Attractions and other places we visit.
We visited Rocky Mountain National Park again, checking out different areas.
Starting with the Fall River Visitor Center:
Entrance sign:
Rocky Mountains:
Again we stopped at a picturesque picnic area for lunch:
Onward:
Holzwarth Historic Site:
A ranger memorial at the Kawuneeche Visitor Center:
Cancelation stamp:
A relief map:
We visited Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado:
In the Beaver Meadows visitor center, a relief map:
A line to get into the park, which was using a two-hour window timed entry system:
We headed along Bear Lake Road, and stopped for a picnic by a creek:
Rocky Mountains:
Another stop at Sprague Lake:
Fish in the stream:
Sprague Lake:
An accessible campsite:
We enjoy winding dirt roads… so headed up the one-way Old Fall River Road:
The dirt road ends at the Alpine Visitor Center:
Alpine Visitor Center:
Elk:
Outside the park, more elk on the side of the road:
We also saw a moose:
We took a day trip drive though Bighorn National Forest in Wyoming.
We started by going to Sheridan to get our second COVID boosters, then went west along US-14 though the forest (zoom in on the map; some fun twisties there). Then looped anticlockwise around to US-20, -31, and -16, passing through the forest again. Here’s an interactive route map:
Bighorn National Forest sign:
Viewpoint:
There were geologic signs for the rock formations:
Nice views:
We stopped at the Cabin Creek Picnic Area to use the vault toilet there; there is a nice rest area a little further on, but I suspected (based on research) that it would be closed, and it was, so good thing we stopped here:
More views:
Greybull:
We got a real Utah vibe from this area west of the forest:
Ten Sleep, population 246:
Brake check turnout:
Sharp curves ahead:
7% downgrade:
Did we mention sharp curives?
We wanted to travel this route in part because we may be driving our coach this way next year, heading from Yellowstone to Devils Tower. It’s rather steep, with about 5,000 feet of elevation gain then loss, but I think we can handle it; we’ve driven much worse.
An interesting runaway truck ramp:
Back in Buffalo, some sculptures:
We went to Southside Grill for dinner:
Buffalo mural:
Buffalo museum:
Once the family arrived at the campground, we did another couple of trips into Glacier National Park. I didn’t go on one, but for the last trip, we all went to West Glacier Village for lunch, swag shopping, and mini golf. Then went a bit into the park to look at some waterfalls.
The Café:
Burger:
Gift shop:
Golfing to the Sun mini golf:
I got a hole in one on the 18th hole; yay!
A bear makes rude comments on the putting skill:
Mercantile:
We headed into the park:
Lake McDonald:
McDonald Creek:
A viewing deck:
McDonald Creek bridge:
A horse tour crossing the bridge:
Lake McDonald Lodge:
Lake McDonald one last time:
Since we had a short drive to Moose Creek, we decided to visit Glacier National Park that evening.
The park currently requires reservations to enter the main part during the day, but entry is unrestricted from 4 PM. We had reservations for every day, except that first day.
Entrance:
West Glacier Village:
West Glacier Café:
Golfing to the Sun mini golf:
Entrance sign:
Entrance station:
Our annual pass expired (since we’ve been doing this for a year), so it was time to get a new one. Great value for us:
Apgar visitor center:
Passport stamp station, with phone chargers provided; nice of them:
The visitor center:
An iconic red bus:
Views along Going-to-the-Sun Road:
Wildfire smoke:
Logan Pass visitor center, halfway along the road, and at the continental divide:
Heading back down the hill:
Near the campground was a nice sandy swimming beach tucked into a cove, called Beaver Bay Beach.
Here’s an interactive map:
Entrance to the beach road:
Our bikes by the snack shack:
A glimpse of the beach through the trees:
A nice swimming beach:
The lake:
A barrier between the swimming and boating portions:
Paddling:
A bird was chased by a bald eagle, and dropped a fish:
We went back to the beach again another day:
We went for a swim. I took my phone into the water (it’s waterproof), and captured some pictures of a fish that was interested in us:
Us in the water:
Underwater pic of a rock:
Underwater view of the sun:
Ducks:
A nice swimming beach:
We did a bike ride around Farragut State Park. One of the places we visited was Farragut Museum at the Brig, a museum in what was the naval prison on the naval training grounds.
Our bikes out front:
The US Navy Brig entrance:
The courtyard:
Fire engine:
Museum at the Brig:
Admiral Farragut:
Naval training center map:
A couple of cells:
Exhibits:
A model of the gym:
Women of WWII:
Another cell:
Flags:
A sailor statue:
Faces:
The front of the brig again:
We visited Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument.
The visitor center outside the park:
Heading to the park:
Entrance sign:
Bridge:
Mount Saint Helens:
Mount Saint Helens observatory:
Gift store:
Mount Saint Helens:
For comparison, a photo we took in August 2003:
We took a six-hour day-trip around and up Mount Baker in northern Washington.
Here’s an interactive map of our route:
Our first stop was at the Acme Diner for brunch:
Acme art:
Continuing on:
Our second stop was at the Glacier Public Service Center, where Jenn collected a cancellation stamp, and we got a paper map with local info:
A one lane road:
Next was Nooksack Falls:
Then up Mount Baker to the Heather Meadows Visitor Center, a very picturesque area:
And to the end of the road, Artist Point:
International Overlander:
An enjoyable day-trip.
We went up to Concrete, Washington — almost to Canada — just to check off another national park, North Cascades.
A rather nice entrance sign:
A map of the Newhalem area:
Visitor center:
Jenn enjoys getting the passport cancellation stamps:
A helpful sign:
Do not touch the bear:
Relief map:
Displays:
Boardwalk to a viewpoint:
We had a picnic lunch there:
A tunnel:
Another tunnel:
A bridge:
Mountains:
Viewpoint at Diablo Lake:
The lake is a fascinating color:
A very dusty road, due to roadworks:
Lake:
Outside the park, a Wilderness Information Center:
Relief map:
The reason for visiting it, another passport cancellation station:
