Yellowstone

I forgot to mention that before we got to the Ranch we had just left our friends Cory and Jackie and had made our way to Jackson Hole via Yellowstone National Park. What a spectacular place. You could spend a week exploring and enjoying this slice of heaven. Herds of buffalo roam the planes and elk and cayotes can be seen from the roadside. Our favorate view so far was "Artists Point" the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Of course we did have to share it with hoards of other people, but that's OK. However, we were asked to leave by a ranger because dogs were not allowed to enjoy the view, even though Lily was on a lead. Still, Lily insisted on having her picture taken before she left! We'll be back

Spring Creek Ranch

Well my wonderful wife...the barter queen, has done it again. It turns out one of our brides to be is a PR exec for an upscale ranch and spa in Jackson Hole Wyoming. It also turns out the ranch is in need of new pictures. Soooo it looks like in exchange for photo services we get to stay for four days, food and booze and spa services included. Needless to say we've given up the Airstream for four days while we relax with a log home with a view!! Lily approves! There's about seventy horses on the ranch and they all come up to say hi when we get to the fence.

Pictures from Sundays Ride

This was taken just over the top of the Beartooth Highway in Wyoming

Time to Ride

Sorry I haven't posted anything for a couple of days...we relocated our trailer to Paradise Valley just south of Livingston Montana. Yes there's a reason it's called "Paradise" it's just gorgeous. There we met up with some friends, Jackie and Cori, from Naples who are out here for the summer.

However, today I had the best "single" motorcycle ride to date. I started off from Livingston and rode I-90 for about 80 miles and then took off Rt78 towards a town called Red Lodge (I think) I rode through unbeleivable countryside...for my Brit friends...it was like a mixture of the Yorkshire dales and Exmoor, throw in some Lake district..then enlrge the scale about five times and multiply that by 100...well, needless to say I found it to be stunning, but in a slightly bleak kind of way. The grassland is parched this time of the year, but it covers the valley floor and foothills like a carpet. The road was made for my beautiful Beemer, long sweeping turns on perfect roads, no potholes or frost heaves, no traffic whatsoever. I was as high as a kite!

When I got into Red Lodge I filled up the bike with gas and chatted with a couple of Harley guys who were riding in the area. They gave me a few pointers and then I set out over the Beartooth pass. It is a combination of switchbacks and straightaways that climb up over the mountains at about 11500 feet. I had to keep my wits about me because of the traffic and the gravel on the road, but I was rewarded when I came down over the other side of the mountain range in Wyoming. It was like something out of a movie...lush high mountain pastures and lakes dotted with pines forests, more sweeping roads and Yellowstone National Park in my sights.

Yellowstone is everything and more than what I expected. Simply beautifuly majestic, and staggeringly beautiful. Buffalo grazing in herds in the open planes, deer and cayotes within eyeshot of the road. I had to pinch myself to prove that I was actually there.

By this time I was about 250 miles into my 300 miles day, so I was ready for home. I ponted my trusty steed Northwards and cruised along the side of the river for about twenty miles. I felt like I was riding in a scene from "A River Runs Through It"

I got home knowing I had just had one of the best riding days of my life...the only thing that would have made it better would have been to have my riding buddies Bruce and Nils with me!

Sorry for the rough post, we just got back from dinner and I wanted to get something down before another day passes!!! Pictures to come.

Moved in with our clients

Well, we arrived at our clients log cabin, it's just a small place, a little home from home...NOT! Talk about stunning. The outside is gorgeous but the inside is absolutely beautiful. Hey, we could have one for just $11,000,000. We have the little guest house all to ourselves, and we've already taken advantage of the two person jakoozi.
Yesterday the Yellowstone club was throwing an event for the members, they had fly fishing, horse back riding, games, paint ball and archery also they had organized for some bears to be available, just to add a little authenticity to the place! they were tame and you could get to within a few feet. It was very cool.
Tomorrow we're all going fly fishing, well, at least the family will be. Jan and I will be photographing them, but we'll probably be able to have a go if we want.

