Day 2 August 28,2023: Rock Springs to Jackson, via Teton National Park

Days 2 started clear and bright, heading north out of Rock Springs to Jackson, WY. I travelled this highway last January on a ski trip, but much nicer today. Made the mistake of not stopping for coffee on the way out of town. It would be a good 100 miles before we had the chance to get coffee, we found a good place in Pinedale, WY. My brother turned me on to an App called Autio. Autio tells stories of the places you drive through, using GPS location. Today we learned that Rock Springs was founded as a railroad junction, where nearby water and coal were used to keep the trans American railroad going. The building of the railroad also caused Rock Springs to attract immigrants from around the world as these were the people that built the railroad.  Each story is short, but it does add to the experience as you drive through an area.

Once in Jackson, we kept going to Grand Teton National Park. A note on National Park passes. It's $80 for a year membership, pays for itself after 3 parks, as each entry is $35. I found this year, that at age 62, I can buy a lifetime pass for the same $80 - what a great deal.

 We stopped at the Jenny Lake Visitor Center. From there, we were able to take a boat about 15 minutes across the lake ($20 per person) to a trail head for Inspiration point and the Cascade Canyon.  Michele kept me hiking by promising, "just a little bit more", "a little higher", "a few more minutes" her encouragement turned into a 2-hour, 4-mile hike. The views were great and the hike wasn't that bad, just a few steep spots. After the hike, we headed back towards Jackson, but saw a sign for Teton Village. Teton Village is at the base of Jackson Hole Ski Resort, I wanted to show Michele the ski area, so we headed over. On the way we saw a bunch of vehicles stopped, we pulled over to see what they were watching and it was a Moose hanging out by the river. Back in Jackson for hotel and dinner. Michele was last here 40 years ago or so with her sister, it has grown a lot.

 August 2023

Travel - Steamboat to The National Parks

 

If you have read my other stories in my blog, they have all been about solo road trips. In 2020 I wrote about 48 states in 48 days, in 2021 I wrote about Prince Edward Island and the coast of Oregon and California and in 2022 a trip across Canada. For this year’s trip, I convinced my wife, Michele, to join me and we set off to visit a handful of National Parks in the US and Canada.

 

Backstory: In July of this year I drove to Colorado, picked up Michele in Denver and headed up to the mountains for a two-week stay. Knowing we would be coming back out this way in a little over 3 weeks, I left my car in the Denver Airport at an extended stay economy lot and flew home.

 

Day 1: Steamboat, CO to Rock Springs, WY.

I picked Michele up in Steamboat, it’s a long story, but we had planned our 4^th annual trip to Steamboat with our group of Denver friends. The plan was us to fly out of Boston on Wednesday, pick my car up at the airport in Denver, spend one night in town and then head up to Steamboat for 3 days of fun in the mountains. On Wednesday morning I woke up not feeling great, and in fact had body aches since Sunday. Out of an abundance of caution I tested for Covid, and was positive. Michele tested negative so off she went. Using what I think the latest CDC guidance is, I stayed isolated until Saturday (5 days from 1^st symptoms) flew to Denver and stayed in a hotel near the airport and met Michele at noon in Steamboat, after our friends had left.

From Steamboat we headed north to Craig, Colorado, then directly north to the Wyoming border and 1-80 Westbound. This drive triggered a memory from when I first got out of college and was working for a finance company in Denver. My job was to visit the Appliance, Television and Motorcycle dealers we financed and check their inventory once a month. If they sold something and had not paid us, I collected the money. Normally my route took me east out of Denver once a month, but one time, I think in May, I switched routes with the guy I worked with and did his route, which took me to Steamboat, Craig and then up this same road to Rawlings, WY. Back then, it was Prairie dog mating season. The prairie dogs were crossing the highway in alarming numbers. This first time I saw one, I braked to avoid it. Further on up the road there was no avoiding them, I ended up just cringing and running them over. The Prairie Dogs were safe today and I got through the area with only a little PTSD.

