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Antlers and Driftwood, Yellowstone Part II

As promised in the tbc, I am now going to write about antlers and driftwood, in that order. This is kind of like a “Where’s Waldo” kind of puzzle. You will have to watch sharply to find the references you seek, so stay alert. There may be a pop quiz.
We enjoyed seeing Yellowstone’s many natural wonders, and also its many Park gift shops. As we browsed through them, Dan was fascinated with a book called “Death in Yellowstone.” He entertained us with one particularly gruesome story about a man who had jumped into a boiling hot spring to rescue his dog who had jumped in ahead of him. Both died, but the man lived long enough to struggle out of the water and regret his hasty decision. Now, dogs are not allowed on park trails. I think we all spent a little money on souvenir postcards and T-shirts to bring home. Mary’s dad bought himself a very attractive Yellowstone Park jacket. But what to get UltraDad? I finally picked him up a copy of “Death in Yellowstone”, and one for Dan, for good measure.

A boiling pool in Yellowstone

We left Yellowstone and all its snow on Monday morning, and headed west out of the park. Our final destination for the day was Idaho Falls, but there was no way we could pass through Jackson Hole, WY without a little stop-and- look-around. I was a bit familiar with ultra-touristy Jackson, as its nearby resort had been the scene of two Women’s Retreats I had been fortunate enough to attend. Most years, women from my church in Howe, ID joined women from surrounding churches ranging from Sun Valley, Jackson, southeast Idaho, and parts of Utah for a weekend Christian retreat. We usually had a dynamic woman christian speaker, uplifting music, good food, and lots of laughing and bonding. The retreats had been held in various locales: Logan, Utah, Grand Targhee and Sun Valley in Idaho, and, of course, twice in Jackson Hole.
The most notable feature of the town is a square, or park in the middle of town. Each of the 4 corners is marked with a massive antlered archway. Rustic hunting lodge is a recurring theme in the log shop buildings. One exhibited an entire herd of taxidermied migrating elk. Upstairs we found, also stuffed and displayed, a coyote, fox, wolf, and grizzly bear.

It always amazes me that shops in a tourist town like this can actually make a go of it selling such superfluous and super-expensive items as pottery, jewelry, trinkets and trendy clothing. They must not do too badly, considering the abundance of them. It was raining steadily as we made our way along the streets, but I think most of us made it back to the car without lightening our pockets much, despite frequent trips into the various shops, mostly to get in out of the rain.
Our next stop was Pocatello, home of Idaho State University, where Panther and I had visited her son UltraMess, only a few days previously. Panther and Dan were both alumni of this college, and Dan, not often in the area, was able to visit one of his favorite History Professors, who was still teaching at the University. Panther claims her photo is displayed in the nursing college, but we never seem to have time to go look. UltraMom attended this college for a while also, but dropped out after 1 1/2 years to marry UltraDad, a decision she sometimes regrets…........the not finishing college, not the marrying UltraDad! We met up with UltraMess and his charming GF Erin, and went to Buddy’s, a local favorite of a restaurant, where Heather, also a resident of this town, was meeting us for lunch. We had planned to lunch at Sizzler, where Heather waitresses, as she didn’t think she could get time off, and at least we would be able to see her as she was refilling our water glasses and fulfilling our every demand. . She was able to get off early, though, much to my great delight, and for some reason suggested we eat somewhere else.
Buddy’s is famous for its salad with garlic dressing, so we all had to have some of that. For our main course, we ended up ordering three large, delicious pizzas, and there was enough leftover to provide a meal of take-home for both UltraMess and Heather. Then it was time to say goodbye and head towards our final resting place. (for the night).
Idaho Falls is a town even more familiar to me than Jackson. When my family first moved to Idaho, we spent the first month or so in the Westbank Motel, one of many inns in close proximity to the waterfall in the center of downtown, while waiting to move into our house. The waterfall orignally consisted of a series of steep rapids, but has been damned to provide hydro-electric power, and now more closely resembles a traditional waterfall. There are walking paths, picnic tables and acres of green lawn all around the fenced-off falls, and it is an extremely popular site in good weather for dog walkers, strolling couples, or families wanting to picnic or feed the numerous ducks and geese always milling about.

