A Girl, A Hound, and the Open Road-Pt 7 (Idaho)

i took a little detour south and west to visit idaho falls. a gorgeous town just to the west of the tetons. my mom was born not too far from here in pocatello, so you could say this is the land of my people! the damming of the snake river resulted in a waterfall right in the middle of what is now the downtown area. the city has built a greenway around it offering exquisite vantages. even mahjong is impressed by how scenic this city looks in the morning!

a view of the idaho falls LDS temple situated just above the water.

sadly a moose is one of the wildlife creatures of this area i didn't get to see in person. so i had to settle for a statue!

i could've spent all day here enjoying the summer weather and the sounds of the rushing water. i forgot what it was like to be in an area with low humidity. but there was more road to be driven, and more sights to see!

a few hours north and i was in the resort area of coeur d'alene. coeur d'alene lake sits towards the northern end of the idaho pan handle, and draws visitors to it's crisp waters and pine tree heavy mountains.

the downtown area has a variety of public beaches available for watercrafts and swimmers to enjoy.

there's a scenic byway that follows along the shores that offers a higher view.

at every turn there are gorgeous valleys with rivers and ponds.

the quaint downtown area offered many clever restaurants i was eager to patronize. a quick stop for a cocktails and a snack where i had to enjoy what idaho is most famous for, potatoes! in this case, potato chips. handmade kettle chips with a creamy onion dip. a wonderful rest before i explored the shops of the main street.

my dinner that night was at a recommended italian bistro called "uva". i was torn between pasta and chicken marsala when i noticed one of the specials that night was a ravioli served in marsala sauce. win! the ravioli was stuffed with tender braised short rib beef. it was the perfect combination of flavors, and exactly what i needed! it's a few blocks off the main downtown avenue, but i highly recommend.

this area is very big on ice cream. every other store front downtown is an artisanal ice cream vendor. it was surprisingly hot, so i can understand why this would be so popular. the hard part was narrowing down which establishment to try. i opted for "abi's", since i have a niece abby. and even though the spelling was different, i figured the name was as good a reason as any!

i chose....wisely. one of the flavors they were featuring was an orange cardamom ice cream. two of my absolute favorite flavors together! it was a light and refreshing combination that was easily one of the best ice cream experiences i have ever had. ever. seriously. that includes the lemon gelato i had in tuscany. and the snickers ice cream in amish country. i'm hoping my travels bring me back here, just so i can have another scoop!

walking through the streets there are many statues and pieces of artwork featured. i fell completely in love with this nearly two story nod to dandelions. they seem so whimsical!

and this gem. i love harlequin diamonds. i love moose. but a harlequin moose?!?!?! magical.

another recommendation i was given was to try coeur d'alene cellars, the local winery. they offer a wide variety of both whites and reds to sample. i opted for a flight of their most popular reds (the tasting is free if you purchase a bottle).

and the best part? they're dog friendly! and not just "your dog is welcome, but has to suffer outside in the heat" but " please! bring your dog right on in and we'll set her up with her own water and snacks!". she was partial to the cabernet sauvignon, so we picked up a bottle to bring to tony.

and thus this chapter of our adventures end. we've arrived in kent, washington! happily reunited with tony and ready to begin a life in the pacific northwest.

these last few days have been amazing. i am truly blessed to have had this experience. to be able to see the grandeur of my country. to appreciate the wonder of the mountains and lakes and plains. to have my leggy co-pilot keep me company! i look forward to our next journey, wherever that may be!

A Girl, A Hound, and the Open Road-Pt 6 (Montana)

leaving yellowstone i heading north and west into montana. i can certainly see how it got the name "big sky country". the horizons seem to stretch endlessly beyond the mountains. in some places they were a deep azure. others a misty purple due to the smoke from wildfires. i glimpsed a baby one by one of the rest stops off i-90. the entire area smelled like a campfire. 

montana has some amazing rivers that add to the dramatic landscape. i was reminded of the movie "a river runs through it" that was set in montana. how i was in love with the wild look of the cinematography when i saw it so many years ago. montana's rivers did not disappoint.

i stopped at the missouri headwaters state park (as in missouri river, not the state of missouri....very misleading name) to take a break from driving and get a little history.

this is an area called three forks due to it's proximity to where the jefferson, gallatin and madison rivers all converge. at this point they create the missouri river.

lewis and clark camped here as part of their expedition west.

mahjong wanted to experience the historic site for herself and splashed around a little at the point where the missouri officially begins.

looking out over an island where the madison and jefferson join.

this area was blessedly peaceful and quiet. with only the occasional group passing through on kayaks or rafts. very few tourists venture out this far....

staying the night in butte montana i knew there was one thing in this area i HAD to try. a bison burger. i've had bison a few times, but wanted to have it fresh from the source. i went to a highly rated restaurant (and casino) nearby called the hanger 5. their special was a 1/2 lb bison burger served on french bread with cheddar and bacon. um. yes. that and a side of onion rings should do quite nicely! it was delicious. bison is a little leaner than beef. but just as flavorful. this was exactly what i was hoping for! also made for a nice lunch the following day...

