Thanks for the report, I'm going there in a few weeks, trying to get as much detail as possible.

Happy to help! I'll be posting more tomorrow.

Lee Ann

I loved the Tetons and Yellowstone, and want to go back.

And I love the start to your trip report, Lee Ann! Informative and fun, it gave me a few chuckles. I hadn't realized that you three had gotten away for a family vacation, that is lovely. Looking forward to reading about more of your adventures.

Yay! Can't wait for more. I'm headed back soon too

Day 3 - Grand Teton NP and Onward to Yellowstone

We had scheduled a float trip down the Snake River with Triangle X Ranch www.trianglex.com this morning, so got off to an early start. We drove up the highway past the ski areas and onto the dirt road that goes into the park. The ranger told us there was a mama elk nursing twins, but we didn't see her. We spent a few minutes at the Laurence S. Rockefeller Preserve, but didn't have time to hike.

Our float trip guide, Brian, met us at Moose Junction. We and another family piled into their van and set off for Deadman's Bar, where we got basic safety information and our life vests before getting into the raft.

Brian said the 10-mile trip would normally take about 90 minutes (less than an hour when the water is higher). The poor guy was rowing into a headwind the whole way, so we were on the water for about 2 1/2 hours total. We were glad we had bundled up because it was...well, just plain cold. But we saw a bald eagle and had a great time nonetheless. Brian was an excellent guide, very knowledgeable about the geology of Grand Teton and the flora and fauna we passed. He let DS Pickle row the raft for about five minutes, which he really enjoyed.

Once we returned to Moose, all Mr. Pickle wanted was some hot soup. Brian recommended we stop at Dornan's across the river, where we thawed out while enjoying lunch. I had a cup of chicken chipotle mole soup with my caprese panini; Mr. Pickle had the other soup on offer with a meatball sub; and DS Pickle had the chipotle soup with a calzone. The food was delicious and fairly reasonably priced.

We stopped at the Moose visitor center, then at the Chapel of the Transfiguration, a little log chapel with an outstanding view of the Tetons, before driving up to Jenny Lake. We considered taking the boat across the lake and hiking, but decided we had had enough wind chill for one day. In fact, we were all tired enough that we napped in the parking lot for about 30 minutes before continuing our journey.

After a stop at the Colter Bay visitor center, which has some nice displays of Native American art, we headed north to Yellowstone.

I must say it was a bit odd to see ice ringing Lewis Lake in June, but the park hadn't been open all that long, so I suppose I should have expected it.

We got to Old Faithful Lodge, our first night's stop, a few minutes before the next geyser eruption. It was exciting seeing it in person after viewing pictures and videos all these years!

We booked all our Yellowstone lodging in January, and every time I checked in somewhere, the desk clerks were turning people away. Make your reservations early!

Being the cheap - er, frugal - travelers we are, we went for the least expensive lodging choices in the park. I wasn't sure what to expect when I saw a picture of the Old Faithful Lodge Cabins online, but we were very pleased with what we got. We had a fairly spacious cabin with one full and one twin bed and a sink in the room. The restrooms and showers were a very short walk away, and our cabin overlooked a pretty meadow.

Dinner at the OFL cafeteria was pretty tasty with a good variety of food. We had chili, a hummus wrap, and something else.

Poor Mr. Pickle was a bit taken aback at the food prices in the park. They weren't anything we couldn't afford, but $3 for a little box of cereal and a half-pint of milk is a bit pricey. He got over it, though, once I told him to stop grumbling and be thankful we could afford to travel at all. If we do a trip like this again, we will figure out a better way to bring some breakfast and lunch fixings along.

After dinner, we walked part of the boardwalk past other smaller geysers and mineral pools. It reminded me of Rotorua, NZ, just more spread out and with bigger mountains.

In all our years visiting national parks, we've never been able to fit in a ranger talk, so we were glad we had time for one that evening. One of the rangers did a living history presentation, telling us what the park was like for visitors in 1905. He was fun and entertaining, and when he saw DS Pickle's Red Sox cap before the program, he gave him a "Hey, Boston!" shout out.

When the talk was finished, we strolled over to the Old Faithful Inn to gape at its spectacular lobby (and so I could find the espresso cart for the next morning). It is spectacular!

After one more Old Faithful eruption, it was back to our cabin for the night.

If you stay in the cabins, note that there aren't any street lights. Bring a flashlight.

