Summer Vacation Trip - Day 8

At 0700, we took a walk down to the lake - it was nice.  We ate a light breakfast (snacks), checked out of our room and got gas in Grant Village (0815).  We then drove to see the West Thumb geysers.  After a nice walk on the boardwalk (in the fog), we headed south. Along the way, we saw elk and stopped at several scenic overlooks.  We finally left Yellowstone (sad) and visited Grand Teton National Park - our first stop was at Colter Bay Visitors Center.  Mollie worked on a Junior Ranger badge.  We also attended a ranger program.  We ate lunch (turkey wrap, corn dog, chips, cookies) at 1205 while sitting in a parking area with a view of the mountains.  Afterwards, we drove over towards Jenny Lake and took a hike nearby (String and Leigh Lake Trails).  We then drove to Moose, where Mollie got her badge and we answered texts, emails and phone calls for the first time in four days; proceeding south into Jackson, Mollie and I checked out hotels but found out they were way too expensive.  Instead, we drove across the Teton Pass and through Swan Valley until we found ourselves following the Snake River in Idaho.  We stopped a few times to view scenery and take pictures.  Eventually (1725), we got gas in Idaho Falls and decided to stay in town after we found an affordable motel.  We unpacked and cleaned up and talked to the hotel owner (nice guy) about the things to do in town (seemed like a cool place).  Then we drove to Culver's, thinking we could eat there.  Unfortunately, they weren't officially open yet - but they gave us consolation chocolate milkshakes!  Undeterred, we parked in the old downtown (along the Snake River, near the falls) and ate dinner (Snow Eagle Brewery) at 1830.  We later walked for about another hour nearby, enjoying the little parks and waterfalls. After such a nice evening, it was actually hard to go back to the hotel.  Because of some things that had built up while we had no connectivity, I teleworked for about an hour.  Mollie and I then watched movies (until 2345) and went to bed.

Summer Vacation Trip - Day 7

We woke up at 0730 and ate breakfast (Clif Bars).  We then packed up car and took a walk from our cabin to the North Rim of the Canyon.  It was a bit foggy and brisk.  We enjoyed vistas from Grand View and Lookout Point.  At 0845, we stopped at the Gift Shop and bought souvenirs and supplies.  We then checked out of the hotel and drove to Hayden Valley, where we stopped to watch a large bison herd.  We also saw elk and mule deer during our drive to the south.  We made several stops as the weather improved and we hadn't (yet) seen many people.  We took a walk near Sulphur Cauldron and Mud Volcano and later explored the trails near LeHardy Rapids.  When we reached the north end of Yellowstone Lake (Fishing Bridge), we stopped at the Visitors Center and learned that a grizzly bear had been sighted to the east.  We drove to Steamboat Point (1200) and ate a picnic lunch (turkey sandwiches, apples and chips) where the rangers were watching for the bear.  We skipped rocks and enjoyed the sun and (relative) solitude.  After giving up on seeing the bear(s), we drove west again, stopping for short hikes on trails in the early afternoon (Pelican Creek, Pumice Point).  We considered going on a boat ride at Bridge Bay but they were sold out.  Undeterred, we continued to West Thumb and took a walk on the Geyser Boardwalk.  Unfortunately, like it had on the previous days in the park, it started to rain at around 1500.  We watched a movie at the Grant Village Visitors Center and then checked into the Coyote Lodge.  We rested and relaxed for over an hour - Mollie made us tea!  At 1715, we went to eat dinner (hummus, salad, bratwurst, kraut, mashed potatoes, carrots) at the Lake House.  We also took a walk along the lakeside afterwards.  Before the evening was over (1900), we attended a ranger program about nocturnal animals (cats, bats, owls).  We spent the rest of the evening reading and talking in our room (bed at 2200).

