Time flies when you’re on the road. Monday came and went and I didn’t get a chance to write a thing.
I think I’m going to call this an email diary instead of a newsletter. It’s really not much of a newsletter. I suppose I’m sharing the news of my life but it’s not important news. It’s more of a journal of my innermost thoughts. Hence, a diary. With no lock or key.
So we’ve been on the road for nine days now. It doesn’t feel that long and yet at the same time it feels that long.
Mark and I spent 15 minutes last night trying to figure out where we were on Saturday and what we ate for dinner. The days blend together on the road.
We finally determined that Saturday we were in Idaho Falls and we ate noodle bowls from this fast casual eatery next to the hotel. The food tasted like the Wegmans food buffet when the dishes have been sitting under heat lamps all day. Not fresh. Not flavorful. Maybe that’s why it took us 15 minutes to remember it.
So far we have traveled through Salem, OR, Redmond, OR (not recommended), Boise, ID (highly recommend), Idaho Falls, Jackson Wyoming (do NOT visit in April), Yellowstone National Park (wow!), Bozeman, MT, and Billings, MT (where I currently sit writing to you).
Highlights so far have been Boise, ID and Yellowstone Park.
Boise was quite a surprise. We stayed in a wonderful hotel right in the middle of downtown. The downtown area was extremely clean and quiet and was surrounded by three museums, a large park, and a zoo. We borrowed bikes from the hotel and biked along the scenic greenbelt, running right into a Saturday farmers market where we purchased hearty fresh baked gluten-free crackers and jalapeño wine lemonade that tasted just like a spicy margarita.
I had high expectations for Jackson, WY since I’d heard so many lovely things about the place. I imagine it’s really hopping in the winter and summer with plenty of things to do. However, in April, it’s dead. Which you’d think I would enjoy because crowds give me anxiety. But in this case, “dead” also means there’s nowhere to eat. So our dinner consisted of frozen TV dinners from the grocery store in our cute little rustic luxury log cabin.
From Jackson, Wy we traveled onto Yellowstone National Park and boy, was that a treat! The day started early since the closest road into the park from Jackson wasn’t yet open (thank you, April) so we had to drive 3.5 hours to the west entrance. Once we were in, the views and interaction with the wildlife was spectacular. A bison parade approached our car and came so close, we could’ve touched their hairy backs. One of the coolest experiences of my life. Donald thankfully didn’t make a peep (good boy).
We arrived at Old Faithful just 5 minutes before it erupted (amazing timing!). Getting sprayed by this natural wonder was a bucket list item crossed off.
April is a great time to visit (no traffic, few people) but one day in Yellowstone is not nearly enough. Even so, we managed to see almost everything on our list. Bison, Old Faithful. Mammoth Hot Springs, elk, a wolf… The only thing we missed seeing was a bear (too bad so sad).
Bozeman, MT was a cute town but we only stayed one night. I do not recommend the Kimpton in Bozeman. Worst Kimpton we’ve ever stayed at.
Billings, MT… really not much to say. Although we did pop into the only winery in town and had a great visit with excellent customer service. Free wine tastings with surprisingly good wines, gluten-free crackers, and a nice selection of cheeses. We walked in wearing masks and everyone turned around and gave us strange looks. No mask mandate in Montana, we discovered.
And now we’re off again! Moving across the country with a dog is no vacation. In fact, I feel like I need a vacation after this trip. Although I’m enjoying seeing so many wonderful sights across this great country, most of our time is spent packing and unpacking, checking in and out of hotels, and searching for gluten-free food and dog-friendly locations. We’ve had more than our fair share of hotel issues and have had to check out early and rearrange our itinerary. The weather has been freezing or slightly above most of the way.
All in all, a once in a lifetime adventure.
Next stop: Sheridan, Wyoming. Home of Buffalo Bill. Cowboy boots may be in my near future.
Till next time!
Heather