OUR TRIP TO THE WESTERN NATIONAL PARKS

 We like to travel and just see the great things  on our planet. Lois wanted to see "Old Faithful and our National Parks so with the help of AAA we booked a tour by motor coach (Bus) to take us to as many as possible.

Getting ready was more exciting then usual. It was so exciting that we left (Hurricane Ian ) three days early. That was a good move as Naples was devastated, but our small community did okay. Well to start the trip on a lucky note we flew to Las Vegas to meet our Tour Group.

We didn't lose our shirts here in Sin City

We stayed at Bally's Hotel & Casino. Our tour group went together for dinner and a ride on the monster Ferris Wheel. Following that it was "Get a good nights rest and be on the Coach (Bus) 7:30 AM."  

That is not our Coach

    This is the Ferris Wheel with fabulous views

 We had good weather, and this was a good spot to view the mountains and stream              

In this colorful park Dennis gets to show off his moustache and beard as well as new sweat shirt. Lois has a nice Blue coat.

After our first day we got up for breakfast and learned that we will be getting up early everyday. And we did get up every day to hit the road. We went through Zion and Bryce National Parks and then  had a "City Experience" in Salt Lake City.

Organ in Merman's Tabernacle Church, Salt Lake City, Utah

Following this visit we rode our stallion to Jackson Hole, Wy. This was a cool location and definitely a money town. It was also a real "Cowboy Community" that featured The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. On the trail leaving Jackson Hole we saw a nice little Church on the plains with moutains in the background. The picture tells all.

Little Church on the Prairie

      

One of the better Views we enjoyed

        

Even though we had a Coach (bus) driver who knew all the curves in the highway (trails), it was an exhausting day. When we stopped we saw "Old Faithful" shoot her hot steam into the air. After that is was food and sleep.       

OLD FAITHFUL

Lodge where we stayed

Small Geyser

It was now time to climb higher and view some fantastic scenes featuring Green Trees against White mist with barely visible Mountains in the background. A beautiful Waterfall  is a sharp contrast to the  Mountains. Further down the trail is Dennis & Lois dressing a little warmer . We even got to see a Buffalo grazing at the side of the road. I was glad the Coach (bus) didn't hit it.

Fantastic view of Mountains and Water Fall

On the trail with our nice new coats

Buffalo - Picture Opportunity

You might think the Buffalo lead they way to "Buffalo Bill's Center of the West." This was a nice stop and had tons of old artifact from the 1800's including guns, animals and Indian lore. 

Old Stage Coach

BEAR - Glad it is stuffed

Buffalo Bill

As our trip continued we visited The Battlefield where Gen. Custer made his famous Last Stand, and also saw a work in progress - The Crazy Horse Memorial carving  and my favorite - Mt Rushmore. Below are some pictures from those attractions.

Graves mark the spot where the 7th Calvary died

Memorial Sculpture to Indian lost lives

Indian pottery and Head Dress

Still wearing our warm coats now zipped up

Closer view of Mountain

Crazy Horse Mountain is a popular spot to see but it is not easy to get there. We were really happy that we did not have to drive these roads. It was good to be on the Motor Coach (no damn bus for sure).

Crazy Horse looking down on Us

Hole in Crazy Horse's Mountain

Seeing Mt Rushmore was a life goal for me. It was a tough road to get there and they had a very nice Visitors setting. You could view Mt Rushmore from an observation window without going outside. There was only one problem. Fog. Mt. Rushmore was not visible, but I found a way, with a little waiting, to get my close up. How I got the shot is my secret. I'll never tell.

Our trip ended with dinner. We were treated to a presentation regarding Indian History and Culture. The man pictured below is working on an MBA, and is a tribe financial manager. He also brought family who performed native dances and chatted with us weary travelers. 

Tomorrow we head home to check out the damage from Hurricane Ian, and to see if we still have a car (parked at airport which was closed several days.) Our friend said he would work some magic spell to assure our safety and good luck on our trip back home.