Amarillo, Texas

On August 24, 2019August 24, 2019 By Mike and Kellye HefnerIn Hikes, Museums, National Historic Districts, National Monuments, National Parks, Picnicing on the Road, Places, Quick Stops, Road TripsLeave a comment

Not far from the halfway point on the old Route 66 lies the city of Amarillo, Texas. Today, I-40 bisects the city which is hard to miss on any mid-America east-west road trip. Amarillo is a classic, from it’s Route 66 historic area to its museums and quirky Americana. Road trippers will want to spend a day or more checking out everything this city has to offer.

On the beaten path…

American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and Museum

For those who aren’t horse people (we aren’t) and especially for those who are, this is a fantastic experience! Located in a beautiful building at 2601 I-40 east (I-40 and Quarter Horse Drive), this museum and hall of fame is definitely worth a stop for an hour or two.

Bloodlines from the first recorded quarter horse in America in the 1700s to present day are shown on the floor of the stunning Grand Hall.

Cadillac Ranch

Ten old Cadillacs (we only captured seven of them due to mud) buried nose down in a field just west of Amarillo on the south side of I-40. Bring your spray paint and leave your own mark on this American classic art installation.

Jack Sisemore’s Traveland RV Museum

Bring on the nostalgia – this place is fun and free! Located at 4341 Canyon Drive (off of I-27 and Georgia). Enter the RV dealership for an escort out to the museum. Below are some of the vintage RVs and motorcycles that are on display.

Trivia: Wally Byam incorporated the Airstream travel trailer company in 1931.

Happy Max. 1948 Flxible used in the movie “RV” starring Robin Williams.

The world’s oldest Airstream, a 1935 Torpedo, was owned by the Holman family for 81 years.

1918 Harley Davidson motorcycle with rare left-hand side car.

The Big Texan

An Amarillo and Route 66 icon! There is a restaurant (obviously), motel, and an RV park, along with photo ops and a free 72 oz steak dinner if eaten within one hour!

Other points of interest on the beaten path:

Route 66 Historic District – west of downtown, beginning at SW 6th Street and McMasters.
Amarillo Zoo – 700 Comanchero Trail.
Wonderland Amusement Park – 2601 Dumas Drive.

Off the beaten path…

Coyote Bluff Cafe

Located at 2417 S Grand, this place has some of THE BEST BURGERS we’ve eaten anywhere! Love the laid-back atmosphere here, too. Arrive early for lunch. There are only twelve or thirteen tables and they fill up fast.

Helium Monument

Officially called the Helium Centennial Time Columns Monument, the 60-foot tall stainless steel structure was erected in 1968 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the discovery of helium. Four time capsules dedicated to the preservation and responsible use of natural resources are contained in the columns. The first capsule was opened in 1993, and the second in 2018. The other two will be opened on the hundredth, and thousandth anniversaries of the 1968 establishment of the monument. Amarillo is home to a former helium plant and the Texas panhandle once held most of the world’s helium reserves.

Other points of interest off the beaten path:

Bill’s Backyard Classics. Classic car museum – 5309 S Washington Street.
Texas Air & Space Museum – 10001 American Drive.

Quirky…

Ozymandias on the Plains

These “two vast and trunkless legs of stone” are located near the southeast corner of the intersection of I-27 and Sundown Lane, south of town. We suspect that people are using their leftover spray paint from Cadillac Ranch to keep this sculpture colorful.

Second Amendment Cowboy

This big (muffler man) guy can be found next to the Cadillac RV park at 2601 Hope Road and the south I-40 frontage road, west of Amarillo and just east of the Cadillac Ranch. The site also includes three old Cadillacs that have mannequins of Willie Nelson, John Wayne, and Elvis sitting in the driver’s seats, and a gift shop. The marker in front of the cowboy is a faux historical marker that touts our Second Amendment right to bear arms, but surprisingly the cowboy does not have a gun. Side note: the RV park is fabulous!

Nearby points of interest…

Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument

Website: Alibates Flint Quarries
Cost: free
Visitor center hours: daily 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Where: approximately 40 minutes north of Amarillo off of Highway 136
Hiking trails
Ranger led tours of the quarries by reservation only

Come here to learn about the Plains Indians who quarried the harder-than-steel flint to make arrowheads and spear points. Dating as far back as 13,000 years, flint from these quarries has been found far and wide. While at the visitor center, watch a film about the monument, and then enjoy the small museum.

