Yellowstone Here We Come (the emails)

Howdy,

I double checked our car/hotel reservations and everything looks fine.

July 26, 27: Colter Bay (2 room Cabin)

July 28, 29: Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, 2 Cabins

July 30: Canyon Lodge, 2 rooms

July 31, Aug 1: Old Faithful Inn


Donna and Karen - I'll meet you in Dallas at our departing gate.
Gail - I'll see you in Jackson. Our flight gets in around 11:20 am.

Since theoretically we can't get in to our cabin until 4pm. I suggest we
go to Jackson for lunch and a bit of exploring. Gail will like the
antlers.

I'll bring my small portable cooler (big enough to keep lunch stuff cold
but small enough to fit in my daypack). I'll also bring my IPOD, which
will give us 400+ albums of music to listen to during our travels.

Karen, please bring an extra pair of sunglasses so Gail or I will have some
if (when) we break ours.

I suggest we plan to eat in the main dining room at Old Faithful Inn either
July 31 or Aug 1. They have an evening buffet that features buffalo, which
sounds interesting to me. They take reservations - Karen will you figure
this out for us?

All - bring lots of snacks for Gail - we want to keep her happy.

I've paid a one night deposit on all of our rooms so we'll have to do some
fancy calculating either during or after the trip to figure out who owes
what.

Because of my job, I need to be anal and check voice messages and E mails
daily (assuming I can get coverage with my Blackberry.) Normally I keep everything off and check things at my convenience unless I'm expecting a call/E-mail message.

Anything else?

I'm getting very excited.

RJB
----------------

I can't wait to chew on some buffalo! I've gotten much better with my
sunglasses ordeal. I got a rope to keep them around my neck (now if I
can just find it!)

Are we doing any hiking such that I would need to bring my hiking boots?

Thanks for getting everything reserved, Rick. Hope we see some animals,
besides the ones we're eating for dinner!

Do you have any cowboy songs on that ipod? Rawhide....Ha!

Gail
------------------

I'm not sure I have any cowboy music, but I do have bluegrass and some
country.

The sunglasses are for me also. I can remember having to buy sunglasses at
least twice on trips with Karen.

I have a good pair of New Balance Trainers with good traction that I plan
to bring. My backpacking boots are staying home this trip. The hike
around Jenny Lake (in Grand Teton NP - on the agenda for July 27) has some
up and down but nothing too challenging (of course this was 10 years
ago...)

RJB
------------------

I finally get to weigh in on all the fun emails. With such a busy day
yesterday, I couldn't keep up earlier.

Since I'm a late addition to the trip, I am not sure what is planned. I
know where we are staying each night and I am fine with buffalo at the
Old Faithful Inn but I was wondering if there were any other plans that
I should know about. I guess I'm trying to get an understanding of what
you typically do while you travel and what everyone is thinking about
doing so that I know what to expect.

RJB- I look forward to meeting you in TX. I can tell from the email
below that I like you already! You certainly know Gail well. I've
often been appointed as the one to keep her in line (that includes
keeping her well supplied with snacks after I once took her away from
all access to food for a few HOURS on a trip in Maine). Since then, she
stashes a snickers bar in her baggage as her emergency food stash. I
didn't know about the sunglass problem! Karen & I talked last weekend
and worked out our flights to/from Detroit/Dallas so we are set there.

GMH-You HAVE to bring your boots. One never knows where happy feet may
lead you and may regret it if you don't have them. Yellowstone has lots
of places to explore - especially those off the edge. That reminds me,
who is going to bring the tether for Gail to make sure she doesn't fall
down a cliff trying too get the right angle for her picture?

KB-I feel handicapped since I don't know your middle initial. Any update
on rides to the airport at 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday? Is there anything I
need to know about traveling with your brother & Gail?

DJP

---------------

DJP, (and GMH and KLB),

I'm working on technical reports today so I'm looking for excuses to do
other things besides writing. Vacation planning (and writing notes like
this one) fills this need very well.

I checked and now there are no groups of three seats together on our
flights. I'll look again later.

We really don't have any firm plans on what to do during the trip. This is
my fifth trip to the area so I have lots of ideas, however I don't want to
dominate things too much before getting input from others. Overall I want
to relax and have fun. With Karen along I know I will eat well and with
Gail along I know I will eat often.

I would like to take some hikes plus see the various sights. My thoughts
are to visit the sights (geysers, mud volcanos, waterfalls, etc.) while we
drive from one hotel to the next and then take hikes on our non-travel
days. The Jenny Lake trail is neat and also there are several fun trails
in the Old Faithful area around the geysers and up into the woods.

