It’s been about 7 months since the last time Theresa and I jumped in Big Blue and traveled northwest to Erie, to visit Presque Isle State Park. This time around it was 40 degrees warmer. There was no snow on the ground and Lake Erie was ice free. The trees had leaves that were finally beginning to show their true colors and many of the summer birds were still hanging around. Winter at Presque Isle was harsh, but still striking under a blanket of snow and ice. Autumn at Presque Isle is even more special, with cool nights, warm days, colorful landscapes and sunrises and sunsets that still invite visitors to stroll the beaches.

October is a time of transition in nature, a time of stunning changes and a time when plants and animals begin preparing for the long, dormant period. It’s no different on Presque Isle, a unique 3,200-acre peninsula that sticks out into Lake Erie, and hosts Pennsylvania’s only “coastline.” One of PA’s most visited state parks, Presque Isle invites people to boat, swim, fish, hike, bicycle and go birding-one of the reasons we ventured nearly 400 miles from our home in southeast PA. The park has tallied over 300 bird species and is rated as one of the top birding spots in the country. Due to its location in Lake Erie, it serves as an important resting area for many songbirds migrating south in the fall from Canada, where, after their long journey across the lake, they “plop” down on the first piece of land they come to-Presque Isle. In addition, many species of waterfowl and gulls migrate past the park as they fly east to west, along the Great Lakes. In the spring, the park and surrounding waters abounds with birdlife once again as their routes are reversed on their northbound migration. Our weekend total species count for Presque Isle (and surrounding areas) was 72 species. Not too shabby for only birding a few hours each day!

We didn’t limit our Northwest Pennsylvania trip to just Presque Isle. Before arriving in Erie, we made a stop at Pymatuning State Park to see the famous spillway, where’s there so many Carp that “ducks walk on the backs of the fish!” Visitors from several states come to this odd tourist attraction to feed loaves and loaves of bread to the begging fish, along with ducks and seagulls. It’s a weird, but funny scene, to see thousands of fish lips sticking out of the water as if to say “feed me, feed me!”

After checking into our hotel and grabbing a bite to eat, the sun began to set, preparing us for our final outing of our first evening-a night hike at Erie Bluffs State Park. We arrived to find a dozen brave souls gathered in the parking area chatting with a Park Ranger, as 20 mph winds howled from the west. Not the best conditions for a nocturnal interpretive walk, but we were determined to give it a go. As we moved down the path from fields to forest, I was glad I threw in a couple flashlights to guide our “challenging” route. The many, hidden tree roots seemed to grab your feet with each step. If it wasn’t for a couple large oaks growing right next to the trail that acted as bumper guards for me, I would have flopped off into the mysterious darkness along the way. We picked our way out to the bluffs, where wicked gusts of wind almost blew us off the 50’ drop-offs! We were having fun now!

The next day we woke early, chugged some coffee, grabbed a couple muffins and headed out in the pre-dawn hours to Presque Isle SP to meet Jerry McWilliams. Jerry has been surveying water birds at PISP as a volunteer since 1987. Almost every day, from late August to early January he parks himself at Sunset Point and scans the horizon for ducks, gulls and any other birds that fly toward, over, or past the peninsula. The data he’s collected shows some important population changes in certain species over the past 28 years. We were rewarded with our early departure for one of the most amazing sunrises we’ve ever seen! After watching the lake for an hour and half, Theresa and I said farewell to Jerry and decided to take a hike on one of the trails to check out some of the fall migrants. We saw lots of warblers, thrushes, kinglets, sparrows and plenty of Blue Jays. The weather was clear, sunny and warm-a gorgeous autumn day! We spent the remainder of the day checking out the North Pier and North Pier Lighthouse, directly across from the City of Erie. After grabbing a sandwich at the local Sheetz (there’s a lot of Sheetz in NW PA-even more than our Wawa’s in SE PA), we changed our scenery and headed inland, toward Warren County, attempting to find some fall colors to photograph. We ended our enjoyable day the same way we had started it, by watching the sun, as it set over the gentle rolling waves of Lake Erie.

As we loaded Big Blue for our trip home, we detoured a bit south to find a few elusive Sandhill Cranes in Lawrence County, then stopped for a visit at Cook Forest State Park in Clarion County-home to an amazing old growth stand of Hemlocks and White Pines. The forest is designated as a National Natural Landmark. We even challenged ourselves to climb the old, 87’ tall fire tower that overlooks the entire Clarion River Valley. It was a very uneasy climb up this tower built in 1929! I’m not sure my legs ached afterwards because of the climb up 7 flights of creaky wooden steps, or sore from my nervous legs shaking all the way up and all the way back down! It was hairy, and upon returning to solid ground, Theresa commented that I looked like I was dazed walking back the trail.