Lake Meredith National Recreation Area

Website: Lake Meredith
Cost: free entrance
Visitor center located in Fritch, Texas open daily 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, except holidays
Where: seven minutes west of Fritch, Texas, which is approximately 40 minutes north of Amarillo
Hiking, RV and tent camping, boating, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, hunting
Hotels, additional RV campgounds, restaurants, and groceries available in Fritch and in Borger, which is approximately 20 minutes east of Fritch

Check with the park regarding lake levels and boat preparation before arrival. Hunters must comply with park and state regulations. Texas fishing licenses are required. Camping is free at all sites, except for the electric/water hook-up sites at Sanford-Yake. See the website for details.

Other nearby points of interest:

Palo Duro Canyon State Park – approximately 30 minutes south and east of Amarillo. Beautiful Palo Duro Canyon is the second largest canyon in the US. (We will cover Palo Duro Canyon in a separate post.)
Large Cross in Groom, Texas – approximately 45 minutes east of Amarillo on the south side of I-40. Great stop with Stations of the Cross, which are life-size sculptures depicting the crucifixion of Jesus, and a visitor center that displays an exact replica of the Shroud of Turin. Free, but donations are appreciated.

Okay, that’s going to do it for our Amarillo, Texas overview. We hope you enjoy your journey. We love that you joined us on ours. Please come back again! You never know where we’re going to take you. Until next time…

Travel safe, travel smart, and we will see you down the road.

Mike and Kellye

As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true vendors and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.

Quick Stops: fast, fascinating, fun, funky!

On August 10, 2019 By Mike and Kellye HefnerIn National Memorials, National Monuments, National Parks, Picnicing on the Road, Places, Quick Stops, Road Trips, State Parks2 Comments

If you follow our posts, you’re already familiar with Quick Stops. Quick Stops are designed to give a nod to locations to which we can’t devote an entire post. The destinations are completely random and totally fun.

Just get in the car and we will be on our way!

First Stop: Cameron Trading Post

Where in the world is it?

It is located in Cameron, Arizona, which is about 51 miles north of Flagstaff, at the intersection of US Highway 89 and Arizona Highway 64, and east of the Grand Canyon. The trading post was established in 1916 by two brothers named Hubert and C.D. Richardson.

Sedona 2007 042 — The Cameron Suspension Bridge

The Cameron Suspension Bridge, above, opened in 1911 and spans the Little Colorado River Gorge. This bridge allowed faster, safer travel to what is now the town of Cameron, Arizona. The Richardson brothers built Cameron Trading Post next to the bridge where it still sits and thrives today. No longer in use, the bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Sedona 2007 040 — Little Colorado River Gorge west of Cameron, Arizona

Second Stop: Helena, Montana

Herd Bull Sculpture at the Montana Historical Society

It’s a fact, Jack!

Arizona produces more than half of the copper in the US, making it the largest copper producing state. Montana is the fifth largest copper producing state in the US. At one time, the nation’s largest amount of copper was mined at Butte, Montana. One Montana resident, William A. Clark, became one of the wealthiest men in the US because of his copper mining interests, among other businesses, and was considered one of the three “Copper Kings” of Butte. His mansion there still stands today, although, it is now a bed and breakfast. Clarkdale, Arizona is four miles southwest of of the town of Jerome, Arizona. Jerome, a National Historic Landmark, is the home of the now-defunct United Verde Mine, once one of the largest copper producing mines in the US. United Verde Copper Company, which was owned by William A. Clark, developed the United Verde Mine. Clarkdale, Arizona is named for William A. Clark. And now you know…

That’s all for this post. Thank you for joining us on our Quick Stop tour of the Cameron Trading Post and Helena, Montana. We invite you to return to our site every week for another great adventure on the road. Until the next trip…

Travel safe, travel smart, and we will see you down the road!

Mike and Kellye

Badwater Basin

Quick Stops: fast, fascinating, fun, funky!

On August 3, 2019August 2, 2019 By Mike and Kellye HefnerIn National Memorials, National Monuments, National Parks, Picnicing on the Road, Places, Quick Stops, Road Trips, State Parks3 Comments

The road goes on forever and the party never ends. *Robert Earl Keen*

Just get in the car and we will be on our way!

