• Valerie Eisler
  • Valerie Eisler

2016 Road Trip - MEX-CAN

Ein 56-Tage Abenteuer von Valerie Weiterlesen
  • Dinosaur, Colorado

    17. Mai 2016 in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    Dinosaur National Monument

    Got in at 4:45pm. Population about 300. Drove a little bitty to see we could find a hotel... only found one open and one abandoned.

    Checked in with the welcome Center (tourist information) which was closing at 5. Nice lady was very helpful. Told us the local motel was clean and reasonably priced. We stopped there first to find a sign saying they were closed but please call a number. I tried a couple times and then got through. The woman said take room 4, door's open and key is inside. So we did. It's clean but smells like a musty old house. BEST internet ever! Called the Terrace Motel. Has a fridge and microwave.

    This afternoon we took a 30-mile drive to see the scenery. Quite beautiful. Tomorrow we'll stop in at the center in Utah to see the dinosaur stuff.

    Today we saw a bit of wildlife: gophers, another little rodent that looked like a skinny marmot, partridge of some sort, one elk (my brain was trying to figure out why the cow had such a funny neck), a bunch of deer (markings were different, they were very light-coloured with white stripes on their face, reminded me of African antelope), Canada geese, a rabbit and a little lizard.

    Came home and stopped at the local tavern and had a delicious hamburger and margarita.

    All in all a good day. We got rained out yesterday, but today the sun was shining when we needed it to be.
    Weiterlesen

  • Day 10, Wednesday May 18

    18. Mai 2016 in den USA ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Left Dinosaur around 9am, stopped for breakfast at

    Betty's Cafe of Jensen Utah
    7682 E Hwy 40 84035
    435-789-2233
    www.facebook.com\bettyscafeofjensen

    Sign says, come hungry and leave full. That we did. A little disconcerting to open the door marked restrooms and find yourself outside. All was good as the bathrooms were indoors and quite large.

    Backtracked a little to the Dinosaur quarry exhibit hall. They've simply enclosed a dinosaur dig. On the cliff they have exposed dinosaur bones and then left them to be viewed as is.

    We then started a 5.5 hour drive to Jackson Wyoming. We passed through Utah, stopping in the Flaming Gorge to take a look at the red canyon.

    Realized that what I thought were deer that looked like antelope were actually Prong Horn Antelope😀. We saw lots of them and lots of deer.

    Very impressive drive. So much colour in the hills. Foothills covered in green grass, simply beautiful.

    Arrived Jackson at 530, had a good dinner and are now in the hotel room (Pony Express Motel). Plans are not too heavy for tomorrow.
    Weiterlesen

  • Day 11, Thursday May 19. 4502km traveled

    19. Mai 2016 in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Laidback day. Didn't hurry to get out of bed this morning. Walked downtown to see what's there. Quaint center that reminds us of Whistler/Banff/Jasper. Had a quick lunch and walked back to the motel. It started raining as we got close to home.

    Tried to use up some groceries for dinner, watched some TV and lazed around. Now it's getting close to bedtime.

    Tomorrow we will get our first glimpse of Yellowstone.....

    Photo of where we would like to be staying
    Weiterlesen

  • Day 12, May 20

    20. Mai 2016 in den USA ⋅ 🌧 10 °C

    Yellowstone National Park, United States

    Drove from Jackson Wyoming to Gardiner Montana.

    Only about 3 and a half hours. We took a little longer, stopped to see Old Faithful. The weather has been so iffy and rainy we wanted to take advantage of clear weather and see the geyser just in case it is pouring when we go with our friends this weekend.

    Also took a stroll to see some thermal pools.

    Saw elk, deer and a mama grizzly with 2 cubs.
    Weiterlesen

  • Day 15, Monday May 23

    23. Mai 2016 in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 4 °C

    Today was a good day.

    We tried to get out a little earlier, and I think we were about 15 minutes before normal.

    We hoped we would not see snow, but we did. However, there was not enough to stick and what we did have was much better than the rain we had on earlier days. It was cold and windy, however! I had a T-shirt, a hoodie, a jacket and then another jacket plus leggings under my pants.

