Day 1 - Antigonish, NS to Boston, MA

Relatively uneventful and we found ourselves moving quite nicely against the traffic heading north from New England toward the Maine Coastal summer areas.  We've gotten quite used to this part of our journeys to the US.  Janie and I split up the driving pretty good and both had "naps". By the time we checked into the Hampton Inn, in Billerica, we were spent.  There was a marked and steady increase in temperature as we moved south as well. Great head start and use of a Friday to keep the driving spread out a bit.

Day 2 - Boston, MA to Cleveland, OH

Good run on Day 2.  Really no significant traffic issues or construction delays.  We had travelled the I-90 before through New York State but never along Lake Erie area and its southern shoreline, so it was new territory.  Lots of vineyards which makes sense...really a lot like our Southern Ontario bread basket. We camped at a KOA near Cleveland in a lakeshore town called Sandusky.  It was stinking hot and rained overnight.  For the most part we slept through and although we had some interesting content being shared by our neighbors, we managed quite nicely.  Kind of fun and a kick of the tires in regards to camping. New tent was more than adequate!

Day 3 - Cleveland, OH to Des Moines, IO

Up and at it early (6:00am) which always works out great. Kids get a little nap in while driving, weather is cool and traffic is minimal. Our trek through the Midwest was slick... Cornfields being the scenery of the day. However, it was another lengthy stretch of flat, straight ahead driving.  Janie's pick of e-book really helped this part of the trip... The Help, written about Ms. Skeeter, an aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960s who decides to write a book detailing the African-American maids' point of view on the white families for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis. An appropriate choice for the "American Experience" trip. The kids did great on the drive.  Stayed at Stony Mountain Lodge outside of Des Moines. Beautiful "western decor", air conditioned (it was a balmy 42 Celsius) and an indoor/outdoor pool.  Ate supper at the Texas Roadhouse chain... Ribs and pulled pork. Unfortunately more than anyone could eat.  Great stop in Des Moines.  The folks we met in the Midwest were very helpful and so friendly.

Day 4 - Des Moines, IO to Badlands NP, SD

Up and on the road by 7:00 am to get to our first National Park activities.  Almost four days of driving to set it up.  After crossing the remainder of Iowa, we turned north on the 29 to Sioux City and then westward toward Rapid City.  Until this point the terrain had been quite similar, but we really noticed a change as soon as we crossed the Missouri River.  Freaky.. The landscape flipped like a light switch.  The vegetation trimmed up to the point where trees became special.

Rte 240 leaves the I-90 and heads for the Badlands.  Just off the exit is the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site.  It's a modest park that tweaks some "silent" cold war history.  This part of South Dakota was home to a series of secret 1960's missile sites and the tiny visitor centre introduces the period and site through artifacts and video. Here is also where Monica started collecting National Park stamps (we stamped our Frommer's Guide) from each park.

After a quick stop we continued to Badlands National Park, using our America the Beautiful passes for the first time.  It came at a cost of $80 but I thought it would save money (as well as complication) when entering the parks.  We got everything signed, situated and were quickly on our way.  Near the entrance we got out and completed a trail (The "Window/Door" trail) near the park head. The walk took us for a first glimpse of the Badlands.  We were all set back somewhat by the "Beware of Rattlesnakes" sign.

Next stop was the Ben Riefel Visitor Centre.  Monica got a stamp and we looked after some necessities.  Good video of the park including an intro to the geography/geology, culture and first peoples, wildlife and park direction.

Checked into our Badlands cabin. Well... when I get rich and famous and move to Smelt Lake, this is the building we want at the end of the lake. Gorgeous room at Cedar Pass Lodge, an excellent model for a camp.  The smell of cedar had me humming a tune and a cool Coors light seemed appropriate too! Beautiful wood crafted beds with fluffy sheets and cedar tongue and groove panelling on the walls.

Had supper at the Cedar Pass Restaurant, conveniently located a short walk from our cabin.  Pete and I had Buffalo Burgers... Little "fresh" but good. Would have loved to have played with them myself on the BBQ.  That evening we enjoyed the space we were in and a very relaxing time in the shadows of the Badlands. Great start to our adventures in America's National Parks.

Day 5 - Badlands NP, SD - Sheridan, WY

Janie and I toured the eastern end of the Badlands National Park from 5:00am to 6:30 am taking pictures. Saw deer, rabbits, birds and photographers!  Kids were still in bed and we definitely had parts of the park to ourselves.  We had hoped for a clear sunrise... But clouds to the east stopped a bright blast of sun.  Fun colors though. When we returned we found Monica had locked herself out of the cabin for about 50 minutes. After hearing her story of survival we gathered up our gear and made tracks.

That morning we drove through the western portion of Badlands NP. Its a smaller park, but very interesting in regards to landscape. On our way we did several look offs and trails, and got a nice family shot after taking a picture of a Grand Dad and some of his Grand Children moving in the opposite direction.  The 240 takes visitors along the ridge of the Badlands and back out to the I-90.

