Mission Complete - We Made it to Old Faithful!

Instead of being shacked up outside of the park, we are sitting around Old Faithful with Keith. Also, I just spoke to the Canyon St. Auto guy and it looks like the car won't be road-ready until Monday or Tuesday.

Old Faithful attracts crowds of people all day long- and anticipation always builds right before the blast. Hundreds of people wait and wait with no certainty as to when it will go off. When it finally does, you actually feel the heat from the geyser. Yellowstone is an active volcano and Old Faithful is a hole to the middle of the Earth. The area is so alive with geysers and basins of bubbling water- an ancient super volcano waiting for the next huge eruption.

After this, Keith is going to take us back up towards our car to setup our new camp site- home for the next few days. I can't believe what great friends we've made with Keith in just a few days. None of us are excited to part ways, but again its just another part of the journey.

I'm sure today won't be the last time we hear from good ol' Keith Beckmann from New York, NY. Best of luck in all of your travels Keith.

The adventure continues.

The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Have you ever seen something so impressive? Don't let the camera phone fool you, that waterfall is taller than Niagra.

This is yet another sight we would never have seen without our selfless guide Keith. We sure look the part of a father and sons outting and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Our car situation is still unchanged. We might be in West Yellowstone through Monday.

The Falls

I am blown away by the sights and sounds. Everyone said that you can't understand what the parks are like until you actually visit them- and that is so true. It is so spectacular and pristine you can't even imagine. At times it feels like we're on another planet.

Our New Ride - All Part of the Adventure

So we broke camp this morning and now we're touring Yellowstone with Keith in his SUV. I don't know what we would have done without Keith. We had nothing with us for breakfast so he invited us over for hot tea and brats.

Our hope is that the car gets fixed today, if not we're camping at Baker's Hole campground- 3 miles up the road from the service station. I guess we'll stay there until we can move on.

More to come later. Thank you Keith! We're at the falls now, headed to Old Faithful afterwards.

Lans and the Tow Truck

Now we're on a truck, on the road. We broke down just shy of Old Faithful inside Yellowstone National Park.

We waited 20 minutes for a tow before good ol' Lans showed up. He towed us to the garage and we found out the problem is with the alternator.

Aside from the roadside emergency, we're still having a great time hanging out with Lans. He's been chatting all night and he's a real character.

Lans - "Now that's enough about me, now you talk about me."

From Seinfeld to softball, south beach diet and more- I already feel like I've known him my whole life.

Anyways, we're getting a tow out to the West Yellowstone entrance- about 60 miles from where we've already setup camp. The hope is that we can get the car fixed tomorrow, but we can't know for sure.

The next big question is how are we getting back to camp? Answer: Keith is coming to the rescue!

Keith is the New Yorker we met while staying in Grand Teton. We met on the Inspiration Point hike. Where we setup camp today, in Canyon Village, we're only 2 sites away from Keith- who came up to Yellowstone today too.

To make a long story short, I left a message for Keith asking if he could help us get back to camp and before I knew it he had left a message back saying that he was already on the way. This is just one example of how people are so generous and open to helping others.

We're coming up to the service station now so we'll check back in when we have a chance.

"Lans has diarrhea of the gums."

Check out the huge bison, even in the middle of the road.

Grand Teton and Inspiration Point

Today was an amazing, full day of exploration. We did a 4 mile hike around Jenny Lake and up to Inspiration Point which was an incredible view.

The weather is starting to break and tomorrow has a chance of being 60 and sunny- after a week of rain and snow.

I can't even begin to describe how great it is meeting people out here. Tonight we had a mix of other travellers together for a camp fire. The people we are meeting have some amazing stories to tell.

Anyway, we've had a long day and need some good sleep. We'll post more pictures when we have a chance- the sights are indescribable.

Good Morning from Grand Teton!

Apparently Wyoming doesn't know that its Summer yet. It snowed all night as it got down into the 20s. Thank you Al and Kev for making me bring my cold gear.

We met a guy in camp from Ohio named Sam, from Pickerington. He told us stories from his past 12 days in Yellowstone / Teton. He saw elk, buffalo (inches from his tent), and a grizzly eating with her cub.

He's got us excited for the weather to clear, and he confirmed our suspicions that this will be a trip of a lifetime.

Day 4 - 600 miles to Grand Teton and Jenny Lake

We just gassed up in Jackson, WY and are headed up the final stretch to Grand Teton. We will probably be losing cell phone service soon so don't be surprised if the blog slows down a tad.

Can't wait to set up camp in the freezing rain!

The many sides of Wyoming

Hot and cold.
Sunny and snowy.
Windy and calm.
Flat with mountains.

