Yellowstone Adventure 2021 - The getting there

   I reluctantly left my home on Friday.  I say reluctantly because we have a family health issue going on right now that I felt I may be need to be home, but Cathy said for me to go as I could not do anything just staying around.  I decided to go but I have checked on airline flights back if I need to get home quickly.  

   I put 1,850 miles on the Toyota going through Illinois, Iowa, South Dakota, Wyoming and finally West Yellowstone Montana to check in on Monday the 26th.  The trip was pretty uneventful and really nothing spectacular happened.  I did get to see three crop dusters working in Iowa.  The Iowa farmers look to have a great crop this year.  Because of the fires out west there was a haze every day I traveled.  The sad part of that haze was when I finally got to Montana I could not see any mountains in the distance.  I always look forward to seeing the mountains for the first time.  I made sure I stopped at Wall Drug on my way to say hello to my old co-workers.  They all looked great and it was great to catch up, even though it was a short time.  Just like all places of business this summer, Wall Drug was packed.  I asked my friends if they are setting sales records and they said yes.  I also noticed that there were many young workers and many workers that look Jamaican.  So they must have been able to get foreign workers this year.  They said they are still way short of workers and still have limited hours.  I was surprised that my old moccasin area was manned by three people and camping also.  So at least they have some help.  I also drove to my old trailer and found it unoccupied this summer. 

Some observations from this road trip:

1. Gas is too expensive.
2. Lodging around Rapid City is too expensive, thanks to Sturgis motorcycle rally.
3. South Dakota bugs still mess up a windshield.
4.  Drivers that stay in the left lane should have their wheels fall off.
5. There was many many campers on the road.
6. There was quite a few campers broke down at the side of the road.
7. Android Auto now tells me when there is a speed trap ahead, when there is an accident ahead, when there will be a slow down in my route and (my favorite) when there is something in the road I may hit.
8. Mule deer, or prong horn, still can't make it across a highway at night.
9. Iowa is still the most boring state to pass through.
10. More wind turbines have cropped up along the route.

 

I don't know if I can update the blog regularly when I get to Yellowstone, as the internet is sketchy.  That is one thing Wall Drug had was great internet access and great T-Mobile signal.  Yellowstone has only Verizon and the Wi-Fi is very busy by all the store workers.