Destination Banff, Glacier, and Yellowstone National Parks: Yellowstone National Park

 Yellowstone National Park had been on my travel bucket list for many years and it certainly lived up to expectations in August as a fascinating and unforgettable place to visit with its geysers, canyons, colorful springs, waterfalls, and assorted wildlife. 

Steamy geysers

I was concerned when flooding ravaged parts of the park on June 12, washing out roads and damaging infrastructure about seven weeks before my tour was scheduled for a two-day visit. But give credit to the National Park Service staff for making the needed repairs that opened most of the park for tourists. 

Yellowstone is the oldest national park in the world, celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2022. Nearly 5 million people visited the park in 2021, the most on record and a 28 percent increase from the Covid-19-affected travel season in 2020. The park ranked third among national parks for visitors in 2021, behind the Great Smoky Mountains and Zion. 

Mammoth Hot Springs

While it attracts many visitors, the park didn't seem crowded except in the Old Faithful area. Even there, people were on the hiking trails, visiting the lodge, information center, and restaurants, or congregating at the many observation points. 

Yellowstone is a vast park, covering 2.2 million acres, mostly in the northwest corner of Wyoming (96 percent) with tiny sections in Montana (3 percent) and Idaho (1 percent). That's probably another reason the park wasn't congested, as it offers innumerable activities for visitors. My tour entered from the north, near the tourist town of West Yellowstone, Montana.

Old Faithful

Old Faithful is the famous geyser most associated with Yellowstone, but there's much more to see and experience at the park. There are about 500 geysers, about half the number in the world, along with other hydrothermal wonders that seem otherworldly. 

A boarded path at the hydrothermal pool

For the non-backpacking visitor, Yellowstone provides paved and boardwalk paths to view the many sights. It's also pet-friendly, although certain areas are off limits to our furry friends, especially near geysers and geothermal pools. 

Bison grazing

And there's wildlife, although I didn't see many animals during my visit other than several bison herds. It amazed me that some tourists, despite the warning signs to keep their distance from bison (and other animals), would approach the beasts as if they were at a petting zoo. Bison gored three people in July. I guess some folks never learn to heed warnings.

Yellowstone was worth the visit and more. I recommend you experience it for yourself. You will not be disappointed.

Until the next time . . .

Destination Banff, Glacier, and Yellowstone National Parks: Glacier National Park

 Glacier National Park is a wonder to behold.

Red Jammer

 Unfortunately, my visit to this majestic park was for only a few hours, boarding a 1936 vintage Red Jammer at St. Mary with 11 other passengers and traveling the Going-to-the-Sun Road to Logan Pass. But along the way, you can't help but marvel at the mountains, valleys, waterfalls, and wildlife that passes before you along the way. Encompassing about 1 million acres, it was designated a national park in 1910.

Glacier National Park

You also see scores of hikers who get off the beaten path to explore the beautiful region of North America, sometimes referred to as "The Crown of the Continent," from an article by renowned conservationist George Bird Grinnell in 1901 that sought to preserve the pristine area at includes the southwest corner of Alberta, Canada. I wish I could have jumped off the bus and joined the trekkers, at least for a few miles.

My wife and I 

Logan Pass is named after Major William Logan, the first superintendent of the park. It sits at an elevation of 6,646 feet along the Continental Divide. A visitors' center with limited parking (the NPS recommends taking a shuttle to Logan Pass) and hiking paths to gorgeous views of the park await the adventurous traveler.

Because of climatic changes, every named glacier in the park has shrunk between 1966 and 2015, some as much as 80 percent, according to the National Park Service. There were around 80 named glaciers around 1850; now there are 26. 

Shrinking glaciers

To get an idea of how the environment has changed in the past century at Glacier National Park, view these then-and-now photos from the NPS. A guide said that even if the glaciers melt away, the park will remain relevant as an important geologic destination.  

I would have enjoyed spending more time at Glacier National Park but when on a guided tour, you can be held captive by the planned itinerary. Perhaps I will return one day—on my own time—and see more of the natural riches this national park offers to travelers.

Until the next time . . . 

 

On the Road Again (Theodore Roosevelt National Park and Medora in North Dakota

The next stop on our whirlwind trip was Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. 

Welcome sign at South Unit

Roosevelt spent several years in North Dakota as a young man, owning a ranch in the rugged Dakota Badlands. He returned to New York in 1887, but living there left on indelible mark on his life: "I have always said I never would have been President if it had not been for my experiences in North Dakota."

For me, spending only a couple days in the (choose one, two or all) Peace Garden,  Flickertail, or Roughrider State, it was a memorable experience.  And yes, I would love to return and explore more of the Dakotas -- North and South.

Badlands marker 

My wife, Mary, and I entered the South Unit of the national park at Medora, taking a driving tour through the Badlands. Then we drove another 70 miles or so to see the North Unit, near Watford City. There is also Elkhorn Ranch Unit, the site of Roosevelt's second ranch, located midway between the North and South Units and inaccessible at times because of unpaved and steep roads (we didn't want to put our Prius through that).

The national park, established in 1947 to honor the great conservationist and 26th president, is fascinating -- the museum in the South Unit Visitor Center, prairie dog "towns," feral horses, bighorn sheep, bison, grasslands, and the colorful canyons. The Little Missouri River winds it way through the units. 

Roundup of  bison

One of the highlights was watching roundup of buffaloes at the North Unit, with park rangers using a helicopter to move the herd. A ranger told me that it's done every four years to trim the population, with the buffaloes later transported to Indian reservations as far away as Oklahoma.

