Tag: america

adventure

Unplanned

2chicksandapen

I had breakfast today in West Yellowstone, Montana. Opted to hit the road to visit the famous Grand Tetons in Wyoming. Due to road closures this time of year I took the path less traveled. That meant I had lunch in Idaho and dinner in Wyoming! How much fun is that for a day? I also tried some new snacks: bison jerky and elk sticks. Pretty adventurous for me.

The ride out of Yellowstone put me in the forest so to speak. Trees, wildlife and wide open spaces. I loved it. Before I knew it I was in Idaho. Never been to Idaho so I was looking forward to the brief experience.

As the morning progressed the scenery did not disappoint. From the vacant roadway with the sun shining perfectly to accent to the sky to the view of the Tetons in the distance. This drive I would definitely recommend on a clear day like I had. Farmland galore. Oh all the potatoes hail from Idaho.

The time seemed to pass as I snapped a million photos and made pit stops along the way to enjoy the prestigious views all around. Before I knew it, Wyoming was in sight. A little climb over a mountain but what a spectacular view at the top. It’s hard to read the song in the photo but it stays Howdy Stranger, yonder is Jackson Hole, the last of the old west. Pretty cool sign in my opinion.

The down hill descent was steep. Not going to lie. I would not want to do that downhill trek in inclement weather! As I dumped into the town of Jackson I met some swans by the elk refuge center. No elk today but the swans were entertaining enough. The land reserved for the elk was huge to say the least.

Just a short drive beyond the town was the entrance to the Grand Tetons. What a special place to visit. Every camera angle captured a unique view of the scenic landscape. Words and photos don’t do any justice to the lived experience but I will share a few of my favorite shots.

The reflection of the trees and the peaks were simply amazing. The water was clear as can be. The air was fresh and crisp as it was in the 30 degree temps range on this day. It wasn’t super busy on this day therefore there was peaceful quiet at each viewing point. It seemed like I had the entire wilderness to myself. The trip back was a little hurried as snowfall was on the horizon. I had to beat the snow and ice conditions as the sun went down. And believe it or not the sun is down by around 5 pm and the darkness creeps in just before 6 pm. 

I sincerely hope you enjoyed this clip from my travel journal. I would definitely encourage a trip to see the Tetons, if you can.

Off to continue living my best life on the road.

perspective

Voting

2chicksandapen

Voting is kind of a big deal to me.

Don’t get me wrong…I hate the politics, the mud slinging, and the animosity. The ads, the flyers in the mail, and all that other garbage isn’t my thing. Still, I get a little choked up when we stand in line and wait our turn to cast our ballots. My parents taught me it was a big deal. I’m not perfect in voting in runoffs and other local things, but I do show up for many voting opportunities.

This time around, we’ve already been inundated with media about long lines and voting issues. I opened the “wait times” webpage for my county on the first day of early voting. The first day had the lines at 7 hours at one polling place! My husband got it in on the third or fourth day. When I saw “15 minutes” one Friday after work, I pointed my car in that direction.

It was a beautiful fall afternoon. A bit of chill and breeze in the air. People waited in a long line that stretched around the fairgrounds. Everyone had masks on. People gave each other space. The man in front of me had scrubs on and had his wife and small kids in tow. People brought lawn chairs just in case. It was peaceful. The line moved along. People of different races, different backgrounds, different experiences and belief systems. We all just waited our turn.

Clipboard man came out with armloads of 10 at a time. Instructions were shouted. People followed along. No drama, no fisticuffs. A sharp contrast from the mutiny and anger we see in the news. I will say there were several armed officers standing by. Hopefully they were not the cause for the calm. An insurance policy I’d hope we would never need.

I waited maybe 30 minutes. We moved through the stations quickly. The poll workers were as diverse as the line waiting. All ages, genders, races. People I wouldn’t envision sitting together at a restaurant table or bar working in concert, communicating, even laughing. Filling a role to keep this democracy thing going.

I got my card and my “voting stylus” – a new pandemic souvenir. I voted. I scanned my ballot, which I don’t remember doing before. I took my sticker. Almost 10,000 votes had already been cast at that one voting place in day 5 of early voting.

I guess I’m just nostalgic, but my chest swells when I think that I get a voice in making these decisions, and my voice is just as important as any other. There are always problems. Voter suppression. Intimidation. I’m not naive enough to think there aren’t people actively trying to undermine something so important, powerful, and influential. But for the moment, I am celebrating the fact that I get to play a role in the process.

If you can, VOTE! And tell the people that matter to you to do it, too.