Yellowstone trip- Part 1

The Drive -

John Day Dam, Oregon, windmills on the hillside

Camping trip is exciting enough by itself and if the location happens to be the first National park not just in USA but in the world, then excitement just multiplies. S and me had planned to drive to Yellowstone National Park for our camping trip for the fourth of July Weekend. Our campground reservation in the Grant Village area of Yellowstone meant we had to drive a little under 900 miles to get there. S had taken a day off from work so that we could get two full days at the park apart from the two plus days of travel. So we set off on wednesday afternoon, having loaded our car with tent, sleeping bags and other camping gear, not to mention food supplies and water. 

 

Haystacks and farms, Idaho

With both of us driving in shifts, the long drive would not be strenuous we thought. Our plan was to check into a motel by midnight, catch some sleep and hit the road after breakfast.  While Portland is green and dotted with trees, as we headed towards South-east Oregon, the landscape gradually turned dry and grassy. The zig-zag roads with hairpin curves through the Columbia Gorge soon made way for roads along the dry scrubland of Oregon high desert. 

Potato fields with sprinklers turned on, Idaho

Before midnight we had crossed state lines, and entered the Mountain Time Zone. It was time for a night-stop in Boise which we later realized was the state capital of Idaho. Rejuvenated, we headed toward the western entrance of Yellowstone in Montana. This final stretch was long, straight roads endlessly for as long as our eyes could see. On either side of the roads of 'Potato State' were potato fields. Vast stretches of green fields that were covered with tiny white/purple flowers being watered by huge sprinklers was what we kept seeing for a long time. Finally around 5pm in the evening nearly 26 hours after we had left our home, we entered Yellowstone National Park. Shelling out the entry fee and collecting a complimentary map, we began our drive through Bison/Bear country. Animal crossing signboards greeted us at regular intervals, and before long, we spotted a bunch of cars pulled over and parked off the road.

Day-1 at Yellowstone-

Entered the bison territory aka Yellowstone

It was time for us to follow suit with camera and binoculars. It was like a tea-party on the riverbank for a bison herd, a couple of them  grazing, a couple rolling around in the sand. The brown ones are the calves. A few clicks and closer look later, we were ready to head towards our campground.

First Sighting, Bison herd by the river

Hardly a mile later, we pulled over again, this time for an elk that had stopped by to welcome us.

(w)elk(ome)!! 

Further along the drive,  white mist seemed to be rising from the ground, sure enough the next board read "Fountain Paint Pot". With a name so inviting, we had to take a look. There was a loop trail of around half a mile. So we sauntered along the boardwalk, clicking pictures of colorful geo-thermal features. The odor of sulphur was a constant feature all through the geyser basin.

Lodgepole pines

Silex spring

Morning Geyser

Bacteria mat

Fumaroles

Leather Pool

Our tent nestled behind trees

After a quick stop at the old faithful geyser just in time to see it erupt, we drove to the campground to register ourselves. Grant Village Campground is nestled in a partly wooded area near the southwest shore of Yellowstone Lake. It has over 400 sites on offer including tent, RV and group campsites. Stepping out of the car at the Grant Village Campground, we were greeted by a bunch of over-friendly mosquitoes :P. We picked up firewood and kindle at the registration desk before driving to our campsite. Our campsite had a fire-grate and picnic table while a public restroom was a short walk away. S and me then set up our tent, before settling down to a hearty dinner of a desi style taco, puri in place of the tortillas. The wolves howling in the far-off distance as we snuggled into the sleeping bags was the perfect sign-off for Day-1 at Yellowstone.

To be continued...

Note- Click on the photos to see enlarged images.

W for winterhawks

Winterhawks is what the junior ice hockey team based out of Portland are known as. Just a few weeks after we moved to Portland,  S got a couple of free tickets to watch an ice-hockey game as a part of employee benefits at his workplace.We had zero idea about the game of ice hockey, but when you get free tickets, you indulge yourself. So googling about it informed us that Portland Winterhawks are one of the most successful teams that play in the Western Hockey league(Canadian-american cross country league). They are the only Oregonian team out of 5 US teams that play in that league and all the other 4 teams are from the neighboring state of Washington. Wikipedia also told us that a typical ice-hockey game lasts for about two hours and has six players including a goal keeper from each team on the rink where they aim to put the puck into the goal as many times as possible. On game day, we drove with a couple of friends to MODA center or Rose Quarter which is a multipurpose arena for indoor sports, concerts and the like in downtown Portland. It was a lazy weekend evening with crowds strolling leisurely outside the arena, but once we entered the actual arena, we could smell the sporty spirit in the air. Fans dressed in team jerseys, holding horns and flags were excitedly clicking pictures with Tom-a-hawk, the team mascot.

last minute touch-up of the rink

Game ON!!

