Wyoming, Tetons, and Yellowstone

Gas prices top $4.15 in Wyoming and still road travelers invest.

Left Boulder at 12:30 pm.
North on 25 to Cheyenne, WY.

80 West to 287 North. Terrain is beautiful--ranging from flat, high prairie to dark red sandstone cliffs and cathedral like bluffs just south of Dubois.

287 was nearly deserted, which was good. This is a two-lane highway with frequent passing opportunities, but even a little bit of traffic could make it dangerous.

Into Grand Tetons National Park we met snow--not on the roadways, but plenty on the ground and covering the trees. Caribou are numerous and wander in packs across the road--they are as big as moose.

This drive was longer than we expected--11 hours (from Boulder to West Yellowstone) with few stops. Be cautious traveling through Tetons and Yellowstone--speed limits are no more than 45 mph and cops are rigid, even at night.

A good place to grab a restaurant meal would be Dubois, WY--very quaint, obviously caters to travelers looking to soak themselves in rustic and woodsy. All the buildings have a very western, hewn log look without being cheap looking.

Best Western - Weston Inn in West Yellowstone, MT just blocks from the west entrance to Yellowstone (closest to Old Faithful). Three Best Westerns as soon as you drive into town all within a couple blocks. We checked prices--two others were markedly higher and not sure why.
We're spending $119 per night at the BW-Weston, with pets, deluxe free continental breakfast, free wireless, coffemaker, frig and microwave--very clean and non-smoking! The bargain of the three.

Current gas prices you'll find between Boulder Colorado and Yellowstone/Tetons in Wyoming.

• Gas prices just north of Boulder: $3.87
• Lander, WY- $4.14
• Dubois, WY- $3.99
• West Yellowstone, MT- $4.19

Just amazing on the prices. However, I'm skeptical about how many people have actually been turned off to road travel. Tetons was quite busy with travelers even at dusk--most with license plates from quite a distance away. Hard core travelers are still investing.

Driving the New Mexican Turquoise Trail

We hit the Turquoise Trail today. Left Albuquerque around 11 a.m. after stopping to pick up our last Satellite Coffee. Drove 40 East to 14 North (Turquoise Trail) toward Cerillos and Santa Fe. Weather cool and cloudy with a few showers. Not far along 14 we saw the sign for Cibola National Forest Sandia Scenic Byway. We headed up with all intentions of hitting the peak, about 14 miles, and coming back down. About halfway we turned around--the clouds were so low on the mountain our visibility was cut severely. Opted to save time and head back to T. Trail. The gem along this drive is Madrid. Ever see the movie Wild Hogs? The scene in the movie that takes place at Maggie's Place (supposed to be a small town diner) is set in the middle of this eclectic funky little town.

We really enjoyed Madrid, parked and strolled from shop to shop--all kinds of unique crafts made by local New Mexican artists.

In Santa Fe tonight, end of the historic Turquoise Trail. Travel Lodge on Cerillos Blvd -- pet friendly and the price is right--$69. per night plus $10 per animal. Within walking distance of downtown. We did and ate at Bullring--great steak dinner. Tomorrow onto Taos and then Boulder, CO by nightfall.

A Week in Albuquerque New Mexico

Southwest Sights When You Only Have a Little Time

Albuquerque is the city famous for the annual Hot Air Balloon Fiesta. The city has devoted an entire park to the event. Every October for two weeks thousands of balloonists take to the New Mexico skies around Albuquerque and millions of spectators look on in awe in what has been called one of the most photographed events in the world.

Our plans were to stay longer, but that fell through. It’s not Albuquerque itself that’s so interesting, but the territory surrounding the city: Sandia Wilderness, Taos, Santa Fe and the Turquoise Trail scenic drive. Albuquerque itself really is a lot of urban sprawl and in a desert valley there is a lot of room to spread outward.

When you are in Albuquerque or passing through, here are a few places and sights well worth your time:

• See Old Town, the oldest surviving center of town. A lot of the shops are quite touristy, but the architecture and quaintness are unique to this region.

• The Rio Grande runs right through downtown. One of the great American rivers . Then follow the road along historic Route 66. This ambles along two-lane highway marked first with the University of New Mexico then with classic American period motels, kitschy diners and downright interesting sights. Keep your camera available.