Wall Drug - this was an impulse stop for sure. Wall Drug is a store in Wall, SD.  We started seeing signs for it somewhere in Iowa. Then figured we just had to stop when we got there, as it's located just outside of the Badlands NP.  Great little Wild West feel and we hunkered down y'all for an "All you can eat" breakfast.  Hit the spot and timed perfectly. This place defines the essence of something from nothing, both historically and currently. Entrepreneurial spirit oozed in this place.

It is a short distance from Wall to Mt. Rushmore National Memorial, located in the Black Hills area of South Dakota.  Very busy in comparison to the Badlands.  Caught a glimpse of Rushmore driving in, and our only fee was for parking.  Once inside, we found a beautiful layout and we moved through the crowds to take some cool photos of the faces carved into the mountainside, as well a much needed stretch by walking the Presidential Trail.  The monument is a bit deceiving, as it looks quite small at first glance.  Peter looked up some of the measurements which put things into perspective (ie. the eyes are roughly 11ft wide).  I wish a human had been climbing on it... I think it would have put all in perspective.

Next stop was Devils Tower National Monument.  Devils Tower is an impressive rock formation that goes screaming into the sky.  Memories of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" for mom and dad. Pretty phenomenal. The outside edge is grooved as though it were a set of splines that fit into the head of a transmission.  After a "gawk" at the prairie dogs, we did a quick stop at the Visitor Centre. Then we hiked the two mile trek around the base of the rock face.  Cool views and I really enjoyed watching a group of rock climbers rappelling down the steep face.  Great walk... But we could hear thunder in the distance and decided to pick up and keep moving.

We soon found out what a prairie thunderstorm looks, sounds and feels like.  The plan had been to camp in Sundance, but with weather approaching we were iffy on it.  We decided it may be prudent to abandon the camping reservation and make tracks for central Wyoming.  Good call... About 20 minutes out of Devils Tower we got smacked with high winds and torrential rain mixed with some good sized hunks of hail.  It roared for a solid fifteen minutes, with us having to pull entirely off the road several times using four way flashers. I thought we were about to lose a windshield.

After a short wait under an overpass, we continued onward to clearer skies and finally came to rest in Sheridan, WY, where we snatched up a hotel room.  I was shot after the day's drive. Worked out well as the kids hit the pool, Janie sourced some vittles and I booked a room for Salt Lake City.  Janie hit second gear and actually used the evening to give our duds a much needed spin in the hotel washer and dryer. We had a solid rest.

Day 6 - Sheridan, WY to Yellowstone NP, WY

On the road early... 6:00 am on our way to Yellowstone.  Roughly a four hour drive to the park gates.  All started well until we hit the foothills of Bighorn National Forest.  Good lord, hadn't quite prepared myself for the mountains and drive across.  My vertigo left me woozy during the 4000ft climb from 3900 ft as we passed through the park.  God it was gorgeous mountain, high country, canyon, pine forest... I don't enjoy the heights and steep uphill / downhill highways but it was darn impressive.  Slowed us down a bunch though... Which was okay by me!

Big snack at Granny's Family Dining, in Cody (à la Buffalo Bill), WY.  Wonderful waitress, who I would guess has spoken with tens of thousands of tourists.  Got to ask her a few questions about roads, passes in the park... Well worth a breakfast stop!

The trek into the eastern entrance of Yellowstone National Park was very good, with some height involved at Sylvan Pass.  Janie drove it and did great!  We moved through the area east of Yellowstone Lake, obviously a fire damaged area in recent times.  Upon heading towards Canyon Village, we came across several small groups, and then an entire herd of Buffalo.  These are the only wild herds in America, ranging 3500 in number.  The herd had been reduced to 25 at the turn of the 20th century.  Fun to watch them roam... Remaining oblivious to the stopped cars taking photos.

Also along the way to Canyon Village we stopped to check out several thermal features located on this side of the park.  We liked the Mud Volcano and especially the hissing and gurgling of the Dragon Mouth Spring.  The kids got their first blasts of sulphur which" lent" to the experience.

Our first stop at Canyon Village was the Visitor Centre.  All the guides state it's an important place to land... Both in regards to orientation (who, what, where) as well as specific park based alerts (construction, fire, wildlife).  For example, we learned of construction in the northeastern leg of the Grand Loop so adjusted our plans to take that into consideration instead of spending hard earned vacation time in a line up!

In speaking to the visitor centre Ranger we inquired about a close place to Picnic.  He set us up nicely with an excellent, off site space just a mile away.  We had all the trimmings for a solid lunch, returned to a smooth check in, and made peace with our evening digs.  It was a bit on the warm side (without AC) but a great 50's era old cabin... Bit on the rustic side but cozy enough for a few games of crazy eights! 

Shortly after supper we visited the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.  Big crowds and both Monica and I were uneasy with the groups sitting / hanging over the lookouts.  Tremendous canyon, and Janie got some good shots.

