The Great West Trip: What Wasn't Said

In closing this series, there are a few things I left unsaid while writing these posts. If you personally know us, then most of these won't be a surprise.

1964- November 11, 2023

1. This trip almost didn't happen. Robert was diagnosed with colon cancer on January 27, 2021. While he did fantastic with chemo, the cancer began to catch up with him in May of 2023 when he began to undergo paracentesis to relieve fluid in his abdomen. While we were at my sister's house at the beginning of the trip, he didn't feel well and we discussed going home so he could undergo the procedure and we would start the trip again. He was insistent that we continue. I think he knew this would be our final trip with Maeve Anne. 

2. Robert spent most of the time in the van. I know we missed out on a lot of things because of his inability to get out and walk around. I was unaware of how badly he felt during the trip. That just means I need to go back out west and do those things in his memory. This was also a factor in the decision to travel from Billings to Yellowstone and not continue on to Banff. It was also a factor in why we didn't boondock as much as I thought we would. Looking back, I'm sure he wanted to make sure we were near a highway/interstate and had cell service in case of an emergency. If you look back at Part 5, you'll notice that I glazed over our day in Salt Lake...that's because we spent the day in the ER so Robert could have a paracentesis. 

3. I sold Maeve Anne. She did great on the trip and I wasn't having any trouble with her, but the thoughts of "what if" and not knowing how to take care of her caused me great anxiety and stress. Without Robert, I knew I would not need the 4-wheel drive; I don't need a van of that caliber when I won't be boondocking or going off-grid. I looked at an Entegra Arc online but decided against it since 2024 is its first year. If I feel the need to camp I have the Gazelle Tent and Gazebo, along with my comfy cot. 

4. This doesn't mean the end of "Flyin' the Coop". I plan to keep my promise to Robert by traveling and seeing the things I've only dreamed of. He nurtured my adventurous side; the side of me I didn't even know I had! So stay tuned for more adventures.

This was a gift from a group of friends. 

The Great West Trip Part 8

As I mentioned at the end of the last post, I wasn't quite ready to leave Colorado yet. There were two places that Robert wanted to show me and only 1 of them was a bit out of the way. 

Como, Colorado

Como is not quite a ghost town but there are only around 200 people living there. Its heyday was during the Gold Boom when it became a railroad town. There is little left in this town. It made me a little sad that this once-thriving town is so run down.

Once a Catholic Church, the white building in the background is a privately owned residence.

Street in Como

Railroad Crossing in Como

View of the train depot (R) and the Historic Como Hotel (L)

We started up the road through Boreas Pass (which goes to Breckinridge). Robert said he thought there was a campground there but we had no guarantees there would be a spot. After about a half mile of "washboardy" road, we decided to head back through town and go to the next place he wanted me to see.

Every conversation we had about Colorado included Tarryall Reservoir. Robert hoped we would be able to camp in the same spot he and some friends camped but things changed over the years. No camping is allowed right on the reservoir anymore. A quick look at an app gave us some BLM options. The first place we pulled into was...interesting. There were steep hills in the road and Robert questioned whether or not we could get over them. Robert said these hills are to keep the road from eroding. So we tried. After the first one, we decided we shouldn't try anymore, but we were kind of stuck since there was no place to turn around. A very nice couple who appeared to be around our age came by in an ATV and offered to help. The 2nd bump we went over was trickier...as in, Maeve no longer had 4 wheels on the ground. It made me extremely nervous that something in the undercarriage was going to break. Robert worked his magic and managed to get over it. There was a turn-around shortly after that so we were able to turn around and head back down the hill. It was much easier going down than it was going up. The couple told us about the place where they were camping and suggested we try there. It was just down the road a couple of miles. We never did find them, but we had an okay site for the night. We were only staying one night so it was more important that we felt we were in a safe spot. I didn't take pictures of it since it was pretty non-descriptive. No amazing views, just us out in a field. We did, however, pass the Historic Tarryall School:

Tarryall School is a one-room schoolhouse that served the area from 1921-1949. There is also a "teacherage".

We're not done with Colorado just yet! Still traveling west, we needed another "rest day" before leaving Colorado and heading home. I found a Colorado State Park on the way and we were able to reserve a spot by going to the Visitor Center in Mueller State Park. 

When we drove into the park, we noticed right away how nice the roads were. This was the first state park we've been to where you have to buy day passes when you camp. That explains the nice well-kept roads! All of the sites are pull-through and are flat. 

After securing our spot, we went into "town". Divide, Colorado consists of just a few businesses. There is a grocery store where basic supplies can be purchased. We decided to eat at the restaurant right beside the grocery store. 