We're there!

Well we finally made it to our destination. The Yellowstone club in Montana. The trip was huge, but worth it. The natural beauty is really beyond words, the scale is overwhelming almost too much to take in. As we drove through Wyoming I was blown away by the scale of the State. Mile after mile of wilderness for as far as the eyes can see. I've never seen anything like it, and when we got to the Grnd Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park, well once more I was stuck for words. It's not possible to capture the scale of the beauty with a camera, but I'm going to give it a damn good try.

We've got a busy couple of days coming up, so I'm not sure what I'll be able to add to the blog, but I'll try.

We Made it to Yellowstone

3300 miles later and we're in Yellowstone

Mason Texas

Ok so, this may seem all pretty uneventful so far...that's because it is! We've been blasting along in the BAV trying to get to our destination, Montana, by the 19th so we can work with our Massachusetts clents and then take ten days or so just relaxing in the glorious scenery of Montana and Wyoming.

So far we've done a little over 2000 miles with 950 of them just being in Texas. Let me say just one thing ...Texas is BIG...VERY BIG!. Also we're not really seeing it at it's best. It's hot and dry and...err did I mention it's hot! From what we saw from the road Texas does is not "calling" us.

We stopped overnight to see some friends, Richard and Sally Taylor. Great hosts. They bought their own slice of paradise, a 850 acre ranch. They began work onit three years ago, trying to undo the damage settlers and ranchers have done over the last 120 years. They've cleared a lot of the land from invasive species such as the nasty Juniper bushes that have taken hold. Since their work began they've already seen changes to the ecosystem and wildlife. Pretty impressive stuff for such a short period of time! Hey, it's all I can do to get rid of the weeds on my little property!

One of the coolest thing we saw at Richard and Sally's was Tex a big ass texas Longhorn steer!! He's become the family pet and comes to visit regularly and expects to be fed. Of course he's never dissapointed!

Texas in our sights!

Well Jan and Lily found some quality time together....mother and daughter doing just fine

Texas!

Well, after a stop in Pensacola, so Lily could swim in the Gulf and dodge aligators, we also stopped by to see Jan's cousin Erin, and her husband. Then we headed out for Texas. We're at about 1100 miles into our trip so far, next stop is Mason Texas to see our friend Richard & Sally.

We're on the Road!!

Finally, after all our hard work the moment has passed us by, where we actually closed the doors to the house in Naples and climbed aboard our BAV (big ass van), towed our old Airstream trailer and headed out on our summer "adventure"

The first leg of the trip is going to be pretty uneventful, just to get out of Florida via Rt 75 and Rt 10 is about ten hours. We only managed to get five hours under our belt yesterday and we plan a stop at Jan's cousins in Pensacola tonight. Then we head off towards Texas!!!

Well, we've got a lot packed away and the Airstream is looking pretty good . I did a lot of work in the bathroom, put in a new counter top, plus I refinished the bathtub and sink. Also new lights, a fresh coat of paint, refinished doors and a new shower curtain! Well worth the effort. Jan has been frantically dealing with clients and making sure they all get their invoices! Right now she's out getting some provisions for the road trip. We think it'll take about a week to get to Big Sky Montana.

This is going to be a short entry because after all this preparation of the Airstream, the business, packing up the photo gear and equipment, plus getting the house ready for hurricane season, well, needless to say we're both knackered!!

Here's a photo of Lily wondering what all the fuss is about and trying to figure out the best place to sleep while she's away...you could say she's going to "Havanese trip"

I can't believe how long it's taken us to get on the road! Clients are coming out of the woodwork...some we haven't heard from for a year. It almost seems as though there's a conspiracy to keep us in Naples. Anyway, at least each day we're getting closer. I loaded the bike into the van last night. Not an easy process, but one that I will no doubt get better at as time goes on! practice...practice...practice. Next is to load up the Airstream, now that should be fun!