Movin' on up

Wow! It's been a busy few weeks, and I'm seriously exhausted. Moving is a b*tch, but I'm almost done.*

Here are a few shots of my place:

Before:

 After:

Tomorrow, I'm heading to Boone, NC to visit with Jess!  Just in time too. It's going to be 100 degrees this weekend in the Triangle.  I'm hoping I can retreat to the mountains to keep cool.

* I need to thank David and Josh for helping me move the big stuff.  I'd also like to thank my Dad for going with me to Ikea and my fancy new mattress!  You guys are awesome!

Home sweet homes...

Hi folks,

I'm sorry I haven't posted since I got home, but I've been super busy.  I'll go ahead and post the route for our last day on the road:

Day 24:  Nonstop from Knoxville, TN to Durham, NC

We pretty much didn't stop the entire day.  I was more than ready to be home, and the idea of sleeping in my own bed kept me focused on the task at hand - driving!  Once  I get moved,  I'll do a full recap of the trip... I promise!  Oh, and the total mileage of Day 1 - Day 24 ("round trip") comes to 7, 733 miles!  Oh boy!

Since I've been home,  I've secured my new apartment (pictures to come).  I've also visited with a few friends here and there.  Which brings me to the next picture.... 

Above:  Me and Baby Paul O' on Day 1 (of his life)! 

This picture is a little out-of-date (June 11, 2010), but I wanted to check with the parents before I posted on my blog!  You may remember one of my first posts...  Well, this is the little guy on the first day of his life!  I cannot express to you how happy I am that he's here!  David and I went to visit him last night (one month later), and he's been busy growing, growing, growing!  He's precious!  Congratulations, again, to Kelly and James!   I can't think of better parents! 

Alright, I gotta get back to moving!

3 for 1... a pretty good deal?

The last three days have been heavy traveling days.  Our trip is pretty much winding down, and we're trying to get home ASAP. I mean, I have a new apartment to move into after all.

I'll start with Day 21, which was a pure driving day.  We only stopped to stretch our legs a few times and grab a bite to eat for lunch.  We entered both Nebraska and Kansas for a short bit by accident.  That brings our state count up to 19 ( AL, MS, LA, AR, OK, TX, NM, AZ, NV, CA, ID, MT, WY, SD, IA, NE, MO, KS, TN).  Just for the record, I'm going to post our route for Day 21.  It isn't very thrilling:

Day 21: Sioux City, IA to Joplin, MO

Map courtesy of maps.google.com

Day 22 wasn't much more exciting, but we DID make a few stops along the way just to see what Missouri had to offer.   Below is our route for Day 22:

Day 22: Joplin, MO to Memphis, TN via Mansfield, MO and Poplar Bluff, MO

Map courtesy of maps.google.com

Our first stop was to check out the home of Laura Ingalls and Almanzo Wilder in Mansfield, MO.  If you remember, we stopped by De Smet, SD earlier to visit "The Little Town on the Prairie." I believe she set two of the Little House books in De Smet (Dad corrected me... it's three in the series plus These Happy Golden Years and The First Four Years).  Anyway, Mansfield, MO is where she, Almanzo and their daughter, Rose, finally settled.  She lived in Mansfield when she actually wrote the series.  There are two houses at the site.  One was built by Almanzo and the other is a stone house that was a gift from Rose to her parents.  Both were absolutely amazing - especially when considering the humble Surveyor's house in De Smet, SD. I got to see a lot of interesting things (pictures, clothing, Pa's fiddle, etc) from Laura's past.  I had a blast.  They won't let you take photos inside any of the buildings, but here are a few from the outside:

Above: Laura Ingalls Wilder's Home in Mansfield, MO

After finishing up in Mansfield, we set out for Memphis, TN.  When plotting our route the night before, I realized we could plan it such that we'd go through Poplar Bluff, MO - the boyhood home of one of the greatest Tar Heels of all time, Mr. Tyler Hansbrough.  The Tar Heel in me couldn't pass up the opportunity to swing by and thank the citizens of Poplar Bluff for such a fantastic basketball player (GO HEELS!).   SO. I demanded we stop, and I took some pictures to prove I was there: 

Above:  Missouri Born, Missouri Bred but when he dies he'll be a Tar Heel Dead!   Poplar Bluff may be known as the Gateway to the Ozarks to some, but to me, it is the birthplace of Psycho T! 

Alright, enough about that.  I just had to stop myself before typing out the fight song and everything that comes along with that...  GEEEEEZ! I'm ready to be home.