Great report! I can't wait to read more. We went to Yellowstone last October, and the Old Faithful Inn was already closed for the season. I wish we could've gone in to check out the lobby; I haven't been inside since I was in high school. It's so amazing!

We just returned also so I'm really enjoying reading your report. I believe the campground where the owls are is the Gros Ventre campground on Gros Ventre road (there could be more at another campground that you are talking about that I am unaware of). The two at Gros Ventre are very visible and great fun to watch, but they are out of the nest now sitting on the branches so I don't think they will be there much longer.

There was another one on Moose-Wilson Rd where owls were also but we didn't find them. Also, in Mammoth there were owlets, but I think they have been out of the nest for a week or so (for anyone going out there soon).

Bring a torch?

Pickles, all--
Thanks for sharing your memories with us. I have enjoyed your info and help in the past about traveling in the UK (we went in 2008 and are going back in--wow! 7 weeks from right now we should be flying!0. And I remember when you posted some questions about this National Park trip. Rejoice with you that it seems to have been so successful and look forward to hearing the rest. We were there last July and it's always fun to hear what others say about shared places and experiences. Keep writin'!

(And I am positive you "know" this, but it bears repeating--in about 2 seconds your 14yrold will be 21--oops, 23--no, 25--at least it's so with mine--so this trip will always be a priceless memory for you all--and there's definitely abundant life after 50!)--Alecia

Thank you for the report, I was hoping you would write one. We'll be there end of August into early September.

So I didn't see any owlets on my June trip in 08. Guess that is a good enough reason to return. I liked June because it didn't seem overly crowded and there was a lot of babies. It did snow a bit on us and the roads had just opened the day before our arrival.

You're right, maj, it's the Gros Ventre campground. I was too lazy to find the map.

Judyrem, only if your name is Jeanette or Isabella.

Thanks, texasbookworm! I'm envious of you heading back to England. We hope to take DS Pickle there, though at the moment we're talking more about a return to New Zealand. We didn't get to see the South Island, and DS hasn't been there yet.

I figure I'm finally hitting middle age, and I can't wait to see what the rest of life has to offer!

Lee Ann

This is great!!!

I'm going the first week of August and hopefuly the weather will be a lot warmer.

Awaiting the rest and the photos. Thanks.

Glad I caught this! Thank you so much for sharing - what a delightful trip report and time you had Happy Birthday!

The chill made me go brrrrrrrrrrrr on that raft trip. I have to ask what is Mormon row? I will google it but was curious.

A lane where the Mormons lived full of little houses and barns. Sweet as can be

Okey dokey, back to the report!

Day 4 - Old Faithful to Mammoth Hot Springs

The cafeteria at Old Faithful Lodge doesn't serve breakfast, so we made do with cereal and muffins from the deli. I should have walked over to Old Faithful Inn for some coffee, but we decided to walk over there after we packed the car. Bad choice - we missed the parking lot entrance and Mr. Pickle didn't want to circle around to get back to it. Let's just say it was a bleary-eyed, headachy morning.

We drove north along the Firehole River, visiting the Grand Prismatic Spring and the other hot springs and geysers in the Midway Geyser Basin. They are an easy trek along a boardwalk, and there is a very cool spot by the parking lot where a boiling waterfall empties into the river. We also took the Firehole Lake loop, but missed the turn into the Fountain Paint Pot area. As you exit the Firehole Lake loop, it's right across the main road.

After a brief stop at Madison to use the facilities and call our daughter, we turned east toward Norris. This highway has 20-30 minute delays for road construction, so plan accordingly.

Norris has a very nice park ranger museum in an old military housing cabin. It's worth a few minutes' time.

On the way to Mammoth Hot Springs, we stopped briefly at Roaring Mountain. We heard more traffic passing than roaring scenery, though.

As you approach Mammoth Hot Springs, take the turnoff to the left and visit the terraces, formed by the mineral content in the springs. The minerals and extreme thermophile bacteria provide quite a variety of colors - it's pretty otherworldly.

We drove into Mammoth around 1:30, checked into our cabin, unloaded the car, and had lunch at the Terrace Grill. The sun was peeking out and there was only an occasional drizzle.

Mammoth Hot Springs is the location of Fort Yellowstone, from early in the park's history when the military ran it. Now it is the park headquarters and employee housing. We walked over to the visitor's center to learn a little more about the area. BTW, all the visitor centers in the park are worth visiting; each features some different aspect of the park.

