not driving long distances and had a chance to get a break from sightseeing.
On September 7th, I saw the Kansas State Fair with my friend. This is located in Hutchinson, which is around an hour from Wichita. I think this is the first time I've ever been to a state fair.
I had decided I would go up to the Kansas City area that evening so we took separate cars. Finding my car was a nightmare in the huge parking lot. I had remembered landmarks and was in the right area. Thankfully, since I did not have a KS plate, that made it a bit easier in a sea of Kansas-plated vehicles. Finally I found it by using the panic button to determine how close I was.
On September 7th, I saw the Kansas State Fair with my friend. This is located in Hutchinson, which is around an hour from Wichita. I think this is the first time I've ever been to a state fair.
I had decided I would go up to the Kansas City area that evening so we took separate cars. Finding my car was a nightmare in the huge parking lot. I had remembered landmarks and was in the right area. Thankfully, since I did not have a KS plate, that made it a bit easier in a sea of Kansas-plated vehicles. Finally I found it by using the panic button to determine how close I was.
September 5, 2008 - Fairbury, NE to Wichita, KS
The main goals for today were seeing a cemetery in Fairbury where a gggg grandfather of mine is buried, Nebraska and then heading to Wichita, Kansas.
The cemetery was over two hours southeast of Kearney. As usual, it took a little longer than the prediction.
I wanted to see this cemetery on my trip through Nebraska last year. However, when I attemped to get there, a yogurt truck overturned on I-80 and closed the interstate down. The radio announcer was advising people to take alternate routes. I did not have a GPS at the time so I was nervous about that. In addition, tornadoes were spotted in the area. So, I decided this was a "must see" on this trip even though I was exhausted and waiting to get to Wichita, Kansas.
I remember speaking with a caretaker last year. He told me there was an "old section" in poor condition and that many graves either did not have headstones or the headstones were in disrepair. To further complicate things, the cemetery records burned in the 1920s. The individual I was looking for last appeared in the 1880 census. Very little remains of the 1890 census (also due to a fire) and this individual did not appear anywhere in the 1900 census.
When I arrived to the cemetery, at first I thought I would just walk through the old section and spot the surname. But, this is a huge cemetery. I drove around and found workers. One of them had access to the records. He located a plot with the right surname. He told me there was likely nothing there in terms of a headstone. But, when we got there, it was like striking gold. The headstone was completely intact and mentioned my gggg grandfather. My gggg grandmother also did not show up on the 1900 census, but she is not listed anywhere. The stone has room for her and has other names on it.
My gggg grandfather died in March 1888 according to the headstone. I would later learn that the blizzard of 1888 began in mid-March and killed hundreds of people in the areas of Nebraska and the Dakotas. It is likely that my gggg grandfather was one of the first to die from this. He was just under seventy. He had survived a journey from Pennsylvania to Nebraska at some point in the 1870s.
The rest of the trip involved heading south to Wichita. It was mostly along I-135 in Kansas. I had driven this road last year so it was kind of the same.
When I finally got to my friend's home, I was so happy to be done sightseeing for a while. It was great to be able to do something different.
The cemetery was over two hours southeast of Kearney. As usual, it took a little longer than the prediction.
I wanted to see this cemetery on my trip through Nebraska last year. However, when I attemped to get there, a yogurt truck overturned on I-80 and closed the interstate down. The radio announcer was advising people to take alternate routes. I did not have a GPS at the time so I was nervous about that. In addition, tornadoes were spotted in the area. So, I decided this was a "must see" on this trip even though I was exhausted and waiting to get to Wichita, Kansas.
I remember speaking with a caretaker last year. He told me there was an "old section" in poor condition and that many graves either did not have headstones or the headstones were in disrepair. To further complicate things, the cemetery records burned in the 1920s. The individual I was looking for last appeared in the 1880 census. Very little remains of the 1890 census (also due to a fire) and this individual did not appear anywhere in the 1900 census.
When I arrived to the cemetery, at first I thought I would just walk through the old section and spot the surname. But, this is a huge cemetery. I drove around and found workers. One of them had access to the records. He located a plot with the right surname. He told me there was likely nothing there in terms of a headstone. But, when we got there, it was like striking gold. The headstone was completely intact and mentioned my gggg grandfather. My gggg grandmother also did not show up on the 1900 census, but she is not listed anywhere. The stone has room for her and has other names on it.
My gggg grandfather died in March 1888 according to the headstone. I would later learn that the blizzard of 1888 began in mid-March and killed hundreds of people in the areas of Nebraska and the Dakotas. It is likely that my gggg grandfather was one of the first to die from this. He was just under seventy. He had survived a journey from Pennsylvania to Nebraska at some point in the 1870s.
The rest of the trip involved heading south to Wichita. It was mostly along I-135 in Kansas. I had driven this road last year so it was kind of the same.
When I finally got to my friend's home, I was so happy to be done sightseeing for a while. It was great to be able to do something different.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
September 4, 2008 - Wall Drugstore and the drive to Kearney, Nebraska
Today was going to be a VERY long day in terms of driving. My destination would be Kearney, Nebraska. This is in the south central part of Nebraska. I was currently in western South Dakota, over six hours away.
My plans for the day would be to see the famous (maybe infamous?) Wall Drugstore. Wall, South Dakota is about sixty miles from Rapid City. Then I would head southeast to Kearney, NE.
Rapid City
I went to a mall near the hotel. I think it was the Rushmore Mall. I stupidly had lunch there. I went to Fuddruckers, which is a fast food chain. But, they had a Keystone, SD burger which seemed like something local. It had chili and cheese on the burger. In the end, I was not thrilled with the chili. I didn't think about the fact that since Wall Drug has everything else, of course they would have one or more restaurants. I should have eaten there.
There was construction within the mall ring road. Although I-90 ran very close to the mall, getting back to I-90 was an adventure. I also needed gas. I got an unwanted tour of Rapid City. The GPS took me through a number of neighborhood streets. Many of them were open to local traffic only and had construction barriers at the end. The GPS frequently directed me to places with outright deadend streets. This is a major city and tourist area in South Dakota. The GPS has done better on dirt roads in Idaho and Nevada than Rapid City. Finally, I think I just gave up on the GPS and decided to wing it.
When I finally got gas, it was such a relief to be paying less than $4/gallon. I believe gas was around $3.69/gallon at that point.
Tacky and Humorous Signs
After finally getting on I-90, the tacky Wall Drug signs started appearing. I began seeing them along I-90 in Wyoming. But these were far more frequent and even tackier than the ones I saw in the previous days. In some cases there would be two or three signs next to each other. You would see statements like "Free ice water. Wall Drug." "5 cent coffee. Wall Drug." "New T-Rex. Wall Drug." (Yes, Wall Drug actually had a tacky electronic T-Rex head mounted on a wall. It would randomly move and open its mouth.) "Souvenirs. Wall Drug." "Take a load off. Wall Drug." "It's cool. Wall Drug." There were lots of tacky yet humorous signs. But my absolute favorite was "Kids bored? Wall Drug." This is a big tourist attraction. I have seen bumper stickers in the northeast indicating that the vehicle has been to Wall Drug. The sign implies desperation for business. In reality, it just creates artificial hype and people decide they absolutely must see the place.
