3-31 (Sat)

Today we drove 150 miles to have lunch at the Big Sky Resort.   We saw lots of fly fishermen enjoying the day in the rivers along the way.   Tonight we walked down to the chapel and then over to the terraces.  We were surprised to see that the terraces have visibly started to grow in a BIG way.

This morning before taking off for Big Sky

One of the ski runs at Big Sky

Big Sky

Skis and snowboards

The Soldiers Chapel near Big Sky

Lone Mountain

3-30 (Friday)    We checked into our cozy little home for the next four months last Sunday.  We have rearranged our room, gotten a new bed and driven 1 1/2 hours (one way) back to Bozeman to shop three out of the first four days!!  We have had snow in the mornings but it has been gone before noon because it is so warm.

Our lovely room

    One of the things we purchased in Bozeman was a new bookcase.  Of course it was one of those things you have to put together yourself.  We took it out in the hall and assembled it.  That took hours.   Only one guy came by and offered to help but we declined because he was drunk.

We have to keep our bedside table inside the "closet" because the room is so small

Check the bookcase.  After we finished it, we put strips of duct tape all across the back to hold it together

    On Tues night we blew a fuse in the dorm.  Thankfully it only effected our room and the room next door.  We have learned we can’t have our hair dryers and heater all going at the same time.  The electric was off about 45 minutes.
    We have had “re-training” on how to do the job.  I felt as frustrated as I did the first year but I kept plugging along.  Today was our first work day and miraculously it all came back to me.  We have the next two days off, work a day, have a half day off, work a full day and then have two more days off.  We’re liking this job!!!
    We’re thinking of going to Big Sky either tomorrow or the next day because we heard there is lots of snow over there.
    It has been so hot this winter that there aren’t as many animals as usual.  We are still seeing them but they aren’t looking in our window every morning like they did last year.

We took a trip out to Lamar Valley

Lamar Valley

View of the Bear Tooth Mt from the Lamar Valley

3-24 (Sat)
Laughing all the way . . . We have just laughed our way across the USA.  It wouldn’t be funny to anyone else (you’d have to be there) but one of the funny things was Thursday night when we stayed in the VERY fancy Little America (similar to the Grand Floridian) and we walked through the lobby with all of our stuff in shopping and plastic bags.  I had my computer hanging around my neck.  We looked like two country bumpkins who had never been to the city.  Everyone else was very upscale as they were with the digital innovation conference.  We were just stumbling along trying to find our room.  We found humor in this!

We spent last night in Dillon, Montana.  A good way to know you are in Montana is when you go into a place of business and they have "heads" hanging all over the walls!  Welcome to Montana!  We love it.

Today we drove from Dillon to Bozeman.  We had lunch at McKenzie River, our favorite restaurant.  Then we headed out to shop, fun, fun, fun.

We are hopeful that we can get into our room at Yellowstone tomorrow even though check in isn't until Tues.   We probably won't be on the internet because we won't be employees until then.

Below are some pics I took today . . .

3- 23-12

We slept with our balcony  door open last night.  At 1:30 some guy was out on his balcony talking on the phone at the top of his lungs.  I would have gotten up and yelled at him but I kept thinking he would soon shut up also I knew if I got up I would be all revved up and wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep.  That nut talked for over an hour.
    This morning we took the trolley downtown to have breakfast around Temple Square.  When we got back to the hotel we loaded up and took off for Dillon, MT.   I was driving but it didn’t last long.  I was so sleepy that ND ended up driving until we stopped for lunch in Pocatello.  I drove the rest of the way to Dillon.  The wind was blowing really hard most of the way.  We got to Dillon at 5 p.m.  After checking a couple of hotels we went to the one we stayed in two years ago.  They wanted over $100 but as ND was walking out they called her back and told her we could have it for $58.
    We went to Safeway and bought our dinner to bring back to the hotel.  When we got back to the hotel the wind was blowing so hard we could hardly get in the front door.  Tomorrow is Bozeman!!!

 Salt Lake City

  Salt Lake City

 The Courthouse

 The Temple

Outside the temple

3-22 (Thurs)

    And the wheels on the car go round and round, the wheels on the car go round and round.  Yesterday we went 579 miles, not a record for us but a record for our current trip.  We left Santa Rosa and drove to Page, AZ.  We were planning to stay at a Best Western that we like but when we arrived we noticed there were no cars in the parking lot.  A note on the door said they were closed for renovations.  We found a place across the street and from our room we had a great view of Lake Powell.  We ate in our favorite Mexican restaurant before calling it a night.
    Today we once again turned the car northward, this time toward Salt Lake City.  We took 89 (a country road) instead of the busy highway with all the trucks.  We marveled at the scenery most of the way.  Even though we have been this way before the magic was still there.  We drove into the Red Canyon which takes you into Bryce.  We took some pictures and then pressed on.  Around 12:30 we were hungry so we stopped in Circleville for a hamburger.  This was a no stoplight town with one restaurant.  The locals were busy discussing politics.
    The snow on the mountains, although not heavy, was so beautiful.  We arrived in Salt Lake City at 6 p.m.  Our room was not ready so we were upgraded - nice!  We have stayed here, at Little America, for the past three years.  We just love it.  Tonight it is packed with geeks - Adobe is here for meetings.  Love those geeks!



Skies over the heartland . . .

This is the famous spot where we ran out of gas two years ago.  Exit 114

This is where we pulled off exit 114

Remembering the good times we had waiting for AAA at 114

Good job, Two.  Keep that windshield clean!

Welcome to NM

I was into sky pics

The Nancy’s (One & Two) departed Orlando or March 16th at 7:30 a.m. heading back to our favorite place to spend the summer - Yellowstone National Park.   


Day one took us as far north as Adel, GA at which point we turned west off the beaten path and onto country roads  toward Alabama where we spent the night.  The scenery was spectacular due to an early spring. The cherry trees, wistaria and azaleas put on a roadside show as they displayed their colors.  Not feeling the need to race across the country we stopped frequently to photograph nature’s gift. 

Day two and three found us visiting my brother and his wife in Memphis.  There we were treated to gourmet meals (thanks, Bill) and went on a couple of interesting photo shoots one of which included the historic Beale Street area.

cherry blossoms

Our drive the next day began uneventfully out of Memphis but as we neared Oklahoma City we ran into severe weather.  Driving was difficult so we decided to pull over around 5:00 in Shawnee, OK just east of Oklahoma City.

In the morning it was still raining but the conditions weren’t as dangerous as late the day before.  Within an hour we were totally out of the wet and pressing on toward Amarillo with the wind whistling and trying to push the car all over the road but at least the sun was shining.

We kept looking for mile marker 114 which is where we spend a lot of time two years ago when we ran out of gas and had to wait on  AAA to come to the rescue.   Oh such happy memories!

We drove to Santa Rosa, NM where we spent the night.  That is my least favorite of all the towns we have been through.  It is very poor and there is nothing there.


We got off to a very early start Wed morning not really knowing which way we were going besides west.  About half way to Flagstaff we decided turn north towards Moab.  We got about 8 miles down the road, changed our minds, turned around, got back on I-40 to go to Page.
    Flagstaff had had 14 inches of snow a few days ago so there was still some on the ground.  As we headed north on 89 the wind was so swift it was hard to hold the car on the road.  It felt like we were on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride!