Kevin B Parsons: 50 States, Day 33

Day 33, Jackson to Grand Tetons, Yellowstone. 149 miles

"Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out."

~Robert Collier

Okay, I'm a city slicker. We're parked behind two other bikes, waiting for buffalo to cross the highway. The other two bikes turned around and took off. A buffalo ambled toward us.

"Do buffalo charge?" I asked QG in the intecorm.

"I don't know. He seems pretty docile." She clicked off a shot.

He stared at me with his one eye on the side of his head. Hope the eagle on the fairing doesn't antagonize him! We sat still and waited.

He ambled on by.

We mentioned it to the motel managers and they relayed a story of a photographer whose car was charged by a herd of stampeding buffalo! They ran right over her car.

Sheesh!

They qualified it with it's the only time anyone has heard of that.

"Good buffalo."

We set out this morning and stopped in Jackson for vittles (that's Wyoming talk for groceries). Riding through town, I must say it's just too snotty for me. Sushi places joslted with artsy joints for the buyers' attentions. How many sushi places does it take...?

The marketing committee that named the Grand Tetons nailed it. They are grand! The mountains are unusual because they jut right out of the prairie- no foothills. And those rugged peaks, yeah baby!

We stopped at a lake and soaked up the view. A boat sidled up to the dock and Dad and two boys exited with the captain, who proceeded to clean six nice sized trout. It almost made me want to fish. Almost. But the awesome view, with the sound of an outboard motor, the boats skimming across the lake with their wake veeing out behind them, very nice indeed.

Back on the Honda- oops, (PP!) Honda. Too late. Someone ran from their computer and bought one, I just know it. Sorry! I'll try to get my Product Placement warnings in earlier. We rode out of Grand Teton territory and into Yellowstone.

First let me say this; The government screwed up. They shouldn't have made the Tetons so close to Yellowstone. They compete with each other! Anyone who knows marketing relaizes they should have put the Grand Tetons in the Southeast corner of Wyoming. Leave it to the government to botch that up.

While the Grand Tetons delight the eye from anywhere, Yellowstone's focal points hide away from the road. Drive in a bit and see a geyser. A beautiful canyon with the Snake River lies off the pavement.

We ate lunch in the cafeteria looking onto Old Faithful, and that is another great marketing name. It blew, just like it was supposed to. Which is good, because between the prices and the service, the geyser won hands down.

Back on the bike and head to West Yellowstone. Buffalo everywhere.