Turning for Home

Pepper Bear turned for home on Saturday August 6, 2011. The route was through Yellowstone National Park, in the West gate and out the South gate and into Grand Tetons National Park to Jackson Hole, Wyoming and across desolate West Wyoming to Rock Springs, Wyoming. Lots of pictures of the Grand Tetons were taken, but only one panorama view is included here. A brief stop was made in Jackson Hole to make a proof of travel picture of Pepper Bear at the Antler Arch before striking out across Western Wyoming to Rock Springs. This trek could be called the Rock(y) Springs Horror Show as there is only one place for a rest room break in 200 miles that being Big Piney which 50 miles into the trek which we passed by. Big mistake. The only other sign of a place to stop was a cowboy bar in Eden, Wyoming which was filled with Sturgis bound bikers. We passed on this stop too. We survived this long ride however. Some photographic proof follows:

Pepper Bears Route on Saturday August 6, 2011.

Grand Tetons

Pepper Bear at the Antler Arch in Jackson Hole Wyoming

Close Up of Pepper Bear
at the Antler Arch in Jackson Hole Wyoming

Bozeman Sampler

Pepper Bear didn't get to go everywhere that members of her party went while staying in Bozeman, but here are some pictures of things around these parts of Montana:

Sphinx Mountain in the Gallatin Mountain Range

Virginia City Montana Mason's Hall

Old Wagon Virginia City Montana

Tour Fire Engine Virginia City Montana

Inactive Church Virginia City Montana

Abandoned Copper Smelter Stack at  Anaconda, MT

Georgetown Lake Montana

Flint Creek the outlet of Georgetown Lake

Cousins Paul and Amanda Snyder Panning for Sapphires

Old Faithful Geyser

Roosevelt Arch at North Entrance to Yellowstone  National  Park

Arriving Bozeman

Pepper Bear and party finally arrived at their destination in Bozeman, MT on Friday July 29, 2011, the home of sister Pat Snyder and her son Paul Snyder.

Last Leg of Trip into Bozeman, MT

The next day, Saturday July 30, 2011, Pepper's party rendezvoused with Amanda Snyder and David Rouse in Bozeman, MT.  We all went to Sir Scott's Oasis Steakhouse & Lounge in Manhattan, MT for celebratory dinner. Now Sir Scott's is not vegetarian friendly as the menu is mostly Montana beef. The meal starts with a vegetable relish tray and crackers (that is as far as vegetarian can go), soup, salad, beef entree, potato, and finishes with a small ice cream and coffee. I like this place for its prime rib and the rumor this place denied seating Ted and Jane Turner. Sir Scott is a Viet Nam era veteran as am I. So it is nice to think that Sir Scott would deny seating to Hanoi Jane and Ted for political reasons. But in truth I believe it was because dinning room seating requires a reservation even if you are Ted Turner and own a big ranch up near Big Sky where you raise buffalo to avoid taxes.  

Pepper Bear and Me at Sir Scott's

Mary Ellen had the T bone as the porterhouse ran $12 more and was far too big a piece of meat for her to justice to. I eat from the relish tray, had the salad, passed on the soup, had the prime rib, failed to eat the baked potato and the last two bites of the prime rib, and managed to finish with some coffee and the small chocolate sundae. Pepper Bear had stay outside in the truck like other Montana dogs but was rewarded with choice morsels left over from the meal. I rate Sir Scott's as $$$ as you can beef feast here for $25 a head if you don't get the large expensive cuts. The trimmings are included in the entree price.

Our Party Finishing Up at Sir Scott's

Making Montana

On Thursday July 28, 2011 Pepper Bear and Party finally got to Montana. Before we started out we visited Casper, Wyoming's city center and took pictures in the courthouse square. The pictures are below: 

Pepper's Route Thursday July 30, 2011

Pepper Bear with Sheep Sculptures  in Courthouse Square in Casper, WY

Pepper Bear and Cowboy Sculpture in Courthouse Square in Casper, WY

Dick Cheney Federal Building on Courthouse Square in Casper, WY 

City Hall on Courthouse Square in Casper, WY 

On the Trail

On Wednesday July 27, 2011 Pepper Bear and party took route from North Platte, NE to Casper, WY. In some areas the route paralleled the path of the Oregon and California Trails in Western Nebraska.  After leaving North Platte, NE the country becomes dryer and the fields of corn give way to wheat fields and pasture lands.  On the route of the California and Oregon Trials Pepper's party passed Chimney Rock and Scott's Bluff. 

As we started out from North Platte we visited a local tourist trap and snapped a picture of Pepper on a fiber glass Buffalo.

Pepper Bear on Buffalo at North Platte, NE

Chimney Rock pictures:

Pepper Bear at Chimney Rock

Chimney Rock Nebraska

Driving Through the Corn

On Tuesday July 26, 2011 Pepper Bear and party started a trip across Nebraska. We had stayed in Omaha and traveled on to North Platte, NE on I-80. The news reports have been reporting record heat so we expected to see a lot of stunted and swiveled brown corn like we had seen in Eastern North Carolina a week earlier where they are experiencing record heat and drought. But the corn in Nebraska was standing tall and green. Hot but there is no drought here so the corn is growing. Before leaving Omaha we visited a Trader Joe's to get provisions and trade goods (gifts for my sister and nephew), and the world famous Boy's Town.

Peppers Route on Tuesday July 26, 2011

Here is some photographic proof of our visit to Boy's Town.

Pepper, Father Flanagan, and the Boys Monument at Boy's Town

Pepper with Boy's Town Statue "He's not heavy he's my brother "

Catholic Chapel at Boy's Town

Omaha ha ha

On Sunday July 24, 2011 Pepper Bear, Mary Ellen and I stayed at one of the La Quinta Inns at the St Louis Airport in Hazelwood, MO. We were tired and had a hard time finding a place to eat. We finally broke down and ate at a Longhorn Steakhouse (chain restaurant) so there will be no description of the meal. I will comment is  that this was our second visit to this chain while traveling this year and both turned out to be very satisfactory. However both were little rich for our budget running about $60 tip included which I rate as $$$. There are no pictures from our travels to and in St Louis.

Pepper Bear's Route on July 24 and 25, 2011

On Monday July 25, 2011 we traveled from St Louis, MO to Omaha, NE.  It was a long day made longer by an unexpected detour. As we approached Omaha we were forced to leave our intended route by a Missouri River flood. Interstate 29 was flooded and at Rockport, MO we were forced to detour through Tarkio, MO and Council Bluffs, IA on US and State Highways to get to our destination.

Missouri River Flooding at Rockport, MO July 25,  2011

There were some very nice houses in Tarkio which made us wonder why.  An internet search later showed it was the home of Tarkio College from 1883 to 1992. Tarkio College suffered a bankruptcy in 1992. Sorry but we were hurrying and took no pictures.