A Girl, A Hound, and the Open Road-Pt 5 (Yellowstone)

i debated on whether or not i should see yellowstone on this road trip. yes, it was smack dab in the middle of my path. but.....i had heard you need at least a week to explore the park. and anything less just wasn't worth the bother. and i do have every intention of planning another, longer trip here. during the off season when it isn't flooded with tourists. so....i should've just skipped by it this trip, right? waited until i could fully enjoy every inch of it? 

nah. i'm not going to miss the chance to see sights i have been dreaming of seeing ever since i was a little girl going through my parent's honeymoon pictures. reason be damned. even if it's just a teaser trip? i decided to see as much as i could while i could! and i am so, so, so happy i did. even the little bits of the park i saw were some of the most inspiring views i have ever encountered. i think people over use the term "awesome". but this area truly is the definition of "awesome" in it's truest meaning. impressive. daunting. breathtaking (literally.....the elevation is pretty high at some points). inspiring admiration and even fear. 

yellowstone was declared the first national park of the united states. it spans almost 3,500 square miles and portions of three states. it's beauty and wonder is largely due to the geothermic activity throughout the park and it's multiple ecosystems. every turn in this park yields a different terrain, each just as beautiful as the last. much of this is due to the fact that the majority of this park lays in the massive caldera of a dormant volcano. more to the point....a "super volcano". 

my initial journey into the park was through the entrance to the east. a gorgeous drive through steep hills of pine trees gave way to the shores of yellowstone lake. immediately there is a sense of being in another world when you enter this park. the shores of the lake are by themselves stunning. but as i drove by one curve i noticed wisps of what looked to be campfire smoke coming from the edge of the lake. i had stumbled upon my first (of countless) geothermic active spots! vents of steam rising from below the ground just at the north edge of the lake. 

my first stop was at west thumb geyser basin. a series of hot springs just to the western edge of the lake. there are actually two geyers just off the shore in the lake. you can look out and see the openings below the surface of the water.

one of the most colorful features of this area is the abyss pool. a hot spring noted for it's depth and clarity. the color is the most amazing shade of deep aqua, and it's impossible to know how deep it goes. i've heard stories of foolish tourist jumping into these hot springs (it never ends well), and seeing them in person it's almost understandable. the water looks so calm. so inviting. like a spa resorts hot tub. how could something so beautiful be so fatal?

the most amazing part of walking through this area is how multi sensory the experience is. i have been to some amazing national parks (yosemite, the grand canyon, arches, etc....) all of which are breath taking. visually. but this park? you don't just see it. you hear it. the sound of the earth groaning and bubbling. you feel it. the warmth of the hot springs combined and the occasional tremor of the ground. and sorry to say, but you smell it too. the stench of sulfur is unavoidable. but not so overwhelming as to take away from the beauty!

my next stop was what is probably the most iconic sight in yellowstone. old faithful herself. driving clockwise around the southern loop road of the park i actually got to witness the massive plume of water that this geyser is famous for. i have to admit. it's pretty freaking phenomenal. unfortunately that meant that by the time i got to the basin, the geyser was resting. and i didn't want to lose an hour waiting for the next show (or fight the crowds). still worth a stop to see cone!

i admit i was in a hurry to skip old faithful because next on my list was the midway geyser basin. rudyard kipling described this section of the park as "hell's half acre". home to the largest and most scenic (not to mention deadly) hot springs in the park. driving up i was greeted by the sight of run off from excelsior geyser crater going into the firehouse river.

past a dense wall of steam you can see the edges of the excelsior geyser crater. a wide hot spring formed at the point of what used to be a the largest geyser in the world. 

the boardwalk winds above unstable ground that hisses and sputters with the thermal activity beneath.

sitting above excelsior's crater is the grand prismatic spring. often photographed from above, this marvel boasts a rainbow of colors going from red on the outside through orange, yellow and green to blue in the middle. it is the largest hot spring in the united states, and third largest in the world. it's signature color formation comes from a family of microbials that grow on it's outer edges. the closer to the center, the more the microbial mats are destroyed.

