Date: 21/10/2012 à 25/10/2012

Saímos of: Banff, Alberta – Canada

Destination: Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming -EUA

Distance: 1,014 km

Travel time: We made the trip in 3 days, sem nenhuma pressa para evitar as nevascas no caminho.

Path: We left Banff on I-15 toward Great Falls, now U.S., where we spent the night. The next day, we follow a short drive to Bozeman, where we waited one more day before we take the road back to West Yellowstone, junto à entrada oeste do parque.

Where to sleep: Aconchegante Acomodação not Yellowstone Lodge, em West Yellowstone. This was the only hotel open at the western entrance of the park on the days we were there. From mid-October, a maioria dos restaurantes e hotéis fecham para o inverno.

What eat different: Buffalo meat: strong and heavy. All the restaurants in the small town of West Yellowstone, próxima à entrada oeste do parque servem esta iguaria das regiões geladas.

Tire cheio: Burst of Hot Water! A força dos geisers espalhados pelo parque são realmente impressionantes.

Tire murcho: Time Frio + = Thermal Water Vapor Water = D'Vision Covert. This simple equation was one of the reasons we stayed a few days in the park, já que o vapor d’água que subia constantemente encobria a vista das principais atrações do parque.

Yellowstone National Park – De frente com o supervulcão

After mountains and glaciers, did not see the time to face the power of one of the world's largest boilers. An active supervolcano, guarding an explosion of natural beauty to those who have the opportunity to meet you.

To the northwest of the state of Wyoming (entitled to the territories in Montana and Idaho) descansa o Yellowstone National Park, biggest, oldest and most popular national park in the United States. Its almost 9.000 km2 of unique landscapes meet more than half of the world's geothermal resources, fueled by volcanic activity activates a supervolcano in your rest period. Lagos, waterfalls, geisers e piscinas termais compõem o cenário do que os americanos clamam ser o primeiro parque nacional do mundo.

Chegada ao Yellowstone National Park

The west entrance is usually the most popular of the four that give access to the park for its proximity to some of the principal attractions, as well as the infrastructure of hotels and restaurants in the nearby town of West Yellowstone. Foi exatamente ali que decidimos estabelecer nossa base para a visitação do Yellowstone.

Landscape near the west entrance of the park

But it was not directly to the West Yellowstone Magdalene (GPS with our accent Portugal) took us to get out of Banff. The long path (near 1.000 km) demanded a halt halfway. Unfortunately, lost timing to visit Glacier National Park in Montana, as the snow closed several roads within the park. Then we proceeded to spend the night in the city of Great Falls, Montana. A major snow storm expected to stretch what we wanted to do made us choose to make one more stop on the way, the city of Bozeman, antes de finalmente seguirmos em direção ao parque.

Visual park entry

West Yellowstone looked like a ghost town when we got there. The snow covering every corner and did not see a living soul around town. Only one lodges the town was still open for its last week, o Yellowstone Lodge. Winter is cold and punishes the region during this period with heavy snow. Ultimately, pelo menos o parque seguia aberto e estávamos felizes com a chance de conhecê-lo.

Tanajura sofreu com a nevasca em West Yellowstone

Vapor d'água cobre o Yellowstone com o frio

A drive along the roads that cross the park provide a series of beautiful views. Bison, Moose and reindeer give the guys often, while thermal pools spread around the rivers running cold water from melting ice mountains. As águas dentro de uma piscina termal são incrivelmente quentes em meio ao gelo da paisagem e podem ultrapassar os 100ºC.

Blue lens in one of the many thermal pools in the park

Landscape common in Yellowstone

The sun tried to diminish the cold

Made you want to fall into that pool!

Our first day in the park and decided to make a track in the snow before going to their heads. Ela our levaria bela to Fairy Falls, uma das diversas cachoeiras do Yellowstone.

Fairy Falls, after one hour track

Attempted photo in the snow

On the way, bison ate the vegetation sparse and poorly cared about our passage. You can not say the same of us. Not Visitor Center, saw an instructional video that recommended distance 24 meter of animals, and still showed another video in which a bison literally attacked a tourist! It was to scare even. No entanto, eles foram tranquilos e completamente indiferentes quanto a nossa passagem.

Look nice bison

O e a crack bisão

There were only bison that were around. Several fresh footprints indicated that we had a bear nearby. Eyes open and pepper spray at the ready, follow up to the waterfall without major problems, a não ser pelas botas cobertas de neve.

We were not alone on the trail

After the trail, the idea was to pass by the main postcards of Yellowstone. First, to the famous Grand Prismatic Spring. How Americans love putting, thermal pool is the largest U.S., and the third largest in the world. There is a wooden structure that surrounds the pool, e possibilita aos turistas chegarem bem perto dela.

