California Days 9,10&11

					California - day 9,10,11 Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Nodak, MN

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Saturday 8/28/04: Reno, NV to Jackson, WY The sun was shining bright when we left Reno for our trip across Nevada around 8am. We were afraid it would get scorching hot during the day but the forecast called for mid 70s the whole way. Most people complain about driving through Nevada. I think it's much more interesting than driving across ND, SD, NE, and KS combined. Still there wasn't much I can write about on this leg until the end. It's beauty is it's nothingness. After making great time to Idaho Falls we turned off the interstate towards Jackson. We really wanted to get a good nights sleep and hearty meal in Jackson so we contemplated taking 26 down to Alpine which is in a valley as opposed to taking a higher pass road. We ended up taking the scenic route over Teton Pass and it was a good call. The road had some nice curves and was in great condition. We passed a jeep with it's hazards on before we hit Victor. The jeep was pulling a trailer with a large 10mph.com sign on it. Interestingly enough there was a Segway driven in front of it. These guys were driving across the county on it. They are taking there time, but still! As we came over Teton pass we were once again reminded how beautiful nature can be. The sun was just setting behind us. A full moon was rising in front of us. The sky transitioned from red to purple, East to West. The lights of Jackson twinkled far below as the road wound steeply down. A prettier picture could not be painted and photos can not do justice. We rolled into town as it got dark and started looking for hotels. We found a Red Lion in town on the gps. We'd had much luck with on this trip and were hoping for more. We pulled into the Red Lion Wyoming Inn and new this was going to cost us. Big timbers and the grand entry gave it away, but heck, we're on vacation. Our heart was set on it before walking through the door. We hadn't made reservations this entire trip except for a day ahead in Seattle and it just about bit us here. They made some room swaps with people that hadn't arrive and got us into the last room they had. And what a room. Feather beds and a Super Deluxe toast bar with chef even. Once again they let us park the motorcycles in the unloading area for safety/convenience. After checking in we walked over to the The Gun Barrel Steakhouse. This place was an old west museum at on time but serves great beef and wild game grilled over hardwoods now. The even have a great wine list. Highly recommended.
Day 9: 705miles

Pictures: Click the thumbnails to enlarge

Reno in the morning	Bikes were safe parked under the unloading awning. Many hotels let us do this and even offered.	Small mountains are plentiful here	Carrie and Paul follow in the 75degree desert. scary.


They're siphoning something from the hot springs here	A long straight road.	Carrie and the RT.	Nice scratched face shield Paul!


Plenty of opportunity for road shots	This is about as far as I've seen	Hey, when did you pick up one of those!	Tunnel? No tunnels in ND


interesting rock	Somewhere around Wells, NV	On 93 to Twin Falls	Suddenly it gets grassy in Idaho.


Snake River Canyon in Twin Falls. There is a golf course down there	Simplot Potato plant in Pocatello	10mph.com outside of Victor	The Tetons loom to the east


Coming into Jackson over Teton Pass	The low light condition doesn't turn out in the camera well.	looking back to the west	The Wyoming Inn!


These beds rock!	Even the hallway was nice	The Gun Barrel	Good Food


Oh no! You killed Carrie you dang Buffalo! (trying to fill in for our missing Kerry death shot)	Aspen	Carrie scopes out our breakfast table	Grand entry


