Howdy y'all. Am just writing this from possibly the dullest and most uninspiring road we have driven on so far. Straight, flat, huge expanses of nothing-ness, and virtually no sign of life. Keeps going on and on and on......boredom levels have reached maximum, and car games (I spy and suchlike) just aren't having the same impact any more. This is south Wyoming!
Shouldn't complain really, as we are on our way to the spectacular Grand Teton National Park, which is just south of Yellowstone. We are going to hang out with the grizzlies! Eeek! Must buy
ourselves some bear spray actually (pepper spray for hikers – it's the latest hiking accessory).
We hung out in the Rockies National Park (Colorado) for a couple of days after the memorable experience at speed-junkie Mile High Nationals (as Brent wrote about below). Washed away the car fumes and soaked up some lovely scenery, and did lots of wildlife spotting. Saw heaps of elk with huge antlers, just wandering around the streets. Was quite bizarre! They seem quite unafraid of humans. Did a 4 hour hike near Grand Lake which was very pretty and rewarded us with great views at the top. Also spent the day hanging out in Estes Park township as well, which is the gateway to the Rockies. Not sure why, but we just didn't have the best experiences in that town. Travelling (especially on a budget) doesn't always go smoothly, and sometimes you do get the occasional bad day (although has been very infrequent for us fortunately!). Estes Park was our bad day. Only minor things, and quite pathetic things really – but they all added up to ensure our stay was minimal! The laundry machine ate up a dollar of my money (OMG), the weather was grey and showery, the hotels were all expensive, the campground was full, the queues at the shops were long, the restaurant brought me the wrong meal, the guy in the supermarket carpark stole my park & then I had to shout at him and give him the rude hand signal, the burger in the diner was terrible & expensive, and the hike we wanted to do was still covered in ice.....this place was telling us to move on!!!! So we did. Left late in the day, but it was the right thing to do!
The drive through the Rockies National Park was just spectacular. Dramatic, moody and very scenic. Definitely one of our fave memorable drives.
Leaving the Rockies, and heading northwest-wards, we spent the night in Steamboat Springs. Now this was a nice spot. A town surrounded by hot springs, pine-covered mountains, and dotted with great mountain bike trails, we were bound to like this town. Only downside to the place was that our primitive campground was infested with aggressive mozzies. Keeping them outside of our van, thus ensuring a good nights sleep, was very strategic & quite tricky!! Did a fun 2 hour ride on the trails at Emerald Hill, although had some mean-as climbs which tested the lungs. Afterwards, we soaked in the 'Strawberry Park Hot Springs' just outside of town, which was just what the doctor ordered. Very basic, nestled in a forested valley, with several large hot pools that had sandy / rocky bottoms, and a natural stream running alongside with fresh cold water for the 'plunge' afterwards! The sign said that clothing was optional after dark.....we left on dusk.....so not sure what sort of antics went on after that :-) heehee
So, here we are, in a new state, Wyoming, looking forward to checking out new territory. Be in touch soon, E&B ...hope our friends and family in NZ aren't too chilly!!
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