Yellowstone to Cody

Last night we had a meal at the restaurant next to the hotel. One of the waiters was there last October. She had gone home to Connecticut but had come back for the season and was living in a shed at present! Not a bad meal.

Anyway today we make our way to Cody at a leisurely pace. We stopped off at a store that we had got coffee at last October and picked up coffee and some buns for breakfast, then headed off to the 45^th Parallel to eat them; the parallel is just before entering Wyoming in Yellowstone near Mammoth Hot Springs. From there we headed off back to Canyon Village.

We went back over Dunraven Pass. It has a shear rock face some of which has come away to reveal the underlying structure of massive hexagonal looking columns reaching upwards. Swinging down from there we went to Canyon Village and whereas yesterday we went to Inspiration Point, today we went further along where the parking was a touch easier. We went down a winding pathway and caught a glimpse of one of the waterfalls. However, that was as nothing as to what came next. We were soon standing alongside the top of a waterfall watching the water plunge into the canyon. There was so much mist that where the water settled on the sides it formed streams running back into the river and these weren't little streams. It's a bit of a cliché to write about the boiling, seething mass of water but that is barely adequate to describe the sound and spectacle of watching the water plunge down and hit the bottom.

We must have been there the best part of hour before moving on. We pulled in at Fishing Bridge Visitors Center. We picked up a couple of coffees and single scoops ice cream cones. The single was more like a triple but was it nice! As we sat and ate our ice cream and motor bike with a side car went by, nothing odd in that but there was a dog in the side car and it was wearing goggles!

We were at the top of Lake Yellowstone and is it big or what! Somewhere under that lake is a magma chamber waiting to explode though and take out most of the western world one way or another.

The road took us up to the Sylvan Pass which was an interesting experience as there were road works from the bottom of the pass to the top and down to the Eastern Entrance. It seemed to be one way working and we had to wait fifteen minutes as traffic from the other side had to finish coming across. The journey up was okay but there was heavy machinery and the road surface was gravel. This was also going up the side of the cliff face with shear drops on the right. Luckily with there only being us on the road it was okay. Slowly the convoy spread out and there was a large gap behind us and quite suddenly we were at the entrance and saying farewell to Yellowstone.

A straight drive to Cody until... passing alongside Buffalo Bill Reservoir what do we find but the Buffalo Bill Dam Visitors Center. We've not seen that mentioned or indicated anywhere in the guide books or anywhere else. It's a little gem. There's not much to it but it was an unexpected pleasure. It was one of the first all concrete dams to be built. Originally used to control the water it's now used to generate electricity too.

Leaving that soon found ourselves in Cody and our hotel for the night. We've done just over 1000 miles and this marks the half way point.

In Yellowstone

Well, another day of incredible scenery. One starts to run out of superlatives to describe it.

This morning we did a little shopping and wandered around West Yellowstone. Unlike the last time we were here everything was open. I bought not one but two pouches. They are so useful to use instead of filling pockets.

The plan for today was to end up at Gardiner but take a different route to the one we had done before. The map will show our route.

We went up to Norris and past the superb Norris Geyser Basin - a sight to behold in winter – and on to the Canyon Village. We stopped there for a coffee and went into the visitors centre. The NPS had an exhibition about Yellowstone as a super volcano. There wasn't anything there that we didn't already know but it did have a rather unusual globe of the world. It was a large rock globe, some three feet in diameter, with the land masses etched onto it and the main volcanic areas marked in red. That wasn't the unusual thing about it. It was how they made it rotate. It was totally free to spin any direction as it has was supported and lubricated by water being forced under it so that it sat on a cushion of water. As is the way with such things the little sweet hearts were just making the globe spin faster and faster. I actually wanted to look at. So with one hand I slowed it down and the little oik tried to make it spin. I'm pleased to report that he gave up and disappeared leaving me, tee hee, to look at it properly. It was very easy to manoeuvre and position the right way up and then spend a few minutes actually looking and studying it.

Upstairs they had some very good displays showing where volcanoes and earthquakes had occurred since the 1960s built up on computer screens and a display showing the seismic activity in the area.

