No clothes dryers were found in Europe & the clothes washer is in the kitchen
During our first six month trip many cultural differences were certainly expected between the United States and Europe, including the UK. However, here is a list of some differences which were unexpected, many pleasantly so.
For an indication of size & scale, notice the huge diesel truck on the pointing arm.
Our trip through Yellowstone National Park, Theodore Roosevelt NP, Devils Tower Memorial, Mount Rushmore National Memorial and Wind Cave NP was exciting for me as I was seeing so many iconic places for the first time. In addition to these, a very pleasant surprise was our visit to the Crazy Horse Memorial. This is a stop not to be missed when in this neck of the woods, or Black Hills.
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Hulett, Wyoming is the closest town to stay in when visiting Devils Tower. You can check into the Best Western Motel and see the 14 stuffed heads of unfortunate game animals in their lobby, just before you head out to the local rodeo.
Mount Rushmore is about the last remaining iconic USA attraction I had not yet visited. The monument is a very simple layout. Not much question what this place is about.
It seems to me, anybody who saw the 1977 Steven Spielberg film “Close Encounters of a Third Kind” and who had never visited the filming location, would certainly wish to do so. Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming finally got checked off my list this summer. Unfortunately, most of the area was covered in a smoky haze from the many raging forest fires in California and Oregon. As a side note, it seems as if Smoky the Bear may have had it wrong. We are now paying the price, an unintended consequence, for the many years when the US Forest Service tried to put out every fire.
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A coyote keeps an eye on my approach in Theodore Roosevelt NP
Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota requires the visitor to search for beauty within the 36 mile vehicle loop, unlike some of the more spectacular national parks such as Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon or Zion. On any random visit, a lucky visitor might possibly be blessed with stormy rain clouds, clearing storms or special light. More typically, on a hot clear blue sky day, you must really search for the attractiveness of the park.
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Our previous attempt to visit Yellowstone National Park was thwarted by the sixteen-day government shutdown in the fall of 2013. It was to be a fall color tour with reservations at the beautiful Yellowstone Lodge and four other national parks. For this 2015 trip we felt happy to snag a couple of open nights at Grant Village due to a cancellation. Continue reading
The Road to Hana is a popular must-do attraction for many visitors to the island of Maui. Guidebooks and audio tapes are available with descriptions of places to visit along the way, pinpointed by mile markers. This is quite confusing as the mile markers start over three times along this 12 hour route. Some tourists display the ‘Aloha’ spirit and take their time crossing the 50+ narrow one-way bridges, and navigating the twists and turns. Others are in the rush-rush mode, making the trip to Hana memorable and challenging in numerous ways.
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When traveling much of the experience for me is not only eating the food unique to that particular region, but also participating in those activities found nowhere else. On the Big Island of Hawaii, for most people that means a trip to Volcanoes National Park. For me it meant going one step further, seeking out the red-hot flowing lava. This lava hike and visiting Madame Pele, is thus far my most exciting adventure in four years of retirement…
When traveling, it seems only right to participate in the unique events that are available at that particular location. For me that does not mean a luau and dancing for the tourists, rather a nighttime dive with manta rays seemed like a great experience I had not heard offered elsewhere. The catamaran journey begins about an hour before sunset. Very high waves this evening made for a rough ride. Our captain said you can usually count on at least two people getting sick in these conditions. I hoped it would not be me and he was eventually right.