Northwest Pennsylvania is a great place to visit, especially if you enjoy the outdoors. There are many parks, forests and waterways to enjoy, miles of trails to explore, and of course, the shores of Lake Erie as it molds the majestic landscape of Presque Isle! We will be back!

As I excitedly described the interesting Crane Fly that was flying around our living room to my daughter, her comeback was simple and to the point, “It’s a huge bug. Please get rid of it!” Unfortunately, to most people, the many species of fascinating insects that live around us, are nothing but “bugs” and just want them gone.

Webster’s Dictionary defines bug as “an insect or other creeping or crawling invertebrate,” or “any of several insects commonly considered obnoxious.” Obnoxious? Not all insects are “pests,” like mosquitos, flies or cockroaches! I think “obnoxious” is a bit harsh of a description for an entire group of animals, even if some of them can bite you, sting you and/or suck your blood! Wooly Bear caterpillars creep and crawl, and I don’t think most people would describe them as obnoxious! If it sounds like I’m defending these bugs, well, I kinda am, and I have good reason to.

Insects have been on Earth for about 350 million years-humans, only about 130,000 years. There are millions of species of insects around the world. They are the most numerous type of animal found on our planet, but from the many different kinds, only about 1% are actually harmful to humans. For example, bees pollinate flowers which allows the plants to reproduce, which, in turn, provides food for us! In addition, bugs are a critical part of the food chain. Without them, many other species of animals and even plants (i.e. Venus Fly Traps and Pitcher Plants) that depend on them as a food source, would not be here, including certain birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and other insects. Also, in many parts of this world, insects are a common part of many cultures’ daily meals. It is true that many insects crawl, but they also hop, fly, skip, scurry and wiggle. They can be very big like the 5” long Goliath Beetle, which may be bigger than the palm of your hand, or tiny, like the Fairy Fly of Costa Rica, a type of wasp that’s only about .10 mm. That’s smaller than the eye of a small needle!

I do admit, however, that our family has had its share of wild insect stories, and some of them ended up pretty painful, like the nest of Yellow Jackets that my sister Cathy, Pa and I stepped on in Canada in the early 1970’s. I’ll never forget as we stopped to explore a small island while fishing a large lake at my Uncle Bus’s cabin, when all of a sudden stinging bees swarmed us from every direction. My father grabbed each one of us under his arms, like two large duffle bags, ran through the brush and threw us in the boat, bees still in hot pursuit. Not only do I still remember the shear sense of panic, but oddly, I also can’t forget all the branches and sticks that hit me in the face as we ran for our lives! Then there was the famous visit to the Belize Zoo during a cruise in 2005. While strolling the rustic grounds watching and listening to Howler Monkeys and a variety of birds, Darby and Theresa were walking on a trail just ahead of me. Suddenly, Darby started screaming and swatting at her ankles. Theresa then started frantically brushing something off her lower legs as well. Panic quickly turned into pain as we discovered several, tiny Tropical Fire Ants that had crawled on them and were viciously stinging their ankles. They ran, and I mean ran. One minute they were in front of Tyler and I, the next minute they were gone, having sprinted back to the waiting bus, like wild Cheetahs chasing gazelles across the African plains! The sting, which has been described as being burned by fire (hence their names) is very painful, but fortunately, only lasts for a few minutes. Fortunately, Fire Ants are only found in warmer climates.

Since insects are cold blooded and cannot regulate their body temperatures, they flourish where the weather is warm or hot. This is why there’s many more species of insects that are found in tropical rain forests (where it’s hot year-round) than in Pennsylvania’s forests. Our summer season is when we see the most insects, and since it’s also the season we spend most time outdoors, we tend to notice them most, too. It’s the time of the year we get most “bugged” by them! But even here in PA, we have some beautiful bugs.

How many of us have watched Monarch butterflies feeding on Milkweeds in preparation of their long migration south to Mexico, or observed a Praying Mantis that waits patiently for an hour to capture a fly for supper? We are quick to grumble when mosquitos swarm around us at our backyard BBQ, or get creeped out as a small spider runs across the floor in front of our feet (and rightfully so), but we can’t forget about all the cool, and very beneficial, bugs, that we live with every day. I admit, I’m the first one to go on mini extermination quests for the many House Flies that seem to invade our home each summer, but remember, not all bugs are created equal-they’re not all out to get us! Stay cool and enjoy your summer!

In 1958, millions of teens were rockin’ to Eddie Cochran’s popular tune Summer Time Blues. Although he might have been singing about being sad in the summer, there are quite a few “feathered blues” in Pennsylvania that are not so sad. As a matter of fact, I get happy when I have a chance to see some of these “blues” during the summer months, and there’s plenty to choose from!

