USA Trip Figures

During my trip I

- sailed: 2601 nautical miles ( 1 nautical mile equals 1.15 statute miles ) = 2991 m

- drove by car 3497 m

- drove by train 2250 m

- flew across the States 2309 m

- flew from the States to the UK 5266 m

Total 16313 m or 26'253 km

28.9.2015 Boise Airport & Phoenix Airport

For the first time since I am travelling my alarm clock had to wake me up this morning.

Not that I was in a rush but I wanted to be on the safe side as still some packing needed

to be done, a leisurely breakfast was planned and last but not least the car had to be 

returned to the rental agent.

Of course everything went fine and I was well ahead of time at the airlines check-in 

counter and was more then happy to get rid of my two bags. I will see them again,

hopefully !, in London.

Sitting in the departure lounge in Phoenix, AZ, where I have an almost 5 ½ hour long

stop-over I am writing this last blog of 2015 USA travel.

I have a simple conclusion: it was in every way a big success:

I met my cousin in Detroit after a looong time again and we both walked very often on memory lane

I travelled for the first time ( but not for the last time ) with an transatlantic ocean liner to States.

I had during the whole time only fantastic weather. Ok there have been two/three occasions where I had light rain. Doesn’t count.

I met quite a few interesting people and had good conversations with them.

I saw exceptional beautiful landscapes: mountains, prairie, dessert, lakes, rivers, not the atlantic as well as the pacific

etc

etc

etc

Now the question is: WHAT NEXT ?

27.9.2015 Boise,ID

With no special program planned for my last day in the US I took it easy.

During a late and nice breakfast I decided  to visit the State Capitol. With Boise being

the capital of the State of Idaho the city has to have a capitol building and knowing the

US it has to be an imposing building. The Capital Hgw was quickly found and one could

already see the building at its end. Being a Sunday there was hardly any traffic on the road

and a parking spot just around the corner quickly found. The State Capitol is a smaller

version of the Capitol in Washington with the usual US regalia around it. To my amazement

the building was open and one could simply step in. No security guard, now security check,

you simply walk in and look around. I wish it would be that easy to visit our Houses of

Parliament where elaborate security checks are been done and an admission fee is charged.

Over here nothing of that sort. Whilst it was not possible ( understandable ) to walk into individual

offices like for example of the governor one could still see the Senate chamber and the House

of Representatives. Impressive was the rotunda with its huge dome.

Downstairs was an educational centre where the workings of both houses are been explained and

only there a lovely lady paid attention and answered questions. I asked her about the “open house”.

Her reply: “ We are an open democracy”. Somehow a contradiction to what else is going on.

Nevertheless she proposed that I should visit another interesting State building: The Old Idaho Penitentiary Site.

With nothing else planned I took up that suggestion and made the short drive to the site in the outskirts of

Boise. Walking through this old prison was very interesting as the changes in the treatment of prisoners over the

years and how they where accommodated was still very visible. The prison was closed in 1973 and is now one

of only four prisons in the States which one can visit.

On may way back I stopped in Boise downtown to see if the cities motto “City of Trees” is true and found that they

still have some lovely old buildings and yes lots of trees. In the meantime the cities people frequented the streets

and populated the outdoor restaurants and cafes so a stop for refreshments was more then adequate.

With shops open on Sundays I stopped on my way “home” at a local supermarket and bought a few things I want

to take with me.

Late dinner and then start packing, at least sorting everything.

 

26.9.2015 Pocatello,ID to Boise,ID

Bright sunshine and morning temperature already 64 F. The thermometer climbed during the day to 89 F.

Strangely not hot because a light breeze freshened everything up a bit.

AS my travels in the US are coming now to an end and basically everything is geared towards my departure on

Monday from Boise Airport I originally planned to make a straight ride to Boise but with a little detours. To avoid

driving part of the road again ( I drove most of to when I originally arrived in Boise from Seattle on my way to the

Yellowstone ) I avoided as much as possible the same road using like yesterday small country roads.

On my way to the Yellowstone I had learned that a very famous writer, Ernest Hemingway, is been buried in Ketchum,

Idaho. After I visited his birthplace in Oak Park/Chicago, I found it more then fitting to visit his final resting place.

Hemingway came for the first time back in 1939 to Ketchum in the Sun Valley after the Union Pacific chairman invited him

and other celebrities to the area. He stayed in a local hotel where wrote “For Whom The Bell Tolls”. Originally he stayed during

the winter month in Cuba and the summer month in Ketchum. Then in 1959 he gave up Cuba and bought a house in Ketchum.

Being depressive he committed suicide on July 2nd, 1961. His last wife, Mary, is buried next to him.

Unfortunately his house wasn’t open anymore so I drove on to reach in the early afternoon my motel in Boise, just around

the corner from the airport. Very convenient.

 

 

25.9.2015 Grand Teton National Park to Pocatello,ID

Again a cold start but not for long.

After the days in parks with the mountains, huge forests, deep blue lakes and geysers I left this 

peaceful and serene area doing one last view back. The Tetons, blue sky, sunshine and autumn

colours. What a good-bye !