Wall Drug
When I arrived at Wall, SD, I was a bit surprised. There is a huge parking lot for Wall Drug. The main parking lot does not allow RVs, trailers, etc. They have a special lot a long ways away. Wall Drug is basically like a small shopping mall. Supposedly, there is a pharmacy but I didn't actually see it. There are several stores with some of the tackiest things for sale. They have "jackalopes" which are mounted rabbit heads with deer antlers glued on them. (In many of these states, you can buy a postcard featuring a "jackalope" which is obviously photoshopped.) There were plenty of other silly things. See the photos.
The "mall" had a center hallway with cartoonish cowboy statues that people could sit next to for photos. There is even a nondenominational chapel that is very narrow. A restaurant is available. You can get the advertised free ice water and five cent coffee (on the honor system) there.
There is a "backyard" which includes another building. This is REALLY tacky, though funny. Inside the building are old west scenes such as a saloon, gunfight, etc. And, of course, the advertised "New T-Rex" is right next to these displays. This is an electronic dinosaur head in a jungle-like scene. Every so often it will move around and roar. There is also a "mining company" where you can pay to run stones through water.
Outside the "backyard" are a series of manholes which randomly spray water. My only guess is that these are done to make fun of the geysers and thermal vents at Yellowstone National Park.
Overall, it was definitely worth visiting. I would say that Wall Drug is western South Dakota's answer to the Corn Palace in eastern SD. However, I think Wall Drug is actually cornier than the Corn Palace!
Wall Drug is one building on a main street in Wall, SD. There are numerous other stores and vendors on the street.
Wounded Knee Museum
After visiting Wall Drug, I went to the Wounded Knee Museum. They have an impressive web site. I wanted to see this last year, assuming my trip would take me to western South Dakota (it didn't). Anyway, I had a hard time finding the museum. The web site gives no street address and just says it's off I-90. The building was SO small that I missed it. I called them and was given directions. When I got there, I was really underwhelmed. Basically there is a bookstore and a small museum with panels containing photos and text. There were a few artifacts. I was so exhausted and not looking forward to the five hour drive down to Nebraska. I quickly took a number of photos of the panels so I could read them later. The museum clerk was sad that I went through so fast. But, I explained that I was just overwhelmed with sightseeing and had a VERY long drive ahead of me. (I didn't tell her I was underwhelmed at the museum.) See the photos.
Badlands
I had originally planned to see the Badlands in South Dakota. But, by this time I was just too exhausted to bother with that. The clerk at the Wounded Knee Museum told me they're not much different from the ones in North Dakota, which I saw on August 6th.
Drive to Kearney, NE
The drive to south central Nebraska was very long. It was primarily through a lot of U.S. routes. Most of the trip was through unpopulated areas and much of the scenery was rolling hills. I passed through Valentine, NE. This is called the "Heart City."
Finally, I got to my hotel. So far, this is the only hotel I've stayed at twice on one of these trips. I stayed at this hotel in early August in 2007 on my way to Iowa.
My plans for the day would be to see the famous (maybe infamous?) Wall Drugstore. Wall, South Dakota is about sixty miles from Rapid City. Then I would head southeast to Kearney, NE.
Rapid City
I went to a mall near the hotel. I think it was the Rushmore Mall. I stupidly had lunch there. I went to Fuddruckers, which is a fast food chain. But, they had a Keystone, SD burger which seemed like something local. It had chili and cheese on the burger. In the end, I was not thrilled with the chili. I didn't think about the fact that since Wall Drug has everything else, of course they would have one or more restaurants. I should have eaten there.
There was construction within the mall ring road. Although I-90 ran very close to the mall, getting back to I-90 was an adventure. I also needed gas. I got an unwanted tour of Rapid City. The GPS took me through a number of neighborhood streets. Many of them were open to local traffic only and had construction barriers at the end. The GPS frequently directed me to places with outright deadend streets. This is a major city and tourist area in South Dakota. The GPS has done better on dirt roads in Idaho and Nevada than Rapid City. Finally, I think I just gave up on the GPS and decided to wing it.
When I finally got gas, it was such a relief to be paying less than $4/gallon. I believe gas was around $3.69/gallon at that point.
Tacky and Humorous Signs
After finally getting on I-90, the tacky Wall Drug signs started appearing. I began seeing them along I-90 in Wyoming. But these were far more frequent and even tackier than the ones I saw in the previous days. In some cases there would be two or three signs next to each other. You would see statements like "Free ice water. Wall Drug." "5 cent coffee. Wall Drug." "New T-Rex. Wall Drug." (Yes, Wall Drug actually had a tacky electronic T-Rex head mounted on a wall. It would randomly move and open its mouth.) "Souvenirs. Wall Drug." "Take a load off. Wall Drug." "It's cool. Wall Drug." There were lots of tacky yet humorous signs. But my absolute favorite was "Kids bored? Wall Drug." This is a big tourist attraction. I have seen bumper stickers in the northeast indicating that the vehicle has been to Wall Drug. The sign implies desperation for business. In reality, it just creates artificial hype and people decide they absolutely must see the place.
Wall Drug
When I arrived at Wall, SD, I was a bit surprised. There is a huge parking lot for Wall Drug. The main parking lot does not allow RVs, trailers, etc. They have a special lot a long ways away. Wall Drug is basically like a small shopping mall. Supposedly, there is a pharmacy but I didn't actually see it. There are several stores with some of the tackiest things for sale. They have "jackalopes" which are mounted rabbit heads with deer antlers glued on them. (In many of these states, you can buy a postcard featuring a "jackalope" which is obviously photoshopped.) There were plenty of other silly things. See the photos.
The "mall" had a center hallway with cartoonish cowboy statues that people could sit next to for photos. There is even a nondenominational chapel that is very narrow. A restaurant is available. You can get the advertised free ice water and five cent coffee (on the honor system) there.
There is a "backyard" which includes another building. This is REALLY tacky, though funny. Inside the building are old west scenes such as a saloon, gunfight, etc. And, of course, the advertised "New T-Rex" is right next to these displays. This is an electronic dinosaur head in a jungle-like scene. Every so often it will move around and roar. There is also a "mining company" where you can pay to run stones through water.
Outside the "backyard" are a series of manholes which randomly spray water. My only guess is that these are done to make fun of the geysers and thermal vents at Yellowstone National Park.
Overall, it was definitely worth visiting. I would say that Wall Drug is western South Dakota's answer to the Corn Palace in eastern SD. However, I think Wall Drug is actually cornier than the Corn Palace!
Wall Drug is one building on a main street in Wall, SD. There are numerous other stores and vendors on the street.
Wounded Knee Museum
After visiting Wall Drug, I went to the Wounded Knee Museum. They have an impressive web site. I wanted to see this last year, assuming my trip would take me to western South Dakota (it didn't). Anyway, I had a hard time finding the museum. The web site gives no street address and just says it's off I-90. The building was SO small that I missed it. I called them and was given directions. When I got there, I was really underwhelmed. Basically there is a bookstore and a small museum with panels containing photos and text. There were a few artifacts. I was so exhausted and not looking forward to the five hour drive down to Nebraska. I quickly took a number of photos of the panels so I could read them later. The museum clerk was sad that I went through so fast. But, I explained that I was just overwhelmed with sightseeing and had a VERY long drive ahead of me. (I didn't tell her I was underwhelmed at the museum.) See the photos.
Badlands
I had originally planned to see the Badlands in South Dakota. But, by this time I was just too exhausted to bother with that. The clerk at the Wounded Knee Museum told me they're not much different from the ones in North Dakota, which I saw on August 6th.
Drive to Kearney, NE
The drive to south central Nebraska was very long. It was primarily through a lot of U.S. routes. Most of the trip was through unpopulated areas and much of the scenery was rolling hills. I passed through Valentine, NE. This is called the "Heart City."
