Go West Young Man... An Epic Journey...
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JustKeepSwimming
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Once again Phil, what a great thread and amazing trip.
I homeschool my 10 year old son and right now we are studying US Geography for Social Studies. We have been following your trip together and using your posts and pictures as a jumping off spot for study and research. We have been having a fun and educational "trip" ourselves because of you.
Thank you for taking the time to create and update this thread!
P.S. my boy and I are going to need to borrow your van and itinerary next fall for a month or so. Thanks in advance
I homeschool my 10 year old son and right now we are studying US Geography for Social Studies. We have been following your trip together and using your posts and pictures as a jumping off spot for study and research. We have been having a fun and educational "trip" ourselves because of you.
Thank you for taking the time to create and update this thread!
P.S. my boy and I are going to need to borrow your van and itinerary next fall for a month or so. Thanks in advance
Many emotions looking at all your wonderful pictures...Envious..that I never took the time to do this kind of thing....Thankful...that these places still exist...Grateful...to you for sharing.
Ronnie Sue was out that way for 3 weeks a little back...when she was looking at these pictures and telling me about visiting some of those places, she said......I hope they have a wonderful time....I said....There ain't a "they"....she said...Helllll, I coulda gone along with him and cooked for him to keep from being by himself........I said......Uh, I think that was kinda The point.....
Do Not hurry home...but when you get back we would love to see you again...the two of you can talk about your trips!!!
Watch fer dem gators...they's sneaky....
Ronnie Sue was out that way for 3 weeks a little back...when she was looking at these pictures and telling me about visiting some of those places, she said......I hope they have a wonderful time....I said....There ain't a "they"....she said...Helllll, I coulda gone along with him and cooked for him to keep from being by himself........I said......Uh, I think that was kinda The point.....
Do Not hurry home...but when you get back we would love to see you again...the two of you can talk about your trips!!!
Watch fer dem gators...they's sneaky....
Never too old, i take our 70yr old MIL on our yellowstone trips.
Oh to be just 70 again.................................
And to have the funds to finance it..........
It's a terrible tragedy of life that these two things almost never happen together. By the time that money is no object to want, the time runs out on the ability. That's what makes This trip so wonderful. The two things happened at the perfect time....I am unbelievably happy for him.
OP
So I wanted to update the thread but while messing around in Moab yesterday I broke my phone screen. It's currently barely functional... Have a new one on the way already. Will update ASAP...
OP
Ok... Where were we? Ah yes... I was in West Yellowstone, Idaho and over the Yellowstone National Park. So I ventured into Idaho... I decided on Craters of the Moon National Monument. But what is there to see on the way?
Did you know more nuclear reactors have been built in central Idaho than anywhere else in the world? Including the world's first nuclear power plant and the first city lit by nuclear power? And a nuclear meltdown of some sort that caused the first death related to it...
I didn't either... But there's a ghost town called Atomic City and a bunch of other cool stuff around the Idaho National Laboratory...
So Atomic City... Not much going on there these days. An old bar, a sad little racetrack, some decrepit buildings, and a handful of people living in trailers and run down houses... Seems it used to be a hopping little community... Now there's government no trespassing signs all around it...
Did you know more nuclear reactors have been built in central Idaho than anywhere else in the world? Including the world's first nuclear power plant and the first city lit by nuclear power? And a nuclear meltdown of some sort that caused the first death related to it...
I didn't either... But there's a ghost town called Atomic City and a bunch of other cool stuff around the Idaho National Laboratory...
So Atomic City... Not much going on there these days. An old bar, a sad little racetrack, some decrepit buildings, and a handful of people living in trailers and run down houses... Seems it used to be a hopping little community... Now there's government no trespassing signs all around it...
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Passed EBR-1 and I stopped in... The first nuclear power plant. Sadly it was closed for the season but I could still look around. Several reactor heater prototypes for the air force were in the parking lot. Fascinating stuff. They tried to make a nuclear powered plane there...
