Yellowstone - Summer #2

It's my second summer in Yellowstone. It's great again.

I want to blog again but I don't want it to take too much time. I haven't decided how to do this, yet.

For my first blog, a summary of my trip & my first days in the park:

April 29: Tilley (Jean's dog) woke me up about 5:30 because she wanted to sleep on the couch. Lara & I were already on the couch so there wasn't room but I let Tilley get on my stomach. She got comfy and back to sleep but I couldn't get back to sleep. I read some news on my Crackberry. Before long, the others were getting up and it was time to get on the road. Leaving Clayton was the hardest thing ever. I cried, Jean cried, Lara cried and Clayton looked at us like we were crazy. It was an easy drive to Amarillo - other than being tired. On the drive, I realized West/North Texas isn't that bad. It isn't my preference but it's pretty in its own way. I especially liked the fields of yellow flowers and the windmills. The only bit of excitement came in my last couple hours. After stopping for gas, I noticed a blue van behind me. Every time I changed lanes - he changed lanes. I pass a car - he passed the car. I move in front of the car - he moves in front of the car. At first, it was just annoying but as I got closer to my destination, I knew I needed to make sure they van didn't follow me to the hotel. I was already thinking that I could have my GPS direct me to the closest police station. The exit comes - and the van exits too. I drive past the road for my hotel and continue to the next light. From there, I turned right and the van continued straight - back onto the freeway. I don't know what they were thinking or why they exited and then got straight back on the highway. The End - of this day.

April 30: I stayed in my comfy hotel bed for too long. After dragging myself from bed. I headed to Erie, CO, to visit my cousin Lauren - plus Kareem and Brighton. The drive to Denver wasn't bad - until I reached the traffic in Colorado Springs and Denver. Once I got to Erie, I got to see my cousin & Brighton, check out their adorable house and relax. Later that night, we went for Tibetan food - which was awesome! We also had some cheesecake before hitting the sack.

May 1: Lauren & I went treasure hitting early in the morning. We went to a ton of garage sales and a thrift shop too. We both found a lot of goodies. I got some old kitchen stuff - a potato masher, garlic press, egg beater and iron skillet. I also found some old books. While we enjoyed our shopping, the boys did some fun things of there own. We hooked back up in the afternoon, all super tired. We brought in dinner and went to bed early.


May 2: We all went to The Original Pancake House for breakfast - and I fell in love with the coconut pancakes. Then Lauren went with me to finish my shopping for the park. That afternoon, we all went for a drive in the mountains near Boulder. It was sunny when we started but snowing as we got into the mountains. It was a beautiful drive and a great way to spend an afternoon with family. That night, we grabbed dinner The Dark Horse (I think that was the name).


May 3: Unfortunately, Kareem had to work but Lauren, Brighton and I went for Ethiopian food for lunch. It was a great last meal before getting on the road. After lunch, I had to say goodbye to Lauren and Brighton but made plans to see each other soon. That day, I drove from Erie, CO, to Sheridan, WY. It was a shorter drive in mileage which allowed me to take some slower freeways and still make good time. Instead of staying on the giant 25, I got on 287 in Fort Collins and took it to Laramie. It was so nice to get away from the traffic and 18-wheelers. The speed limit was 10 miles slower but it was totally worth it. From Laramie, I took 487 to Casper - again, staying off the major freeway. Once in Casper, I had to get back on 25 to Sheridan.


To be continued...