CH3
Not sure what the problem is, but the site won't let me answer any of the reviews. It comes back as "Unable to find the review you have selected." I can't read any of them either. I promise I'm not avoiding any of you, just that it seems i don't have a choice.
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Kate watched her mother shuffle into the eat-in kitchen and accept the cup of hot tea that Kate put on the table in front of her. "How do you feel Mom?" She didn't know just how to tell her mother what she had thought of. But first she needed a few more answers.
"I'm a little tired actually." Her shoulders were slumped and there was no fire in her eyes. Kate kind of understood why but didn't completely get it. Her mother had just gotten up after sleeping all night and most of the day before. And she had lost so much body weight she most likely didn't have much strength. Kate put a plate that had 2 strips of bacon, an egg over easy, a link of sausage, a piece of toast with raspberry jam on it, followed by a glass of orange juice and a small glass of milk.
"When did we get this?" Johanna looked at the food in front of her and actually picked up a piece of bacon. She pushed all of it into her mouth and started chewing. "I went shopping last night. I have makings for sandwiches for lunch too. I even have a couple of steaks for dinner later. We can cook them out on the grill maybe. Or we can make kabobs," Kate offered and watched as her mother stuffed her mouth with the last piece of bacon so Kate put her two pieces on her mom's plate. "You trying to fatten me up?" Johanna asked, teasing, not really paying attention to the fact that she hasn't been eating and had lost weight.
"You didn't seem to like the cereal or oatmeal," Kate said and put her sausage link on her mother's plate and watched as she cut them both into smaller pieces. Meanwhile Kate decided her egg would go on her mother's plate too once Johanna started eating hers, along with her slice of toast.
She got out a bowl, poured out some Raisin Bran, and poured milk over it all. She sat down across from her mother and began eating. "We could go to the museum or maybe the zoo?" Kate suggested and immediately wished she had kept her mouth shut because her mother put her fork down and stopped eating. She had only eaten 4 strips of bacon and a sausage link. She hadn't touched anything else. Not even the drinks. "Please Mom. You need to get out into the sun and get some fresh air."
"I'm not really interested Katie." Her only small victory was that her mother hadn't gotten up and gone back to bed after that.
"I've been thinking we should get out of the city. Go somewhere neither of us have ever been. Someplace with real sunshine and actual fresh air. It'll be good for us mom. Kind of like a mini fresh start. Recharge our batteries," Kate said. She watched her mother actually go back to eating. "Where?" It was now that Kate prayed mightily. It had to be a place neither of her parents had never gone. 'Please Dad let me choose the right place!' she prayed silently.
"I was thinking maybe Yellowstone or maybe Lake Tahoe," Kate proposed. "Jim and I never made it to Yellowstone. We started to make plans but something got in the way," Johanna said and started eating her egg. Kate all but collapsed in her chair. She had found something that interested her mother! "We could get a hotel room or maybe rent an RV and go where we want when we want. I've got an entire week off work," she reminded her mother, hoping for some direction from her. "I'm kind of old to go camping." Johanna shot the RV down. "Staying in an RV isn't really camping Mom. There are RVs that are almost as big as this place. They have these pull-outs on each side that add more living space. We could maybe even tow a trailer that has a couple little scooters on it for us to get around on," Kate countered.
"You just want to ride that motorcycle of yours again. I always feared your father was right and that you were going to kill yourself on that thing," Johanna commented. Kate smiled wide. Her mother was still eating and she was talking more than she had for at least a week. "Funny Mom, very funny. I'll make the RV reservation and we can fly out tomorrow morning after we get you packed. It'll be fun! Sunshine, fresh air, do some sightseeing, maybe some shopppping?" Kate tried to entice her and decided not to wait. She gave up on her cereal and went looking for their laptop so she could make reservations for the flight and the RV.
