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Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon or other suggestions?
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nothintolose
- Posts: 1960
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 10:36 pm
- Location: New Orleans, LA
Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon or other suggestions?
Okay now we have added Yellowstone as an option and are thinking of early to mid-September. If you had your choice, where which would you choose...Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon.
nothintolose
p.s. or anywhere else that is in the US and is not a beach type vacation.
nothintolose
p.s. or anywhere else that is in the US and is not a beach type vacation.
Yellowstone and Grand Tetons hands down. Much more to see. Easy to spend a week there. Stay in the park if you can. It takes time to see the stuff on or just off the big figure 8 that loops through the park.
OR, if you havent been to the Pacific Northwest, we've been in late August (close enuff to mid-Sept) and the weather is usually great. They seen to get most of their bad weather Nov thru April, although it would be something to see one of those monster storms hit the coast that roll down from Aleutian Islands.
2 different trips come to mind: Seattle/Vancouver/Victoria/San Jaun Islands = great cities, ferries to islands, orca watch, temperate rain forest in Olympic Nat Park and great food i.e. salmon (they identify it by what river it came from), halibut, Dungeness crab, local beers and wine
OR to fly into Portland (a great little city), Columbia River Gorge, driving the Oregon coast which is pretty spectacular (see below) plus Oregon has a wine country too.
OR, if you havent been to the Pacific Northwest, we've been in late August (close enuff to mid-Sept) and the weather is usually great. They seen to get most of their bad weather Nov thru April, although it would be something to see one of those monster storms hit the coast that roll down from Aleutian Islands.
2 different trips come to mind: Seattle/Vancouver/Victoria/San Jaun Islands = great cities, ferries to islands, orca watch, temperate rain forest in Olympic Nat Park and great food i.e. salmon (they identify it by what river it came from), halibut, Dungeness crab, local beers and wine
OR to fly into Portland (a great little city), Columbia River Gorge, driving the Oregon coast which is pretty spectacular (see below) plus Oregon has a wine country too.
When we come to place where the sea and the sky collide
Throw me over the edge and let my spirit glide
Throw me over the edge and let my spirit glide
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California Girl
Ah yes COLI-FORN-YA. If you have 10 or more days, the SF/Napa/Sacramento/Tahoe/down to Mono Lake then up into Yosemite from the eastern side, and back to SF through the Sierra gold mining foothills loop is one of the best scenic journeys in North America. That eastern entrance to Yosemite probably only open May through Oct/Nov.
When we come to place where the sea and the sky collide
Throw me over the edge and let my spirit glide
Throw me over the edge and let my spirit glide
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nothintolose
- Posts: 1960
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 10:36 pm
- Location: New Orleans, LA
We are currently trying to decide between Yellowstone (absolutely love it), a trip throughout Colorado (trying new towns we haven't visited before) or the Seattle trip mentioned above. It's a tough call!!
We did hit Yellowstone in late September about three years ago and we started the day off in Cody, WY in shorts and ended up changing clothes inside Yellowstone due to a big snowstorm coming through. That was fun. Buffalo and black bears covered in snow make for great pictures!
We did hit Yellowstone in late September about three years ago and we started the day off in Cody, WY in shorts and ended up changing clothes inside Yellowstone due to a big snowstorm coming through. That was fun. Buffalo and black bears covered in snow make for great pictures!
Hi
If you’ve been listening to the news lately, you might be inclined to save California for another day. I’ve been spending a lot of time looking at the part of my granddaughter’s trip that involves (among other tings) Yosemite and points north. Until a lot of work has been completed in Yosemite (to counteract the losses due to the floods on the Merced, not to mention the severe population pressure), getting a place to camp in Yosemite is problematic. There are plenty of CGs in the National Forests but, again, the fires. When she goes north to Oregon, Trinity NF is almost a fire epicenter. And we all know about Big Sur!
The place that I would go to (if I could) right now would be Glacier National Park (and I’d sneak across to Waterton, too). The problem with Glacier (and Manning in BC) is the weather. Every time we’re anywhere near Glacier and the weather is fine, we’d go for it in a heartbeat. It’s best when the snow pack is melting and you get a free car wash on the west side of Logan Pass. In another post, I lauded the Beartooth Highway (also in Montana) - not nearly as problematical as Glacier weather-wise.
