Summary

-- Jonah Lehrer

Papa has always been a numbers guy, and it has rubbed off on me over the years. So here are a few random bits of trivia from the trip and a quick overview.

Home

After the Antelope Canyon tour, we knew there were hotel rooms available in Page. But what if there were last minute vacancies at the North Rim? Are we pushing our luck? Doesn’t hurt to check, right?

Yes! There was a vacancy for the night. Ok, next. What about a dinner reservation at the lodge? That was harder. 7:30 was the only time. Ok, we will take it. We were set for our final night of the trip. 

A little history. Papa and I hiked the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim for the first time 12 years ago. My friend, Judy, encouraged me to “go for it.”  I feel a connection to her when I am there, especially on the North Rim. (Judy's Story)

This visit varies from the template Judy laid out but it was wonderful evening. We still stopped at Jacob Lake on our way to the North Rim. We picked up cookies, as Judy suggested. I also picked up muffins for breakfast. 

We arrived at the North Rim at 6:35. Sunset is around 7:30. Both large lodge verandas overlooking the Canyon were pretty crowded already. We found a picnic table and proceeded to enjoy dessert, our Jacob Lake cookies, before dinner. 

Miraculous

When Betsy fell ill, we had to cancel the major “kick” to the end of our planned trip. #1 We have wanted to tour Antelope Canyon for years. #2 Stay overnight on the North Rin of the Grand Canyon. That one we have done years ago when we hiked the Grand Canyon the first time. 

First we overslept on the morning we wanted to leave Salt Lake City. That made getting home really late. Just for kicks, I called Antelope Canyon to see if, like us earlier in the week, someone may have canceled their tour reservation. Guess what? We could get a reservation at 3:45 giving us plenty of time to make the drive. Plus, if we arrived early, they might be able to slip us in earlier. 

Recalculating

If you’ve followed our five-week odyssey, you know it has been beyond amazing. We have accomplished everything we set out to do and more, so far. Weather, health, road construction, you name it has cooperated. The few things we missed were no biggie. 

For those of you who believe in Murphy’s Law, well maybe that’s what happened. I personally believe we were guided to slow down for a bit. Whatever you believe, we had some “recalculating” occur. 

Here’s what happened. Tuesday we were coming into Salt Lake City for an overnight. There are lots of mountains. Betsy was struggling with the steep grades a bit and then, the check engine light came on. We were close to the hotel for the night. It was late afternoon so I called a repair shop with high review ratings. Nope, they were booked for a week. They gave me the name of another shop. Nope, they too were booked for over a week but they gave me another name. Success. Bring it in a 7AM. 

Golf, One More Time

The Wyoming/Idaho area is beautiful with mountains, forests, lakes, multiple campgrounds and outdoor trails and activity. Winter sounds totally different but activity continues with snowmobiling, snowshoeing, cross-country and downhill skiing. 

Papa and I looked at the schedule for today and thought, yup, we can squeeze in another 9-holes of golf. We were staying in a remote but lovely cabin in Idaho. No cell phone service. So we decided to drive to Star Valley Ranch about 40 minutes away in Wyoming. It’s a new community incorporated in 2005. 

We walked into the pro shop and inquired about open tee times. The two ladies behind the desk told us, nope. Mens league playing this morning so no tee times until 1PM. Ah shoot, we wanted to get in 9-holes before hitting the road. 

The two ladies and a third, a golfer, provided the solution. Their 9-hole course was up the road a mile or so, located in the mountains, and we could golf right away. Perfect!

Grand Teton Again

Like with Yellowstone, we had the morning to tour Grand Teton on our own. It was Sunday so we wanted to experience church at the Chapel of Transfiguration. Built in 1925, this log cabin-like structure has original ash tree pews. The large window behind the alter perfectly frames the Tetons. The colorful wildflowers along the boardwalk leading to the church give it a welcoming, homestead feeling. 

Grand Teton - Evening

Don’t know why it surprised me but there is a lot of driving in the national parks. They’re large. A state highway goes through Yellowstone and continues through Grand Teton. Did you know there is less than 10 miles between Yellowstone and Grand Teton?

The highway through Grand Teton does not have a kiosk or require a national parks pass or entrance fee. There are kiosks on all the other roads/entrances, just not the main state highway. Why? It is a major road for commerce with trucks using it. It is also the route to the Jackson Hole airport, the only national airport located within a national park. 

Papa and I met our tour group in Jackson, located on the southern end of Grand Teton. That meant we drove the entire length of this road through the park. The iconic view of the Tetons is visible all along this highway!

Yellowstone

West Yellowstone lies just over a mile from the Yellowstone West Entrance. It is a fun town with the typical tourist gift, clothing and souvenir shops. Our lodging was only a block off the main drag and the evening was picture-perfect weather wise. We had to take a walk to celebrate. 

What are we celebrating, you ask? Well, it was Nana’s turn to have a blunder. As we unloaded the car at the motel, I forgot to remove the keys from the ignition. Now, the car shouldn’t lock if the keys are in the ignition right? Wrong! Called OnStar to unlock and nope, the car’s too old. Seriously? I say age discrimination! Poor Betsy. Never fear. AAA to the rescue. Less than an hour later, the nice young tech retrieves the keys. Time to get some ice cream. 

