On our way home.

Another road-trip nears its end and after a great overnight stay in the Quality Inn, Casper, it was time to as-up the car for the last time and head for Denver. Following the GPS's lead, it was simply "Take ramp to I25 East and drive 226 miles". The journey was virtually traffic free until we hit Cheyenne when it began to build-up. until we pulled=off onto the Toll Road twenty miles from the Airport. Along our route we saw ominous signs of the massive out-of-control fire currently burning in the Estes Park area. A vast smoke plume has created hazy views and Denver itself is seen against a dark grey back-drop of smoke.

Listening to the news this morning, the scale of the disaster is awesome with some thirty-thousand people having been made homeless, as the flames raged...advancing three miles in less than an hour and totally destroying many homes in Colorado Springs. (Yesterday, the I25 was brought to a standstill as a mass evacuation was ordered of high-risk areas.)

We arrived at our Best Western Airport Hotel, which is very pleasant and sits among a group of lodgings designed to meet the needs of transient inhabitants. Ordering things in preparation for tomorrow's departure, I spot some issues relating to the agreement for our replacement car.....quick phone call to Avis and then who knows what will happen when I return the car?!! Ho Hum!!!! Anyway, the 'Fat Lady' is singing again and as we finish another great trip and contemplate what our next might look like, I have to say thanks to all those who bothered to follow our blog and I hope you found at least some of its content interesting!. My final track selection contains a musical clue to a probable location that will feature in it........

Sage to Stage!

Today was the first of two consecutive drives to get us back to Denver, the origin of our latest adventure and from where we fly back to the UK. Great weather again to start the day, but various news bulletins warned of forest fires burning out of control in Wyoming and Colorado and with warm winds fanning the Prairies, Casper (today's destination) could experience some smoke haze. Anyway, we got off to an early start, heading east on a long straight highway which cut through sagebrush and lush, irrigated, pasture-land. We drove eighty miles with barely another car or house in sight on this vast landscape. Then we came to Thermopolis, a town of around three-thousand people which appears to depend on passing tourists who happen upon this crossroad town and its hot springs. We made a short stop, walking Main Street and noticing that every other shop seems to be an antiques shop, of sorts.

Moving on, the GPS instructed us to turn right onto 6th Street and drive ninety six miles! We did and again, apart from a 'Rest Area' where we stopped for a picnic, we saw nothing but natural brush vistas until we reached Casper. Fortunately we didn't encounter smoke! Casper too, owes its origin to being at the centre of several major wagon and stagecoach routes to the West, such as the Oregon Trail. Now its Wyoming's second biggest city, but has a small town feel to it. Time being limited, we checked in to the Quality Inn (very nice!) and then drove Downtown to get a feel of the place.

A short but interesting visit.....and made special by going to "Poor Boys Steakhouse" for dinner......the Santa Fe steak (pre-marinated in a chilli concoction) is among the top five steaks I've ever had!! And lastly, today's musical reminder......

Buffalo Bill!

'Cody' home of the legendary Buffalo Bill! Pat had planned the day's itinerary and it was good to see that the weather obligingly played its part! (We have been so lucky in this respect, throughout!) We got off to an early start.....made a little easier for having a room with two entrances...one to the car and one to the lobby and breakfast room! (A bit like 'two-dollar bills' they exist, but there aren't too many around.) Before it got really hot we drove to Heart Mountain Museum Centre, an interactive tribute to those unfortunate American citizens of Japanese origin who were interred following the bombing of Pearl Harbour. Its a real piece of history that is definitely worth visiting and is very well presented. Next, it was back to, and out of, Cody to call in the Buffalo Bill Dam visitor centre. This dam was built back in 1910, to hold back the Shoshone River, to irrigate the surrounding Prairie lands and its quite something to behold. Finally, we spent the afternoon exploring the unmissable Buffalo Bill Museum, an entertaining and informative shrine to the great man and his legacy, and to the reality of the West in its wilder times. (And it has the handguns used by the Cartwright family in the TV series 'Bonanza'!) We avoided the six-o'clock shoot-out in favour of getting a table at "Wyoming's Steak & Ribs".....ribs'n baked potatoes with salad......most excellent! (Nearby is the Irma Hotel, established by Wild Bill and still serving liqueur from that bar presented and shipped to the man by Queen Victoria.) As for a musical reminder of today, well we've been saving this for Cody.....