Summer Vacation Trip - Day 6

We were ready to go by 0745.  Ate breakfast (Clif Bars) and packed the car.  Then we took a nice stroll on the Geyser Boardwalk.  The weather was amazing and we completed the entire circuit (all the way to the Morning Glory pool) without feeling hot at all (it was so nice to be in the mountains!).  Mollie worked on her Junior Ranger book and we spoke with a ranger about the park.  After checking out of our cabin, we drove north.  We stopped to visit Biscuit Basin, drove down Firehole Lake Drive and Firehole Canyon Drive and saw some more wildlife (caribou, osprey, marmot).  We wanted to visit a few more geysers but it was too tough to find a parking spot.  Instead, we drove down Virginia Cascade Drive on the way to Canyon Village.  We drove checked out the horse riding site (since we had reservations) and then parked along the road that went along the south rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.  During our walk in the (very crowded) area, we got some good pictures.  We then headed back to Canyon Village, where we ate lunch (hot dogs, chips) at the Yellowstone General Store (1400).  We also stopped at the Visitors Center so Mollie could get her Junior Ranger patch.  We watched a movie there.  Unfortunately, it started raining, so we decided to explore the Canyon Lodge Lounge.  After killing some time, we checked into our cabin (1530) and rested there for a few hours.  At 1730, we drove to the horse ranch but figured out that they'd cancelled all rides for the day.  Instead, we drove north to Mount Washburn, looking for animals (there were none).  The rain got worse after we drove down to Hayden Valley to look for bison, so we returned to Canyon Village.  We ate dinner (turkey croissant, fire roasted vegetable salad) at the Falls Cafe (1845).  Afterwards, we drove back to our cabin and rested some more (still no TV or internet).  At 2130, we drove to the Visitors Center for a Ranger program about owls.  When it was over, we went back to our room and got ready for bed.  We were both asleep by 2245.

Summer Vacation Trip - Day 5

We were up at 0700, ate breakfast (donuts, sausage and egg biscuits) with the hotel manager and were on the road by 0745.  We drove west on US-14 ALT and stopped to visit the Heart Mountain Relocation Center.  We got gas in Cody WY and then used WY-120 and WY-296 (Chief Joseph Trail) to cross the Absaroka Mountain Range.  It rained a bit and the temperatures were very pleasant.  There had been significant road damage (from an earthquake) but we made it through the area OK.  We switched to US-212, drove into Montana briefly and then entered Yellowstone National Park at the northeast corner.  I discovered that I'd left my driver’s license with the hotel manager.  It took a while, due to limited cell service, but we were eventually able to call her to ask that she mail it to my home.  In the meantime, we enjoyed seeing lots of animals in the Lamar Valley (1130) and backtracked on the road several times for bison and black bears.  We even took off road drive on the Blacktail Deer Plateau) while eating lunch (leftovers, snacks) in the car.  We stopped to take several walks: Slough Creek, Tower Falls, Lost Lake (our favorite because of the little ground squirrels and finding a bison carcass), Self-Guided with Forest Fire exhibits - all while driving between the Tower and Mammoth Areas.  Unfortunately, each of these walks was marred by rain.  At 1500, we visited the Hot Springs and took another walk, encountering elk near the Visitors Center.  Then it started to rain in earnest, so we decided to head towards our cabin for the night (I was glad that we weren't camping!).  As we made our way south; there was a lot of construction and traffic delays due to wildlife on the road.  We did get to see several good views but didn't delay until we reached the Old Faithful Area.  We checked into our hotel at 1900 had then went to the Visitors Center to listen to a Ranger presentation on wolves.  Mollie got a junior ranger book and worked on it while we waited for Old Faithful to erupt (2007).  Then we ate a late dinner (Yellowstone Lodge Cafeteria) and found our room (a frontier cabin).  We relaxed for the rest of the evening (no Internet or TV) since it continued to rain.  Bed at 2330.

