Every time I think about this trip, I get more excited to go back. I don’t think I’ve ever fallen in love with a city so quickly! Cody and I spent less than 24 hours in New Orleans and by the time we left, we were already planning our next trip back. It was a quick one, because we left Saturday morning and had to be back in town for work on Monday. That being said, we didn’t get to do everything we wanted to, which was disappointing, but also leaves us with lots to do the next time! And if you have any suggestions on things we should do, leave a comment. 🙂
On Saturday, we explored around Bourbon Street and the surrounding areas. We went to Acme Oyster House for supper, then walked around before ending the night at a piano bar.
On Sunday, we woke up before most of the city to go to Cafe Du Monde for beignets and coffee! We walked around more, enjoying the morning before driving to the garden district to look at the houses. From there, we headed back to Texas, and our short weekend was over!
New Orleans is an amazing city. There is so much history to explore. The culture is amazing. The food is incredible. And nothing quite compares to walking through the French quarter and hearing jazz played by live bands on multiple street corners. The nightlife is also beyond compare. You want a party? Go to Bourbon Street on any odd Saturday night. I’m sure you’ll find what you’re looking for! I can’t wait to come back and do more things in this amazing city.
What a wild couple of months it’s been. I feel like I’ve been through the ringer, but now I’m on the other side and things feel better. Texas was a surprising experience in getting to know myself, my comfort level, and my limits. I didn’t get as much exploring done as I wanted to, partly due to work and partly due to how widespread Covid was in the area I was working. But! I did get some adventuring in, and that is what we’re here for today!!
Cody and I spent some time in San Antonio. San Antonio is a really awesome city. There’s great food, the Alamo is there, and the River Walk is always a highlight. There are tons of restaurants and shops along the River Walk, plus it’s just beautiful to walk around. We stayed with friends, played a TON of board games, and had a lovely time exploring almost daily.
The Alamo
Love Lock bridge
Farmer’s market!
The Pearl
Japanese Tea Garden
River Walk at night
We visited Houston! It’s a huge city. 7 million people live there, and it is the 4th largest city in the US. While we were there, we checked out Pappasito’s and got the fajitas WITH the butter, which is the best (read: only) way to go. We stumbled across an ice skating rink in the park, and some murals. It was a strange visit because it was a Sunday and the city of 7 million felt dead. That is, until we went to the Galleria, where apparently everyone and their brother goes on Sunday afternoons. There was also a skating rink in the mall. Lots of skating rinks for a city who’s temperature rarely gets below freezing.
Of course we went to the Johnson Space Center! You can’t go to Houston without going to space. I wish we would have known before going that there is a whole self-guided tour. We scheduled a tour and didn’t realize that there was so much there. So, go early! And shell out the money for a guided tour, because it’s incredible.
And you can’t go to Texas without checking out the Silos in Waco! If you’re a fan of Chip and Joanna, or just a fan of neat buildings and good food, check out the Silos. And maybe hit up Baylor while you’re there!
The craziest part of the entire Texas adventure was the weather. The ice storms proved to be quite a mess for the state of Texas. Lots of people were without power for days. We were some of them, but we were lucky, because we had power off and on, and we have a ton of camping gear, so we were able to filter clean water for ourselves and eat whatever foods we had squirrelled away for backpacking trips. I got to experience spending the night on a hospital cot for multiple nights (would not recommend).
We also checked out Chinatown! We went to Mala Sichuan Bistro and got a variety of dishes, including one of the best dishes I’ve ever eaten in my life, shredded pork with bamboo shoots. Seriously, I still talk about it, it was so good. We also went to Snowy Village and had bingsu, which is a dessert consisting of shaved ice and fruit.
One of my favorite nights was probably our last night there. We decided, since it was crawfish season, to go out to eat and get a crawfish boil. 5 pounds of crawfish, two corns on the cob, two potatoes, and a bunch of mushrooms later, we were stuffed to the gills and happy as another delicious seafood. 100% would get a crawfish boil again.
The eatage
The carnage
The damage
I hope y’all enjoyed this catch-up post! I’m planning on posting more soon, with the next one being about our quick trip to New Orleans! Once again, stay safe, mask up, and keep healthy!
In December, Cody and I packed up the car once again and made our way to Texas for my next assignment. We had some time off and took advantage of it by visiting family for Christmas and going to yet another national park with some friends.
