Snapshot Chronicles Roadtrip - Family travel through a slightly twisted lens. Sense of humor required. Shoes optional.

Life Changing Experiences

July 22, 2009 by Mary Cardwell

Hotel New York New York

The past two and one half weeks have brought us some of the best and most memorable experiences of our lives. However, we had reached the point that Dennis and I were having a hard time motivating the kids to be excited about another red rock or funky tree or deer on the side of the road. Las Vegas was exactly the right place at the right time to shake things up again!

Before we left for our trip, a friend of mine joked that I should take a picture of the boys before they go into Vegas because they won’t be the same after they leave! There was more truth to that statement than he realized, a truth that lied beyond the billboards of scantily clad woman and postcard sized advertisements for the nearest gentlemen’s club. The truth they experienced lied more in the realization that there is an expansive world out there filled with promise and hope, despair and loneliness. In Vegas, you see the highs of the promise of glory and wealth and the lows of poverty and homelessness. Las Vegas is without a doubt a life changing experience.

Much to my surprise, that Monday in Sin City brought out the families. Kids under the age of 15 with their extended families made up the bulk of the foot traffic on the strip. We were no exception. The casinos sang their songs of winning jackpot but many of the seats remained empty in lieu of roller coasters, ice cream and buffets, lots and lots of buffets. Strictly by accident, we discovered a delicious money saving tip that I would like to pass along. In trying to decide which buffet to enjoy, we noticed the Bellagio offered the best seafood and sushi selection which was exactly what Cam and I had hoped to find. Lunch, ended at 4:00PM was $10/head cheaper than dinner. We got there about 3:45 and found no lines, no waiting. We paid the lower price and within 15 minutes, all the glorious higher-end items like lobster ravioli and sashimi tuna were there for the taking! If you can time it right, you can eat like kings but at the price of a commoner.

Old Vegas Nostalgia

After some R&R at the hotel pool, we got dressed and headed out for the bright lights of the city after dark. Dennis and I wanted the kids to see Old Vegas. One of our trip “guidelines” was to try to experience things unique to the area we were visiting. The Fremont Street Experience fits that to a tee. You can take a taxi there for about $25 each way from the strip or feel free to hop on The Deuce, public transportation for $3 per person per way or $7 for a 24 hour pass. The kids had a field day with the name, dropping every potty joke they could think of to kill the time waiting. (For the slower crowd, deuce = 2…number 2…get it?) Most folks were heading across town with us. The buses were filled and the stops were many, but it gave us a chance to see the strip from a unique vantage point. They ran every 7 minutes, so if you can’t get a seat, hold tight and jump on the next one. After an hour plus ride, we arrived at Fremont Street.

The Fremont Street Experience aims to capture the nostalgia of Old Vegas with a modern twist. The canopy of lights overhead that runs the length of the street was dark. Most nights there is a theme or tribute created for the audiences’ viewing pleasure. Our night was a tribute to the rock band Queen. We timed it perfect. Much to our delight, within the past year the boys have discovered classic rock. AC/DC, Led Zeppelin and Queen top their list of favorites so we knew when the show started, it was going to knock their socks off. We walked around; checking out the old neon signs and listening to an Elvis impersonator rock the house. At the end of his set, he told the folks dancing in the street that he’d be back shortly. Dennis and I looked at each other knowing the time had come.

"Wow!"

The hotel lights went dark, the street lights dimmed and this huge lightning bolt complete with thunder sound effects raced from one end of the street to the other, shockingly loud. The boys eyes popped open and their jaws dropped to the floor. Perfect! Queen’s “We Will Rock You” filled the streets and the canopy of lights flooded the boulevard with everything from the British flag, to Freddy in concert to the lyrics pounding overhead. It ended too quickly; I could have watched the kids watch the lights for hours. When it was finished, Cam picked his jaw off the ground and said slowly with purpose “That…was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.”

The kids nabbed front row seats on the top deck of the bus ride back to the hotel. Honestly, the best view of Sin City I’ve ever seen. Although we missed the dancing fountains at Belliagio, we did see the pirate ships, the volcano, the circus tent and the New York skyline before we called it a night. I can’t exactly put my finger on it but the kids did change after that. The last remaining childhood habits and comforts were abandoned and new, more adult attitudes are starting to rear their heads. My boys are growing up.

