We have been cruising the United States for about a month. We crossed over into Montana from Waterton National Park at the end of the official last month of summer. On the other side of the border, the beauty continues under a different name, Glacier National Park. It extends for 41,000 square km and we contemplated nature unfolding before us as fall was slowly settling in. The leaves of the trees were starting to turn yellow and we saw a noticeable change over the couple of days we were crossing the park and hiking the trails. We got rained on, but that didn’t stop us. We layered up and pressed on. We finally decided to journey on, as the cold and rainy weather was pushing us south. It seemed like the clouds had been following us since Saskatchewan and Alberta.
Following the Rocky Mountains south, we crossed the western part of Montana down to Yellowstone, Wyoming. We can barely put into words, or show with pictures the grandeur of the scenic views we witnessed. Yellowstone is truly mind blowing! To be standing on an ancient volcano that is still showing signs of life through jets from geysers and the smell of rotten eggs from mud pots is unreal!
This was our first overnight stay at a paid campground in the US. We had stayed most of our previous nights parked in front of friends and family’s houses or on the side of the road. It got really cold both nights we stayed at campgrounds in the park. But thank goodness our Evolve trailer is fully insulated and provided us with a warm and cosy cocoon for the night. Waking up to frost was not so inviting. We definitely had trouble getting ourselves to leave the warmth of our down duvet. But we wanted to seize the day, and see more.
And so we did! Bison grazing, elk bulls calling their harem of females, wolves hunting, geese swimming, and chipmunks sneaking out of bushes. You cannot miss the thriving wildlife in the park. It’s everywhere around. They live in perfect harmony with their environment and the crowds of tourists curiously going around. As we left the park, we could see fresh snow on the mountains nearby. Another sign for us to move on, as the summer had definitely come to an end, and fall was upon us.
With Eva still following us, we entered Grand Teton National Park just south of Yellowstone. It seemed we had the park to ourselves as the crowd of tourists had dissipated.
We took Eva across a creek to a campground in the forest. Even though we got there after dark, it was easy to find a spot, park and just jump into bed. Our teardrop trailer is convenient that way.
The next morning, we jumped out of bed, closed the doors of the trailer, got in the truck and drove on. Next stop was Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho. We took all day to wander around in Grand Teton before making our way West over the mountain pass into Idaho. We got to a campground just across the Wyoming State border in Idaho. We were the only campers in that campground, as it was nearing the end of the camping season. It was also dark when we got there and it was dinner time! So we cooked a delicious meal on the propane stove and savoured it in front of our pull-out kitchen lit up by the LED lights that we dimmed for a little night ambiance.
The night was crisp. We made sure to leave the vent open and on for a little breeze of air flow during the night.
The next day we made our way to Craters of the moon. Another amazing remnant of ancient volcanic activity in the area. We drove through lava fields and climbed into lava caves and tunnels. That was really fun and very cool! We stayed the night at the campground there. So far, this one was our favourite. It was very clean and super neat looking (and smelling) with the black sand of the lava and the wonderful sweet smell of the yellow bushes (We were told they might be yarrow). We cooked dinner in our Instant Pot; Oh how we love our Instant Pot! Everything we’ve prepared in it has been a success, and that chicken curry was no exception! Yes, you can use an Instant Pot off-grid, thanks to the solar energy stored in our batteries.
The next morning, we drove west to Boise, Idaho. Idaho contains around 130 soakable natural hot springs! We spent one afternoon in Boise National Forest at one of these geothermal gems. The experience was relaxing and renewing. We had a beautiful sunny and warm day. It felt like one of those summer days that we didn’t get enough of.
The next day, we continued west to Oregon. On the road again… with Eva, our beloved teardrop trailer. Our next destination: the Oregon coast. Before the weather gets too cold and grey. Check out our Instagram account @layneandlaura to follow our adventures as we Evolve on…