I've never spent much time in the Mammoth area so having an extra day to
explore up there is something I've always wanted to do. Also, many of the
wolf packs are up in the northern part of the park, so we may want to go
wolf watching one morning or evening, depending on when/where the packs are
active.

I think KLB mentioned that you have also been to Yellowstone/Grand Tetons.
Any thoughts and ideas you have are more than welcome.

I don't plan on taking anything fancier than black jeans and a (Hawaiian)
golf shirt. I'm into casual this trip.

The weather will likely be cold (40s) in the morning and then get and stay
warm (80s) until sunset. I've encountered snow but never rain up there,
but who knows.

Just so you know I have a few rules when I travel.

1. The word "whatever" is banned from everybody's vocabulary.

2. No second guessing decisions. If you say you don't care after options
have been presented, suddenly "caring" after the decision has been made is
not allowed. Punishment is severe. Also, when asked to make a decision,
make it without hesitation and with pride.

3. The person who is giving me driving directions has to make them simple
and clear. It's ok if they are wrong. Since I'm a left handed right
brained male I don't multitask very well, especially when I'm trying to
avoid big animals, not run into geysers, or drive off cliffs.

4. Big trees take precedent over (almost) everything else. (Lucky for
all,) there are no live big trees in Yellowstone or Grand Tetons. However,
there are some big petrified ones that we definitely will need to visit.

I'll take a rope for emergency purposes. It could either serve as a GMH
tether or a GMH rescue line. She did well in Alaska climbing on glaciers
and not falling off boats or dog sleds. However her sister did break her
leg on an ATV on that trip, so I guess you never know for sure.

Happy Friday
(and back to work for me ).
RJB

--------------

RJB, GMH and KLB:
Thanks for providing the much needed laugh in the midst of my day where
I'm ready to strangle the next person who comes into my office and wants
something from me. There was a line outside my door all morning where
people took a number (not literally) and I think we got up to 100 in a
4-hour time period. The afternoon has been somewhat quieter because of
an annual golf outing which causes the office to shut down at noon and
everyone but the dedicated (or stupid) remain behind. However, that
means that as usual, the IT staff shirk their duties and I end up
covering their tails (can you tell I'm livid?)

I too have a few rules for vacation. Hopefully, they will mesh well
with the rest of you, since I invited myself along on the trip.

1. Have at least one bickering session with Gail.
2. Say "whatever" whenever I get the chance.
3. Stop and watch the wildlife. But try hard not to be the wildlife
that everyone else stops to watch!
4. Get away from the crowds as much as possible.
5. Have fun and some sort of adventure to make everyone jealous back at
home.
6. Laugh as much as possible.
7. Shop until you drop, every day....just kidding, I'm not really a big
shopper.

Have I just become uninvited from the trip? Donna

---------------

DJP

1. OK (as long as I can laugh).

2. Apathetic "whatevers" will be tolerated/ignored. Antagonistic
"whatevers", unless associated with item #1, are not allowed.

3. Me too.

4. Me too.

5. Me too.

6. Me too

7. Rule number 5, which I was not planning to invoke for this trip
involves the concept of earning "shopping points". However, with the
exception of Jackson, the only stores we will encounter will either be of
the grocery or souvenir variety, both of which are ok with me. Jackson has
nice benches, so some shopping will be tolerated.

You may still come.

RJB
----------------

So I leave the country for a few days, and look at the mischief that you all cause! I see that I will need to be the adult on the trip! I therefore appoint myself the director of culture, cuisine, and behavior control.

Here are my rules:

1) Culture: since there are no art museums or Shakespearean festivals in the area, I think Gail is safe! I am planning to burn a CD with an iMix of music that hopefully is appropriate to the trip.

2) Cuisine: I have made reservations at the Old Faithful Inn, and will take my guidebook of restaurants. In the park our options are limited, but I do like meals that include a view. Picnics in scenic areas are appropriate. McDonalds will only be visited as a last resort! Junk food such as White Cheddar Cheezits and chocolate are encouraged!

3) Behavior control: Don't make me have to use my teacher voice if you have inappropriate behavior! Beware: anything you do on the trip may be added to the blog or even a podcast! Such is the danger of traveling with a technogeek.

Actually I found your entire series of emails quite entertaining, so I decided to share them with the world. We now have our own official Yellowstone blog:

http://yellowstoneblog.blogspot.com/


That's all for now, happy packing! KLB

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