On driving out from the Canyon Village we did a tour of the 'Grand Canyon of Yellowstone'. This was an auto-tour, what else in the USA!, and did we encounter slow moving cars and some very odd parking practices. However, the first view we stopped at was at the Virginia Falls. These were magnificent. At some point I will put together a site showing some, not all of the pictures taken as that's the best way to appreciate them. These falls, like the Lewis Falls mark the edge of the Yellowstone caldera. It was like a version of the Grand Canyon in one valley. There were one or two wingey characters of the 'what's so special about these' variety. They wanted to go out on the promontory and do something – like drop off hopefully.

As a side note, some of the areas that we've passed through have been as spectacular as Grand Canyon. Some have been like Death valley with greenery. Quite stunning. What takes one by surprise is the sudden shift in scenery; one minute you're driving through a magnificent, steep sided canyon and then you're out on a plateau and the transition is so sudden.

We didn't stop at all the points as they looked rather crowded and difficult to park sensibly. We got back to the Grand Loop road and towards Dunraven Pass. The roads were steep and twisty but easy enough to drive. We stopped just after the pass for some pictures and as it started to rain decided to head on towards Tower Falls.

Tower Falls was where we had tried to get to last October but failed due to the snow. This time we would make it. Up, down, twisty roads and past Mount Washburn where we stopped and looked out across the main caldera, which is completely covered in trees. Soon we arrived at the Falls and despite it looking busy we stopped and took the requisite pictures. One little thing amused us. We had seen lots of older looking bikers, grey haired, beards, sun glasses, leathers, no helmets, (and that was only the women!) bandanas – basically, the works. Just as we got to the falls there were some bikers putting on white coveralls to keep off the rain! What wimps or didn't they want to get their nice leathers/denims wet?

Again these Falls were fantastic and quite spectacular. As we're going to be heading that way again on the way to Cody we'll probably drop in on them again or at least some of the other viewpoints.

As we swung up towards Mammoth Hot Springs and Gardiner we were travelling on the road that we had planned last October when all the snow stopped us. As we swung around a bend there were the Undine Falls, the furthest that we had got the last time we were here. We pulled off the road and I filmed the falls again but this time we ventured down to the top of the falls and I have gotten some amazing footage of the falls from directly above. They were just as amazing this time as before but easier to get to.

We made our way to Gardiner, stopping off at the same store as last October but the same woman wasn't there. So it was then off to the motel.

Up to Yellowstone from Pinedale

What a day! But before we start on that we've had two injuries. Well, one injury and one assault by a deadly insect. They both occurred two days ago. My partner was bitten on the side of the leg by some dastardly British hating insect! A rather nasty swelling grew but some good British anti-histamine has dealt with that. It just looks a strawberry birth mark at present. The other injury happened just after I had soaked my feet after wearing my new boots. I walked out of the bathroom and someone, who shall remain nameless, had left her bag just outside the bathroom door. The little toe on my left foot made deadly contact with it and I felt the usual sharp pain. I did hop about but refrained from the usual expletives that accompany such acts. It was a few second later that I noticed the little blood splatters on the tiles and then the carpet. On examining my little toe it would seem that not only had I gashed the toe but managed to tear up a piece of the nail. Some additional bathing in water followed by a frantic search for plasters, which were out in the car, an application of the aforementioned plaster and the toe seemed okay. Of course, the only thing now is that i can only wear trainers for a few days.

Back to today. No mistakes in directions today. All we had to do was to follow the route signs for the 191, which we did after breakfast. The tone for breakfast was set when I rescued a lady from the coffee machine when it refused to stop dispensing coffee. To cap that and I had near hysterics over this, everytime the two toasters were used the breakfast room lights went out. It happened not once but twice. At any moment I expected Basil Fawlty to appear muttering about inconsiderate guests and how dare they abuse the toasters. No such thing happened of courseas theduty manager took it all in her stride. Ayway, we set off.