Hoover Dam new bridge

We headed out the next morning for Sedona Arizona. As we were leaving the city limits, Dennis commented on how he had never seen the Hoover Dam, wondering if it would be that far out of our way to drive by to see it. We were resigning ourselves to the fact we’d have to catch it on the next trip when we noticed signs for Lake Mead. Our faithful companion Betty plotted our route to cross over the Hoover Dam on the way to Arizona. Since 9/11, security has been very tight at the Dam and we were required to pull over and be subjected to a minor search. We gladly obliged and within 10 minutes we were driving across this miraculous man-made tourist attraction. The new bridge across the dam was in process. Tourists lined the streets taking photos from every angle. I did my best from the window because we were informed that any vehicle over 15’ in length is not allowed to stop until they have passed over the entire structure. I’m so glad we got the opportunity to see it, again nothing else like it in the world. See, our luck in Vegas wasn’t all bad.

To see our entire Vegas or Hoover Dam photo albums, visit Snapfish.

Sunset to Sunrise at the Grand Canyon

July 19, 2009 by Mary Cardwell

Checkerboard Mountain

There were two ways to reach the North Rim of the Grand Canyon from Zion National Park. You could exit the park at Springdale and back track about an hour to the last main road junction and then take a left onto 89A or you could pay a $15 fee and take the 1920’s built 89A bridge out of the canyon and save yourself about 90 minutes of driving. With more than 2100 miles under our belt and countless hours behind the wheel, the $15 seemed like money well spent. Pardon my Boston accent but it was wicked cool! The tunnel fees covered the cost of an escort to make sure no one was coming in the opposite direction so large vehicles like our beast could drive in the middle of the road in order to fit through the tunnel. Not getting stuck in a tunnel or hit by oncoming traffic was worth the money right there but when we saw the views from yet another perspective, Zion was even more breathtaking. Just another reminder that going off the beaten trail has big rewards.

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon was only 3 hours away and we relished in the idea of getting to a destination by lunch time. I was so happy that I even let Dennis listen to country music again. As we cruised along, a song that quickly became his new favorite came over the radio. We had to listen carefully to make sure we heard it correctly. It was a love song from the perspective of a starry eyed man praising his new love. It was called “She was Rocking the Beer Gut.” I’m not lying.

The rest of the ride to the North Rim was mostly forest. We saw the remainder of a fire that we later learned happened about 3 years ago. It started as a lightning fire that the Park officials watched carefully but a strong wind spread the fire too quickly and 60,000 acres were lost.

North Rim Canyon

Everything about the North Rim was welcoming – friendly and informed Rangers, hot showers, General Store with cold beer and large clean campsites. Before we even unpacked, we rushed to get our first glimpse of the canyon. We had the boys cover their eyes and walked them toward the edge. On the count of three, they opened their eyes to the most famous natural phenomenon in the United States! Their reaction was priceless. After seeing nothing but rocks and trees for days we weren’t sure how they’d feel about a hole in the ground but the surprise element was just the trick!

Bright Angel Point, North Rim

We went down to the lodge and followed the path to Bright Angel Point to get the best view from the north. Den and the boys loved the adventure and the incredible views. I hugged the inside, ready to drop to my knees at any moment. Granted I don’t like heights but never did I expect my legs to wobble so much. Trying to be brave I would say “be right there” and wave. I never made it all the way out but they tell me it was amazing. A few days later, we drove to the South Rim after visiting Arizona. I wanted to see if it was much different. They were as different as my twins – you know they were created at the same time but it’s hard to find the similarities. The North view gave you more crevasses and turns where the South Rim gave you a much broader scope of the size.

Mather Point South Rim

If you have the time to see both, it’s worth the drive.

Luke and I were happy to find free WiFi at the General Store. Dennis was so kind and offered to finish the laundry so we could blog. After everything was posted, supplies and firewood loaded we settled in for the rest of our stay. A very lovely English couple stopped by to ask Den how to build a “proper fire” since it was their first time camping. They were on a 6 month world-wide tour and the States was their last stop. He helped them out and told them if it didn’t work out to join us. I was thrilled when they popped over and joined us for wine and s’mores and told us about adventures around the Globe. There was no shortage of conversation and the kids enjoyed getting to know someone from the UK. At the end of our visit, we gave them our contact information to keep in touch. Hello, Adrian and Louise. Hope you are safe!

