Welcome Home Ride

Stephanie, Ed, Me & Patty in Jackson

Last weekend I rode to Jackson Hole, Wyoming with friends Ed, Stephanie and Patty. Originally, I was going to ride by myself and meet the boys, Randy, Kevin and Richard who were coming back from Sturgis. However, I was thrilled to have the company! Stephanie passengers with Ed and Patty (Richard's wife) was our amazing pace car!

This was a quick trip! We left early Saturday morning and headed toward Evanston, then north to Jackson around 300 easy miles. Luckily, we had great riding weather, comfortable, cool and sunny. 

Lots of antlers in Wyoming!

I was glad for cooler weather because I like riding in full leathers. Like most riders, I hate being too cold or too hot - it just makes for an uncomfortable ride. Every rider has stories of miserable weather rides and loves to tell them! Just ask a biker....what's the worst weather you've ever ridden in?   Then sit back and listen to the tall tale!  

We cruised through Wyoming and had lunch at Agave Mexican Restaurant in Afton and discovered that we're all in love with Mexican food. Together, we devoured chips and salsa like there's no tomorrow! It was a fun stop!

Stephanie looks great on her saddle!

We originally expected to meet up with the boys in Jackson late Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately, near Billings, MT Richard had a flat tire, causing the boys to arrive in later than planned. Since Stephanie hadn't been to Jackson and with time to kill, we headed to the town square. Our first stop was the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar for a quick beer and of course a photo on their famous saddle bar stools. Stephanie was a good sport and hopped right on! 

Yum!

 We also enjoyed a brown ale, named Bitch Creek. Kind of fun and very tasty!  I'd like to point out that the name of this beer doesn't describe me or my mood.  The beer is named after a creek on the border of Idaho and Wyoming. The name is said to be a corruption of the French word "biche" which means "doe". The creek was originally named "Anse de Biche" meaning "waterway of the doe"  somehow it evolved into Bitch Creek.  I wonder why?  Was there a mountain man mad at his girlfriend or wife?  mmm...I'm sure there's a good story there!

For the next couple of hours, we walked around, shopped and hung out until the Town Square Shoot Out. It's the oldest continually operating shoot-out in the Country! We loved it especially because the Shoot-Out pays tribute to powerful Wyoming women.  We learned that Wyoming was the first State to give women the vote, had the first female juror, bailiff, and elected the first female governor! Very motivating to hear about these great women! Who knew that this silly show would give us a fun history lesson.

Afterwards, the ride to Teton Village was spectacular! The Grand Tetons were ahead of us and seeing them was amazing. They are a gorgeous, rugged mountain range and every time I see them it takes my breath away. Years ago, Randy even climbed to the top of them which is incredible! I didn't take pictures but found this one online - I had to share!

From Grand Teton's National Park Website 

Yes, I stayed in the Hostel

We stayed at the Teton Village Hostel right at the base of the mountain. Rustic, plain, simple and an excellent value only costing us about $32 a person. Jackson is one of the most expensive places to get a hotel room - averaging about $300+ a night. For us bikers, the Hostel is perfect. We've stayed there several times and it's great. This time we had one private room, with 5 twin beds and Patty and I stayed in a shared room with two other women. Another new experience and adventure! I'm so grateful that Patty took the upper bunk!  I would have never been able to climb up it - she's a good friend and a trooper.
People from all over the world stay at the Hostel. There was a group of Italians there and Randy immediately gravitated to them to practice his Italian. (although rusty, he is fluent in Italian). In our shared girl room, one of our roommates was from Australia and it was fun to meet her. She was in Jackson on vacation and on her way to a conference in California. The other roomie, was up at the crack of dawn and we never saw her! A little odd, but that's what you get staying in a Hostel.

Imagine, 5 people fit in this room

Saturday night was a blast! It was great to see the boys and we toasted their arrival with a few beers and then dinner at the Mangy Moose - the local bar at the Village. We had a great time laughing and hearing a few of this year's adventures.  There was a lot of laughter at the table and we closed the place down.  Since the bikes were parked it was time to party and we're really good at celebrating!  

Taken after dinner and we look very happy!

So glad to  have him home safe & sound!

Sunday morning was wonderful! A crisp and sunny morning with hot air balloons and parachuters in the air by the resort. We headed  to Victor, Idaho for breakfast, a quick chilly ride over the mountain - fabulous!

The sky was filled with these jumpers!

In Victor, we were turned away at a restaurant named Scratch and almost didn't get served at another, named The Station, because they couldn't handle the crowd. We were all cranky and hungry but we decided to wait it out. Good thing, because breakfast at The Station was yummy! If you're ever in Victor, Idaho, don't even bother with Scratch, just go directly to The Station. Both Kevin and I wrote reviews on Yelp about our experiences at both places.  Check it out for the crazy details: www.yelp.com/biz/scratch-victor & www.yelp.com/biz/the-station-victor-2

The rest of day took us through Swan Valley, Palisades Reservoir and then Hwy 30, the north side of Bear Lake, to Woodruff and Hwy 39 to Snowbasin Ski Resort near Ogden. Wonderful mountain roads and simply an excellent ride. Great weather as well, first cool and then very warm. We made a quick stop at Snowbasin and headed home. Sunday's in the summer, Snowbasin hosts Blues, Brews and BBQ and we arrived too late for the concert but still it was great stop. 

This summer, I've only ridden a few times and this weekend, I put over 600 miles on my bike.  It felt great to be on a long ride again and always a good time to enjoy beautiful Utah, Idaho and Wyoming.  We have excellent  riding where we live.  Although I wanted to try a long ride on my own, I am so happy that Ed, Stephanie and Patty joined me.  It made for a fun weekend and we created great memories. 

Hanging out on July 4th!

What was best about this ride was the time spent with our friends. Randy and I have always been lucky to have a circle of friends to hang out with and since our coast-to-coast journey, we've realized how truly blessed with are to have friends everywhere.  

I especially have come to appreciate the women in my life and the support and friendship we have.  I've have also enjoyed getting together more often with Stephanie and Patty. They've become my walking buddies, riding friends and are great girls! This was our first bike trip together and I hope we have many more!