I didn't realize what kind of restaurant it was until we sat down and looked at the menu. Then I looked up at the wall. 

As I look back, how fitting is it that our Irish adventure started our search for a camper van? And here we were, in Divide, Colorado, eating at an Irish restaurant!

We spent our "rest day" doing laundry and just resting. We were both extremely disappointed with the pay showers. There was no way to adjust the heat (and the water was way too cold!). When my time ran out, I hadn't rinsed the soap off (thank goodness my hair was washed & rinsed!) so I put a couple more quarters in. At previous pay showers, we were able to put a quarter or 2 in and it would give us more minutes. Nope, not here. You had to put in the whole beginning amount, and I didn't have enough. I don't remember what the initial cost was but it seemed like it was more than it should have been. We did laundry one last time. The facilities are in need of upgrading their machines but the money goes to a good cause, I just don't remember the organization that benefits from them. 

Vault toilets are available throughout the campground but the shower facilities (and flush toilets) required a short drive. There are numerous trash receptacles throughout the campground; of course, they are bear-proof.

The views from the campground were well worth the disappointments:

Since we rested on our full day there, we didn't take advantage of all that the park has to offer. There are a lot of trails and wildlife within the park. It is an absolutely beautiful park that you shouldn't miss if you have the chance to go. 

After our stay, we decided it was time to start heading back home. We drove through Colorado Springs and spent the night in a hotel in Hays, Kansas before making it back to my sister's house in Missouri. We spent the last night in Paducah, Kentucky. While it was cooler, the humidity factor made nights unbearable without air conditioning, so we stayed in a hotel. We made it home, safe & sound, that next evening. What a trip!!!

The Great West Trip Part 5

When we left Yellowstone by the South Entrance, we immediately entered Grand Teton National Park. Except there wasn't a sign so I was a little confused as to where we actually were.  We were soon greeted by an amazing sight:

I was feeling pretty patriotic seeing this just as we left Yellowstone. I thought it was extremely exciting. And then, as we drove further into the Park, a bear ran across the road ahead of us and down the hill. And that was the extent of seeing wildlife in Grand Teton. 

As mentioned in the last post, we managed to snag the last spot in the Colter Bay Campground. A huge thank you to the person who canceled just before I booked it! When we rolled into the campground I had to show the employee that we had the reservation because his paperwork didn't have the updated reservation. I didn't take any pictures of the campsite; there was nothing spectacular about it. I think it may have actually been a tent site since we had to park on the side of the road. To the best of my recollection, there was a fire pit and picnic table. The public restrooms had a flushing toilet and sink but no shower. The next morning we went to the Colter Bay Visitor Center to shower and do laundry. The pay showers were amazing. I think we paid $5 each for lengthy showers. It helped that we were there fairly early and were one of the first ones there. There is also a store that has groceries, coffee and breakfast sandwiches, as well as a gift store. 

View of Jackson Lake

I was awestruck by the beauty

After we were showered and our clothes cleaned, we started driving out of the park. We came across a young couple carrying a bicycle wheel. We stopped and asked if they needed a ride somewhere. This couple was cycling the Continental Divide from just next to the Mexican Border up to Canada. They were walking to the post office (about a 10-mile hike from the campground) to pick up a part a friend of hers overnighted to her. They had both just graduated from college and were taking the summer to cycle before "becoming adults". Once we dropped them off at the post office, we decided to wait for them and offer them a ride back to the campground since we weren't on a timeline. I know they appreciated it, but we kept telling them that we would hope someone would do the same for one of our boys. 

View as we drove to/from the post office

We drove through Jackson and stopped for groceries. Honestly, I wasn't very impressed. It was so crowded; I wanted to get groceries and get out of there. It was too touristy for our taste.

At the last minute, we found a Harvest Host for the night. This was another dairy farm that had an ice cream/dairy shop. We weren't so thrilled with this spot. It was hot, there was absolutely no shade, and we were told to park right next to the cow pen. On top of that, this was our view:

Thanks, but no thank you. We ended up getting a hotel room for the night so we were cool and were able to take luxurious showers in Afton, Wyoming. This was a very cute little town whose claim to fame is the largest arch made out of elk antlers...over 3000 of them, in fact.

It would have been nice to have had a few more hours to look around. This one street is pretty much the whole town. There was a shortcut from the Oregon Trail that went through Afton (Lander Trail). "This shortcut saved emigrants as much as 7 days travel." If only we had known!

We made it to Utah!

Since we didn't get a picture when we originally crossed into Wyoming, after taking the picture in Utah we crossed the street & snapped this picture!