Fun game during the breaks

Score board

As we settled into our seats, we were greeted by a giant ice-rink being cleaned and readied for the game. The crowd cheered as the team skated onto the ice to line up for the US national anthem. The opponents were from neighboring state of Washington and when the puck was dropped by the referee, the game began. For three sessions of 20 minutes each, the two teams battled it out on ice. Ice hockey is a very fast-paced sport and players were flying on ice it seemed as they maneuvered the puck, passing it, shooting it a the goalpost aiming to score a goal. There were a few skirmishes on the rink which the referees handles deftly, handing out penalties appropriately. Whenever the Winterhawks scored a goal, entire stadium was up on its feet, with fans pumping up their fists to the shouts of "T.N.T". Apparently the song "T.N.T Dynamite" by a hard rock band AC/DC is a sort of team anthem. Similarly power-play periods had the crowds chanting "Let's go Hawks" to drumbeats. There was the usual cheering squad that performed during the 20 minute breaks between each session. Fun games and raffle contest added to the fun quotient. With cotton-candy, popcorn and other munching goodies available, it was an indoor picnic of sorts. At the end of nearly 2 hours, when the final whistle blew and our team won(we are Portlanders after-all), it was time to cheer the victorious home-team as they took a victory-lap around the rink. All in all, it was a wonderful experience to watch a game of ice-hockey, in stadium for free :) We were lucky to get to watch two more games later in the season and needless to say the Winterhawks flag flew high victorious on both occasions. "Let's go Hawks!!"

This post is shared with April A-Z blogging challenge for the alphabet W.

Click on the photos to see enlarged images.

C for coffee

Coffee is my elixir, there I said it. It is not like I'm addicted to this heavenly beverage, just that the aroma of coffee lifts up spirits and adds a spring to my step. Mere aroma of coffee works its magic on me, though I do sip on it every once in a while, certainly not multiple times a day. But when it rains, I crave for a cup of coffee almost subconsciously.

Back in Bangalore, one comes across 'coffee works' shops that roast the coffee beans of your choice and blend it with a proportion of chicory to suit your taste before selling it to their customers, most of whom are regular customers for tens of years. It is favored over tea in most parts of South India. In fact, aroma of fresh filter coffee wafts through most kitchens first thing every morning. Today, there are hundreds of CCDs or cafe coffee day outlets and Baristas that have mushroomed in most Indian cities  offering a variety of interesting variants of the brew, namely cappuccino, expresso, cold coffees in various flavors. They serve as hang outs for the youth and even act as venues for informal business meetings.

Portland, Oregon is home to impressive number of local coffee houses and coffee bars that cater to the coffee-loving crowd. I feel the rains that are typical of Pacific Northwest are partly responsible for popularity of the brew that comes from bitter brown beans. Starbucks, world's largest coffeehouse company began its humble journey in the early 1970's in Seattle, Washington. Today, it boasts of outlets on all inhabited continents of the world.

Sipping on coffee and sinking into a comfy chair by the window with a book in hand when it is raining is certainly my idea of pampering.

This post is shared with April A-Z blogging challenge and today's alphabet is C.

Picture is  from Wikipedia

Snowy weekend!!

The winter has been quite severe this time around and most parts of US have borne the brunt of the polar vortex and the arctic blast since we stepped into the new year. While the East Coast and the Southern States are getting swathed in piles of snow, with more expected this week, Pacific Northwest got its share of snow this weekend. What started as flurries on a chilly Thursday noon, soon turned to a snow fest. Within a few hours, nearly 2-3 inches of snow could be found all around and more was to follow. As the school buses pulled up to drop the kids off, the air was filled with squeals of delight at the amount of snow that had already accumulated on sidewalks and walkways. For me this was the most snow I had ever seen right at my doorstep, and so when S returned early from work thanks to the winter weather, we decided to take a stroll in the snow. The snow being fresh was really soft to touch and obviously very very cold, but I had to hold it in my hands and feel it. The child in me was having a gala time. A couple of hurried clicks on the camera phone and we were back to the warmth of our home. Even with the blinds down, it felt like the whole neighborhood had flood-lights tuned on, the white snow was reflecting light and even the night was bright.

