We arrived back in "The Good Life" late yesterday afternoon. 7 hours across non scenic I80 in Nebraska was the culmination of our trip. We were all glad to be home. Our own beds and all of the comforts of home were there for us. Michael was home all of about 10 minutes and off he went to see the friends he'd left behind 10 days ago.
As we were eating dinner at Red Lobster (chain food was calling to us) in Cheyenne,Wyoming on Friday night, we recounted the memories of the week and talked about our favorities.
Breakfast - The Running Bear Pancake House in West Yellowstone
Lunch - The picnic lunch in Sinks Canyon State Park
Dinner - Michael's was the Prime Rib at the in Cheyenne and for Tim and I the gnocci at Nani's in Jackson Hole.
Most Comfortable Bed - Cody Cowboy Village
Favorite Experience - Michael's was ATVing in Apline, Wyoming, Tim says he loved it all, for me the breathtaking scenery of the Teton Mountains at Sunset.
Ten Days...3000 Miles and Lots of Great Memories!!!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
1750 Miles...Jackson Hole
Michael was very glad there would be no alarm set for 5:30 on Day 6. We slept in. After a fabulous breakfast at The Running Bear Pancake House in West Yellowstone, we headed towards Grand Teton National Park.
Grand Teton is not far outside the south gate of Yellowstone. Upon entering the park we stopped at the visitors center for a map. We were told we could see elk, elk calves, bears and bear cubs on our trip down to Jackson Hole. Shortly after entering the park, we were stopped with road construction. Just about the time we started moving, off in the distance was a bear and a cub...go figure the road is one lane and we can't stop for pictures!!! We did see numerous elk and a baby moose along the way.
It was a cloudy day and the tops of the Teton mountains were hidden by the clouds. Even with the cloud cover, these mountains are amazing!!! We made a stop at Jenny Lake, a beautiful lake at the base of the Tetons. We took the boat across Jenny Lake and a hike up to the beautiful falls.
We'd rented a condo just outside of Jackson . So nice to be in the same place for two nights. Four loads of laundry later, we all have clean clothes again!!
We had dinner at the Gun Barrel Steak and Game. Tim enjoyed an Elk Chop, Michael a mixed grill of venison sausage, elk chop and buffalo prime rib. He ate every bite and said the prime rib was the best he'd ever eaten.
We drove up to the Snake River Overlook (the site of Ansel Adams famous photograph of the Tetons) to take sunset pictures. What a breathtaking and serene sight. On our way to the overlook we saw an owl. He was the most beautiful creature.
The chilly weather and lack of sunshine made me rethink my desire to go white water rafting. Tim and Mike were willing to squish into wet suits for an 8 mile trip down the Snake River. I did some shopping in downtown Jackson Hole. Unfortunately, my credit card limits aren't high enough for many of the jewlery stores and galleries in Jackson.
Jackson has been the highlight of the trip for me. The Tetons are breathtaking and I loved the town. A return trip to this area will be in our future vacation plans.
Grand Teton is not far outside the south gate of Yellowstone. Upon entering the park we stopped at the visitors center for a map. We were told we could see elk, elk calves, bears and bear cubs on our trip down to Jackson Hole. Shortly after entering the park, we were stopped with road construction. Just about the time we started moving, off in the distance was a bear and a cub...go figure the road is one lane and we can't stop for pictures!!! We did see numerous elk and a baby moose along the way.
It was a cloudy day and the tops of the Teton mountains were hidden by the clouds. Even with the cloud cover, these mountains are amazing!!! We made a stop at Jenny Lake, a beautiful lake at the base of the Tetons. We took the boat across Jenny Lake and a hike up to the beautiful falls.
We'd rented a condo just outside of Jackson . So nice to be in the same place for two nights. Four loads of laundry later, we all have clean clothes again!!
We had dinner at the Gun Barrel Steak and Game. Tim enjoyed an Elk Chop, Michael a mixed grill of venison sausage, elk chop and buffalo prime rib. He ate every bite and said the prime rib was the best he'd ever eaten.
We drove up to the Snake River Overlook (the site of Ansel Adams famous photograph of the Tetons) to take sunset pictures. What a breathtaking and serene sight. On our way to the overlook we saw an owl. He was the most beautiful creature.