There are moments that remind us why we fall in love with our significant others. My latest reminder came at 5:10 AM. I heard the sunrise over the canyon was not to be missed. I woke up and looked at the clock with every intention of sneaking out to greet the morning.

Sunrise at the North Rim

With one eye open, Dennis said “Are you really going to go? I’ll go with you” and without hesitation he got out of bed, put on his shoes and we were out the door. Why he indulges my crazy whims is beyond me but I’m so lucky he does. I wasn’t sure which way was east so we got to the edge of the canyon and followed the trail looking for the sun which was due to rise at 5:40. It took me a bit to figure out we were facing south and missing the sunrise but we kept walking anyway in hopes of seeing something. It was beautiful and peaceful but no sunrise. Ultimately, we took the wrong path back to camp but luckily it ended up on the east side of the canyon where the sun was just coming up. I learned the next day, my clock was set to the wrong time zone and we were actually right on time to see one incredible sunrise. I wouldn’t have wanted to share it with anyone else.

We had almost reached our threshold of rocks and trees, the timing was perfect for our next destination – VEGAS BABY!

An Enlightening Tour

July 19, 2009 by Mary Cardwell

One of many hillside letters

The next stop on our whirlwind tour was going to bring us to the great state of Utah and Zion National Park. Leaving Yellowstone was bittersweet. We enjoyed everything about our stay in Wyoming, making us sorry to leave but with great hopes that Zion was as good if not better than we heard. The drive from Wyoming to Utah was, well, boring. Dry, flat fields were replaced by more dry flat fields for most of our travels. Part way into Utah, however, it all changed. Hello again, Rocky Mountains! Having nothing like this on the east coast, I pointed out every new and cool rock formation as well as all the hillside letters we found. (No, they are not some Government code as we first suspected. Started by proud Berkley College students in 1905, there are now more than 400 hillside letters in the US, most of them in the western states). After making it through the rush hour traffic of Salt Lake City, we had a quick stopover at our Marriott hotel in Draper UT. Relaxed from the pool and spa, our clothes were clean and we were clean with full bellies, we hit the road for Zion.

The drive became more interesting every mile closer to Zion. Before we knew it, we hit Springdale UT, a small tourist town at the gates of Utah’s first national park. I was like a kid in a candy store looking at all the shops and cool trinkets. We checked into our riverside campsite in the park first and then returned to Springdale for some dinner and window shopping. We headed for a Mexican restaurant but when we missed the driveway we landed at Pizza and Noodle Co. instead. Best mistake we made that day! Excellent food, cool atmosphere and reasonable prices – two thumbs up!

View from our camp

Then it was back to the campsite only 5 minutes away for a relaxing campfire. I thought booking a site near the river would be pretty and I love the sound of the gentle current over the rocks. I did not, however, take into account the 8 billion trillion bugs that came along with such a view. Our campfire was short lived before we retreated inside in fear of something flying up my nose.

Happy campers!

Zion was truly a visitor-friendly park. Free shuttles ran all day and into the evening, taking hikers, riders, walkers and bikers to different points of the park saving hours of traffic jams by confused tourists. The shuttle stop was a quick walk from our campsite. Armed with a map and a plan but no hiking gear, we took the shuttle about ½ way up to the lodge to take a short, 1.3 mile hike to Emerald Pools. It was surreal being at the bottom of the canyon, with rich red rocks shaped by nature as far as you could see. About ½ way through the lower pools hike, we noticed the signs for the middle pools with a waterfall coming off the rocks. Sure, let’s keep going, we all agreed. It was only 98 degrees and no one was complaining…yet…so we continued to hike into more amazing scenery. We passed a family on the way down who told Dennis the best swimming would be found at the Upper Emerald Pool. By the time we got to the trail junction for the upper pool, we were all very hot and ready for a dip.