None of us had ever been to Montana, so we took the north entrance out of the park into Gardiner. On the way, we saw several cars parked alongside the road. I didn't mention it before, but this is always a clue to stop and find out what people are looking at!

Up the steep, rocky slope were a couple of mountain goats. As we watched, four or five kids suddenly appeared. Yes, readers, I did the squealy "Oooh, look, what cute little baties!" thing...but they really are cute as they scamper and leap about.

There isn't a lot in Gardiner, but there is a store with good coffee. Hurray!

We walked around, did a bit of window shopping, and headed back into the park.

Mr. Pickle's not one to waste daylight, and he really wanted to hike up to Beaver Springs. At this point, it was around 4:30, my feet were tired, I was a bit cranky, and I really didn't want to go, so he and DS Pickle took off up the trail while I walked back to our cabin. I took the opportunity to look over the menu at the Mammoth dining room on the way. It felt so good to put on a pair of handknit socks, sit on our cabin's porch, and relax.

The Pickle men weren't gone more than 45 minutes. It started raining a little harder, and the trail was longer and steeper than either of them wanted to tackle. We hung out at the cabin for a bit until everyone was hungry enough for dinner.

Our meal at the Mammoth dining room was our favorite in the park. DS Pickle had trout tacos, Mr. Pickle had lasagna rollups, and I had a really tasty salad with smoked trout, warm goat cheese "croutons," pine nuts, a little bacon, and a big pile of greens. It was all pretty reasonably priced and well prepared.

Rather than head right back to the cabin, we walked over to the hotel and read in the lobby for a while. It's not as spectacular as the Old Faithful Inn, but it's pleasant and well-lit, and the fire felt good.

Sounds like a fantastic trip so far, thanks for the report.

Delightful report! Yellowstone is always such a treat to visit. There's so much beauty around every corner.

How were the pools at Mammoth Hot Springs? Last time we visited Yellowstone (2 years ago), they were basically all dried up, not much color. It changes when it rains, so I hope you got to see some of the pools' golden beauty.

I'm really enjoying your report -- love the details and the way you write. And seeing the area through your eyes.

We've only stayed in the Old Faithful area twice (it's different when you are visiting for the day -- you just find the public parking area and walk). It isn't easy finding your way driving around that area. In fact we found the turnoff to OFI (going away from the Lodge area) by turning at a sign that showed gas available -- no reference to it also being the place to turn for OFI.

Lee Ann, I'm really enjoying your report! What a great trip.

Swisshiker, the pools at Mammoth Hot Springs were very striking. The park got a good amount of rain and snow, so everything was full and gushing.

Day 5 - Mammoth to Canyon

We had breakfast at the Terrace Grill, then left our little Dharmaville-esque cabin. There are pikas (like a ground squirrel but cuter) all over the place. People must feed them, because they're pretty much fearless.

The Pickle men went back up to the terraces so DS Pickle could take some video while I checked out and waited in a long, slow line for a latte. I hope they have more than one person working the espresso cart when the park gets busier!

At this point, we noticed an unusual object in the sky - the sun! Several days in a row with no sunshine is kind of weird for us New Mexicans...

Today was waterfall day. We stopped at lovely Undine Falls for a few minutes. As a Tolkien fan, I sort of regret not stopping at Wraith Falls, but I think it was raining hard enough that we decided to skip it. We drove on past the Roosevelt area to Tower Falls. There was no power in the visitor center, which slowed down anyone who wanted to make a purchase. Tower Falls was really gushing - quite the sight!

From Tower Falls, the road climbs up and up past Mt. Washburn and over Dunraven Pass. There is still a good deal of snow in this section of Yellowstone; with the snow, clouds, and all the shades of black and gray, I still managed my Lord of the Rings moment without the Wraith Falls stop. DS Pickle humming the Rohan theme probably helped a little.

Suddenly we saw a couple dozen cars pulled off along the road and people jogging along with their mega-telephoto lenses. I rolled down the window to ask what everyone was looking for. A mama grizzly and her two cubs had just crossed the road, but they were pretty much out of sight by the time we spotted them. We just got a glimpse of the cubs and mama's sizable backside. It was still pretty cool.