Upper Loop Road!

Another check-out day, this time from the Days-Inn, West Yellowstone. Bound for Cody (WY) we entered the Park's West entrance and headed North on the Upper Loop Road. The scenery in the northern half of Yellowstone is distinctly different from the Geyser Valley area, but equally pleasant. Our first stop was at Mammoth Hot Springs "Cascades" area where a short drive and several board-walk hikes reveal a unique landscape carved out by thermal springs and micro-organisms that grow in the super-hot waters. Having driven the loop twice (by accident!) we called in at the new Visitor Centre Complex for a quick coffee.....and the village setting is so different to that at 'Old Faithful'. But the queues for parking and coffee were identical!! As the tour buses began to swarm in we pulled, taking the road towards the North East exit and the Beartooth Highway. This exit led into some very alpine-like villages where ski-dos and track vehicles lay idle awaiting future snow falls. After sixteen miles, we headed south on the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway and a series of switch-back mountain roads on which every turn revealed breath-taking views. At the summit of one mountain road we stopped to take-in our final 'Big Sky' view fro a while.....and of course met some great people (Jack & Christine) who were from Carolina and were also road-tripping! Jack gave me his e-mail and has promised to give me the low=down on visiting their part of the States. By now some clouds had gathered, which soon dispersed as we continued our way on fast traffic-free roads to our final destination.....and sunnier skies! Cody was the home of Buffalo Bill and is true 'Wild West' territory. Upon checking-in I was told that shorts and shirt were the 'dress code' for fine dining around here!! I heard the following today and it simply reminds me of driving through those mountain passes......

The Lower Loop Road

We wanted a repeat of yesterday's experience and that's what we got....well almost. The weather gods continued to smile on us and we even managed to negotiate breakfast today! Our plan was to drive Yellowstone's lower loop road, bypassing the stops that we made yesterday. The Park was as scenic as ever and it was cool to get a head start on the other traffic. Lots of buffalo and deer on the way to our first stop "Biscuit Basin" where we hiked the extensive board-walk trail through steaming pools of every colour and shade....at times it felt like a sauna when the breeze turned and we were engulfed in steam...and all this so close by the babbling Madison River. Then we drove to Old Faithful, managing to arrive before the masses, and walked an even longer board trail around mud pots, aqua pools, and the Castle Geyser. Simply amazing! Pulling out of the Visitor Centre we headed for Kepler Falls and spent several minutes gazing at the tumbling water and the deep gorge, so close to the nearby 'hot spring' landscape. Our final pull-out was the site of some spectacular deep aqua-blue (super-heated)pools on the shoreline of Lake Yellowstone. A long, but stunning, walk during which the contrasting shades of blue, of sky, pools and lake, were unique. Whilst there, we took advantage of the picnic area, sharing a table with a German couple who we spoke with for ages......what can I say......same story as the UK!! Then a long scenic drive back to base for 'laundry' and then dinner. Walking back, we took some photos and chatted with a really nice couple from Texas....the gentleman (for that is what he is!) is genuinely a "Good o'l Boy"!! (Incidentally, we saw that all the parked cars had fliers pushed under their windscreen wipers, advertising a local business which hires-out anything from a hand-gun to a heavy, and I do mean 'heavy', machine-gun! Presumably, they're only for supervised use!!) I heard this golden oldie earlier and it felt 'right' for today.....

What a Geyser!