• Our favorite neighborhood in Albuquerque was by far the Nob Hill area located along a section of 66. Nob Hill is populated with unique shops and boutiques, cool restaurants of all kinds and punctuated with traditional Route 66 kitsch.

• North, above Albuquerque Sandia Wilderness offers a stunning example of classic Southwestern territory—the image you have in your mind and perhaps planted there from old 30s and 40s cowboy movies. I imagine this type of area is where those spaghetti westerns were filmed. Sandia is high and rugged desert mountains covered in rocky outcroppings and blue green sagebrush. The Sandia Tramway is the longest tram in the world and runs from the base of Sandia up to the crest. There are two restaurants: one at the bottom of the tramway and one at the top.

Albuquerque restaurants and coffee shops we enjoyed:

• Satellite Coffee is unique to Albuquerque. If you’re a coffee aficionado, give it a try.

• Flying Star Bakery—another local business—has locations in a number of areas throughout the city. You’ll find plenty of fresh baked goods, but Flying Star also has a pretty expansive breakfast and lunch menu. The tuna sandwich is a winner.

• Dion’s is an affordable family-friendly Italian restaurant chain throughout the city. The pizza is ok, but we loved it most for the late night people-watching. And when it comes to late night fare, there are few restaurants open past 9 pm. Dion’s is one of them.

• Jade Chinese located at the intersection of Wyoming and Paseo del Norte is one of the better known cheap American Chinese joints.

• For more upscale Asian fusion fare try Pacific Rim Bistro located along upper Montgomery Avenue. Not cheap, but great curry chicken.

Traveling in Albuquerque with Pets

If you are traveling with dogs there are a number of dog parks in Albuquerque. We visited on three occasions the park located at Wyoming and Corona. It is well-maintained: the ground covered in pine bark, benches and a couple of covered picnic tables available. The park is divided in two—one for big and active dogs, the other for small dogs. Of the other dog parks we’ve experienced this park was by far the most committed to dog civility. Fresh water is available and almost everyone we saw took the time to pick up after their dogs. A good time was had by all.

Hitting the Road--Destination Albuquerque

West I-40: We pulled out of Raleigh about 9:30 a.m. a little later than we intended, but without stress about it, either. Two puppies in the back of the SUV and a cat flaked out across the stuff packed up to our eyeballs in the back seat. We had a precious full tank of gas, which in this economic climate is equal to a small grocery bill. The morning was mild, but cloudy, really perfect for driving with animals in the Southeast.

Lunch in Asheville, NC

Our first stop was in Asheville. We figured it would be around lunch time. I had a fave bookstore -- Malaprops -- that I wanted to hit and my friend wanted to do a little boutique shopping. We finished up downtown Asheville with a memorable al fresco lunch at Carmel's Restaurant and Bar in Pack Square: tomato basil soup with a chiffonade of spinach salad--delicious. Just as the bill arrived a rain storm blew in, so perfect timing.

Memphis or Nashville?

We continued on I-40 West. It was mid-afternoon. Our original thought was to shoot for Memphis for the first night and plan to stay a second night. We opted to stop in Nashville for night #1. We're at the Best Western Music Row -- our digs for the night. The hotel is pet-friendly, even though there is scant grass right outside the hotel. We actually had to hit a grassy space on the next block for the dogs, but it will work out.

Night in Nashville

It was about 9 pm when we checked in and we were both hungry and cranky. We drove about 10 blocks to the real downtown buzz area and hit the Hard Rock Cafe for a reliable dinner. Tomorrow a.m. we will head to Memphis....blues land.

Get Portable--Prepping for the Next Road Trip

I'm taking to the road again with a travel nurse friend of mine. There are a lot of plans to take care of when you're planning on being gone from home base for a while. I call where I pitch my possessions home base -- it's a room a friend of mine is kind enough to provide for me and my 'stuff' when I need it. But the travel nurse must pack up her possessions, secure a climate controlled storage unit, vacate her apartment (prior to lease end, so if the complex doesn't rent it right away she will continue to pay monthly rent) and get really creative with packing possessions for the road that will fit in her vehicle. But there's more--we will also have two dogs and a cat traveling with us, so there must be room for them, too. Really cuts down on some packing space.