Summer Vacation Trip - Day 4

We woke up very early because of the time change, packed up the car and left the hotel by 0815.  We ate breakfast (Clif Bar) and got gas in Sheridan.  We then drove to Little Bighorn National Battlefield in Montana (used I-90).  We watched the movie at the Visitors Center (1000) and got to sit through part of an amazing retelling of the battle, which occurred 141 years ago (plus one day!).  We also walked a lot around the park, marveling at the views and experiencing somber thoughts about the demise of many young people in the wild place.  We then headed back towards Wyoming, stopping for lunch (former Subway) in Garryowen (1210).  We used US-14 to drive up into the Bighorn Mountains.  Mollie really liked the scenery and commented about how she didn't want to ever go home.  The weather was beautiful - we stopped at a pretty campground and the National Forest Visitors Center in Burgess Junction to enjoy some of it!  After that, we got on US-14 ALT and saw pretty wildflowers, moose, elk and deer.  We got out of our car several times to enjoy the views and use our new binoculars.  After we reached the bottom of the very steep descent, the temperatures soared to almost 100 degrees (the AC started having trouble again).  We stopped at the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area Visitors Center and the Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center, both in Lovell, WY (1530).  For the next few hours, we drove around inside the NRA (which was partly in WY and MT), enjoying the canyon views, watching the wild horses along the road and encountering bighorn sheep.  After we'd had our fill, we headed back to US-14 ALT and drove west.  Mollie enjoyed passing through the pretty little towns with only a few hundred people.  We eventually came to Powell ,WY, where we found a hotel.  Had to wait for a bit before we could check in, so we ate dinner (Taco John's) at 1800 and spent about an hour chatting and resting.  We settled into our hotel by 1915 and Mollie spent the whole evening reading travel brochures and planning for our Yellowstone visit (the following day).  Meanwhile, I read my book.  We went to bed at 2215.

Summer Vacation Trip - Day 3

I got up at 0645, still at Rest Area near Chamberlain, SD (Interstate crossing of the Missouri River).  We walked around to see the scenic view and Lewis and Clark Memorials.  After cleaning ourselves up a bit, we drove west on I-90.  We ate breakfast (leftover pizza).  The weather was amazing and I really loved the 80 MPH speed limit!  At 0800, we started our NPS Passport Book project for the day: getting stamps from National Parks we'd previously visited (Minuteman, Badlands, Mount Rushmore, Wind Cave, Jewel Cave, Devils Tower).  Mollie enjoyed seeing a prairie dog village near the Badlands.  We got gas in Rapid City at 0945, got into Mount Rushmore by 1030, visited all the other sites on our list and were completely finished with our road rally by 1500.  We had a great time and almost no traffic all day - the weather was perfect and we got some exercise throughout the day.  Ate lunch (snacks, leftovers) as we scrambled through the Black Hills - it was fun!  In addition to the roads near the Badlands, we used US-16 Truck, US-16A, SD-87 (Needles Parkway), US-350, US-16, US-85, WY-585, US-14.  Once we were back on Interstate, we stopped for early dinner (Taco John's) in Gillette, WY at 1545 and then went shopping for binoculars at Walmart (next door).  We were headed northwest by 1645 and passed the time on the prairie while listening to several good NPR radio shows.  We made it to our hotel in Sheridan WY by 1830.  We cleaned up the car (finally feeling organized) and rested in our room (TV, books, brochures).  Mollie made all kinds of plans for our visit to Wyoming and was very excited about the coming days.  Bed time was at 2200.

Summer Vacation Trip - Day 2

We were both awake by 0700 and we ate breakfast (oatmeal, toast, yogurt, fruit) at the hotel.  On the road by 0800 and drove from Lafayette through Chicago and Milwaukee (used I-65, I-94, US-41, I-94).  We ate lunch (leftovers, snacks) on the way.  Encountered lots of traffic and construction issues, so it was a nice feeling to get off the interstate at Windsor, WI (1145) .  We ate some ice cream there and then took back roads (WI-19, US-12 and WI-60) to get to Prairie du Chien.  We crossed the Mississippi River and drove north on IA-76.  We spent a few hours at Effigy Mounds National Monument and even took a hike there.  Mollie was glad to get the (first of many!) passport stamp for her book.  We then drove to Decorah, IA, where we got gas (1635).  Using US-52, we drove towards Minnesota; on the way, we passed the Laura Ingalls Burr Oak town site. We noticed that they were having a "Laura Day" celebration and joined in the fun for a little bit!  The event was just about to end and there was a huge thunder storm coming but we managed to get a special tour of the museum before we got back on the road.  We switched to MN-16 and joined up with I-90.  Stopped for dinner (Pizza Hut) in Blue Earth, MN (done at 1930) and then drove west towards South Dakota.  Just before crossing the border, we saw a sign for the Pipestone National Monument and I tried to find a hotel nearby.  However, everything was full and we continued to encounter the same problem when we tried places near and west of Sioux Falls, SD (because of a music festival).  Mollie found out that her grandmother (Gayle) had gone to the hospital but later learned she was resting at home.  Since we had nowhere to stay and the traffic/weather was great, we kept driving.  I must admit that I was getting tired, though.  I finally gave up at the rest area near Salem, SD.  Mollie agreed to stay there for a few hours of rest and we slept from about 2300 until 0230 (three hour limit per state law and a suspicious car pulled up near us.  I drove us to Mitchell (0315), where we got gas, and then west until we reached a rest area at Chamberlain (0430.  I went to sleep in the car again and didn't stir until the sun was up (Mollie had never woke up through the night).