Gardiner

Papa and I have been on-the-road over four weeks. A marathon of travel. It has exceeded our expectations, yes. And we are tired. Like a marathon, we needed to save a little “kick” to get us through the end. Today we started that kick. 

Eastern Montana

This was another driving day but even on driving days we try to get in some activity. Yesterday we met friends for breakfast. Today was to be a hike, but we didn’t find the trailhead. 

We did find the area though: Strawberry Hill Recreation Area. It was rugged and awesome. The road into the area was one lane, had lots of loose gravel and huge drops into ravines/washes. Sweet Betsy struggled to find firm footing by spinning her tires to displace the gravel on the inclines. She was a “4-wheel-off-road-wannabe.”  She got us through!! And was rewarded with a car wash for her hard work!

We did get a short hike in. I think we were more motivated with thoughts of what is to come than pushing it today. 

North Dakota

This was a longer miles/driving day, which means we didn’t get many photos. We came into North Dakota from South Dakota so we didn’t experience the far eastern side of the state. Honestly the area through Jamestown, Carrington and Harvey had a somewhat familiar look of Iowa or Eastern South Dakota. As we got closer to Minot, the rolling hillsides were green. They looked almost like mowed yards but it was prairie grass. Beautiful. 

Grotto & Friends

In western Iowa there are numerous small towns with tall elevators and water towers marking their place in the landscape of corn and soybean fields. One small town has a unique extra. The Grotto of Redeption is in West Bend. This huge structure was created by three men over decades, the inspiration of one priest assigned to West Bend. 

Final Golf Course

We did it!  Every day we planned to golf, we did! Weather cooperated. What a blessing. We have visited with so many friends and family, spent time in new places and familiar old places and, foremost, shared memories of our family member’s life. All went as planned without a major hiccup. Amazing!

The final course we played was one of the first our family member played. Lots of family history in the area and, when talking with relatives the day before we played, we wondered if anyone at the course would make the family connection. 

Well, of course. The starter knew several family members. He shared memories with various relatives, including living next door to a cousin for a few years. Even though Papa and I hadn’t played here before, it sure felt like home after talking with Mike. 

The clubhouse was very nice. It seemed to be a gathering spot for friends as several groups huddled around tables or stood and chatted. The course was nicely maintained. It wasn’t particularly challenging but it was long. It made for a pleasant morning. And, of course, more geese. 

Mall of America

When you have months of cold weather, a large indoor playground is much appreciated. The day we visited, there was wind, clouds, rain. Kinda nasty outside but we were just fine inside. Roller coaster and log rides. Ferris wheel and trains. That’s just the Nickelodeon theme park!

Surf Ballroom

A little bit of history. The Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa. This is the place where Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens played their last concert before their plane crashed in a corn field outside Mason City. 

This venue has been a northern Iowa historic spot for decades. Now it is officially on the national historic registry. That’s fantastic. The dance floor has been updated but most of the interior is the same. I loved seeing the stage and the tiered booth seating around the dance floor.

The Last University Course

Pheasant Ridge is now the University of Northern Iowa course, which is northwest of the university. We remember the course being on the southeastern edge of campus along Main Street near College Square Mall. That is now an elevated highway. Not 100% sure our family member played Pheasant Ridge but it’s very likely. 

This had to be one of the most magical mornings of our trip. It started with deep clouds, cool breeze and light rain. We put on our rain jackets determined to brave it. By the end of the first hole, where we only felt a few light sprinkles, the jacket was off. By the fourth hole the sun was starting to poke through. 

Golf Stop #10

Papa and I are very grateful that weather has cooperated with our golf outings. The first stop, Branson, was very warm and humid, but the rest have been awesome. No rain outs! ⛳️

Stop #10 is another university golf course, home to the Iowa Hawkeyes. We were able to add a ball marker to our memorial collection. To review, we picked up markers at the first three courses. Ok, the fourth course was actually mini golf on Mackinac Island, so no marker there. The other courses say “back order” or supplier issues are why they do not have them. 

Back to Finkbine. Beautiful course with gentle rolling hills and, yes, more geese. The clubhouse and pro shop are beautiful. The restaurant and other amenities are named after Iowa coaches and athletic directors. Iowa people love their college sports!

Great to See You

One of the best things about traveling is visiting places where you know people! It’s no secret that we have been spending time with family this week but we have also seen long-time friends. It is so special to get together and catch up. Oh we could have talked for hours!!

Carol, Frank, John, Jan, Pinky, Flo…

Thank you all for taking time to see us!

Two Municipal Courses

This is golf week, well more like golf mornings. The rest of the days are spent with some beyond delightful people; aka grandchildren. But back to golf. 

There are several courses available in the area but we only had time to visit two on this trip. The first course, Ellis, is undergoing a renovation. A new clubhouse is nearing completion. The derecho a couple years ago changed the city dramatically, uprooting thousands of trees and damaging countless buildings. It is good to see the city investing in restoring and upgrading their recreational facilities. 

Rolling Hills

The initial motivation for this trip was to play golf courses our family member played. Many of those are in the Midwest. And you know what we are discovering? Many of those courses have rolling hills.