Kate grinned as she bought first class tickets for both of them. NYC to Jackson Hole turned out to be not that difficult or that expensive. Well, that was only partly true. Before getting $1.85 million she would never have spent this kind of money. Now she needed an RV and scooters if that was even possible.
Outlaw class A motorhome made by Thor. It was 38 feet long and had two pull-outs and two beds. One was a queen-size Murphy bed. The other bed was a full-size on the level above the garage where they could store their two scooters. There was a simple enough kitchen with a full-size refrigerator next to the pull-out on the other side that housed the dinette. The RV had a 6.8 litre V10 engine that ran on gasoline which probably got terrible gas mileage. It had an 85 gallon gas tank and a 100 gallon tank for fresh water and came with a generator so they could park wherever they pleased and didn't need an electric hook-up each day. It was actually less expensive than the airfare.
She reserved a Yamaha Zuma F50 for each of them. They just had to drive the RV over to the motorcycle and scooter rental to pick them up and tie them down in the back.
Kate printed out each of the sheets so she had proof of her reservations and went back to the table where her mother still was and was drinking hot tea. "Here are our reservations for the RV, the scooters we're going to rent, and our airline boarding passes for tomorrow. The RV has a generator so we can park anywhere we want and we have 5 days to travel around Yellowstone before flying home." Kate was smiling wide and it didn't hurt that her mother was paying attention and looked interested.
"Can we afford this?" Johanna was actually involved enough to ask a question. "I went to see our lawyer yesterday. We got the check from Dad's life insurance policy and the settlement check from the man who ran him down. We have more than enough money to do anything we want Mom. We can go anywhere we want," Kate informed her.
Johanna now understood just how much money they now had. "You should use that money Katie. Go live your life. Finally meet someone nice and have a family."
Kate was beginning to get upset with her mother. "I'm not going anywhere without you and I don't want to hear another word about who uses the money because we both are! Dad wouldn't sit still if he knew you were just sitting here wasting away. He'd have a cow." Johanna opened her mouth to object. "Don't Mom, just don't. I've lost enough already. I'm not losing my mother too. We're going to go to Yellowstone and we're going to have fun." Kate got up and dumped her uneaten egg on her mother's plate. "Now eat because you need your strength." She stood over her mother until Johanna had finished eating both hers and Kate's breakfast.
"Go get dressed and start packing for a week. We need to fly tomorrow, pick up the motorhome, and our scooters then go to the grocery store since I, for one, have no intention of starving to death." Kate stomped to her room to start packing. But all she did was sit on her bed and worry that she had pushed her mother too far. She wiped away her tears. She had lost too much already and watching her mother waste away was killing her.
There was a knock on her door frame. "I'm sorry Katie," Johanna apologized. Kate jumped up off her bed and flew into her mother's arms as they held each other tight and they cried on each others shoulder.
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Johanna slept almost the entire flight. Kate only woke her up when they started serving first class something to eat. Just getting from the taxi through security and out to their gate had taken a lot out of her mother. She was more than willing to let her sleep.
Changing planes for their next flight turned out to be easy enough and they had 1-1/2 hours to accomplish it.
Kate left her mother at the door leading to the taxis while she collected all of their luggage. She broke down and got one of those carts to carry both of their bags and their carry-ons. A taxi ride took them to the motorhome rental lot and an associate walked them through everything: how to dump the waste tank, fill the fresh water tank, fill the gas tank, use the generator, set the hydraulic leveling system after they park, how to connect to an RV park's electrical system, and how to fill the propane tank. Since Kate was going to be the only one driving, he took her through the parking lot so she got used to the size. He showed her how to set the mirrors and read all of the gauges in the driver's space.
He moved inside and showed them how to get the pull-outs to deploy and how to pull down the Murphy bed. And also where to secure any toys they planned on renting. They had to add rental of the tie downs after Kate told him about the scooters they were going to rent next. Then he went through the kitchen and showed them where everything was. It came fully equipped for them to start cooking immediately.