First Stop: Turkey, Texas

20181013_133902

Where in the world is it?

Turkey is located in the Texas panhandle, about 103 miles southeast of Amarillo, at the intersection of Highway 86 and Highway 70.

20181013_133831 — This restored vintage Phillips 66 cottage gas station sits right in the middle of town.

So what’s so special about this tiny town with its population of around 420 at last count? Well, it’s the home of Bob Wills, the King of Western Swing. The town hosts a Bob Wills Day festival every year on the last Saturday in April. There’s a museum dedicated to Mr. Wills in town, and a monument (pictured below) in the city park honoring him and his Texas Playboys band.

20181013_134136

20181013_133850 — This replica tour bus sits next to the old gas station

Second stop: Dismal River

Where in the world is it?

Dismal River is located in west-central Nebraska. This part of the river is located near the town of Thetford, off of US Highway 83.

We didn’t think the river was dismal at all. Actually, it was a beautiful, welcome sight within the Nebraska sand hills. The river runs for only about 72 miles until it converges with the Middle Loup River, and its source is the Ogallala Aquifer.

It’s a fact, Jack!

During the early 1950s, another western swing band, Ole Rasmussen and his Nebraska Cornhuskers, became popular recording artists on the Capitol Records label. Ole Rasmussen must have idolized Bob Wills because he styled his music as well as his band’s country chic look after Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys. Though one would think that Ole Rasmussen and his Nebraska Cornhuskers were from the state of Nebraska, they weren’t. They were from California. And now you know…

That’s all for this post. Thank you for joining us on our virtual tour of Turkey, Texas and the Dismal River. We invite you to return to our site every week for another great adventure on the road. Until the next trip…

Travel safe, travel smart, and we will see you down the road!

Mike and Kellye

Hot Air Balloon flight

Albany, Texas and the Fort Griffin Fandangle

On July 27, 2019July 24, 2019 By Mike and Kellye HefnerIn Campgrounds, Camping, Hikes, National Historic Districts, National Historic Landmark, National Register of Historic Places, Picnicing on the Road, Places, Quick Stops, Road Trips, State Parks3 Comments

Shackelford County Courthouse, Albany, Texas, built in 1883.

We’re in love! Albany, Texas has captured our hearts. Not only is it a beautiful small town, it sits amid rolling hills covered in mesquite, pecan, and oak trees. The town is surrounded by ranch land, and the Clear Fork Brazos River flows nearby. Albany has a rich history, proven by its thirty-five historic landmark designations, as well as historic Fort Griffin fifteen miles north of town.

This sunflower field near Albany just makes us happy!

This classic sits across the street from the courthouse

During the last two weekends in June, the town of Albany puts on the Fort Griffin Fandangle, which is the oldest running play in Texas. This year (2019) was the eighty-first production. People come from all over to see the townspeople tell the story of the settlement of the area. This wonderful show will delight the whole family, and we highly recommend going to see it!

Fort Griffin is home to the Official State of Texas Longhorn Herd, and a few of them star in the show! We had never seen a more well behaved bunch of cattle before. Plus, they’re just kinda awesome. For more information about Fort Griffin, please see our Abilene, Texas post. Here’s a link: Abilene, Texas

Also during Fandangle, there are many events around town, including a catered barbecue dinner, tours of historic buildings and homes, and baby longhorns on display on the courthouse lawn.

We bet this calliope is something you haven’t ever seen, and if you have seen one, we bet it was a long time ago. We were enthralled. This one is about 76-years-old, and they play it for thirty minutes before each show. Beware it is loud, but so intriguing! Turn up your sound and check out the video.

While there is a hotel and RV park in Albany, there are also hotels and campgrounds in Abilene, 35 miles south. Since we love camping in our RV, we chose to stay at Fort Griffin. The campground is not only pretty, it has clean showers and bathrooms, a playground for the kids, and full hookups. We woke up to birds singing, longhorns mooing, and a couple of spectacular sunrises. In the evenings, cicadas, tree frogs, and crickets chirped, and the dark skies afforded breathtaking views of the stars. Frankly, it was hard to leave the place.