Big Bend National Park is located in the southwest horn of Texas, near Terlingua. The Rio Grande borders the southern edge of the park and during non-Covid times, you can catch a ferry into Boquillas, Mexico. You also need a valid passport. Unfortunately for me, it was Covid times, and I also don’t have a passport (which is a thing that needs to change this year!). For more information on that, check out this page from the National Parks Service: https://www.nps.gov/bibe/planyourvisit/visiting-boquillas.htm#:~:text=Visiting%20Mexico%20through%20the%20park’s,November%202%20%2D%20April%2030).
We ended up staying in Alpine, TX, which is about an hour outside the park. It snowed the night before we left, so when we got there the ground was covered in stuff that I came to Texas to avoid. They got 10 inches of snow! In the dessert!
Over the next few days we drove in and out of the park, going on little hikes, checking out trails that weren’t closed due to weather, and hanging out at the cabin playing games. Cliff and Lani did an awesome job planning for this trip and making sure we had all the food we needed. Also, another round of Love Letter, please?
If it’s not on your list already, add Big Bend to your must-see list. The dessert is starkly beautiful. The Chisos Mountains jut out of the ground. It’s pretty amazing to see how the Rio Grande has carved out the canyon. There are also a ton of areas that are perfect for star gazing. I would recommend going when the Milky Way is visible, but it’s awesome regardless of the time of year. Big Bend is an International Dark Sky Park, which means that it is one of the darkest places in the United States. Perfect for all you astrophotographers out there.
After Big Bend, we spent a little time exploring San Antonio, so in the next post I’ll talk about that, and about the time we spent in Texas on assignment! Until then, stay safe and stay healthy!
What a year it’s been. 2020. The Year of the Nurse. And we rose to the occasion, all of us. I had been feeling pretty down about myself when all this started. I was scared. I didn’t work for two months, which was partly because elective cases weren’t happening, and party because I didn’t want to be in the thick of it. I didn’t want to subject myself to the PTSD my fellow nurses are developing. I didn’t want to take the chance to expose myself or my family to this new disease with so many different and unknown symptoms. So, I didn’t. I hid. And I hated myself for that a little bit.
When OR jobs started popping back up again, I was nervous, but I was also excited to get back to work. My amazing recruiter submitted me to a few jobs in Washington, and although the interview process was a little weird, I accepted a position in a town near Seattle whose name I couldn’t pronounce correctly and STILL don’t know if I’m pronouncing correctly.
I fell in absolute love with Washington. I fell in love with the weather, the people, the hikes. I fell in love with the Mountain. Rainier…you’re gorgeous. Thank you for the hikes, the lessons, and the challenges. I hope very much to see you again someday and maybe summit. Although we are in the rainy season now (which is pretty much the whole year), I am still enjoying the outside things. My mantra has become “just pack your raincoat.” I guess I have accepted that sometimes I will be damp.
Also, I have met some pretty awesome people. They work hard, they care about their jobs and the people they serve, and they care about each other. Thank you for taking me in and treating me like one of your own. It’s been a pleasure working with all of you.
What have I learned this year? So many things that I’m going to make a list, because I love me some lists.
Job-Specific:
Ask questions. Figure out where things are quickly. Learn where the break room, cafeteria, locker room, pooping bathroom, and coffee shop are within your first week. Figure out where equipment and supplies are kept. You’re brand new to the facility and even though you’re expected to hit the ground running, you don’t know where everything is. Ask the dumb questions, because if you don’t ask, you won’t know when you’re expected to know.
Make some friends! You’re going to be with these people 8-12 hours a day, and sometimes more, especially if you’re expected to take call. Be friendly, be open, and be willing to help if you have time.
If you don’t know how to do something, don’t be afraid to speak up and say so. Nobody knows everything. We are a team, especially in the operating room.
Things can change with a phone call. My first contract this year was cancelled when I had about four weeks left, due to Covid. The hospital was no longer doing elective cases and they didn’t need me anymore. That being said, have a backup plan. My backup plan was my parents and they were awesome and let me live with them for two months while I was depressed and figuring out what I wanted to do next.
Adventuring:
Go.Do.The.Things. Explore the city you’re in. Find some local restaurants or coffee shops to frequent and support. Find a park to walk in. And if there’s nothing in the city you’re actually in, maybe there’s something fun to do nearby! And if there’s literally nothing nearby, then maybe pick up a hobby or save your money for the next cool place you travel to!
