He he he...I know that all of you have been on the edge of your seats...wondering...did he make it out of Riggins? Well, obviously, yes...no abduction by local vampire cults.
I headed out of Riggins early this morning with the goal of reaching Yellowstone by nightfall. U.S. 97 out of Riggins, while mountainous, was beautiful as it followed the Salmon River for miles. to Grangeville, where I picked up Idaho Route 13 for forty or so miles before connecting with U.S. 12.
I did not have to pursue my own search for the Northwest Passage through the Rockies...Lewis and Clark had already done the work for me over 200 years ago. Between 1804 and 1805, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark traveled the Midwest and the West, ultimately finding the "Northwest Passage" linking the Missouri and Columbia Rivers. Today, I followed in their footsteps for about 200 miles along U.S. Route 12...the Lewis and Clark Trail. And a beautiful trail it was...along the Clearwater and other rivers...through, rather than over, the Rockies. I stopped several times along the Clearwater River and, each time, I was struck with a sense of history...realizing that over 200 years ago, the Lewis and Clark Expedition passed by the exact point where I was standing. And I thought about how difficult it must have been to travel back then...into strange and unexplored territory. There were no cell phones back then, and Lewis and Clark often had to travel for days, sometimes weeks, before getting to a "land line" to phone in their expedition reports. Interestingly, this U.S. 12 is the same U.S. 12 that travels through Michigan, where it is known as Michigan Avenue, terminating in downtown Detroit.
At the Idaho/Montana border, I went up and over the Lolo Pass...descending down into Montana and, ultimately, the town of Missoula.
Missoula is having their "Testicle Festival" this weekend (whatever the hell that is) and I thought it ironic that on this very day, my cat, Jonesie, was, as of about 2:00Pm, officially "ineligible" to participate in this particular "festival".
I had hoped to make it to Yellowstone today but, as the sun went down, I decided to stop for the night in Bozeman, Montana. I checked into the local Comfort Inn and asked about a good Steakhouse. Everybody recommended "Louie's Down Under"...so off I went. I immediately headed over to the bar to eat but the bartender, Roger, told me that they don't usually serve dinner at the bar. Roger doesn't realize it yet, but he is solid "management material"...because at that instant, I was prepared to leave and eat somewhere else...Roger, however, wisely "bent the rules" and relented.
To me, that is management of the highest order...anybody can blindly follow the rules...a great manager knows when to bend those rules. So...I settled in for a glass of Oregon Pinot Gris with a poached lobster tail in mango vinaigrette (outstanding) and a very tasty N.Y. Strip with a glass of Elk Cove Pinot Noir (also outstanding). Talking with Roger, I discovered that he was a life-long fan of the University of Michigan...a good manager AND a smart guy!
I liked my time in Bozeman...however short. It's the home of the Montana State Bobcats...and it had that nice "college town" feel. I wished that I had more time to spend, but I'm off early to Yellowstone tomorrow...so...early to bed.
1 comment:
Your bartender was smart and attractive, can I get him in a doggy bag to go please? LOL Sounds like you had a great meal with great company and the pictures are awesome!
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