20190630_065028 — Fort Griffin Sunday sunrise

This guy was singing his little heart out next to our campsite. Isn’t he gorgeous?

We’re going to close this post with a couple of shots of the old Highway 183 truss bridge over the Clear Fork Brazos River near Fort Griffin.

From the new Highway 183 bridge. Yes, we stand in the middle of highways to get the shot.

Standing in the middle of the old Highway 183 while looking up. No traffic on this one though.

That’s a wrap, folks. Be sure to make plans to attend the Fort Griffin Fandangle in 2020. We hope you will return to our site for more great trip ideas, tips, and tricks, and if you’re already a follower, THANK YOU for your support of our site. We do this for you. If you’re not a follower, become one so you never miss a post. We would love to have you aboard on our journeys. Until the next time…

Travel safe, travel smart, and we will see you down the road.

Mike and Kellye

Abilene, Texas

On July 20, 2019July 20, 2019 By Mike and Kellye HefnerIn Museums, National Historic Landmark, National Register of Historic Places, Picnicing on the Road, Places, Road Trips, State ParksLeave a comment

Abilene, Texas may now be known as the storybook capital of America, but the city is so much more. In 1881 when lots began being sold and cattlemen began shipping cattle on the Texas and Pacific Railway, a thriving city was born. Shortly thereafter, Abilene was named county seat of Taylor County, having won a vote to move it from Buffalo Gap. Today, Abilene is home to three universities, satellite campuses of a junior college and a technical college, as well as Dyess Air Force Base. Located 150 miles west of Fort Worth on I-20, Abilene is a can’t miss stop on a West Texas road trip. We highly recommend staying over for a day or two to experience this wonderful, historic city.

On the beaten path…

Frontier Texas!

Located at 625 N 1st Street. This is a multimedia museum unlike any other we have ever seen, and we loved it. Go to learn about the history of West Texas from the people who settled the area. Exceptional western heritage exhibits, videos, and holograms. Yes, holograms, and they are amazing! Beautiful building, lovely grounds, and a nice gift shop, too. Open Monday – Saturday 9:00 – 6:00 and Sunday 1:00 – 5:00. Adults $10.00, Seniors/Military $7.00, Students/Teachers $6.00, Children (3-12) $5.00, Ages 2 and under are free.

The Grace Museum

The Grace Museum is an art and history museum that includes a hands-on children’s museum area. The building was originally the Hotel Grace, built in 1909. We happened to visit on a free admission day, but we would have gladly paid the $6.00 per adult fee for the art exhibits alone. Located at 102 Cypress Street, The Grace Museum is open 10:00 – 5:00 Tuesday – Saturday.

Storybook Sculptures

Storybook sculptures can be found all over downtown Abilene. Dr. Seuss characters, among others, can be seen in Everman Park (across the street from The Grace Museum) and more at the Adamson-Spalding Storybook Garden (1008 N. 6th Street). Kids and adults of all ages will love these whimsical characters! Click here for a Storybook Adventure Guide: Abilene Storybook Adventure. While visiting downtown Abilene, be sure to check out the NCCIL (National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature) located at 102 Cedar Street for weekly children’s activities, an illustration gallery, and a children’s bookstore. The NCCIL (aka the nickel) is open 10:00 – 4:00 Tuesday – Saturday.

Characters emerge straight out of the pages of a storybook! This fabulous sculpture in Everman Park is called “Childhood’s Great Adventure”

Abilene Zoological Park

2070 Zoo Lane. Though smaller than some big city zoos, this is a clean, well-kept zoo with a variety of animals. In addition to the many animal exhibits, there are a couple of kiddie rides, a concession area, and a zoo store. There are picnic tables outside of the zoo in the adjacent Grover Nelson Park. A splash pad, playground, duck pond, walking trail, and dog park are also located in the park. The zoo is open 9:00 – 5:00 daily. Adults – $8.00, Seniors – $7.00, Children 3-12 $5.50, Children under 3 are admitted free.

Other points of interest on the beaten path…

12th Armored Division Memorial Museum – 1289 N. 2nd Street. Open 10:00 – 5:00 Tuesday – Saturday.
Center for Contemporary Arts – 220 Cypress Street. Open 11:00 – 5:00 Tuesday – Saturday.
Paramount Theater – 352 Cypress Street. Free self-guided tours 12:00 – 5:00 weekdays.
Dyess Air Force Base Visitor Center Memorial Park – Arnold Blvd & Military Drive. Open 7:30 – 4:00 weekdays.

