Deliberately flew into Bozeman today so we could enjoy the drive through Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming before settling into Jackson Hole. We stopped in Big Sky at Olive B’s Big Sky Bistro for lunch, where the soup of the day (salmon chowder!) was hearty and filling; we topped that off by splitting one of the gyro sandwiches and salads.
I’ve seen the Tetons before, but watching them come looming up in the distance, and realizing we’re going to drive over them was a thrill. Bright sunny weather today, and no snow here for at least another month … so the treacherous pass was more visually dramatic than challenging. The scariest bit, in fact, was the stop at a Sinclair gas station where the public restrooms amounted to a stand of portable potties out by the gas pumps. Eeek!
We have faint memories of Jackson Hole. When we were here last (twenty years ago? twenty-five?), everything was blanketed in thick, thick snow. We’re at the end of the season — some folks are saying this is the last weekend of summer — so the town doesn’t feel crowded. We remember the antler arches, which look very different when not dusted in white powder. Lots of galleries and souvenir shops! We briefly debated buying Patrice a few stuffed squirrels to use as dining room table center pieces, but thought better of it.
