I failed to get a picture of the father/ daughter pair we had met Monday night at the Pizza Barn, but when I was beginning to load our car, I noticed a car with Massachusetts plates was in the parking lot and had a hunch it belonged to the Sheaffers. Sure enough, they were having breakfast in the motel and agreed to let me photograph them.Though I gave them my email address and website, I’ve not heard from either of them, and perhaps I never shall. In fact, I don’t know if they are real people or not. Sometimes God puts persons in our lives to accomplish his will and sometimes we entertain angels unaware. I met them on the night before my birthday, and I had a wonderful time talking to them and getting to know them. I think our encounter was more than happenstance. I think meeting them was perhaps a birthday “happy” sent from God.
We left Elko, NV, driving toward Jackson, WY, by way of Twin Falls, Idaho. There may be regions in Nevada, less desolate than those parts we saw, but neither of us ever wants to spend much time in the Nevada deserts. And, as we drove further east and north, the landscapes had more green about them and we could appreciate the beauty more so than the arid look of the dessert landscapes.
The Snake River was one of the more beautiful of the unexpected sights we found on our trip. I forget the exact spot, but I believe we were in Utah when we drove across a great chasm with the Snake River flowing a few hundred feet below us. We would follow alongside this magnificent river many more times this August day and its beauty was striking whether in a gentle bend along a smooth plain or beside a rugged mountain.
Nearing Jackson, Wyoming, we ran into a light rain, which made the mountain drive seem even more treacherous, and the “Slippery When Wet” road signs offered no comfort. But, we made it to our motel without incident.
Of all the motels we stayed in during our two-week road trip, the Motel 6 in Jackson, WY was the most expensive and had the least amenities. Wireless Internet was an additional charge of $3.17 per day. We were unable to secure a downstairs room, and the motel offered no elevator service to the second floor. The room itself was recently remodeled, though somewhat cramped and had no bathtub, only a shower. The only personal provisions were soap, face cloths and towels, and did not include shampoo or conditioner. If there were facial tissues we never found them. Neither did we have a small refrigerator, microwave or coffeemaker.
Oh, we could have stayed in a nearby Comfort Inn for $211.00, but the Motel 6 and all it didn’t offer was half the price.
In my career with SUPERVALU, I have stayed in some no-frills motels that offered no more than coffee and doughnuts for the “continental breakfast,” but this one offered only coffee, in the lobby.
After huffing and puffing up and down the stairs while unloading our luggage from the car and getting it to our room, I was ready for my birthday dinner.
The first restaurant we decided to eat at had a waiting list of forty-five minutes to an hour, so we drove a short distance up the highway to The Gun Barrel Restaurant and Lounge. We were seated almost immediately, and they were packed with customers.
Given a choice, I seldom order prime rib. I’ve eaten it lots of times at banquets, but I’m somewhat old-fashioned in that I like my rib eyes grilled not roasted. However, I didn’t want lamb or buffalo (other menu options) and the New York Strip was a much larger portion than I could consume, so I ordered the smallest cut of prime rib on the menu (8 oz. or 10 oz., unsure which it was). Barbara had pork medallions, and had I been able to see a plate of them before I ordered the prime rib, I might have chosen differently. However, both our dinners were delicious.
My sixty-eighth birthday will be remembered not for the meal itself, though it was good, and not for one of the ones enjoyed alone with my wife, but for being the one celebrated the greatest distance from home.
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