“Jacob’s Dream” sculpture on the Abilene Christian University campus. One of our favorite places in Abilene. Located off of N Judge Ely Blvd on Teague Blvd.

Off the beaten path…

Abilene State Park

Not only is Abilene State Park a beautiful park, it is one of our favorite camping spots! Located approximately 30 minutes south of the city of Abilene, this park has a lot to offer in the way of recreation. Primitive campsites, water and electric sites, full hookup sites, playground, hiking and biking trails, swimming pool (summer), picnic areas, yurt rentals, group areas/facilities, fishing, boating, soccer and baseball fields, wildlife and bird watching can all be found at this park.

This happy little cardinal was visiting the campground

Steps leading from the swimming pool concession building to a creek and meadow beyond

One of the gorgeous campsites at Abilene State Park

Taylor County History Center

The original Taylor County courthouse is now part of the Buffalo Gap Historic Village, and it is on the National Register of Historic Places

We wondered who might have lived in this rustic old cabin. Buffalo hunter? Farmer? Rancher?

Approximately 22 minutes southwest of Abilene, the Taylor County History Center is located at 133 N William, Buffalo Gap, Texas. Open 10:00 – 5:00 Tuesday – Saturday. Adults $7.00, Seniors/Military $6.00, Students $4.00, Ages 5 and under are free. All buildings are open for visitors to walk through unless it is raining/muddy.

Fort Phantom Hill

The chimneys are all that remain of the hospital complex

Fort Phantom Hill is located about 20 minutes north of Abilene on West Lake Road (aka FM 600) and is open daily from dawn to dusk for self-guided tours. Very interesting, and as one of the highlights of our trip we highly recommend a visit.

Lake Fort Phantom Hill

Beautiful lake for fishing, boating and other water sports

Lake Fort Phantom Hill is approximately 20 minutes north of Abilene, and is accessible from West Lake Road (aka FM 600) or from East Lake Road (aka FM 2833). Camping, boat ramps, picnic/barbecue areas, sand volleyball court, and a disc golf course are some of the recreational activities available at Lake Fort Phantom Hill.

Other points of interest off the beaten path…

Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Abilene -7457 West Lake Road. Open daily 8:00 am to 6:00 pm.
Perini Ranch Restaurant – 3002 FM 89, Buffalo Gap. Make a dinner reservation! Here’s the website: Perini Ranch

Eating and sleeping…

Cypress Street Station – 158 Cypress Street (downtown). We recommend for lunch.
Lytle Land and Cattle Company – 1150 E South 11th Street. We recommend for dinner.
Hampton Inn – two locations to choose from. See our Places/Links tab above for website. Many other hotels along I-20, on the south side of town, and near downtown.

Nearby points of interest…

Sweetwater, Texas: National WASP World War II Museum at Avenger Field

Fifinella, the mascot of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs), was designed by none other than Walt Disney

Approximately 1,800 women served as WASPs during WWII. These unsung heroes worked long hours and performed dangerous jobs for very little pay. They did not receive veteran status or benefits until 1977. In 2009, the WASPs were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.

Located 35 minutes west of Abilene off of I-20, this free museum is definitely worth a stop for some interesting WWII history. Open 10:00 – 5:00 Tuesday – Saturday and 1:00 – 5:00 on Sunday. Donations are appreciated.

→While in Sweetwater, stop by Allen’s Family Style Meals for the best fried chicken and other mouth-watering home cooked food you’ll find anywhere. This is an all-you-can-eat, sit-with-your-neighbors, no-menu, eat-what’s-served, Sunday dinner-type restaurant. (How’s that for a description?) Located at 1301 E Broadway Street in the original Allen family home. Open 11:00 am – 2:00 pm Tuesday – Sunday.