Finally, I got to my hotel. So far, this is the only hotel I've stayed at twice on one of these trips. I stayed at this hotel in early August in 2007 on my way to Iowa.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Yellowstone Photos Posted
All photos from Yellowstone National Park have been posted. Here they are. The photos are not the best as the lighting was not great. I was also in "sightseeing overload" at this point.
August 30, 2008
August 31, 2008
August 30, 2008
- Forest/River Area as I first entered
- Buffalo Sighting
- Elk Sighting
- Sulfur on the ground
- Fountain Paint Pots (thermal vent area)
- Old Faithful area
- Black Sands Basin (thermal vent area)
- Biscuit Basin (thermal vent area)
- Buffalo Herd
August 31, 2008
- Misc. Area near entrance in West Yellowstone, MT
- Doe Sighting
- Gibbon Falls
- Artist Paint Pots (thermal vent area)
- Norris Geyser Basin (thermal vent area)
- Steamboat Geyser (thermal vent area)
- Fountain Paint Pots (thermal vent area)
- Midway Geyser Basin (thermal vent area)
- Continental Divide Sign
- Odd Evergreen Trees
Saturday, September 13, 2008
September 3, 2008 - South Dakota: Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial Mountain
See the complete collection of photos for this day
Drive to Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore was something I wanted to see since at least second grade. Today was the day. Although it was only about ten miles from the hotel, it seemed to take an awfully long time to get there through winding roads.
View Larger Map
As I got closer, I noticed there were some beautiful rock formations. But, I will say I've seen better ones elsewhere. I didn't bother to stop and take pictures because I was just overloaded with scenery at that point. Even my enthusiasm for Mount Rushmore itself was reduced by the overload.
Fees for Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore is a national park. However, the only fee involved is to pay for parking. Therefore, the National Parks Annual Pass does not apply. In fact, they don't even take credit cards. It's cash only. I think that's kind of ridiculous. The $10 parking fee allows parking access for the rest of the calendar year, provided you use the exact same vehicle. Of course, since most people are visiting from out of the area, they're not going to get too many repeat visitors for very long.
Lighting ceremony
There is a lighting ceremony at 8pm every night. The parking pass will allow people to get into that for free. Due to timing I was unable to see that.
First impression
When I first saw the famous faces prior to paying the parking fee, I was a bit unimpressed. From that distance, they looked underwhelming. They almost looked "plastic" in a way. The colors were different from anything I've seen.
A better look
After parking in the parking garage, I was able to get a closer look. The faces began to look more along the lines of what I have seen in books and on the Internet. This was not a sunny, cloud-free day, so photos are not going to be the best. See the photos.
When first entering the viewing area, there is an "entry monument". Then you pass through columns with state flags. The states are in alphabetical order. The columns list the name and the date the state was admitted into the Union. After passing through all of that, you can see the giant carved faces of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln. Of course, along the way there are gift shops and restaurants.
Sculptor's Studio
Another attraction within the park is the Sculptor's Studio. This features a scale model which is a little different from what is actually there. See the photos.
According to the information in this building, there is a vault inside Mount Rushmore which was built to contain important documents about the country. It is not open to the public.
On the way back up to the Mount Rushmore viewing area, there was a goat feeding on grass. He had a collar with some sort of device.
The chipmunk
I bought an ice cream dessert which included broken M&Ms. I ate it while looking at Mount Rushmore. Evidently, a green M&M piece candies fell on the ground. A chipmunk showed up out of nowhere and began eating it. These parks tell people not to feed the animals. However, I cannot help it if I unknowingly drop something and out of the blue a rodent comes to clean it up.
After finishing the candy, the chipmunk hung around a bit just to see if anything else might accidently drop. In fact, the chipmunk ran around the area a bit, including crawling on me. I was a bit nervous about this, having had a relative who was once bitten by a chipmunk. Once I finished my dessert. I put the cup down and on the seat and stuffed a napkin in it. The chipmunk got inside the cup and started seeing if there was anything interesting to be found. I was amused by this for a while. But as time went on, I had to get going. As I moved, the chipmunk got the cue that it was time to leave.
Profile view
After leaving, signs pointed out the profile and there was a scenic pullover area along the road. I took a few photos.
Crazy Horse
My next stop was the Crazy Horse Memorial. This is another mountain sculpture. It's currently under development. It has been under development since 1948 and has a long way to go. It is a private memorial so there are limited resources to complete it. See the photos.
View Larger Map
There are no known pictures of Chief Crazy Horse. The model had to be constructed based on "oral pictures." See photos of the models.
There is an extensive museum and gift shop associated with the memorial. See the photos.
Hill City
After I was finished at Crazy Horse, I visited Hill City. This was where I stayed the night before. The main road has a strip including western-themed buildings. See the photos.
View Larger Map
Deadwood
I also wanted to quickly see Deadwood, SD. This is a big tourist attraction and an Old West themed area. I should have spent more time there but I wanted to get to the next hotel. Parking was very limited and in most cases required a fee. From what I did see, I can summarize it in one word: gambling. There are casinos everywhere. I was really not at all impressed.
View Larger Map
Sturgis
After Deadwood, I decided to visit Sturgis. The motorcycle rally takes place the first week of August. At this point, it was quiet. I did see a couple of motorcycle riders though. It's a very small city. There were some billboards advertising Sturgis 2009. In the "downtown" section, there was at least one building focused on motorcycles. See the photos.
View Larger Map
Rapid City
My next hotel was in Rapid City. That's the largest city in Western SD. It began to rain quite a bit so I was happy to get to the hotel.
View Larger Map
The hotel for the evening
I had read mixed reviews about this hotel. Many people said the staff were just downright rude. I did not see any warnings about unclean rooms. But there were a number of complaints about the pool, the breakfast, etc. Most of those things don't apply to me. I don't have time for the pool and I'm tired of the institutional hotel breakfasts to the point that I'd rather skip breakfast at these hotels. But, the rude staff part was close to accurate. I chose this hotel to save some money. There were others in the Choice Hotel brands that would have been more expensive.
"Additional Fees"
When I checked in, they made me sign for something I have never had to sign for in the future: "Additional Fees." The clerk explained that this is a signature in case I use the phone for long distance calls, rent movies, etc. This bothered me quite a bit. I wrote below that there would not be any. I was concerned based on the bad reviews that phantom "additional fees" would appear. I have no time for movies and I have a minimally operable cell phone for long distance calls. The clerk was not exactly pleased at what I had written below my signature.
It was raining hard when I got out. I began to try to pull my car to the building containing my room. The car seemed to lock up. Moving it to drive or reverse accomplished nothing. It began to act as if it was in neutral and was actually about to start rolling down a hill. I turned it off and turned it back on. It began working again. Had it rolled a bit more, it might have hit a parked vehicle.
When I got to the right building, I took a little while to get out of the car. Once I did, I had my hands full. Two customers were waiting on the inside of the door for me. They opened it so I didn't have to use my card. They indicated they were waiting because of the severe rain. That was nice of them.
The room was perfectly clean and acceptable. The Internet worked. So, I was done for the night.
Plans for the next evening
Originally, I planned to see the famous Wall Drugstore on September 4th and then go to Scott's Bluff in Nebraska. Scott's Bluff was something I had planned to see last year but just did not have time for when I was in the area. This time, I would spend the night there and then work my way east along I-80. I had a cemetery in Fairbury that I wanted to see. I like western Nebraska as it is very much like the rest of the West. However, I do NOT like I-80 in western Nebraska as the road is horrible. There is a bump every tenth of a mile.
