Work day done, on the road by 6pm. Thursday night in Casper, up early Friday & another 4 hours to Yellowstone – Ash & Tom’s first Park visit. geysers, Rocky Mtn peaks, travel ‘cross 4 U.S. states – Colorado, Wyoming, Montana & Idaho – what’s not to love?
Could’ve travelled the traditional 8-hour route [I-80 West to Rock Springs, 2 hours north to Jackson] – but added an extra hour crisscrossing Wyoming, in search for Sacajawea’s grave site. No regrets 🙂
- traditional story: in 1805, the 15-year-old Shoshone travelled with Lewis & Clark and her French fur-trapper husband & an infant son. She died in 1825. Her son, Jean-Baptiste Charbonneau, lived among Anglos, travelled Europe, led a group of Mormons to California & later settled in Montana.
- the myth: after the Lewis & Clark expedition, Sacajawea resettled to the Dakotas with two children, no husband – remarried & lived out her life with the Comanche. After her husband’s death [in 1860], she returned to her people, the Mountain Shoshone, and died near Fort Washakie, Wyoming.
Fuel fill-up & another bag of pork rinds later, back on the road. Drove thru a forest fire just outside of Dubois, before entering Grand Teton National Park – 45 minutes later, Yellowstone. Tagged front-row benches at Old Faithful & experienced a first rate show – hot water sprayed from the Earth a full 5 minutes. Sharing the moment with Ash & Tom, even better. GREAT memory.
Walked the Upper Geyser Basin, passing named geysers along a wooden boardwalk — like visiting a ‘geyser’ zoo. Morning Glory Pool, Castle Geyser, Rocket Geyser…each unique, each its own story – some erupt, others shake, simmer & boil. Caught a 2nd viewing of Old Faithful before car hopping further.
Fave place of the Park – Midway Geyser Basin – in particular, Grand Prismatic Spring. Reds, yellows, blues, greens & oranges – minerals rainbow-coloured the landscape. Steam from these geysers created a hot humid mist – like walking thru a steamy billowing fog.
No place else on Earth – gotta/hafta/MUST see.
Spent our remaining daylight exploring a family of geysers – Artists Paintpots – before exiting west into Montana & another hour north to Ennis, where our 2-day cabin digs awaited (lotta driving, thanks Tom).
No marathon tomorrow. historic Virginia City, Grizzly Discovery Center & a 2nd half-day in Yellowstone – still must see the Falls!
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- ever get that feeling someone’s looking over your shoulder?
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- Sacajawea Grave Site
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- 15-year-old Shoshone guided Lewis & Clark westward to the Pacific
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- fire on Hwy 26 – just east of the Tetons
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- road closed remainder of July
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- the Tetons
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- Old Faithful
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- never miss: erupts every 75-90 minutes
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- Morning Glory Pool
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- Grotto Geyser
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- Upper Geyser Basin
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- Castle Geyser
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- stayed long enough to catch a 2nd eruption — FAAANNNTASTIC!
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- Midway Geyser Basin
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- two of the largest hot springs in the world
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- Excelsior Geyser
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- vents boil & churn water within the crater, creating a dense layer of steam
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- Grand Prismatic Spring
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- WOW, WOW, WOW!
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- rainbow-coloured landscape
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- my favourite place in the Park
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- geyser basin sunset
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- an hour north of Yellowstone, our sleep digs for the next 2 days
Yellowstone: Part 1 – Great Geysers
Kicked off my 2015 running calendar & ‘Hillbilly Spring’ in Jackson, Mississippi. After multiple flights, arrived just before noon Friday, picked up my rental & drove 45 minutes west to Vicksburg. Today’s destination: Vicksburg National Military Park – commemorating the historic siege of Vicksburg in 1863.
The Siege of Vicksburg (May 18 – July 4, 1863) was the final major military action in the Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War. In a series of maneuvers, Union Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and his Army of the Tennessee crossed the Mississippi River and drove the Confederate Army of Vicksburg led by Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton into the defensive lines surrounding the fortress city of Vicksburg, Mississippi.
The Confederate surrender following the siege at Vicksburg is sometimes considered, when combined with the defeat at Gettysburg by Maj. Gen. George G. Meade the previous day, the turning point of the war. It cut off the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas from the rest of the Confederacy, as well as communication with Confederate forces for the remainder of the war.
The Park is near overloaded with monuments – first Union mausoleums & pillars, then Confederate commemorations. Most interesting stops – the U.S.S. Cairo [pronounced K-Ro by locals] & National Cemetery.
The iron-clad U.S.S. Cairo sunk in December 1863, 12 minutes after hitting rebel mines. Discovered in 1956, the ship was raised years later & moved to its current location for public display. Fitted for cannons – super interesting.
A ranger at the Visitors Center recommended I visit the Old Courthouse Museum in downtown Vicksburg, along with a few antebellum homes of the era. The Old Courthouse Museum was relic jammed with Vicksburg past – mostly Confederate items, including Jeff Davis photos & furniture (President of the Confederate States). Since Gone with the Wind, had held romantic notions regarding the Confederate flag. In person however, I found the flag itself disturbing. Additionally, found their exhibit ‘Negro Wedding’ offensive. I love history but in this instance, some things are better buried in the past.
Visited 4 nearby antebellum homes in historic Vicksburg. The interior tour of Cedar Grove was interesting but again, found the back history disturbing so ended the day there. Done.
Sorry for the negativity folks. I met many friendly people in Mississippi – probably just not a great fit for me personally.
Back in Jackson, [Mississippi Blues] bib pickup & pasta dinner with Marathon Maniac peeps. Temps expected to dip under 30 overnight – deep freeze in the Deep South, perfect race day weather 🙂
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- Mississippi Blues – first marathon of 2015
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- fall of Vicksburg (1863) marked a Civil War turning point
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- Illinois Memorial
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- U.S.S. Cairo
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- this iron-clad Civil War gunboat hit a mine & sunk in 12 minutes
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- President of the Confederate States, Jefferson Davis
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- the mighty Mississippi
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- Cedar Grove (circa 1840) – hit 41 times but survived the fall of Vicksburg, served as a Union hospital
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- home of John & Elizabeth Klein
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- the Grant Room
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- John’s Smoking Parlor
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- Corners Mansion (circa 1873) – built by John Klein as wedding gift to daughter Susan
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- Annabelle (circa 1868) – built by John Klein for son Madison
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- Belle of the Bends (circa 1876) – named for paddlewheel steamship that brought Teddy Roosevelt to Vicksburg in 1908
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- Deep South deep freeze – perfect race day conditions!