The only way to really see the Grand Canyon is to go down into it. If you are timorous, only take a mule to Prospect Point, but going to Phantom Ranch on Bright Angel Creek after crossing the river on the Black Bridge is the real deal. Done it four times, most recently with the wife in WINTER. Be sure to wear wool socks until you get to Indian Gardens. BRRR! Went down with my daughter in August and it was hotter than Phoenix at the bottom. They ran the riders and the mules through a sprinkler system and we spent ten minutes at Pipestone Creek (before crossing the Black Bridge) watering the mules and soaking our heads. There are weight and height limits (for adults and kids respectively) on this trip, tho.
A good alternative is the North Rim - great campground and great lodge, and MUCH less heavily used than the South Rim (say 10%). It’s father from the river and 2000' feet higher. The road from Jacobs Lake doesn’t usually open until some time in May (and closes early too). Also, it’s quite a drive from either Phoenix or Vegas, but very much worth it. You can get to Phantom Ranch from here too - a longer ride or hike, but the ranch is on the north shore of the river.
The Tetons are spectacular but for most people are a two-dimensional wall painting. (That’s exactly what they look like from Togwatee Pass.) Again, the only real thing to do is to go into the Tetons. Going across Jenny Lake and up Cascade Canyon and dipping your feet in Lake Solitude with Teewinot, Owen and Grand at eye level is also the real deal. (Going up that last moraine is a killer, though.) Keep going up to Paintbrush Pass and check out Idaho. Be sure to get back down before the last boat crosses the lake though, otherwise it’s a long hike to you car.
I suggest that you do this while you can - we can’t do it any more. But then, we’ve already done it. ‘Nuff said. I’ve already discussed Yellowstone on another thread.
Peace
Dugg and Chris
http://picasaweb.google.com/papadugg/
Note : Finally got the ‘96, ‘97, ‘98, ‘02 and ‘04 pics posted.
If you’ve been listening to the news lately, you might be inclined to save California for another day. I’ve been spending a lot of time looking at the part of my granddaughter’s trip that involves (among other tings) Yosemite and points north. Until a lot of work has been completed in Yosemite (to counteract the losses due to the floods on the Merced, not to mention the severe population pressure), getting a place to camp in Yosemite is problematic. There are plenty of CGs in the National Forests but, again, the fires. When she goes north to Oregon, Trinity NF is almost a fire epicenter. And we all know about Big Sur!
The place that I would go to (if I could) right now would be Glacier National Park (and I’d sneak across to Waterton, too). The problem with Glacier (and Manning in BC) is the weather. Every time we’re anywhere near Glacier and the weather is fine, we’d go for it in a heartbeat. It’s best when the snow pack is melting and you get a free car wash on the west side of Logan Pass. In another post, I lauded the Beartooth Highway (also in Montana) - not nearly as problematical as Glacier weather-wise.
The only way to really see the Grand Canyon is to go down into it. If you are timorous, only take a mule to Prospect Point, but going to Phantom Ranch on Bright Angel Creek after crossing the river on the Black Bridge is the real deal. Done it four times, most recently with the wife in WINTER. Be sure to wear wool socks until you get to Indian Gardens. BRRR! Went down with my daughter in August and it was hotter than Phoenix at the bottom. They ran the riders and the mules through a sprinkler system and we spent ten minutes at Pipestone Creek (before crossing the Black Bridge) watering the mules and soaking our heads. There are weight and height limits (for adults and kids respectively) on this trip, tho.
A good alternative is the North Rim - great campground and great lodge, and MUCH less heavily used than the South Rim (say 10%). It’s father from the river and 2000' feet higher. The road from Jacobs Lake doesn’t usually open until some time in May (and closes early too). Also, it’s quite a drive from either Phoenix or Vegas, but very much worth it. You can get to Phantom Ranch from here too - a longer ride or hike, but the ranch is on the north shore of the river.
The Tetons are spectacular but for most people are a two-dimensional wall painting. (That’s exactly what they look like from Togwatee Pass.) Again, the only real thing to do is to go into the Tetons. Going across Jenny Lake and up Cascade Canyon and dipping your feet in Lake Solitude with Teewinot, Owen and Grand at eye level is also the real deal. (Going up that last moraine is a killer, though.) Keep going up to Paintbrush Pass and check out Idaho. Be sure to get back down before the last boat crosses the lake though, otherwise it’s a long hike to you car.
I suggest that you do this while you can - we can’t do it any more. But then, we’ve already done it. ‘Nuff said. I’ve already discussed Yellowstone on another thread.
Peace
Dugg and Chris
http://picasaweb.google.com/papadugg/
Note : Finally got the ‘96, ‘97, ‘98, ‘02 and ‘04 pics posted.
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nothintolose
- Posts: 1960
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 10:36 pm
- Location: New Orleans, LA