Vacation - Part Three

Are we done yet? Nope, not even close. There will be one more vacation installment and then it will be back to recipes. Promise! Although I bet you can now see why I didn't put my whole vacation into one post. I don't think you would have kept with it to read for an hour. Or maybe you would have.

After our first week of vacation (which was totally amazing and full of memories), we were on the road again and headed to Montana for a real shower, a real potty and a real bed! We left Washington, drove through the panhandle of Idaho (I want to go to all the panhandles in the US. Don't ask why. I just do. Especially Oklahoma), and made our way to Missoula, Montana. That's not before stopping in the middle of Montana for a must needed pit stop and some huckleberry ice cream. It must be huckleberry country up there because every other billboard was advertising something huckleberry. Guess we had to stop then, right? The ice cream wasn't as good as I thought, but it was a good sweet treat to power us through the next hour or two of driving. I almost scared the captain by saying it kinda tasted like blueberry (he HATES blueberries). It even looked like they were in there too! I did a quick google and calmed him down - did you know huckleberries and blueberries look almost identical? 

I have an obsession with claw machines. this was a cool one on our stop in Montana. No, I didn't play it. Sad.

huckleberry ice cream!

After getting sugared up, we finally made it to our hotel and a beautiful sunset greeted us. They don't call this big sky country for nothing. Let me just say though, a real shower never felt so good! Of course we then had to explore the culinary achievements of Missoula. After a recommendation from our DMB friends Dave and Lisa (hi guys!), we tried out Stone of Accord - a totally delicious Irish pub with great food. Even better, it was right across the street from our hotel! Ryan had some pesto noodles that were super yummy and I had scallops over a pea puree. SO YUMMY. Not to mention the white sangria. That was just as delicious. Although, rather potent. Since we were on vacation, we had to oink out and get a super gorpy (Dean's word) dessert - an Idaho potato sundae. It's vanilla ice cream shaped into a potato and then rolled in cocoa powder. Then it's topped with whipped cream to look like sour cream and then mint to look like chives. If that wasn't enough, the whole thing was floating in caramel and hot fudge and then sprinkled with chopped oreos and nuts. Amazingess. No other words could describe it. I was so full when we got back to our room, I literally plopped on the bed and started book two in the Fifty Shades of Grey series. I think I got about 10 pages in before I fell asleep. Now that's a good food coma. Ps. Sheri - have you started the first book yet?

sunset. no filter.

sangriaaaaaaaa

I didn't even touch the potatoes or bread. The scallops were too delicious!

The captain is planning the next leg of our trip while I read my book. Well, more like slept.

After good nights sleep, we hit the road in hopes of going to Sawtooth mountain range, but it was so darn smokey from all the fire, we didn't even go there. We needed to escape the smoke! It's not good for my lungs and for some reason, that morning I felt like I was coming down with a cold. That or it was allergy related from the smoke. Come to find out it was just the smoke. Phew! Our change of plans was actually a good one though - we decided to go to Yellowstone! I had never been, so I was super excited. It took us a couple of hours (and a potty in a bush later) to get there, but we made it. I knew Yellowstone was big, but I didn't realize how big. There is SO much to see and it's near impossible to see everything in just a day, but we did see some beautiful, but stinky springs, paint pots, old faithful, some elk and so much more! 

we made it!

these springs didn't even look real. they were so blue and so beautiful - so hot though. And so stinky! Think worst rotten egg EVER.

these paint pots looked just like it sounds. bubbling mud that looked like paint. ewww.

elky elk elk!

proof I was there!

it took us an hour, but we saw it!

we also crossed a continental divide. 

After exploring, we had to get our tent up quick as the sun was getting down and it was getting cold, fast! After camping last week, we got good at putting up that tent! We got our tent up pretty quick and also got dinner cooking. Or should I say water boiling. I really wanted to try one of those backpacker meals. You know the ones you pour the boiling water in to and let it steep? I know I am crazy, but it was pretty good. We had Italian chicken and risotto. Definitely warms up the body on a cold 35 degree night. That and some cocoa and Guinness for dessert. That was the captain's idea. I don't think I was quite ready for it to be that cold though. Luckily our camping neighbors invited us over to their campfire and we warmed up a bit before bed. I must have had on two pairs of pj bottoms, two long sleeve shirts, a sweater and then a jacket with a hood and a scarf. Oh, and two pairs of socks. No joke. It was freezing! I had a picture, but I deleted it on accident. You wouldn't want to see it anyways. I looked ridiculous! The next morning the captain and I made bacon and eggs and heated up a cinnamon roll (one the fire!) we found at a little store in Yellowstone. With a cup of cocoa to warm us up, it was the perfect breakfast! Night one of freezing camping = success!

see, told you we had dinner in a pouch.

cocoa + guinness = perfection

breakfast is the most important meal of the day

When you paid for your night at the campground, it also included two showers. Who knew! I was suprised how nice they were and that they also had a full on laundrymat there. I know it's a big national park, but 30 washers and dryers? Crazy! After a hot shower and getting all clean, we made our trek over to the Grand Teton National Park (with your admission into Yellowstone, you also get access to the Tetons!). But that was not before seeing buffalooooooo. Yes, the extra ooooo's are necessary. I made the captain laugh my yodeling to try to call them out. It wasn't long after I did a little "yodel lay hee hooo" that they were all over! They were so amazing and SO SO big. I was so excited to see one. I was like a five year old! Just ask the captain. He probably still thinks I'm silly for yodeling. He loves it though. He just won't admit it. Probably.

bufalloooooo

After a few more sightseeing stops to see some waterfalls and a salami and cracker stop, we were back on the road and headed towards the Tetons for more adventures. It's not over yet!

One the last and final vacation edition:

1. Making it to the Tetons!
2. Adventuring out to Jackson Hole (I want to go back when it snows!)
3. Seeing one of the most amazing sunsets EVER
4. Coming back to our campsite and having all of our stuff gone (not cool)
5. Moose hunting (not shooting, just trying to find one)
6. Driving through Nevada is pretty boring and the tumbleweeds are not pretty
7. Our trek back to California

 

Hang on tight. We are almost there. I told you this was a long and wild adventure!