Vapor d'água cobre a piscina

The pool offers a variety of intense colors, pigments result of bacterial microorganisms that survive the high temperatures surprisingly. The pictures that we see in postcards are taken from above, from an unofficial trail mountain that lies ahead of her. Unfortunately, not the best position of all, improve the view in our case. The cold brought with water vapor to cool the heat of the thermal pools. Thus, not seen nearly a foot of pool, even closely. Although we had hoped to see it in better time of day, mas não foi dessa vez.

Wooden pathway leads to the Grand Prismatic Spring

Microorganisms survive the high temperatures

Thus we proceeded to the geysers, finally launched on the water 30 meters could not get out of sight! O Old Faithful (“Velho Fiel”, literalmente traduzido) not leave us in hand. This is the first geyser in the park have a name and it makes the juz. It is the most predictable of them all, designing of 15 the 30 thousand liters of hot water each 91 minutes, for about 5 minutos.

Old Faithful nunca falha

We also saw the eruption of Grand Geyser, the highest among the predictable geysers of Yellowstone. Its eruption lasts 9 the 12 minutes and occurs in interval 8 the 12 hours. The hot water gets to reach a staggering 60 meters. A natural spectacle, de beleza impressionante.

Explosion at Grand Majestic Geiser

Geiser Grand about to explode

Second day in the park, crossed the Yellowstone northward, onde find a Mamooth Hot Springs, a complex of thermal pools surrounded by beautiful scenery. In own way, as montanhas proporcionam belas vistas.

Beautiful view of the mountains north of the park following

There is an interesting track that surrounds the pools and gives descriptions of the process of formation of that complex. A cor da água cristalina é de hipnotizar.

Fine thermal pools at Hot Springs Mamooth

Ice, hot water and stones from another world

Photos that Mamooth parade for Hot Springs

We left the park toward Cooke City, where we would spend the night before heading trip to Salt Lake City. A friendly coyote accompanied part of the way, como um anfitrião acompanha um visitante à porta de saída.

A coyote followed our output

Towards the northeast exit of the park

Despite the heavy snow and the water vapor that covered much of the park, Yellowstone striking landscapes still left in our memory. No doubt, is on the list of "places to return after the Expedition". If the snow-covered park already impresses, we wondered how it would be open in time. We hope to have that opportunity while the rest supervolcano, depois de milhões de anos sem grandes explosões.

Check out here mais fotos do Yellowstone!

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Date: 06/09/2012 à 11/09/2012

Saímos of: Stanford, CA

Destination: Portland, OR passing through the Lake Tahoe, CA hair and Crater Lake, OR

Distance: 1.295 km, sendo than 288km from Stanford in South Lake Tahoe, 628km South Lake Tahoe até o Crater Lake National Park e em seguida 378km até Portland.

Travel time: 6 hours on the first stretch, after enough traffic in the area of ​​Mountain View; plus about 6 times in the second and 7 hours not last, and we stopped for about 3 hours in a outlet no caminho.

Path: We took I-80 to the height of Sacramento, where diverted by US-50 toward South Lake Tahoe. From, follow the same road, até Reno, where stray toward Klamath Falls on U.S. followed by CA-395-139. De lá tomamos a estadual OR-39 até Portland.

Where to sleep: Accommodation relatively cheap h(m)óteis roadside. Even without Tanajura our tents and automotive, seek inexpensive options in terms of accommodation. Em South Lake Tahoe e em Klamath Falls, close to Crater Lake, find cost-effective at the America's Best Value Inn. Já em Portland encontramos um Quality Inn localizado na entrada da cidade.

What eat different: Fruits and other fresh foods at the Farmer's Market in Portland. Be in town the week that the fair occupied the main square of the city (Pioneer Courthouse Square) foi uma grata surpresa.

Tire cheio: Visual impressive dos lagos, followed by the cozy comfort of Portland. This leg of the trip afforded beautiful landscapes and romantic (although it sounds strange for a group of grown men!). Tudo coroado pelo conforto gostoso de uma cidade peculiar como Portland.

Tire murcho: A falta FAZ Tanajura! It had been about a month since we were without our dear companion road, as she went across the Pacific. Nostalgia hit hard!

Of the deepest lakes in the City of Roses

It was late evening when we reached the region of the giant Lake Tahoe, the largest mountain lake in North America and the second deepest U.S. (501 m profundidade). It is located about 2000 feet tall amid the hills of the Sierra Nevada, exactly on the border between California and Nevada, so that is divided between both states. The place is very famous for numerous ski resorts during the winter, when the snow takes over the mountains, mas também proporciona visuais de tirar o fôlego fora da temporada.

We were staying in the charming city of South Lake Tahoe, do on the lake, yet side Californian, where we had a privileged position in relation to the attractions we wanted to visit and a good selection of hotels and restaurants. The main attraction of the city is Heavenly Gondola, a cable car which gives a panoramic view of part of the lake. We think the price somewhat salty (about $ 35 per person), então acabamos deixando ele para a próxima.