Kate signed all of the papers and they were soon sitting in their chairs looking out the front window. "It's really big Katie, you sure you can handle this?" Johanna asked. "It's a piece of cake Mom." She checked her side mirrors and started it up, checked all of her gauges, put in the address for the scooter rental into their portable GPS unit that Kate had bought the day before, then pulled out of the lot. ...Ever so slowly.
She parked on the street since there was nowhere to park at the scooter rental. The man who rented them the scooters after showing them how to use them and Kate signed for everything, even helped them secure the scooters in the garage area of their RV. "Nice looking toy hauler." He liked it a lot.
Their next stop was the closest grocery store where Kate parked out in the north 40 taking up several spaces. "Stay here Mom. I'll be back in a little while." She didn't want her mother slowing her down, or have her use up her strength. She returned with a single grocery cart filled to overflowing. "Did you buy the entire store?" Johanna teased. "We needed everything. From salt and pepper to produce, steaks, chicken and fish, and everything in-between. I only hope I got all the spices we need."
Kate put in the address for their first night's stay and began driving while Johanna put everything away. "Cajun spice?" Johanna held it up to look at it, but put it away with the others. They had canned and frozen vegetables as well as a few fresh fruits including a whole pineapple. Kate had bought a yellow onion, a white onion, a red onion, scallions, snap green beans, 4 different colored bell peppers, asparagus, and romaine lettuce hearts. Johanna simply shook her head and put the rest of it away before joining her in her seat up front.
"How'd I do?" Kate was positive she had overdone it. However she was also pretty sure they weren't going to see another grocery store before they left. "You did fine Katie, just fine. I'm not sure what we're going to do with what's left over after our trip though." Johanna knew that much. "Well they didn't have pinches of this and pinches of that. Maybe some of it can go in our bag for the trip home. The rest will just go in the trash I suppose, unless the RV rental staff wants it," Kate replied.
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The Madison Campground was first on her list of stops. It didn't have any RV hookups so they would have to use their own water and turn on the generator.
This campground is located near the confluence of the spectacular Gibbon and Firehole Rivers, which form the Madison River. The Madison, Firehole, and Gibbon Rivers are considered world-class fly-fishing destinations. With sites shaded by lodgepole pine, Madison Campground is about 14 miles from the town of West Yellowstone and 16 miles north of Old Faithful.
Each campsite has a picnic table and fire pit with grate. Restroom facilities are equipped with flush toilets and sinks with running water. Drinking water is available from faucets around the campground.
They were warned they could only use their generator between the hours of 8 am and 8 pm which meant the refrigerator was going to have to run off propane. The campground did, however, have a dump station they could use. Firewood for the fire pit was available in the general store along with a small number of other things.
Johanna got out and guided Kate to back up into their campsite after Kate went inside and bought enough wood for hopefully 2 or 3 hours since they had a fire pit, wood, and a grate that Johanna scrapped clean. "We can grill 2 of our steaks, bake a couple potatoes, and grill some asparagus," Johanna offered. Kate liked the idea since it meant they didn't have to use up any of their propane. It also meant eating late since they only had just so much wood.
Kate set up the campsite while Johanna cooked. The RV came with 4 folding chairs and a folding table in one of the storage spaces. "I didn't buy any trash bags," Kate moaned as she deflated. "We can use the plastic bags the groceries came in. It'll be good enough," Johanna soothed.
"You're still a good cook Mom." Kate was wolfing her food down. It was home cooked instead of takeout for a change. "If you had paid attention you would be good too," Johanna chastised her. "I grew up in New York. You can literally get anything delivered there. Why would I want to cook?" She tried defending herself only to see her mother glare at her. "Okay, okay! You were right. Happy now?" she grumbled. "And don't say I told you so," she added as soon as her mother opened her mouth to speak but she closed it after hearing what Katie said.
