The drive to Utah was hot!  It was up to 115 through most of Nevada.  Once we got into Utah it was much of the same until we got into the higher country. The country started to turn from barren rock to rolling grass and pine trees.

When we rolled into Idaho and first saw the Snake River, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young came on the radio playing Southern Cross.  It was so fitting.  The setting sun was hitting the water.  There were men in the river fly fishing.  This is real America.  The country was so immense, and we were so small,  it was overwhelming.

We spent that night in a wooden floor TeePee next to the Snake River.  I was nudged awake every hour or so. If I heard a noise I would look over to where our dog was keeping watch near the door flap.  She looked like she was frightened out of her skin!  We went on a different vacation a couple years ago, and we had parked our RV at Calico Ghost Town.  We were the only people staying there that night and it was desolate.  During the night our RV was rocked a few times and we heard footsteps crunching in the gravel around the RV.  I went outside each time to check and saw nothing.  It was the ghosts of Calico.  Our dog spent that night cowering under the table with her eyes bugging out of her head.  The minute we pulled out of the campsite, she fell asleep and slept all day.  The Snake River TeePee was the same for her.

After the night on Snake River, it was on to Yellowstone National Park.  It had so many wonders to offer.  We were really excited about seeing Old Faithful.  We read about it before we got there.  Once we were there it was like Disneyland!  It was so packed with no parking and only one place to eat that had a line around the building.  We watched it steam and start to erupt from a distance and left.  There were many more off the path geysers and bubbling hot pools, all unique.  We found a number that I was able to get close to and get some great pictures.  That was awesome.

I really wanted to see a bear.   As we wound through the park, we slowed down for some road work and watched as a bear lumbered across the road in front of us.

We had been driving through Yellowstone for a long time before we finally saw some Bison in a grass field pretty far away.  I figured that was it, we got out the binoculars and saw them grazing.  I told my wife I really wanted to see one up close.  All the cars suddenly slowed again, and we waited, thinking it was more construction.  As we inched forward, three cars ahead of us on the side of the road stood a huge male Bison.  It was bigger than our car and it stopped eating to look directly at the cars which edged slowly by.  When it came time for our turn to go by (he was less than a foot away) my wife was upset.  I rolled the window down and snapped two quick pictures.  I have to admit, my heart was pounding.  He could easily ram through the thin glass window if he wanted.

A few miles down, another herd of bison was grazing beside the road. Babies, moms and males, just a few feet away.  My wife was so upset but there was no turning around, and nowhere else to go.  I slowly started to edge past when I heard a low growl from the backseat! Our dog decided she didn’t like these huge beasts next to the car.  I told her to hush and not draw attention, and we made it past!

I’ve learned a lot on this trip. Things about myself and my words. I’ve learned that I can be too quick to be negative.  Its tough traveling all day in a small car, but it also is fun and it’s important to keep a positive attitude to make the day a good one.