Yellowstone adventures

Two days in & out of Yellostone... The 100 Mile Circle...ahhhhh the beauty!

Yellowstone National Park is America's first national park. It was established in 1872. Yellowstone extends through Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. The park's name is derived from the Yellowstone River, which runs through the park. Within the massive park boundaries, you can find mountains, rivers, lakes, and some of the most concentrated geothermal activity in the world. The park has 60% of the world’s geysers as well as many hot springs and several mud pots. Perhaps the most famous feature of the park is the geyser Old Faithful.

You can also see the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River, one of the world’s largest petrified forests, and countless waterfalls. The park is also home to diverse wildlife, including grizzly bears, wolves, bison, and elk.

All this history, beauty, and wildlife and all that they recall is a Fishing Bridge, where Mike and Eula took Jr. and Rima when they were little. Down to the detail of where Michael was fishing off of a bridge...

Moving along..

Well... Somewhat moving along, if you call this "moving"!!

A couple more photos from Zion:

Look at the model that they met in Zion!! Wow, someone call Hef!

Zion National Park

After a long drive, through Las Vegas... (Where the group supposedly encountered a "traffic jam"...) they arrived in St. George, and slept for 9 hours!! The next day was their visit to Zion National Park.

However, on the way to Zion.. they made a stop at Grafton, which is a ghost town south of Zion.. Hope they didn't pick up any extra passengers, or as we call them in our family, "Friend's of Brookie".. Anyhow, this ghost town is said to be the most photographed ghost town of the west. For all you film buffs, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was filmed there. In the 1800's it was a farming town and the home to many LDS families. The last families left in the 1940's due to the many floods that occurred. Onwards to Zion...

Zion was breathtaking, steep cliffs and narrow canyons. The Virgin River runs through it - many hiking areas, and for those who do not want to hike - there is a free shuttle throught the park (90 minute ride of narration).

7/26/12, a new journey begins

Whoa! Has it been a LONG time!!! HELLO Everyone! I hope y'all are doing fantastic!! Since the last trip, Eula & Mike have been busy with EVERYTHING else in their life, including lots of trips. One even as recent as a few months ago... They were lucky enough to go overseas to Germany, Holland, and the Netherlands to see the World Horticultural Expo of tulips. With regards to family changes, they have had a great nephew get married, a great, great niece be born, a grandson graduate from high school... and I think that is it on the updates.. As for their new journey, just today, they have started a new RV journey with their partners in crime... :)
So, let the "games" begin!!
Their first night will be in St. George, Utah. Ahhh, say hi to your daughter Jen!
A little bit of history of St George to get your minds working: Although settlers came to Washington County as early as 1852, St. George was settled in 1861. Mormon leader Brigham Young sent a group of pioneers to the far reaching corner of the Territory of Utah to grow cotton and wine grapes and harvest silk for export to the Civil War-torn northern states. Today the cotton fields are gone, the wineries are closed and the silk industry has given way to modern, more prosperous businesses. St. George, the county's largest city, lies along interstate 15 with a host of smaller communities that make up Utah's Dixie. The advantages of the county's position along one of the nation's key north-south routes between California and places such as Salt Lake City, Denver and Albuquerque is making Washington County one of the nation's fastest growing communities. The scenic area not only provides easy access to major markets of the western United States, it has become a destination point for countless people and businesses looking for a better way of life and more fruitful atmosphere for growth and prosperity. From 1990 to 1995, Washington County grew a staggering 50 percent and St. George grew 61 percent, while the rest of the state tallied up a total growth rate of 16 percent. The tiny farming community of St. George had grown up and surrounding cities followed suit. By the end of the decade, the St. George - Zion National Park areas of Washington County were rated among the best communities in the country to retire by Rand McNalley, Prentice Hall, Money and the American Association of Retired People. As a result there was a large amount of construction of new homes in the Washington County area. The unprecedented growth experienced in the county has not been limited to retirees, however. Young working families joined the migration to Utah's Dixie to establish one of the most stable and reliable work forces in the nation. They came for the climate, the scenic beauty, the family atmosphere and explosive job opportunities. Much of the growth is due to the area's competitive construction rates and low crime.

Here comes trouble...

Here's how this conversation is going right now... "Well Mike, we are here, I think we need to go to the left." Then Latulippe cuts in, "Pat and I think we should go to the right.."

Could someone please get these guys a navigation system that yells at them!!

Colombia River Maritime Museum; Astoria, Oregon

We went to the Colombia River Maritime Museum in Astoria.

It was a great museum.

The Columbia River is mighty!

The Columbia River Maritime Museum was founded in 1962 when Rolf Klep, a native Astorian, returned to his birthplace after retiring from a successful career as a graphic artist on the East Coast. On his return, Klep – a longtime collector of maritime artifacts – and a group of his colleagues sought to establish a museum to preserve the rich maritime heritage of the entire Columbia River region. They envisioned a museum of national distinction.

I have a lot of respect for the Coast Guard that work here. (They have to deal with tourists like us..)

Check out the two Mikes.. I think they actually thought they could teach the coast guards how to do their job.. Ha ha ha.. We let them believe they could!

Oh, and by the way, nice vest dad... I expect that back in my closet when you get back! Darn you, all these years mom had to worry about me borrowing her clothes... Now, you're borrowing my cool clothes! Ha, ha, ha!

Also we went to the the Astoria Column. It is l25 feet high and has l64 steps to the top. This sits on top of a hill overlooking Astoria and the bay. You can see the bridge as well. This bridge goes from Astoria Oregon to Long Beach Wash. the bridge is 4 miles long.

We took a Trolley on the wharf from one end to the other and learned a little history about Astoria. We loved it. You can see Mary below - she is doing the native dance, she'll teach it to the Los Compadres group when we get back!!

This is a first, An International Kite Festival

The Washington State International Kite Festival is a week-long kite celebration and competition held annually during the third week of August.

Starting on Monday and ending on Sunday this Long Beach, Washington State vacation extravaganza boasts skies ablaze with color, high flying action and choreographed movement. Washington’s Kite Festival draws famous kite fliers from all around the world, and tens of thousands awed spectators, many of which participate in the fun with their own kite flying adventures.