"What we are we doing tomorrow?" Johanna asked. "I was thinking we could go south to see Old Faithful using our scooters. We could park really close in the motorcycle parking area. It's only 16 miles from here," Kate remarked. Johanna silently prayed that she was up to riding one of those things. Kate got them a glass of wine and they sat outside the rest of the night watching the stars and staring at the fire. She took the bed above the garage while Johanna took the Murphy bed.
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Johanna had her helmet on and rode her scooter right next to Kate's all the way to Old Faithful. Kate turned out to be partially right. They did get to park way up front. Johanna took her helmet off and saw Kate's pleased smile. "We could have gotten here in the motorhome," Johanna said, gesturing at one of two huge parking lots that already had several motorhomes their size and even bigger. "Yeah, but this was so much more fun." Kate was still smiling. It wasn't like riding her Harley, but it was way better than trying to maneuver their behemoth around. Johanna decided to keep quiet since she feared it would remove the smile from her daughter's face.
They sat and waited for Old Faithful to erupt and then they started walking one of the paths to see another geyser. From there they walked down to Chinese Springs on their way to Old Faithful Inn. The Inn's lobby gave Johanna a place to sit down and rest while Kate went into their gift shop. She walked out with an Old Faithful baseball cap and something hidden behind her back. "A cap?" Johanna questioned. "It's for Dad. This, however, is for you." And Kate whipped a stuffed moose head complete with antlers from behind her back. It was a child's stuffed toy and it was as big as Johanna's head. Kate laughed at the look on her mother's face. "When I saw it I thought of you." She kept on laughing at her mother. Johanna found a little girl to give her moose head to on the way to their scooters for the ride back to the RV and the move to the next campground.
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Bay Bridge Campground
Bridge Bay Campground was named for its proximity to Bridge Bay Marina on Yellowstone Lake. The area is quite scenic, with wooded areas, open meadows and some limited views of the lake. Because of its location, the campground is popular with fishing and boating enthusiasts. The campground offers open sites with few trees or shadier options in the wooded upper loops of the campground. The location is within sight of the western shoreline of Yellowstone Lake, and at 7,800 feet in elevation.
The campground had drive-thru campsites which meant Johanna didn't have to get out and guide Kate backwards into their space. Still the site was much like the last one. Kate picked up more wood at the store at the main entrance along with some real trash bags and something else. "What are you planning on doing with those?" Johanna's eyes widened. "We're going fishing just like Dad taught us. And if by some miracle we actually catch something, we're going to prep it and cook it just like he taught us. Or we use what's in the refrigerator," Kate told her. She also pulled out a brochure she picked up. "There's a marina we can take our scooters to that has boat tours and boat rentals. I was thinking about us taking one of the boat tours. The next one is in about 1-1/2 hours," Kate said.
The next thing Johanna knew, they were in a large boat along with 9 other people. It even had restrooms and a bar. Johanna was sitting way up front enjoying the view while Kate got a drink and joined her.
They caught nothing of course. "I'm pretty sure your father told us to only fish first thing in the morning," Johanna pointed out. "Yeah, yeah," Kate grumbled as she prepped the fish they already had and put them on the fire while Johanna stayed in the motorhome making a salad, green beans, and garlic bread. After eating they spent the evening just like they had the night before, sitting drinking wine while looking at the stars and the fire. "You're still wearing that cap," Johanna remarked. "I'm keeping it warm for Dad," Kate replied as she stared at the fire.
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Grant Village Campground
Located on the southwest shore of Yellowstone Lake, the Grant Village Campground is situated at an elevation of approximately 7,800 feet in a lodgepole pine forest, just a few miles from the enchanting West Thumb Geyser Basin. This geyser basin is located on the shore of the lake, with an easily navigated boardwalk and trail system providing terrific views of the various hot springs and thermal features. The campground offers a relaxing setting with easy access to many services and amenities. Grant Village Campground is just over 40 miles from Colter Bay.
