Well its over. 4,095 miles. What a great trip. Some highlights.....
Gas in most areas of the West....$2.65 to 2.75. 85.5 octane and no vapor recovery nozzles on the pumps. Won $500 on three card poker at the Peppermill Casino in Reno on the way home. Lunch at the Silver Dollar Cafe in Cody, Wy, Buffalo Bill Museum, Custer Battlefield and Crazy Horse Monument.
Some disappointments... No Bighorn Sheep, no Eagles, no Bears seen. Minor disappointments considering the pluses.
The endless prairie lands, soft rolling hills and warm breezes constantly wafting over the grasslands. The long stretches of road at 75 mile hour speedlimits. Covering distances in a metal canister that took days, weeks, months and years to do less than 150 years ago.
Driving over Lolo Pass from Missoula to Pullman you cannot help but wonder how Lewis and Clark did it with almost no maps, or idea where they were going or what was around the corner. Jefferson expected that they would encounter Woolly Mammoths. Most every town, River, animal or plant in the west has some connection to them for us white Europeans. They cataloged so much, named so much, and had so much named after them.
The biggest surprise was the battlefield at the Little Bighorn. It is amazing how much modern science has been able to recreate, along with the fact that we are now listening to the surviving Indian stories. What is most amazing is that in the two days of the actual fighting the three detachments of cavalry were within shouting distance of each other, but had no idea what was happening to each of them.
Of course all of the places I visited catered to the tourist trade. Of them all, Crazy Horse outdid them all with actually decent stuff, educational items, and as a private, essentially charitable location they were priced reasonably. I wish that I could be here in 40 years to see its completion. I hope to go back in around 5 years to see the horses head carved out.
Deadwood was kind of a dud, the main problem being that it only comes alive in the summer, with gunfights, colorfully dressed people on the streets, etc. However, I doubt I would go there then.
I am obviously most sorry I missed Heather, Lizzie and Emma, however they will rate a separate trip.
I await my handmade leather Riata from Kings Rope in Sheridan. I got to see the manufacturing area which was cool and if you were into horses, this is the place, with saddles, tack, etc gallore.
Ah the fishing and the weather. The weather was unseasonably warm, and the winds unusually calm. The highest temp was just over 80 and the worst day was fishing at Yellowstone at 40 degrees. But, the hiking and fishing kept me warm enough, especially with fleece longjohns. TMI! Having Jake along would have been cool, but dogs are not allowed out of cars in the Parks, except to go to the bathroom in small designated areas. It makes sense, but what a denial of fun. I would give anything to see Jake square off with a Bison. I fished within 20 feet of one Bison, who could have cared less about my presence. Trout are gorgeous in their fall colors, but I caught way to few of them. I did catch a few within 5 feet of me in a little Yellowstone lake that was crystal clear. One of the previously attached pictures shows the rocks in the water. You could see rocks at the bottom for as far as you could see in that lake.
It wasn't disappointing seeing Old Faithful. It cannot be over-hyped, nor can the Old Faithful Inn. What a magnificent structure. The all you can eat Prime Rib dinner was pretty nice as well.
I enjoyed the people I met along the way. At each place I stopped, whether gas station, restaurant, hotel, motel, gift shop, etc. I inquired of the people how things were. The fact is, despite what you read in the paper, or hear on the news, things are pretty good all over. Obviously, the economic woes are everywhere, but everyone seems to be moving through it all, with good spirits, humor, and most importantly with the spirit of individuality and perserverance that gives the West its mystic.
One of my new John Wayne coasters says "A man's got to have a code, a creed to live by." The West's answer is contained on another..."Courage is being scared to death-but saddling up anyway." We are all saddling up in our own way. And not to over do it, as the Duke says..."Talk low, talk slow, and don't talk too much'" So I won't.
Thank you to Debra and Joey for such good care taking of Jake, Bryden and Free for covering my cases and keeping the streets safe for my clients, for all who answered my errant phone calls during the long drives, and for those who read this blog and commented on it.
Ruby Ann
Engaged! About time!
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