Route 66 8/3, 8/4 & 8/5

Because we were in a hotel that password protected their network we had problems with our laptop hooking up to it. Vista and networks that are password protected are not always compatible. Enough said.

We drove from Cody to Keystone South Dakota which is about a mile from the sculptures of the presidents. We had some difficulty finding the hotel as neither my Garmin or the maps identified the street but the Roosevelt Inn was in plain sight if you were headed north and not south. The misery was worth it though as the hotel was comfortable and reasonably priced considering it was Biker Rally week in Sturgis. The number of bikes estimated to be around 500,000 for the week made our jaws drop. We drove by Sturgis to see way too many bikes for us to stop. The drive occupied 8/3.

Getting a late start on 8/4 we first went to Hill City to see a friends mother who runs the Dairy Queen. What a sight as we drove by the presidents on the way to Hill City. When we got to Hill City we were not able to go on the main street as it was reserved for the bikers. 3 or 4 blocks of solid bikes. We walked in from 2 blocks away to gaze and have lunch.

After lunch we drove to Custer State park. This park is huge and we spent at least 4 hours driving through several tunnels, going up mountains and traveling through the prairies. As we entered the park we asked if w could get off on the side roads and look for Buffalo and the told us OK. She told us what roads to check and imagine our joy when we popped over the hill to see a whole heard of Buffalo that we had to drive between. We also saw a mountain goat that we would not have seen if we had stayed on the main roads.

On 8/5 we had to start our trek home. We had decided to stop at Bear Country USA. Ainslie had been disappointed that she had not seen any bears on our trip but that was soon taken care of. Among other animals she also got to see wolves all in their habitat where you drive through in your car with your windows up tightly. After stopping at WalMart for a book that was released the day before we took off for home. At about 5:30 or 6:00 we were both interested in getting home so we kept driving getting home about midnight. The only regret on the last day that I have is that i did not see the turn off for the badlands so she really did not get to see those.

Route 66 8/2

Last night was completed with a visit to the Yellowstone Rodeo. If you have never seen one this would suffice but it was very low budget.

We got up early eating breakfast at The Timberline Cafe in West Yellowstone and it was good food with fast service at a reasonable price. What more could you ask for? We then gassed up as I did not know how many miles we would travel in the park but I knew it would be a fair amount. This mountain air must be enjoyed by the 4 Runner as the gauge says that I got over 30 miles to a gallon and only used less than a 1/4 tank from West Yellowstone and through the park to Cody WY. WOW what a good deal. Although I did see that gas is under $4 a gallon here in Cody.

Yellowstone was all I remembered and more. We saw Geysers and Old Faithful has not lost her charm. We saw two incredible waterfalls. Nice meadows and forests and Bison up close and personal. The streams running through the park and the big lake are beyond description. Then couple that with the drive to the east going to Cody and it appears that we saw the 2nd Grand Canyon. If you have not been here it should be a must do.

Only one down side that we saw today was a fire in Yellowstone and also a big fire in the mountains down close to where we were driving on our way to Cody. We could see the flames and that my friends is not comfortable.

After having supper we went to the Cody Rodeo which proved to be much better than the one we saw last night.

Route 66 8/1

It is hard to believe that it is August 1st already.

Today was a sad day as we left all our friends from the Jerome, Shoshone and Twin Falls area and drove to west Yellowstone. We went to Craters of the Moon National Park. A couple of my friends in the area really recommended that we stop and see. We are glad we did as the Park Center had a very informative display and the park was very different than what I imagined. There was the smoothness of the mountain where pea sized deposits of lava where, to piles of rocks that were sprayed into columns and everything in between. This should be a must see if you are in the area.

We hope to take in a rodeo tonight as Ainslie has not seen one and possibly the IMAX about the park before going to Yellowstone.

Route 66 - 7/31

Our first stop was to an open house for a Mormon Temple in Twin Falls. After a 20 min or so video we were given a tour of the Temple and explained what all the rooms are used for. I would suggest that if you have the opportunity to do so you should go visit.