After a good night's rest, we set out to explore the region. We took the Beetle and went round the lake toward Emerald Bay, while that We enjoyed the beautiful scenery along the way. Emerald Bay was a recommendation of local, that logo is justified. It has views of shining eyes and houses some of the main tourist attractions of the region. Among them is the only island in Lake Tahoe, the Fannete Iceland. She calls attention amidst the crystal blue water around it, and still holds the remains of Fancy Tea House (Tea House), constructed by the same owner of Vikingsholm, a "summer house" sumptuous lakeside, which is now a museum. Tudo isso dá um toque especial ao que já é muito belo por si só.

A gentle walk along a trail led us to the Eagle Lake, um lower lake, parallel ao Lake Tahoe. The slow movement of the crystal clear water with the wind reaches hypnotize, before the peace is to be in that place. We spent a few minutes in silence, just enjoying the tranquility. Very good the feeling of being in touch with nature as if we did really part of it, sentimento esse que muitas vezes se perde diante da rotina estressante que levávamos na cidade.

Next day, continue traveling to the city of Klamath Falls, where we would spend the night before heading toward Oregon, to the Crater Lake National Park, the deepest lake in the United States. Americans who like to name call all Rim Drive environment or do lago trajeto, with several stops to enjoy the views and explanations of its geological formation. The Crater Lake is basically the result of a volcanic eruption, which opened the crater that would later place the lake. Contornamos part give, parando diversas vezes para observar sua beleza.

Over a stretch of road took us to the quirky town of Portland. Unfortunately, we had only one day to spend in the city, as we needed to begin to streamline the bureaucracy to release Tanajura the port of Tacoma, próximo à Seattle. O pouco tempo que passamos por lá foi o suficiente para termos uma experiência bastante intensa na cidade.

To our knowledge, Portland unjustly not usually in more traditional routes, unless there is interest in shopping, after all you do not pay taxes on the sale of products (sales tax) no Oregon. The City of Roses is famous for perfect conditions for growing Flower, growing showy throughout the city. The International Rose Test Garden is a laboratory of roses open. With about seven thousand roses more than 500 species other than, the garden is considered the largest of its kind in the world. Uma explosão of color takes care of the place and love to the less enthusiastic floriculture. Next to it is also the Japanese Tea Garden, the largest of its kind outside of Japan. Unfortunately we could not visit him, because mornings Monday, when we pass him, is usually closed. Still in Washington Park, to spend funds Pittock Mansion to enjoy a beautiful view of the city, including Mount Hood at the bottom. A case mansão Só, é também bastante interessante e guarda parte da história política da cidade em seus interiores.

Passing through the main town square, to calm Pioneer Courthouse Square, we had a pleasant surprise. Was debuting in the city an annual fair known as Farmer’s Market (Farmers Market). Producers of fruits, vegetables, meats and all kinds of food from the farm to the city come to exhibit their products in stalls assembled in the square. Delicious meals and more varied types of berries feed visitors, enquanto bandas locais se apresentam em um palco improvisado.

Around the square, other local artists also had the sidewalks. Some other paintings exposed his music. We were impressed with the ability of one particular, we stopped for nearly half an hour in one of the corners, just enjoying the music of your bass. With each change in traffic, new people joined us and others followed his path. We remained there for a good time. Portland is proud to maintain this artistic vibrancy in the city. Keep Portland Weird (Keep Portland Weird) é um lema que se vê com relativa frequência pichado nas paredes da cidade.

We could also make a visit to Pioneer Courthouse, the court gives its name to the square. The building built in 1869 federal buildings is one of the oldest in the region. The visit has a bit of history of the court, and the most famous cases that have gone through it. It is interesting to visit the court as officials continue working as if no tourists pass through there. We were able to get some sweets in the judge's chambers, kindly offered by his secretary. Moreover, foi bastante interessante a vista de cima da torre.

The evening ended with a Japanese curry (those well spicy!) no restaurant Kale after a walk through the city (view more here – upon entering the restaurant you feel in Japan, the environment is very traditional and differential. Moreover, the food is very good and the price is low, ultimately, well worth it and it was a great discovery ;)). After a quick blocks passed by the University of Washington, take a free train (yes, some lines are free in the city), to the riverbank Willamette. Portland impressed by the amount of trees throughout the city. Moreover, diz-se que é uma das cidades mais “verdes” dos EUA.

Two lakes paradisiacal views, stroll through the rose gardens and live classical music in a cozy little square more than. Just missed girlfriends to complete the romanticism of this passage of our expedition. We adiante, eager to kill the longing Tanajura, depois de suas merecidas “férias”.

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