    We did the lower loop with our last stop being Old Faithful in order to see the Morning Glory pool. If we do Yellowstone again we will spend a day there, checking at the visitor center to know when expected eruptions of the various geysers are, then be at the eruptions to see them. We'd hope for a sunny day as when the light is flat you can't discern the erupting water from the steam. The last walj took quite awhile and we didn't get home until 8 pm.

    This meant we were traveling when the animals were active and we got to see larger herds of bison and a black bear along with the regular elk (and their very visible butts)
    Weiterlesen

  • Day 16, May 24

    24. Mai 2016 in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    Missoula Montana
    Mayers left Gardiner shortly after 7 this morning, we followed at 10. We had a drive of about 4 hours, very uneventful. However, it was very beautiful scenery along the way.

    Crossed the continental divide at 6393'

    Saw some cool rock formations as we were entering Butte where we had lunch at Sparky's Garage as recommended by a bartender at a bar we stopped at on main Street. Finding the average price of a restaurant meal whether breakfast, lunch or dinner is averaging $30-$40 USD for 2. We're trying to eat at least two meals of the day at home, one meal at a restaurant (McDonald's for breakfast counts as a home meal 😁).

    Ate at home tonight.

    Hotel info:
    Checked into the Motel 6 University. Seems OK. We got a suite with a queen bed and a kitchenette. Happy we were planning on maybe doing some camping as it means we have kitchen stuff... Absolutely nothing for pots, plates or cutlery is provided, not even a tea cloth.

    No coffee pot, no Kleenex

    No extra pillows, but we brought some.

    Good thing we brought an extension cord, closest plug to the bed can not be considered close in any way.

    Pet friendly, no smoking hotel. Rooms are smoke free and pet-smell-free. However, outside the rooms in the walkways there is pet hair everywhere.

    Information says there is guest laundry but it's a block away at another Motel 6. If we were to come back to Missoula I'd try another place over staying here again.

    Kitchen lights and bathroom fan are thick with dust.

    We got home yesterday and room was not made up. Called front desk and asked if we would get housekeeping while we are here. Answer was, "I don't know, and quite frankly I'm more concerned that we have 40 check ins to worry about tomorrow". I was told that if I brought my (threadbare) towels to the front desk they would give me clean ones...Room was not made up today either. (I also heard that one housekeeper quit yesterday). Seems to me a hotel should be prepared to look after a full house, no?

    I've said earlier that the mark, I feel, of a quality hotel is that they give you 4 towels instead of 3. Here they give you 2.

    However, the kitchenette is saving us money, as is not having to tip housekeepers.

    4th day they changed towels and removed garbage. Didn't sweep and didn't make bed. But they did take the tip!
    Weiterlesen

  • Day 17, May 25

    25. Mai 2016 in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Quinn's Hotsprings
    It's a drive of about an hour northwest from Missoula. There are several sections to the pool of differing temperatures (max allowable by law is 106). No chemicals are put in the pool, they are filled with cold and hot water from 2 wells. No chemicals means they change the water frequently. Mid week (May) costs $10 for a three hour session, weekends are $12 for three hours. Sessions are on their schedule: 9-12, 12-3, 3-6 and 6-9.

    There is a closer hotsprings called Lolo. Reviews weren't very good, one saying they were "creepy", so we thought we'd drive a little further.
    Weiterlesen

  • Day 18, May 26

    26. Mai 2016 in den USA ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    Missoula, United States

    About all we did today was another movie....3D IMAX.... Don't think I ever want to do anything different to see a movie ever again! 😜😜😜😁😁😁

    Strolled around the local shopping mall. It's smaller than Woodgrove in Nanaimo. About 70,000 people here.

    Bought lunches for the RC

    Convention site is less than a 15 minute walk from our hotel. Not sure if we will walk or drive tomorrow as weather has been very very iffy.
    Weiterlesen

  • Day 19, May 27

    27. Mai 2016 in den USA ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Remain Loyal to Jehovah Regional Convention
    The Adams Center
    University of Montana. Missoula
    Friday morning attendance: 3500

    Met our hosts for next week. They very kindly brought us badge cards and holders.

    Enjoyed the program. It was nice having Troi beside me the whole day.

    They have 2 screens for the main auditorium, one was giving them problems, it will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow.

    Dinner in tonight. If we don't focus on using what we have we'll be arriving in Nanaimo with a fridge full! (Not to mention having to buy another cooler
    😄)
    Weiterlesen