The reactors...
Still have radiation test tags on the fence... And signs about the radiation around the facility... Sketchy...
The reactors...
Still have radiation test tags on the fence... And signs about the radiation around the facility... Sketchy...
OP
Afterwards I hit a local cafe for an "atomic burger"... It was decent.. and saw what appeared to be a submarine sticking out of the ground across the street... Hmmm... Odd...
Strange stuff to have on the side of the road but interesting nonetheless... I continued on...
Strange stuff to have on the side of the road but interesting nonetheless... I continued on...
2' of snow in the hills over the past two days
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waiting...
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Sorry for the thread jack, and station break.
Mom at 75 in Giza. You're only as old as you think you are. Sorry for the reflections in the pic of the pic.
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OP
Back in Wyoming I headed south towards Jackson Hole and the Tetons...
Came across a tiny house resort... Pretty cool... Stopped for a latte and looked around....
Back on the road...
Came across a tiny house resort... Pretty cool... Stopped for a latte and looked around....
Back on the road...
OP
Passed through the Elk Refuge on the way up to the Tetons... The name is a misnomer... No elk to be seen... Just a mess of ducks and geese...
Random pics of the Tetons and the glaciers nestled in them...
Random pics of the Tetons and the glaciers nestled in them...
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More of the mountains, lakes, and overlooks... Interesting how they shut down the marina at the end of the season by pulling the whole thing out of the lake...
Wildlife overlooks... Hiking down a trail a ways until I came across a sign that made me rethink the fact that I was unarmed at the moment... I turned around... Extra points if you pick out the large coyote that was following me and watching from a distance...
Got my gun and bear spray and went back out...
Wildlife overlooks... Hiking down a trail a ways until I came across a sign that made me rethink the fact that I was unarmed at the moment... I turned around... Extra points if you pick out the large coyote that was following me and watching from a distance...
Got my gun and bear spray and went back out...
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OP
Spent the night at Jackson Hole Distillery. Interesting tour of the facility (and tasting of course). They have a walk up window (they are not downtown 😂) and something called a Sloshie. I went with the greyhound version in my new favorite sippy cup for grownups... Good thing I wasn't driving...
Walked across the street to a burger joint with a couple that was also staying there... Beautiful sunset over the restaurant deck...
Walked across the street to a burger joint with a couple that was also staying there... Beautiful sunset over the restaurant deck...
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So, you been gone pert near two months.
Yer not coming back, are ya.
Yer not coming back, are ya.
OP
The next morning I went back to the Tetons to see if I could see a moose, finally... Success...
I also checked out this old ferry and saw yet another church in a national park... Not sure why they're there...
On the suggestion of one of the guys from the distillery (from Philly) I hit Cutty's Bar and Grill for one of the best cheese steaks I have ever had and a tasty local IPA. Apparently they ship the bread in from Philadelphia...
Back on the road...
I also checked out this old ferry and saw yet another church in a national park... Not sure why they're there...
On the suggestion of one of the guys from the distillery (from Philly) I hit Cutty's Bar and Grill for one of the best cheese steaks I have ever had and a tasty local IPA. Apparently they ship the bread in from Philadelphia...
Back on the road...
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the ferry is part of an old river crossing business from back in the day (there was more to see), and i believe that church still holds services iirc
OP
My next major stop was to be Moab but I got distracted along the way... So I wandered around Wyoming into Colorado a little on the way...
Beautiful country...
Wandered through Afton, WY and found some little buffalo... And the world's largest elkhorn arch? Ok...
Then through Bridger National Forest...
Beautiful country...
Wandered through Afton, WY and found some little buffalo... And the world's largest elkhorn arch? Ok...
Then through Bridger National Forest...
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On the Butte in the last post is a large herd of elk. They're quite far away though. The herd has something quite unique though... A white elk buck. I took a picture through the viewing scope at the park. It's blurry but you can clearly see what it is...