 

The pictures attached are from Wamsutter, WY. We stopped here because good friends of ours have a daughter who lives here. We didn’t try to catch up with her, but we had to say we stopped. The town is just a truck stop and some homes half-way between Rawlins and Rock Springs. She has made a nice little life of it here and I can tell you it sure looks better in August then when I have stopped here in January, but it really is in the middle of nowhere.

We pulled into Rock Springs and checked to what looks like a new Holiday Inn Express and it really exceed my expectations. I drove through Rock Springs last winter on the way to Jackson Hole and on that route, there was nothing but a McDonalds, a Best Western and some gas stations. Just a few more exits west on the highway is new part of town with a Walmart, a ton of restaurants and many hotels. We will prepare for our first National Park of the trip tonight and be heading out first thing tomorrow. 

 

 Day 8 Home:

Only one picture today, made it home with no problems. Customs agent was surprised I decided to go from Colorado to Boston via Canada, but waved me through after only a few questions. I was expecting to cross the border in Vermont, where I usually pass when coming from Montreal but from some reason my GPS directed me to enter in Champlain New York and cross over to Vermont via a bridge over the lake into Swanton Vermont. I thought it was ironic that after travelling through North America, today I went a different way and saw a different town in my home state.

I know I'm biased, but the beauty of Vermont and Interstate 89 is not lost on me. Spent the rest of the day unpacking and trying to power wash the bugs off the front of my car.

My tips for travelling through Canada:

- Bring an Atlas, just using GPS will not help if you really want to know where you are, or you have no cell coverage.

-Old school guide books comes in handy for places to see. Two I used this trip and used on all my road trips since 2020 are: 1,000 Places To See Before you Die (In The United Sates and Canada) Patricia Schultz and 50 States 5000 Ideas (Includes 10 Canadian Provinces) National Geographic

- If you think you needs gas, coffee, or the bathroom you should stop. Could be a long way before the next opportunity. 

- Don't be like Nate, plan a few more days to go from Colorado to Boston via Canada. I missed out on a few sights and pushed the daily miles a little too much this trip.

- It's worth it, Canada is big and beautiful.

 Day 7: Toronto to Ottawa: I think I saw more cars in my 18 hours in Toronto, then I saw all week. Soon after leaving Toronto, the highway traffic eases up and it's gentle farmland as I headed east. One of my guide books suggested I get off the major highway in Kingston Ontario and head north along route 15. Drive was nice, got a few glimpses of a lake along the way. 

You wouldn't know you are approaching the capital of Canada as it is pretty uncrowded and unspoiled almost all the way until you get downtown. I stopped and met up with my college roommate (all 4 years) who lives in Ottawa. He gave me a great tour of the downtown area and some of the nice parks and water views in the area.

1st picture is from downtown Toronto the night before from the roof deck of my friends in Toronto's Apartment, next picture is of Parliament in Ottawa and the 3rd is kite surfing on the Ottawa river.

 Day 6 Wawa to Toronto:

Will be a short post today, I made it to Toronto where I plan to see friends for dinner.  Left Wawa before 6, grabbed breakfast at Tm Horton's and stopped to take a picture of the famous Wawa Goose (see below). Not long after I left Wawa, I saw a huge Moose, that had just crossed the road. No picture, but the owner of a gas station down the road told me that if I had hit the moose driving, it wold take the top of my car right off.

Other pictures from today are more of the views of Lake Superior, views were even better today than yesterday. One other interesting note, saw flags today at a gas stations with a feather and "Every Child Matters" I understand this is in reference to the mistreatment of the indigenous children, that the Pope was here to apologize about earlier this week.