Today we went to The Ice Cave and Mammoth Cave which are both north of Shoshone. Because of the number of steps Ainslie went into the Ice Cave by herself. 111 steps down and back up in case you are wondering. Ainslie was not impressed by the Mammoth Cave as it was a self guided tour and you carried your own light walking about 1/4 mile to the 1/2 way point where their trail ended.

We ended the day at a very good friends home for a BBQ with his family at Doc Davis's home in Shoshone. Cheeseburgers, Salmon and Hot Dogs with all the trimmings were quite delicious. We really enjoyed the visit with Keith and his family staying a little over 5 hours. My how time slips away. Doc and I have been friends for about 25 years now and I always enjoy seeing him.

Route 66 - 7/29 & 7/30

7/29
After driving from Dillon MT to Twin Falls ID we checked into the motel and called Tim Murphy. We went to see his shop Standard Printing in Twin Falls and then went to supper. It was great getting caught up with Tim.
7/30
Today started off with me driving from Twin Falls to Shoshone to have breakfast with a very good friend Doc Davis. After eating we went to his office so that I could see changes from the last time I visited his office. The morning flew by so very quickly. I drove to Jerome to visit with Carl Emerson at his print shop. It had been long enough that he did not recognize me immediately. In the afternoon Ainslie and I went to see the Snake River Canyon and Shoshone Falls. In the evening we were invited to Bob and Geri Hillman's for supper and were joined by Tim Murphy and his new wife and Linda and Wally Ekren. What a meal we had (wow). It was great seeing all these long time friends and catching up.

Route 66 - 7/28

Today we drove from Great Falls to Dillon MT. This is just a little under 1/2 way to Twin Falls ID. where we plan to see 4 friends. Nothing happened today that was exciting unless you are into doing laundry. Ainslie has been wanting to go to a Pizza Hut since we left so she could have their pasta. As luck would have it there is one right next door to the hotel that we dined at tonight. She had her pasta and I had a Pzone which were pretty good.

Route 66 - 7/26 & 7/27

While staying at Great Falls Mt the state fair was in town. Chad, Alison, Ainslie and I went to the fair. While walking in a magic show was just about to start so we watched that performance. It was two twins from Canada that were mediocre at best. It was time to check out the food booths as most of us had not eaten anything yet. We had heard that the Vikings were the things to try. For $5 you got a giant meatball with a deep fried coating that was on a stick. It was pretty good. Chad also recommended the BBQ from a certain vendor that passed my taste test. After walking the grounds Ainslie and I settled in to listen to some country music and then watch a hypnotist that was really quite good. Chad and Alison went off to see a pig catching contest and joined us for the hypnotist.

On Sunday we started with a good breakfast at a local eatery and then went to see a missile silo. We then went on the air force base and got a look around. After that we went to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center that proved very interesting. It was sad to say good bye tonight to Chad and Alyson and their dog Dakota.

Route 66 - 7/24 & 7/25

On Thursday we drove from Seattle to Wallace ID where we spent the night. We ate in an old refurbished hotel at Brooks where Ainslie and I discovered Huckelberry shakes. We both loved them even though John was the one that ordered it. The seafood was not to bad either. We stayed at the Wallace Inn where the only room available was a suite which meant that Ainslie had her own room with a TV. This is only the 2nd time where we have had problems getting a room where we stopped. This time was because of an ATV Rodeo. There was ATV's everywhere and they allowed them to run up and down the street. The other time was because of a girls softball tournament being held.

On Friday we drove to Great Falls MT which John thought was bout 200 miles away from Wallace and it turned out to be over 300. No big deal just took us a little longer. This is where my sisters son lives and he tells us there is a fair here that we are going to tonight.

Route 66 - 7/23

Today we drove from Forks WA to Seattle WA. After about a 2 hour car ride we boarded a Ferry with our car to complete our journey. The Ferry was a nice experience for Ainslie. We could not check into the hotel that I had booked as we arrived too early, so off to the Space Needle we went after parking our car at the hotel. We walked about 3 - 4 blocks and immediately went up to get a birds eye view of the city. We were unable to eat as they were not accepting reservations that day.