From here, we headed back into the super caldera and down to Canyon Village. This area had opened for the season the day before, and their computers and phones were down. They asked us to come back later. We checked out the restaurant, cafeteria, and deli as we walked over to the visitor center.

After getting some suggestions on hikes and a good way to visit the canyon rims, we stopped at the general store to grab sandwiches for lunch.

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is awe-inspiring. We drove down the South Rim to Artists' Point, then back up to the main road, stopping at the various scenic views. We elected not to take the Uncle Tom's Point trail; the climb back up the stairs didn't sound all that appealing.

Next was a stop at the Brink of the Upper Falls trail. This takes you really close to...well, the brink of the Upper Falls. "Hmmm, this isn't too bad. Maybe I'm getting over my fear of heights," I thought as I looked over the edge of the viewing platform - only to jump several inches as Mr. Pickle touched my shoulder. Maybe not...

We left the brink and headed down the South Rim. By now it was cloudy again with cold, driving drizzle, sleet, and rain, so we didn't spend a lot of time out of the car - just enough to jog to the overlook, take some pictures, and jump back in.

By then, it was close to 4:00, and we went back to the office to see if we could check in. The computers were still down, so the clerk took our names to speed the process when they were ready.

We considered driving up the road a bit toward Norris and doing a hike, but it started to rain harder as we went back to the car, so we decided the Canyon Lounge was a much more appealing option. We grabbed books and knitting, found some very comfortable seats near a window, and the Pickle adults enjoyed some Moose Drool, a delicious dark brown ale from Montana.

Eventually we joined the line in the office to get our room keys, and found the Pioneer cabins. Unfortunately, the clerk gave us the wrong key, so it was back to the office. I think we always ended up with whatever cabin was the farthest from the office! Oh, well, we missed out on traffic noise...

Finally, we got the right key and entered the room. The cabins look really plain from the outside, but the room was nice and spacious with its own bathroom. These cabins have adjoining rooms, and would be a good choice for a family on a budget. The walls are very thin, though.

Our cabin overlooked a pond, and had a huge pile of snow near the door. DS Pickle promptly made himself a snow fort while Mr. Pickle tried to get the heater to work. The pilot light was on, but no heat was coming out, and with night temperatures below freezing, we knew we would want some warmth. We cranked the thermostat up to 90 and finally felt a little warmth, but it took close to 20 minutes. Mr. Pickle headed up to the office again to schedule a maintenance call.

By the time we were ready for dinner, Mr. Pickle had more or less gotten the heater to work, so we cancelled the maintenance request and walked to the dining room.

DS Pickle had a burger and we enjoyed the soup and salad bar. Unfortunately - and it may have been because they had just opened for the season - our server was not very good. We waited close to 20 minutes for him to take our orders (the busboy, thankfully, kept our water glasses filled) even though he didn't seem to be working very many tables. Then he would disappear for several minutes while everyone in his section looked for him. Our food was fine, but we had to make repeated requests for a number of items, and then he double-charged us for our meal. We noticed most everyone else in our area had similar problems to ours.

The manager was great, though. He straightened out our bill very quickly and we overheard him dealing with the other people's problems in the same manner.

Looking for advice for my first trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton. Our plan is to head south from Billings and drive the Bear Tooth Highway. I have a 24 foot RV and wonder if it will be OK. We have reservations at Grizzly RV park in West Yellowstone, then the Snake River KOA in Jackson. Going end of July. Any tips? Thanks

Mr. Pickle, thanks so much for sharing your wonderful experience with us all. Sounds like a great rip for you and your family.

I've had the chance to go twice and it was amazing. Such beauty and to see all the animals was unforgettable!

Tonytt, I've never traveled in an RV - well, not since I was an adult, anyway. You'll get a lot of good responses if you start a separate thread to ask your question.

Thanks, luxliving! I still have a couple more days' worth of report to write. Better grab some caffeine and get back to it!

Lee Ann

Day 6 - Canyon to Thermopolis

Another cool, drizzly day. We had planned to got to a church service at the Canyon campground amphitheater, but it was too wet. Canyon's deli isn't open for breakfast, so we ate in the cafeteria instead. The cafeteria has different sized plates, and you are charged depending on what size you choose. DS Pickle got a medium plate - at 6 feet tall with no signs of stopping anytime soon, he's a growing boy - and the Pickle adults stuck with the small plates, which were plenty large enough for us.