I decided I was really getting tired of sightseeing. At that point, if I saw Scott's Bluff I would not be able to appreciate it because of sightseeing overload. I decided my next hotel for the evening would be in Kearney, Nebraska. I stayed in the Comfort Inn at that location last year. So far, this has been the only hotel I've had in common with last year's trip. It would be a five hour drive from Wall, SD to Kearney, NE. I would go from the middle of South Dakota to the I-80 area of Nebraska, which was about an hour away from the Nebraska/Kansas border.
I would go from Kearney, NE to Fairbury, NE to see a cemetery where a direct ancestor was buried. After that, I would go to visit a friend in Wichia, Kansas. This would give me a chance to relax and get away from sightseeing for a while.
Drive to Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore was something I wanted to see since at least second grade. Today was the day. Although it was only about ten miles from the hotel, it seemed to take an awfully long time to get there through winding roads.
View Larger Map
As I got closer, I noticed there were some beautiful rock formations. But, I will say I've seen better ones elsewhere. I didn't bother to stop and take pictures because I was just overloaded with scenery at that point. Even my enthusiasm for Mount Rushmore itself was reduced by the overload.
Fees for Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore is a national park. However, the only fee involved is to pay for parking. Therefore, the National Parks Annual Pass does not apply. In fact, they don't even take credit cards. It's cash only. I think that's kind of ridiculous. The $10 parking fee allows parking access for the rest of the calendar year, provided you use the exact same vehicle. Of course, since most people are visiting from out of the area, they're not going to get too many repeat visitors for very long.
Lighting ceremony
There is a lighting ceremony at 8pm every night. The parking pass will allow people to get into that for free. Due to timing I was unable to see that.
First impression
When I first saw the famous faces prior to paying the parking fee, I was a bit unimpressed. From that distance, they looked underwhelming. They almost looked "plastic" in a way. The colors were different from anything I've seen.
A better look
After parking in the parking garage, I was able to get a closer look. The faces began to look more along the lines of what I have seen in books and on the Internet. This was not a sunny, cloud-free day, so photos are not going to be the best. See the photos.
When first entering the viewing area, there is an "entry monument". Then you pass through columns with state flags. The states are in alphabetical order. The columns list the name and the date the state was admitted into the Union. After passing through all of that, you can see the giant carved faces of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln. Of course, along the way there are gift shops and restaurants.
Sculptor's Studio
Another attraction within the park is the Sculptor's Studio. This features a scale model which is a little different from what is actually there. See the photos.
According to the information in this building, there is a vault inside Mount Rushmore which was built to contain important documents about the country. It is not open to the public.
On the way back up to the Mount Rushmore viewing area, there was a goat feeding on grass. He had a collar with some sort of device.
The chipmunk
I bought an ice cream dessert which included broken M&Ms. I ate it while looking at Mount Rushmore. Evidently, a green M&M piece candies fell on the ground. A chipmunk showed up out of nowhere and began eating it. These parks tell people not to feed the animals. However, I cannot help it if I unknowingly drop something and out of the blue a rodent comes to clean it up.
After finishing the candy, the chipmunk hung around a bit just to see if anything else might accidently drop. In fact, the chipmunk ran around the area a bit, including crawling on me. I was a bit nervous about this, having had a relative who was once bitten by a chipmunk. Once I finished my dessert. I put the cup down and on the seat and stuffed a napkin in it. The chipmunk got inside the cup and started seeing if there was anything interesting to be found. I was amused by this for a while. But as time went on, I had to get going. As I moved, the chipmunk got the cue that it was time to leave.
Profile view
After leaving, signs pointed out the profile and there was a scenic pullover area along the road. I took a few photos.
Crazy Horse
My next stop was the Crazy Horse Memorial. This is another mountain sculpture. It's currently under development. It has been under development since 1948 and has a long way to go. It is a private memorial so there are limited resources to complete it. See the photos.
View Larger Map
There are no known pictures of Chief Crazy Horse. The model had to be constructed based on "oral pictures." See photos of the models.
There is an extensive museum and gift shop associated with the memorial. See the photos.
Hill City
After I was finished at Crazy Horse, I visited Hill City. This was where I stayed the night before. The main road has a strip including western-themed buildings. See the photos.
View Larger Map
Deadwood
I also wanted to quickly see Deadwood, SD. This is a big tourist attraction and an Old West themed area. I should have spent more time there but I wanted to get to the next hotel. Parking was very limited and in most cases required a fee. From what I did see, I can summarize it in one word: gambling. There are casinos everywhere. I was really not at all impressed.
View Larger Map
Sturgis
After Deadwood, I decided to visit Sturgis. The motorcycle rally takes place the first week of August. At this point, it was quiet. I did see a couple of motorcycle riders though. It's a very small city. There were some billboards advertising Sturgis 2009. In the "downtown" section, there was at least one building focused on motorcycles. See the photos.
View Larger Map
Rapid City
My next hotel was in Rapid City. That's the largest city in Western SD. It began to rain quite a bit so I was happy to get to the hotel.
View Larger Map
The hotel for the evening
I had read mixed reviews about this hotel. Many people said the staff were just downright rude. I did not see any warnings about unclean rooms. But there were a number of complaints about the pool, the breakfast, etc. Most of those things don't apply to me. I don't have time for the pool and I'm tired of the institutional hotel breakfasts to the point that I'd rather skip breakfast at these hotels. But, the rude staff part was close to accurate. I chose this hotel to save some money. There were others in the Choice Hotel brands that would have been more expensive.
"Additional Fees"
When I checked in, they made me sign for something I have never had to sign for in the future: "Additional Fees." The clerk explained that this is a signature in case I use the phone for long distance calls, rent movies, etc. This bothered me quite a bit. I wrote below that there would not be any. I was concerned based on the bad reviews that phantom "additional fees" would appear. I have no time for movies and I have a minimally operable cell phone for long distance calls. The clerk was not exactly pleased at what I had written below my signature.
It was raining hard when I got out. I began to try to pull my car to the building containing my room. The car seemed to lock up. Moving it to drive or reverse accomplished nothing. It began to act as if it was in neutral and was actually about to start rolling down a hill. I turned it off and turned it back on. It began working again. Had it rolled a bit more, it might have hit a parked vehicle.
When I got to the right building, I took a little while to get out of the car. Once I did, I had my hands full. Two customers were waiting on the inside of the door for me. They opened it so I didn't have to use my card. They indicated they were waiting because of the severe rain. That was nice of them.
The room was perfectly clean and acceptable. The Internet worked. So, I was done for the night.
Plans for the next evening
Originally, I planned to see the famous Wall Drugstore on September 4th and then go to Scott's Bluff in Nebraska. Scott's Bluff was something I had planned to see last year but just did not have time for when I was in the area. This time, I would spend the night there and then work my way east along I-80. I had a cemetery in Fairbury that I wanted to see. I like western Nebraska as it is very much like the rest of the West. However, I do NOT like I-80 in western Nebraska as the road is horrible. There is a bump every tenth of a mile.
I decided I was really getting tired of sightseeing. At that point, if I saw Scott's Bluff I would not be able to appreciate it because of sightseeing overload. I decided my next hotel for the evening would be in Kearney, Nebraska. I stayed in the Comfort Inn at that location last year. So far, this has been the only hotel I've had in common with last year's trip. It would be a five hour drive from Wall, SD to Kearney, NE. I would go from the middle of South Dakota to the I-80 area of Nebraska, which was about an hour away from the Nebraska/Kansas border.