Albany, Texas: Fort Griffin State Historic Site

Fort Griffin was a US military site from 1876 – 1881, during the Indian Wars. The fort housed both federal troops and buffalo soldiers. Some of Fort Griffin’s troops fought Comanche Indians at Palo Duro Canyon during the Red River Wars. The town of Fort Griffin, also called the Flat, was located just north of the fort, and was once the largest town between Dallas and El Paso. Famous locals included Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday. During the mid-1870s as many as 1,500 buffalo hunters called the Flat their headquarters. As a side note, the Flat was a rambunctious town that included 21 saloons and 22 houses of ill repute. By 1949, the Flat was no more than a ghost town.

Located approximately 50 minutes northeast of Abilene via Texas Hwy 351 and US Hwy 180. Open daily from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. Adults $4.00, Seniors/Students $3.00, Ages 5 and under are admitted free.

At one time, Fort Griffin had 93 buildings on its grounds and housed as many as 469 soldiers. Now, almost 150 years later, ruins are all that remain.

The ruins of the Sutler’s Store. A sutler was a civilian merchant. Sutlers sold goods to buffalo hunters and local citizens, as well as the soldiers who were stationed at the fort.

This is a young longhorn. (Just look at that sweet baby’s face!) Fort Griffin has been the home of the Official Texas State Longhorn Herd since 1948.

The visitor center has an interesting museum and also a gift shop. Golf carts are available for those who want to ride rather than walk through the ruins of the fort. A recreation area is located across the highway, and offers a fabulous campground with water and electric sites as well as full hookups and tent sites. There is also an equestrian campground, hiking trails, access to the Clear Fork of the Brazos River, a playground, and a dump station. Fishing is allowed from the river bank without a license.

This is one of the well-maintained, beautiful campsites at Fort Griffin

That’s going to do it for our Abilene, Texas road trip. Please come back to our site each week for another great tip, trick, or trip. Become a follower so you never miss a post, and follow us on Facebook. Thank you for reading and for joining us on our journeys! We will close this post with a picture of a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher that we saw near Fort Griffin.

Travel safe, travel smart, and we will see you down the road.

Mike and Kellye

Yellowstone National Park – Part Seven

On July 13, 2019July 2, 2019 By Mike and Kellye HefnerIn Hikes, Museums, National Historic Districts, National Historic Landmark, National Memorials, National Monuments, National Parks, National Register of Historic Places, Picnicing on the Road, Places, Road Trips2 Comments

Peeking through the trees at the Grand Teton Mountains

→Note: this is the seventh post in a multi-part series covering Yellowstone National Park. Our journey originates in West Yellowstone, Montana.

Yellowstone National Park website link: Yellowstone National Park

We would be remiss if we did not mention that Grand Teton National Park is Yellowstone’s next door neighbor to the south. The John D. Rockefeller Memorial Parkway is the route between West Thumb (Yellowstone) and the northern tip of Jackson Lake (Grand Teton). The scenic parkway is twenty-seven miles long, but the road (US Hwy 191) continues another forty or so miles to Jackson, Wyoming, winding through the park along the Snake River. Teton Park Road is the one to take for the most scenic parts of the park. The park road begins at Jackson Lake Junction, running for approximately twenty miles, then joins US Hwy 191 at Moose Junction.

Destination: Grand Teton National Park

Website link: Grand Teton National Park
Cost: $35.00 per car for one week pass
Accommodations include: lodges, cabins, dude ranch, tent camping, backcountry camping, RV campground, restaurants (hotels, campgrounds, and restaurants also available in Jackson, Wyoming)
Hiking, biking, scenic drives, wildlife, fishing, canoeing/kayaking, climbing, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, (downhill skiing and other winter sports available in Jackson, Wyoming)
When to go: anytime, but check the website as well as road reports for closures during winter months

Since this is our final Yellowstone post, we thought we would list some tips for visiting this spectacular park:

Don’t rush. Plan to spend several days, if not a week or more, just to see the major attractions of the park. The park is so big it would take months (or years, even) to cover the majority of its almost 3,500 square miles.
Make park campground and hotel/lodge reservations well in advance of your trip. These sites book months in advance. Over four million people visited the park in 2017!
RV sites in Yellowstone can be small and difficult to maneuver, especially for longer rigs. There are many RV parks outside the park.
The wildlife in Yellowstone (and Grand Teton) is wild! The park service recommends staying at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves, and 25 yards away from all other large animals. And, never feed the wildlife, including squirrels, chipmunks, and birds. Animals that get used to being fed by humans don’t continue to thrive in the wild.
Hike with a group. Bears are more likely to attack a lone traveler than to approach a group. Hikers might want to consider carrying bear spray.
Stay on the boardwalks and designated trails in geyser areas. People have been killed because they did not follow the rules.