As before the scenery was amazing. Heading out of Pinedale, a town that is trying to make something of itself, the scenery was more varied than entering it. Instead of rather bland, flat land either side, there were cliffs coming down to the road edge and flat land on the other. On our left there were the Tetons looking like a child's drawing of a series of mountains; all sharp peaks and snow on the top, well a bit anyway. Ahead there were more of the same but in the distance. To the right there was flat land and mountains in the distance there too. We managed to keep up a steady speed. The traffic, by UK standards, was quite light. The road was easy to drive and flat.

However, what makes it all so different is the dramatic nature of the scenery. Living in the UK there is no part that hasn't been altered by humans in some way over the last 10,000 years; here it's quite different the scenery has been touched at all in that time and there is little or evidence of human interference despite what one may read elsewhere and even where people have settled, apart from the cities and towns, this is still the big country.

Anyway less of the philosophy and more of what's been happening. We were driving through a canyon, following the course of the Snake River, with sharp cliffs either side and the river below. The towering cliffs were dramatic but softened by the pine tree and then, quite suddenly, we were in the open and there was of greenery, a sure sign of increased population and traffic lights appeared – the first for over 60 miles. We were on the outskirts of Jackson, or Jackson Hole, which ever it is, we were there. Where the traffic came from I've no idea because it certainly wasn't there driving up.

We passed shopping malls and apartments and various turn-offs. Then there appeared a sign to Historic Downtown Jackson. It was amazing from nothing to being in the middle of a hurley-burley of traffic coming at us from all sides; four way junctions; rotund people crossing the roads in strange places; bikers with peculiar walks; it was as if the town was coming to cave in on top of you. Despite a seeming chaos we found a place to park; all very clearly marked and not overly full. We made our way back to the town centre (Historic downtown).

Jackson is a town on 'speed'; every morning it seems that someone injects it with something that makes it go at hyperwarp speed to the ninety nine. The cars, the oversized RV's; the bikers with strangely coloured Harleys (one was pink!); the people of all different shapes, sizes, ages (some very strangely dressed for their age), the different clothes; the stagecoach being hooted at; the hustle and bustle; the shops of over-priced clothes and distinct lack of coffee outlets. The ice cream parlours and distinct lack of What a place! Don't get me wrong; it's not a bad place but it's expensive what with the shops selling overpriced clothes, haute-coutier cowboy clothes is a good one. It's not a cheap town. Anywhere else I think it would have degraded into cheap and tacky but here they've managed to put 5^th Avenue, Oxford Street and Union Square with some elements of the glitz of Las Vegas all into the equivalent of two town squares with the same number of people and it works!

Jackson is not a typical Wyoming town or city by anyone's stretch of imagination but it's wonderful in that way only American can make it.

We left town and headed northwards. We decided to stop about three-quarters of an hour later at Coulter Bay junction where there was somewhere to buy something to eat and drink. Just as I approached the shop a thin little streak of across my path. It was a chipmunk. The man operating the cash till was from Kentucky and we a little chat with him.

We sat outside on a log eating a sandwich, bun and drinking our coffee. It was all very pleasant and cool. After cleaning the windscreen We headed off into the Teton National Park, which had a separate entrance for pass-holders, us – membership has it's privileges. The Tetons were just another point for us before Yellowstone. However, it was a spectacular view and the drive was easy. Through the Teton Pass; not quite the same as other passes we've been over. It was like being in Yellowstone before getting there.

We arrived at the entrance to Yellowstone; had our pass checked and proceeded along through an avenue of pine trees that seem typical of entering this park. Our first stop was going to be Lewis Falls. Nothing spectacular in terms of height, 30 ft, but it marks the edge of the Yellowstone caldera.

As we approached it my partner fell into conversation with a couple from Florida who were doing a year long tour of the USA! What a character the wife was! Very garrulous and interesting with it. We had quite a little talk. She took a picture of us both and we'll probably end up on her blog!

We pulled in at the West Thumb Geyser Basin and had a walk around that. The colours of the water ranged from a startling turquoise blue to reds and oranges. There were little bubbling mud pools and very young geysers. We caught the occasional whiff of a sulphurous air but it was different from last October. There were many more people but it wasn't crowded as I thought it might be and the roads weren't too bad either.

