Sound the trumpets, Bruce and Sharon arrived!!

July 24 – It started as another brisk morning today, which is no surprise!  Sun was out and the air was calm until later in the day when the afternoon winds blew in.  We worked today and Bill mowed and did some painting.  The Laundromat had super busy times and then times when there were only a few people in.

Denise and I had a good day!  We had some issues to work on first thing this morning to get resolved before knowing if we had any vacancies for the night.  Ended up no, we did not and we had a broken down RV who wanted to stay but that didn’t happen.  He ended up moving the RV to storage for the day and going on with their vacation plans, but nothing opened up so they stayed there for the night.  Another dryer went out of service but for the most part the day ran smoothly and Denise did some online shopping and showed me photos of what she and Dave have done with the inside of their RV.  Looks more like a house inside than a motorhome!  They have a Meridian also, but it’s a little older and has less slides.  She is very artsy-crafty so it’s looking really great!

Bill had asked if we could get off at 5 tonight as Bruce and Sharon got in around 1 and we wanted to go to dinner with them.  Becky and our co-workers gave the go ahead and Bill took off at 5 and I left at 5:30 so he’d finished in the shower by the time I got home.  We picked Bruce and Sharon up at 6 and went into West Yellowstone for dinner.  They have dentist appointments there on Friday so thought we could give them a “feel” for the town before they head in on their own.

It was SO good to see them since it’s been about 2 months since our over night rendezvous in Nebraska!  I think they are excited to be here and see what Island Park has offer as well as the surrounding areas.  We have a tentative plan for tomorrow but just spending time together is the best part! 

We had dinner at the Slippery Otter.  Of course it’s been 2 years since we were there and I thought they had a better dinner menu.  I think the real draw is the list of beers they serve.  The food was good but mostly hamburger/sandwich meals or salads.  Bruce had a pizza that he was very happy with and Bill had a burger.  Sharon and I went with salads, hers with chicken and mine a sliced sirloin cooked rare with blue cheese dressing.  It was very tasty and I finished every bite.  Sharon had some to go and of course the guys ate all of their meals.  Bruce topped his meal off with a new cap!

We decided to walk some of it off and check out some of the shops.  Bruce  found a long sleeve shirt he wanted but no one else found “the right” thing to spend their money on.  We drove down to the IMAX theatre shop in hopes of having a .50 soft serve now that our meals had settled somewhat.  Wouldn’t you know they were closed down and cleaning them for tomorrow’s crowd. 

Bill gave them a short tour of the town and they have an idea of where they might visit on Friday.  I think they were pooped from the travel and waiting to drive up the pass and we were a bit pooped for working today, so we dropped them off and said our good nights, until tomorrow….

July 25 - What a fun day today!  We picked Bruce and Sharon up (8 spaces down from us) 

at 9 and we headed out to Mesa Falls.  We stopped on the way at the Bank of Idaho for Bill and Sharon to do their banking.  Yes, let’s make sure we have plenty of money for today!  The drive to the falls isn’t bad, nice scenery.  Once we parked we checked out the Visitor Center which used to be a lodge.  We attempted to identify various animal pelts, paws 
and poo.  Needless to say we did best on the pelts and paws.  The Upper Falls are magnificent!  Our timing could not have been better.  We could see a full rainbow off the falls and we all continue to be amazed at God’s works!  It’s a peaceful and powerful place and

2 rays of sunshine at the falls

any time that Bill and I are able to come to this area, this will be a place we continue to visit and be awed by.  The depth of the valley, the power of the water, the height of the trees and peace it brings is astonishing.  We were blessed to be able to share it with our good friends!  Love you Bruce and Sharon!

Lower Falls

The lower falls are REALLY low down in the valley and the canyon walls are maybe more interesting than the falls.  However, we could see a tiny white space in the trees up the canyon that we know had to be the Upper Falls.  It was a much shorter stop as the walk is shorter and the only building is the vault toilets.  It’s still a great stop but not nearly as inspiring as Upper Falls.

The rest of the drive down and out of the canyon was nice.  We crossed the river and  saw the cute little log cabin built along side it.  The closer we came to Ashton, the more potatoes and hay we saw, along with a good number of dilapidated buildings.  We arrived at Trails Inn where Bill and I have eaten several times.  Bruce, Bill and I did well with our lunch choices but due to no buns for the French dip, Sharon’s beef dried out a bit before she could finish it.  We all enjoyed the crispy fries and of course the complimentary ice cream cone we each received! 

Our next stop was St. Anthony Sand Dunes.  Bill was not a happy camper with the road!

  Once we got on the direct road to the dunes, it was torn up and being grated for re-surfacing.  If he could have found spot to turn around, I’m sure he would have done it!  BUT, we made it to a huge campground with the dunes surrounding ¾ of it and he parked so the rest of us could get out and get photos.  Sharon and I braved the sand and climbed up the closest dune for a better view and it was beautiful!  We saw dune buggies and dirt bikes buzzing around and a full campground!

As we left the dunes we kept watching a yellow crop duster but by the time we got

Dunes between the field and
the mountains

close to where he HAD been, he was no where to be seen.  Drats!  It was such a pretty yellow plane!

On the way back towards the campground we turned off on Big Springs Rd so Bruce and Sharon could bee Johnny Sack’s cabin and Big Springs.  We parked and the walk to the cabin was lined with wild flowers in bloom on one side and the springs on the other.  The cabin is such a delight!  To see what he build over a 3 year period is amazing.  He

One side of the cabin, not
the pretty side!

used only hand tools and made 2 sets of bedroom furniture and his table, chairs and seating.  He had help only to set the corner posts and pretty much did the rest himself.  He build a small wheelhouse to generate power to his place.  It is now a National Landmark! 

We dropped Bruce and Sharon off so everyone could rest a bit before heading out for Burrito Night at Café Sabor!  I did a load of laundry since we work tomorrow and Bill took a short nap and read until it was time to go.  

Bruce and Sharon walked down promptly at 6.  We loaded up the truck and headed down the road where we signed in for the wait.  It was about 20 minutes and we had a nice table in the larger dining room.  Bill, Sharon and I had a Burrito Special while Bruce had a Chimichanga.  The service was good for as busy as they were and our waitress was very personable and responded well to the harassment from our table!

Time to head home and go our separate ways for the night!  It was a day full of laughter and I, for one, had a ball!