Zion and the rest of the story....

When we left Bryce, it was only about 90 minutes to get to Coral Pink Sands State Park near Zion. This is a small, no hook-ups park but really neat cause it's surrounded by coral colored sand dunes. A family, from the Salt Lake City area, happened to wind up in the campsite right behind us. They had also been at Bryce and had wanted to come over and talk to us about our toyhauler cause they have a whole bunch of ATV's that they ride on BLM lands. Well, as luck would have it we showed up again in the same campground as us and we gave them a tour of our rig and chatted with them. Nice people !
The sand is so fine it felt like talcum powder and boy, did it make a mess of our socks and shoes. It got everywhere ! In the sand dunes there is a particular type of beetle that can only be found there but you have to get out when the temps are cool to track one down. On Thursday, when we arrived and Friday they were having really hot weather...temps of 112 degrees so no tracking down any of those beetles. They bury themselves in the sand when it gets hot (can you really blame them).
We got up early and headed to Zion so we could hike while the temps were bearable. We hiked emerald pools, weeping rock and the riverside walk for a ways. Zion is ok but Arches and Canyonlands are my favorite places so far. I actually like the entry area into Zion, with all of the slickrock, better than I do inside the park itself.


As we were driving through the winding road, into Zion, a large deer was trotting up the road. With sheer, rock walls on both sides of him, he had no where to go but up the road. When he got to an area where he could climb up, he scrambled up into the brush.




Emerald pools







Weeping Rock









Due to the high temps, and the fact that we didn't have any hook-ups, we decided to leave the state park Friday afternoon. We started making our way up to Jackson, WY. In Utah, we stopped at an RV park, in Nephi, UT for the night and then went to a really neat diner the next morning, just up the road. It's called The One Man Band Diner and is a local franchise. As the name implies, one person does it all. Once you decide what you want to eat, you pick up the phone and give your order to the cook/cashier/dishwasher. He cooks up a fabulous meal for you that are super cheap and calls you up to get it. He also rings you out at the cash register and clears your table and washes the dishes when you leave. He's a One Man Band ! If you get near one of these, while passing through Utah, check them out. There was also a huge parking lot that was perfect for our rig. Easy in - easy out.
We stayed Saturday night at Star Valley Resort in Thayne and we took Becky to see the fresh water geyser in nearby Afton. It was good to see the owner and staff there. This is one of the parks that we usually work but have given up so that we're able to get back east sooner. They are awesome people and they run a beautiful park.
Sunday morning I drove Becky up to Moran Junction (90 minutes from Thayne) so she could meet up with her friend Chris for a day of hiking in Yellowstone. Since we weren't able to check into our park, in Jackson, until noontime...we wanted her to get in a day of sightseeing while we got a day of rest in. Linda and I aren't used to getting up at 5 or 5:30 each morning and hiking several miles every day. Us old folks were tuckered out (and my feet were in the pre-blister mode). After dropping her off, I headed to Jackson and did laundry while I waited for Linda to arrive. She got in and got the rig settled just as the laundry finished up. Later in the afternoon, we went out for a ride on our favorite road through Teton Village into Grand Teton National Park.
Saw this fella hanging out, having a snack, near Teton Village. Saw a few other deer too. Monday was mud pot and geyser day. We drove up to Old Faithful and checked out all the stuff up there. I didn't get my way of getting everyone to get up to see the sun rise on the Tetons but we did get out before it got too hot and got back to Jackson by 4 so Becky and Chris could check out downtown. We had a great meal at Snake River Brewing and called it a day.
Our 12 days with Becky went by way too fast but we had such an amazing time ! The timeline that Linda had planned out was perfect. We had ample time to see everything we wanted to see and didn't feel rushed. We went to 6 national parks in those 12 days. About the only animal that we didn't see was a bear. I got up at 5 this morning to take Becky to the airport in Jackson for her flight back to Boston. As soon as I got back to the campground, Linda and I pulled out and were on the road by 7. Becky's flight was supposed to leave at 7 but she was still sitting there almost 3 hours later, due to a fuel gauge issue. As I write this she is still flying....since she left so late, her connection in Chicago was screwed up so she didn't leave there till 5:05. She will be a tired young lady when she gets home tonight !
Linda and I covered close to 500 miles today....making our way back to Pennsylvania. We are at the Wyoming/Nebraska border, on Interstate 80. We've got about another 1600 miles to go yet so lots of driving ahead for us. We had an amazing vacation with Becky. We had so much fun and saw so many things. It was the trip of a lifetime ! More later on our adventure heading home and our time with friends and family once we get there...