Super Deluxe Toast Bar^TM
Sunday 8/29/04: Jackson, WY to Billings, MT Today was our last day of Vacation in the flower sniffing sense. We were going to be driving through the Grand Tetons,, Yellowstone and Beartooth pass. Our original goal was to be here on Saturday so we could wind our way down to the Big Horn Mountains and have dinner in Spearfish Canyon. But, we would've needed to be here on Saturday for that route. We needed to be home Monday for work on Tuesday. We had a Deluxe toast bar breakfast at the hotel and hit the town square to pick up some souvenirs. After shopping we went up to the Grand Tetons and got off the bikes at Jenny Lake for some pictures. It really is a beautiful area. After Jenny lake we rode up to Yellowstone and were greeted with a terrible construction delay. We sat for 30minutes talking with a couple from Australia on vacation. They had rented a car and were driving the US and Canada with no real plan. They had come this way by chance after their son saw a bear on a map and said he wanted to go there. Yellowstone wasn't very scenic. The southern half of the park had been devastated by forest fires. We stopped and spent a couple of hours at old faithful. It had just went off before we had arrived and it took about 1:45 to erupt again. We strolled around some of the geothermal oddities in the area. A buffalo had wandered out by Old Faithful when we returned to watch the eruption. It made for some great pictures. The northern part of the park doesn't have as many trees but the valleys are really nice. Finally we understood why this was a National Park. Every so often traffic would come to a stop while people blocked the roadway to look at a buffalo. Overall traffic wasn't very bad. We left the park out of the Northeast entrance and went over Beartooth pass. The roads are very tight but its hard to go through very fast since the scenery is so breathtaking. Alpine valleys and sweeping vistas of the Rocky Mountains are the highlights. At 10,974 feet the weather can change dramatically at the top. We saw 42degrees and some remnants of a snowfall earlier in the week. With the nice sunny day it was one of the scenic highlights of the trip and a great way for it to end. After Red Lodge, the sun soon set and we decided to stop in Billings for a last meal and grab a hotel. We spent an hour driving around Billings looking for a restaurant one of Paul's friends had recommended only to find it closed. Instead we found a Texas Roadhouse. Apparently its a chain but the food was good. We found an AmericInn and hit the sack for an early departure.

Day 10: 317miles

Pictures: Click the thumbnails to enlarge

Outside the hotel in the morning	View of Teton Pass we had come over the night before	Jackson Hole ski hill	Jackson town square. Notice the antler arch.


Magnetic USA map. I always wanted these as a kid.	Mainstreet	Horse drawn carriage for the tourists	Leaving town, Jackson Hole ski slopes in the back


My GL1800 turned over 50,000 at the foot of the Grand Tetons	Tetons to the left	There they are	Really cool mountains


Paul and a Teton on the shores of Jenny Lake	Ron and Carrie	Leaving the Tetons	Cool bike/Mountain shot Poster Material


Picture time. Carrie and the RT	Ron and the GL	Carrie and Paul	Waiting for construction outside Yellowstone



The line is long. Couple in front from Australia	Yellowstone entrance	Yellowstone river. Notice all the fire damage.	We picked up a few other motorcycles

These roads would be great if the speed limit wasn't 35	Coming into Old Faithful, it's just finishing erupting.	Old faithful parking lot	There it is


Yellowstone lodge	Lotsa neat geothermal stuff	Video


	Video








		Hey a buffalo. This will be a great shot


Video	Classic stuff


Cool valleys in the northern part of the park	Cool rock features, a huge canyon lies to the rigt	Mammoth Hot Springs	Indeed it is large.


More great valleys	Mountains surround	Leaving the park climbing Beartooth	Great Beartooth road shot.


And another	Still not to the top yet	Alpine valley	Snow!

Paul throws a snowball at Carrie. Its midair just to the left of her windshield	Carrie atop Beartooth		Paul


		On the way down

Monday 8/30/04: Billings, MT to Minnepolis MN With our vacation behind us, we got up early so we could arrive home at a decent time. Once again burning across familiar territory we took the most direct route home. Going home sucks. 12hrs later we arrived. The end.

Day 11: 840miles

Pictures: Click the thumbnails to enlarge

Billings around 5:30am		The sun rises	Some weird tunnel thing coming out of the hill.


	Miles City, BBG stop.


		North Dakota	We were here 10days ago


Carrie piles on the miles	Carrie digs for food	The first and original toast bar in Valley City


	We've stopped in Fergus Falls for gas on every trip it seems.	Home! 5342miles
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