Back from a 10-day vacation

[Dan Druff]

As some of you may have guessed, I was on vacation for awhile, which is why my activity on this site was near zero (and why there was no radio last week).

This was something I planned in late May, which was actually a challenge because hotels were already booked in certain popular locations, and airline seats were tough to come by (for what I needed).

I will post more details on it shortly. It was a family vacation, and Benjamin actually did surprisingly well.

We were in the following places:

Glacier National Park (northwest Montana)
Waterton National Park (Alberta, Canada)
Lewis & Clark Caverns (southwest Montana)
Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming)
Mount Rushmore (South Dakota)
Custer State Park (South Dakota)
Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
Garden of the Gods (Colorado Springs)
Pike's Peak (Colorado Springs)

This was actually a lot to do in 10 days. We flew into Kalispell, Montana (next to Glacier), then drove the rest of the way, finally ending up in Denver and flying home.

Getting a reasonably-priced one-way car rental for that distance was a challenge (especially originating from a small place like Kalispell), as was getting a reasonably-priced one-way flight to Kalispell with about 7 weeks notice.

I felt Glacier National Park had the best mountain scenery I had ever seen in the United States. Waterton was similar and also very nice, but you didn't rise to breathtaking heights like in Glacier. Yellowstone should be seen at least once in your lifetime (this was my 3rd time there). Mount Rushmore was interesting and respectfully presented, but the ultra-touristy surrounding area (and I'm talking about 30 miles each direction) was very off-putting. If you are in the Denver (actually Colorado Springs) area, you should really drive up to Pike's Peak. The road has been paved since late 2011, and it's a really interesting and scenic trek up there. Just make sure it's not cloudy.

Denver Airport sucks. Give yourself a ton of time or you will miss your flight. Usually I cut it close and barely make my flights, but at Denver we arrived about 80 minutes before the flight and thought we had plenty of time. Wrong. We actually had to run at the end and literally were the last passengers aboard as they closed the door.

[Dan Druff]

Here is a picture of an unfortunate driving mishap I had along the way:

[bottomset_69]

Denver Airport sucks. Give yourself a ton of time or you will miss your flight. Usually I cut it close and barely make my flights, but at Denver we arrived about 80 minutes before the flight and thought we had plenty of time. Wrong. We actually had to run at the end and literally were the last passengers aboard as they closed the door.

I never in my life have understood cutting flights so close to the point of missing them. What is going on in your life, or anyone's life to cut flights to the edge? I see people freaking out in the TSA line and I am like you should have got your ass here earlier.

I generally get to the airport a full 2 hours in advance, and I am completely calm as I get to my gate a full 1 hour in advance.

If you are someone that gets some type of weird adrenaline rush racing to the airport that is fine. Just don't ever ask to cut in front of me at any point of the process, because its a big WTF up in your grill.

[Steve-O]

Denver Airport sucks. Give yourself a ton of time or you will miss your flight. Usually I cut it close and barely make my flights, but at Denver we arrived about 80 minutes before the flight and thought we had plenty of time. Wrong. We actually had to run at the end and literally were the last passengers aboard as they closed the door.

I never in my life have understood cutting flights so close to the point of missing them. What is going on in your life, or anyone's life to cut flights to the edge? I see people freaking out in the TSA line and I am like you should have got your ass here earlier.

I generally get to the airport a full 2 hours in advance, and I am completely calm as I get to my gate a full 1 hour in advance.

If you are someone that gets some type of weird adrenaline rush racing to the airport that is fine. Just don't ever ask to cut in front of me at any point of the process, because its a big WTF up in your grill.

I've had good experiences in Denver overall, although I can see how running for a flight would be tough, basically scampering between the never-ending but unconnected moving walkways.

Like your itinerary Druff. Did you get to see the Crazy Horse monument to or just Rushmore?

[sonatine]

Legit method to detox from WSOP methinks.

[Deal]

During the entire trip, how many incidents of reporting service staff to management were you unlucky enough to be forced into?

[Dan Druff]

During the entire trip, how many incidents of reporting service staff to management were you unlucky enough to be forced into?

Obviously a troll question, but I'll answer anyway:

Zero.

Only actual complaint on the entire trip was in your home country.

The hotel we stayed at in Waterton was $239 Canadian (which is like $227 US), and was a very mediocre place. However, I knew I was paying for the high season and not the hotel, so obviously I didn't complain about that. (I will say, though, that this was by far the worst "value" hotel of the trip, despite the fact that it was high season EVERYWHERE.)

Anyway, the room also had a few essentials missing such as towels and sugars for the coffee, but again, this was just a minor inconvenience and I didn't complain.

