IN SUMMARY

We only had one mechanical issue on the trip home. When we were ready to leave the Texas panhandle and head on into Dallas, we were unable to completely retract the full wall slide on the driver's side of the RV. After trying various remedies, we were able to get the slide retracted almost all the way. The RV was repaired at Lazydays in Tampa after we returned back to Florida.

We returned home to find a yard full of weeds, possibly more than previous years because Gainesville received a lot more rain in the summer of 2012.  We even had a small birds nest in the wreath hanging on the front door. For a better photo, we put the wreath on the porch floor.  The things that can happen to your house when we are away for several months!

Fortunately, there were no eggs in the nest, so we were able to remove it without disturbing the "family".

In reviewing our journey home, gas prices ranged from $3.47 to 3.68 per gallon. We averaged 7.40 mpg which is within .2 of the first RV we purchased 4 years ago. We stayed in 8 different campgrounds enroute home with an average cost of $30.10.

Only time will tell as to what, if any, our adventure might be for the summer of 2013. 

VISIT WITH FAMILY IN DALLAS

Our work commitment in Wyoming has ended, and we have begun our journey eastward towards Florida.

After four long days of driving, we stopped in Dallas for a weekend visit with our eldest daughter Wendy, husband Scott, and grandchildren Amelia (age 9) and John (age 6). Wendy wanted us to enjoy the lovely and not too hot weather, so she planned a trip to the Dallas Arboretum.  The Dallas Arboretum features 66-acres of spectacular display gardens that showcase incredible seasonal flowers, ornamental shrubs, trees and plant collections in a serene setting on White Rock Lake. We have previously visited in October for the Halloween themed displays and in December for the Christmas themed displays, but we always enjoy return visits to this lovely natural setting.

The main purpose of this trip was to view the Chihuly exhibit, a special artist event.  Renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly has brought his dramatic sculptures and glass installations to be displayed throughout the Dallas Arboretum. Paul and Ann are pictured with John and Amelia in front of the "Yellow Icicle Tower", the tallest glass exhibit at 30 feet tall.

The "Cattails" was one of the more colorful of the blown glass exhibits with a mixture of orange and yellow glass in swirling patterns.

There were several collections of large spheres,up to 40 inches in diameter and 60 pounds in weight, amongst the various flower beds. What sometimes got overshadowed by the glass ornaments were the colorful flowers in the well-manicured flower beds. 

Here Paul and John are walking past some purple "Reeds" surrounding a yellow and green "armature". There were multiple collections of various colored reeds throughout the Arboretum.

The "Float Boat" and the "Carnival Boat" are pictured in a reflection pond. It is an optical illusion that these two exhibits are floating on White Rock Lake, which is actually below and in the background.

What would be more fitting for Dallas and the state of Texas than a special piece of artwork, appropriately named the "Dallas Star".

It was great to spend a special and relaxing day with family at the Arboretum.

WORKING BESIDE WILDLIFE

One of the more unique aspects of working in a national park is observing wildlife on a regular basis while we work. .

Near the end of June, several families of mud swallows began building nests above the doorway to the RV Park office where Paul works. Once the nests were begun, they were "protected" by the park service in that we could not remove them even though our guests  were subject to being splattered by "white stuff" as they entered the office to check in.

It was fascinating to see how quickly these nests were built. Then, in less than 3 weeks after completion of the nests, there were pieces of broken egg shell on the ground, indicating the eggs in the nests had begun to hatch. We could watch the baby swallows first stand on the upper ledge of the front of the building and soon begin to fly. Here you can see three little baby swallows looking down.

Most days we have visits from mule deer. Below a buck is enjoying a snack of green brush. Notice the antlers are still "in velvet".  Velvet covers a growing antler and provides it with blood, supplying oxygen and nutrients until the antler fully develops and hardens.

A doe often traveled through the RV Park and campground with her three fawns, two of which are visible near the sign that says, "All RV's Stop Here". This is where RV park guests drive-up to park while they register inside the office.  The deer never seemed to be bothered by people nearby.

Also, notice the red/white striped pole above the utility box on the right-side of the photo. The pole shows the snow plow drivers where there is an obstacle to avoid while plowing during the winter. The top of this pole is nearly 6 feet above the ground.  A very quick reminder of why we don't want to be in the Tetons during winter.

Two of the fawns have moved behind the RV Park office, which is the structure on the right side of this photo. Notice the detail in the construction of the office structure. Back in the early 1900's, this building was the gas station for the village of Moran while the first Jackson Lake Dam was being built. The building was moved about 7 miles north to Colter Bay in the 1950's when the RV park was first opened.

During the summer we also had periodic visits from a black bear cub, as well a fox family.  Unfortunately, we have no photos of these visitors, as they came and went too quickly.

MENOR'S FERRY

We visited Menor's Ferry in 2010 to visit the site of the first ferry across the Snake River, which began service in 1894.   But we returned again this year to take a ride on a replica of the ferry that was used for about twenty years to further the settlement of the Jackson Hole valley.

The ferry was the only way for new Jackson Hole settlers to cross the Snake River without traveling north about 35 miles to Moran where they could cross at the Jackson Lake Dam. That 35 miles on horseback or in a wagon would take the better part of a day to travel, so the ferry was immediately successful for frontier families. The ferry is long enough to put a small wagon and team of horses. Bill Menor charged $.25 for a rider on horseback and $.50 for a wagon with a team of horses to ride his ferry.