Pennsylvania’s blue birds include Eastern Bluebirds, Blue Jays, Great-blue Herons, Blue Grosbeaks, Blue-winged Warblers, Black-throated Blue Warblers, Blue-winged Teal, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Blue-headed Vireos, and the bluest bird of them all, the Indigo Bunting-sorry, no blue in in this one’s name. It’s as if nature knew that the color blue is the # 1 favorite color of most people!

Blue is the color of our sky and water. It’s considered a “complex color,” with connections to words such as coolness (water), soothing, loyalty, peace, serenity and intellect. But, it’s also associated with sadness and depression, like the name of the song in the beginning of this blog. Many corporations use blue in their logos, over half the world’s flags contain the color blue, and we can’t forget the many styles and shades of our favorite bottom wear-blue jeans! In the bird world, blue feathers are usually found on the males of the species. This bright color helps the males attract girlfriends!

Blue Jay,  Eastern Bluebird, Indigo Bunting

All of these birds can be seen in the late spring through the dog days of summer, but only a few of these stick around through our Pennsylvania winters. From all the birds listed, only Blue Jays, Eastern Bluebirds and Great-blue Herons can be seen during the cold, snowy months. All the rest head south to warmer climates. I’ve had some pretty memorable experiences while looking f  or some of these winged wonders.

Great-blue Heron, Blue-winged Teal, Black-throated Blue Warbler

While checking bluebird boxes several years ago, I was more than a bit surprised when I opened the side panel to see a large Black Rat Snake curled up in the nest with a chick hanging out of its mouth. The slithery reptile was not very polite, lunging itself in my general direction. I don’t think it was actually trying to attack me, more like a hasty exit from somewhere it shouldn’t have been. Critters come in all sizes, too.

I pulled a personal record of (11) ticks off me after trying to sneak up on a male Blue Grosbeak in an overgrown field one Sunday afternoon, and put my foot down right next to a good size snapping turtle while photographing a Blue-winged Teal in a local marsh this past spring. Not all my adventures are that exciting. While watching a pair of Blue-winged Warblers this past May with five other birders, along a heavily used trail, I slammed my head on low hanging branch, dropped my binoculars, and stepped in a pile of horse manure-all in one, swift, Olympic-style motion! Insult was then added to injury when the guy in front of me quickly turned and asked me to be a little, more quiet as we approached the birds! I won’t write in this blog what I whispered under my breath to him!

True Blue! I love the color in nature, whether it’s watching and listening to a male Indigo Bunting singing from a hedgerow on a hot summer day, or watching a Great-blue Heron glide across a bright blue sky on a crisp autumn morning!

Day 16 & Day 17 (combo)-The journey is coming to an end. We spent the night in Mitchell, SD on Day 16, home of the famous Corn Palace. So, before hitting the road, we shot into town to see this interesting building. Mitchell lays claim to having the World’s only Corn Palace. The entire outside (façade) is decorated with murals and art made of corn cobs. It’s been standing in the same place since 1892! Although it was getting a facelift when we there (birds are constantly munching the delicious corn on the cob artwork), we took 4 ½ minutes to snap a few photos.

These last days will be long driving days as we propel ourselves toward Pennsylvania. As we progressed across South Dakota and Iowa, we caught sight of some interesting sights, like a “open gallery” of large, unusual art standing in the middle of a farm field. We stopped asking “why” people display odd objects on their properties, several states ago. They just do.

We chose to settle in for the evening in historic LeClaire, Iowa (just outside Davenport), along the Mighty Mississippi. It was a really cool, little, river town and we had a delicious dinner at the Crane & Pelican Café, a restored brick Italianate-style house built in 1851 by a riverboat captain. The food and view of the river was very relaxing after a long day in Big Blue. As we were leaving, Theresa discovered that we were right around the block from the Antique Archaeology shop, from the History Channel’s American Pickers, starring Mike Wolfe. Although the shop was closed, I peaked in to see what objects they were working on, including an old bumper car from an amusement park ride. Pretty neat stuff!

I woke up early this morning on our last day to watch the sun rise over the Mississippi River. As it got a bit lighter, I sat along the big waterway, drinking my coffee and watching some small fishing boats heading out to try their luck. Several White Pelicans cruised up and down the river and one landed just a few yards from my riverbank resting spot and posed for a quick photo. As the mayflies hatched from the water and flew skyward, I took a few minutes to reflect on what Theresa, Darby and I just did for the past 16 days. It’s been a vacation to remember, and I’ll try to summarize our trip back home in PA, after “digesting” all of our experiences.

