Emergency Evucation from Lodge Room Due to Bugs in the Bed

Hello,

just a quick update to let you know that J and I had to leave the Elephant Lodge at midnight due to bugs in the bed.

This is what happened...

I was just minding my own business writing in my travel journal when I felt something crawling on my arm and I look down and its this weird little knat-looking bug so I kill it and keep writing..

a couple minutes later it happens again I get out of bed and I tell J that I think that there are bugs in the bed.

J thinks I'm overreacting and we take off the blankets and sheets- there are a lot of these little guys, some alive and some dead. J tries to tell me that there are just a few bugs in the bed and I shouldn't freak out. He starts to kill these weirdo bugs with tissues... as the numbers multiple and J's tissue solution doesn't work I say, WE HAVE GOTS TO GO....
J agrees to leave b/c he realizes that the bugs are out of control.

the main problem is that lodge does not have 24 hour guest service or an emergency number so the only thing that we can do is leave.

so we drive 1 hour to the closest city and here we are at 1:42 in the morning just settling in for bed. (after close inspection of our clothes and hair we are bug free!)

we left a message for the inn keeper to call us back and I will update you as the situation continues.....

goodnight and don't let the bed bugs bite.

Yellowstone Update

Hello-

Yellowstone is HUGE- is the size of Rhode Island and Delaware put together.

For Example: Today in order to see the West side of the park J and I have to drive round trip 200 miles!!!!!

Its a lot of driving but its so much fun!

I don't have Internet at the ranch b/c we are in the middle of a forest but tomorrow we leave for the Grand Tetons and at our Hotel there we have Wi-Fi and I will post a ton of pictures (b/c I have many pictures and many stories to tell!!!)

Check back tomorrow and I promise you won't be disappointed...

Drive to Yellowstone

Well here we are in Cody which is about 58 miles from Yellowstone.

The drive here was very nice. The scenery went from flat plains to crazy mountains (Big Horn Mountain)


This is a picture of a moose that we saw along the road. Hopefully we will see more and be able to get better pictures!


We are headed to our ranch we were are staying and I'm not sure if I will have internet but I will take lots of picture to post when I have internet again!!

On Our Way to Yellowstone!

We are now on our way to Yellowstone. I'm super excited and as we are laying around our hotel room there is a show on Travel Channel about Yellowstone!!!!

We have stopped in Gillette, Wyoming which is 4 hours from Yellowstone, so we will be getting up early to finish the trek!

It is so windy out tonight, its actually pretty cold b/c of the wind. When we were driving I could feel the car moving b/c of the force of the wind. It also gets a little creepy with the wind and the desolation.

But to end on a good note..here is my attempt at a sunset picture (its pretty bad)

Goodnight!

Monuments of the Blackhills

Crazy Horse Monument is very cool and HUGE! It is worth a google if you don't know much about it. Sadly we didn't have much time here but I'm glad we went.




Fun Fact: The heads of the 4 presidents would fit into the head of the Crazy Horse carving..interesting and puts the size into perspective.


Not so much a monument BUT the town of Deadwood is fun b/c of the HBO show but also b/c of the Historic West.

Scenic Drive Through the Blackhills

Today was spent making a loop around Rapid City into the Blackhills. The Blackhills are so beautiful.



This is leaving the town of Hot Springs, SD and continuing into the Blackhills


This picture shows the destruction of the wildfires. It is so crazy how huge hillsides are burned. You can see the newer fires and then older fires where now new trees are growing. This is a recent fire.

Animals of the Blackhills

My new favorite hobby on this trip is wildlife viewing. I have turned into one of those annoying people that stops their car (sometimes in the road) to take a picture or look at an animal. I have these great (Target) binoculars that allow me to see the animals....

I have a rule that I will not intrude or be disrespectful to an animal to get a picture, meaning that I won't get up in its face ( I remain at least 10 feet away maybe more) and I won't create noises so it will look at me. I am just an observer.

Pronghorn antelope. This is the first time I've ever seen antelope and it was exciting. The antelopes are everywhere, much like deer.





If you look really close (and I mean really close) you can see a Big Horn Sheep, it was too quick for me but hopefully I will see some more!