With government controlled car companies intent on building
”
tiny
”
cars that can’t travel very far, we, the vast majority, are not
provided with what we really want. SUVs. Nevertheless, on our
vacations, my family travels in our big
”
all wheel drive
”
SUV.
It has been estimated that there are two trillion barrels of oil in the west. In fact, the United States has the largest shale oil reserves in the world. So, why not get it? Thus, gasoline can be a monetarily reasonable power source for the next 80 years. Unfortunately, the current administration seems to ignore this. With government controlled car companies intent on building “tiny” cars that can’t travel very far, we, the vast majority, are not provided with what we really want. SUVs.
Nevertheless, on our vacations, my family travels in our big “all wheel drive” SUV.
For this year’s vacation, we decided to visit the Grand Tetons, Jackson Hole (Valley), Wyoming and Yellowstone Park.
My wife and I had vacationed there some 34 years ago. As we came into the town of Jackson that day, we parked and noticed a commotion in the town square. There was a “gunfight” between the “sheriff” and several “bad guys.” After this introduction to the “Old West,” we rushed to the “Cowboy Bar,” where we “bellied up” to the bar and sat on horse saddle bar stools.
This time, we were fortunate to have a younger driver, our son-in-law.
On Highway 80, through Sacramento and Reno, we headed for Wendover, Utah for our first stop. Heading out early the next morning, we passed the Great Salt Lake and Salt Lake City. Heading to Brigham City, we headed northeast on Highway 89, through Idaho to Wyoming and Jackson.
We were shocked. This Friday afternoon in Jackson was chaos. This was not like the last time. The town was completely over run by tourists. Between people trying to cross the street in crosswalks and drivers trying to get through at the same time, tempers flared. However, we did get to the “Cowboy Bar” and had our pictures taken on the saddles at the bar. The “gunfight” was scheduled for 6 p.m. We did not wait; we beat it out of town.
Our scheduled lodging was 35 miles north at Jackson Lake Lodge. Arguably, the most beautiful place on earth. From the lobby, one can view the Grand Tetons’ snow capped peaks across Jackson Lake. It can take your breath away. Unforgettable! Fantastic!
Yet, for adventure, there is nothing like a pontoon raft trip down the Snake River. That we did the next day. Always on our right the magnificent Tetons rose. At the end of our three-hour raft trip with an experienced helmsman and a knowledgeable guide informing us of the history, terrain and almost anything else, along the way, we 19 passengers were served lunch in a rustic setting. Hamburgers, hot dogs, salad and other delicacies were served. Dessert was cow chip-sized chocolate chip cookies for a tasty treat.
The next day, Yellowstone Park was on the agenda. Traveling north into the park we made a loop around Yellowstone, from Fishing Village, Canyon Village, Madison, to Old Faithful Village. On this Sunday tour, we saw fantastic, steaming, bubbling cauldrons. But, few animals. And lots of traffic.
At Old Faithful Village, again we found chaos. We could barely get to our hotel because the traffic was almost at a standstill. However, it was a pleasure to see the many families with children traveling in their SUV’\s. Nevertheless, we did find our rooms, then walked to see “Old Faithful” geyser. Actually, there are four or five geysers in the area of “Old Faithful,” which blows every 90 minutes.
The next day, Monday, we headed out of the park, back up to Madison and on to West Yellowstone, some 30 miles. And, this was animal day!
So far, we had not seen many of the elk, moose or buffalo, that live in the park. But, this 30 miles took us a long time. We stopped to look at herds of elk, moose, and deer. We saw coyotes. But, most of all, we saw herds as well as individual buffalo or bison, if you prefer.
We stopped for pictures. But, the most exciting stop was the close encounter. One buffalo was down by a stream munching grass, some 30 or 40 feet away. We stayed in the car and took pictures. Although signs warn of wild animals, people got out of their cars and approached the buffalo to take pictures.
The next sighting was closer. Here, close to the road, the buffalo had made a “wallow” and was lying in it. Again, people stopped, got out of their cars and took pictures. We took pictures from the car.
Finally, on a deserted part of the road, we came across a buffalo eating grass along the two lane highway. His right legs were on the pavement. From the car, he was perhaps 10 feet away. Our driver stopped beside the animal. Our daughter stuck her camera out the open window and took the picture. All I could think of was, “Let’s get out of here!”
What a great vacation by car … you really see the country that way.
Burton Anderson is a Purple Heart Korean War Marine veteran and the author of “We Claim The Title – Korean War Marines.” He can be reached at ba****@*ol.com.