Bighorn sheep

Another interesting sight was seeing bighorn sheep along the side of a hill that a helpful park ranger directed us to before we left the area. For the record, the rangers were talked to at the various national parks on this trip were courteous, friendly and most helpful in providing information and directions. 

Bucking bronco statue

As we left the South Unit on our way to the North Unit, we made a brief visit in the picturesque cowboy town of Medora, home of the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame and the popular Medora Musical. The small town is the hub to many of the activities related to the national park as well as the proud cowboy and Indian heritage that runs so deep in this part of the country. 

For more images, visit my Facebook page by clicking here.

Next stop: Bismarck, North Dakota.

Until the next time.... 

On the Road Again (Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument)

After spending the afternoon at Devils Tower National Monument, my wife Mary and I spent the night in the cowboy town of  Sheridan, Wyoming, a place we'd like to return to and spend more time.

Last Stand Hill

The next morning we were back on the road again, heading about 60 miles northeast to visit Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in Crow Agency, Montana. 

Most folks have heard about Little Bighorn, the site of Lt. Col. George Custer's "last stand" against Lakota, Cheyenne and Arapaho warriors on June 25-26, 1876. Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse were among the Indians encamped at the Little Bighorn. When it was over, the 7th Cavalry lost 263 men, including Custer, while Indian losses were estimated at less than 100. 

Our visit began with a 45-minute informative and animated presentation by a park ranger, providing both sides of the celebrated clash between the U.S. military and Native Americans. We then viewed the artifacts in the visitor center before going outside to walk the trails to the two monuments and battle sites. 

7th Cavalry Monument

The walking tour is a somber one, passing numerous grave markers of fallen soldiers and warriors, many near "Last Stand Hill."  We also took a driving tour to the far reaches of the battlefield, seeing lone grave markers in distant fields.

Artwork at the Indian Monument

What was it like on that fateful day in 1876? Northern Cheyenne Chief Two Moon recalled: "We circled all around them--swirling like water around a stone. We shoot, we ride fast, we shoot again. Soldiers drop, and horses fall on them."

Custer's remains were reinterred at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. Also among the dead were Custer's brothers, Thomas and Boston,  nephew, Autie, and brother-in-law, 1st Lt. James Calhoun. Thomas, a captain, was twice awarded the Medal of Honor during the Civil War.

We learned from our visit that it was probably the last stand for the Indians as they dispersed after the battle and returned to their reservations. The Great Sioux War was nearly over.

It reminded me of a visit several years ago to Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania, site of the bloodiest Civil War battle in 1863, one that many historians consider the turning point in the War Between the States. 

Custer National Cemetery

Custer National Cemetery is located on the grounds of Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. In addition to some of the fallen at Little Bighorn, the hallowed ground contains the remains of veterans from the Spanish-American War to Vietnam as well as graves of Indian scouts who served in the military.

For more photos, visit my Facebook page by clicking here.

Next stop: Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota.

Until the next time....

On the Road Again (Herbert Hoover National Historic Site)

While mapping out the trip to Mount Rushmore, I discovered that the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site and Presidential Library and Museum were just off I-80, in West Branch, Iowa.

Herbert Hoover

The rustic 81-acre site takes one back to a Midwestern farming community in the late 19th century, with restored buildings on a tallgrass prairie and a creek that meanders across the property. 

Birthplace cottage

Hoover, the 31st president, was born Aug. 10, 1874, in West Branch. His parents, who were Quakers, both died when Herbert was a child, and he was raised for a while by an aunt and uncle on a farm in West Branch before going to Newberg, Ore., to live with the family of his mother's brother, Dr. Henry Minthorn.

Hoover graduated with a degree in geology from Stanford University, the first graduating class, in 1895. It was there he met his wife, Lou Henry, who was also from Iowa, and also earned a degree in geology.

You can read more about the life and times of Hoover, who served as president from 1929 until 1933 here. Unfortunately, for Hoover, many people remember him as president during the economic collapse that brought on the Great Depression.

National Historic Site Visitors Center

The historic site includes the two-room birthplace cottage, schoolhouse, Friends meetinghouse, and presidential library and museum. The visitors center contains exhibits, bookstore, and video about Hoover's life.

Statue of Isis 

The only statue on the grounds is of Isis, the Egyptian goddess of life, given to Hoover by the citizens for Belgium for his humanitarian work for that country as well as other European nations during and after World War I.  He was known as "The Great Humanitarian" for his efforts. He lived a life of service after leaving the White House.

Grave site of Herbert and Lou Henry Hoover

The grave sites of Herbert, who died in 1964, and Lou Henry, who passed away in 1944, are unpretentious, keeping with the Quaker tradition of simplicity. I found the entire site to be modest and respectful to a former leader.

Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum

The national historic site is free; a peaceful setting off the highway to walk the grounds of another time in our nation's history. There is an admission charge to the presidential library and museum. 

Here's quote from Herbert Hoover that I find inspiring, reflects on his early life in Iowa, and the eternal hope that America should offer to everyone:

"My country owes me no debt. It gave me, as it gives every boy and girl, a chance. It gave me schooling, independence of action, opportunity for service and honor. In no other land could a boy from a country village, without inheritance or influential friends, look forward with unbounded hope."

More images of the Hoover National Historic Site can be seen on my Facebook page by clicking here.

Until the next time....