This statement has always been a fascination to me. I guess I am one of those folks that tend to live as close to the moment as possible without stepping in my own mess.
Night before last one of those magical times that life happened right before us while we were making plans to go fishing.
We left the Teton Valley and started our trip back South and East. We will be back in Denver tomorrow night if all goes well and the fishing isn't too here on the North Platte River in Saratoga, Wyoming.
But the real story is from a couple of nights ago. We had no reservations at any campgrounds when we left Driggs Idaho. We ventured over Teton Pass which was the steepest both up and down of any of the 14 passes we have encountered on the trip. It was a solid 10% grade for at least 5 mile up and then longer going down the Jackson Hole side. But Red Rooster did a great job of pulling Andiamo over the hill.
Arriving in Jackson to shop and get some fuel for the truck was like a couple of kids from the backwoods being dropped in times square. We were shocked at the pace and the people we encountered. Getting into the gas station was like trying to fit 10 pounds of flour in a 5 pound bag. We were glad to be out of there as soon as possible.
We followed the Snake River south to Hoback Junction before deciding on a whim to head more easterly. We came up and over the hills and dropped down into Pinedale, Wyoming. What a great place with great people and amazing Mexican food!!
When we pulled into our campground on the Green River we were itching to fish since we had been off the water for almost a week. As we were scouting the place to fish we came upon a couple of fellows that were sort of sketchy looking and disheveled and carrying what appeared to be a gun! YIKES
We cautiously said our hellos from a distance and at that point they started walking right toward us all the while hiding the gun. They introduced themselves as Steve and Allen from England. At that point they produced a BB gun that had been made up to look like an old west rifle. Come to find out these blokes were pretending to be wild west cowboys. They were hilarious.
After a short chat Steve asked us "Have you ever seen anything that you cannot explain?" This started a spirited conversation about UFO's and all sorts of other things. They had been to several well known "Sci-fy"places including Marfa, Tx to see the the "lights" and they were asking everyone they met the same question they asked us.
Charlotte and I agreed instantly that they should join us for dinner. When we asked they were ecstatic because all they had to eat was little sausages and stale bread.
Charlotte and I managed to catch one "keeper" size Rainbow Trout and we added that to fresh Halibut from the market in Jackson Hole and some Carne Asada that I had marinated. We also fried a huge skillet of Yukon Potatoes with Shallots and Garlic. All this was topped off with our best box wine and some of their cheap whiskey. What a grand time we had together.
The next morning they were still blown away by the meal we put together. We exchanged emails and sent them on their way with a small bag of fishing flies for them to put on the caps. They thought mine were really cool. In exchange they gave us a small splinter of wood from the windmill that James Dean climbed in the movie Giant in 1950's. In turns out both of our buddies were huge Dean fans.
So there you have it. While wer
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
We made it!!!
We have finally reached our goal of The Grand Targhee
Bluegrass Festival here in Driggs Idaho. It’s been quite a journey to this
point. We have covered over 7200 miles, camped in over 30 places, fished over
25 rivers and creeks, spent more money on fuel than I expected, and met some
amazing people in both meanings of the word.
Now we are enjoying listening to some of the best bluegrass
and Newgrass bands in America today. We decided the traditional mountain music
played by Foghorn Revival is our favorite so far.
It is Sunday morning and everyone at the festival seems to
be moving slowly for some reason. We are slowly getting into our “festival
mode” and trying to decide when to head over to the grounds.
Our camp spot is located on a hill overlooking the main
camping area that is filled with all sorts of car camping and tent camping
festivarians. Our view is to the west so we get the sunsets that have been
spectacular.
Yesterday we hiked in the morning before heading over to
listen to the music. We have met folks and families from all around this region
of the country. Tomorrow we begin the final leg of our first big adventure trip
to the Northwest part of America and Canada. We are setting our sights on a
road trip to Alaska next summer. Stay tuned.
We are both a little sad because Jojo the pretty good dog is
in a kennel while we party down. I am sure she will be ecstatic to see
Charlotte tomorrow and somewhat glad to see me.
We intend to be in the Denver area until the snow flies in
late October. Our time will be spent playing with kids and grandkids, playing
music with friends and assessing the “true needs” of all the stuff we have in
the camper. I am sure that at least 25% of my stuff will be heading to a thrift
store near you. :-P
Andiamo,
C,C,and J
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Don't talk to Strangers
I think I must have heard my mother tell me this a thousand times when I was young. After repeated scolding for talking to anyone that we did not know personally. So I learned at an early age not to trust strangers or speak to them.
As I grew older I began to think about this statement and challenge it. Any of you that know me will agree that I am usually the first to speak to a stranger or as I like to think, a friend that I haven't met yet.