 For Theresa and I it’s been another wonderful adventure together, and especially appreciate the chance to share it with Darby. She was a real trooper with all our plans and was willing to try things she might not have tried if mom and dad were not leading the agenda! She was more patient than I could have ever been with the long days in the back seat of Big Blue and most of all, my sometimes scary, driving! Whether it was driving too close to a mountain drop-off, suddenly screeching to check out yet another bird, backing up ½ mile to see if those two Coyotes would get together, or hanging on for dear life as I accidently jumped over the raised curb (lane separator) at Mount Rushmore. You did great Darb, and we love you for joining us!

…………….til our next adventure begins, Thanks for following my Big West Blog!

Day 15-THURSDAY-STILL ONE DAY BEHIND-We awoke in the Black Hills this morning to bright sunshine, but a heavy frost and 28 degree F temps. It was fresh here in SW South Dakota. The Black Hills are a sacred place. Rich in history and debate. The area was, and still is, the central location of the Native American Tribe, the Lakota (also known as the Sioux). In the late 1870’s the rumors of gold being discovered in the Black Hills brought thousands of whites to the area, with the U.S. Army sending in General George Armstrong Custer of the 7^th Calvary to confirm the gold discovery. Although a newspaper report in 1874 stated gold had indeed been discovered, the gold rush never amounted to much of anything, except permanent settlement of many Europeans on Sioux lands. To this day, the Lakota Sioux still lay claim to the Black Hills.

We had a great day, with an early morning visit to Mount Rushmore National Monument (what I call the Big Heads Park), a cave tour 200’ below the surface in Wind Cave National Monument, close up views of large Prairie Dog Towns in Custer State Park (and Wind Cave NP) and amazing explorations of rugged sandstone formations, and vast grasslands in Badlands National Park. All these sites are located within the greater Black Hills Ecosystem. We also saw a variety of wildlife, including Pronghorn Antelope, Bighorn Sheep, Mule and White-tailed Deer, and of course Prairie Dogs-lots and lots of Prairie Dogs. There were towns of the little furry critters in Wind Cave NP, Custer SP and Badlands NP. As they ran from burrow to burrow, whistling their alarm calls, they reminded me of the gopher that Bill Murray was obsessed with destroying in the classic movie Caddyshack! The only thing that made them cuter was the fact that there were young ones waddling all around as well. Many times we would sit and watch them for a few minutes and without notice they would stand on their hind legs and jump up in the air. The young ones would mimic the parents, except they would face each other, jump and do some “belly bucking!”

The landscape of the Badlands (below) is amazing, unique and rugged!

Bighorn Sheep roam through the many rock formations.

Before leaving the area, no visit to this area would be complete without stopping at the world famous Wall Drug. For those who have traveled down south, you could compare Wall Drug to South of The Border, but with an overall western theme. Their signs mark the highway for miles and miles, they offer all kinds of souvenirs and gimmicks, and oh, yea, you can also get a free cup of ice water!

We continue tomorrow with our long trek home. We’re tired, but have had an unbelievable adventure over the past 16 days. One last post tomorrow, then on the home stretch to PA!

Day 14-ONE DAY LATE-I apologize in getting this day posted, but as you’ll read, we had some delays on our travels today, and didn’t get into our hotel in Hill City, SD until 11pm on Wednesday night.

We left the comfort of our accommodations (Three Bears Lodge) in West Yellowstone, MT this morning to head down through Yellowstone NP, and begin the great journey back east. However, every good plan has its setbacks, and we certainly had our share today! As we stopped to enjoy the views of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, Yellowstone Falls and a couple last geysers and mud pots, we came to a sudden stop-stuck in an hour long traffic jam. Since we couldn’t see ahead of us what the problem might be, we began taking turns trying to offer our ideas as to what might be causing it. The guesses covered road construction (a lot was going on throughout the park), though there were no warning signs. Maybe an accident, but we saw no emergency vehicles come by us. A forest fire, but we saw no smoke, maybe a Sasquatch sighting? Most likely it was probably caused by uncommon animal sighting (photo opps)-probably a bear, since they cause most of Yellowstone’s long back-ups. After an hour, many of the driver’s simply turned around and returned from the direction they came from. However, we could not. The road we were on was the only road that was open, to get out us out of the East Entrance, so we had to stay the course. Well, we were kinda right. As we came around the last bend we saw flashing lights of a Park Ranger vehicle, another Park Ranger out of her vehicle standing alongside the road waving cars cautiously on by, and 100 Bison slowly, stubbornly, walking up the middle of the road, and on both shoulders. They were literally in front of Big Blue and on both sides-large, hairy, agitated beasts (and many calves) being slowly “pushed” up toward a nearby meadow by the Park Ranger in his car. He would drive to the end of the herd and drive by them slowly, forcing them to one side, then as the leading animals would wander back into the middle of the road he would whip his cruiser around and attempt to do the same with the front critters. We sat there and watched him do this 3-4 times as the large Buffalo would strut on by our windows, barely giving us a glance. If we wanted to, we could have reached out and swatted them on the butt to get them moving a bit quicker, but all I could think about was the State Farm commercial! I told Darby to give this one particular, large bull a pet on his oversized head, but she rolled up the window, and said, “You first!”