Summer Vacation Trip - Day 1

Our Summer Vacation trip has arrived!!!  This morning, I teleworked very early and decided not to take Mollie to school (I received an email that no attendance would be taken).  I went to the doctor (0800) and Mollie packed up items for our trip.  When I got home, we ate a late breakfast and I teleworked some more.  At around 1230, we finished packing the car and drove to Rose Hill to pick up lunch (Subway).  We were able to leave Alexandria by 1330.  The beginning of our trip took us west on I-495, I-270, I-70, I-68, I-79 and I-70 and I-65 (VA, MD, WV, PA, WV, OH, IN).  We encountered lots of traffic, construction and heavy rain (Mollie took lots of pictures of the weird cloud formations).  We did have some trouble with the car's AC but managed alright.  We stopped for dinner (Arby's) in Westover, WV (1720), got gas in Cambridge, OH (1930) and visited several rest stops (looking for hotel coupons).  We had great conversations all day and it was clear that Mollie was excited to be on the trip.  After reaching Lafayette, IN (0030), we checked into our hotel and went to sleep.

Woodbridge, VA (USA)

[work - drinks with work team at The Salt Line at Navy Yard (finished at 1915) - Greta needed a ride, so we took the Metro to my car, I swapped out vehicles and drove her to Dumfries commuter lot - on the way home, I stopped for a drink at Brew Republic in Woodbridge (finished at 2200)]

Washington, DC (USA)

[work - went to Scarlet Oak with Sean to discuss work issues (finished at 1830) - Metro to Branch Avenue]

Washington, DC (USA)

[work - happy hour at Agua 301 with Rachel and Greta - at 1720, walked to L'Enfant with Greta (she wanted to go see the Nationals play, spontaneously, but they weren't in town) - drinks with Alex, Jay and Remy at Vie de France]

Alexandria, VA (USA)

[work - met up with Mel, Mark, Sabrina, Stephanie and Kelly at Theissman's in Old Town - also socialized with SOAR COE folks (left at 1930) - late in the evening, walked down to Don Taco's and had more drinks - walked back to Metro at 2130 - home very late]

Arlington, VA (USA)

[work - happy hour with Greta at Chevy's (Pentagon City) - went home at 1830]

Washington, DC (USA)

[work - met up with Danton at RFD at Gallery Place (finished at 1950)]

Arlington, VA (USA)

I picked Mollie up at 0630 so we could have breakfast together.  We ate at LaMadeleine (done at 0715).  Afterwards, we went to the grocery store to pick up some vinegar for her science experiment.  I dropped her off at school at 0730.  Went to work in the city.  At around 1600, we (Chris, Melissa, Sabrina, Dave, Kelly) started a bar crawl at the Bonefish Grill in Pentagon City.  Other stops included: Sine, Matchbox (finished at 2000).  We all took the Metro to Dos Amigos and I stayed until almost midnight with Sabrina and Chavez.  They got me an Uber to go home.  What a fun day!

Washington, DC (USA)

[work - met up with Tim F. at Hill Country for Happy Hour (finished at 2000)]

Ashburn, VA (USA)

[drove to Ashburn (arrived at 1600) to watch Monica's running team race in the Growler Relay - had drinks and pizza with her at the Old Ox Brewery - left at 1900 - gas in Falls Church at 1935]

Warrenton, VA (USA)

[work - drove to Warrenton - gas in Gainesville at 0645 - meetings - back home for telework - drove to Woodbridge for happy hour ("liquid donut" beer") and dinner with Kelly and Mike (finished at 1935)]

Washington, DC (USA)

[work - lunch with Jeris at Clydes (Gallery Place) and happy hour with Tim M. at Ruby Tuesday - free drink from Tarik (finished at 1945)]