Travel Tuesday: Oberstdorf

Quaint Oberstdorf

I realize it’s been a while since I’ve done a Travel Tuesday post, and I apologize for that!  But as today is Tuesday and I find myself free for the rest of the evening, I figured this was the best time to resume.  So today I will write about one of my favorite places in Europe:

Oberstdorf, Germany.

Why, you may ask, is Oberstdorf one of my favorites in Europe?  

Unfocused

Focus: Hanging Basket

I’m back.  I’m back from my RV trip (see many of the preceding posts), I’m back from Skate for Hope (an incredible ice show in Columbus), and I’m back from Tennessee (where I continued my vacation with my family).

I’m glad to be back.  As much as I love to travel, there’s something about coming home to your own room, your own bed, that is incredibly comforting, especially after a month away.  However, now that I’m home, I’ve realized I have decisions to make (though, honestly, when do we not have decisions to make?!)  

Family RV Trip: Day 15

Splash!

So I’m going to start this post off really exciting.  Ready?  This morning I started my day…  

Yellowstone National Park

Doublet Pool: Blue and Bubbling

We drove up, parked the RV, and walked up, just as it made it’s grand eruption:  Old Faithful!  We were finally in Yellowstone!

The crowd around Old Faithful

And yes, we did arrive just as Old Faithful erupted; it was actually pretty incredible timing.  My sisters and my dad and I then proceeded to walk around the geysers near Old Faithful, which were really cool.  They’re all boiling and bubbling and steaming, and the water is so clear!  (One of these, it the picture taken above of Doublet Pool.)  However, it smelled.  Like sulfur.  Which, if any of you know what that smells like, is exactly like rotten eggs.  Dad says the reason it smells so bad is because Old Faithful is really a monster that farts ever 40-90 minutes!  While I know better then that (I’m not that naïve anymore, Dad!), I was starting to think we shouldn’t have eaten eggs that morning for breakfast…  

Family RV Trip: Day 14

Bear-Hunting
(Abi and I searching for bears)
(Photo taken by Ashley Samuelson)

Today was a sad day.  It was the day we left Yellowstone National Park.

We did add a few more stops to our trip before leaving, though, hitting the Mud Volcanoes, the Lower and Upper Falls, and Tower Fall.  We also saw tons of bison before leaving the park, as well as pronghorns.

And then there’s the questionable bear sighting. 

Family RV Trip: Day 13

A Snowstorm in June
(A park ranger trying to secure the American flag in the middle of a snowstorm)

The theme for today was bear-searching!  Above all other types of wildlife, we really wanted to see a bear.  They’re supposed to be abounding here in Yellowstone; everywhere we go, there are signs telling us how to “Be Bear Aware” and what to do if you meet a bear, and how to act when you’re on your hikes to prevent a run-in with a bear.  All of these led my sisters and me to believe these amazing, furry, terrifying creatures were everywhere!

In the morning, we went on a hike called “Elephant Back Hike,” which is, according to one of the park guides, a local favorite – traipsing up a mountain peak in the woods until you finally arrive at the pinnacle, where there’s a stunning view of Yellowstone Lake with the Absaroka Mountain Range in the background.  However, we did not see a bear, let alone any wildlife!  (We did see snow, though… Weren’t we just in the desert a few days ago?!)

We arrived back to the RV only to find out that my grandma and the dogs had seen a huge bison right in front of the RV!  After bemoaning our bad luck for a bit, we made lunch and saw…

Family RV Trip: Day 12

Roasting Marshmallows over a “Fire”
(I’m ashamed to even call that a fire)
(Mom and Ashley are the two in the photo here)

Yellowstone National Park.  A favorite in the country, as the oldest national park in the United States.

This is where we arrived today.  As with previous posts, I’ll post a separate one just on our main adventures in Yellowstone, leaving this post with everything extra that happened during the day today.   

Family RV Trip: Day 11/The Grand Tetons

Sun Shining on the Grand Tetons

Today our destination was the Grand Tetons!

First, however, we worried about where we were going to spend the night (after all, there aren’t any Walmarts in this area).  So we hurried over towards the Grand Tetons, driving through Jackson, WY – a very quaint, nice little city – until we reached the Colter Bay RV Park… just in time.  We claimed the second to last spot in the entire RV park.

Finally, we headed off to see the Grand Tetons.  

Family RV Trip: Day 10

The Waterfall at Nunns Park

So we (sadly) left Zion this morning with the intention of driving over nine hours up to Jackson, Wyoming.  Upon looking at the map, I realized that we’d be driving right past Provo, Utah, where a good friend of mine lived.  We decided this would be the perfect place to make a pit stop.  

Zion National Park

Wading Through the Narrows

I have quite a few Latter-Day Saint friends at home, so had heard a lot about Zion National Park before even coming here!  Among being told of the gorgeous landscapes and scenery that I’d be sure to encounter, I’d been recommended to do many different hikes (especially if I wanted to be ambitious), most notably Angels Landing and the Narrows.