Our last photos of Yellowstone-the lower falls, 10,000′ Avalanche Peak and the Dragon’s Breath geyser.

After finally leaving the park boundaries, we traveled down through the Wapiti Valley, toward Cody, WY, a place I knew well since I worked here in 1983.The ride was going well, with stunning mountain peaks on both sides, when I came around a curve and once again had to come to a complete stop. Why? Yep, you guessed it, more wildlife delays, except this time it was a small heard of Bighorn Sheep that decided they were done grazing along the road and wanted to return to the rocky cliffs on the other side. These critters were in no hurry to move out of the way. Maybe they liked the feel of asphalt on their hooves, maybe they were tired, or maybe they just wanted piss off the tourists traveling along “their stretch of highway.” In any case, one determined young ram made it clear he was not going to be rushed, and he stopped right on the centerline-deciding not to take another step forward and follow the herd to the right shoulder. That is, until a tractor-trailer truck came around me and simply encouraged him to move off the road by literally nudging him with the cattle guard that was mounted on the front of his cab. The young sheep was no match for the Mack truck and trotted off to join the others-a bit surprised, but proud of his actions nonetheless!

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Big Blue took us 40 miles up through some amazing scenery of the Bighorn Mountains, and over 9,400’ Granite Pass, as we turned toward Eastern Wyoming, and on to South Dakota. It had been a long, but interesting day of traveling, and as the sun began to set, we knew we still had 2 hours to drive to get to our hotel in Hill City, SD (near Mount Rushmore). But, there was one last site we wanted to hit, even though we were pretty tired-Devil’s Tower. We had to, were only 27 miles away! Now, I visited this National Monument back in 1981 with my sister Cathy, Ma and Pa (as part of an earlier Big West Trip), four years after Steven Spielberg and Richard Dreyfus made this large rock in the Black Hills one of America’s most famous natural landmarks in the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind. As the sun quickly began to fade in the western sky, we raced up the back roads to the site, stopping quickly for a few spectacular sunset photos from afar, before screeching into the parking lot as the last rays of sunlight barely illuminated this unique formation. The paved path up to the observation area was short, but steep. The three of us leaped from the barely-parked truck, grabbed our cameras and cell phones and began to sprint up the hill toward “The Tower.” It was nearly dark. Darby jogged to the top with ease, showing off her new found Mountain Goat skills, but me and the wife weakened pretty quick. We both went from an Olympic sprint, to an awkwardly-looking speed walk, and finally to a slow, heavy-breathing, bring in the oxygen, “go ahead I’ll be right there,” sluggish crawl. Boy, it didn’t look that steep when we parked! By the time we arrived at the bench at the top, I had accomplished my target heart rate, sweating and gasping for water, but couldn’t quite hold the camera for a steady shot. I announced that I would just sleep on the bench and get ready for some sunrise photos. After a much-needed rest, we did manage to get some cool pictures to end our long, but adventurous day. As we left in the darkness, we were briefly “wildlife-stalled” one last time as a new born Red Fox pup got confused by my headlights and was running down the middle of the road, while another was sitting on the shoulder. Both made it safely off to the side where mama was probably waiting to lecture them about playing in the street. All I had to do was drive the 2 hours down to the hotel, in the dark, on unfamiliar roads, dodging wildlife running across the highway every mile, and we would be fine. The fact that I’m typing this blog is evidence we made it safely. NOTE: Many thanks Darby and Theresa for alerting me to the Elk that crossed in front of me. I was so tired I wasn’t sure if it was just another giant reflector, or that I was hallucinating!

Day 13-Yellowstone National Park. This a mysterious, magical place. It’s a land of steaming geysers, boiling hot springs, bubbling mud pots, an abundance of wildlife and rugged 10,000’ snow-capped peaks that seem to surround you in every direction you look! It’s an ecosystem unlike any other in the world. The entire 2.2 million acres is literally an active volcano with over 10,000 thermal features and 300+ geysers. It’s located in three states (mostly Wyoming) and its land mass is larger than the states of Delaware and Rhode Island combined. It’s big, really big! Yellowstone is America’s first national park, designated in 1872. It hosts about 3 million visitors each year.