On we headed and stopped next at Old Faithful. The hunt for the webcam was on my mind! Where was it? Anyway, we walked around Old Faithful and found a spot to watch it that was better than the standard view. It was where the expelled water ran into the river. We waited for the next eruption and it was quite as amazing as ever. After a longer delay, after the eruption had subsided, than we imagined the water started to flow and it was quite a little spectacle in itself.

I went into the Visitors Center and actually asked where the cams were and they were quite obvious, once you knew where to look and, I was told, they are hoping to make it a live cam so you can see it happening in real time. Out I went and, much to my partner's embarrassment I paraded up and down in front of the camera; I heard some a family group talking on a cell phone to someone telling them to look at them on the cam!

That kinda ended the day and did the 30 mile drive up to West Yellowstone and found our night's lodging, not quite where the satnav said it would be, hoo-hum.

From Vernal to Pinedale

A day to dawdle up to Pinedale on 191. There was nothing planned; it was a day to take time to cover the 210 miles and relax.

No free breakfast but that didn't matter. We just repacked the car and set off. All we had to do was to follow the 191. We headed out past the Wal-Mart we went to last night. We didn't want to use the satnav as it was just a matter of following the 191.

The scenery was red, rocky, layered and quite fascinating until we got to a town called Ballard. It occurred to me that we hadn't seen any signs for Pinedale or even Rock Springs. We pulled over and checked the sat nav. Whoops, we had headed in totally the wrong direction for 30 miles! Arrrgghhhh! It was a matter of turning around and heading back to Vernal. There wasn't any other route. Off we headed back post-haste. Off we went. About 35 minutes later we were back in Vernal. This time we went the correct way.

The scenery was equally, if not better than before. The rock formations are incredible. Upfolds, anticlines, synclines, etc. all with different colours. We passed into the Ashley National Forest and the road started to rise again. The road however, was much better than others going over mountain ranges we had encountered before but the reason became apparent a little later. There was a phosphate mining operation roads were good. Up we went even further and the scenery was wonderful particularly as it was sunny and beautifully warm. As we came down form the forest we entered the Flaming Gorge area and that was something. We saw a sign for the Flaming Gorge Dam. Nothing about this had we seen in the guide books. It had been built across the Green River one of the Colorado River tributaries. We caught a glimpse of a bridge which we soon traversed. A wonderful bridge that seemed to fit into the scenery quite naturally. A short distance got us to the dam. We stopped and had a little look. There was a visitors center and it was possible to go on a tour. We didn't go as we would have to taken off all metal objects and left them in the car. People with pacemakers were equally urged not to go.

We started off again; got up onto the I80 and off again. The next part was dull in comparison. If anything it ended up reminding us of I10, one of the most boring routes we had been on. It wasn't quite as bad but it was very samey; flat scrub land either side and the interesting bits in the distance. We made quite good time and luckily our hotel was highly visible.

Tomorrow we head off to Yellowstone!

Grand Junction to Vernal, Utah, via various places

What I forgot to put in last nights blog was when we bought the wine. The chap in the liquor store was very friendly and recommended some local wine, however when we said where we going he aked if the route included the Douglass Pass. He remarked thst we'd passing some really ugly places.

Any, back to today. After the sun yesterday and a lack of water my partner was sick in the early morning. Nothing nasty, just wretching. A full breakfast was out there then. All she had was some dry toast and a cup of passable coffee. Me, I had a couple of danish, a coffee and toast and jam. No ill effects followed for either of us.

Before leaving we looked up the Dinosaur National Monument at www.nps.gov and found the centre was closed and a temporary one in its place. We altered our plans and decided to go to the main centre in, wait for it, the town of Dinosaur and take it from there. We went back to the Safeway and picked up some fuel. Whilst there I sorted the satnav and after looking a off we headed to the dinosaur national monument. We merrily bowled along the I70 looking for the turn off to Rangley. We saw several derricks and wondered what they for.