Stay safe, but have fun. Be aware of your surroundings everywhere, but don’t be afraid to check stuff out.
Pack for the weather. I made absolute sure I brought a raincoat and rainboots with me to Washington.
Plan things in between assignments! I took a week off between assignments here in Washington and went backpacking in Yellowstone for a couple days. It was awesome and super relaxing to be out in the wilderness and away from people.
Be a tourist if you’re near a tourist town. I absolutely wish I had taken advantage of exploring Charlotte, NC better. I did take advantage of living near Asheville, though. I visited the Biltmore with my parents and it was so fun! Also took advantage of living near Seattle. I’ve been to the Market multiple times, I’ve been to the top of the Space Needle and to the Chihuly glass museum, it’s been great!
Family and Friends:
This year especially, I have leaned heavily on my friends and family. I have video chatted with my family at least once a week, and I have kept in touch with my friends more than every. Have people who aren’t with you to talk to and bring your home, at least for a little bit.
Talk to old coworkers! I’m in a group chat with some of my old coworkers and they are freakin hilarious and make me smile when things are junky.
The number one thing I’ve learned this year is to just go for it. It’s scary to leave home and to leave what you know, but it’s honestly so worth it. I’ve learned that I have a lot of confidence, that I’m strong and independent, and that I can do hard things. I’ve learned, most of all, that I am a pretty good nurse, even on the days I think I’m not.
This assignment is over, but this travel life is not!! I’ll be starting 2021 off in Kingwood, Houston, Texas! I’m nervous, but excited to spend some time in the Lone Star state.
Now that we are in the holiday season, I want to wish you all a happy holiday season, especially if you have already celebrated yours. Stay safe, stay warm, stay healthy, and wash your hands, folks!
Welcome back, friends! Want to know one of my most favorite things about Washington state? It is so diverse. The people, the food, climates…there is something for everyone. The eastern part of the state is desert, there are mountains all over, and the western part of the state has a literal rainforest and the Pacific Ocean. It is absolutely beautiful here.
At the end of October, we decided to take a weekend and travel to Port Angeles, Forks, and Olympic National Park. We hadn’t been to Olympic yet, and I wanted to cross it off our list! Our first stop was Port Angeles. We visited the park and were told that the road we wanted to drive on was closed due to snow and ice from the night before. We were pretty disappointed, but we drove around and explored at lower altitudes.
Fun facts: The language on the first part of the Welcome sign is that of the local indigenous people in the Olympic Peninsula, Klallam. It translates to “come inside.” The sign’s base is made with river rocks, and the logs are hand-peeled.
We also visited a local brewery and ate a delicious dinner at Downriggers on the Water and turned a disappointing day into a good one. If you ever go there, I highly recommend the hot crab dip. I could’ve eaten it with a spoon, but I am civilized (mostly) and ate it with the bread we were given. Also, holy mo, the crab and prawn fettuccini is an absolute delight. I didn’t get any photos because I was so excited to start eating!
The next day was my favorite. We got to visit a few places. Our first stop was coffee, naturally. And our second was Forks, WA, vampire capitol of the USA, thank you, Twilight. For those of you that have read the books, Forks really is tiny. There isn’t much there. But there is some fun Twilight stuff. Bella’s trucks are there–the one from the movie and the one from the books and yes, they’re different. There are a couple fun signs once you get onto the “Res” that warn vampires to keep out. I’m not really a Twi-hard, but I geeked out a little.
Our next stop was the Pacific Ocean. I have been talking about the ocean since before I even got out here. I’ve dipped my toes in the Atlantic Ocean so many times, but I had never been west enough to greet the Pacific and finally, I was there. Let me paint the picture for you. The day was sunny, but chilly. It was a little windy. I was wearing jeans and my puffy jacket. The beaches here aren’t sandy; they’re rocky. You could see huge rocks jutting out of the water like castles. And despite all this, I took off my shoes and socks, walked my feet to the edge of the water, and let it flow over my feet. So. Cold. So cold. But boy, did it feel good to have finally set foot in the Pacific Ocean!! Cody had no interest in taking off his shoes and socks and getting his feet wet. Haha!
First look 🙂
Run awaaay
Our next stop was the Hoh Rainforest! We got out of the car and stretched our legs a little on the Hall of Mosses trail, a short 0.8 mile trail that winds through gorgeous moss-covered trees and ferns. It was absolutely wild to me that a few thousand feet higher there were roads closed due to snow and ice.
