Road Trip 2009: Route Change

I didn't last long at Sierra Trading; just 15 minutes at the most; too much stuff and just not what I see as a vacation activity.

From Cody to the East entrance of Yellowstone National Park is another scenic byway. This one was a surprise. I've been on the route before but didn't remember it being so dramatic and beautiful.

We entered the park with Jim's free senior pass and within 20 minutes both Jim and I were ready to "escape". It didn't take too long for us to verbalize our thoughts and make a descision. Route change . . .

Yellowstone is wonderful but we have both been there several times. Even early in the season there are too many people there and speaking of early in the season there is still ice on the high lakes, snow in many areas now dirty as it melts and an overall brown look; pre spring. Entering the park we went through an area recently burnt and later we were traveling through the area of the big 1988 fire.

We have seen some spectacular country and the trip has gone amazingly well. The most important thing is to have a good time and not get pressured so . . . we made the shortest trip through the park to West Yellowstone, cut out the Tetons and Sawtooths and rerouted our trip staying on the back roads.

Tonight we find ourselves in Ennis, Montana in a really cute two bedroom cabin with a kitchen and wifi - what more could we ask for. Ennis is a cute town with a cowboy, sportsman kind of feel with bars, restaurants, antique shops, and more. The resort owner has given us directions to what promises to be a wonderful dinner in a restaurant that just opened for the season and features local food; elk, fish, foul.

Later: Great dinner at the Continental Divide. Jim had elk and I had pork. Everything was as good as it gets. A happy birthday dinner.

Thanks for the birthday call Mom, sorry Jim's phone died!