Wyoming - Day 7 - Chief Joseph, Beartooth and the way to home

 The final full day started with breakfast - but not just any kind of breakfast...

 ...this was an egg and sausage stuffed pancake breakfast with two kinds of jelly (instead of syrup)...

...and it was great!

We were back in the car...

 

...making our way to Billings, Montana via a scenic route...

 

 

 

 

...starting with the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway...

 

...and then catching a higher road called Beartooth Highway...

...where we climbed up to 10,900 feet!

Although the rain clouds blocked the view, it was still pretty cool!

With only a short stop in Red Lodge, Montana (which is dealing with downtown road construction)...

 

...we finally settled in for the evening in downtown Billings.

Originally, we were going to find a place to eat and gamble a bit at the various casinos downtown, but my father wasn't feeling good enough to go out...

 ...and then, at Walkers Grill...

...my brother realized he still hadn't recovered once the food came...

...so I ate most of our tapas plates.

*****************************

The next morning, we woke up super early, caught the shuttle to the airport...

...and, thankfully, didn't fill some of the biggest seat belts ever.

When we arrived back in Cleveland, it was clear that our trip was over...

...all the crazy travel snafus in airports, late night drives, gun fighting, rodeos, mud volcanoes, buffalo, Idaho road trips, beef jerky...

...all done!

But maybe it wasn't.  

Maybe there would be other trips for the three of us.  

Maybe this was simply the first one.

I admit that the idea definitely sounds good to me!

.

Wyoming - Day 6 - Back to Cody

Although alcohol had gotten the better of me the night before, I did manage to go to bed sober and wake up feeling refreshed.

My brother, on the other hand, wasn't feeling so hot the following morning and he passed on going to breakfast in the hotel.

After breakfast...

...we were back in the car...

...cutting through Yellowstone...

...and just enjoying the drive.

We stretched our legs in Shonshone National Forest...

 ...(although Rocky decided to stay seated)...

 ...and then continued on our way beyond mountains...

 .

...and along rivers...

...until we arrived at The Cody hotel.

Unfortunately, Rocky still wasn't feeling too well, so he stayed at the hotel...

...as Dad and I drove into town...

 

...out of town...

 

...and even to the local Walmart where we got Rocky some Jello and saltines.

Dad and I fortunately ate a little better than Rocky, splitting some baby back ribs and a buffalo ribeye at the Rib and Chop House...

 

...and both getting the elk tenderloin at the 8th Street Restaurant at the Ivy Hotel.

Both meals were delicious!

 

 

 

..

Wyoming - Day 5 - Jackson, Wyoming and Victor, Idaho

We woke up in Jackson and a seed I had planted at the beginning of the trip ended up taking root.

I had wanted to make a super quick stop in the state of Idaho, being that it was so close to Jackson and I had never been there.  As it turned out, neither had my father or brother.

At first, they both gave me some flack about it, driving 22 miles "just for a potato.  We can have potatoes here."

I, in turn, would try to use the short distance to my advantage.  "Powell is only 22 miles from Cody?  That's nothing!  It's like driving to Idaho!"

Thankfully, the idea took hold.  We didn't have many plans in Jackson and our planned breakfast location...

...at Nora's Fish Creek...

...was en route to Victor, Idaho.

So we were definitely going!

But first...

...let's talk about breakfast!

We got a great seat at the bar...

...felt like we were locals...

...and enjoyed some overflowing dishes (this is my father's breakfast).

I got the trout and eggs with hashbrowns and a blueberry pancake.

Delicious!

Now with full bellies...

 ...we continued heading west...

...onto the Grand Teton Mountain Pass with a fun 10% grade.

My father absolutely loved it.

In mere minutes, we entered the state of Idaho...

...and found ourselves before Victor's Pierre's Playhouse...

 

...the Emporium...

...where Rocky got a famous Huckleberry milkshake...

 

 

...and tourist-friendly Emporium signs.

And we almost left Victor with those sites alone...

...when my father saw the sign for Grumpy's Goat Shack.

I turned the car around because I knew he would love this place...

...a summer-esque shack with hanging bras and panties...

 

 ....pictures of fornicating goats...

 ...colorful shirts...

...and hot dogs.

It probably wasn't the best idea to eat hot dogs so soon after the breakfast at Nora's (and Rocky had that milkshake as well), but it was fun to sit there, talk with the owner and just hang out a bit.

After Grumpy's, we headed back to Jackson.

Dad went back to his room to rest a bit and Rocky and I went to souvenir shop.

I only took a few photos during the shopping...

 

Once the shopping was done, I texted my brother about grabbing a drink from the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar...

 ...but the one drink led on to others, especially once we started talking to a couple from Utah.

When we got off our saddles and started back into town, I decided to stop back at the room for a bit - Lord knows why.

I never made it back out of the room that evening.  I had simply had too much to drink.

My bad.

Special thanks to my dad and brother for the chips and sushi later that evening!