Dubois to Sundance

Photos.

Wind River

Yesterday morning we couldn't tear ourselves away from Senator John McCain's funeral at the National Cathedral. We finally got on the road after President Obama's eulogy. We felt sad but inspired driving off into the sunshine.
Our route led us along the Wind River, well known to Bob because of the movie by the same name. Soon we were in a canyon, surrounded by rocky cliffs. We got to an altitude of 9500 feet or so, and by the time we reached the summit, the temperature had dropped from the 80s to about 60F. The views were exhilarating.

We went through a lot of small towns, including Thermopolis, a place I've seen on a map but never visited. As we left town, I saw a group of people lolling  -- a bit like cattle, it seemed -- in a pair of square hot pools, located to our right, not too far from the highway. The steam rose from turquoise pools. Quite a sight, but I was so mesmerized that I missed the shot.

It took a long time to reach I90 in Buffalo and it was damn hot by the time we stopped at our last rest stop. I drove the final 100 miles or so in very light traffic.

We stopped for the night in Sundance, made famous by the Robert Redford/Paul Newman movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It's a small western town, friendly and quiet. I had talked to Toni at the front desk of Best Western (the only property recommended by AAA) earlier in the afternoon when I reserved a room for the night. She greeted me like an old friend when we checked in. The hotel is under renovation, the carpeting and other furnishings are fresh and new.

Later on, we had dinner the Longhorn Saloon & Grill recommended by Toni. The establishment was full of locals and visitors. The drinks were cheap (scotch for Bob, pretty good merlot for me) and so was the food: pulled pork sandwich for Bob, steak tip salad for me. The steak tips were rare, as ordered, and so good that I almost wished I had ordered a steak.

Slept quite well in our large room. This morning the sun is shining in a marian blue sky.