We've been in WY for 3 hours and we've already seen it all.

Should make it up to Jackson around dinner time. More to come.

On the Road Again

Colorado Springs was good to us the last couple of days. We met a lot of really nice, intersting people and had an excellent host in Skylor to whom we are very grateful.
But alas, we have many places to be. We woke up this morning, packed our belongings and our Yoga-loosened bodies into the car and took off. We're heading northwest to Jackson, Wyoming and then into Grand Teton National Park. We are looking forward to the Wyoming's beautiful June weather which right now is 32 degrees Farenheit that 'feels like 20' and a formidible amount of snow. Luckily though, we came prepared and are excited to begin our first real camping experience.

Jake

Cooking Out in the Garden of the Gods

Another unique local spot- Skylor and her friends decided to have a cookout tonight at a place called Garden of the Gods. A wide open landscape with huge redrock formations. Great food, great views and awesome company.

This was only our first stop and we already don't want to leave. But tomorrow means another 600 miles or so on to Grand Teton. Colorado was incredible- I'm glad that we stayed 2 days in C Springs.

The Incline

What an incredible hike. The aptly named incline is a 1 mile stretch of steps that increases in elevation by 2000 ft. It is the remains of an old railroad mountain pass. Beyond the summit, trails continue 10 more miles to Pike's Peak.

You can see the trail from the highway as you approach- it looks like a scar in the side of the mountain.

Day 2 - 580 miles and CO Springs

Great day # 2. Skylor's neighbor is having a bon fire that we're going to after Tony's Pub. Our trip has truly started- we are in the Rockies.

ART Signing Off

Dinner in Colorado Springs

We're here- our first official stop! Food is up, got to go.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

The Long and (Not at All) Winding Road

Morale continues to be high as we near the Kansas-Colorado border. However, still no signs of life in this part of the country. The sight of the Rockies will certainly be a welcome change from the pancake flatness of our current position.
Also, we saw a tree a few miles ago which was exciting.

Jake

A picture says a thousand words

This one says "boring" over and over 1000 times. Welcome to the great plains.

Magical Mystery Tour - Another Historical Encounter

Excerpt from Don Quixote (1605):

Just then they came in sight of thirty or forty windmills that rise from that plain.

And no sooner did Don Quixote see them that he said to his squire, "Fortune is guiding our affairs better than we ourselves could have wished. Do you see over yonder, friend Sancho, thirty or forty hulking giants? I intend to do battle with them and slay them. With their spoils we shall begin to be rich for this is a righteous war and the removal of so foul a brood from off the face of the earth is a service God will bless."

"What giants?" asked Sancho Panza.

"Those you see over there," replied his master, "with their long arms. Some of them have arms well nigh two leagues in length."

"Take care, sir," cried Sancho.

I hate it when Jake calls me Sancho.

Day 1 - 715 miles

Goodnight from Kansas City, Kansas.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Severe Weather Warning Missouri

We ran into a pretty severe thunderstorm about 70 miles east of Kansas City. Right now most of central Missouri is under a severe weather warning. These pictures cannot do justice to how much the lightning fills the entire sky- this is certainly not Ohio weather.

We've got a few more miles to crank out before we get to our hotel for tonight. The worst of the storm is behind us now.

Gateway to the West

The Gateway Arch appeared in the distance signalling that we in fact were headed west toward St. Louis. I think back to how the fisrt settlers must have felt seeing this huge arch and the awe that it still inspires over 2 millenia later.
We ascended the arch to check out the view from above.
Having finally crossed the Mighty Mississippi, we find ourselves officially traveling in the 'West'. This is somewhat reminiscent of heading out of Independence in 'Oregon Trail'. However, both of us have conveniently neglected to pack a hunting rifle and therefore will have to procure provisions in a less civilized manner.
Barring a loss of any of the members of our traveling party while fording the Missouri River, we should be safely arriving in Kansas City before midnight.

Signing off, Jake

Lunch in Indianapolis

We're in old Indianapolis now grabbing a couple reubens for lunch at the Chatham Tap Pub- a lot like any place in London.
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Here Comes the Sun

Woke up at 6am today and couldn't get back to sleep, so I went for a walk around my cousin's neighborhood. I thought this was a good shot of the sky.

Road Trip Eve

No more planning and no more waiting. The car is loaded: 2 sleeping bags, 2 guitars, tent, cooler and clothes.

We're hoping to cover at least 800 miles tomorrow. If all goes to plan we'll be in Colorado Springs by Monday afternoon- 1,300 miles later. Skylor, we'll be there sooner or later.

(Our pictures will be a little bit more interesting once we're out of the midwest.)