After our hike, we made our way to Ruby Beach, stopping at a gift shop on the way. We got to see some wildlife in the field behind the gift shop!
Why does the wildlife insist on sticking their tongue out at me?!
We walked along Ruby Beach for awhile and enjoyed the setting sun. We saw two wedding parties (congrats to them!), and a couple taking Christmas photos. And then we headed home, a lovely weekend behind us and more adventures ahead!
Photo cred: Cody Feller
As of the publishing of this post, I only have three weeks left here! I am equal parts sad and excited to start my next adventure, which will be in Kingwood, Houston, TX!! If you have any suggestions for anything I should do before I leave here, or anything to do in Texas while I’m there (January to April), please comment and let me know!
Stay safe, stay healthy, and wash yo dang haaaands! 🙂
On September 27th, Cody and I decided to attempt the 8.4 mile out-and-back hike to Camp Muir on Mount Rainier. It was a gorgeous day, sunny and warmer than we expected. We took it easy getting to the higher elevation so we wouldn’t sweat too much and possibly risk hypothermia once we got higher.
Up into the clouds we go
It was so clear we could see Mount Saint Helens, Mount Hood, and Mount Adams in the distance!
The trail started on the Skyline Trail and then broke off at the Camp Muir route, where the signs basically said “good luck and Godspeed.” We were entering a danger zone, where conditions could change in an instant from clear to whiteout. There was also no maintained trail once we reached the snowfields, because it is impossible to carve out a trail into snow that is constantly changing.
Let’s go play in a cloud!!
Seriously considered packing it up and turning around at this point.
Once we got off the rock and came to the bottom of the snowfields, we both put our snow traction on and prepared for the climb. We had about 3,000 feet of elevation gain to cover in two miles, in the snow, and it was windy up there!! We stopped quite a bit to take breaks and catch our breath. Everything is harder at 7500 feet!
We took a snack break about a mile from Camp Muir. We were both exhausted and spent a lot of time debating whether or not to continue. Of course we wanted to finish, but we decided it would be better to turn back. Neither of us was feeling great, and I was starting to feel a little nauseated up there. It was a tough decision, but we turned around and headed back down the mountain.
AllTrails rates this hike as “hard” and I 100% agree. This trail is tough!! You’re hiking on rocks, snow, in high elevation, and up a very steep grade. My poor calves were so sore, friends. For like a week! It was also pretty wild hiking on the snowfield. There was no designated path, but there were plenty of footprints to follow up the mountain! Also, I couldn’t hear it on the way up, because the wind was blowing so hard, but on the way down I could hear running water. There is running water underneath all those feet of snow. This one is not for the faint of heart, or those without a healthy respect for nature.
I still want to hike to Camp Muir, but it’s going to have to wait for another time. Maybe then, I’ll have enough experience and be in better shape to summit!
I hope this week has been treating you kindly. Take care of yourselves and be safe!
So, I’ve had a couple people now ask me what it’s like to work in the OR, and what it’s like to be a traveler in the OR, specifically. The OR is such a mystical, hidden place as a nurse. It is heavily restricted. You can’t even get into it without having a badge. And even then, if you are not authorized, you can’t get in. What goes on back there, anyway? People go in and they’re sick and when they come out, they’re better, right? Magic!
Working in the OR is cool! I get to be the gatekeeper. I get to communicate with surgeons daily, and *gasp* we even joke around sometimes. I check consents and make sure the patient is safe. I double check all the equipment, supplies, and drugs we need. I help make sure everything is sterile. But the most important thing I do is make sure the radio is working. Because what’s an OR without music? Quiet. It’s quiet.
So what is it like to travel in the OR? The number one word that comes to mind is overwhelming, in good ways and bad ways. You have to be comfortable being uncomfortable. The first few weeks of an assignment have been the hardest for me, because I’m learning a new charting system, getting used to the culture of the unit, and trying to do my best for surgeons I have never worked with. On top of all that, I have no idea where anything is, so I’m constantly hunting down equipment and supplies and asking a million questions.
In the good ways, I get to check out a new unit, make new friends, and check out cool locations. I am always asking about places to eat, things to do, and hikes in the area. I explore like crazy! I love finding neat little coffee shops and fun local places to hang out. I’m an outdoor girl, so I’m always on the lookout for fun outside activities.
