Meanwhile back at the ranch : Wyoming and Montana

Mike picked me up at the airport after Iceland on July 4th.  We headed straight over to his sister's for the family party... Didn't quite make it until fireworks time.  Sleep took precedence.  We spent the next week in Utah, and got to see the kids and grandkids a couple more times. 

Fishing with Eli and Jaxon

I agreed to work nights, so that worked out.  Kept my body on European time, and kept my days open to visit, and still fit in 8 hours of sleep in the 24 hours period...  Just not when Mike slept.  

WYOMING 

Then we headed up to Wyoming.  Although Mike had been in the RV 2 months by now, I  kind of felt like this was our first few days of RV life, since I had been travelling so much.

We spent the week in Star Valley when we used to live.  So it was fun being in familiar territory, and seeing some friends.  I had dinner with Lila, but failed to get a photo.

Star Valley Ranch RV park was a lot of fun.  Beautiful park, lots of activities.  Mike and I joined in the card game a couple of nights.  Unfortunately because of the exceptional snow year they had, the rivers were still booming, and Mike couldn't fish any of his favorite spots.  He did find some area on Tin cup, in Idaho, but overall pretty disappointing fishing.  But I must say it was fantastic to see Palisades reservoir so full!. Last year it looked like a puddle.  Such a beautiful lake!

We also had the chance to visit an alpaca friend in Lava Hot Springs (own "the Alpaca Inn") on our way in, and as we left Star Valley we caught up with other alpaca friends for lunch in Idaho Falls.  Feeling the love!

MONTANA 

Next we headed up to Montana.

 As many of you may know we had wanted to move to Montana.  I particularly love Bozeman.  We intended to spend a month in Bozeman....  Well fate has its own plan.

Surprise #1 of living in an RV.  You think you can be spontaneous, but this lifestyle is becoming so popular that if you don't plan pretty far ahead you will not get reservations.  And with as hot as it's been all over, we didn't want to risk boondocking (parking for free out in the middle of nowhere without hook-ups) and not having air conditioning.

Bozeman was sold out!  Mike is mainly on a fishing quest, and I of course am working, so not too picky about location.  We went to Dillon, Montana for a week.  The RV park (Countryside) was very pleasant, not many trees, but it was  green, quiet, and comfortable.

Unfortunately, again the fishing proved to be less than ideal.  The water was high, the weather was hot (In Montana they don't allow fishing when the weather is hot), and access was surprisingly restricted.  Mike has stated seriously thinking of getting a float boat.... But where to put it in the RV? 

I talked Mike into going closer to Bozeman so the next week we went to Alder, My.. Just outside of Ennis..  Another dream living spot of Mike's.

The RV park in Alder is a converted KOA.  Pretty run down.  But the proprietor was great... We wouldn't hesitate staying there again.  While there we poked around Ennis and Virginia City, and old Western historic town, and did get into Bozeman for one day.  In Bozeman we visited some square dance friends that moved up here from Colorado a couple of years ago, did some shopping, refreshed our memory of the town, and stopped over in Livingston... Another town Mike keeps suggesting we consider.  It was a nice day.  Mike did get a couple of decent fishing days in Alder... But nothing spectacular.

Just outside of Adler MT in the town of Twin Bridges, we passed the Winston Fly Rod Company.  We called and found out that if we timed it right we could go on the tour.  Of COURSE we timed it right.  This was very interesting.

From Alder, we went to Missoula for the month of August...  That perhaps will be my next post.