Perhaps the main attraction in the entire park is Old Faithful, a large geyser that erupts every 60-70 minutes, 24 hours/day, 365 days/year. It reaches a maximum of height of 150’ and lasts about 2 minutes. With a thousand other visitors, we sat around the steaming vent, watching and waiting on a cold (53 degrees F), windy morning-everyone’s cameras, cell phones and video cameras all anxiously pointed at the center of attention. People were talking and laughing and then the geyser would give off a large “spurt” as it built up pressure for the main eruption, and everyone would suddenly get quiet. It would then settle back down and you could hear the crowd sigh a collective, “ahhh,” as if their favorite basketball player just missed the winning foul shot! This happened a couple more times, and each time the audience reacted the same. It was pretty funny after the 3^rd time!

What makes Yellowstone unique are all the geysers ad hot springs that dot the park. Just about everywhere you drive you see steam rising from the landscape. Sometimes there’s a bunch of them together and it’s a interpretive stop, but most of them are just scattered about, on the side of a hill, or in the thick, young Lodgepole pine forest that covers the terrain. They constantly leak their hot, boiling water and minerals into the park’s two main rivers, the Yellowstone and Madison, where anglers try their luck catching Cutthroat Trout and adventure companies guide visitors down the flowing waters in large rubber rafts.

  If

Old Faithful is the main attraction in one central location (along with a few others like Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Lake and Yellowstone Falls), then wildlife is what attracts visitors nearly everywhere else in the park. The park is well known for its variety of large critters, such as Elk, Bison, Grizzly and Black Bears, Moose, Wolves, Coyotes and many species of birds. No matter where you travel in the park, you have an opportunity to view one, or many, of these awesome animals-and where you find animals, you’ll find people. You start to see a very obvious pattern in Yellowstone NP. When you see lots of cars crazily pulled off the side of the road, there’s probably some kind of wildlife there. It becomes a bit hectic when there’s no space for many cars, but 50 vehicles will back up traffic to see a Bison laying down along the road munching on some grass. We’ve been very fortunate in the past couple days to see Elk, Moose, Bison, Mule Deer, Pronghorn Antelope and Coyote, but like many others, we still wanted to spot a bear. Darby in particular had even practiced her bear calls, which up to this point, hadn’t produced anything larger than a Chipmunk. Everywhere you look, however, there’s signs warning you about bears (Their slogan is BE BEAR AWARE) and even specific areas closed off due to “bear activity.” We closely examined every meadow, forest clearing and river edge, but still no sign of the hairy beasts.

But, after hours of looking, we caught a break with a little help. At the end of the day, on the way back to our lodge in West Yellowstone, MT, we decided to stop and scan a large meadow with some rolling hills behind. There was only one other car parked there when we arrived. I thought I saw something “bear-like” in the distance so I broke out my spotting scope. As I stood there trying to focus on this brown spot ½ mile away, an caravan of vehicles pulled in to the small parking area. About 15 cars carrying Asian visitors jumped out next to us pointing there cameras in the direction I was looking, but having no clue as to what they were looking at, or for. I truly believe they wanted to ask me, but didn’t know how. When I turned back to Theresa and Darby to tell them it was a Bison (false alarm) and not a bear, they must have understood because they all abruptly put away their cameras, hopped in their minivans and sped off down the road! They must have been wanting to see a bear, too! Just after they left, a man came up to me and told me that the camper (as he was pointing) down the road has a grizzly in view right now. So, like any good Yellowstone wildlife watcher would do, we jumped in Big Blue and raced on down the road, and sure enough, about a ½ mile away on a ridgeline was a a large Grizzly bear. It was obviously feeding on a dead animal because the Ravens were flying all around it and Theresa even managed to spot a Coyote trying to sneak in for a snack at the same time. Although it was a long way off, the spotting scope came in handy, and it was very cool to see. Darby was even steady-handed enough to use her iPhone to snap a decent photo through the scope lens. It was a great ending to another great day on our Big West Trip, and yes Yellowstone is every bit as good as you read/hear about! Just come and visit!

Day12-We arrived at the Rocky Mountains! After settling in at Salt Lake City, UT last night, we took a short trip to Antelope Island State Park in the middle of the Great Salt Lake this morning, before heading north. Great Salt Lake is the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi River and is a remnant of the pre-historic Lake Bonneville, which covered more than 20,000 miles during the ice age. The park gets its name from the Pronghorn Antelope that roam freely on the island, along with many Mule Deer. But, its most famous residents are American Bison. Twelve animals were brought to the island in 1893 and now there’s a healthy heard of around 600. Along with the larger mammals, the park is home to Coyotes, Badgers and a variety of birds. It’s a unique, amazing park, and I really l would like to return to spend a few days roaming around!

Our travels took us north to some of the most famous, and visited, national parks in America-Grand Teton NP and Yellowstone NP. Our plan was to hit Grand Teton today and visit Yellowstone the next two days. On the way to Grand Teton we trekked through some of the most beautiful high mountain meadows we’ve ever seen. The areas we traveled through were found at about 6000’ and were vast and lush with huge green meadows, fresh water ponds and even some cattle pastures. Most people probably just drive through them on their hurried way to get to the big parks. We were able to spot several Sandhill Cranes, hawks and waterfowl using these habitats.