I recently had an OR nurse who is looking into traveling reach out to me on Instagram, which was pretty awesome. She had a TON of questions, and it was such a blast answering them. She asked me how I liked traveling in the OR and if I would recommend it, and I answered 100% YES!! Traveling is a great way to see how different ORs work, and you get to explore new areas of the country!
So, are YOU looking into traveling in the OR? And may I offer some tips?
1: Research companies, and recruiters. Some companies pay more than others. Some support their nurses better. If you get a recruiter you don’t exactly vibe with, try another one, or look into a different company! Look for a recruiter who is going to be upfront and honest with you, gets back to you, and doesn’t push you into a location you don’t want.
2. The Big Three: Location, shift, and pay. I try to aim for two out of three. You wanna work in Seattle? Maybe you don’t have enough experience in big hospitals. How about Puyallup (there’s a pretty great hospital there, just sayin’.)? Forced to work night shift? Give it a try. It’s only 13 weeks. You got your dream location, an excellent shift, but the pay is a little less? Could be worth it. Again, it’s only 13 weeks. Maybe you can extend and get a raise in your extension.
3. Take your skills checklists seriously. They are used by the hospital to help them decide which rooms you are going to be the best fit for. But also, don’t be afraid to try new things! If anything, you can add it to your skills.
4. Read your surgeon preference cards. And if the preference cards are trash, ask the staff!! Someone knows the answer to your question and if they don’t, use your common sense. Most companies won’t let you travel until you have been working in your specialized are for at least two years. That means you have two years of previous experience to pull from. Think about what the case is, and use that experience to your advantage.
If you are considering traveling in any area as a nurse, I would definitely recommend doing it. Take the leap! You don’t have to go all the way across the country. Try a local contract, and maybe stay on at your current location PRN, that way if you don’t like it you have something to fall back on. And if you have any questions, reach out! I probably won’t be able to answer everything, but I can at least try, and get you in contact with people who DO know. Also, check out these awesome pages for support and occasional funny memes:
In September, I celebrated an anniversary with my amazing boyfriend. You’ve seen him. He’s the cute redhead in some of my photos. 🙂 We’ve been together for a little over a year and I am so happy he came to Washington with me! It’s been an incredible adventure! So for our anniversary, we decided to get a little touristy and spend a day in Seattle! We went to the Pike Street Market, the top of the Space Needle, and checked out the Chihuly glass museum. It was so much fun! There are mostly pictures to follow, because I don’t really have a lot to talk about with this trip! Take a look and enjoy!
Look at all that fog!
Just imagine this space filled with swing dancers. Because I did. Haha.
The Space Needle was conceived in 1959 by Edward E. Carlson. Designed by architect John “Jack Graham, Jr, the Space Needle was built in 1961 for the 1962 World’s Fair. In keeping with the space theme, John Minasian, the chief engineer, had designed rocket gantries for NASA. The original structure was completed in December of 1961, and opened in April 1962. The Space Needle is 605 feet tall and one of the floors rotates! So cool!
Our next stop was the Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibit in Seattle, a short walk from the Space Needle. The exhibit has been in Seattle since 2012. Chihuly was born in Tacoma and studied at the University of Washington, where he was introduced to glass. He received a Fullbright Fellowship and studied in Venice, enhancing his skills as he learned the team approach to glass blowing there. His works are beautiful and breathtaking. Some are tiny, and some are huge! But all of them are unique and a delight to look at. We spent a couple hours at the exhibit.
Y’all. What the what? Where has the time gone? I’m so sorry I haven’t updated here in awhile! I’m planning on getting a few posts out in the wild of the internet here in the next few days. There’s been so much!
We will continue our story in Jackson Hole, a cute town south of Yellowstone and the Tetons. We decided to hang out in the town during the day, mostly window shopping and getting into shenanigans. There are so many cute shops there. We had lunch at Jackson Drug Company, getting grilled cheese and huckleberry milkshakes. So good!
Tatanka
Antler arch
In the afternoon, we loaded up on snacks. We were spending the night in the national forest! We stopped at the T.A. Moulton barn on Mormon Row, which is the most photographed barn in America. I took so many photos. Haha.
A quick pit stop.
When we got into the national forest, we picked a couple possibilities, then decided to get a better view and watch the sunset. We set up our chairs, got our cameras ready, and settled down for a gorgeous, dramatic sunset. When it started to rain, we headed to our campsite. We laid the seats down and slept in the car!