Colorful thermophiles at the edge of boiling Excelsior Geyser

Our last and most important tip is to plan, plan, plan before you go. Research the park’s website, watch online videos, and read blogs! Decide on everything you want to see and do while you’re there and write it down. We make a detailed itinerary for every trip. Yes, itineraries take time (and we don’t always stick to them), but it beats arriving at a destination and not having a clue about where to go, where to eat, and what to do.

Below are a few more pictures of beautiful Yellowstone National Park.

Thank you for joining us on our Yellowstone National Park adventure. We hope that by posting our trips we are inspiring you to plan your own adventures to the places we have visited and loved. Become a follower, or simply like our page. Follow us on Facebook. Leave us a comment. Tell us about your own travels. Come back often to see more great road trip destinations, and tell your friends about us!

We leave this post with a picture of a vintage 1936 National Park Bus. Eight of these refurbished tour buses operate in the park today.

Until the next trip…

Travel safe, travel smart, and we will see you down the road!

Mike and Kellye

Yellowstone National Park – Part Six

On July 6, 2019July 2, 2019 By Mike and Kellye HefnerIn Hikes, National Historic Districts, National Historic Landmark, National Memorials, National Monuments, National Parks, National Register of Historic Places, Picnicing on the Road, Places, Road TripsLeave a comment

→Note: this is the sixth post in a multi-part series covering Yellowstone National Park. Our journey originates in West Yellowstone, Montana.

Yellowstone National Park website link: Yellowstone National Park

Destination: Tower-Roosevelt Area

⇒From Mammoth Hot Springs, take the northern Upper Loop east/southeast for 18 miles toward the Tower-Roosevelt Area. Drive time between Mammoth and Tower: 45 minutes…unless you get stuck in a bison jam, and then there’s no telling how long it will take.

Travel tip: always have snacks and drinks in the car.

This part of the park is rolling hills and vast grasslands with mountain peaks in the background. We saw many bison here. Interestingly, as many bison as we have seen on our travels, we still get a thrill when we see them. Did you know that the bison in Yellowstone were almost extincted due to unenforced hunting in the early years of the park? The current genetically pure (haven’t been bred with cattle) herd, which now numbers in the thousands, are the descendants of the original twenty-four head that were diligently preserved and carefully bred by the park.

A shot of the beauty of the most northern part of the park

Calcite Springs Overlook

The Calcite Springs Overlook is about half-way between Mammoth and Tower. This is a must-see stop when in this part of the park. There is a short trail (boardwalk with stairs) that affords great views and excellent photo ops. Our research said to allow 15 minutes for this stop, but we spent at least twice that time there enjoying the breathtaking views.

Calcite Springs are the white cliffs along the Yellowstone River in the Yellowstone River Canyon

Did you know that the Yellowstone River originates in the Absaroka Mountains southeast of Yellowstone Lake? It does, and it flows through the park, then across Montana for about 700 miles until it meets the Missouri River in North Dakota. The Yellowstone River is the largest tributary of the Missouri River.

Columnar basalt formations along the canyon edge

More basalt with beautiful mountain peaks in the background

A few miles after leaving this viewpoint, the road will begin to climb Dunraven Pass. While driving through this area, notice how the 1988 fires affected the landscape and how now, more than thirty years later, the forest is regenerating itself.

Continuing along the east side of the upper loop, you will find the Tower General Store, which is located a few miles south of Roosevelt Lodge. Behind the store is the Tower Fall trailhead. Uphill all the way, the trail is only one-tenth of a mile long, and the end result is a beautiful 132 foot waterfall!

Travel tip: Tower General Store has grab-and-go snacks and some fast food items. Whether eating purchased food or your own, picnic tables outside the store provide a good spot for lunch.

Pinnacles above Tower Fall. The rock “towers” are what gives the fall its name.

That’s going to do it for this week. We thank you for joining us on our travels, and we hope that you will return to our site again and again. We are going to end the post with one more shot showcasing the beauty of the northern section of the park.

Until the next trip…

Travel safe, travel smart, and we will see you down the road!