I would go from Kearney, NE to Fairbury, NE to see a cemetery where a direct ancestor was buried. After that, I would go to visit a friend in Wichia, Kansas. This would give me a chance to relax and get away from sightseeing for a while.
Friday, September 12, 2008
September 2, 2008 - Sheridan, WY and the Devils Tower
The planned attraction for the day was the Devils Tower in eastern WY. This is a national monument administered by the National Park Service.
Sheridan, WY
I decided to visit the city of Sheridan first. This is a western themed city along I-90. Technically, I was backtracking as I was heading west on I-90 when the intent is to go east, but it was not terribly far away. There were some scenic overlooks on both sides of I-90. See the photos on the westbound side.
View Larger Map
I spent a little bit of time in Sheridan. It had a nice downtown area with lots of interesting shops. It was sunny today so there wasn't the same gloomy feeling from the previous day. For lunch I had buffalo chicken (a fitting choice considering where I stayed the night before). Mexican food has nothing on that. I felt like my mouth was on fire! I took a few photos of historical buildings in Sheridan and then got on the way east. See the photos.
On the way back, I stopped at the other scenic rest area along I-90. Scenery overall on I-90 was nice but nothing like US-16.
View Larger Map
After passing Buffalo, WY, the Wall Drugstore ads began to appear along I-90. Wall Drug is located in Wall, SD. Ads are sometimes in the form of small signs and sometimes in regular billboards. They have silly ads like "It's Cool. Wall Drug" or "Free Ice Water - Wall Drug" or "5 cent coffee - Wall Drug." There are all sorts of tacky ads. But, the place is famous and will be a destination on my trip.
Devils Tower
Finally, I got to the Devils Tower. This is an area sacred to Native Americans. There is a two mile walking trail surrounding the tower. They ask that people stick to the trail unless they plan to climb the tower. Climbers must register with the National Park Service AND check in once they've come down. By the time I got there, the visitor center was closed. But, no problem as I had no desire to climb the tower!
In walking around, there was much more to see than just the tower, though that was beautiful in and of itself. Seeing the forest surrounding it was quite interesting. Wildfires left logs in interesting poses and new life grew around the remains of burned areas. See the photos.
After visiting the tower, I had dinner at a small restaurant. This was a nice time. The owners and workers chatted with me for a while. They were just common, every day people who were very friendly. I found they had recently acquired the business and were not at all prepared for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally a few weeks back. The motorcyclists make a run to the Devils Tower. This family brought in relatives from all over the country to handle the load. The waitress was from Florida and would be going back soon now that demand was lower.
Hill City, SD
My destination for the evening was Hill City, SD, which is about ten miles away from Mount Rushmore. When I entered into SD, it was not at all like eastern SD. Yes, there were some flat areas with farmland. But most of it consisted of mountains and hills. This was a very populated area with cities like Sturgis (as in the motorcycle rally), Rapid City, etc.
View Larger Map
I had to get off I-90 and head south for almost an hour. Hill City is a tourist area and a western-themed town. I arrived quite late. The Internet didn't work in my hotel room. But, after bugging the clerk a bit, I was able to persuade her to reset the system and make it work.
On various web sites, it was claimed that this area of SD was in the Central Time Zone. However, maps show the line between Central and Mountain being somewhere close to the middkle of South Dakota. The hotel assured me I was still in Mountain Time. It was good to not lose an extra hour. Of course, I would lose it fairly soon.
Sheridan, WY
I decided to visit the city of Sheridan first. This is a western themed city along I-90. Technically, I was backtracking as I was heading west on I-90 when the intent is to go east, but it was not terribly far away. There were some scenic overlooks on both sides of I-90. See the photos on the westbound side.
View Larger Map
I spent a little bit of time in Sheridan. It had a nice downtown area with lots of interesting shops. It was sunny today so there wasn't the same gloomy feeling from the previous day. For lunch I had buffalo chicken (a fitting choice considering where I stayed the night before). Mexican food has nothing on that. I felt like my mouth was on fire! I took a few photos of historical buildings in Sheridan and then got on the way east. See the photos.
On the way back, I stopped at the other scenic rest area along I-90. Scenery overall on I-90 was nice but nothing like US-16.
View Larger Map
After passing Buffalo, WY, the Wall Drugstore ads began to appear along I-90. Wall Drug is located in Wall, SD. Ads are sometimes in the form of small signs and sometimes in regular billboards. They have silly ads like "It's Cool. Wall Drug" or "Free Ice Water - Wall Drug" or "5 cent coffee - Wall Drug." There are all sorts of tacky ads. But, the place is famous and will be a destination on my trip.
Devils Tower
Finally, I got to the Devils Tower. This is an area sacred to Native Americans. There is a two mile walking trail surrounding the tower. They ask that people stick to the trail unless they plan to climb the tower. Climbers must register with the National Park Service AND check in once they've come down. By the time I got there, the visitor center was closed. But, no problem as I had no desire to climb the tower!
In walking around, there was much more to see than just the tower, though that was beautiful in and of itself. Seeing the forest surrounding it was quite interesting. Wildfires left logs in interesting poses and new life grew around the remains of burned areas. See the photos.
After visiting the tower, I had dinner at a small restaurant. This was a nice time. The owners and workers chatted with me for a while. They were just common, every day people who were very friendly. I found they had recently acquired the business and were not at all prepared for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally a few weeks back. The motorcyclists make a run to the Devils Tower. This family brought in relatives from all over the country to handle the load. The waitress was from Florida and would be going back soon now that demand was lower.
Hill City, SD
My destination for the evening was Hill City, SD, which is about ten miles away from Mount Rushmore. When I entered into SD, it was not at all like eastern SD. Yes, there were some flat areas with farmland. But most of it consisted of mountains and hills. This was a very populated area with cities like Sturgis (as in the motorcycle rally), Rapid City, etc.
View Larger Map
I had to get off I-90 and head south for almost an hour. Hill City is a tourist area and a western-themed town. I arrived quite late. The Internet didn't work in my hotel room. But, after bugging the clerk a bit, I was able to persuade her to reset the system and make it work.
On various web sites, it was claimed that this area of SD was in the Central Time Zone. However, maps show the line between Central and Mountain being somewhere close to the middkle of South Dakota. The hotel assured me I was still in Mountain Time. It was good to not lose an extra hour. Of course, I would lose it fairly soon.
September 1, 2008 - Cody, WY to Buffalo, WY
Cell phone woes
I had pulled the battery out of the cell phone and let it remain like that all night. I wasn't sure if it might randomly call people on my call history and I didn't think they'd appreciate a 3am phone call, particularly with nobody on the other line.
In checking with my cell phone provider, I was eligible for a new phone if I paid the cost and extended my contract by one year (if this could wait until next year, I could get $100 off a new phone). The only company-owned store for this provider was three hours away. However, there were a number of retail stores in Cody and surrounding towns.
I really didn't want to take the risk of driving around in the country's least populated state without any working cell phone. If I had a breakdown, it might be a while before anyone came by.
The fire department
Right outside my hotel, the fire department was out with the boot collecting for MDS. When the fire departments are out in the street collecting cash, I find this a bit annoying. It's a safety hazard and it slows traffic down. Basically, the streets should not be intentionally obstructed unless there is construction or some sort of emergency. Anyway, I dropped some change in the boot and got a sticker. When I came back later on, despite clearly showing the sticker, they expected me to give more money. Do they think they're in a tollbooth?