It has to be said, Accommodation is pricey around Yellowstone, but then that's 'supply & demand'! Nevertheless, we like our 'Days-Inn' bolt-hole and the 'complimentary breakfast vouchers' were an unexpected bonus. However, (and I know one shouldn't look a gift horse etc.) the restaurant doesn't 'do' fruit or cereal and that leaves us potentially looking at one of three mega-size 'US-style' feasts! We took the view that we would stick with 'toast'.....a single element of the 'mega-options'. But then we get a bill for two side-orders of toast!! Fortunately, the staff eventually had to agree that ordering a full-breakfast and leaving everything but the toast, would not be the best way forward!! Anyway, Yellowstone's West entrance is only a couple of minutes from here and this morning were soon driving through this magical place in cloudless sunshine. Lots of buffalo and deer around and the Madison River sparkled through its grassy tree-lined valley. Getting to the Geyser Basins we drove the Fire-hole loop past fabulous canyon falls in which a deer was standing....taking a shower! It was then time to stop and hike every roadside pull-off. Its impossible to describe the sights that lie around every corner......boiling mud pots, vividly-coloured (simmering) prism pools, steaming flats, and exploding geysers. Tourists from around the world stand in wonder....all singing from one hymn sheet. A little after midday, we arrived at Old Faithful and took the opportunity to walk around the geyser garden, before sitting down to watch Old Faithful do what it is renowned for! By mid-afternoon, we had taken in enough for one day's visit and leisurely made our way back to West Yellowstone past waterfalls and wild-life. And tomorrow?.....Play it again Sam! Earlier today I heard the following track which somehow seems to befit Yellowstone......

Park Life!

Our luck continues to hold, waking to another sunny morning and a chance to Skype Jenny back home....who (along with Dave!) we miss, surprisingly! Breakfast was an interesting experience, as a coach-full of Italian tourists were getting to grips with buffet breakfast "American-Style". Apparently, it requires eight people to make a slice of toast and rather than insert one slice per toasting unit, its better to insert two and when it 'pops', shuffle the slices and re-insert into the toaster!! Anyway, packed and loaded we left Driggs and drove down to Jackson, before steering for the South entrance of Yellowstone. The journey took us through the fabulous scenery of the Grand Tetons Park and then into glorious Yellowstone......now this is a park!! Mile-after-mile of awesome vistas....trees, wild-life, water (still and moving!)...it has it all!. Each turn brings on another epic setting. We decided to leave Geyser Valley for tomorrow and contained today's viewing to lakes, rivers and cascading falls.....well, best not to overdo things on the first day!! At one point we crawled along in a line of traffic preceded by a huge bison that was taking a stroll! One of the highlights of our route was Cascade Falls, which is truly majestic. And of course, at the Visitor Centre we met and chatted with a charming Chinese couple who are currently working and studying in Chicago for twelve months.....we forged a common bond through a shared love of travel, Manchester United, and other cultures. As we drove around today, we caught a glimpse of a several classic hot-rods driving in convoys to yet ....well, that put me in mind of this band.........

Going down to Jackson!

The news on the weather-front was a welcome surprise 'Getting even better' and without a cloud in the sky we motored down to Jackson Hole this morning. The scenery en route was stunning and I really feel that the Tetons offer some of the best mountain vistas there are to see.....even better than Glacier (if I dare say that!!) We 'docked' Downtown and then meandered around the board-walks fronting the shops in the historic district. Jackson remains an up-market ski-resort and also attracts many visitors during summer, which could be responsible for its seeming a bit more accessible to the masses now. Nevertheless, a quick walk-through some of the fashionable leather shops and a 'rocks and minerals' emporium that sells fossils for around $85k each, suggests that 'the affluent' continue to frequent this place. By late morning, we called-in the welcoming Visitor Information centre and came away armed with maps, ideas, and directions for "Golden Harvest", a local bakery which makes great sandwiches and blueberry scones! Post-picnic, we headed for the Teton park area, making detours through fabulously scenic loop roads to discover a variety of hidden gems. First we passed a lone Buffalo, grazing, just before reaching Mormon's Row....a group of old and possibly the most photographed barns in the US. Then we took the Moose Camp-ground turn-off and drove through nine miles of narrow winding mountain roads to reach Teton Village....seeing a moose obligingly standing in a pond by the roadside! Finally, we headed for Jenny Lake (as lovely as our daughter!!) where we walked the idyllic lake-shore trail in the afternoon sunshine. What a place! With the afternoon spent, we headed home, stopping off to snap a local potato delivery truck (which explains the potion-sizes here!) at the local drive-in movie theatre, before enjoying a great dinner on the porch of the Royal Wolf Pub! As a musical reminder of today, I've gone for The Stone's version of this song (rather that Chuck Berry's!):