Finally...red rock! This was at a beautiful rest area in Utah

This was also taken at the rest area. So unique!

Moving on, we clipped Idaho and then made it to Utah. We discussed going to Craters of the Moon National Park. While it looks like a very cool place, we decided to keep moving on. Robert has a friend in Park City, UT that he attempted to see. Unfortunately, we weren't able to make that happen. Our oldest son lived in Park City for a while so it was cool to see a glimpse of where he lived, as well as the skatepark where he spent some of his time.

This is a pavilion right next to a skatepark

Again, Park City was very crowded and hot, so we traveled on to Salt Lake City and spent the next day there. We didn't see much...it was well over 100 degrees. I hear people joke all the time, "But it's a dry heat" and now I get it. Yes, it was hot. Hot is hot, but without the humidity, it certainly didn't feel like it was over 90 degrees. We managed to see the Great Salt Lake in the distance before driving down to Provo (another hotel) for the night. People in Utah love to put things on the side of the hill:

The "Y" is for "Young"...of Bringham & Young. We weren't far from the university.

Afton had a star in the hill behind our hotel since it is in the Star Valley. This "Y" is on "Y Mountain" and was built in 1906 out of lime and rock. It has been reinforced with concrete and paint. Believe it or not, this project was not a university project; the idea started because, in 1905 or 1906, the junior class of Bringham Young High School wanted to paint '07 on the mountain, which of course upset the senior class of '06. A compromise was reached with the university president and high school principal coming up with an idea. Originally, there was going to also be a "B" and "U" but after hours of hauling lime and rock up the mountain, the project was abandoned. So now there is just a "Y". There is a parking lot roughly a mile away and it is one of the most hiked trails in the Utah Valley. I had no idea you could actually go up there. I don't know that we would have done it, but it could have been a possibility!

So far, we have seen some pretty incredible sights. But what was coming the next day was the best yet!

The Great West Trip Part 4

We entered Yellowstone National Park through the East Entrance and began driving through what I would call the mountain area. I had no idea that each part of the park would look so different. Our first stop was at an overlook. We had to stop because the views were spectacular. The pictures don't do it justice.

The obligatory picture at the entrance.

As we made our way through the park, we started to see random buffalo in the fields. There weren't big packs of them in this section but it was a thrill to finally see some.

We saw our first geyser/ hot spring of the day

First buffalo sighting!

We noticed this rather large crow sitting on the roof of the bathroom. It was pretty loud and Robert was able to get rather close to it.

We stopped at Calcite Springs and I walked the path to the overlook. The water was a stunning color.

The steam coming from the side of the river was pretty cool.

See what I mean about the color of the water?

These formations were made by volcanic activity

We were surprised that we hadn't seen as many buffalo as we were expecting. A quick talk with a ranger gave us the information we needed. We drove through what I would call the "plains section" and managed to see a lot of them. Babies, mamas, daddies, and even some pronghorns in the mix.

Buffalo mamas and babies

Pronghorns in the background mixing in with the buffalo

Having our fill of buffalo, we continued on. We stopped at the Albright station at the North Entrance and saw some elk as well as some interesting rock.

We were amazed that these elk were just hanging out in the midst of the visitor's center with a lot of people around

This rock looks like snow cascading down a mountain

In the afternoon we made it to the geyser section (as I call it) which is in the west side of the park. We opted to skip Old Faithful which I think turned out to be a good choice. We aren't crazy about getting in with the crowds and by the look of the line of cars, it was going to be pretty crowded. We stopped at Beryl Springs and got a pretty good idea of what a geyser looks like on a smaller scale and without a lot of people.

Beryl Spring is one of the hottest springs in Yellowstone.

It was named "Beryl" because of the blue-green color of the water reminiscent of the gem beryl.

We stopped at Flood Geyser just as it was finishing its performance. This is one of several geysers in the "flood area" of the park.

I couldn't find this so I'm going on the assumption that it's possible that this area floods since there is a stream/river flowing through this section.

Or maybe it's because it looks like it's flooded. If you know, let me know!

As we made our way to the South exit, we saw a few more geysers/hot springs which were just fantastic to drive through:

Our next mission was to find a place to stay for the night. I had the coordinates of a place to boondock but, surprisingly, Robert wanted to find a campground instead. We stopped at one place and were pretty much told, "Good luck". I checked a campground in the Tetons and, as luck would have it, they had one spot left. We snatched it up right away. It wasn't the best campsite we've ever had, but it gave us a place to park the van.  More on that next time!

I realize how much we missed by doing Yellowstone in one day. This will be one place I want to return to and spend more time. There is so much to see!