Meeting folks along our path over the past two months has been one of the greatest parts of our journey. Sure the countryside is awesome, but somehow those pictures don't stick in my brain like the memories of sitting at a gas station in Ritzville, Washington, chatting with a guy that loved our truck and wished his Dodge had the white gold trim and then learning about the wheat harvest from this man that worked for the railroad in the area. We learned about a one mile circle of track that is used to fill the grain cars during wheat harvest because there is so much wheat being brought into the silos. Amazing trivia.
Or meeting Bill and Alene in Lethbridge, Alberta at the RV park. Bill is legally blind so Alene does all the driving. They live 6 months in Canada and 6 in Arizona. What I remember about them was their generosity. They offered us coupons for discounts at the food mart and gave us a voucher for two free nights stay at an RV Park near Vancouver ( which we used and got three free nights and saved us over $150 in fees).
Or Dennis the manager of the oil changing operation in the back of Walmart who told me all about his love for Dodge trucks. We chatted about how Canadians and Americans view each other based on the media and not on first hand experience.
We met Peter at a laundromat in Kimberly, British Columbia and found out he and his family had lived on a sailboat for 10 years. He told us of live on Vancouver Island and the hefty price they charge you to ferry your RV over and back. We also learned that his son Dillon was on his way to becoming a world class mountain bike racer and had is eyes set on the Olympics at some point.
Last night we spent time with Tony and Annie, two amazing people from Boise, Idaho. We talked about everything from how to back up a 5th wheel trailer to how to use enriched uranium to replace the aging dam systems along the Columbia River. We are both proponents of setting intention and how it shapes our reality. We were definitely kindred spirits. Tony is currently learning how to teach folks to play gold using a different part of their brain! We know we will see these folks again someday on the road of life.
So the life lesson for me in this is to trust your gut when going through life and don't allow your preconditioned notions control your behavior. Challenge your thinking when you notice yourself following some set of rules that were poured into your brain many years ago.
It's been said that life happens while we are making plans to do something. So today, allow yourself to meet a stranger along the road and maybe you will find a kindred soul.
Andiamo!!
Coy, Charlotte, and Jojo the pretty good dog
As I grew older I began to think about this statement and challenge it. Any of you that know me will agree that I am usually the first to speak to a stranger or as I like to think, a friend that I haven't met yet.
Meeting folks along our path over the past two months has been one of the greatest parts of our journey. Sure the countryside is awesome, but somehow those pictures don't stick in my brain like the memories of sitting at a gas station in Ritzville, Washington, chatting with a guy that loved our truck and wished his Dodge had the white gold trim and then learning about the wheat harvest from this man that worked for the railroad in the area. We learned about a one mile circle of track that is used to fill the grain cars during wheat harvest because there is so much wheat being brought into the silos. Amazing trivia.
Or meeting Bill and Alene in Lethbridge, Alberta at the RV park. Bill is legally blind so Alene does all the driving. They live 6 months in Canada and 6 in Arizona. What I remember about them was their generosity. They offered us coupons for discounts at the food mart and gave us a voucher for two free nights stay at an RV Park near Vancouver ( which we used and got three free nights and saved us over $150 in fees).
Or Dennis the manager of the oil changing operation in the back of Walmart who told me all about his love for Dodge trucks. We chatted about how Canadians and Americans view each other based on the media and not on first hand experience.
We met Peter at a laundromat in Kimberly, British Columbia and found out he and his family had lived on a sailboat for 10 years. He told us of live on Vancouver Island and the hefty price they charge you to ferry your RV over and back. We also learned that his son Dillon was on his way to becoming a world class mountain bike racer and had is eyes set on the Olympics at some point.
Last night we spent time with Tony and Annie, two amazing people from Boise, Idaho. We talked about everything from how to back up a 5th wheel trailer to how to use enriched uranium to replace the aging dam systems along the Columbia River. We are both proponents of setting intention and how it shapes our reality. We were definitely kindred spirits. Tony is currently learning how to teach folks to play gold using a different part of their brain! We know we will see these folks again someday on the road of life.
So the life lesson for me in this is to trust your gut when going through life and don't allow your preconditioned notions control your behavior. Challenge your thinking when you notice yourself following some set of rules that were poured into your brain many years ago.
It's been said that life happens while we are making plans to do something. So today, allow yourself to meet a stranger along the road and maybe you will find a kindred soul.
Andiamo!!
Coy, Charlotte, and Jojo the pretty good dog
Monday, August 5, 2013
Along the trail
We have been following the life of Lewis and Clarke for the past week and continue to be amazed at what they accomplished in their discovery of the Pacific Northwest. They were some tough hombres for sure.
This morning we are sitting along the banks of the Salmon River about 12 miles south of Salmon Idaho. We drove here from a tiny spot in Idaho called Cataldo, which sits along the banks of the Coure D' Alaine River. It may be the most beautiful stretch of river I have ever seen. The fishing was so so but the people were amazing.