We rolled into Memphis around 8pm.  Dad and I dropped Mom (and Pepper) off and ran downtown to grab a bite to eat.  We ended up eating at Charlie Vergo's Rendezvous Ribs. It was a bit of a hassle to find parking, but trust me, it was worth it!  The ribs were pretty damn good, and the atmosphere was unbeatable.  We also drove past Beale St, which was pretty cool.  I wish I had time to get out and enjoy it, BUT we were in a rush as usual.  Here are a few pictures: 

Above:  Rendezvous Charcoal Ribs and some shots of Beale St (from the car).

Day 23 was also a pretty big traveling day.  We had to make it all the way from Memphis, TN to Knoxville, TN.  Usually, it wouldn't seem like such a big deal to drive 400 miles, but we are really tired, folks.  Every single mile we drive now feels more like 10 miles.  It's rough:

Day 23:  Memphis, TN to Knoxville, TN

Map courtesy of maps.google.com

Before we left Memphis, I insisted on visiting Graceland.  I couldn't come this far and not see it.  I checked the website for info about buying tickets and almost had a stroke when I realized it would cost $30.00 for a tour.  I'm a poor soon-to-be med student.  Ugh! I can't afford that, Elvis!  Jesus!    

Just when I thought all hope was lost, Mom pointed out that I could visit during the prayer and meditation time (7:30 - 8:30am) for free.  It's actually quite nice. You can't go into the home, but you do get to walk right up to the front and take pictures.  You also get to visit the "Meditation Garden."   Now, I've always heard about the peacefulness and spiritual aura surrounding Graceland, but I was skeptical.  I mean, how could the exploitation of someone's home and private life be considered peaceful?!?!    Well, folks.  I will tell you that my trip to Graceland was incredibly peaceful and serene.  I couldn't get over how calm and comfortable I felt.   I'm not a huge Elvis fan, and I'm usually uncomfortable touring old homes.  But for some reason, I felt relaxed and welcomed.  Pretty odd... and folks, I swear I'm not crazy.  I  promise I will not start referring to my trip to Graceland as a spiritual journey.

Above:  My trip to Graceland - Memphis, TN

Alright, I am gonna eat and get to bed.  It's late.  Gotta rest up.  We have a long drive tomorrow... all the way to Durham, NC!

Day 19 and 20 - Happy 4th of July!

To make things run a bit faster, I'm going to combine Day 19 and 20 (in list format).  Hold tight!  Here we go!

We'll start with Day 19 -

Day 19: Spearfish, SD to Murdo, SD via Deadwood, SD and Mount Rushmore, SD
Map courtesy of maps.google.com

What we did: 

- Drove through Spearfish Canyon and saw the Spearfish Falls

- Visited Deadwood, SD - not impressed. And No!  I did not see the graves of Wild Bill Hickok and 
  Calamity Jane.  They were charging admissions. UGH!

- Saw Mount Rushmore complete with a Teddy Roosevelt impersonator, which was

  awesome!

- Stopped off at Wall Drug to get a donut and coffee.  Dad got one for free for

  being a Vietnam Vet (see bottom right of donut picture)!

- Drove through the Badlands, SD.  Gorgeous!  Saw quite a bit of wildlife

  including a mommy mountain goat (??) feeding her young.

Photographic proof: 

Now, on to Day 20 (July 4th) -

Day 20: Murdo, SD to Sioux City, IA via Mitchell, SD and De Smet, SD
Map courtesy of maps.google.com

What we did: 

- Visited the World's Only Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD and bought a toothpick holder

-  Stopped by De Smet, SD - AKA "The Little Town on the Prairie."  This was really special stop for me.  As a young girl, my 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Nelson, read the entire series to my class.  Oh!  Such fond memories... 

Photographic proof:

Alright, we're all caught up!  Feels good, doesn't it?  

Til' tomorrow!

Headed East

Originally written July 2, 2010

Hello, friends!  It's Day 18 on our trip, and unfortunately, we had to leave Yellowstone to set out for home.  Our route for today was a beast:

Day 18: From Yellowstone, WY to Spearfish, SD through the Bighorn National Forest
Map courtesy of maps.google.com

We left Yellowstone through the East Entrance and caught a few more images on the way out of the park:

Above: Images take while leaving Yellowstone via the East Gate

We also ran into a SERIOUS buffalo jam. It was amusing to me, but I'm sure the people headed in the opposite direction weren't pleased:

Above: A silly buffalo leading a parade of cars (30+) down the road!  NOTE:  The bottom photo was taken from the backseat of our car. NO ZOOM!  He was seriously that close to us!