On this particular trip we stayed in the nice, very reasonably priced Driftwood Motel, just a short walk from the Falls. There is something about the sound of natural rushing water that evokes agreeable emotions in me. The rhythmic sound of gurgling brooks is soothing and calming, while the sound of rushing waterfalls or rapids brings forth something a bit more powerful, and awestruck. And then there is the ocean, always changing, immense and mysterious….........I guess I just like water, okay?
We had dinner downtown at Smitty’s, a restaurant we all remembered for great breakfasts. Our dinner wasn’t halfbad either. Then we headed to the New Sweden Cemetary on the edge of town where our parents are both buried. It looks much as I remembered it, though the adjacent pine tree had grown much taller and fuller over the years. We took some time to just reflect on the good times we had together as a family, because of Bob and Kathleen Wesley and their dedication and caring, and just because of the remarkable people they were.

Idaho Falls: I really like the reflection of the water tower!

The next day we enjoyed a continental breakfast in the motel breakfast room, and then checked out some of the numerous walking paths around the waterfall. Too soon it was time to leave. My vacation was nearly over.
Before dropping me off to retrieve my car from the Shopko parking lot, we decided to take a little side excursion to view Shoshone Falls, a nearby natural wonder billed as the Niagara Falls of the West. It was about 1/2 hour detour and as we drove we talked about the various last times we had viewed this waterfall and how magnificent it was. We passed a small waterfall trickling down the side of the mountain and someone jokingly said “Well, there it is.” Unfortunately that little trickle was probably more impressive than the real thing; Shoshone Falls was, at least on this day, a rather pififul little paradoy of a waterfall. Only one small section had water flowing over it. “I think I’ll stay in the car,” said Mary. “I don’t blame you,” said her dad.
We did all end up getting out of the car and walking around a bit, but if anything, the waterfall looked even lamer at close view. “It was much more impressive a year ago,” Pather informed us helpfully.
Back at my car, none the worse for sitting in the mall parking lot for 4 days, we parted ways. The rest of the group were heading to Panther’s home in Emmett (near Boise) for more adventures, but it was time for me to head back home and back to the real world. I’m a little afraid of sounding like a book dedication, but I do want to express my appreciation (and fondness) for each fellow traveler for making it possible for me to come along. Your generosity is legend, and I love you all.

UltraMom

Did you find the antlers and driftwood hidden in this story? Send in your guesses; you could win valuable prizes, in a manner of speaking.

Why do They Call It Yellowstone?

I just had the most amazing and gratifying 5 day mini-vacation. Seeing beautiful and fantastic sites with people you love; what can be better than that?
This trip had been in the works for a long time, and I was brought into the equation, as usual, by my sweet sister Panther. (A side note on sister Panther: she appears to have fallen in love , and while I have not yet met the lucky man, he sounds pretty good, and so I am very happy for her.) Ahem: getting back to the present: Brother Dan and wife Mary, who hail from the Garden State of New Jersey, along with Mary’s parents ( also from NJ) , wanted to take a trip to the Wine Country, and UltraAuntDebi (Panther) informed them that there were some perfectly good wineries in Idaho. Add in a trip to Yellowstone Park, and what better vacation could you plan for some native Easterners?
As arranged I left a little past 5 AM on Saturday morn for a 9 AM Mountain Time Zone rendezvous with Panther in Twin Falls. I didn’t do too badly, arriving only about 1/2 hour late.
We left my car in the Shopko parking lot and loaded my purposely minimalist (for me) luggage into Panther’s Avalon, and we were off. No, to answer your obvious question, I didn’t even think twice about leaving my car in a mall parking lot for 4 days. Several people have informed me since that I should have been concerned, but thank goodness I didn’t talk to those nay-sayers until the trip was over, and my car was just fine, thank you. We made a brief stop in Pocatello to see Pather’s son Michael, who is attending college there, and met his very-nice girlfriend Erin as well. I was finally able to deliver Michael’s very-late Birthday gift: a plastic mug I had purchased for him at my prison store. The logo reads “Hard Times. Between a Rock and a Hard Place.” I also got to see his dorm room, an offer that Panther wisely declined. Its a little easier for a mere Aunt to view the jumble of books, paper and clothing, both clean and not-so-clean, and the mattress, sans bed frame, on the floor. Hospitably, Michael offered me a soda from his towering triangular “drink-a-mid” and a candy bar from his mini-fridge.