Closures for Labor Day
In driving around to the various cell phone stores, I found they were all closed for Labor Day. Even gas stations were closed for Labor Day. You could still pay at the pump but you could not pay cash to an attendant. I finally gave up the search. But, in checking out the phone, it was at least operable for making calls. It doesn't remember who called in the call log beyond September 1st (and that's the same to this day), but at least I can make phone calls.
Buffalo Bill Village
The rain was intense. I wanted to explore some of the "Buffalo Bill Village" shops but with the intense rain and limited parking, I was not in the mood. I had a three hour drive to get to Buffalo, WY for the next hotel.
Buffalo Bill Museum
I visited the huge Buffalo Bill Cody museum. They had a large parking lot but it was almost full. I spent a couple of hours there. They had a section containing historical firearms. Another section covered Native Americans. Another was focused on Buffalo Bill himself. They had an area containing western art, both cowboy related and Native American related. Finally, they had a natural history museum showing plant and animal life in the area. See the photos.
Visit to a Monastery
A group of monks had sent a fundraising letter to my home a few weeks ago. Their mailing address was in Cody, WY, but their physical address was in a city about twenty miles away. The street would not register on the GPS. I called them a couple of times to see if I could visit the monastery. But, they likely were not answering the phone due to Labor Day.
The drive to Buffalo, WY
I could not get the GPS to give me a route to the hotel in Buffalo. I called the attendant to find an alternative address. He said it could not be found in the GPS or Mapquest. He also strongly suggested going via US 16 rather than US 14. Either way would be the same distance, but US 14 had lots of switchbacks and went into the mountains. He said there could be snow on US 14. I was not exactly ready for snow on Labor Day! Of course, I took the option for US 16.
View Larger Map
Gorgeous Scenery
To get to US 16, I had to go to Greybull and then to Worland. The scenery in these areas was beautiful. I wish it wasn't raining so much or I would have stopped to take pictures. It looked like a lot of this was public land which could be explored. There were dirt roads leading off the main road with tourist signs. The scenery was diverse from badlands-style formations to beautiful mountains and rock formations. Sometimes land was flat. Other times, there were mountains covered in trees. There were evergreens as we are used to seeing and then the northwest scrawny trees. I would say that northern Wyoming gets the grand prize for the most beautiful scenery and the most diverse scenery on my whole trip. I would definitely come back here again.
There were some switchbacks and a number of areas where people could pull off to enjoy the view. It wasn't raining so hard, so I got a few photos. I tried to make a phone call from this area. There was no service. Therefore, whether or not my phone had water damage, it would not matter.
Snow on Labor Day!
US 16 did go into the mountains and went uphill so gradually that I did not even realize it. But then I started to notice the ground on either side of the road was white. What I thought was rain in the area was very clearly becoming snow. As I drove along further, the trees were all getting white. Nothing ever accumulated on the road, but I was getting a little nervous. I don't think I've ever seen snow on Labor Day. But, just as gradually, the road started to go downhill. The white on the ground and trees disappeared. What was falling through the air was clearly rain again.
Finally, I arrived in Buffalo, WY. This was a city of just over 3,000. It's near I-25. It seemed very small. But, it was nice to be at the hotel and done with traveling for the night.
I had pulled the battery out of the cell phone and let it remain like that all night. I wasn't sure if it might randomly call people on my call history and I didn't think they'd appreciate a 3am phone call, particularly with nobody on the other line.
In checking with my cell phone provider, I was eligible for a new phone if I paid the cost and extended my contract by one year (if this could wait until next year, I could get $100 off a new phone). The only company-owned store for this provider was three hours away. However, there were a number of retail stores in Cody and surrounding towns.
I really didn't want to take the risk of driving around in the country's least populated state without any working cell phone. If I had a breakdown, it might be a while before anyone came by.
The fire department
Right outside my hotel, the fire department was out with the boot collecting for MDS. When the fire departments are out in the street collecting cash, I find this a bit annoying. It's a safety hazard and it slows traffic down. Basically, the streets should not be intentionally obstructed unless there is construction or some sort of emergency. Anyway, I dropped some change in the boot and got a sticker. When I came back later on, despite clearly showing the sticker, they expected me to give more money. Do they think they're in a tollbooth?
Closures for Labor Day
In driving around to the various cell phone stores, I found they were all closed for Labor Day. Even gas stations were closed for Labor Day. You could still pay at the pump but you could not pay cash to an attendant. I finally gave up the search. But, in checking out the phone, it was at least operable for making calls. It doesn't remember who called in the call log beyond September 1st (and that's the same to this day), but at least I can make phone calls.
Buffalo Bill Village
The rain was intense. I wanted to explore some of the "Buffalo Bill Village" shops but with the intense rain and limited parking, I was not in the mood. I had a three hour drive to get to Buffalo, WY for the next hotel.
Buffalo Bill Museum
I visited the huge Buffalo Bill Cody museum. They had a large parking lot but it was almost full. I spent a couple of hours there. They had a section containing historical firearms. Another section covered Native Americans. Another was focused on Buffalo Bill himself. They had an area containing western art, both cowboy related and Native American related. Finally, they had a natural history museum showing plant and animal life in the area. See the photos.
Visit to a Monastery
A group of monks had sent a fundraising letter to my home a few weeks ago. Their mailing address was in Cody, WY, but their physical address was in a city about twenty miles away. The street would not register on the GPS. I called them a couple of times to see if I could visit the monastery. But, they likely were not answering the phone due to Labor Day.
The drive to Buffalo, WY
I could not get the GPS to give me a route to the hotel in Buffalo. I called the attendant to find an alternative address. He said it could not be found in the GPS or Mapquest. He also strongly suggested going via US 16 rather than US 14. Either way would be the same distance, but US 14 had lots of switchbacks and went into the mountains. He said there could be snow on US 14. I was not exactly ready for snow on Labor Day! Of course, I took the option for US 16.
View Larger Map
Gorgeous Scenery
To get to US 16, I had to go to Greybull and then to Worland. The scenery in these areas was beautiful. I wish it wasn't raining so much or I would have stopped to take pictures. It looked like a lot of this was public land which could be explored. There were dirt roads leading off the main road with tourist signs. The scenery was diverse from badlands-style formations to beautiful mountains and rock formations. Sometimes land was flat. Other times, there were mountains covered in trees. There were evergreens as we are used to seeing and then the northwest scrawny trees. I would say that northern Wyoming gets the grand prize for the most beautiful scenery and the most diverse scenery on my whole trip. I would definitely come back here again.
There were some switchbacks and a number of areas where people could pull off to enjoy the view. It wasn't raining so hard, so I got a few photos. I tried to make a phone call from this area. There was no service. Therefore, whether or not my phone had water damage, it would not matter.
Snow on Labor Day!
US 16 did go into the mountains and went uphill so gradually that I did not even realize it. But then I started to notice the ground on either side of the road was white. What I thought was rain in the area was very clearly becoming snow. As I drove along further, the trees were all getting white. Nothing ever accumulated on the road, but I was getting a little nervous. I don't think I've ever seen snow on Labor Day. But, just as gradually, the road started to go downhill. The white on the ground and trees disappeared. What was falling through the air was clearly rain again.
Finally, I arrived in Buffalo, WY. This was a city of just over 3,000. It's near I-25. It seemed very small. But, it was nice to be at the hotel and done with traveling for the night.