beyond the grand prismatic spring are the waters of the pristine turquoise pool.

a bit of a walk into the woods bring me to the artist paint pots. a series of mudpots, mini geysers and fumaroles.

these are smaller formations that the ones at west thumb and midway geyser. but in my opinion still worth the time to visit!

my last major site on the way out of the park was to mammoth hot springs. very true to it's name, this alien looking landscape come from years of calcium carbonate being carried over the hillsides by hot springs and then cooled into an amazing formation of color and texture that looks like a frozen waterfall. with mahjong in the car, i only had time to briefly explore this area (no dogs allowed on boardwalks). but even just skimming the surface i'm happy i took the time to see it!

even in this harsh landscape, wildflowers manage to find their way to grow! such an amazing contrast of colors against the beautiful blue sky.

even along the entrances/exits to the park there are wondrous sights to behold. lewis falls lies just to the south of the park, right before the transition to the grand teton park. 

lush green hills dotted with lodge pole pines give way to small lakes and ponds as the park nears the northern exit that leads to montana.

a trip to yellowstone (no matter how brief) wouldn't be complete without wildlife sightings! an adorable family of elk took a break near one of the hotels my mammoth springs. baby elk, mama elk and papa elk happily resting in the shade.

i cannot wait until i have the chance to return and fully explore the wonders of this park!!! i know i only saw the bare minimum of the sights it has to offer. but i will be forever grateful i had the opportunity to even see that much. and looking forward to returning!

A Girl, A Hound, and the Open Road-Pt 4 (Grand Tetons)

as i continue west the tall grasses and wooded hills of south dakota give way to the flat stretches of dusty nothingness that is wyoming. at least, the eastern part of wyoming. if you've never been here this is how the state works. nothing. nothing. nothing. horse. nothing. nothing. THE MOST AMAZING GEOGRAPHICAL WONDERS IN THE WORLD. nothing. nothing. horse. nothing. trust me when i say all the miles of nothing are worth the rewards of the sights this area hides in it's mountains. eventually the flat stretches yield to steep and rough mountains covered in lodge pole pines.....and i am officially in the rocky mountains. 

this is the land where a man's greatest loves are his wife, his dog and his pick up truck. and not in that order. nostalgia pines for the days of open ranges and cowboys. i stayed the night in cody, wyoming. as in william "buffalo bill" cody. a city at the eastern edge of yellowstone that honors it's namesake at every turn. it has a great main street lined with restaurants, ice cream shops and saloons (yes....they call them saloons not bars) and a smattering of bronze statues. 

the sun setting behind one of the many buffalo bill statues. sad to say my culinary gambles in this town were probably the most disappointing of my trip. i tried the little taco place next to my hotel hoping for a decent enchilada. i think i would have fared better ordering a burger at one of the "saloons". live and learn. and then order a hamburger.

i awoke early the next morning, eager to see the wondrous sights that were ahead of me. my drive took me through buffalo bill state park at sunrise. a beautiful sight along the shoshone river.

winding through the canyon i am surrounded by rough peaks and steep cliffs. the air here smells amazing. clean and full of sage.

a breathtaking drive west and south brings me to grand teton national park. a range of impressive mountain peaks that rise dramatically high around the valley of jackson hole below. the skies are a little hazy in these pictures due to smoke from wildfires in montana and british columbia. it made for a very misty looking view.

part of what makes this particular range so striking is the lack of foothills leading up the sharp snow capped peaks. a flat valley filled with wildflowers and sagebrush lay before the three iconic mountains of middle teton, grand teton and mt owen (in order below). glaciers rest at the tops of these peaks, adding to the beauty of their appearance. 

below the mountains lay several water features, the largest of which is jackson lake. a glacial lake that was made larger when it was dammed for irrigation purposes. this time of year the mountain wildflowers are in full bloom. alpine forget me nots, sagebrush and arrowleaf balsam root dot the floor of the valley with pastel shades of blues, greens and yellows.  

mahjong decided to dip her paws in the cool waters of jackson lake! 

a little further south along the range is the smaller, but more picturesque jenny lake. the proximity of this lake to the three main mountains of the range make it a sought after location. it is a breathtaking sight. trails wind through the lodge pole pine forest and offer stunning vantages.

my parents went to yellowstone and grand teton for their honeymoon. there's a beautiful picture of them standing by jenny lake as newlyweds!

the main river that runs through the park is the snake river, with it's source just a few miles north in yellowstone.

my next trip to this area (and i do fully intend to return) i will be sure to schedule a float trip down this beautiful river!