We made a quick stop at the general store for coffee and a bit of shopping. Canyon's store was the only we saw with a lot of sale items, like the pretty coffee mug which now graces my kitchen.

This was our last day in Yellowstone. We headed south toward Yellowstone Lake through Hayden Valley. This is supposed to be a good place to see wildlife, but we only spotted a few elk and bison. I suspect you see more at dawn and dusk.

We stopped at Le Hardy Rapids, but didn't see any trout. It was still pretty.

The Mud Volcano area is pretty interesting - boiling mud pots, churning mineral pools, the aforementioned mud volcano, which blew itself out a number of years ago but still produces, and the Dragon's Mouth, a cave which belches forth steam and hot water. It sounds a bit like Darth Vader.

As we walked back to our car, we passed a ranger. Noticing I had my umbrella, he said, "Ah, springtime in Yellowstone." I replied, "It's 100 degrees at home. I'll take this any day!"

When we stopped at the Lake Hotel, we kind of wished we had stayed in the lake cabins the night before, rather than stopping at Canyon. The setting is gorgeous, next to the Lake Hotel and a really short walk to the shoreline. These cabins really reminded me of Dharmaville, down to the shade of yellow paint covering the buildings.

We had fun taking pictures next to the old Yellowstone tour bus parked outside and looking around the hotel a bit, then went over Fishing Bridge for a brief stop at their visitor center, which features the wildlife found around the lake.

Off we went over Sylvan Pass, where there was still some serious snow, lots of small waterfalls cascading down the slopes, and the occasional rock to navigate around, then out of the park. We passed quite a few guest ranches as we headed toward Cody. IMO they are a little too far out of the park to be a good base for Yellowstone, but they might be fun as part of a longer trip. We saw a couple more mountain goats as we drove.

Cody has some great Western museums - my parents always loved visiting them - but we didn't check them out. Maybe some other time. We thought we would stop for the evening in Douglas or Casper, so made a stop at McDonald's to satisfy Mr. Pickle's thrift-loving soul and to use their free wi-fi.

The drive south from Cody through Wind River Canyon is pretty spectacular. There are a lot of geological markers to help you know what kind of stuff you're passing.

We arrived in Thermopolis around 5:00. At this point we were tired of sitting and driving and decided to stop for the night. We spent the night at the Paintbrush Inn www.paintbrushinn.com - $64 for a fairly spacious room with a kitchenette.

Blair's Supermarket is across the street; we stocked up on breakfast supplies and snacks, had dinner at Subway, and decided to check out the water parks in Hot Springs State Park, which we had passed as we entered town. At this point it was getting a little late, so we decided to wait on the water parks until the next morning. We drove around the park a bit, rented "Sherlock Holmes" from the combination movie theater and DVD rental store, and called it a night.

The staff at the Paintbrush Inn were extremely helpful and friendly. They loaned us towels for the water park, swapped the room's DVD player out when ours didn't work, and let us check out late the next day. We were really pleased with our stay.

Still a little more to come...

Lee Ann

Day 7 and 8 - Thermopolis to Home

After breakfast in our room, we borrowed towels from the motel office and headed back to Hot Springs State Park.

There are two water parks, plus the free town hot spring pool, available. As soon as Mr. Pickle heard Star Plunge www.starplunge.com had three water slides, the decision was made. Admission is $10 per adult with free readamission all day. They offer swimsuit rentals, locker rentals, and other services if you come unprepared. Star Plunge gets mixed reviews on TripAdvisor, but for the price it was a very pleasant way to spend the morning.

Both indoor and outdoor pools are heated by the hot springs, so the water is really comfortable. There is also a "vapor room" where you can steam yourself if you want.

As I said, there are three water slides at Star Plunge. One is fairly short, designed for kids and the timid (people like me). I was brave, though, and went not only on the little slide, but the 300-something feet long indoor slide and the 500-feet long outdoor slide. Yay me! Once was enough for both, though....

Relaxed and smelling vaguely of sulfur (give your suits a good rinse when you're done!), we returned to the Paintbrush Inn, showered, packed, and got back on the road. On the way back to our room, Mr. Pickle realized we hadn't made the all-important coffee stop. I, of course, had scoped out the possibilities the day before, and suggested we stop at the Storyteller bookstore and coffee shop.