Photo Update
I've posted a number of photos for the days following August 31st (my most recent blog entry). For now, I'll just post the photos from the previous blog entries. I'll link to new photos as part of the blog entries from 9/1 and forward.
August 1, 2008:
WI - La Cross - Mass at Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe - Thanksgiving for Dedication Mass
August 2, 2008:
WI - La Cross - Mass at Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe - Mass for Marian Catechists
August 23, 2008:
ID - Twin Falls - Snake River Overlook
August 1, 2008:
WI - La Cross - Mass at Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe - Thanksgiving for Dedication Mass
August 2, 2008:
WI - La Cross - Mass at Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe - Mass for Marian Catechists
August 23, 2008:
ID - Twin Falls - Snake River Overlook
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
August 31, 2008 - Yellowstone NP Day 2
Note: Photos for this day have not yet been posted.
Mass
I went to Mass at Our Lady of the Pines Church in West Yellowstone, MT. This church does have a small community but is primarily supported by visitors to Yellowstone National Park. Before the Mass the priest asked everyone to name the state where they came from. Almost every state was represented. I was sitting next to people from Delaware (one of the few states I have never visited). The Mass was very nice.
Entering Yellowstone, leaving Montana for the last time
After Mass, I went back to Yellowstone National Park. It was the final day of my National Parks Annual Pass for 07-08. As I drove further into the park, I crossed into Wyoming and left Montana behind for the final time in this trip.
Elk and traffic jams
I began to notice a slow down in traffic. Obviously, animals were out and posing for photos. I began to see the cause of the congestion. Elk does and babies were eating and bathing in the river. They basically mixed with the people. Visitors are advised to stay twenty-five feet away from wildlife. But, some little children got right up to the elk does. The does just kept eating and completely ignored them. One of the does had a collar with a transmitter on it.
One of the elk does really put on a show. She was in the water with a baby elk They were pointed away from the crowd. But, the mother kept slowly turning her head and neck back to look at us. She did it in such a way to allow all kinds of profile photos. I think in some cases, perhaps she was even admiring the traffic jam the elks caused.
Waterfalls and geysers
My primary goal with this visit was to see the geyser areas I skipped the day before. But, I had some time so I went to an area I had not explored at all yesterday. There were geysers and huge waterfalls along the way. In the case of the waterfalls, I couldn't get very good pictures. The parking areas came out of nowhere on twisty roads. In most cases they were filled.
In one of the geyser areas, I noticed another area of bubbling mud like the Fountain Paint Pots. It reminded me that I ought to videotape these things. Photos alone don't do them justice.
Norris Geysers
I later went up to the Norris Geyser section. This is an area with numerous geysers. I believe one of the geysers in this section had the highest calculated eruption in all of Yellowstone. A park ranger was telling people of an eruption that took place there on her first day as a volunteer in 2005. She said that everyone parked in the area left with a "souvenir" on their cars: a sandpaper-like substance that was very difficult to get off. The Park Service designates this area as one of the most likely places to expect the unexpected at Yellowstone.
There were more places I could have visited, however, this was going in the opposite direction of my destination for the evening: Cody, WY. So, I headed back towards the areas I missed the day before. It was becoming overcast and I was worried about whether I'd be able to get the Fountain Paint Pots on video before it rained.
Drive to the Fountain Paint Pots area
On the way to the Fountain Paint Pots, I saw a geyser I had missed. This one had a pool on the ground level and a hole in the mountain with steam coming out. It had noises that seemed like something one might expect from a movie.
Large pool with lots of steam
Thankfully, I was able to videotape the Fountain Paint Pots area. After that, I went to an area I missed the day before with really large pools. Due to the cold weather, vast amounts of steam were coming out of the pool. It was to the point where a person could not see ahead of themselves. I was concerned about steam getting into the videocamera. But, I noticed it was already on. So, I began videotaping to demonstrate how much steam was present. At some points, it seemed so cold that the steam was a relief and warmed me up.
Biscuit Basin
I went back to the Biscuit Basin area. By then it was cold and starting to rain justa little bit. At first I wasn't going to videotape. I was almost not going to get out of the car. But, I decided to just videotape the area and be ready to shut it down if the rain became a problem. The camera battery was really low. So, I videotaped until it finally wore out. I chatted with a couple who lived in Billings, MT. They talked about how fortunate they are to have Yellowstone so close to them.
The long drive out of the park
Once the battery died, I decided to make my way towards Cody. This would be about a three hour drive. I crossed the Continental Divide twice. I saw lots of interesting trees. Unfortunately, by the time I saw them, the rain was so intense that I did not want to take pictures and risk getting my Nikon D300 wet. Some of the trees were very scrawny. They looked like drawings of thin Christmas trees you might see in a Charlie Brown cartoon. It was very interesting.
Yellowstone Lake
I saw Yellowstone Lake as I was driving through. This was quite large. It reminded me a bit of the Great Lakes. Perhaps if I ever get back to Yellowstone, I'll be able to spend time at the lake at that point.
Switchbacks
The drive had lots of switchbacks. It was quite long and very slow. There were many occasions where I was the only one around for miles. I did get some photos of thin trees when the rain subsided a bit. On the radio, I heard that the road from Yellowstone NP to Cody, WY was reopened after wildfires.
View Larger Map
I wanted to have dinner and was expecting that once I got out of the park it would be like the West Yellowstone where there were lots of restaurants and souvenir shops. However, when I finally reached the entrance to the park at the eastern end, there was nothing for a little while. I did see a restaurant/store/gas station. It didn't seem interesting, so I kept driving.
Wildfire warning
I drove a few more miles and then saw an electronic sign warning about wildfires ahead. The sign simply said to drive with caution. I had around 50 miles to go. I was nervous about driving into an area where there might be fires on one or both sides of the road (the radio had indicated the road itself was open). I decided to turn around. I went to the restaurant for dinner. I asked the hostess about the wildfires. She said they wouldn't be a problem, particularly since it was raining. I had dinner, bought postcards, and got on my way. Thankfully, I did not see any evidence of wildfires.
Arrived in Cody
The rain became more and more intense. As I got into Cody, it appeared this was an old west-themed place. They had a huge museum for Buffalo Bill and of course the city was named after him.
Intense downpour and damage to my cell phone
By the time I got to the hotel, the downpour was intense. When I got inside, I was already soaked. An elderly couple told me it looked like it was going to rain. As I brought more of my stuff inside, I tried to take as much with me as possible. That was a big mistake. I stuffed my cell phone into the same pocket as my wallet. That was a terrible idea. Once I got into the hotel room, I looked for my cell phone. I couldn't find it. I looked around the hotel lobby, hoping I just dropped it there. When I couldn't find it, I figured I dropped it outside. Sure enough, it was laying in a puddle.
Once I got to my room, I was able to make a phone call with the cell phone. However, dialing was difficult. This is a PDA phone so the numbers are on the touchscreen, not on a number pad. It was difficult to keep the number screen in place. Due to water damage, the screen continuously changed. After I was done with the phone call, it kept trying to dial all sorts of numbers and did a number of bizarre things. I pulled the battery out and tried to dry it on the inside as much as possible. That didn't accomplish much.
Battle with the phone insurance company
I pay a monthly fee for insurance on this phone. I recalled that if anything happened to the phone, the insurance would replace the phone for a small deductible. When I called the insurance, I found they wanted $50 up front to file a claim. They would then have to approve the claim. Once that was done, they would then mail a new phone to me. Of course, being on the road this was not a good option. I needed a cell phone that worked just in case I had any more incidents of rocks hitting the windshield or deer collisions, etc. They absolutely would not allow me to just go to a store and get a new phone of equal or lesser value to my previous phone. Finally, after much frustration I decided not to file a claim. I wasn't going to give them an extra $50. I could not just have them deliver a phone to me whenever they felt like it since I didn't even know where I'd be in a few days. As Monday was Labor Day, they could not even ship the phone out until Tuesday. This was definitely frustrating.