Friday morning was snow-less but there was no way one could distinguish the street from the side-walk, so it was work-from-home for hubby. With schools closed due to the weather alert, children were running around playfully in the snow, having a blast throwing snow at one another. By noon, it was snow-time again and soon more white frosting was being showered all over the city. Winding up work early for the weekend, we decided to venture out farther from home and capture some of the snowy charm on camera. And so we set out fully geared up, mufflers and gloves and caps on, trudging along on snow. Each step had me giggling with joy, feeling as if I was walking on a giant cake that had fluffy white icing in a fairy land. More snow followed on Saturday and towards evening, the snow had turned to freezing rain. The rain drops are like ice drops and this meant it was harder to walk about. The snow that had so generously taken over every visible surface, was now hardening to ice. While it is fun to walk in snow, it is quite scary to walk on ice, there is every chance of losing your balance and falling while walking on ice. But it was a cosy night as we had a dinner get-together with friends who luckily stay in neighboring apartment communities. Sunday was snow-free, but with the temperatures barely above freezing, we felt it will be quite a while before the snow cover vanished for good. Apparently it had been quite a while since Portland saw this much snow at a stretch, By Monday evening, the movement of cars on the roads had managed to clear out most of the ice. The apartment maintenance guys pitched in by clearing snow from the stairs and salting them to prevent ice from re-forming. After a very memorable snowy weekend, all we have now are traces of snow on the rooftops, and patches of snow on the sidewalks from which grass is already peeking out. What's more, it has been raining on and off since yesterday and so Portland is back to its usual rainy avatar.

Subzero yet sunny

This winter has been a lot of firsts, from the first subzero temperature experience to first snow flurries to a first dinner by the fireplace at our apartment. And today was a surprisingly beautiful morning. It began like an otherwise regular monday morning, dull and dreary with the sunrise scheduled for 7:45am. The little time that I have lived in Portland, I have realized that you either wake up to a foggy morning or a rainy morning unless it is summer which I'm yet to experience here. It is warmer on the days it rains. On foggy days, the sun decides to say a quick hello during the late afternoon before bidding adieu for the day and the fog returns. So today was a pleasant aberration. It was a cold morning, it was -1C when the sun rose behind the grey clouds. As usual I rolled up the blinds to let in the daylight and then out of nowhere came sunlight streaming into our home early in the morning, by early I only mean way before noon. Today has been a very bright and sunny day although it is quite cold. The presence of sunshine just brightened my day and I have been feeling very upbeat the whole day :) 

Picture is from Google images

New year's eve

Come new year's eve and every news channel keeps beaming images of crowds gathered to ring in the New year at different landmarks all around the world. Times Square in New York is one such popular spot for revelers. This time around S wanted to experience firsthand the crazy crowd at New year's eve in Times Square and so there we were waiting with millions in the cold for the iconic LED lit crystal ball to be lowered or dropped to set the new year rolling.

The last day of the year started out on a relaxed note. A lunch with my dear friend V and her husband in Saravana Bhavan took us back to India for a while. Given the huge number of Indian populace that inhabits New York and its surroundings, it was not odd to find a host of Indian restaurants waiting to tickle the taste-buds. Then it was time for a leisurely stroll through Central park, the lung space in the city of skyscrapers. Even on a wintry afternoon, there were quite a few fitness enthusiasts running along unmindful of the chilly breeze. The park looked more grey and brown than green and the many small lakes that dotted it seemed to have a touch of ice. Ducks were huddled around in non-icy parts of the lake.
Birds chirped and fluttered around while chipmunks foraged for nuts discarded by passers-by. A portion of the park was getting ready to host the midnight run, an annual fun run at midnight on new year's eve. As we walked, admiring the refreshing change the park felt amidst the concrete jungle, we even got to enjoy snow flurries. Specks of snow floating around as the chilly breeze kept blowing them all around made it a walk to remember. We got a taste of old world charm too, horse carriages carrying around visitors on a joy ride plied about their designated path through the park.