We strolled into the metropolis of Pinehurst, Idaho on Saturday to find "Pinehurst Days" in full swing. Their were people from all walks of life walking up and down main street. The big event was a car show that would rival any anywhere. There were hot rods from 1930 to the 90's. My favorite was a 1950 Mercury Montego that was painted black with purple flames. It was awesome. You can see some pics of the show at www.smugmug.com/taters
They had kettle corn and brats and beer and all sorts of local artists, including someone that made art out of old guitar strings. We stopped in at Barneys pretty good grocery and True Value Hardware for some staples to take back to Andiamo.
On our way down hwy 93 out of Missoula Montana we stopped at one of the many fishing access points along the river to see if we might catch a fish in the Bitteroot River. Charlotte met and elderly fellow that informed us the river was closed everyday after 2pm because of the heat and how warm the water gets during the day.
This fellow turned out to be a living legend in the Bitteroot Valley. He is a famous fly tier, guide, and fly box builder named John Foust. He was wearing red suspenders,and very old and oily Orvis hat and smoking a winston cigarette. He showed us the most beautiful fly box I have ever seen and told us how he makes them and the materials he uses. To me he seemed a little sad as he stared out across the river and spoke of how it was around here 25 years ago.
John also told us about his role in the movie "A Rive Runs Through It" and how Robert Redford paid him $300 per hour to assist in the catching of the famous huge fish in the movie. That fish now hangs on his wall at home with a picture of he and Redford.
We are finding the joy of just following our guts and instincts about when and where to stop. Charlotte has found us some amazing places to camp along the way as well as where to find good pie and bad coffee. Tomorrow I will tell you about the little hamlet of George, Washington. I am not making this up.
Today we have labeled Lewis and Clarke day. We are heading into Salmon to the museum and then up to a pass between Idaho and Montana on the continental divide that they crossed with some native american chick, but I can't spell her name. Should be fun. We must also find a laundrymat which is always an adventure as well.
We are continuing to learn about life on the road. It is not as easy or romantic as I make it sound. There are challenges and problems to solve almost everyday. But it's worth the ride.
Once again, thanks to everyone for following our crazy adventure along the roads of life.
Andiamo!!
Coy, Charl, and Jojo the OK dog
This morning we are sitting along the banks of the Salmon River about 12 miles south of Salmon Idaho. We drove here from a tiny spot in Idaho called Cataldo, which sits along the banks of the Coure D' Alaine River. It may be the most beautiful stretch of river I have ever seen. The fishing was so so but the people were amazing.
We strolled into the metropolis of Pinehurst, Idaho on Saturday to find "Pinehurst Days" in full swing. Their were people from all walks of life walking up and down main street. The big event was a car show that would rival any anywhere. There were hot rods from 1930 to the 90's. My favorite was a 1950 Mercury Montego that was painted black with purple flames. It was awesome. You can see some pics of the show at www.smugmug.com/taters
They had kettle corn and brats and beer and all sorts of local artists, including someone that made art out of old guitar strings. We stopped in at Barneys pretty good grocery and True Value Hardware for some staples to take back to Andiamo.
On our way down hwy 93 out of Missoula Montana we stopped at one of the many fishing access points along the river to see if we might catch a fish in the Bitteroot River. Charlotte met and elderly fellow that informed us the river was closed everyday after 2pm because of the heat and how warm the water gets during the day.
This fellow turned out to be a living legend in the Bitteroot Valley. He is a famous fly tier, guide, and fly box builder named John Foust. He was wearing red suspenders,and very old and oily Orvis hat and smoking a winston cigarette. He showed us the most beautiful fly box I have ever seen and told us how he makes them and the materials he uses. To me he seemed a little sad as he stared out across the river and spoke of how it was around here 25 years ago.
John also told us about his role in the movie "A Rive Runs Through It" and how Robert Redford paid him $300 per hour to assist in the catching of the famous huge fish in the movie. That fish now hangs on his wall at home with a picture of he and Redford.
We are finding the joy of just following our guts and instincts about when and where to stop. Charlotte has found us some amazing places to camp along the way as well as where to find good pie and bad coffee. Tomorrow I will tell you about the little hamlet of George, Washington. I am not making this up.
Today we have labeled Lewis and Clarke day. We are heading into Salmon to the museum and then up to a pass between Idaho and Montana on the continental divide that they crossed with some native american chick, but I can't spell her name. Should be fun. We must also find a laundrymat which is always an adventure as well.
We are continuing to learn about life on the road. It is not as easy or romantic as I make it sound. There are challenges and problems to solve almost everyday. But it's worth the ride.
Once again, thanks to everyone for following our crazy adventure along the roads of life.
Andiamo!!
Coy, Charl, and Jojo the OK dog
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