Hi Mom

The sign told us our destination was only 0.3 miles away. It didn’t tell us that it was straight uphill climbing over rocks. Luke and I fell far behind, taking our time as to not keel over and die. When we finally passed the “No Swimming” sign, there it was Upper Emerald Pool filled with illiterate folks swimming, including my husband and son. They swore they never saw the sign but fate is a bitch. I’ll come back to this later.

I chose not to swim, not because of the sign but because I was too busy complaining to Dennis that I was hot and tired. It took a little coaxing to get Luke to join Cam but once they were in the water, he was never coming out again. We booked a ranger-lead tour in the evening so we were under time constraints to get back to camp and get ready to head out again.

The tour was a 2 hour ride through the park as a Ranger talked about some of the finer points of Zion. It promised to make stops unavailable on the regular shuttle. Educational, off the beaten path, scenic and all we had to do was ride around and listen, I thought this would be great and it was.

Beautiful scenery

Our tour guide told us of how this dessert, like the Grand Canyon, was carved out from powerful waters millions of years ago. She talked about the animals that live in the area and what makes them unique to this area. It was at this point that Dennis’s curiosity got the best of him and he asked the Ranger why swimming wasn’t allowed in the Emerald Pools. A friend of mine once told me not to ask questions if you really don’t want the answers. She should have given Dennis that same advice. The ranger repeated the question for the benefit of everyone on the bus. “Good question” she said. First she explained about the importance of not disrupting a fragile ecosystem.

Then she said the words that will haunt Dennis the rest of his life. “The main reason is because the bottom of the pools are covered with fecal matter from the wildlife in the park.” The next minute was a bit of a blur because I was trying too hard to hold back my laughter I couldn’t focus. I looked at Dennis, who was pale at this point, mouthing the words “fecal matter” over and over again in disbelief. Being the sympathetic wife I am, I said “HA! I’m glad I didn’t swim! That will teach you to follow the signs next time” and let my laughter rip!

Enjoying the tour

It only got better when Dennis had to explain to the boys what fecal matter was. The kids didn’t seem fazed but Dennis will never forget the lesson he learned that day.Dennis showered as soon as we got back to camp. We opted to skip the fire and went to town for some supplies and ice cream. Ice cream makes everything better…except the thought of fecal matter. LOL!

To see all our photos from Zion, visit Snapfish.

Waiting for Old Faithful

July 18, 2009 by Mary Cardwell

With our exhilarating morning hike behind us, we were all hungry, thirsty and pooped! There was enough time remaining in the day to continue our sightseeing but unfortunately there was little energy between us to continue walking. Dennis was a bit preoccupied with making sure we had enough propane to keep the refrigerator cold since he just stocked the fridge with cold beer. Taking all this into consideration, we decided we would drive to Fishing Bridge Village for propane and then, if time allowed, over to Old Faithful to see one of the world’s most famous guisers.

Yellowstone Lake

Yellowstone is comprised of 2.2 million acres so going from village to village is a feat in itself. It was more than 45 miles to go from Canyon Village to Fishing Bridge, separated mainly by Yellowstone Lake. Our first glimpse of the lake was so inviting, blue and icy waters. I’m telling you that Lake should have been classified an ocean! It went on forever. I kept expecting to see a lighthouse in the distance it was so huge. The kids were excited about fishing in the lake, especially since we were visiting Fishing Bridge. Yeah, you guessed it – no fishing at Fishing Bridge. The kids complained about the misleading name for the next 20 miles until we got to the gift shop and I bought them Huckleberry taffy…yuck. With propane tank filled to the brim, Dennis could relax again. With sugar quota met, the boys could relax as well. Me, well, I like being amused. Since Dennis was open for the ride, we decided to make one more stop at Old Faithful and save us the trip in the morning.

