jellystone, boo boo

So, again, the hubs has done a lot of the heavy lifting here and some about our sojourn into the West. So, I guess I'll just pick up where he left off.

So we had just been informed that our third choice campground was full, after having driven an hour and a half and braved our first bear jam to get there. We stopped at a ranger station to ask about our other options. Luckily there was another campground about 15 minutes away, which the ranger said she didn't think would fill up, so we hit the road again. The good news is both that she was right and that the campground was on Lewis Lake, which is very nice.

The bad news is that there were no showers. But no matter, we'd shower at the other campground in the morning.

Since Lewis Lake is in the very South of Yellowstone, and only about 20 miles from the Grand Tetons, we decided to head down there for a bit. The Tetons are pretty effing gorgeous.


However, since they were doing road construction this brief jaunt turned into quite the ordeal. Nonetheless, we ventured back into Yellowstone to see Old Faithful. This meant forgoing showers for the moment, though. But no matter, we could shower the following morning.

Here's something they don't tell you in the books: GEYSERS ARE SMELLY. It turns out geothermal activity comes from the ass crack of the earth. Nonetheless, it's still pretty cool.



We did a quick walk around the geyser basin, which has some different pools and geysers.



Aaaand as we were getting ready to leave, Plume Geyser decided to go off right as we were walking by. Sweet. I thought this was a sign, and we headed back to home sweet home for the evening.

so much to say, so little time

The hubs did an admirable job summing up days two and three over at his blog, so I'll refrain.

On day 3, we began the camping leg of our trip, and as such were without access to electricity, much less wireless. Radio silence ensued.

I attempt to sum up the amazing things we've seen and done in the last 5 days sometime soon I hope, but for now, here it is by the numbers.

As of this morning...

States visited: 10
Days on the road: 8
PB&Js eaten: 6?
National Parks visited: 3
Number of bears seen within 12 feet of our car: 2
Bear jams*: 2
Audiobooks completed: 1.9
Showers taken, per person: 1

*bear jam (noun) a traffic jam caused by national park visitors spotting a bear and stopping to gawk; differentiate- bear jamboree

road trippin'

So I'll post about Aruba (or a-boob-a, to those in the know) and the week after sometime soon, promise.

But the road trip begins today and I thought I should blog about it in real time, as it were.

We arrived in Chicago this afternoon after a long, boring drive through Indiana. The Southern half of Indiana has some really lovely spots, but man, that Northern half is...mind-numbing. We did, however, pass a huge field of windmills.



But so we made it through to Chicago, one of my favorite cities in the world, and had dinner with our dear friends Phil & Nick who are letting us crash at their place, had a delicious dinner around the corner, and are now watching the VMAs. Let me say this about the VMAs: Lady Gaga = WIN.

Phil and their dog Roxy:


Nick and the hubs showing just HOW MUCH FUN we're having:


Tomorrow: Madison and Minneapolis.

wanna feel a warm breeze, sleep under a palm tree

This is a strange season for me. It's the first back-to-school season in 23 years (yikes!) that I haven't been going back to school. So all the blogs I read are about the new year and all my friends are buying books and new school supplies (oh, my love of new school supplies is boundless) and I'm...sunning myself in Aruba.

Let me clarify: I am not complaining. Only a complete fool would be complaining about this. In fact, I am at the very least relieved not to be going back. Most of the time, I'm ECSTATIC about it. But it is strange.

Actually, I keep having moments on this vacation where I feel like I need to pinch myself. HOW, I ask you, HOW did I get so lucky?? The hubs and I are struggling with at times feeling like spoiled brats and at times feeling like we deserve what we have--at least as much as anyone deserves what they have. I know that I've worked hard through my schooling and that having time to chill out is a good thing. I also know that having free lodging at two really nice places and the luxury of the time to use that gift is...unusual. I know that a LOT of people work a lot harder than I ever have, and in worse circumstances, and without the kind of support and love I have every day. So it's hard to reconcile that with, you know, sunning myself in Aruba. But I am valiantly attempting, in the immortal words of Mr. Tim Gunn, to Make It Work.