The chilly weather and lack of sunshine made me rethink my desire to go white water rafting. Tim and Mike were willing to squish into wet suits for an 8 mile trip down the Snake River. I did some shopping in downtown Jackson Hole. Unfortunately, my credit card limits aren't high enough for many of the jewlery stores and galleries in Jackson.
Jackson has been the highlight of the trip for me. The Tetons are breathtaking and I loved the town. A return trip to this area will be in our future vacation plans.
Monday, June 15, 2009
1600 Miles...West Yellowstone
It is the end of Day Five and we are in West Yellowstone. Today began with another early morning of animal watching. It was a cloudy, chilly 41 degree morning. Just as we entered the Lamar Valley, we saw two black wolves about 200 yards from the road. Fascinating to see these animals up so close.
We spent the rest of our day seeing the many thermal features and geysers of Yellowstone. The colors and shapes are fascinating. We ended our day watching with the most famous and predictable of geysers, Old Faithful.
Driving to Old Faithful, traffic came to a standstill and it took us about 90 minutes to go less than 10 miles. We wondered was the traffic always this bad or had there been an accident? As we approached the area where the traffic had been stopped, we saw the problem, a LARGE herd of Buffalo.
Next up days Six and Seven Grand Teton and Jackson Hole...
We spent the rest of our day seeing the many thermal features and geysers of Yellowstone. The colors and shapes are fascinating. We ended our day watching with the most famous and predictable of geysers, Old Faithful.
Driving to Old Faithful, traffic came to a standstill and it took us about 90 minutes to go less than 10 miles. We wondered was the traffic always this bad or had there been an accident? As we approached the area where the traffic had been stopped, we saw the problem, a LARGE herd of Buffalo.
Next up days Six and Seven Grand Teton and Jackson Hole...
Sunday, June 14, 2009
1300 Miles...Cooke City, Montana
It's now Day Four of our Yellowstone trip. No internet service for Day Two and too tired on Day Three, I am playing catch up on my travel journal.
Day Two was Cody, Wyoming. It was a beautiful drive over the Big Horn Mountains and into Cody. We went to the Cody Nite Rodeo.
Day Three off to Yellowstone. We drove the Chief Joseph Highway and over the Beartooth Pass to get to Cooke City. Breathtaking scenery and more snow on the mountains than I have ever seen and to think it's June. We arrived at Yellowstone early afternoon. What a beautiful place, so much to see and so many different landscapes. Wildlife watching is one of our focuses for the trip. Our first day in Yellowstone we saw Big Horn Sheep, Mountain Goats, Buffalo (they're plentiful), and Elk.
Day Four we were on the road before 6:00 am to look for wildlife. Upon entering the park, we were greeted by a buffalo who thought the road belonged to him. We were very cautious when trying to get around him. We headed for the Lamar Valley. The photographers and wildlife watchers with their spotting scopes and big lenses were at the first overlook in the valley. We pulled in and found they were spotting wolves. Also up on the ridge, way in the distance, were two grizzlies.
The one animal I really wanted to see up close was a bear. On our second day in the park, we were lucky enough to see two black bears up close. One was a full grown bear and the other probably around three years old.
We spent two nights in the town of Cooke City, Montana. Cooke City is a small historic town at the base of the mountains. You can stand at one end of the street and see the entire town. It's a snowmobile paradise in the winter and a great place to stay, just outside the northeast gate of Yellowstone in the summer. They have a general store that's on the National Historic Register and has everything from fly fishing supplies to groceries.
Day Five...Old Faithful
Day Two was Cody, Wyoming. It was a beautiful drive over the Big Horn Mountains and into Cody. We went to the Cody Nite Rodeo.
Day Three off to Yellowstone. We drove the Chief Joseph Highway and over the Beartooth Pass to get to Cooke City. Breathtaking scenery and more snow on the mountains than I have ever seen and to think it's June. We arrived at Yellowstone early afternoon. What a beautiful place, so much to see and so many different landscapes. Wildlife watching is one of our focuses for the trip. Our first day in Yellowstone we saw Big Horn Sheep, Mountain Goats, Buffalo (they're plentiful), and Elk.
