Sometimes thing don’t work out exactly to plan. That can lead to disaster. But, Lisa and I have found that, often, a mangled schedule can lead to adventures you never would have thought to plan. The last leg of our trip in the Winona Rider unexpectedly led us to old friends, a new friend, and beautiful sights along the way.
Let’s roll the clock back to our last day at Winona Lake. Lisa’s sister Diana had a best friend, Heidi. Lisa has known Heidi since she was born and I first met her when she was 16. Well, Heidi was visiting Winona Lake while we were there. She asked where we were going as we headed home. When Lisa told her one of our stops was Twin Falls, Idaho, she said, “No it isn’t! You are staying with us in Ketchum.” Seeing a chance to reconnect with an old friend, we quickly agreed.
OK, roll forward to our last day in the Black Hills. As Lisa wrote, we loved the three days we spent there and were enjoying our final dinner the night before heading to our Harvest Hosts spot near Bozeman, Montana. When I made the reservation in May she had offered us a five-course meal at her farm along with a bottle of Prosecco followed by a movie in the barn. It sounded perfect.
A month later she texted me that she had to work at the county fair the night we were staying and couldn’t provide the dinner and movie. OK, no problem. We’ll still enjoy staying at what looked to be a beautiful farm.
Well, I texted her the night before our arrival and she let me know her house on the farm is now rented and she would need to ask the renters if we could stay. Uh oh. You see, Bozeman is a popular destination not far from Yellowstone National Park. I called several RV parks hoping they may have had a cancellation. No luck. I could only hope our host could arrange a stay for us.
She texted us back that her neighbor, Cheri, said we could park at her home for the night. I called her and she sounded so friendly and accommodating. We got her address and set out for Montana the next morning. Whew!
Devil’s Tower
On the way we saw that Devil’s Tower was only about an hour off of our route. Lisa and I decided that it would be worth the time and we readjusted our route. For those that haven’t heard of Devil’s Tower, it is a large butte that rises off of the floor of a valley in Northeast Wyoming. You may remember it as the alien landing place in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I think Richard Dreyfus might have crafted a replica in his mashed potatoes in one scene.
Devil’s Tower turned out to be worth the change of itinerary. It was spectacular. We could see how Steven Spielberg chose it for a starring role in his movie as it had an almost surreal, other-planetary feel to it.
Three Forks, Montana
We left and headed into Montana. We drove through Bozeman and headed west to a small town called Three Forks. Our route took us to a narrow winding road through farmland. Small and winding turned to a gravel-covered dirt road. We passed our original Harvest Hosts destination (it looked very nice) and drove another six miles to Cheri’s home over the washboard-rutted surface. Cheri explained to us that six miles away still qualifies as being neighbors in this area. Makes sense to us.
As we pull up, Cheri comes out to greet us. She told us where to park and showed us where her garden was along with the chickens and cats. She said we should help ourselves to anything in the garden. I told her we would keep the dogs tied up as they had never seen a chicken before and I was a bit worried what they’d do if they did see one (most likely cower in fear). Cheri then pointed out a nice area to take the dogs for a walk and said feel free to walk around the adjacent ranch. She would call them to let them know we would be walking around.
After we returned, Lisa and I sat down for a nice wine and cheese dinner. Cheri came out to chat. She said she grew up in Florida, came to college in Bozeman, got married and found this cute little farmhouse to rent. She said is was the only place they could afford at the time and fell in love with it. Unfortunately, her marriage ended, but her stay at the farmhouse didn’t. A few years ago she offered to buy it from the ranchers that owned it. They agreed and she happily owns this beautiful property today.
Later that evening she texted me from inside her home and asked if we would like some eggs for breakfast. I enthusiastically said yes. Out Cheri comes with four fresh eggs from her chickens. The next morning I fried them up and we enjoyed a wonderful breakfast.
As we prepared to leave, Cheri was also getting ready to depart on her own camping trip. We thanked her for her hospitality and as we drove gingerly down the washboard road, Cheri passed us by smiling and waving at us. Cheri let us stay to help out her friend. But, she also showed that the kindness of strangers can lead to new friendships. The world needs more people like her.
Ketchum, Idaho
Six hours later we arrived in Ketchum. The town of about 3,000 people is in a valley surrounded by mountains and ski resorts just south of Sun Valley. Heidi moved there several years ago with her husband Eric. The home, built by Eric’s father, is a beautiful, large home on the outskirts of Ketchum. It has spectacular views of the mountains.
Heidi and Eric took us out to dinner in town with a few business associates of Eric’s. The dinner entailed great company, great food,and great wine. That night we stayed in the guest quarters, got a good night’s sleep and a nice shower (the shower in our van is a bit tight!) Heidi and Eric served us a nice breakfast before heading to the airport. We went into Ketchum to see the town before getting back on the road.
Winnemucca, Nevada
“I was totin’ my pack down the dusty Winnemucca road. . .”
You’ve probably described a remote place you’ve been as being in the middle of nowhere. Well, no matter where that was, it wasn’t as middle-of-nowhere as Winnemucca. We had to find a place to stay that was halfway between Ketchum and home. Well, Winnemucca is it.
You may have heard of it. Johnny Cash sings about it in the song, I’ve Been Everywhere Man. It truly is dusty, hot, and dry. But, it does have a few things going for it. Being halfway between the Bay Area and lots of places makes it a regular stopping point for many people. It has a robust Basque population with the cultural benefits that affords. And, Butch Cassidy once robbed the bank there (What is it about all the bank robberies in the towns we visit?)
Anyway, we had a nice RV park, we fired up the air conditioner and turned on the TV for the first time on our trip to watch the Olympics. We had tough chicken we had bought in South Dakota, runny cheese, pasta, and a bagged, pre-made salad. But, we paired it with a very nice Burgundy we purchased in Ketchum so all was right in the world.
The next day we set out early and headed for home after a memorable month-long adventure. We met a lot of good people, reunited with others, and saw beautiful sights that continue to remind us of the beauty our country possesses. And, on road trips, like in life, sometimes when things don’t go exactly as planned, go with it. You never know what adventures might lie ahead.
Lisa and Brad's Travels 