After looking around we stopped briefly to listen to some Indians playing guitars and penny whistles. It amazes me what people will do to make a living. Ainslie got to see what scrimshaw art is all about as there was a display in a window. As we were leaving the area we decided to take a duck boat tour of the city. I always like someone else to do the driving as I get to look around and get someone else to tell me about the town. The driver was absolutely nuts which made it more fun.

We then went to a music hall and looked around. There was a display of old guitars that Ainslie fell in love with. Some as you can guess were priceless.

To top off the evening we ate at a restaurant and I had fresh salmon. Ainslie opted for her favorite Chicken Fettuccini. It was tasty. Tomorrow we are off for Montana and see Chad who is my sisters youngest son.

Route 66 - 7/22

Today we said good bye to Katlyn and drove to Forks WA. Ainslie wanted to come here because of some books she is reading. We also drove to La Push which is about 10 miles from here. Forks has the distinction of being the rainiest place in the US. Except for being cool it is sunny today off and on and looks like it could rain. Our drive took us about 5 1/2 hours from Portland. The place we are staying at is not the best but it is clean and reasonable.

Route 66 - 7/20 & 7/21

Ainslie and I are waiting for Katlyn to get back from camping. She finally called about 6:30 on Sunday night and Ainslie and I wasted no time getting there. After chatting with her and her mother we went out for a supper. We dropped her off shortly after that agreeing to see her first thing in the morning.

Ainslie got up really good and Katlyn was ready when we got there. We had breakfast, went to a movie and after touring the town the girls wanted time to themselves. Katlyn spent the final night that we were in Portland staying at the hotel.

A comment by both girls was that they were able to take off from where they had left each other 7 years ago as neither really had changed that much.

Route 66 - 7/20

Route 66 - 7/19

Today was a very lazy day. Yesterday I suspected that I had Gout so I sent and e-mail to Towncrest Pharmacy in Iowa City and asked them to coordinate getting a refill for me at a Pharmacy just down the street in Beaverton OR. If you do not know me very well I love technology when it works right and in this case it did. At 6:10 I got a call from Mike at Towncrest saying that he had my message and a transfer prescription order had been placed at the Pharmacy here. He was concerned because Towncrest closes at noon and we are 2 hours behind here in Oregon. I went to the pharmacy here and it did not open until 9:00 (11:00 Iowa Time). I was there at the door as soon as they opened and the pharmacist had just spoken with Mike in Iowa City and he said he loved how smooth it had gone. GREAT JOB MIKE AT TOWNCREST. Now you know why I love em.

The good news is that the medicine is doing the trick and my pain in my big toe is diminishing. I did a lot of research on Gout to see if I could have done something naturally and it appears that it may have taken a week for that to kick in. The pain was bad enough that when I applied the brake on the car I knew I had a problem.

We spent all day just laying around and resting up. Watched TV and played on the computer.

Route 66 - 7/18

Today was a day to just relax and sleep in. We did not attempt to even get up until noon. I think we both needed it as we have been going at it pretty hard. I could not figure out why hotel rooms are at a premium until we saw a couple of softball teams here for a tournament. We were told when checking in that there was no rooms left and after Ainslie batted her eyes at the clerk he came up with a room. I left word with the desk to advise us if there were any cancellations and she did so we will just stay in the area until Tuesday morning so Ainslie and Katlyn can have a nice visit when Katlyn returns from camping.

Today after eating at the Black Bear Restaurant we drove to the International Rose Test Garden in Washington Park. The place was immaculate but unfortunately we left the camera at the hotel (that is a first for the trip). Some of the roses had no or very little flowers but what was blooming was beautiful. At the park someone had a play and was doing Willie Wonka which we stopped and watched for a brief time. Ainslie and I forget how cold it gets here at night as there always seems to be a breeze and it quickly gets below 70. Even during the day it does not seem hot as the humidity is very low.

Route 66 - 7/17

Today we drove from Eugene to the coast and followed 101 up the coast north looking for a lighthouse. We had the opportunity to see two and one of them we went upstairs to peak out. At the first we stopped at a beach about 1/2 mile away where Ainslie had the opportunity to get her toes in the sand. This pleased her to no end. Then we went in search of Devils Churn just up the highway. Then we stumbled into the 2nd lighthouse which is the one that Ainslie went to the top. She also allowed me to take her picture with the docent.