Day Four we were on the road before 6:00 am to look for wildlife. Upon entering the park, we were greeted by a buffalo who thought the road belonged to him. We were very cautious when trying to get around him. We headed for the Lamar Valley. The photographers and wildlife watchers with their spotting scopes and big lenses were at the first overlook in the valley. We pulled in and found they were spotting wolves. Also up on the ridge, way in the distance, were two grizzlies.
The one animal I really wanted to see up close was a bear. On our second day in the park, we were lucky enough to see two black bears up close. One was a full grown bear and the other probably around three years old.
We spent two nights in the town of Cooke City, Montana. Cooke City is a small historic town at the base of the mountains. You can stand at one end of the street and see the entire town. It's a snowmobile paradise in the winter and a great place to stay, just outside the northeast gate of Yellowstone in the summer. They have a general store that's on the National Historic Register and has everything from fly fishing supplies to groceries.
Day Five...Old Faithful
Thursday, June 11, 2009
600 Miles...Casper, Wyoming
Day one of the Yellowstone road trip is complete. Our original trip plan was to go as far as Scottsbluff, Nebraska today. We were on the road before 7:00 am. After entering the trip data into "Roo" (the GPS) unit, we decided we could go futher, giving us another night in Yellowstone. After a few phone calls, to make some changes and cancellations , we set "Roo" for Casper, Wyoming.
Setting the theme for the week, lunch was at Ole'sBig Game Steakhouse in Paxton, Nebraska. If there's an animal you can hunt, it is mounted on the wall at Ole's. After lunch we were off to see Chimney Rock, just outside Scottsbluff.
Several downpours and lots of antelope later, we are in Casper, Wyoming.
Day 2...Cody, Wyoming.
Setting the theme for the week, lunch was at Ole'sBig Game Steakhouse in Paxton, Nebraska. If there's an animal you can hunt, it is mounted on the wall at Ole's. After lunch we were off to see Chimney Rock, just outside Scottsbluff.
Several downpours and lots of antelope later, we are in Casper, Wyoming.
Day 2...Cody, Wyoming.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Happy (Early) Birthday Tim!
My husband, Tim turns the BIG 50 in late July. I turned 50 first and chose a cruise to celebrate. This year was Tim's turn. Originally we looked into going on an Alaskan cruise but decided to wait a few more years for that trip. Of course, with the current state of the travel industry, we'd have gotten a real bargain if we had chosen the Alaskan cruise. Instead, Tim chose a road trip to Yellowstone. We're so happy that Tim's 16 year old son Michael will be going with us. He's also excited and looking forward to the trip. Maybe he's really an adult living in a teenage body? Excited about an 11 day road trip with his parents?
We (or should I say I) started planning our trip over 6 months ago. I am a total planner, so it's been easy and fun for me. Hard to believe, we leave Thursday morning. The laundry room floor is covered with totes and bags, cameras, binoculars, hiking shoes, rain gear and above all THE SNACKS. I am hoping everything fits in the car and leaves us room to bring home a souvenir or two.
I will be deviating from the cooking theme for the next couple of weeks and posting updates on our travels.
We (or should I say I) started planning our trip over 6 months ago. I am a total planner, so it's been easy and fun for me. Hard to believe, we leave Thursday morning. The laundry room floor is covered with totes and bags, cameras, binoculars, hiking shoes, rain gear and above all THE SNACKS. I am hoping everything fits in the car and leaves us room to bring home a souvenir or two.
I will be deviating from the cooking theme for the next couple of weeks and posting updates on our travels.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
What is a Peppadew?
On Guy Fieri's show Guys Big Bite, Guy made a Peppadew Aioli. I had never heard of Peppadew's.
Peppadew's are piquant peppers grown in South Africa. They are the only new and unique fruit discovered since Kiwi. They're sweet yet slightly spicy. I wonder where I can buy them? I'd like to try them stuffed with cheese as an appetizer.
Peppadew's are piquant peppers grown in South Africa. They are the only new and unique fruit discovered since Kiwi. They're sweet yet slightly spicy. I wonder where I can buy them? I'd like to try them stuffed with cheese as an appetizer.
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