By sunset we walked to Rockefeller Center for the top of the deck view of the New York Skyline. The Christmas decor was all lit up and people were clicking away pictures. The Swarovski crystal chandelier that adorns the stairwell is simply dazzling. After a security check, we queued up to take the lift to the 67th floor for the top of the deck view of the city renowned as the "City that never sleeps". The sky had hues of orange and pink while the lights of the skyscrapers began outlining the towering concrete jungle. The result was a spectacular view of New York and her famed skyline, with the Brooklyn bridge and Statue of  Liberty in the distant background. The cold breeze we felt on the deck of the 69th floor had us holding on tightly to our caps. While we had known and expected it to be crowded in Times Square, we never felt it would start filling up as early as 5pm in the evening.

  

 

 

 
After admiring the skyline we headed to the ground and our feet made their way towards Times Square, it was only 6pm which meant the ball had been raised. But the crowds had filled up the 7th Avenue as far as 8 blocks.As we patiently waited in the queue for the security check to go towards Times Square, hawkers with tickets for clubs and other hotels nearby tried to ply their wares promising us quicker entry and better view of the event. The queue inched its way towards the Square and by 8pm we could see the ball shining atop the roof of One Times Square. The hours before the drop were dotted with hourly countdowns for the arrival of the new year and the crowd cheered along and blew trumpets. The atmosphere was really charged, the hordes of people meant we didn't feel too cold although the mercury kept plummeting towards 27F or -3C Closer to the ball, live music performance kept up the spirits, this year the star attraction was Miley Cyrus. As the Cinderella hour neared, the crowd began cheering loudly, people started passing around glitter paper. At 11:59pm the final countdown began and the lowering of the ball started. When the crowd counted down to 1 in unison, balloon were set free, confetti was dropped from nearby buildings and fireworks went off in the distant sky. All around people were greeting and exchanging wishes with their loved ones. It was adieu 2013 and welcome 2014 :-)

After one last walk around Times Square we grabbed some food and headed to Grand Central for a dekko at one of the most filmed terminal that has been featured in numerous movies. The GCT as it is fondly known is huge and anyone entering it feels that this is the gateway to the promised land. When we heard  announcements that the GCT would close for the day at 2am in the morning and all of us were asked to exit the building, we found ourselves on our way to the airport to check-in for our flight back home to Portland. We saw the first sunrise of 2014 from the Newark airport terminal waiting to board the airplane. The flight back home was like a flight in dreams for we caught up on our missed sleep. It was a once in a lifetime experience, a crazy all nighter of sorts. And we landed in Portland to enjoy a sunny New year's noon.

The image of Grand Central and 2014 are from Google images.
Click on the photos to see enlarged images.

It's snow-time!!

Since late October, frost has been dropping by once in a while, icing our car as if it were a cake. So the first task before taking off for the day was scraping frost off the windshield. November saw this become almost a daily ritual, we were happy when it rained, for continuous drizzle meant frost did not get to settle down. The mercury has been dipping below 32°F or the proverbial 0°C as we know it in India consistently for nearly a week now. Little surprise then that today morning we had our first brush with snow here in Portland. The morning began like any other, it was still dark outside when we woke up and went about our morning chores. And when there was enough light for us to see clearly out of our windows, we saw that it had been snowing lightly for a while. It looked like someone took a giant sieve and sifted rice flour from up above. The wind seemed to pick up some gust and we could soon see snow flurry all around. Snow flurry is equivalent to drizzle and is not the actual snowfall but snow in any form is snow :) While I had seen and played with snow before this, all of that was at tourist destinations. This was my first snow experience right at the doorstep. Below are a few clicks from my phone.

It was quite a sight to see rooftops, cars and streets sprinkled with snow. What you see in these images is the street view from our balcony and the parking outside our apartment.

   While at it, I tried capturing the flakes in the image and the gif images where you can see the snow flurry as it sprinkles down. 

A very special Thanksgiving dinner.

According to Wikipedia,  " Thanksgiving Day  is a national holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year. Several other places around the world observe similar celebrations. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States and on the second Monday of October in Canada." And the day after thanksgiving has now gained cult status as "Black Friday" in shopping crazy USA for retail deals on offer that kick-start Christmas shopping, so much so that most companies and schools have declared it a holiday thereby making the last week of November a long weekend. Naturally most non US families utilize this opportunity for vacation. We were no different and had been thinking of making a small trip to the Olympic National Forest in the neighboring state of Washington. This post is not about the trip, will shortly put up one about it complete with pictures of the snow capped peaks and the lush rain forests.This is about a very special thanksgiving surprise that came our way.