This campground also had drive-thru campsites so Johanna didn't have to get out and guide Kate backwards into this space either. There were no hook-ups so they, like the others, were on their own. Before parking they went a mile out of their way to fill the gas tank which almost caused Johanna to have a heart attack when she saw what it cost to fill the beast. Then they connected to a spigot to fill their water tank. They would empty their waste tank at the dump site on the way out of the campground.
Johanna put a picnic together for them so they could walk the boardwalk and see the lake and all of the scenic sights. "How you doing Mom?" Kate asked as they sat and ate their lunch. "I'm a bit tired actually. My feet hurt a little, and my calves have been burning lately," Johanna admitted. She had let herself go in her grief and was paying the price. "We can just sit and take in the view. We could even take our scooters over to the restaurant tonight if you don't want to cook," Kate suggested.
"Do we have enough propane to cook? We used up our firewood," Johanna pointed out. "I can take my scooter and go get some more. Actually I think I will anyway even if it's not to cook with. We need a fire to sit around tonight," Kate told her. "And our propane tank is about half full so we have enough since we only have one more campsite before turning everything back in and flying home." Johanna was silent for a while. "Do we have to? …Fly home I mean. It's nice out here. I haven't seen the stars for so long. There's no sirens, no smog, and you were right about the fresh air."
"We have the money to buy an even bigger motorhome if that is what you want. We could live traveling from one campground to another," Kate said. Johanna shook her head. "You have work Katie. I'm not asking you to quit your job," she countered. "You're more important than my job Mom. You always were," Kate told her. Johanna shook her head again. It was a sudden pipe dream that had no concrete foundation to build upon. "We can move out here somewhere. Get new jobs. Buy a motorhome just like this one and use it from time to time. Go somewhere, anywhere," Kate suddenly offered.
"You can't quit your job Katie, you've worked too hard to get where you are." Johanna told her. "Screw my job…" Kate was interrupted. "Katherine Houghton Beckett!" Johanna took exception to her language. "I'm being honest Mom. You obviously don't like New York City anymore so we need to move. You seem to like being out here. Surely we can find a home we both agree on somewhere. We can get jobs or start our own business. Buy new cars to handle the winters which are probably brutal here. We could buy this motorhome or something like it and drive it out to wherever we end up."
"We have the money Mom. Dad's gone and I can just hear what he's thinking about what we're doing right now." Kate tried to convince her since it looked like she had finally found something her mother was interested in. "Your father always did like that cabin we bought." Johanna was beginning to lean Kate's way. "And he fished in a pond that had no fish in it." Johanna chuckled at the memory.
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Colter Bay Village RV Park
Just a five-minute walk from Jackson Lake, the RV Park at Colter Bay Village allows you to experience the lake, forests, and many activities that Colter Bay Village offers. Wake up each morning surrounded by lush forests to the memorable sights and activities one can only experience in this Grand Teton RV resort.
The Scenic Lake Cruise on Jackson Lake or the Meal Cruises on Jackson Lake will literally place you in the shadow of Mount Moran. On the Scenic Lake Cruise you will have the opportunity to view 10,000 year old glacial water flowing in to Jackson Lake. On the Meal cruises you will have the opportunity to dine on your own private island while you will experience a cowboy meal unequaled in the Park. On both trips the entire way you will hear local history and folklore.
Lunch Cruise menu includes a delicious sack lunch including sandwich, fruit, chips, drinks. When you arrive to Elk Island you will be left to explore, or dine at the picnic area with panoramic views of the Teton Range.
Both Kate and Johanna were pretty tired considering all their activities of the past few days, so they took one of the Meal cruises. After they returned to the motorhome, they spent their time consolidating the remaining groceries and packing their suitcases in preparation for the flight home.
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The next day was a busy day of dropping off the scooters and the motorhome then going to the airport for the flight home. Johanna was awake for most of the flight but was completely silent so Kate left her to her thoughts. She already knew what she was going to do. Her mother was the only thing important to her at the moment.