That evening we visited the Yellowstone General Store and enjoyed big ice creams while picking up some supplies for Thursday. Then back to settle for the night.  Room temperature was pretty high at 10:00 pm, but by 3:00 am it had cooled considerably.  Janie and I did a morning walk that saw the temperature ( I checked the car) at 5 degrees Celsius.

Day 7 - Yellowstone NP, WY to Grand Teton NP, WY

We captured a 7:00 am departure from Canyon Village after a quiet morning saunter. All fueled and ready for visits to several locations in the park.

First part of the day took us across to Norris.  Looked like the fog had rolled in there was so much steam/sulphur in the air.  Then we trekked north for Mammoth Hot Springs.  Beautiful river valley and lake scenes all along this side of the park.  Our early start afforded us a great wildlife opportunity. Rounding a bend we tucked right in behind a Buffalo smack in the middle of the road.  Wonderful beast and we would not have passed any more than two feet to his right.  Big animal!  In Mammoth we visited the upper and lower springs.  We had a great discussion with a lady who was making her third visit in a 30 year span.  She noted that geologic conditions have changed immensely.  At one point the entire site was glittering and springs covered the mountainside.  It is now limited to two sections, the rest having dried.  It was a perspective that should be shared more broadly.

From Mammoth we retraced our route heading south for our next stop at Norris Geyser fields.  All sorts of steaming and bubbling a foot.  Yellowstone basically sits within an active volcano.  Not the more traditional sort, with crater and lava.  More like a pot of water simmering at a low boil, lava resting just "three miles" below the surface.  The open fields of fumaroles and geysers, manifested sometimes like hot spring, others like steam, then others like spurts of scalding water into the air.  Steamboat Geyser, amid these features, was the most active as it churned out tumultuous belches of hissing steam and water.  A nasty little fella!

Further south we rolled into the Old Faithful area to view that most famous of the phenomena.  It was definitely faithful to us.  We couldn't have timed it more perfectly.  No sooner did we arrive, get our vehicle parked and find the geyser.  Up she blows.  We didn't even have time to sit.  Crowd loved it.  We were somewhat to the back of the encircled area but no worries, as the spout is elevated and of course the blast of water and steam shot far into the sky. Classic Americana, almost like a version of Happy Days.  A rite of passage for young and old.

We departed shortly thereafter, moving through the mountains towards Grant, where we stopped to picnic on the West Thumb of Yellowstone Lake.  The lake was a gorgeous green/blue, and presented waterfowl, eagle and kayaker from our vantage point. On the journey south, one actually crosses the Continental Divide at three points, albeit at a far less dramatic entry than that through Sylvan Pass. Thus we moved out of Yellowstone as quickly as we strode in.

Grand Teton National Park is situated in Wyoming, directly attached to Yellowstone by the JD Rockefeller Jr Memorial Parkway.   Our destination was Colter Bay, on Jackson Lake.  This area is designed as a full service recreational site, with a definite family friendly focus.  There were lots of young ones about... More than Yellowstone or the Badlands.

The scenery here (if not all of Wyoming) is nothing short of dramatic.  The Teton Range of mountains overlook Jackson Lake, and a Nova Scotian, not used to anything steeper than a driveway, feels as though he is in the presence of Gods.  Mountains reflecting back into a shimmering, tree lined blue lake.  Simply stunning...

We checked in at the Visitor Centre, freshened up a bit and secured a park map.  Then we were off to check in.  Our accommodations here were in a nifty "tent cabin".  Basically, two solid walls with 4 bunks covered by a large canvas tent and a covered outdoor area, all fixed to a smooth concrete pad.  Even a wood stove inside!  We got the full bear report from the office, and all the do's and don'ts for entering bear country.  We weren't there ten minutes before Peter had himself stored in the bear proof outdoor food locker!

The rest of the day was set aside to explore, and we rallied for several short walks, a prowl around the marina, and of course, the obligatory ice cream cone at the general store.  That evening I was somewhat concerned about navigating through to Utah, and we checked in at the Visitor Centre to secure a map and discuss options.  I also stopped and asked a neighboring camper in the campground, seeing Utah plates, how he trekked in.  He was pleased to speak, and very obliging.  The route he planned flowed through Idaho, and entered Wyoming through the Snake River Canyon.  It was the route we took out, and totally avoided mountain passes while providing us a wonderful glimpse of the scenic pioneer trail through Idaho.  The kids called the gentleman Santa Claus, because of his full, straightened white beard.  He saved us angst, and full thanks go out to this Samaritan.

We were in bed by about 9:00 pm... I believe everyone nodding off with visions of waking up to Smokey the Bear gnawing at their toes!  But we did our homework, and no food or smelly stuff (the guide even noted make up and cosmetics) was kept in our quarters. It did rain some overnight... but all involved found some sleep and were readied for the next days travel.