Jackson, WY

Made a couple last minute sales calls this morning, in Thayne, and then broke camp for the trip to Jackson. Arrived around 12:30 and got settled into our site. We’re on the end site, with a view of the mountain ridges around us. Jackson is a booming town….population is 8600 and there is construction for new buildings going on in town. A woman at our last park said that there had been a rock slide and the road between Alpine and Jackson was closed for a short while this spring and it was quite a blow to the town of Alpine. There is a municipal bus that travels from Jackson down to Alpine and as far as Etna and that was disrupted too. We could see where the road has barricades at a certain point. It appears that there was damage to the road when the slide occurred.
The park here has 104 sites….no vacancies tonight. We are staying at the Virginian Lodge….the RV park is in the back, behind the restaurant and lodge. The managers told us that there used to be many more RV parks around but they have all closed. There used to be one right across the street but it is no more….a public library is there now. We drove up to Moran Junction to pick up guides from the other park we’re doing and what a gorgeous drive…past the Grand Tetons.
Still lots of snow on the mountains. I wonder if it will all melt before winter comes again. Lots of cute shops and nice looking restaurants in town. I can see the attraction of folks coming here year after year for their summer vacations. Weather is great…usually a nice breeze even on an 80 degree day, great shopping, lots to see and do in the area. Anxious to go out and explore while we’re here…

Thayne,WY Attractions

Afton Elk Horn Arch - There are some really neat attractions in this area. As I mentioned in a previous post, the world’s largest elkhorn arch is in Afton, about 20 miles away from Thayne. The arch was constructed in 1958 and contains 15 tons of antlers, totaling 3,011. The horns were picked up on the elk feeding grounds in Alpine and Jackson as the elk shed their horns every spring. The highest point of the arch reaches 24 feet high and spans Highway 89 for 75 feet. Based on the current value of elk horns, it would cost over $400,000 to build the same arch today.

Palisades Reservoir – The reservoir consists of 1.25 million acre feet, the Salt River, Snake River and Greys River converge here. It was completed in 1959, and forced the relocation of Alpine to its current location. It has excellent trout fishing and several public access boat ramps.




Elk Refuge in Alpine – Is located one mile south of Alpine on Highway 89. A 6 foot fence and hay sheds mark the area where over 500 tons of hay are fed to as many as 1000 elk fro late November until early May. This site has been in use since the 1940’s and is managed by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. The cost of this operation is supported by game and fishing license fees.

About Star Valley: Nestled on the western border of Wyoming and surrounded by the Bridger-Teton, Caribou and Targhee National Forests lies Star Valley. Originally known as the Salt River Valley, the name was changed to Star Valley around 1880. With no written explanation for this name change, perhaps our ancestors felt it self-explanatory. Indeed, the beauty and serenity found here truly makes this a start of all valleys. Approximately 12 miles wide and 45 miles long, altitudes range from 5,600 feet in the north rising to 7,000 feet in the south. The Salt River Mountain Range with peaks rising to 10,000 feet, is its eastern border. The Caribou and Webster Ranges, with 8,000 foot peaks, lie to the west. Those who traveled north on Hwy 89 have experienced crossing the Salt River Pass with its breathtaking view at 7,610 feet.
This valley was a good place for outlaws on the run long before it was settled. There were gold camps to the northwest and salt freighters coming in and out to the southwest. The major outlaw who surfaced as a Star Valley resident was Butch Cassidy. He earned his nickname from working in a butcher shop in Rock Springs. It is said that Cassidy made his famous trip to South America soon after the Winnemucca Bank Robbery.
Interesting things to see and do in and around Thayne…..

Wyoming….

  We’re enjoying our time in Wyoming. What a nice drive up here, from Colorado. There was record snowfall this winter, so it hasn’t been until the last three weeks that this area has experienced any warm up in temps. There is still snow in the mountains all around the park.
This is horse country..even as you drive into town there are horse pastures all along the road, right up to the town limits. We arrived Thursday afternoon and got set up. Had our meeting with the campground owner and then started selling on Friday. We’ve had pop-up thunderstorms every afternoon. The area has had a great deal of rainfall, since June, and many areas have experienced flooding. All the rain has made for lush pastures and gorgeous flowers.
We spent Friday morning selling in Afton….a really cute town down the road from Thayne. They have the world’s largest Elk horn arch over the street in the center of town. Quite a site to see. We were parked, in downtown Afton, along the curb and could hear some dogs barking. I looked up and saw these cute little guys, watching us from their perch at a second story window. How cute !
The park here is very large…806 sites. They have a golf course, which is extremely busy, and several other amenities. It is surrounded by the beautiful mountains and Linda and I don’t seem to be bothered as much by the elevation. No shortness of breath, like in Colorado. Maybe we’re finally getting used to being in the mountains. Going to be in Thayne for a total of ten days and then we move on to Jackson for ten days there. Looking forward to our time in Wyoming…