After this pleasant interlude, we headed for the Airport in Idaho Falls where we picked up the rest of our party and a rental vehicle, a nice SUV. It seemed at first that there was no way 6 people and a prodigious amount of luggage would fit, but with a little ingenuity, and folding down of half the back seat, we were soon sitting pretty. When I say “we” were sitting pretty, I am mostly referring to myself. Due to my tendency, real or imagined, towards motion sickness, I was awarded the coveted front seat next to Driver Dan. Panther, who has never suffered from this malady, gamely claimed the lone back seat, which could only be accessed by climbing over the folded down seat ahead of it. Mary, Mom & Dad had the middle seat (in that order). I made a few tepid offers to trade seat, but everyone heroically claimed they were fine where they were, and so assured, I finally just sat back and enjoyed the ride.
Before leaving Idaho Falls, we decided to drive past the nice brick split-level house my family had lived in after making the move from California in 1971. Dan and I remembered that the present owners of the house had not been particulary friendly the last time we had been there, right after our mother’s funeral, so we contented ourselves with a slow drive-by. We waited at the end of the street for Panther who was following us in her car, (which was going to be parked, not in a shopping center lot, but at her brother-in-law’s). After 10 minutes or so, she finally drove up alongside us. “I was talking to those people who now live in our house,” she explained, “They were really nice and friendly.” Huh.
Before heading out of town, we made a little dinner stop at one of my all-time favorite restaurants, The Texas Roadhouse. I am usually indecisive about my meal-ordering, but here I knew exactly what I was ordering: a 6 oz med-well done steak, baked potato and salad. Of course before the meal arrived we had all consumed our share of peanuts and rolls with honey-butter. Heaven.
After a few pleasant hours of driving, we arrived at the Yellowstone Park entrance. The park employee who sold us our $25 seven-day park pass informed us that many of the park roads were snow covered, which she proceeded to prove by marking them with colored squiggly lines. “Good thing this has 4-wheel drive,” commented our driver, deftly maneuvering the large SUV along the windy park roads. An hour or so later, just as it was getting dark, we arrived at Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. We checked into our very nice, though warm, rooms, and went down to the restaurant, where we were informed there would be a 30 minute wait for a table. We waited in the bar, and after a few drinks, both alcoholic and non, decided that eating could wait til morning.
The next morning, we were delighted to see elk grazing placidly on the lawns about the hotel. There were also a couple of saucy ravens hopping around near the entrance looking for handouts. We were feeling pretty good that the snow we had been warned of had not yet materialized. In fact, the day, though not sunny, was clear and moderate of temperature. Perfect, since this was our sight-seeing day.
We snagged some muffins to go, bought a picnic lunch, and set out on a leisurely drive through the park, stopping now and then to marvel at bubbling pools, a magestic canyon with waterfall, or a petrified tree. At one point, Mary remarked on the predominance of ‘yellow’ in much of the landscape. Finally, a clue as to the naming of this remarkable National Park! We ate delicous pastrami sandwiches at a convenient picnic table, along with my favorite junk foods; potato chips and pink-frosted animal cookies.
We arrived that afternoon at Old Faithful Lodge, where we had reservations. I had always wanted to stay there, but never had before. It was a terrific experience. The hotel is heated by geothermal heat, so your room warms to a comfortable temperature without the ubiquitous noisy blowing fan. Like the night before, a bear-shaped soap was in our bathroom, reminding us of the park’s most famous residents. Old Faithful Geysor can actually be viewed from the motel lobby or from the upper porch, but we walked outside to be “upclose and personal” when the promised eruption occurred.