Previously, the Snake River was too high and swift for the National Park Service to put the replica of the ferry in the water. They tried in 2011, though, and the ferry immediately sank into the river and stayed there all summer until the water became low enough for the ferry to be hauled out.  Now, with much less winter snow, the river is just the right height to take a ferry ride.

The pilot turns the wheel of the ferry to point the pontoons so the river current can propel the ferry in the direction of the current towards the opposite shore. This method of propelling the ferry dates back to Egyptian times and is called a "reaction ferry". The photo below shows the two ropes going towards the pulley system attached to the cable,  which is how the pontoons are aimed.

Here is a close-up of the pulley system as the ferry reaches the west dock.

Captain Paul at the helm.

Bill Menor was the first person to take advantage of the Homestead Act and settle on the west side of the Snake River. His original cabin (not shown) is actually to the left of the photo below and was made out of logs. The left portion in the photo below was an addition to his original cabin and was made from lumber bought from a sawmill in the valley. In 1905 he opened the general store, shown on the right in the photo below.

He crafted furniture out of wood and sometimes antlers as seen below. Elk antlers frame the chair, and the seat is made from a moose antler. Notice the long sleepwear draped on the bed in the rear of the photo. Winter temperatures could reach to -20 F or colder.

This was a very enjoyable look back into the history of the Jackson Hole Valley.

LAKESHORE TRAIL HIKE

A day off in the middle of summer means time to take a hike--literally. We headed down to the marina to take a short hike from the marina along the northeast shore of Jackson Lake. The Jackson Hole valley has been covered with smoke from several forest fires across the Teton mountain range in Idaho for over a week now. Compare this photo with the second photo below which was taken in June. Not only is the level of Jackson Lake lower now, but you can barely see Mt. Moran.

Photo from June, like a picture postcard.

As we began our hike we were greeted by the following sign. The sign does make you stop and think! There have been several sightings of black bears in the RV park as well as the campground. However, thankfully, we did not encounter a bear during our hike.

Not much wildlife along the trail, although we did see several chipmunks and squirrels.

When we got back to Colter Bay Village, we did see Ms. Deer between the parking lot at the top of the steps and the amphitheater, which is used for park ranger programs.

Our friendly doe is trying to select her seat for the evening's ranger talk.

We had an enjoyable hike despite the smoky haze obscuring the views of the mountains.

WINE TASTING AT DORNAN'S

We received an invitation to a wine tasting at Dornans, a restaurant and "resort" in Moose, WY, which is about 12 miles north of Jackson.

Dornans has a pizza restaurant, a small grocery store, an outdoor shop renting bikes, kayaks & canoes, a float trip business and ...

 
there is also a Chuckwagon outdoor restaurant. On this night, the Chuckwagon was closed to the general public due to a wedding reception. You can see the wedding guests on the left in the photo below. What a location to have a destination wedding!

A true western welcome greets you as you walk towards the wine store.

Now who would think that, in the middle of this western oriented complex, we would find a fine wine store!  It seems so out of place, and we are not sure where their clientele comes from.  But the wine store has been here for years.  We got to sample four wines, two of which we enjoyed enough to purchase several bottles each. Added to our favorites are a 2010 Curtis Heritage Blanc Viognier / Roussanne Blend and a 2009 Monte Hiniesta Tinta de Toro red blend from Spain. The wine steward is pouring the red blend in the photo below.

After the wine tasting, we enjoyed a pizza on the second floor deck overlooking the Snake River. Dornan's pizza is the closest pizza to Chicago style pizza that we have tasted here in Wyoming. The views of the Teton Range as the sun set behind the mountains was priceless.

On the drive back to Colter Bay, we were treated to some more amazing views of the Teton Range. It is easy to see where "Purple mountains majesty" comes from.

Mount Moran is shown below with the sun just setting behind the mountains to the west. Notice the calmness of the Snake River, so the reflection of the mountain is clearly visible.

A close look at Skillet Glacier and you can see there is no surrounding snow, just the glacier being visible on this late July evening.

HAPPY HOUR WITH A VIEW

  

One of the most peaceful places to enjoy happy hour is overlooking the Jackson Hole valley from The Deck, an area in front of the Couloir Restaurant above Teton Village. The Couloir is a fine dining restaurant located at 9095 ft. in Teton Village. We had such a good time doing this two years ago that we just had to repeat the experience.

The gondola ride to the top is free and the drinks are half-price for happy hour. The mode of transportation to the top is a 6-8 passenger gondola, which takes about 15 minutes to rise over 3000 feet. The shadow in the lower left in the photo below is from the Teton Village logo which appears in white on the other gondola. 

The sun was intense at 9095 feet above sea level even though the air was cool on this afternoon. The Gros Ventre Mountains are in the distance. In addition to some ice cold Snake River Brewing Company draft beer, we enjoyed a "small plate" of sliders. The mini-burgers were grilled and topped with crispy onions, buttermilk blue, and dijon mayo -  a very tasty combination.

Included in the Deck menu was a quote from Benjamin Franklin, "There can't be good living where there is not good drinking".  We totally agree with that philosophy!

The spaceship looking device is the turnaround for the Bridger Gondola before it heads back down to Teton Village.

The highlight of our return to Colter Bay was a close-up view of Mr. Moose along the highway. Notice how large the rack is, especially considering moose lose their antlers in the winter, and this photo was taken in early July.

Another wildlife sighting on the way home in Flat Creek, which flows through the National Elk Refuge just north of Jackson.  It took us three summers here in Wyoming to see a trumpeter swan. The reflection is of the Gros Ventre Mountains which are to the east of town. 

We had a very relaxing time on a pretty summer day in the Jackson Hole Valley.