The Old Faithful faithful

We continued south through Yellowstone to the most visited and populated area. I told Dennis it was about 30 minutes away but it was actually 45 because I never seem to calculate properly. As we pulled into the closest parking lot, I thought I was looking at Gillette Stadium. The parking lot was about the size of a lot you would see at the stadium, with the same number of people. There were lodges, restaurants, and gift shops of course. Uncharacteristically of the park, there were no clear signs directing you to the guiser so like everyone else, we followed the crowd then instantly you knew you were at the right place. Three rows of benches surrounded a rather small hill about 50 yards away. Not sure what to do, we sat. And sat. And sat. A couple times I tried to find a “next show” clock to know how much longer we needed to wait for this world famous spectacle. I couldn’t find anything so we waited and waited. The seats started filling in and it wasn’t long until it was standing room only and we had front row seats. The anticipation was growing. Originally, none of us were jazzed about seeing this but we knew we’d regret it if we didn’t but for the first time we were actually getting excited about seeing the trusty water show.

Old Faithful erupts

Then it happened. First a little spit and steam came out of the ground. Then another spurt, this time about 20 feet higher. Finally, the ranger must have turned on the water full blast and water jumped 100 feet into the sky. It danced there for a minute and then fell back down and disappeared. Those next couple moments were very confusing. We looked at each other and those around us. Was there more? Should we applaud? People began walking to the gift shops and parking lots. “I suppose we’re through here” I said sarcastically. I don’t know if I expected the earth to open up or hear angles sing but I couldn’t believe we just drove over an hour for a minute of squirting water. Okay, maybe two minutes but the wonder of it all was lost on me and my family. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad I can say I saw it but I learned the hard way the reason Old Faithful is famous has everything to do with her being predictable and not because she entertains for hours.

Back in the RV, we decided to eat dinner in the parking lot since it was a good 90 minute ride back to the campsite. We finished the loop around the west side of the park to get another perspective of the landscape. The west side of the park was very mountainous, offering more incredible views and the promise of critters. It was easy to tell if wildlife was in view. Cars would slow down to get a good view. We were forced to stop in the middle of the road at one point when we saw a buffalo strolling down the side of the road without a care in the world. It was walking toward us and right in front of our RV it stopped. This wonderfully huge and ugly creature was literally 4 feet away. He looked directly at us scrambling to grab our cameras to immortalize this moment and then crossed the street as if to say he had the right of way. I never got the shot.

Bear sighting in Yellowstone

In the morning, we packed up early and headed out for another long day of driving. My only minor disappointment with Yellowstone was that I never got to see a bear, from a far of course. I wanted to load my pictures on the computer so Cam rode shotgun. All we needed was to make ONE turn and we’d be on the correct road for the west exit. Cameron pointed the way for Dennis and off we went…in the wrong direction. Betty kept telling us to “make a legal U turn” but we thought the mountain air confused her so we just ignored her warnings. From behind the laptop, I would question if this looked familiar. Dennis would shrug his shoulders and tell me it all looked the same to him after hours and hours of being behind the wheel.

After ½ hour, I decided to take a serious look at the map and realized we were heading north, not west. Not happy about an extra 60 minutes to exit the park, we were trying to make the best of seeing new views and then, the sight that made it all worthwhile…a baby grizzly bear about 10 feet off the side of the road. After two more bear sightings, another pass through Mammoth Hot Springs and through a Bald Eagle sanctuary with 2 residents perched high in the tree, we made it down to the west exit and off to our next stop just outside Salt Lake City.

Bison and Elks and Bears! Oh My!

July 15, 2009 by Mary Cardwell

As we packed up our Montana campsite, our host told us of a spectacular drive through the mountains to Yellowstone National Park, our next destination. He spoke of Red Lodge and winding roads up the Rockies for views unlike any other that would take us to the Northeast Entrance of the park. He did warn us to drive carefully because of the high number of deaths on that road each year.

Welcome to Yellowstone

With our adventurous ways tamed just a bit after our last excursion, we followed Betty’s advice and took the safe, boring highway to the North entrance instead. The ride to the park may have been average but all that changed once we crossed through the gates of the world’s first National Park.

Mammoth Hot Springs

I was not prepared for the scope of Yellowstone. I read a lot about the park and the many different geological areas, each offering different experiences but as we climbed through the mountains, I was in awe of the beauty of the changing landscape. The first area we drove through was Mammoth Hot Springs. Large white stone, which looked like ice caps on a mountain top, were covered with colorful hot springs, pools and waterfalls. There is nothing else like this in the park, so if you have the time, it’s worth a stop and look around. We continued our scenic drive to Canyon Campground for a two day stay.