 Day 5: Winnipeg to Wawa, Ontario

Another long day, after rest and coffee stops it was 14 hours.  The landscape did get more beautiful as I headed east. It took me 30 minutes on city streets to get out of Winnipeg and find the Trans Canadian highway again. At one point my GPS had me on a dirt road! I can't make this up. As I approached Ontario the plains gave way to pines trees and pretty good uncrowded roads. When I hit Thunder Bay, I got a look at Lake Superior. I would catch glimpses of the Great Lake and smaller lakes and ponds for the next 6 hours as I skirted the northern edge of the lake down to my stop for the night in Wawa. Really beautiful and unspoiled territory.

Interesting note from the hotel in Winnipeg yesterday. When I walked in I noticed a security guard hanging around the lobby. It struck me as unusual to see security in almost any Hampton Inn, unless it's in the middle of a large city. Guard was there when I got back from dinner and this morning when I got coffee. I then noticed a printed schedule for meals for the Ukrainian's. It was written in english and what must have been Ukrainian, There was also a note posted telling Ukrainian's how to to apply for Truck Driving positions in Canada.  The post mentioned CUET (Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel) I confirmed with the security guard that the hotel was hosting Ukrainian refugees. Good for Canada - and I  reflected back on my visit to the Ukrainian heritage center back in Alberta. I can't imagine what it must be like to be living in a hotel by the airport in Winnipeg with all the destruction and sorrow going on back in your home country.

Last night I had dinner in downtown Winnipeg. I had a really good meal at a place called Brown's Social  House. My observation is that any place with "social" in the name is going to be good. After dinner I walked down by the river where there was a food court, entertainment and people just hanging out with their families enjoying a nice night in Winnipeg.

Book on Tape: Started Dream Town David Baldacci "an Archer Novel" Hollywood detective story set in the 1950's - it passes the time.

Podcast: Travel with Rick Steves - episode on Berlin (Planning my next trip)

Song of the Day: Sanctuary Hiss Golden Messenger (Not sure why I picked this, but when it comes on, it makes me happy.

 Day 4: Saskatoon to Winnipeg

No stops today, the one place on my list was the Canadian Royal Aviation Museum at the Airport in Winnipeg, but by the time I rolled in, the museum was going to be closed. Today was only an 8 hour drive, but I lost an hour, I'm now in the Central Time Zone.

This trip is not for everyone - you have to love to be on the open road, admire the landscape for what it is and appreciate that this is where a lot of the world's food supply comes from.  Today leaving Saskatoon on the way to the Capital of Regina (Waitress last night said Saskatoon is way better than Regina, because the University is in Saskatoon ) it took me two hours to find a place to stop for a cup of coffee. Before you leave town out here, make sure you have a full tank of gas.

Last night I walked around Saskatoon a little. The riverfront area was really nice, people were strolling along a river walk and across a bridge, there was music and the weather was really pleasant. Later in an english pub there seemed to be a vibrant social scene with lots of young friendly people. A little concerning was there seemed to be some down and out Native American people around the town, I guess Canada has not figured it out any better than we have.  It made me especially sad, reflecting on the proud people that organized Buffalo hunts in the 1800's.  The Pope was just in Alberta apologizing for the treatment of the indigenous people's children in church run schools.

In Regina, I had to get a car wash because my car was covered in bugs, and even after the wash, my grill looks like I took out my share of Canadian bugs. The other thing I appreciate about what Eisenhower did with the US Interstate system, is there are rest area's everywhere. Here, they are far and few in between, even today from Regina to Winnipeg on Trans Canada Highway 1 in 4 hours I think I saw two rest areas. On the plus side traffic was non existent, the weather was mid 70's and the sky was clear, road trip weather.

Podcast: Business Wars - Haagen-Dazs vs Ben & Jerry's - I learned a lot that I didn't know about Ben&Jerry's.

Book on Tape: Finished the Jack Reacher book - good road trip book because at the end he always decides he needs to hit the road again

Song of the Day: I Hate Winnipeg Gareth Maccabbin ( I don't hate Winnipeg - but the title is too good  not to select as the song of the day)