It was the first time we were driving to a place where carrying snow chains was mandated by law. It was also the first time I was at the wheel for such a long distance(nearly 300 miles), my previous longest being a little over 50 miles. Oh yes, my husband is a brave guy :P The drive only got more scenic as we drove on and was very enjoyable. After a visit to mountain peaks during which I happily handed over the wheel to S, we took a small break in the city of Port Angeles. Having soaked ourselves  in the festive spirit of the holiday weekend, it was time to head to the lodge for the night. Actually it was only around 5PM in the evening but with early nightfall these days, the earlier we reached the cozy lodge the better we thought. It was time to drive through narrow, curvy roads. With the fog deciding to accompany us all the way, it was a very tense drive to the lodge. My prayer quota must have reached record levels during that 20 odd mile drive as I gripped the steering wheel tightly and trudged along, allowing many cars to pass by me as I chose to go slow and steady. As always S was boosting my confidence, guiding me cautiously. A visibly relieved S and me stepped out after we parked our car near the main lodge to check-in. It was all decked up for the season with lights and their Christmas tree was up and twinkling as well. A fire crackled in the reception area dotted with cushy armchairs and on the walls as a reminder of the old hunting era we saw mounted elk heads.

Now this century-old lodge is nestled on the shores of Lake Crescent surrounded by the Olympic mountain chain and is quite well-known for dishing out delicious seafood. We made reservation for a table for two as we were hungry yet hesitant about the vegetarian options. The long waiting time meant we unpacked and freshened up in our room before returning to the dining area. The fog had taken over the air and so the lake was not visible to our naked eyes. With limited veggie options available, we placed our orders and began discussing about things to do and places to cover the next day. Soon our order arrived and we dug into it relishing the warm fresh food. A couple of morsels into our dinner, our waitress drops by and tells us that she had some surprise news for us. An unknown gentleman had paid for our dinner, she added that he had also taken care of her tip and we could pick a dessert of our choice as well when we were ready. While we mumbled thanks and asked her if  we could thank our mystery host, she said she had only seen him that evening was unsure if he would ever return. As was his wish, she informed us only after he left the restaurant. She was as surprised as we were and had inquired him about this kind gesture. Every year, during the Thanksgiving week he went around sponsoring someone's meal and that day we were the chosen ones. And so it was that we were treated to a free dinner followed by delicious dessert all thanks to a mysterious gentleman. Since we'll never know who it was, we can only wish him and his dear ones the very best in life. Thank you stranger for gifting us a memorable Thanksgiving!!

Fall colors.

 For a couple of weeks now the weather has been near perfect here in Portland. In the morning, sunlight trickles through layers of fog that soon melts away to unveil clear blue skies. For most part Clear blue skies and tall green trees interspersed with colorful trees make this place look like a postcard. The pavements have begun to resemble patterned carpets for they are dotted with colored leaves. Oh yes, it is autumn (पतझड़) or fall as it is popularly known here. It is that time of the year when the nature begins her preparation for the cold winter that follows.There is even an old weather proverb that states, "If autumn leaves are slow to fall, prepare for a cold winter". While spring has fresh and tender blossoms to add to its beauty, in autumn, the usually green leaves decide to dabble in color. You have leaves in hues of yellow and gold, foliage in a whole wide palette of pink and red vying for your attention. The beauty of trees resembling bouquets is something that words cannot describe fully.
  
It is only the deciduous trees that are color crazy, the conifers stay green as you can notice in the second image. Apparently oak leaves turn orange while big leaf maples, birch, ash, aspen and alder turn yellow. For those who like vibrant red, you can choose between dogwoods that turn burgundy and vine maples and huckleberries that sport the color red. Even the shrubs and bushes sport the colored look. Fall colors are a major tourist attraction too, with some regions pulling in more visitors during this season, after all rich color always presents nice photo-opportunities. Alas nothing lasts for ever and soon all trees will shed their colorful foliage that will decorate the pathways for a few more days. Whenever we take a walk these days, we find a carpet of colored leaves laid down in our path. The air has a leafy scent and as we walk we hear the unmistakeable sound of leaves crumbling. Although late September is when the season of fall begins officially, mid October up-to early November is supposed to offer the best view of fall colors. In a couple of weeks, most trees will wear a barren look making us wait for spring eagerly. Until then it is nature's color-fest all the way.

 

Click on the photos to see enlarged images.