However, when I went to take a shower and there was mold all over the curtain (and I don't just mean one spot of mold -- I mean mold spots all over the place), that was the final straw. I complained at the front desk when I checked out, and they first offered to discount the room, but then asked if I would like lunch at their sister property instead, which I accepted.

[bukowski72]

Are you a hiker?

You always seem to have pictures from places like this but I don't remember talking about hiking or going to places like this in Vegas.

When I was living in Vegas I always had it on my list to rent a car and go out to the Valley of Fire State Park. Considering my less than novice grasp of hiking, no sense of direction and distance, lack of common sense regarding nature, and very spotty cell phone service I was lucky I never made it out there.







On a side note, Your Phone may be in Trouble:

Smoke from the Mount Charleston wildfire is shown against the mountains in this view looking north on Rainbow Boulevard

[Dan Druff]

Took Benjamin's mom to Red Rock Canyon as a "first date" in 2009, but have not been to Valley of Fire yet.

[4Dragons]

Pics or it didn't happen. If you need help editing pics to put sandwiches on peoples faces, let me know.

[Hockey Guy]

During the entire trip, how many incidents of reporting service staff to management were you unlucky enough to be forced into?

Obviously a troll question, but I'll answer anyway:

Zero.

Only actual complaint on the entire trip was in your home country.

The hotel we stayed at in Waterton was $239 Canadian (which is like $227 US), and was a very mediocre place. However, I knew I was paying for the high season and not the hotel, so obviously I didn't complain about that. (I will say, though, that this was by far the worst "value" hotel of the trip, despite the fact that it was high season EVERYWHERE.)

Anyway, the room also had a few essentials missing such as towels and sugars for the coffee, but again, this was just a minor inconvenience and I didn't complain.

However, when I went to take a shower and there was mold all over the curtain (and I don't just mean one spot of mold -- I mean mold spots all over the place), that was the final straw. I complained at the front desk when I checked out, and they first offered to discount the room, but then asked if I would like lunch at their sister property instead, which I accepted.

Where did you stay in Waterton?

I'm going for a little trip next month & was considering Waterton Park but from what I could gather there are no real quality accomodations in the whole park. Everything looked rather rustic which is great if that's what you're looking for. I decided to bypass it & go straight to the Cranbrook area to start off. Staying here for 2 nights instead:

http://www.steugene.ca/

You'll notice , it has a golf course & casino not that had anything to do with choosing it.

[Dan Druff]

Obviously a troll question, but I'll answer anyway:

Zero.

Only actual complaint on the entire trip was in your home country.

The hotel we stayed at in Waterton was $239 Canadian (which is like $227 US), and was a very mediocre place. However, I knew I was paying for the high season and not the hotel, so obviously I didn't complain about that. (I will say, though, that this was by far the worst "value" hotel of the trip, despite the fact that it was high season EVERYWHERE.)

Anyway, the room also had a few essentials missing such as towels and sugars for the coffee, but again, this was just a minor inconvenience and I didn't complain.

However, when I went to take a shower and there was mold all over the curtain (and I don't just mean one spot of mold -- I mean mold spots all over the place), that was the final straw. I complained at the front desk when I checked out, and they first offered to discount the room, but then asked if I would like lunch at their sister property instead, which I accepted.

Where did you stay in Waterton?

I'm going for a little trip next month & was considering Waterton Park but from what I could gather there are no real quality accomodations in the whole park. Everything looked rather rustic which is great if that's what you're looking for. I decided to bypass it & go straight to the Cranbrook area to start off. Staying here for 2 nights instead:

http://www.steugene.ca/

You'll notice , it has a golf course & casino not that had anything to do with choosing it.

I stayed at the Waterton Glacier Suites. It wasn't rustic. Was just your typical motel, though the rooms were a bit bigger. Aside from the mold, the biggest problem was that it didn't have central air, so the "living room" area was hot, while the bedroom was cold. It looked a lot different in person than it did on the website.

It seems that a lot of hotels in Waterton are poorly rated or ridiculously expensive.

Keep in mind that Waterton has two main scenic roads, and one of them is closed right now. Red Rock Parkway is open (and it's beautiful), but the other one (I think Akamina or something) is closed because of the damage sustained from the Calgary floods in June.

Also, the area has an obnoxious entrance fee policy to where your admission expires the next day at 4pm. I had planned upon staying until about 5pm (which I did), and obviously I didn't pay a second entrance fee, but technically they could have ticketed me or something if they noticed. You are forced to post your entrance ticket in your window.

The US National Park system is a lot nicer about it. You get 7 full days for the price of one, and that only applies to re-entry. So if you enter Yellowstone and stay 10 days, you still only have to pay once, provided you don't leave the park during days 8-10.