We found the turn off and started along the 139. We passed through residential areas and some industrial. I had looked the route on Google Earth and didn’t think it too bad. Fortunately it wasn’t. We were going along the valley floor most of the time until it came time to go over the Douglass Pass. The scenery was quite amazing. Pleasant open views; very green vegetation. Then we started to rise and the ground started to go away from us. There was a cliff face alongside us where once it had been open and on the further side of the carriageway there were steepish drops. The road become twistier and steeper. We had started on the rise to Douglass Pass. The car made going along this type of road. This isn’t my favourite type of road at all; sheer faces on one side and sheer drops the other. Luckily they did have barriers here; we’ve been along such roads where the barriers are non-existent! After about 20 minutes of this there was a steep rise and over the top we went. At last we had reached the summit. There was a vehicle depot here, obviously for when it gets snow. People had stopped to admire the view; we decided not to join them although there was plenty of space! Ahead the road twisted and turned downwards. This is equally as awkward as you don’t want to be sitting on the brake all the time. Anyway the road started to drop. We had passed the peak.

Slowly we made our way down followed by two bikers. We’d seen quite a few of them during the day. It seems this is biker country – they don’t wear helmets though. They stayed behind us patiently as I took it cautiously downwards. Luckily there were quite a few straight level stretches allowing the foot off the brake pedal. Then, quite suddenly, we were at the bottom. Within five minutes or so I was able to let the bikers get past and they disappeared into the distance. The scenery here was different. There were quite a buildings and signs of industrial activity as we went past some of them we could see that it was related to gas pipelines which explained something we had seen earlier. We had seen pipes being laid and speculated what they were for. Now we knew, gas. The drive was easy now, flat roads with the occasional twist in it; flat land on one side with gulches cut by a hidden river on the other.

We pulled into a area that had a point of interest but that was nothing as to the person there. He was biker grey bearded, red spotted bandana on his head, dark glasses, short and stocky. He was brilliant to talk to. He was from Rifle, and was heading home. He couldn’t place where we were from and we went into the usual rigmarole. However he was interesting that he found that the scenery was being destroyed by the gas companies and that the oil companies weren’t cleaning up the old fields as they finished with them although the old mining companies were. We chatted on for a while and he headed off as we did.

Not much further down the road we saw what he meant. It was as if a scrapper had been drawn across the landscape and all the plants removed leaving bear sandy soil and old oil drilling machinery. Very eerie. There were a few ‘nodding donkeys’ still pumping oil. A very desolate landscape.

We stopped in the town of Dinosaur(!) and went to the Dinosaur information center. It was right on the junction with SR 40, which made it easy to find. A really nice, helpful assistant gave us lots of information and again we chatted to her. There have been quite a few English and Belgium visitors this year it turns out. Anyway she gave us information on both the Colorado and Utah parts of the National Monument plus a cup of coffee, which was much needed.

We sat outside, no one else was there except for a lone looking rabbit which hopped off to we know what where. We ate some yoghurts we had picked up at breakfast and a couple of apples and decided to head for the Utah side of the monument.

As we approached it across a very flat landscape with the rock faces towering over it we could see some very black and thunderous clouds. All day we had brilliantly sunny and hot weather. We knew that the original centre was closed because it was falling apart. The temporary centre wasn’t a match on what we had seen of the original. We watched the video and decided to go on the shuttle tour. However, it started to rain and in the distance, lightening. We went on a min-hike around the area as we waited for the tour. When we got back we were told it had been cancelled due to the rain and the lightening but ‘you could get the self-guided tour for 50c from the store’ which we did. The rain eased off and so did we.

Well, you can imagine that we weren’t best pleased to see the ‘cancelled tour’ suddenly appear. As we headed up to the first stop, where it was too, the ranger came across and apologized claiming that it was her supervisor that had cancelled and then reinstated it. As it so happens it did us a favour because we went off-road on a trail that the bus couldn’t go along. The route took us to various petroglyphs in the rocks drawn by the Fremont peoples some 1000 years ago – not that long ago. The off-road tour went to an old cabin that had been occupied by a lone woman who really lived the independent life-style; no electricity or gas; the running water was from a stream but she had married and had children and it was only the fall from her horse at the age of 90 that finally did for her and that was in the early 1990s. A real game old bird. We looked at the various points along the way and after that decided to head off to our lodgings in Vernal, Utah.