This looks like a really nice little store with a pretty good selection of reading material. The owner offers a wide variety of coffees and some teas as well.

After I dithered about a bit trying to decide what to order, I asked for an iced coffee, but didn't realize she didn't already have cold brewed coffee on hand until I saw her pouring hot coffee over a cup filled with ice. :-0 The resulting beverage was...well, it was like drinking coffee-flavored water. I thought about asking for something different, but I'd already changed my mind a few times, so I kept what I had. If you ever stop there, and want an iced non-sweetened coffee, get an iced latte or Americano.

Our trip to Cheyenne was uneventful. We stopped at the Wyoming Pioneer Museum in Douglas and made the most of the 30 minutes we had until they closed for the day. Lots of neat exhibits of old stuff - clothing, dishes, guns, household items, an old bar, farm stuff, etc., etc.

We made reservations at the Rodeway Inn in Cheyenne to get enough Choice Hotel points to use later in the year. The non-smoking room we were assigned reeked of smoke, but the second room they gave us when we asked for a change was fine. Their non-advertised free wifi was a plus, but the ice machine and snack machines were ripped out of the wall. I don't think I would stay here again without major improvements to the property, but it was cheap, clean, and comfortable.

After the obligatory visit to Starbucks for coffee and tea, we headed south on I-25 for home, arriving in the early evening to be greeted by a delicious dinner and a very happy dog.

I will upload pictures next week and post a link here when they are ready for viewing.

Lee Ann

I'm working on pictures this afternoon, and will post the link as soon as they're online.

Lee Ann

what a wonderful read = thank you for making the time to share

Can't wait to see the pics, Lee Ann!

Lee Ann, that was so helpful! Thank you for sharing it.
I think the river trip sounds wonderful-

You're welcome, RaleighLaura. It was wonderful, just cold.

Lee Ann

Having been to YNP & GTNP in August, I'd love to see your photos to compare the parks in June and August.

Myer - I did say back in July I was going to post pictures, didn't I? I will try to get that done this week if I can.

Lee Ann

My pictures are finally online - only six months after I posted my report!

http://picasaweb.google.com/elendilpickle/GrandTetonsAndYellowstoneJune2010?authkey=Gv1sRgCNO61cqfl7WrSg#

Thanks for the lovely pics and great report.

Thanks for fulfilling your "promise"--lovely pics.

The one of Mr. Pickle and the bison made me laugh. My hubby (VolCrew) did something along the same line in Yellowstone in 2009, and my daughter got a photo--and now that pic is a full-page picture in a Fodor's guide, next to a cautionary note about "don't get near the bison"! In his defense, we were on a boardwalk and he never expected the bison, which were walking around near it, at the Mud Volcano area, to actually get up on the boardwalk and stroll in his direction! But, hey, whose national parks are they, afterall!?

Again, thanks for your gifts here, helping both planners and fellow memory-lane-walkers!--Alecia

Just loved this report, Lee Ann. And the pics.'

Family drive vacations are my favorite of all. And to such a wonderful set of places!

And btw, my name is Jeanette. LOL!

Lee Ann, thanks for a great report and I love the pictures!. I'm so excited about our upcoming trip in June I know I won't be able to sleep tonite!! Just 4 1/2 months away!!!

What a GREAT report and FANTASTIC pix!!!

I do lots of international travel but have never been to Yellowstone. After watching the PBS/Ken Burns National Park series I decided I had to go. What a nice surprise to find your report!

I'll admit my ignorance. I didn't realize it was so cold there in June. I'd been thinking about planning a trip for April or May. Brrr .... I've now ruled that out .

I can't wait to go ... but my travel schedule is already full to the brim for this year, starting June.

Thanks for posting!

Thanks for posting the photos. Great trip!!!

I was there the first week of August and it was pretty much sunny and warm the whole week.

We saw only one moose the whole week. But also a few black bears (no grizzly bears).

Thank you Lee Ann. I enjoyed your travel report and your pics. Thank you for commenting on my string as well. it is really helpful to have advice of those who have gone before you. i will post more questions back on my thread. Thanks.

Lee Ann, you and I could be the same person. I'm as frugal a traveler and as caffeine-driven as they come. I'm inspired to recreate your trip pretty closely with my DD in August, when the East Coast will melt us all. Thanks for your excellent recounting!

You're welcome, PlaidJello! I'm glad you enjoyed the report.

Lee Ann