Passing through Jackson Hole ( hole being an old trapper name for valley ) the mountains petered

slowly out and the landscape changed to rolling hills with huge plains where either wheat was grown

or cattle farming been done.

A drive about 3 hours long was like that farm land and cattle ranches and once in a while a small village.

Very often you only knew that somewhere people must be living because their letterbox was right at the

etch of the road. The temperature had in the meantime changed to a quite warm 82 F. Summer ? !

Deliberately I had chosen to drive via small country roads where I was very often alone on the road and

only occasionally a pick-up of a local farmer (?) was passing or overtaking me. These people know their

road !

Somewhere in the middle of nowhere I passed the stateline between Wyoming and Idaho and reached

at one point in time a mining area. Potash is been mined near Soda Springs. The name of this town made

me curious and yes they have a spring. And what a spring. Right in the middle of the town a geyser

erupts every hour on the hour.

Heading on I reached after a few miles the lovely little city called Lava Hot Springs where a nice outside

pool area was inviting for a swim in the nice warm waters. Several hotels and motels are catering for the

guests. The city lies in a very green valley with lots of trees and with the State Road 30 half way up the hill.

Fromm here Pocatello, my todays destination, was only a few miles away

Having stayed for the last 6 nights always in very rustic lodgings my tonights motel was quite a change.

24.9.2015 Grand Teton National Park

Late last night I made a little walk through the cabin village: pitch black and clear sky.

No light pollution at all and one could see stars one can’t usually see. Quite an experience.

An experience was also this morning: again blue sky and bright sunshine but quite cool, actually

cold 29 F. I had to switch on the electric heater in the cabin.

Like on all previous days in the mountains that changed during the morning. 

Today I round-trip through the park as on the agenda but first I had to get a map. At the Ranger

Station in Colter Bay Village help was at hand and the lovely park ranger gave me also some 

advise how to tackle the roundtrip. I was a bit disappointed when she mentioned the driving takes

about 1 ½ i 2 hours. Only ? Yes but that does not include doing the sightseeing.

BTW: I left at 9 am and came back at 4 pm

The Grand Teton is different from the Yellowstone as such as he is smaller and consists basically of

the Teton Mountain Range and the flatlands and lakes in front of the range. The mountains are rising

straight out of the flatlands and there peaks are mostly snow covered.  Looking at them from a distance

makes it a majestic view. A touch of autumn colours generated by yellow leafed birch trees and some

others make it even somewhat colourful. I hope the attached picture brings that somehow across.

Back at the cabin village I had an inquiry at the registration office and learned at that point in time that

at the end of this month they as well as many other lodges, cabin villages not to mention RV parks etc. 

are closing for the season. End of October/Beginning of November the Park Service is then closing 

also many roads. Some of them only been opened in late June or even later when the snow is gone.

Tomorrow ( Friday ) I am leaving the area and Wyoming and have a bit a longer drive to Pocatello, Idaho.

 

 

23.9.2015 Yellowstone National Park to Grand Teton National Park

Again a very frosty start of day. I even found some hoarfrost on the top of my car.

But like yesterday this changed during the morning very quickly.

Having settled my bill I said my good-bys to the Three Bear Lodge headed for the Yellowstone Park

entry and drove, by-passing all the attractions along the way as my fist destination of the day was

the Yellowstone Lake. At West Thumb the lake starts. Deep blue water, surrounded by the mountains.

Interestingly there are many geysers directly at the shore of the lake, some of them already in the

water. Again proof how active the underground world of this park is. As only the northern side of the

lake is accessible by road I drove with various stops all the way to Fishing Bridge where the Yellowstone

River leaves the lake. The Lake Lodge, a huge log constructions from the last century, is worth a visit

just to look at the main reception hall: massive fireplace and everything made out of wood: floor, walls,

ceiling, furniture, everything. It was planned that I have a little refreshment in the lodge’s cafeteria, but as

this time of the year is out of season they have only open for breakfast and dinner.

The nearby Yellowstone General Store catered at least for a cup of coffee and a warm cinnamon roll.

With the view on the lake this was like heaven.

As my todays final destination the Grand Teton Park is south of Yellowstone I drive all the way along the

Yellowstone Lake and turned at West Thumb in an southernly direction. Passing another jewel, Lewis Lake,

I reached the exit of the Yellowstone Park and followed now the John D.Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway

( he was a big purchase of land in this area which he donated to the nation and forms now a big part of

the Grand Teton Park ) to reach the entry of the Grand Teton National Park.

This park is different from the Yellowstone as it concentrates on the majestic mountain range of the Tetons,

ranging from 12’514 ft to 13’770 ft ( 3814 m to 4197 m ), peaks covered with snow and the Jackson Lake.

Quickly I reached also my accommodation : Colter Bay Village Cabins.

Yes cabins. I even sleeping for the next two nights in an authentic log cabin. According to little pamphlet

on the dresser originally build about 1930.

The cabins are only a few steps away from the lake and an evening walk at around sunset time was majestic.

Good night !