We woke up before the sun to drive back into Teton National Park and get some sunrise pictures of the Tetons. It was kind of cloudy; I was worried it wouldn’t clear up. But it did, and it was beautiful! We ate breakfast there on a bench, watched a private photography class take place, and enjoyed the morning together.
PC: Cody Feller Look at those colors!
Yellowstone was next up. We were going back to check out Old Faithful, see some of the features, and drive around the park. Old Faithful was certainly incredible. We walked around the area for a bit, checked out the hotel and found out where the gift shop was, then sat in the sun and waited. There were so many people!! It was kind of overwhelming after not being around people for 2 days. Old Faithful erupted right on time, which is about every 98minutes, give or take ten.
We drove up the east side of the park and came upon some stopped traffic. We were stopped because of the buffaloes walking across the road! It was crazy! We were so close to the buffalo that we could have reached out and touched them. They were so huge! It was honestly terrifying. My heart was pounding. Haha!
On that adrenaline high, we went to the lower falls. We hiked a little bit, took some pictures, and then headed out of the park to get some pizza and head back toward home.
We had an amazing trip to Yellowstone. It was so incredible to be in the wilderness for a couple days and regroup. I can’t wait for the next one! More outside adventures, please!
I hope you all are having a good week! Keep it up, we’re almost to the weekend! You’re amazing!
I’m incredibly excited to tell you all about this amazing trip. I haven’t talked about it much, because my photos have been sitting on my SD card, waiting patiently for me to take a look at them. To be honest, the past few weeks have been exhausting and the last thing I have wanted to do is sit down and edit photos. But this past weekend I was struck with some motivation and I got it done!! This post is going to be a bit longer than usual, and a two-parter, but I have a good story and incredible photos to show y’all!!
First off, I renewed my contract until December because I am loving it in Washington, and the facility I’m working at is great. I requested a week off in between contracts to recharge. Recharging, for me, meant taking a road trip and getting into nature. Cody and I planned a vacation to Yellowstone, a national park neither of us had been to. We planned a two-night camping trip in the park, a day in Jackson, a trip to the Tetons, and a day of driving around Yellowstone doing the typical touristy things like Old Faithful (which was pretty neat).
We left Washington super early on Saturday in order to get to West Yellowstone by evening. We had a hotel room reserved for the night at Yellowstone Country Inn. It was about a 12-hour drive, and we made a couple stops along the way for food and gas, but not much else. The drive was gorgeous. Montana is absolutely beautiful. They don’t call it Big Sky Country for ‘nothin! We made it to the hotel just in time to make sure we had all the gear and food we needed, and that we were packed appropriately. We went to bed already exhausted, knowing that we would be up early so we could make it to our shuttle.
Packed up and ready to go!!!
Sunday morning we got up, packed up the car, and headed into Yellowstone National Park. We were meeting our shuttle driver early so he could drive us from our end destination where the car was parked, to the trail head. Our driver was great. He talked a lot about the wildlife (he loved him some bears), and about the decreased number of backpackers this year. He helped us unload our packs, and bid us farewell and good luck on our trip. We were officially on trail.
Map of our trail from Outdoor Project. Our trail is the yellow highlighted trail. We hiked south to north.
We started at Biscuit Basin, a collection of geysers with a wooden walking bridge above the thermal field. There were a few people at Biscuit Basin that morning. It was a cool morning with blue skies, perfect for starting out. We got on trail and made our way into the woods. Once we got started we only saw one other couple who was hiking in the opposite direction we were. They told us our camping site for the evening was beautiful and that we would really enjoy it.
Black Diamond trekking poles by the Black Diamond Pool.
Look at all those thermal features!!!
Sorta looks like a biscuit, yeah?
Grand Prismatic?! Nope.
The hiking was beautiful. We passed rivers and wildflowers. We were able to see some features in the distance from above, and we also passed some evidence of past wildfires. We took a lunch break at OD3, a gorgeous campsite beside a river and waterfall. We took off our shoes and cooled off our feet before starting up again.
Biscuit Basin from the trail
Campsite OD3
I love adventuring with you ❤
We hiked about 6 miles the first day, ending our day at Firehole Meadows, campsite OD2. We scoped out the campsite, set up our tent and hammock, and broke out the snacks. We refilled our water bottles in the nearby river. We got there pretty early, so we snoozed in the hammock for awhile. As we sat looking out at the field, we wondered if it wouldn’t be better to move the tent closer to the meadow. After all, it was supposed to be a clear night and we would have an amazing view of the stars, and maybe see some big animals the next morning if we got up early enough. We moved the tent and slept with the rain fly off.