We are now spending the evening in a suburb of Portland. Ainslie had hoped to visit with a friend that moved here when she was in 1st grade. She is camping till Sunday so now the big decision of whether to stay or go and come back to the area later. We are going to see if we can say busy looking at the sites here.

Route 66 - 7/16

We drove into Eugene tonight after getting on the road after noon today. We had a great breakfast / lunch before leaving Oakridge. Then we went to visit their hatchery where they had lots and lots of salmon. They had a few big fish that we could buy food for and feed and did they ever swarm to the food as it was thrown in.

After that we drove to the McKenzie River where we saw 2 falls the Sahalie and Koosah Falls. One is 90 ft tall and the other is 120 feet. Then we drove to Eugene and checked in to our motel for the evening. We decided to eat supper at Pizza Research Institute at 13th & Lawrence which was recommended by Risa at Iowa City. She was correct that the pizza was definitely unique and good. I choose the manager's special and Greek pizza. Ainslie had the cheese. The cookies for desert were good and inexpensive. We were amused and delighted to see some yuppies dancing, kissing and playing hack sack downtown. We thought Iowa City was home of the unusual but they have nothing over these folks here. This is straight out of the 60's and the day when we had hippies.

Route 66 - 7/15

Today Ainslie and I really had some fun. It started with riding on a Jetboat on the Rogue River put on by Hellgate Jetboat Excursions. We boarded our boat at 9:45 and went downstream having a great lunch and returning three hours later. These boats were powered by 3 454 Chevy engines each with 325 horsepower reaching speeds of 60 mph. What was the most fun was the spins and sudden stops that got everyone wet. We would do that again in a heart beat. From her we went to Crater Lake. The lake was beautiful but the smoke from fires caused some limited visiblity. What a surprise to find one of the roads was still closed because of the amount of snow still left in the area.

One of the jobs that has to be done is laundry. I met the nicest woman, Rendi, when I did our laundry today at Laundry Haven in Oakridge OR where we are spending the evening. I took a picture and will post it on our photo site. The place we are staying is the Oakridge Motel and is quite simple but nice and clean and very reasonably priced. Ainslie enjoyed getting to sleep in as they have a noon checkout.

Route 66 - 7/14

Today we drove and drove and drove up Hwy 1 and then 101 to Oregon. We went through some more Redwood Forests on the way to Grants Pass Oregon. In one of the forests we drove our 4Runner through the tree. We also had a spot in the road warning us there was Elk. Sure enough we saw some Elk and got some good photos. Not much else to say except to look at the photos when I get them uploaded.

Route 66 - 7/13

(Added a day Later) I forgot to tell you we stayed on Fisherman's wharf and ate there last night. In the morning before leaving we hired a taxi to take us to the crookedest street, Chinatown, Nobb Hill and to see some of the steep streets and the cable cars. Our taxi driver was as good as any tour bus and gave us the low down on many things only he would know.

Today we left San Francisco and drove across the famous Golden Gate Bridge and then started a trek up the coastline on Hwy 1. There are so many sharp turns but the drive is worth it. Ainslie and I stopped many times to just ponder the beauty of it all. We had another nice dinner at the end of the day. We are staying in Fort Hood at the surf motel. The motel is well kept but the housekeeper did not do a very good job cleaning the unit.

Route 66 - 7/12

Today we went to Yosemite. Our first stop within the park was the Giant Redwood Forest which is approximately 2 miles once inside the park. They again were awe inspiring. From here was about an hour drive to a place that overlooks the canyon floor. This was probably the best view within the park allowing us to see three falls and Al Capitan. At this spot was a lot of people all dressed up and upon questioning found out they were getting married. Memories forever being created for that couple.

After about an 1 1/2 we finally got to the base of bridal falls. The trek to the base of the falls from the parking lot was about 1,000 feet so I asked Ainslie to take the pictures while I waited at about 500 - 750 away. She does such a nice job.

We then continued around the canyon floor stopping a couple of times to check out the scenery and once to see the young playing in the streams.

From here we drove to San Francisco and stayed at Fisherman's Wharf having a great seafood dinner.