[Dan Druff]

Looks like people are getting sick from salad mix in Nebraska now -- including from the time we visited.

My girlfriend had a salad the night we were there. Glad that place didn't use that mix!

[son of lockman]

Sounds like it was fun and glad Ben went. Been to most of those places several times but enjoy the state of Utah most when I adventure.

And yes Denver airport is a b#tch with the concourses and time it takes to navigate them. In fact they had to put me up in a hotel once when they f#cked up.

[Hockey Guy]

Looks like a hiker was attacked by a cougar in the park.

http://news.ca.msn.com/local/edmonto...aterton-park-1

[Dan Druff]

I should really carry bear spray. We considered some hikes in some bear-heavy areas of Alaska but decided not to because these were not well-traveled spots and we really didn't want to encounter one.

I wonder how it "grabbed a teenager".

[4Dragons]

I should really carry bear spray. We considered some hikes in some bear-heavy areas of Alaska but decided not to because these were not well-traveled spots and we really didn't want to encounter one.

I wonder how it "grabbed a teenager".

You should have been more worried on your little Detroit tour:

http://motorcitymuckraker.com/blog/2...off-by-police/

An Australian photographer got a quick, bitter dose of Detroit and its police force.

While taking photos outside of the abandoned Packard Plant on July 25, Robert Wallace was chased by a gunman who wanted his equipment. Wallace dove into the bed of his friend’s pickup truck as the assailant pointed the gun at him, demanding he give up the camera and other gear.
“I was just waiting for the bullet to pierce my skin,” he told me.


The pickup sped off, and the gunman never pulled the trigger.
But what happened next really irked Wallace. Police declined to file a police report, saying a crime was never committed, he said.
“A guy brandishing a pistol within inches of us isn’t a crime?” Wallace asked.
Police told us Friday that they are investigating why a report wasn’t taken.


It’s a common complaint that Detroit police fail to take official reports from crime victims, a practice that results in artificially low crime rates. This year, Chief James Craig is reporting sizable drops in all crimes.
“I can’t understand why the police wouldn’t want people to know where crimes are being committed,” Wallace said.
Last year, two tourists were carjacked in the same area and robbed of their money, camera and cell phones.
On Christmas eve, urban explorers found a dead body in the Packard Plant.
Police have largely ignored the Packard Plant area, despite persistent illegal activity and several murders in the area.

[Dan Druff]

You should have been more worried on your little Detroit tour:

http://motorcitymuckraker.com/blog/2...off-by-police/

An Australian photographer got a quick, bitter dose of Detroit and its police force.

While taking photos outside of the abandoned Packard Plant on July 25, Robert Wallace was chased by a gunman who wanted his equipment. Wallace dove into the bed of his friend’s pickup truck as the assailant pointed the gun at him, demanding he give up the camera and other gear.
“I was just waiting for the bullet to pierce my skin,” he told me.


The pickup sped off, and the gunman never pulled the trigger.
But what happened next really irked Wallace. Police declined to file a police report, saying a crime was never committed, he said.
“A guy brandishing a pistol within inches of us isn’t a crime?” Wallace asked.
Police told us Friday that they are investigating why a report wasn’t taken.


It’s a common complaint that Detroit police fail to take official reports from crime victims, a practice that results in artificially low crime rates. This year, Chief James Craig is reporting sizable drops in all crimes.
“I can’t understand why the police wouldn’t want people to know where crimes are being committed,” Wallace said.
Last year, two tourists were carjacked in the same area and robbed of their money, camera and cell phones.
On Christmas eve, urban explorers found a dead body in the Packard Plant.
Police have largely ignored the Packard Plant area, despite persistent illegal activity and several murders in the area.

Wow, the Packard Plant was one of the few areas we got out of the car to take pictures.

[4Dragons]

You should have been more worried on your little Detroit tour:

http://motorcitymuckraker.com/blog/2...off-by-police/

Wow, the Packard Plant was one of the few areas we got out of the car to take pictures.

Yeah when you posted that you did that, it didn't seem like the best move for you, but you had already been here and gone, so little use to criticize when you were still breathing.

[Brittney Griner's Clit]

case closed then. Obviously you aren't pooh then.


Other than that nonsense go back to Glacier in early July next time. The flowers blooming and all the waterfalls are spectacular at that time of year.

Also did you rent a car and drive yourself or did you take one of the red convertible busses? It would probably suck to have to drive if its your first time.


Also did you make sure to visit the spot where that "White trash" chick from Kalispell made her fiancé fall for her?


Edit: Ok I see that you rented a car now. But please don't tell me you had to be the driver the first time you went on that famous road winding up and down the mountains.