Date:         Tue, 19 Jan 2010 06:12:49 -0700
Reply-To:     Bob Stevens <mtbiker62@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Bob Stevens <mtbiker62@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: roadtrip
In-Reply-To:  <0KWH00KVUV3FNGR2@vms173001.mailsrvcs.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Dixie,
Please don't take this as the "wet blanket" on your Yellowstone plans ....
all the advertising and online pix reveal the scenic and pristine nature
of that VERY interesting area. I'm fairly close to it (salt lake) so have
been several times and never get tired of it. The thing to be prepared
for, that Karl already mentioned, is the hordes of other people and
subsequent "reservations" for whatever you're going to do while there.

I have been to Yosemite about 4 times in my life. Stopped in
last August on my way to another event in the Bay area and was
disappointed in my reaction to the people-pollution. I left. I was in
"The Village" for maybe 1 1/2 hours and had to get out of there.
Just completely over run with people scurrying around and that
really broke with my hope for being able to just see and experience
the incredible natural grandeur of the place. I ended up staying in
a campground within the park, over on the eastern side of it, so
had to view the spectacle at a distance. Porcupine is a pretty
cool campground but not The Village and what can be seen
and hiked to there.

Not only will you have trouble finding places to camp/stay/eat if
you are going to plan to stay "in" Yellowstone, you will be dealing
with them while going on the many treks to see the geologic and
geothermal wonders of the area. Just be prepared for that so you
don't drive the long distance you are and end up overwhelmed by
the masses of folks.

Really do hope you enjoy your journey and destination.
Safe travels.

Bob Stevens

Travel aside: I drove from Salt Lake City to Glenwood Springs, CO yesterday.
Left at 0630 and arrived at 1PM. Good travel time for 370 miles. Salt Lake
had a snow storm moving through and the effects of that continued until I
got
just west of Grand Junction, then the roads were very clear. Snow plows the
entire way. My point: there were 98 auto accidents in the Salt Lake area
Monday.
I saw 2 vehicles not-rubber-side-down. Obviously going waaaay to fast for
conditions and in pretty heavy commuter traffic, even though it was MLK Day.
Be wise .. take your trips but if there is weather, drive during daylight
hours
to improve your "odds" of safe travel and drive in accord with the
conditions.
I noticed that while driving in the very snowy conditions, if I just focused
on
where I was and those conditions, it was easy to drive safely. When I
started
thinking of how far it was to where I was going, I tended to lose focus and
my car was going about 5-10mph faster that safe for the conditions. Here
is hard to stay in sometimes. I want to think of there. Remember, there
just becomes another here once you're there.


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