Over the Moon!

Our overnight 'Alpine Chalet' stay over, we pulled-out onto Highway 20 following the GPS's directions to "Crater of the Moon National Monument". This appears from nowhere in the midst of plains grassland. At first, you're prompted to question whether the land has been heavily ploughed for miles and miles, but it soon becomes clear that the whole area is in fact a sea of solidified lava flows and piles of once-flying volcano debris. Driving the loop road, we pulled off at various points of interest, hiking trails to the rim of a deep volcano crater and marvelling at rare lava cones and pipes. Visiting this stark, barren, landscape was reminiscent of our encounter with The Badlands! By midday we reached Arco, a small town on the route to Driggs, where we called at "Pete's Pickle" ("Home of the Atomic Burger"!) for a BLT (with pickle!). For the next two hours we rode through lush grasslands and seed potato fields looking at one of the biggest horizons ever! As we turned up Highway 30, the Grand Tetons came into sight and gradually grew in stature as we neared Driggs. The GPS took us into town and than out again....finally informing us that our motel was located in an empty field! Convinced that this was not in fact the case, we called at a Best Western and was given better directions! We checked-in and were relieved to discover that contrary to one previous Tripadvisor review (a Californian's)it was not like the Bate's Motel! We successfully completed another laundry cycle before encountering a micro-ironing-board and electric-iron combo that defy description! Then it was time to see what "The Royal Wolf" could offer for dinner......result!! Finally, as our day had a distinctly lunar influence, this musical piece seems appropriate......

Heading East!

Today was our last in Boise and after a quality breakfast (the juice here being amazing!) in our Basque-influenced hotel we hit the road. Within minutes the City was behind us as we headed East on the Interstate. Thirty miles or so and the Interstate and Highways parted company and we followed the latter into plains country. Mile after mile of gently rolling grassland, cattle, and massive skies touching down on distant mountains. At one point we had to brake hard as several deer were grazing close to the road and then we spotted a Coyote (and some Buzzards) hovering close to a 'dead critter'! Mid-morning and we stopped-off for a coffee in a diner which could only exist in this part of the world.....amid three other buildings (and a Visitor Information Centre housed in Pacific Railroad car) in the centre of nowhere. As we sat drinking coffee, a group of cowboys (spurs an'all) walked in and set about lunch....they were the real deal! Soon after rejoining the highway, we pulled a sharp left turn, again in the middle of nowhere, and headed for the mountains......soon finding ski resorts everywhere and then 'Ketchum', where we are staying overnight in the Tyrolean Lodge. On arriving at this quaint Austrian-style chalet, I was asked if a third-floor room was OK. I said "Fine, providing there's an elevator!" There isn't and the compromise is a room on the second floor!! Nevertheless, the place is great and Ketchum another find. Its a well frequented winter-ski and summertime-sports resort and has a surprising number of boutique shops downtown. Sitting in the Starbucks/Visitor Centre, we learned that Earnest Hemingway died and is buried here.....yes-way!! Idaho continues to amaze! With long straight roads, no traffic to speak of, and incredible vistas, the following Golden Oldie sprang to mind.......

Another jewel!