Trail to OD2
OD2 campsite
Firehole Meadow
A gorgeous sunset
I woke up a few times during the night and was delighted to see more stars than I had ever seen in my life. I was able to see the Milky Way, too!! It was amazing! The craziest thing about the first night, for me, was the complete silence. There were no bugs, no birds, no rustling around of animals, no cars or airplanes. It was completely quiet, save for the squeaking of the sleeping pads when we moved. It was eerie almost, but at least birds weren’t keeping me awake like they had the past couple times I had camped outside. Sleeping in the meadow was peaceful.
When we woke up the next morning, it was still pretty chilly, so we hung out in the tent for a bit. As we were getting around for the day, we were able to see some elk creeping in and out of the tree line. We made breakfast and packed up the tent, preparing for another gorgeous day of backpacking.
Of course we talked about lunch plans while we were hiking. We decided to take a break at Fairy Falls for lunch and to refill our water. Our campsite for that night was only a short hike from the falls and we thought it would be a good breaking point for the day. Once we got closer to the falls, however, we were told there was a grizzly on the trail! Yes, a real live grizzly bear was just hanging out on the trail ahead of us. As we got even closer, I pulled my bear spray out of my backpack and Cody pulled out his phone to take pictures; we were ready. The bear was up the hill at this point, lunching on huckleberries and minding his own bearsiness. We treaded carefully, but quickly, and warned everyone we passed about the bear. Most people hurried ahead saying, “I know!” excitedly. I thought those people were nuts! Bears are scary! It was pretty amazing being less than 100 yards from a grizzly, though.
Photo credit: Cody Feller
We were also able to see some incredible thermal features the second day. A hot springs led into a hot river. We could feel the heat coming off the water. The heat and bacteria in the water had stained all the rock and wood a strange yellow color. The feature itself was a vibrant blue. We hiked along that river for a bit.
Look at that geyser! I wonder how often this one goes off…
We ended up stopping for lunch at a river crossing. We refilled our water there, and I soaked my feet in the cool water. I was feeling pretty good that afternoon, and we had already checked out our campsite. After spending the night in an open field, it was disappointing. Our second night’s campsite was literally surrounded by trees and there was zero view. We ate lunch, filled up on water, and decided to hike the rest of the trail that afternoon. It was still early in the day and we were both feeling like hiking more. So, after lunch, we hiked on!
This is OD1. Fairly disappointing after spending the night in the open.
We stopped at the Grand Prismatic and we were lucky to have a clear, sunny day. We hiked up the Overlook Trail and boy, was it gorgeous. If you ever go to Yellowstone, maybe bypass the Spring Trail and do the Overlook Trail. You get a full view of the spring in all its glory.
You can see the people on the Spring Trail across the Grand Prismatic.
After getting our fill of the Grand Prismatic Spring, we continued. The afternoon was hot, and the rest of the trail was flat. The remainder of the trail was in full sun. We saw some more thermal features, and we even saw some buffalo in the distance. We had crossed off so many wildlife in two days! Elk, grizzly, AND buffalo?! This place is W I L D, folks. I was absolutely thrilled. We completed the trail around 3:30 and we were beat. We loaded our packs into the car, feeling accomplished and exhausted, and headed into Jackson for the evening.
Done!! Happy, tired, and ready for the next one!!
We got a hotel room for the evening, rinsed off quick and went to Snake River Brewery for supper. Burgers, fries, and beer: Is there a better way to end a backpacking trip?
My first backpacking trip was a complete success and I can’t wait for the next one. I have a few more days of the trip to talk about, but I’ll do that in Part 2!
I have 11 more weeks left in Washington and so much more to do!! I hope everyone is staying safe and staying healthy. Keep on keepin’, friends!
What a year it’s been. 2020. The Year of the Nurse. And we rose to the occasion, all of us. I had been feeling pretty down about myself when all this started. I was scared. I didn’t work for two months, which was partly because elective cases weren’t happening, and party because I didn’t want to be in the thick of it. I didn’t want to subject myself to the PTSD my fellow nurses are developing. I didn’t want to take the chance to expose myself or my family to this new disease with so many different and unknown symptoms. So, I didn’t. I hid. And I hated myself for that a little bit.
ShutterbugRN Travels 