Here are the notes I am taking while Molly and I are on a road trip through Idaho (briefly), Wyoming, and Montana, October 2018.

Part 1 is here | Part 2 is here  | Part 3 is here | Part 4 is here

OCTOBER 10, 2018

YELLOWSTONE — BOZEMAN, MT

A rough night of sleep for both of us. The air is so insanely dry and my sinuses have just about had it with the dry, hay fever, altitude, nosebleeds. Apparently my snoring was so horrific that Molly tried to wake me by shaking the bed (after calling my name a million times).. which resulted in my SCREAMING awake because I thought it was an earthquake and I’m a little hair trigger, to say the least. Fun times in the tiny cabin!

Fortunately today we could take it easy and get on the road in a leisurely fashion, as we had only a longish but pretty uneventful drive up to Great Falls, MT — and to a bit of civilization (by which I mean FREE WI-FI!)

But first: Bozeman. Molly indulged me to take the detour so we could stop in this town. It figures in my family’s history, I presume it was a popular stopping place as it is about an hour away from where my grandparents’ ranch was, in Ennis. There was a large, ugly, yellow station wagon that kicked around in our family for ages, which was nicknamed “Bozeman” – presumably it was purchased there? These are some exciting memories I’m conjuring for you.

At any rate, of all the wonderful-looking museums in that town, we chose to go through the Gallatin History Museum, which was so great! It’s housed in the old jail, and I was majorly creeped out by the still-intact gallows on the second floor, but I was won over by the eclectic excellence. So many displays, so many cool touches. Lame photos.

 

BOZEMAN — GREAT FALLS

Uneventful checkin to our uneventful hotel, then to an uneventful dinner. But then – but then. A trip to the world famous Sip N’ Dip Lounge, where one sips drinks in a tiki atmosphere, as mermaids swim and frolic for you. Again, crappy photos of an outstanding experience. The pervy dudes ogling the mermaids made it a little less wholesome, oh cmon pervy dudes.

 

Molly and I purchased the best t-shirts we’re ever going to own. Molly think that’s hyperbole.

We’re getting a lot of stories about what the weather is going to be tomorrow, and received concrete confirmation that quite a bit of Glacier Park is going to be closed because of weather, but we’re soldiering on and bringing lots of puzzles with us, just in case this turns into an inside sort of trip from now on.

Go to part 6