Canyon Campground was one of the larger campsites Yellowstone had to offer. We found our spot and settled in. The boys were ready to set up the tent to sleep outdoors that night until Dennis noticed the bear claw markings on all the trees around us. It was probably nothing and the Ranger assured us bears don’t frequent that area anymore but… The kids slept in the camper that night. I mentioned how I began to relinquish my fashion standards a bit in the last blog. In Yellowstone, however, I took it to an all time low.

Entering Yellowstone

I did something that I never thought I would do in my entire life. Dennis and I are both early risers and in an effort to not wake the kids we decided to go for an early morning walk to get the paper and a coffee. I went for this mile walk in my pajamas! Granted, they looked similar to sweatpants but never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would be in public in PJ’s! Strange thing is that no one noticed or cared. More importantly, I wasn’t the only one.

Being uber relaxed, we plotted our day. A friend of ours had loaned us a book on all the day hikes in Yellowstone. I found one hike that seemed right up our ally and was only 2 miles from Canyon. After breakfast, we geared up and head out for an easy, 2-4 mile hike or so we thought.

Upper Falls - look closely for the tiny people on the right (spots of colors)

The very first leg of the hike took us from Uncle Tom’s parking area through a trail to Artisians’ Point. This was a fairly popular walk that brought you into the beginning of the “Grand Canyon of Yellowstone”, where you could see the Upper Falls waterfall and all the tourist on the other side of the canyon. Once you reached the parking lot at Artisians Point, most folks turned back but thanks to our trusty hike book, we went to the back parking lot and continued our hike. And oh what a hike it was!

Taking a breat at Artisians Point

I would not classify the next part of this trail as easy. We hiked up and up and up and up alongside a cliff, continuing further along the canyon. The higher we climbed, the more amazing the views. We saw Bald Eagles swooping over the rocks, canyon walls that look like watercolors dropped from the sky. Sure we were hot and tired but loving every minute of it, most of us at least. After hiking to a top elevation of 8100 feet, we saw the trail split back to Clear Lake and Lily Pad Lake where we continued our adventure. At this point, the boys regretted all the hiking gear we took. Dennis took on all the gear no one wanted to carry. Now, the jokes about how it is the jack ass that carries all the gear through the canyon are so obvious I couldn’t resist but I seriously have to say thanks to Den.

Lily Pad Lake

We came across Lily Pad Lake where the name was well suited. With my love of frogs, I moved quickly through this area, the boys on toad alert the whole way. I made it through without a sighting! At least 3 miles into the walk so far and no end in sight, we made it to Clear Lake, again properly named.

We were all so tempted to jump right in and cool off but the idea of walking back in wet shorts wasn’t so appealing.

We all reveled in how our hike brought us up a cliff and then down into the woods that opened into these inviting lakes but imagine our surprise when we rounded the corner to find yet another, completely different landscape. The next 1/8 mile was several boiling pools of mud. My skin could have used that treatment, I tell you! Some were a roaring boil, others were spurts that jumped 3 feet in the air. It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. We would have admired them longer but the smell of sulfur was almost unbearable! Just like the first time Cam saw the hundreds of bugs that met their fate on the front of our RV, his gag reflex kicked in and we hustled out of there very quickly!

We couldn’t believe we saw three unique geological areas on our single but tiring hike, and then we rounded the next corner to see our final change in landscape – a large open meadow with rolling grass and shady trees. Pinch me! I can’t believe this is real.

Elks roam free

As Luke’s hat almost blew off his head again, we all offered to carry it for him because it is now a sacred symbol of our adventures. As Dennis turned from joking with Luke he stopped dead in his tracks. An entire herd of Elk were grazing in the field below. Back in South Dakota, Luke learned the hard way not to yell “Look! It’s an animal!” when spotting wildlife and we all stood still and watched these beautiful creatures surrounded by nature. We could see a few Buffalo way off in the distance, thankfully posing absolutely no threat to us.

After 3 hours and 6+ miles, we spotted our last show stopping site – the parking lot where we started. We could see the finish line. I was a little disappointed I didn’t see any bear, from a far of course, but our time in Yellowstone wasn’t done yet.

To see our entire photo album, visit Snapfish.

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