'evening Campers!
So last night I promised to get some
pics posted. And I did! I hope you found them on either blogger or
Flickr.
This place is amazingly photogenic. It
has the large scale grandeur that I do not expect to find anywhere
else... even Yellowstone (which we expect to have more variety, way
more accessible wildlife and genuinely unique features... but not on
the scale of the Tetons.) Both of the photos I posted of the Tetons
were panoramas... one from yesterday early evening and one from
sunrise this morning. I think they speak for themselves.
Yesterday I ragged on Jackson, Wyoming.
As we laid out our plan for the next few days over coffee this
morning we hit a realization. We needed to resupply before heading
into the Yellowstone wilderness tomorrow. We also needed 4G cellular
service which was not happening here in the Park. We looked at our
options and concluded we had only one choice... Jackson. So we suited
up with hazmat gear, put clothespins on our noses and headed into the
old west... sort of.
Here are some of the things we found:
The stage coach has just arrived. Turns
out this one was 150 years late and brought the news that President
Lincoln has been shot!
Actually I think this was a Wells Fargo
Bank billboard, or maybe a tour of the town offered to tourists for
$25/head... I'm not sure. I am sure that it disrupted the flow of
traffic. The scene behind that is typical of modern Jackson. We
walked along that row of shops as we headed back to the truck after
shopping. This is the way the west should have been. Featured in the
window of the “Alaska Fur Gallery” shown in that pic was a fur
bra and panty set. Perhaps wolf fur... they wouldn't let me touch it
to find out. I'm thinking it must be what Annie Oakley wore to keep
from shivering and spoiling her shot in the cold Wyoming winters.
Nice of the folks at Alaska Fur to keep that traditional apparel
choice alive and on display for modern Americans!
There is no shortage of boots, hats and
tee shirts in Jackson. You can feel the authenticity. Here's one that
caught my eye and immediately thereafter the lens of my camera:
The one under it isn't too bad, either.
Dick Cheney is from here in Wyoming. Since the town is full of bus
loads of Asian tourists, I'm wondering how he explained Jackson in
his diplomatic meetings with people from other countries who had
visited his state and this town and had questions about the meaning of it all in America culture. How does anyone explain the inexplicable?
Finally, here is a picture of one of
the 4 elk antler arches I told you about last night. See if you agree
that any elk within 50 miles of here is probably ticked off about
this. No wonder we haven't seen one yet!
We tanked up on supplies for the next
few days and got out of Jackson. I'm not saying I'll never set foot
in Jackson again. I am saying I'll have lowered my expectations
before I return.
So, tomorrow it's off to Yellowstone. A
short drive by our standards... 50 miles about from campsite to
campsite.
Based on cell service and WiFi at the
campgrounds, you may hear from us... you may not. If I'm not posting
blog entries and pics just know its because we can't get a sufficient
connection. I did buy a cell phone signal extender (a $350 electronic
device that amplifies both incoming and outgoing cell signals to make
connection possible in fringe signal areas) at Radio Shack in Jackson
today (there... you see... I do appreciate the businesses of
Jackson... of course they were a mile from the antler arches, stage
coaches and tee shirt shops). Unfortunately, after the one hour drive
to the campsite and 30 minutes on the phone with Verizon getting the
device “registered” when I opened the box to install it in the
trailer there was a critical part missing. I now know where the
expression “not a happy camper” originated. Hopefully they will
get the missing part to me by courier in the morning or by FedEx in a
day or two in Yellowstone. I'm hoping it will help.
So, as I was saying... if you don't
hear from us, let the anticipation build knowing we are taking pics
and jotting notes about the social condition of America and Americans
today and will share all of that with you as soon as possible.If you want to look up Yellowstone info and place us on a map for the next four days, we'll be at Grant Village. Those campsites have no water, no electricity (and I'm betting, no cell phone service!) so we'll be totally reliant on our aluminum shelled enclosure on wheels and two Honda 2000 watt generators to protect us from the wild... just like the pioneers! I think I'll stop calling us "campers" and switch to "re-enactors". I wonder if they kept the chocolate for their 'smores in their propane powered refrigerator/freezer like we do? I'll have to look that up if I ever get reliable internet again...
Later!
SC
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