I think the Grand Tetons (a local range in the Rocky Mountains) are the most majestic-looking mountains in the entire country. Each time you look at them, you photograph them! It doesn’t matter how many times you stop, or from how far away your parked (or hiking), you just keep snapping. When you first see them from a long distance, you pull-over to take pictures almost thinking you better capture them now before they’re gone, even though you know you’ll get much closer! A cloud gently rolls in over one of the peaks and you look at it thinking, “that looks cool, I don’t have a picture of that yet,” then the sun breaks through the clouds and illuminates one of the glaciers that hides between the peaks, and again you steer the car nearly into the ditch. Why? Because the mountains beg you to stop and photograph them. Lots of other cars are almost in ditches, too-even though 100 yards up the road you discover a large, safe turnout to stop in. Even after you’re all done for the day and you’re heading out of the park, you still manage to snap one last picture through your window at 40 mph, as twist your head around into a pretzel! That’s what the Tetons do to you! That’s their magic!

We called today Mammal Monday because of all the mammals we spotted throughout the day. We started with Coyotes, Pronghorn, Bison and ground squirrels on Antelope Island SP, and continued our good luck with seeing a young, bull Moose feeding along the Snake River in Grand Teton NP. We also managed to see a few Elk grazing nearby, Mule Deer along the busy roads and chipmunks playing among the rocks at Jenny Lake. The ladies made fun of me (and started to get a bit concerned) as Big Blue spent quite a bit of time driving in reverse. I would spot something, then wildly hit the brakes as if something just ran in front of me, take a quick look in my mirror, and start backing up to get a better view of it. It started with seeing two Coyotes on the causeway into Antelope Island SP. I noticed a pair of them crossing the shallow flats in the Great Salt Lake, and were headed right for us. As they got closer they started trotting down alongside the truck, but in the opposite direction, so I started backing up. This continued for another ¼ mile as I positioned myself to get that perfect photo of both of them together. Fortunately, no other cars were on the road, or it might have been a problem. Finally, I heard the cries from the back seat, “Stop! Let’s go forward and get to the park!” The message was received loud and clear!

Western Meadowlarks an Black-billed magpies could be seen and heard throughout travels today (see below)

Day 11-After watching Darby spin around in circles last night with the luggage cart in the hotel parking lot, we settled in for the night in Carson City, NV. As a note, I thought it was a joke until I saw Theresa jump in to try and save her and the luggage from flying all over the hotel entrance! Darby’s rotation was so fast it looked she was riding some whacky ride at an amusement park. If they weren’t laughing so hard, I would have thought it was a traumatic experience.

We left Carson City and headed northwest across Nevada, with our goal of making Salt Lake City, UT by evening. By comparison, the scenery today was quite a bit “less exciting” than the past few days. For the most part the journey across these two states was uneventful, except for a good stop at a rest area in central Nevada. Not only was it a much needed bathroom break, but we also enjoyed a nice picnic lunch in the high Nevada desert, and I also found a small oasis of birds that were using the few trees that were growing there. I recorded Black-headed Grosbeak, Western Tanager, Bullocks Oriole, Wilson’s Warbler and a Western Kingbird. In addition, we also spotted a small ground squirrel that Darby scared away when she tried to offer the critter a piece of her bread stick from last night’s dinner by throwing it directly at him. The poor little rodent thought something was attacking him from above and frantically ran away into the sagebrush, heading toward Arizona!

A few western bird species I managed to spot (see below) at a rest area in central Nevada included Swainson’s Hawk, Black-headed Grosbeak and Western Tanager.

Getting ready to leave the rest area, I asked Theresa to drive Big Blue for a half hour or so, so I could take a quick power nap. Well, that didn’t quite work out so well for either of us. She really hasn’t driven the truck that much, and I put her behind the wheel in an unfamiliar area and told her to put the pedal to the metal. After 15 minutes of driving through some high winds, a long tunnel and several tractor trailers whizzing by, it was time for her to call it quits. Besides, honestly, I couldn’t even close my eyes! So, I asked her to pull off to a gravel turnout that was just ahead of us, but the only problem was she wasn’t slowing down to pull off. After I started wildly shaking my finger pointing to the spot to pull off, she came to a screeching stop in the gravel area, barely missing a plastic pole. It was as if she was pulling the truck into the pits at the Daytona 500. I sat there for a moment dazed, and subconsciously waiting for the truck to quickly jacked-up and all four tires to be changed, and gas to be dumped into our tank! I jumped out of the passenger side and breathed a sigh of relief!  

