Our experience of the Old West has been such fun! We’ve truly embraced every aspect of it & it’s left a lasting impression on us all. Before we went to Yellowstone, we spent a week in Jackson Hole, WY & the Grand-ness of Grand Teton. Our trek to this neck of the country was not uneventful, to put it lightly. We’ve named Ken’s truck’s GPS “Lola” (from the movie RV) & we’ve had several times where we were screaming or laughing at her…but nothing prepared us for our journey over Teton Pass. Oblivious to what was ahead, we trucked up the much shorter route where Lola directed. The climb was never-ending. The signs on the side of the now narrow road had us in RED alert mode & there was no way to turn around. We thought that Colorado would’ve been our worst grades, but that was nothing! Warning signs said “Steep grades – 10%, next 5 1/2 miles – use low gears”…then another “Runaway truck ramp – 2 1/2 miles LEFT side”…say what??? Basically, if we needed those we would have to pass thru ONcoming traffic?? The warnings were repeated several times. There was total silence in the car as we pulled 21K pounds behind us up the side of the endless mountain pass. Pedal was literally to the metal & RPM’s were in the red with a line of traffic behind us as we PRAYED we could make it to the top. Thanks be to God, we did!! As soon as we pulled over at the top of the pass, smoke rose from the truck & coolant boiled out all over the asphalt. Hood propped & plenty of helpful advice from fellow motorists, we made this our rest area for an hour or so while we cooled, just 5 short miles from our campground.
Hey, why not take a little hike while we wait…how can you pass up trail this inviting!
The rest of the trip was downhill & so after cooling, we felt confidently nervous (yes, that’s a feeling we’re now very familiar with) coasting down to the service station to refuel what we left on the road. Needless to say, Ken has since become a master at driving in low gear…& we’ve now invested in the Mountain Directory & a few other apps to help keep us AWAY from the routes Lola thinks will shorten our trip!! Checking in to our campground, I was told that we were crazy to have taken this route & that they’ve had people so shaken, they were in tears upon arrival! Calgon, take me away!!…wait, my bathtub in the camper is only 12” deep…I guess I’ll have to wait for that luxury until I get home!
Grand Teton National Park & beautiful Jenny Lake
Cool western town of Jackson Hole
Fast forward almost a month & we are leaving Yellowstone behind, bound for Monster Lake Ranch in Cody, WY with Ken’s sister, Debi. It was so fun to be with family again…& also to get a hint of Debi’s life while filming her show “At Home on the Range”. Among the adventures at the GORGEOUS ranch, we were able to go for one of the best horseback rides we’ve had together, led by Cowboy Tim, a professional rodeo roper.
Ken got in plenty of fishing!!
At The Irma Hotel…followed by a shoot-out with Buffalo Bill Cody, Wyatt Earp, Calamity Jane, Little Miss Sure Shot aka Annie Oakley, Sundance Kid & a few others!
Cowboy Tim teaching Caden how to rope!
Rodeo time!!
Aunt Debi taught the kids about guns, shooting targets & most importantly, gun safety!
Buffalo Bill Center of the West (a Smithsonian Affiliate) was the best museum we’ve visited to date…just outstanding! They even had an antique RV:):)
Journeying north to upstate Montana, we happened upon this spot & figured…if Lewis & Clark would’ve lunched here, then I guess we better do the same!
Evening digs…our 3rd Wal-Mart stay of the year! …& might I say, our best yet! It was hilarious because when we pulled up, there was a guy setting up his awning & his grill in the parking lot!!! Never seen anything like it & it gave us a huge laugh! But we did park in a really nice spot with our very own “private yard” & walked across for a delicious dinner at Outback. (Keep in mind, we hadn’t seen any chain restaurants in about 7 weeks so this was EXCITING!)
Glacier National Park…well, what can I say…absolutely gorgeous, but no snow or ice. Kids were a little bummed, but it was still breath taking!
Going-to-the-Sun Road…thrilling to say the least!
Heading westward to Idaho…what a beautiful spot to rest & picnic in Lolo National Forest
Coeur D’Alene, ID…with our dear friend Krista Soroka!! She took us hiking & exploring her new, hip town. It was so good to reunite with her after several years ago when she lived in Tampa. Huge blessing for us to spend Labor Day weekend together. She even took us to Costco which was a total rush since our last trip in April…it’s the little things, right?!…or maybe the big, bulk items from Costco…who knows!
Farmers’ Market Fun!
Kids got to stay alone at Krista’s…Lord of the Rings PARTY!!!!…while the adults went to the theater to see WAR ROOM…best movie we’ve seen this year…SO great, SO powerful!!!
The western frontier was a real adventure for our family! We look forward to more along that line in California’s Gold Country…but it’s time for a change of scenery. Next time we’ll take you to Seattle, the enchanted Olympic Peninsula & Oregon’s magnificent coast!!
Ring Tales...our great RV adventure! 