July: Yellowstone and Beyond 1995
By July we were ready to celebrate graduations and to take our new RV on its first major trip. The plan was to drive in a big circle from Yuba City east to Salt Lake City then north to Jackson Hole. Then we would go north to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. From there we would go northwest to Coeur d'Alene and further west to Portland. We would finish the circle with a final trip south back to Yuba City.
The journey to Salt Lake City took us through lots of desert country. North of there we could see mountains in the distance and snow still on the peaks. By the time we reached Jackson Hole, we were ready to walk around town, have dinner, and head to the Grand Tetons.
The Grand Tetons were spectacular and the cool mountain air was welcome after so many miles in the desert.
We entered Yellowstone from the south near Lewis Lake and spent the day visiting Old Faithful and Mammoth Hot Springs.
We waited less than an hour for Old Faithful to erupt on its usual 65 minute cycle then we stopped at other bubbling geysers, but we couldn't tolerate the sulfur odors for long.
By nightfall we were in Gardiner Montana. Rocky Mountain Campground was on a bluff overlooking Gardiner. Thunder and lightning kept us awake and we wondered how safe we were on the edge of the bluff. We survived the night and were ready to visit the canyons, falls, and lakes on the east side of Yellowstone. Short hikes to the falls were a relief from riding in the RV.
We entered the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River and followed it to a series of waterfalls.
Tower falls (132 feet) on the left and Lower Falls on the right below:
Maggie and Barbara posed for pictures in the meadows while Joe stood by a petrified redwood.
We joined hordes of tourists to take pictures when buffalo or Elk were sighted.
Our next destination was Coeur d'Alene. We traveled through more mountains and then dropped down to the valley and lake where we could see the famous floating golf green and the resorts and nearby hiking trails by the lake.
Ellen and Joe found ways to enjoy life at the Squaw Bay Resort.
The final destination for the trip was Portland and the beautiful Grotto and gardens there. The Grotto also offered a great view overlooking Portland.
Our July trip was just about over as we headed back to Yuba City and another school year.