Following yesterday's warm reception in Boise, we were pleasantly surprised by the way 'today' panned-out too. The 'Modern Hotel' proved to be as comfortable as it looked on our arrival and despite the hot overnight temperatures outside, our room remained cool. The hotel provides a free continental breakfast and whilst the choice is a little more limited than of late, the quality is very high......the orange juice is freshly squeezed! Since Jenny was 'out and about' back home, we savoured the prospect of Skyping her for later in the day! Our plan was to take a lazy day in the State's capital city and a pleasant breeze helped to keep the temperature down to an ambient level. We soon spotted the Capitol Building and on the way chanced upon a couple of guys who are part of the team that takes care of the fabric of this and some other municipal buildings in the area. Terry Warden kindly agreed to give is a personal tour and we soon found ourselves in the Governor's Office.....a great place to work, and the significance of 'The Otter' wasn't lost on us! (Thanks again Terry!) Visit completed, we headed to Main Street, stopping off for coffee and one of the myriad of great coffee shops here. (Boise also has several 'top' micro-breweries!) We chatted to a local hair-stylist/tattooist who trained at Vidal Sassoon' (London) and who now has some pretty avant garde ideas for his business.....currently looking to market elaborate eye make-up concepts to ladies who wear burkas, employing photographs of models wearing burkas made from the American Flag! (Maybe ought to talk to Salman Rushdie?!!) He was also kind enough to identify "John the Welder" for us, as he walked off with one of the chairs....it was reassuring to know that it wasn't "John the Thief"! Pat and I then went our separate ways for a while, as I searched out the (very helpful) Visitor Centre and Pat went for a 'walk-in' pedicure and met some ladies from up-state New York. We planned our afternoon around the Green-Belt area, walking through the park and its lovely rose-garden to the river and then on to the University campus. By late afternoon we were ready to head back to the hotel (via the Basque Quarter) for short stop (and chance to catch-up with Jen) before hoofing-it to our favourite brewery/distillery for dinner. We didn't listen to Sirius-XM today, so this is a track picked from the annal of my mind......

Deja vu!

Sunday morning in McCall is a quiet, but pleasant, affair. Ours began at the Market where I used my latest store loyalty card and saved a few more dollars! (I think I've become a free-loader!) With time to spare, we made our way to the lake in the early morning sun and parked outside a gift shop. As we exited the car, the shop opened and we felt a gravitational urge to call in and look around. The owner made and sold mosaics and leaded glass pieces, as well as running classes in a trendy studio overlooking the lake. Before leaving, Pat bought a small piece of blue leaded glass to hang in 'the house'. It has to be said that this lakeside holiday spot is a real find and sitting outside 'Mountain Java' on a sunny day, overlooking the vast lake and surrounding mountains, isn't a bad way to while away an hour or so! The sun got hotter and we hooked-up with our car again and drove out of McCall, following the contour of the Payette River and its beautiful river valley. The scenery was a play-back of our journey from Missoula yesterday with fast flowing white-water and dense forest everywhere. By midday Boise popped-up and we found 'The Modern Hotel', our base for the next two nights. This place was a 'Travelodge', but it has been transformed into a chic 'European-style' hotel with modern minimalist rooms. Not to waste the afternoon (now both sunny and hot!) we took a stroll from 13th to 8th and Main, to encounter yet another "Father's Day Classic Car Show"! The streets had been closed-off and we wandered about with the rest of Boise, through a collection of exotic motors, chatting to their owners as we progressed. Finally, we hung around for the prize-giving.....the overall winner receiving a hand-decorated guitar, and the remainder taking home commemorative blankets! Before dinner, we cooled off at the hotel and then walked a few blocks to a great brewery/distillery/eatery where we enjoyed a great meal. As we left we encountered the mobile bar.....a cycle powered bar, steered by a young lady and powered by up to ten peddled-powered pub crawlers. Apparently, the owner is currently seeking to have the mobile bar's license extended so that the 'peddlers' can drink as they progress between bars! Only in America!! We heard a lot of music during today's walkabout in Downtown Boise, but this track seemed particularly appropriate.......