Priority Packing for Life on the Road

When you must pack for a long-term trip possession priorities change and choices are absolutely necessary. For example, this morning when we were getting ready to pull out of town and were creatively packaging her SUV we discovered that her tv and dvd player just would not fit in the vehicle. Her choice? leave them behind. The logic? She could do one of a number of things once at her destination: get a cable converter to run to her laptop, purchase an inexpensive tv for short-term use then pawn it or donate it to charity, or rent a tv and dvd player.

Other tasks that may be commonplace for this type of short-term, possibly long-term road trip:

• Permanent Mailing Address: Make sure you have a permanent address where you can route your mail, complete the change of address form available at any US post office. I use my parent's address because it has been my "home" since I was a child and they are more than willing to sort my important correspondence from junk.

• AAA Membership: My traveling companion finally caved and bought a AAA membership. Well worth the price for a year's membership especially if you're taking to the road for numerous trips--which we plan on. Also membership privileges, depend on the level of membership you buy, but may include mechanical roadside assistance, delivery of gas if you run out, a tow to a service center within 200 miles I think it is and all types of maps and trip planning.

Adventure Road Map

From my own experiences a good road map is the ultimate road trip travel gear item. I haven't tried a GPS system yet and I'm not sure I will -- I have always had a fascination with paper maps. I love spreading them out (those big folding kind that never re-fold quite right) and looking at the big in between, point A to Z, imagining the different roads and highways that are possible travel routes, names of towns and major cities, where I might stop and what I'd like to see. So not sure a GPS is right for me.

I've also learned that the bookstore shelf is ripe for picking dozens of different flavors of road maps and road atlases. Here's one for the road tripping adventurer:

National Geographic's ADVENTURE EDITION Road Atlas.

Because this is National Geographic you've got to trust that this guide really does what it says: not only provides current detailed maps by state, but also emphasizes outdoor park and recreation areas and highlights the top adventure spots across the U.S. Road trip and adventure travel your way across the country.

Weird Must-Have Roadside Travel Guides - Roadside Geology

Besides the same old boring travel guide books why not delve deeper into the bookstore travel shelves for something a bit different, a travel guide book that broadens your roadside horizons with some not so common knowledge?

Example:

Years ago I bought Roadside Geology of Virginia, by Keith Frye, which at the time I thought was just the most amazing book. I was driving interstate 81 a lot which bisects Virginia, north to south, and winds through the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Suffice it to say I was intrigued by the road trip topology, the cutaways of the mountains, the fertile valley floors. Mountains are geology, roadside is geology and geology tells history and stories. (I was a voracious rockhound as a kid). The book made my drive that much more intimate once I had an under the hood education on the ground upon which I was traveling. What I discovered about the roadside of Virginia was that here was a land of ancient seabeds, that once upon a time prehistoric flora and fauna flourished many immortalized in regional fossil beds not far from the interstate. And the subterranean caverns that draw millions of visitors each year are just a small peek at the crystalline treasures that likely make up this southeastern mountain range.

But just recently I discovered that my dogeared old copy of Roadside Geology of Virginia is just one in a comprehensive series. The Roadside Geology series documents the unique geologic history of the roadside in nearly every state. Ever wondered how old the Blue Ridge Mountains are, or what exactly is the geologic ingredients for the wind-carved hoo-doos in the South Dakota Badlands? How about the down and dirty history of the prehistoric specimens strewn along the roadside in the Petrified National Forest? The red red clay in southern North Carolina that sustains generations of clay potters?

I guarantee the Roadside Geology series will have you looking at the sandy shoulder of the roadside in a whole different way. Roadside travel books retail for between $7 and $25 depending on the publish date, length and edition--you'll find plenty of them for under $15. And the guides are pleasantly uncomplicated--this is down to earth writing for travelers. Pin yourself to every outpost through which you pass--when you know the intimate structural details of a place you'll want to return again and again.

How could you NOT want to know what these canyons are made of, how long ago, and what types of life used to live here?