I did a lot of blogging this morning (too busy last night watching the SyFy channel - I think this trip I've seen EVERY AVENGERS MOVIE - EVER), and off to a late start. After I checked out, I went to Rods-N-Dogs Car Wash:
and got a BRIGHT SPARKLING CLEAN CAR:
Then up onto I-90 East for 229 miles:
WOW - Montana sure is "Big Sky Country":
By 2:50 I had turned off onto Hwy 89 South, alongside Pine Creek:
You then turn right on "Tom Miner Creek Road":
yes, another dirt road, but one with really pretty views
At the gate for Grizzly Creek Ranch:
Pretty country up here:
I wanted to hike the Petrified Forest Interpretive Trail, and so I reached the trailhead at 4 PM:
It was a nice little hike (stretch the legs). I went up the valley, back-and-forth to get some altitude, a little exploring at the tops, and then back down the ridgeline (1.8 miles):
Pretty hike - through the gate (close it with the chain behind you):
I'm heading up there:
The view from the top is really nice:
I saw rocks, but no "petrified forest":
Good "ridge hike" back down, and I was out of there by 5:15.
Because I wound up following a pickup
it took me 45 minutes to get back out to 89 South. With the windows rolled up (dust), I was able to listen to my books-on-cd, so that was fun.
It was 6:15 when I reached the Yellowstone Heritage and Research Center:
It was closed - no big problem, because their wonderful/extensive collection of Thomas Moran's watercolors are not open for public viewing - you have to take the whole Wednesday-afternoon tour, and I have done that already (Aug. 16, 2017).
So it was "INTO THE PARK":
Although there are a ton of people in the Park in August, Yellowstone is HUGE - 3,468 square miles in area, larger than the states of Rhode Island or Delaware. So there are some pretty beautiful wide-open spaces:
Unfortunately, there are times when it gets REALLY CROWDED:
no - you do not want to be on a motorcycle when you encounter a herd of bison on the road:
Wow - got past that herd! Oh wait - right around the bend were TWICE AS MANY! They are going to get out of my way - aren't they??
The suddenly some guy decides to cross RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME:
HEY - I once got a ticket for jaywalking, in Concord, NH ... but NOOOOOOOO, those rules don't seem to apply OUT HERE!
And don't forget the 1st rule - Never make eye contact:
I have never been up this "Northeast Entrance Road" before:
It is beautiful going out through the Lamar Valley and then up alongside the Lamar River:
Unfortunately, it was 10 minutes before 8, and I was just plain running out of daylight.
I reached Cooke City:
and checked into the "Soda Butte Lodge". Thank you God for all this really cool wonderfulness in your creation!
Today started with "blogging music":
I like starting my mornings with jazz piano music - almost always Bill Evans - "cd 2 Complete Fantasy Recordings"
This is part of a 9-cd box set of Bill Evan's work with Fantasy Records (1973-1979), and the first 5 cuts of cd 2 are live recordings. I have listened to this cd probably a couple of dozen times - the music is just starting to sound familiar, but I think I have a long way to go to "remember it" the way I remember hundreds of rock songs.
and then it was time for Counting Crows:
"Somewhere Under Wonderland", 2014
Although released 5 years ago, I never gave this album much of an in-depth/repeated listen - other Crows albums (and live recordings) were higher on my listening-list. It turns out, that of the 7 live "albums" I have, 4 came after this album's release, and last year's 3 shows that I saw featured (strongly) 5-of-the-9 songs on "Somewhere Under Wonderland". So it was a pleasure hearing this this morning.
I then listened to their "2001/10/19 Wayne, NJ" concert
Hey - in the middle of "Rain King" Adam includes "Thunder Road" (of course, for the New Jersey fans!)
Then hit-the-road music-time:
John Cougar Mellencamp - Scarecrow, 1985
The Doors - The Soft Parade, 1969
Steve Miller Band - Number 5, 1970
Rod Stewart - Tonight I'm Yours, 1981
(Am I the only one listening to this? Do you think ANYONE/ANYWHERE is listening to this album right now?)
Traffic - Last Exit, 1969
Yes - Yesterdays, 1975 their first compilation album
this has their full-length of Simon & Garfunkel's "America".
lyrics - "America"
Counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike
They've all come to look for America
All come to look for America
All come to look for America
Donna Summer - Donna Summer, 1982
As opposed to her disco history (which is great), this is a much more rock-tinged album. I LOVE "State of Independence", and the 2nd song on side 2 is Bruce Springsteen's "Protection" - which, by the way, has NEVER been released as a recording by Bruce!
Fleetwood Mac - Fleetwood Mac, 1975 self-titled album (also known as "the white album")
I remember arriving at William (Bill) Week's ski condo at Stratton(?) in December 1975, in the afternoon. Too late to go skiing, I put this album on and heard it for the first time, and I remember thinking "This is a really good album." In 1986, it was certified 7x platinum by the RIAA representing shipments of seven million units in the United States.
Because I was following the red truck, I was able to listen to "Pattern Recognition", cd 8:
James Taylor - James Taylor, 1968 self-titled debut album
The Police - Message in a Box - cd 3, 1993 4-cd box set
cd 3 has all of "Ghost in the Machine", plus a bunch of other stuff.
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