Sunday Salon: Home from our trip -- by the numbers

Viewing the Yellowstone River and Lower Falls from Artist's Point overlook. .The river runs through a 24-mile gorge called the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

We just got home from a big trip. Here is a summary of what we did, by the numbers.

Thirteen days, 33+ hours of driving time, and over 2033 miles: We were on the road for thirteen days traveling south to my sister's home in Oregon to pick up furniture from my mom's home to deliver to my other sister in Idaho. From there we continued heading east to investigate --

The Grand Tetons overlooking Jackson Lake. Can you believe I took this photo? So lovely!

Two National Parks: Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, both in Wyoming. Don had never visited Yellowstone before and the last time I visited it I was eight years old (or younger.) In reverse, I'd never been to the Grand Tetons and Don had only visited briefly for a business conference a decade ago. What a joy to experience them together finally! While driving around Yellowstone, which is massive, we must have made --

One of many signs we passed like this. We only hopped out of the car for this shot.

Five or six trips back and forth across the Continental Divide associated with the Rocky Mountains determining which way the water will flow as it leaves the source -- toward the Pacific Ocean or the Atlantic (via the Mississippi).  I think of it as a straight line running north and south but that is not true. It is a squiggly line and as it runs through Yellowstone it wanders toward the northwest so every time we'd pass certain points on the road, we crossed back and forth over the line several times. We'd see a sign announcing the continental divide and it's elevation, then a few miles later there would be another sign announcing the divide with a new elevation again. We found it very humorous.

Our tour on the yellow bus was small, just one other couple. Don and I are in the front grouping.

Two bus tours. We took a bus tour in each park and learned so much not only about the flora and fauna but also about the history of each park. Yellowstone was our nation's first national park, so it holds a real special place in our history. To make it extra special our trip through Yellowstone was inside a yellow bus, part of the original fleet from the 1930s. We took a similar tour in Glacier National Park last year with our family in the red bus from the same era.

I now realize I didn't take any photos of mudpots. Too ugly?

Four hydrothermal systems. while on the tour we learned about and witnessed all four of the hydrothermal systems at Yellowstone: geysers, mudpots, hot springs, and steam vents. The park is stuffed full of them, over 10,000, and each one is so fascinating.

The bears are so cute it is tempting to think of them as cuddly but there are signs everywhere reminding tourists how dangerous the bears are. We carried bear spray with us on hikes.

Five bears. While driving around Yellowstone everyone is on the lookout for animal sightings. The bison were everywhere, sometimes in large herds (called "nurseries" with all the calves, known as read dogs, recently born this time of year). Elk are often spotted, too. But the prize is seeing the bears. We spotted five -- four black bears (two of them were black, two were brown-- same species just different colors), and one grizzly.

One bison photo selected from many. This guy jumped onto the road ride in front of us and stayed put until we were able to pass.

Three sunset photo opportunities, one successful. We were told where to stand to view the sunset over the Grand Tetons when we checked into the lodge on our first day in the park. The lodge is perfectly located to view sunsets over the beautiful mountains. Unfortunately our two opportunities in that park were busts -- no colorful skies as the sun went down. Our last night of the trip, as we were heading home, we stayed in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho and we took a sunset boat tour on the lake. The weather had been cloudy all afternoon. We didn't hold out any hope for a beautiful sky. But we were rewarded with a colorful display.

Four and a half audiobooks. Don and I listen to books as we drive on long trips. Here's the ones we listened to this trip:

• Angel Down by Daniel Krause -- Our first audiobook was the recent winner of the Pulitzer Prize for literature. Set during WWI when four men discover a fallen angel who has the power to save them from war if they can tamp down their selfish urges. It was an incredible listening experience for both of us. Powerful. We both rated it 5 stars.
• This Land Is Your Land: A Road Trip Through US History by Beverly Gage -- Gage takes readers on the ultimate road trip to visit thirteen key places in American history that explain our past and help envision our future. Both of us hope this book gets wide readership. Her insights are were just that -- insightful. We both rated the book with 5 stars. It was Don's favorite book of the trip.
• Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz -- in the near-future a bunch of abandoned bots open their own restaurant. Both of us considered this novella as a palette cleanser after the first two serious books. We both rated it 3 stars.
• Wild Rescues: A Paramedic's Extreme Adventures in Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton by Kevin Grange -- Paramedics in the National Parks often have to respond to medical and traumatic emergencies in very isolated settings. This book, recommended by another couple on our bus tour of the Grand Tetons, was a perfect book to listen to while we were in the parks were a lot of the stories were set. The writing, however, was bit repetitive and very much centered on Grange himself. Don rated it 3.5, I gave it a 3.75 stars. 
• Whistler by Ann Patchett -- Daphne Fuller, now in her 50s, runs into Eddie Triplett, a man who was her stepfather for one year when she was nine. This chance encounter rekindles a relationship they both treasured. Don and I started listening to this fifth audiobook on the last leg of our trip home and we only managed to complete 60% of it. I am a huge Patchett fan and this one is shaping up to be my favorite of the trip even though it will have to be finished in our living room.

Four other books. Alone I managed to complete two books I'd started before the trip, made progress on another book, and started a fourth. We had quite a bit of time to read when we were staying in Yellowstone. Internet connectivity was terrible throughout the park and in our hotel. We played cards each evening then would tuck into bed and pull out our books. Don was working away on a Cormac McCarthy novel and I worked on:

• Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert -- This is my CC Spin book for the month. I tried to read just 12 pages a day and I think I kept to that schedule pretty closely. 59% complete.
• Why Read Moby-Dick? by Nathaniel Philbrick -- I recently finished Moby-Dick and wondered why that book is still near the top of everyone's list of books one read in their lifetime. I hoped this book would answer that question. It did and more. 4 stars.
• The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Sparks -- A third classic book. How odd. This one is a short one and a book club selection for later this month. I need to spend some time thinking about this one to help me appreciate it. 3 stars.
• The Man Who Could Move Clouds by Ingrid Rojas Contreras -- A memoir that reads like magical realism. This is another book club selection. 33% complete.

A functioning chapel for any traveler who wants to drop by and pray or attend services.

The mountains perfectly framed in the center window looking out.

A barn built by a family from before the time when the Grand Tetons were a National Park, circa 1920. Can you imagine living in such a setting?

Three more photos. All favorites taken during our bus tour through Grand Tetons.

Thanks for sticking with me and reading about our long but wonderful trip.

-Anne