Planning our trip out west

[Ruthe]

Thanks Jim. We'll be long gone by then. In fact there probably wouldn't be anywhere to stay even if we wanted to be here. It must be quite the scene.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by Ruthe

So it's been pretty nice. It would be a whole different situation if the guy next to us were here because the door of his trailer faces the door of ours so there would be no privacy. .

In that case I just put the awning legs down so you can walk out the front and rear and hang a sunscreen down from the edge of the awning. Complete privacy.

Ron

[Iowa Dave]

Hi Ruthe
On the west side of the park is a cabin called the Badger Hole. A very interesting poet lived there. There's a nice interpretive trail there too. If you go to see the burros, again, take Triscuits, they really like em. Around the Norbeck visitor center and on Iron Mountain road I usually see mountain goats. You can usually get some buffalo meat in the market in Custer.
If you're ever out there at the End of September, the Buffalo Roundup is lots of fun. If you go to Deadwood, the slot machines will take your money. If you go to Mount Rushmore get a Monumental Dip Ice cream. It will give you brain freeze. That's all I got
Dave

[Ruthe]

Thanks Ron -- thankfully we don't need to do that but I'll keep it in mind. We feel like we own the place-- there are no camping spots behind or in front of us and no one around us. Dave we could easily stay here a lot longer -- there is so much! We'll be back.

I just posted to my blog -- pics of the Badlands. https://ruthmatilskyworld.wordpress.com/

[cpaharley2008]

I have been to the Badlands at least a half dozen times and would leave tomorrow to return, love that area. Speaking of food, Dave, any Indian Tacos or Indian fry bread ever cross your palate, especially good at the White River visitors center made with buffalo.

[Steve Clark]

Ruthe, You may have posted, but I missed it, but what is the weather like there in July?

[SpokanEscape]

Enjoying reading your blog Ruthe! Heck we don't even drive a car through Chicago anymore - we take a bus out to Indiana where we are visiting relatives and rent the car there! Even driving at 6 am through Chicago pulling your precious Escape must be a nail biter!

[Ruthe]

Jan and Paul -- yes it was a nail biter. One time when we passed through, the pot holes were so bad that when we got to the toll booth Terry asked the woman if she expected us to pay for such a lousy road. She wasn't amused.

Steve, the temperature in the Badlands was 104 degrees both days. Here at Custer it's been in the nineties a lot. Yesterday was a balmy 79. Today it's supposed to hit 96. By the way, we went to Wind Cave National Park for a cave tour the other day and checked out the campground there. It's pretty nice -- not too much shade though. As with so many places, the ideal time to camp there would be the fall. If it weren't so hot we'd be much happier about camping without hookups, but having air conditioning makes a huge difference in our attitude.

BTW, I don't want to jinx it, but the frig has been behaving really well. We've never had problems, but we've also never been in 104 degrees. The Texas Fan is plugging away -- also I think having the air conditioning on helps.

[cpaharley2008]

Just remember it is a dry heat, 104 and low humidity there is like 85 here with 85% humidity, you sweat a lot and it does not evaporate due to the humidity, very uncomfortable.

[Steve Clark]

Thanks, Ruthe! Following your adventures has been so much fun and informative. Given us some great ideas! So glad your fridge is working and that you have hook-ups for your AC!

Cheers

[jd65]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

I live 80 miles from the Pacific ocean as the crow flies. When folks talk about "out west" and they mean Colorado... I think, I'd have to drive more than 20 hours EAST just to get there.

As we live almost all the way "out west," we consider Colorado to be back east...

[cpaharley2008]

Nah, that is just a days drive for some of us....

[ReagentGrade]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Nah, that is just a days drive for some of us....

Or maybe for ONE of us!

[Ruthe]

Steve, I'm glad to be of help . Jim -- dry heat or no dry heat, I still find it too hot to do much during the heat of the day. Swimming is great but unless we're camped at a beach it is sometimes such a production that I don't bother. Terry is not a swimmer.

[Mike Lewis]

Ruth-

If you have time to kill while you're in the Tetons, you could check out photographer David Brookover's gallery in Jackson:

https://www.brookovergallery.com/

For more info, a photographer friend recently sent me a link to a video featuring Brookover:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNaDXJYzN3c

I found the video to be both informative and a bit pretentious, but that's just me. If I were in town I'd visit his gallery, though.

[cpaharley2008]

I found the entire Jackson Hole area to be pretentious, expensive cars and fur coats. Conspicuous consumption at its extreme. Give me Minden, Nebraska any day....

[Ruthe]

Thanks Mike. We might do that. Our stay coincides with the annual classical music festival and we already have tickets. As well, they are showing free movies having to do with space travel and we're going to take the grandkids. We'll be in the area for a month and Jackson will be our place to go to the library for internet and shop for groceries so it's good to have more ideas of what to do while we're there.

We chose the Tetons for the eclipse for a few reasons, weather being one. Also, if we end up NOT seeing the eclipse due to weather (a hush hush subject) at least we'll be having our family reunion in the Tetons -- a beautiful place. However, we are giving the weather all the positive energy we can muster.

[nathanj04011]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

I found the entire Jackson Hole area to be pretentious, expensive cars and fur coats. Conspicuous consumption at its extreme. Give me Minden, Nebraska any day....

How dare you?! Gros Ventre campground was about a week into our 2016 pick up trip, and for me was the one that most stirred my inner soul (like I'm going to say "emotions" or "heartstrings"!). It was my happy place for our trip.

And yes, it was fun to walk around Jackson just like all the rich, pretentious people and inwardly laugh to myself at how well us trailer trash blended in. Well, if you don't count my hat which kinda gave it away. Says "camping-cheaper than therapy"

I still check out the YouTube live cams for a few minutes every so often just to reminisce and relive. I do get envious when Ruthe or others talk about being there. Jealous for me, happy for them.

[padlin]

Nathan, if you make it back to Gros Ventre, try a drive out to Atherton Creek Campground. If you liked Gros Ventre you should love Atherton, although being a Forest Service cg it has no hookups.

We found it while touring the back roads around GV one morning, found a great lake view site someone was vacating that day. Moved out of GV to Atherton for the rest of the week.

[MyronL]

Have fun at the Plaza horn arches. Here's another rainbow shot for ya, Ruthie. Oldie but a goodie.