I was sad to leave the park, but I'm sure I'll be back sooner rather than later!

Originally, we had planned to leave from the North Entrance, but when we discovered how much longer our trip would be, we opted for a shorter route, which took us east on US 14 toward Spearfish, SD.  This little change of plan ended up being the best thing to happen to us in a long time!  You see, we had no idea that we'd be going through Bighorn National Forest or that our route would be fantastically scenic!   It was quite a surprise, indeed!  I'll take you through the drastic change of scenery below:

We started out traveling through the rolling hillside. Nothing too exciting.

 Above:  The rolling hills of the Wyoming Countryside (what I was expecting to sit through for the entire trip)

And then, WHAM! We were in a canyon with steep red and yellow cliffs on either side of the car!

Above:  The Shell Canyon in Bighorn National Forest.  Within the blink of an eye, our scenery changed from rolling hills to steep cliffs and rocky terrain.

After a while, we stopped to visit the Shell Falls, which seemed to go on forever!  It looked like a giant water slide (only nobody in their right mind would want to ride it).

Above:  Shell Falls in the Bighorn National Forest

Before I knew it, we started to climb and climb and climb and climb up the Bighorn Mountains.  I felt like we'd never get to the top, but just when I had given up hope, I looked out and saw this: 

Above: Atop of a mountain in Bighorn National Forest looking out toward the end of the Earth! 

Needless to say, we enjoyed our trip through Bighorn! It was a pleasant little surprise.  Thanks, Wyoming! 

With Bighorn behind us, we headed east to meet up with I 90.  I thought I'd never say this but... THANK GOD FOR INTERSTATES!  I was ready to for flat roads and 75 mph speed limits! Shortly after meeting up with I 90, we took quick detour to see Devils Tower National Monument, which you may remember from Close Encounters of the Third Kind:

Above: Devils Tower, WY 

Pretty neat, huh?  I really enjoyed it! You can climb the boulders at the bottom of the tower, but I didn't have time to try.  Next time!  I've been saying that a lot lately, haven't I?  Ah, oh well.

We rolled into Spearfish, SD at 9:00pm Mountain Time.  As you can imagine, we were exhausted beyond belief!  A crumby motel bed never looked so good... 

My adventures in Yellowstone continue

Originally written July 1, 2010

 

My second day in Yellowstone was awesome. Below is a map of Yellowstone National Park, which you can use to follow along as I recount my adventures in Yellowstone on Day 17 of my journey across the US:

Day 17: In and around Yellowstone National Park

Map courtesy of http://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm

FYI:  We started at Canyon Village and worked our way around the lower loop in a clockwise manner.  

After meeting up Pat and Paul in Canyon Village, we set out to see the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and the Upper and Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River.  The Upper Falls were pretty easy to spot.  No problem! Unfortunately for my legs, the Lower Falls were a completely different story.  Following my cousin's expert advice, I agreed to hike Uncle Tom's Trail.  This particular trail descends 328 steps down into the Canyon (see the video below for a real-time walk down the trail).  It was rough, but the view was worth it.  I'm sure my legs will punish me for several days to come! I'll save you the trouble of marching down the trail yourself and share a few of my pictures:

Above:  Images of Upper and Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River.  Notice the rainbow in the picture of the Lower Falls? I thought you might!!  Nice job, Amanda!

Come to find out, if you just drive down the road a bit, you'll hit Artist's Point. This spot provides a nice view of the Lower Falls and Canyon without having to climb "the grand stairway" of Yellowstone. If I'd only knew...
 

Above:  Pictures of the Lower Falls and Canyon of the Yellowstone River from Artist's Point

Once we were finished at the falls, we set out through Hayden Valley hoping to spot some wildlife.  And boy oh boy, were we rewarded! Not five minutes after hitting the road, the trees gave way to a vast field of rolling hills and a giant traffic jam!  We stopped and learned that earlier in the day three wolves had killed an Elk down by the water.  A mother bear and her cubs ran the wolves off (one of which we saw on the hillside) and were now eating the carcass.  There were people everywhere...Park Rangers with giant cameras and flashing lights. It was really something. I took some photos.  They're not great but still pretty neat, huh?

Above:  Black bears in Hayden Valley enjoying a meal at the expense of some unhappy wolves.

We also saw a nice herd of Buffalo in the valley.  They were beautiful as always.  Note: The bottom photo was taken at sunset in a different area of the park.

