Casper, Cheyenne and North Platte

One of the most fascinating things I've seen on our travels is how rapidly the terrain and landscape changes.  Between The Tetons and Casper, Wyoming we saw mountains, mesas, rugged canyons, rolling plains and scrub brush.  These photos were all taken with 260 miles of each other as we drove to Casper.

 We visited the Fort Caspar Museum while staying in Casper.  What a neat place that was!  We also toured the fort and saw barracks, a store and the supports for the bridge that once spanned the North Platte River on which many settlers crossed to go on to Oregon and California.

Fort Casper Museum

Danny is looking out over Casper from the observation deck at the museum

Here is a photo of the barracks in Fort Caspar

We were able to sit in a covered wagon that simulated fording
 the North Platte River. That was fun!

North Platte River is not as wide as it was during the days of the settlers,
 but it is still a very deep and swift river.

Here we are headed into Poor Boy's Restaurant for our last meal
together with our traveling buddies.  We separated the next morning.
We headed to Cheyenne and they went on to Colorado.

On July 2, Danny and pulled out of the Casper KOA and drove toward Cheyenne.  We detoured near Gurney, Wyoming to see the deep Oregon Trail Ruts and Register Cliff.  We could almost feel the presence of those settlers from the 1800's as we walked along the 3 foot deep ruts.

Danny walking in the Oregon Ruts

Here I am standing with my hand on top of the deep wagon ruts.

Register Cliff is the site settlers would carve their names and the dates as they passed that place.  We resisted the urge to carve our own names and dates in the cliff.

Register Cliff behind us

A couple of photos of the many carvings on Register cliff.

By mid-afternoon we arrived in Cheyenne and took time to take a walking tour of downtown, the state capitol building, and the Old Governor's Mansion.  Cheyenne has a rich history, and we enjoyed our short overnight stay here.

Cheyenne Old Railroad Depot - now a museum and visitors center

Six foot tall Cowboy boots were located all over town.

S

One of my favorites

Downtown Cheyenne

Great shop downtown

Old Governor's Mansion

Wyoming State Capitol Building

The capitol building was filled with beautiful arches, wood carvings and a gorgeous dome.

The next day, we traveled to North Platte, Nebraska hoping to enjoy a local celebration of July 4th.  But no city fireworks or parades were held.... bummer!  We spent the day doing laundry and balancing the check book.  Late that afternoon, we toured the Golden Spike in North Platte.  It's a tower overlooking Bailey Rail Yard, which is the largest train rail switching station in the USA and maybe the world... can't remember which the guide said.  

Golden Spike Tower in North Platte, Nebraska

Part of the Rail Yard

Another part of the rail yard.

Rail Car on display.

We left North Platte with great anticipation of joining our Tyler, Texas friends in West Point, Nebraska to help out with the annual VBS,  More on that in the next blog.

Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks in Wyoming

It has been a while since I posted anything to my blog.... not because I had nothing to say, but because we have had very, very limited internet service.  I never realized how attached I have become to accessing people and things through internet, but I do now!!  Trying to conduct a final real estate deal through emails and internet has been extremely difficult!  BUT IT IS DONE!  YAY!  I'm putting my career as a REALTOR in the past and concentrating on travel and family exclusively!

Now to my blog - We spent eight nights and wonderful days visiting Yellowstone National Park and The Grand Tetons National Park.  There are so many grand details to relay, so I'll just let my photos and captions do the talking for me.  Here are some of my highlights:

FUN ACTIVITIES AND BUILDINGS

We drove to the top of Signal Mountain..... What a beautiful view!

After worship, we saw these elk antler arches in downtown Jackson of Jackson Hole

Menor's General Store near Moore in the Tetons

Chapel of Transfiguration near Moore and Menor's Ferry and General Store

Tetons Village in Jackson Hole

We had a great lunch at Tetons Village with Mike and Linda

Touring Bus at Yellowstone Inn

Old Yellowstone Inn

Lake Lodge in Yellowstone - Oldest Lodge where we ate lunch one day

Breakfast cruise on Jackson Lake

Breakfast buffet on Elk Island in Jackson Lake

Around the Breakfast Campfire

Our view from the breakfast tables

After breakfast I climbed to the top of Elk Island to see this gorgeous view!

Danny and Denise Rust hiking to Inspiration Point

Here we are at Inspiration Point

Hiking back to Jenny Lake Visitors Center from Inspiration Point
and Hidden Falls

Denise and I are sitting on a boulder next to Cascade Creek 

ANIMALS SEEN IN THE PARKS

Twelve point elk grazing along side the road.

Beautiful Elk

Mountain goat is just a white dot in top center of picture

Two grizzly bears within a 75 yard of the road

Playful chipmunks seen everywhere on our hike to Hidden Falls

Not sure, but I think this was an ground squirrel

Buffalo and her calf

GEYSERS AND HOT SPRINGS

Old Faithful in Yellowstone

Mike and Linda McClenny and Maggie watching Old Faithful erupt

Cold?  Yep, it sure was..... waiting for Old Faithful's regular eruption

Geyser and Hot Springs Field

Hot Springs Pool

Beautiful Celestine Pool

Hot Spring

Dead tree covered with minerals from geysers.

Steaming Pool surrounded by barren land

Danny on the boardwalk through the hot springs and geysers

Mineral Deposits around the hot springs

Another Geyser erupting

Geyser Hole

The Water was soooo blue

Steam Rising all around us as we walked through the geyser and hot springs fields

Maggie on the boardwalk in the hot springs field

Bubbling Mud Pot

View of a river and hot springs field

LAKES, RIVERS AND WATERFALLS

Firehole Falls in Yellowstone

Another picture of Firehole River in Yellowstone

Fishermen in Firehole River

Yellowstone River in Hayden Valley

Rushing Yellowstone River

Lower Falls in the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Yellowstone River in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstones

Upper Falls of the Yellowstone River

Folks floating the Snake River near Moose in The Grand Tetons

Lewis Falls near the Fisherman's Bridge in Yellowstone

Danny and Maggie at the bottom of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstones - after
walking down 328 stairs.  The climb back up was tough!!

Gibbons Falls

Here we are at the gorgeous and powerful Hidden Falls near Jenny Lake int he Tetons

Hidden Falls

LAKES AND MOUNTAINS

1. Yellowstone Lake

Here we are at Jenny Lake

Jenny Lake with Grand Teton Mountain in Background

Colter Bay and Mt. Moran

Colter Bay of Jackson Lake with Grand Teton Mountains in background

Jackson Lake

FLOWERS IN THE GRAND TETONS NATIONAL PARK

Aspen trees

Lodgepole Pines

Lupines

Yes, even dandelions