Mass
I went to Mass at Our Lady of the Pines Church in West Yellowstone, MT. This church does have a small community but is primarily supported by visitors to Yellowstone National Park. Before the Mass the priest asked everyone to name the state where they came from. Almost every state was represented. I was sitting next to people from Delaware (one of the few states I have never visited). The Mass was very nice.
Entering Yellowstone, leaving Montana for the last time
After Mass, I went back to Yellowstone National Park. It was the final day of my National Parks Annual Pass for 07-08. As I drove further into the park, I crossed into Wyoming and left Montana behind for the final time in this trip.
Elk and traffic jams
I began to notice a slow down in traffic. Obviously, animals were out and posing for photos. I began to see the cause of the congestion. Elk does and babies were eating and bathing in the river. They basically mixed with the people. Visitors are advised to stay twenty-five feet away from wildlife. But, some little children got right up to the elk does. The does just kept eating and completely ignored them. One of the does had a collar with a transmitter on it.
One of the elk does really put on a show. She was in the water with a baby elk They were pointed away from the crowd. But, the mother kept slowly turning her head and neck back to look at us. She did it in such a way to allow all kinds of profile photos. I think in some cases, perhaps she was even admiring the traffic jam the elks caused.
Waterfalls and geysers
My primary goal with this visit was to see the geyser areas I skipped the day before. But, I had some time so I went to an area I had not explored at all yesterday. There were geysers and huge waterfalls along the way. In the case of the waterfalls, I couldn't get very good pictures. The parking areas came out of nowhere on twisty roads. In most cases they were filled.
In one of the geyser areas, I noticed another area of bubbling mud like the Fountain Paint Pots. It reminded me that I ought to videotape these things. Photos alone don't do them justice.
Norris Geysers
I later went up to the Norris Geyser section. This is an area with numerous geysers. I believe one of the geysers in this section had the highest calculated eruption in all of Yellowstone. A park ranger was telling people of an eruption that took place there on her first day as a volunteer in 2005. She said that everyone parked in the area left with a "souvenir" on their cars: a sandpaper-like substance that was very difficult to get off. The Park Service designates this area as one of the most likely places to expect the unexpected at Yellowstone.
There were more places I could have visited, however, this was going in the opposite direction of my destination for the evening: Cody, WY. So, I headed back towards the areas I missed the day before. It was becoming overcast and I was worried about whether I'd be able to get the Fountain Paint Pots on video before it rained.
Drive to the Fountain Paint Pots area
On the way to the Fountain Paint Pots, I saw a geyser I had missed. This one had a pool on the ground level and a hole in the mountain with steam coming out. It had noises that seemed like something one might expect from a movie.
Large pool with lots of steam
Thankfully, I was able to videotape the Fountain Paint Pots area. After that, I went to an area I missed the day before with really large pools. Due to the cold weather, vast amounts of steam were coming out of the pool. It was to the point where a person could not see ahead of themselves. I was concerned about steam getting into the videocamera. But, I noticed it was already on. So, I began videotaping to demonstrate how much steam was present. At some points, it seemed so cold that the steam was a relief and warmed me up.
Biscuit Basin
I went back to the Biscuit Basin area. By then it was cold and starting to rain justa little bit. At first I wasn't going to videotape. I was almost not going to get out of the car. But, I decided to just videotape the area and be ready to shut it down if the rain became a problem. The camera battery was really low. So, I videotaped until it finally wore out. I chatted with a couple who lived in Billings, MT. They talked about how fortunate they are to have Yellowstone so close to them.
The long drive out of the park
Once the battery died, I decided to make my way towards Cody. This would be about a three hour drive. I crossed the Continental Divide twice. I saw lots of interesting trees. Unfortunately, by the time I saw them, the rain was so intense that I did not want to take pictures and risk getting my Nikon D300 wet. Some of the trees were very scrawny. They looked like drawings of thin Christmas trees you might see in a Charlie Brown cartoon. It was very interesting.
Yellowstone Lake
I saw Yellowstone Lake as I was driving through. This was quite large. It reminded me a bit of the Great Lakes. Perhaps if I ever get back to Yellowstone, I'll be able to spend time at the lake at that point.
Switchbacks
The drive had lots of switchbacks. It was quite long and very slow. There were many occasions where I was the only one around for miles. I did get some photos of thin trees when the rain subsided a bit. On the radio, I heard that the road from Yellowstone NP to Cody, WY was reopened after wildfires.
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I wanted to have dinner and was expecting that once I got out of the park it would be like the West Yellowstone where there were lots of restaurants and souvenir shops. However, when I finally reached the entrance to the park at the eastern end, there was nothing for a little while. I did see a restaurant/store/gas station. It didn't seem interesting, so I kept driving.
Wildfire warning
I drove a few more miles and then saw an electronic sign warning about wildfires ahead. The sign simply said to drive with caution. I had around 50 miles to go. I was nervous about driving into an area where there might be fires on one or both sides of the road (the radio had indicated the road itself was open). I decided to turn around. I went to the restaurant for dinner. I asked the hostess about the wildfires. She said they wouldn't be a problem, particularly since it was raining. I had dinner, bought postcards, and got on my way. Thankfully, I did not see any evidence of wildfires.
Arrived in Cody
The rain became more and more intense. As I got into Cody, it appeared this was an old west-themed place. They had a huge museum for Buffalo Bill and of course the city was named after him.
Intense downpour and damage to my cell phone
By the time I got to the hotel, the downpour was intense. When I got inside, I was already soaked. An elderly couple told me it looked like it was going to rain. As I brought more of my stuff inside, I tried to take as much with me as possible. That was a big mistake. I stuffed my cell phone into the same pocket as my wallet. That was a terrible idea. Once I got into the hotel room, I looked for my cell phone. I couldn't find it. I looked around the hotel lobby, hoping I just dropped it there. When I couldn't find it, I figured I dropped it outside. Sure enough, it was laying in a puddle.
Once I got to my room, I was able to make a phone call with the cell phone. However, dialing was difficult. This is a PDA phone so the numbers are on the touchscreen, not on a number pad. It was difficult to keep the number screen in place. Due to water damage, the screen continuously changed. After I was done with the phone call, it kept trying to dial all sorts of numbers and did a number of bizarre things. I pulled the battery out and tried to dry it on the inside as much as possible. That didn't accomplish much.
Battle with the phone insurance company
I pay a monthly fee for insurance on this phone. I recalled that if anything happened to the phone, the insurance would replace the phone for a small deductible. When I called the insurance, I found they wanted $50 up front to file a claim. They would then have to approve the claim. Once that was done, they would then mail a new phone to me. Of course, being on the road this was not a good option. I needed a cell phone that worked just in case I had any more incidents of rocks hitting the windshield or deer collisions, etc. They absolutely would not allow me to just go to a store and get a new phone of equal or lesser value to my previous phone. Finally, after much frustration I decided not to file a claim. I wasn't going to give them an extra $50. I could not just have them deliver a phone to me whenever they felt like it since I didn't even know where I'd be in a few days. As Monday was Labor Day, they could not even ship the phone out until Tuesday. This was definitely frustrating.
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