Where to Stay You Ask??

I was asked if I could tell more about where to stay while visiting here.  Great idea!!!  Coming into the Park on Hwy 64 you will pass through the entrance station.  Be sure and get your Senior National Park Pass (get in free card) if you are old enough ... check them out online.  It's easy peasy to get in the park when you have your pass or prepaid entrance fees (otherwise the line can be long).  Continue on Hwy 64, turning left on Center Rd, right on Market Plaza, past Mather Campground and right on Trailer Village Rd.  This sign is the only one to guide you to the full hookup RV parking at Trailer Village.  Get your reservations online several weeks in advance .. they seem to fill up every night.

A few hundred feet and you will be at the entrance to Trailer Village.  You guessed it ... no place to park ... and signs saying No Parking.  Continue past the registration shack and park on the right (as in this picture) being sure not to wipe out the School Bus Stop (not that it would hurt ... it's already been hit!!)

Once registered, you will be assigned a site like mine.  If you find one you like better than what they gave you, I have seen them change sites upon request ... but mine was perfect!!  I have a 50 amp service, pretty bad tasting water (bring your own bottled water for drinking) and a sewer hookup.  But don't hook up your sewer line.  The Ravens around here are huge and love to cut holes in your expensive sewer hose.  Dump when you need to, but put the hose away!!!!  I lost two here last year!!

A very short walk cross country through the trees, or a longer walk down the path, will bring you to Market Plaza General Store where Patty happens to work.  They have good vegetables, lots of strange food stuff for people from other countries ... and lots of cool souvenirs to buy ... all of which are much more expensive than your local store.  My $6.00 jar of peanut butter is excellent and I will scrape every speck out of the jar.

A benefit of walking the "sort of" path through the trees was this beautiful bull elk I ran into ... literally!!!  Indeed, I spend too much time looking down.  I was on him before I knew it.  Good thing there was a big tree to hide behind.  His velvet is gone, meaning it's rutting time ... and they are not exactly friendly!!  He was about 5 feet tall at his shoulder.

I backed up slowly and went WAY around ... but stalked him for 15 minutes, trying to get some images.  Never walk around here without a camera ... you never know when you'll see the big one!!!

Bout the time he started grunting, I made a beeline for the denser forest, giving him a wide berth.  Sorry Patty ... the dip I brought home for you is a little melted, but it was the elk's fault!!!!