On Friday we packed up our room at Canyon Lodge, and set out for a morning 3-mile hike along Yellowstone Lake to Storm Point. We were the first vehicle to the parking lot and the only people on the trail, and this made us more than a little jittery as we hiked. What David failed to mention is that it’s a noted spot for bear activity. By that point of the trip, we’d been well-rehearsed in bear safety protocol, so walked along talking loudly, clapping our hands, and Amie and I often resorted to singing. While we tried to keep the bears away, Noah called out, “Oh bears, come out…

Day 9 was nice because it involved just a 10 minute drive from our lodge to the trailhead. We overheard a park ranger tell someone that Yellowstone is having a record-breaking summer, with a projected 5 million visitors. So here’s a word on how we navigate the hoards of people: We wake up at 5 or 6 am, depending on how far we need to drive, and are on the trail by 6 or 7. It is cold (like 45 degrees), but no crowds and it’s easy to find a parking spot (our main concern!). Also, there are generally other people on the hikes, but not many. Apparently 80 percent…

Hello again, dear friends! I’m writing from Wilson, Wyoming, just 15 minutes from the entrance to Grand Teton National Park. And we have internet! So I’ll jump right back in . . .   Beartooth Highway This wasn’t really part of our trip itinerary, but is one of those happy surprises that come with road-tripping. The route we took to get from Badlands area in South Dakota to Yellowstone National Park was through part of Montana. I mentioned how much we loved staying the night at the Alpine Inn in Red Lodge. We woke up early again Wednesday morning and packed up. When David turned in our room key, the…

We had lights out at 9:00 on Sunday night so that we could wake up at 5:15 Monday morning. We had a 45 minute drive from our hotel to Custer State Park, and David wanted to start with a drive on the 18-mile Wildlife Loop. He heard that early mornings or evenings are the best time to spot wildlife.     We had seen a heard of bison at a distance the day before in Badlands (did I mention that?), but about 15 minutes onto the Loop we saw one up close and personal. He was huge! And enjoying a leisurely morning scratch on a rock. Next we saw burros.…

I’ll start this post with a familiar sight: David patiently pouring hot water for our drip coffee in the mornings before we leave the hotel.     We brought coffee, an electric kettle, and an Aeropress from home, but Cathy changed everything by giving us two bags of Kuju single serving coffee. It’s much easier and also delicious. We’d never heard of it before but as David said, “We won’t travel without it again!”   Badlands National Park We got an early start because we knew the sun would get hot in the park. It’s dry heat here, so it feels wonderful in the shade, but gets very hot in…

We hit the road at 8:30 am on Wednesday, July 7th, and drove most of the way to Chicago that first day. My head was spinning for the first couple of hours, convinced I’d forgotten something important, but once we passed Asheville, I started to relax. We truly made it out of town! And the van ride felt so peaceful after all the hustle and bustle of getting ready to go. We packed our lunch for a rest area and grabbed dinner at Chick-Fil-A in Indiana. It was, incidentally, the first Chick-Fil-A we’ve stepped inside in 16 months due to COVID. The playground was still closed, much to Noah’s disappointment,…

Here’s the itinerary for our trip! I have plans to blog while we travel — and Amie has promised to help me — but if you’re wondering about the plan, here you go. Day 1: Drive, stay outside Chicago Days 2-3: Chicago Day 4: Drive to S. Dakota (Amie’s 12th birthday!) Days 5 & 6: Badlands National Park, Mt. Rushmore, Custer State Park Day 7: Black Hills National Forest, drive to Billings, Montana Day 8-11: Yellowstone National Park Day 11-15: Grand Teton National Park Day 16: Drive to Boulder, CO Day: 17-18: Boulder Day 19: Start the drive home!  

We leave for Gentino Road Trip #2 in three days, and things are busy around here. This past week was for all.the.shopping. Which is my very least favorite part of a road trip. Amie and I drove to Harbison on Thursday morning and made nine stops. We got home at 1:30 and I immediately collapsed on the sofa and slept for an hour. But we got all the pet food (for while we’re gone) and paper goods and first aid and underwear and rain jackets we need to travel. I think! Then yesterday, my friend Joni took me to Costco and I stocked up on food and snacks.    …