Above: Bison in Yellowstone National Park

Our next stop was the Sulphur Caldron and Mud Volcano. Now, for those of you who have sensitive noses, I'll warn you this is NOT the place for you.  Just driving by these sites will fill your nostrils with the pungent odor of hydrogen sulfide gas.  It's really stinky (think rotten eggs). These thermal features are the most acidic features in the park with a pH range of 1-2.   These features are also near the greatest uplift and sinking of the caldera floor (remember, Yellowstone itself is a volcano).  The area around Mud Volcano was one of the major vents from which lava flowed 640,000 years ago when Yellowstone erupted.  Anyway, the features were really cool - especially Dragon's Mouth! 

Above: Thermal features in the Mud Volcano area.  The middle two photos are of the Mud Volcano itself.  The bottom two photos are of Dragon's Mouth, which made a sinister growling sound every time water and steam rushed from the opening in the rock.

By the time we finished viewing the Mud Volcano area, we were starving.  Since we were so close to Lake Village, we decided to have lunch in the Lake Yellowstone Hotel.  It was fantastic!  If you ever get a chance, make sure to eat at the Lake Hotel and have the Yellowstone Sundae for desert (Huckleberry Ice Cream with Lemon Crumb Cake...yum!).  Also, check out our view during lunch: 

Above:  Our view at lunch from the Lake Hotel Restaurant.  Can't beat it, can you?!?

With our tummies full of delicious food, we headed to West Thumb.  Paul and I walked around the West Thumb Geyser Basin.  He pointed out a few pools of interest.   The first one was the Abyss Pool, one of the deepest pools in Yellowstone at 53 feet deep.  The other was Black Pool, which (if you can tell from my picture) isn't black anymore.  Apparently, the pool was originally black due to the cool temperature allowing the pool to accumulate a thick mat of dark blue and green bacteria.  In 1991, the temperature in the pool rose killing all of these bacteria.  The pool is now a stunning blue color as shown below:

Above: West Thumb Geyser Basin.  Upper Right is the Abyss Pool.  Lower Left is the Black Pool (now blue)

We also saw a few other items of interest at the basin, including the famous Fishing Cone.  The cone gets the name from a practice that has long been banned.  Years ago, people would fish off of the cone.  Once they caught a trout from the lake, they'd turn around and dip it into the hot water of the boiling pool to cook it.  In the picture below, you see Fishing Cone in use along with the photo I took today.   In today's photo, Fishing Cone is under water.  Apparently, it changes often so you never know what you'll see.  Lucky for me, another cone, Big Cone, was above water, and I got an idea of what Fishing Cone would have looked like (picture not shown) in its full glory!

Above:  Fishing Cone then and now

Photo courtesy of http://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm

Our next stop was to return to Old Faithful.  On the way we saw some beautiful cascades and crossed the Continental Divide... TWICE! If you don't believe me, take a look at the map above!! Oh Boy!

Above: Cascades in Yellowstone (can't remember the proper name at the moment)

Upon our arrival at Old Faithful, Paul and I decided to head out and tour the Lower and Middle Geyser Basins. We left our folks at Old Faithful Inn and promised to return for dinner. We saw a lot - too much to write about!!  However, I will share with you my two favorite features.  The first are the Fountain Paint Pots!  A lot of people don't like the idea of mud bubbling about and making plop-plop-blop sounds, but I thought it was super cool.  Reminded me of a witches brew....

Above: Fountain Paint Pots.  Notice the mud jumping up out of the muddy "pot" in the ground!

The second feature I fell in love with is the Grand Prismatic Spring.  It is absolutely gorgeous! I was so fascinated by the spring that I stood there while my dress was being blown up and about...eventually exposing my slip (oops)! Anyway, the rainbow colors are a result of pigmented bacteria that form the bacterial mats that surround the spring.  Apparently, this hot spring is the largest in the US and the third largest in the world.  I never got full view of the spring (as in the photo below), but next time I go, you better believe I'm hiking up there to see it!!

 Above: Grand Prismatic Spring in the Middle Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park!

Overhead photo of Grand Prismatic Spring courtesy of http://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm

After all that, we finished our day at the The Old Faithful Inn for a fabulous dinner, and I do mean FABULOUS!  We had a good time.  The atmosphere was great.  A perfect way to end our stay in Yellowstone!

Above: The Old Faithful Inn

Tomorrow we head out to Spearfish, SD.  Here's hoping we have internet!