Old Faithful, Dan informed us, was not quite as faithful as it used to be. It seems the eruptions used to be a little more predictable, but due to semi-recent seismic activity, they now varied a bit more. Still the experts were able to predict their occurence to within 20 minutes or so, and viewing it was well worth the wait.
Once we saw a line of cars stopped alongside the road, with people gaping at something down below in the woods. “Bear,” we were told, but it seemed a bad (and crowded) spot to pull over, so we passed up the chance (only chance, as it turned out) to see the bear. But I don’t think any of us, unless secretly, harbored any deep regrets at the omission. We did, however, get some awesome photos of a group of bison (buffalo). It was a family group of sorts, ranging from cute little babies to big he-man bulls. Which brings me to an incredibly corny joke, “What did the father buffalo say to the baby buffalo when he left for his first day of school?” “Bye, Son. (Bison)” Ha, ha.
Perhaps this is a good time to interject a side note about the Italian contingent among my fellow travelers. I had met Mary’s parents a couple of times, but not knowing their first names, with Mr. & Mrs. Callo seeming entirely too formal, I called them ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad’ when I had to call them something. Mostly though, unsure of their preferences, I had avoided calling them anything at all. While hiking along one of the Yellowstone Trails, I asked Dan. “Their names are Carmen and Carmella,” he informed me, “or Tony and Gabriella, depending on if you are using their first names or middle names.”
“Well, which do they use most often or prefer?” I persisted. “Either. They use them pretty much interchangeably.” Interesting names, but too much ambiguity. I decided to stick with “Mom” and “Dad”.
Mom & Dad met in Italy and still have much family there. In the recent past, they paid for all of their 11 offspring and their spouses & offspring to make a trip to Italy for a big family reunion. I think it is remarkable that all 11 still live in near proximity to their parents’ New Jersey home. Dan & Mary are by far the favorite Aunt & Uncle to numerous nieces and nephews ranging from tiny to co-ed. Mom & Dad had, in fact, returned from an extended stay in Italy only one week before making this trip west. They were great to travel with; patient and entertaining. They must have been exhausted at times, but I never heard them complain. And they have the coolest Italian accents.
Before dinner, some of us took advantage of the numerous paths and trails branching out from the lodge. Panther and I saw lots of geysor holes (I ‘m not sure, but I think Seesaw Geysor was erupting as we walked by it) and some beautiful, colorful rock formations and pools. At one point, we were startled to see a large bull buffalo just a few hundred feet away. I briefly considered capturing his image on digital film, but, remembering park literature on the speed & dispositon of the species, decided to merely capture it in my memory and kept on walking.
We had dinner that night in the Yellowstone Lodge, a buffet. It did not have as many food choices as the tradional buffet, but Dan, Panther and I enjoyed the buffalo chilli, buffalo roast, Ceasar salad and parslied potatoes. I heard later that Mary and her parents didn’t enjoy it as much, but then they are used to exceptional cuisine since Mary & her Mom are both such good cooks. To me almost anything I don’t have to cook myself tastes pretty darn good.
The next morning we awoke to a winter wonderland. The predictions of snow had finally come true. It was actually perfect timing since we were leaving that day anyway, and it was quite the site seeing the pristine white landscape punctuated by steam and spewing plumes of boiling water. But now it was time to leave Yellowstone and head off towards our next adventure.
Next time: Antlers & Driftwood….........tbc