If you travel this part of the country on I-80, you have the fortunate (or unfortunate) pleasure of crossing through the Bonneville Salt Flats in western UT. This 40-mile stretch of highway has large, expansive salt flats on both sides of the road. Its claim to fame is that it’s the location where many land speed records have been broken over the years. It’s pretty cool to look out over the flats and see what appears to be water, with the mountains in the back looking like islands. There’s so much heat reflecting off the white salt and sand, it creates mirages in the distance, as you drive by. If you’re really not into that sort of thing, you’re in luck, since the legal speed limit coming across that section is 80 mph.

We rumbled into Salt Lake City, but not before one last little incident. I had forgotten to fill up with gas before we crossed the Bonneville Salt Flats, and read a sign that said the next fuel available was 55 miles away-oops. I couldn’t tell the girls just yet. If you have one of those indicator lights in your vehicle that comes on when the fuel is running low, you should probably pay attention to it. But, it’s even a bigger problem when that little orange light comes on for 25 miles, then disappears! That’s where I was. I had to spill the beans to Theresa and Darby that there was a slight chance we might run out of gas. I knew there was a small gas station 15 miles up the highway, but was not sure I could make it, and in my head I kept hearing my wife’s statement that’s been repeated to me for 27 years-“I do not push, and I do not walk for gas.” Luckily, I drifted into the gas station, stretching my neck to make sure it was still open on a Sunday night. I filled Big Blue’s tank, and said a couple quick prayers! Tomorrow we head north for Yellowstone NP and Grand Teton NP.

Day 10-After leaving the beaches of central CA, we met up with Tyler and Amelia for a hearty breakfast in Paso Robles. It was great seeing both of them and catching up with what they’re doing with each other, and their busy lives. It’s only been 12 hours and we miss them both already! Oh, and thanks for a great breakfast. We can’t wait to see you both again soon! Maybe a trip back to PA, eh?

As we traveled through the hills east of Paso Robles, we noticed a small herd of Elk at the top of a distant hill, staring across the road. When we turned to see what they we’re looking at we were surprised to see they were staring at a small cattle drive (see below)

On our horizon today were the mighty Sierra Nevada Mountains, and more specifically, Yosemite National Park. Known mainly for its waterfalls and famous granite peaks such as Half Dome, El Capitan and Cathedral Rocks, the park’s nearly 1,200 square miles host so many different ecosystems to explore, including alpine meadows, giant sequoia groves and high mountain lakes and streams. Around every turn there seems to be a different view of Yosemite’s rich, natural resources.

Four of Yosemite NP’s most popular attractions (below) are Bridalveil Falls (l) and Yosemite falls (r), and the granite peaks of Half Dome (l) and El Capitan (r).

Since we were visiting the park in mid-May, there was the chance that some of the roads we wanted to explore might be closed due to snow. We were in luck today, and our timing couldn’t have been more perfect. The one main road we wanted to drive (and would need to exit the park from) re-opened this morning after being closed for several days, so, after visiting all the main, but still spectacular, tourist sites, we headed north for Tioga Pass. Now this road is not for the faint-hearted. It winds its way across high peaks ranging from 6,000’-10,000’ and turns and switches back about 100x in 40 miles. The views are stunning, but should only be seen and appreciated at one of the many pull-offs along the route-not while you’re driving! Although there was quite a bit of snow higher up, we only hit a little bit of rain mixed  with some sleet. We took our time, and stopped along the way to see the less visited side of Yosemite, as the sun poked out through the low clouds that surrounded us. It was worth the cautious drive, as we were blessed with some of the most beautiful sights the park has to offer-most of which are not seen by the majority of visitors to Yosemite. The Sierra Nevada Mountains are big, really big, and they seem to go on forever. Just when you think you’re down out of them, another 8,000′ pass looms in front of you, and up you go again!

I asked Theresa and Darby to compare Yosemite to Zion, which we visited four days earlier, to see if they had a favorite. We all agreed that the views that Yosemite offered, along with the dozens of cool, snow-capped, granite peaks, were beautiful and simply unmatched from a scenic standpoint, but in the end, all three of us chose Zion. Maybe it was the trails of Zion that we had a chance to sample, maybe it was the towering sandstone pinnacles that stand like guardians over the forests and streams below, or maybe it was just because we got to hike up the middle of a fast-moving river! How cool is that!

 After four days of traveling throughout Central California that took us from the lowest point in the U.S., to the bright lights of Hollywood, and from the coastal beaches to some of the highest peaks in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, we departed the Golden State and landed in Carson City, NV (after a failed attempt to get to our hotel room in South Lake Tahoe, due to two key roads being closed because of snow). Although we have many miles to go, and still many places to see, Big Blue has officially turned himself (and us) back toward the East!