Thayne, Wyoming: After our long day and 42 - FORTY TWO - photos yesterday, I hope y'all will give me a day off and understand if I post just a few photos today. It was, after all, another travel day. (Travel days are inevitable if you drive from Indio, California to Portland, Oregon... via Denver, Colorado.)
We drove north from Rock Springs on Hwy 191 to Hoback Junction, where we headed south to Alpine, and continued south to Thayne on Hwy 89. A great drive and the road is fine for RVs as well - plenty of turn-outs and passing lanes and many "historical markers" to read along the route.
Our friends from Portland, Cindy and Don, were also on Hwy 191 today - driving south from Yellowstone to the Flaming Gorge! They are on a month-long road trip through the west. Though that dang snow storm in Denver has us a day behind, we still found a way to meet our friends. Via the miracle of text messaging, we figured out an area where our paths would cross and pulled-over in a turnout. A few minutes later, Cindy and Don pulled up in their car and we had a mini reunion in the high desert of Wyoming. In the middle of absolutely nowhere!
Dave, Cindy and Donnie - somewhere in WyomingWhat are the chances? How much fun to see our friends in such an odd location. Great to see you on the road, Cindy and Don - thanks for stopping by!
Another windy day!After that excitement, we continued north and our friends continued south. We stopped in Pinedale for lunch, thinking we would have a sandwich in the motorhome... until we noticed a brew pub across the street from our parking spot. Change of plans!
The Wind River Brewing Company brew about a dozen beers. They have a big restaurant with a full bar, though they only pour their own beers. We enjoyed the pub, the staff and our sandwiches.
Wind River Brew Pub - across from the Post Office on Hwy 191 in Pinedale. Can't miss it.
Bar area of the brew pub - they also have a large family-friendly dining room and a roof-top patio.Since he was driving a 45-foot-long bus, DT abstained from the "brew" part of the pub, but bought a six-pack of their Blonde Ale to try later. (Added tonight: delicious!)
If you ever need to get from Rock Springs to the Jackson area, I encourage you to take this route. Highway 191 is a great road, and we saw SO MUCH wildlife - a zillion and one Pronghorn, deer, wild horses and migrating water fowl, views to the Rockies and we crossed the Hoback River at least thirty times - and every single damn time there was a sign reading: HOBACK RIVER. Really? We can't figure this is the same river we have been following for miles?
We are in Thayne to visit DT's Mom! You may remember she took a tumble in January and has had quite a time recovering and regaining her strength. But she is a tough lady and is improving every day. Mom doesn't have much time to rest, between physical therapy and doctor visits, but the progress in her health over the past four months is remarkable. The constant rotation of visiting sons (she has four) probably only tires her out, but she still cooked a delicious dinner for us tonight. You can't keep a good Mom down!
It was such a rare treat to run into friends on the road this morning, then have dinner with family. Such a great day!
Speaking of family... is anyone missing a certain little curly-mopped blonde male child? We do! We FaceTime with our grandson nearly every day, but it isn't the same as having those little arms around my neck. Bubba and I found a cute little pair of Crocs decorated with Legos we knew Leo would like (and knew Lisa would hate), so we bought the shoes and mailed them Tuesday from the post office in Golden, Colorado. They arrived to Los Angeles yesterday (fast service!) and Leo modeled his new shoes for us.
Stylin' in El LayShould we start a pool as to how many days we will be home in Portland before we fly to Los Angeles?
Until my next update, I remain, your Wyoming correspondent.
Wolf Den rental cabinsRV PARK: Wolf Den RV Park - Full service 50/30 amp gravel pull-through. This park has RV sites and nice rental log cabins. Very nice, well-maintained. Restaurant in-season, shop, ice, free wifi, laundry and bath house. Picnic grills, playground, volleyball, horseshoes. No cable TV. We are paying $40 per night.
(NOTE: We are trying a new RV park this time for our stay in Thayne. Last year we camped at Star Valley Ranch Resort.)