Nothing exciting or particularly interesting except to report that the influence of the Mormons becomes quite evident in the news reports, signage and such like.

I tried to find a local store using the internet and it’s a real pain to do that. Instead I looked up various stores we knew about and found there was Wal-Mart near us, which we failed to see as he went out to look for it but after turning around and heading back we then spotted it. We bought some food there, which seemed to be the local hangout for those of a rotund shape and with nothing much better to do than fill shopping trolleys with screaming children and food.

One irritating thing has happened and that’s my ipaq with the satnav, has lost my contacts list. I think it was when I was doing things at work with this laptop and when it synchronised with it the laptop wiped the list!

Frisco to Grand Junction - The journey continues via a grave

Writing last night's blog I fell asleep twice; hardly surprising. I dozed off writing this one too!

Well we were awake quite early and sorted out the luggage arrangements. It was a matter of adjusting what went where and what was needed and when. That didn't take too long.

We both had very refreshing showers and a change of clothes. The room was good, clean and with two beds but we only used one. Why waste a change of sheets unnecessarily? They seem very keen on the two bed business here. I wonder if it's from watching too many films and tv progs where husband and wife were often shown as having two beds for the censors sake?

Having sorted out the luggage we wandered down to a cooked breakfast. I'm pleased to report that it wasn't huge. It was enough to satisfy with out overwhelming. Eggs, bacon, toast potato things and toast with as much coffee as one could drink(!) came to the equivalent of five pounds each. Good prompt, pleasant service deserved a tip.

Getting the luggage down to car was interesting as we used a carrier but it had a mind of it's own and the lift, sorry elevator, kept closing too early. We packed the car and headed off. However, the first thing I did was to find out what all the knobs and levers did on the car. Eventually we had to resort to the manual, which was still in it's wrapper. We found that the seat positions were all powered and controlled through rather anonymous knobs on the door. The car is fitted with satellite radio - a big thing here - instead of DAB. That was fun! By the simple press of a button I could switch the speedo from mph to kph! I still haven't figured out how to use the trip mileage.

We got on the road and the satnav directed us accurately back to I70(W) and headed towards Glenwood Springs as a stop before Grand Junction.

Now, if you know anything about your wild west the name Doc Holliday is redolent with imagery. He is often associated with Wyatt Earp and the Gunfight at the OK Corral in Tombstone. Well, he's buried at Glenwood Springs Pioneer Cemetery and that was one of the reasons we wanted to visit there.

The drive on the interstate was really good. the scenery was very alpine. Lots of steep sided and wooded valleys with houses that one could easily mistake for the Alps. The sun was out and the temperature started to rise and it became really warm and pleasant. We pulled in at a rest area and went down to the river, the Colorado River that was heading off to the Grand Canyon! There were some white river rafters there too. As we we were about to leave a car pulled up and the lady asked me if there were any rest rooms. I told her that I didn't know her husband said that i was way out of it here too - meaning that on hearing my accent (not that I've got one!) he realised that I wasn't from around those parts either. As we we headed back up to the interstate we saw the proper rest area and stayed there for a while. Had a little walk around and generally admired the beautiful scenery; the tall mountains, the gushing river, the trees, the warmth. After making use of the rather splendid rest rooms, toilets to you and me, we headed off again.

The satnav worked well this time and got us into Glenwood Springs but we ignored it for the parking. We found a two hour public parking area and wandered into the main part of the town. I say the main part; the main drag was quite pleasant; lots of cars but not nastily so. There were people scurrying about doing their day-to-day things. We went to the Frontier Museum where a young lady volunteer told us about the house and its contents. They had a proper Edison Phonograph, a rather sweet exhibition upstairs about the Native Americans in the area, a mineral collection and various kitchen and household items. Like most local museums we've seen it's generally not an extensive collection but they are greatly cared for and treasured. Those involved are very proud of the collections and take a great pride in them. After there we wandered a little more in the town and then headed up to the grave.

It's more of a monument really as they don't his grave's exact location. The walk up to the cemetery was steep and the trail dusty but the views it offered of the town were amazing. The cemetery was not the neat orderly arrangement of headstones but they were scattered around in no particular order. Some were grouped by family, others in ones or twos; some had railings around and there railings around empty plots. The newest one we saw was 1986. Trees had self-set and there was an air of caring but not taken in hand and smartened up. It was fascinating. We found the memorial; it was quite simple and the information board told his life story. After that we wandered back down to the car.

After a few miles we thought it would be good to find a coffee shop. A sign for Starbucks was spotted and we pulled off and tried to find it! Well, that was a farce. We found a shopping m all and investigated that. There was a Radio Shack, a sort of Dixons, and I went to look for the figure of 8 power cord. After a search I saw one hanging up behind the counter. At last I wouldn't have to use clumsy adaptors at all. There was a 'Payless shoes' store and at last I found a replacement pair of boots for a whole seventeen pounds. There were not cheapo boots but good solid ones and the reason for the cheapness was the excellent pound: dollar ratio which is very much in our favour. Could we find the Starbucks? No. Not having luck there we headed off again.

We were directed off into Glenwood Springs. This time the satnav directed us correctly until we drove past the motel claiming that there was still a distance to go. We promptly ignored it; found a place to turn and headed back. We booked in and sorted out the luggage again! We decided to eat in and went off to a Safeway I had spotted earlier. Some microwaveable foods and a bottle local red Merlot wine later we headed back and I cooked up our meal. I was quite the little chef!

We listened to BBC7 -thank goodness for the internet and wifi - and settled down for the night. Tomorrow or rather today we head for Dinosaur National Monument. Apparently it'll take us through some rather industrial areas - oil wells and the like!

Arrival

Well, we got here! Safely and soundly.

Booking in on line and printing the passes was excellent. I even chose our seats. Got to Heathrow and checking in using the bag drop was easy. As usual there was the hanging about, 3 hours. The take off was late 'cos of a rain storm but there we are.

The flight was very pleasant. Although 9 hours long it wasn't too bad. BA seems to have bucked their ideas up quite a bit. Free alcoholic drinks on their flights, unlike American Airlines or United! The in-flight stuff was okay. I spent quite a lot time reading a Monsieur Pamplemosse by Micheal Bond, he of Paddington Bear fame, very entertaining. Gorden Kaye ('Allo 'Allo) would be excellent in the role.

We were apprehensive about arriving at Denver after experiencing Immigration at LA, SF and Salt Lake. They couldn't have been more different; friendly, helpful and pleasant. There were helpers checking that the green forms were filled in correctly and gently directing people to the desks. The other airports could take a lead from this on.

Picked the car up and couldn't work out where the hand brake was! It wasn't so much a hand brake but a foot operated hand brake - don't ask! It's a 4l(!) Chrysler(?) Pacifica 4WD. Very spacious and so light on the steering. However there seemed to be more controls on the steering wheel, dashboard and surroundings than a space shuttle. By now it was getting dark and there were distant rain clouds.

The satnav came into it's own here. It neatly directed us to the interstate, however, no voice! I'd been driving ten minutes when we hit the first rain. Now, it's dark, unfamiliar and raining; this is not good. So I just took it steady and we skirted around the bottom of Denver and just followed I70. We kept hitting some bad patches of rain and it was just like being back home except warmer. We went through the Eisenhower Memorial tunnel which goes straight through the Rockies and, I am reliably informed, has two huge concrete doors that can come down and block the tunnel. The idea was to stop any invading force from the west being able to use it.

Nothing exciting happened except that on the other carriageway about five miles from out hotel there had been an accident and the traffic was stacked back for at least three miles.

Just as we got close to the city of Dillon the satnav crashed! So we had to pull off and find a place to stop and reset it. In doing this we did tale the wrong turning off and after resetting it we found we were about 5 miles from our hotel. Off we went back up onto the I70 and came off at the correct juction this time and promptly misread the instruction on the screen and took a left instead of a right. After checking our position again(!) we drove back up to the lioghts where we had gone wrong and sure enough there was the Best Western. By now it was 10:50 and we had been on the go for 20 hours and it's time for sleep.