Jackson Hole, Wyoming—June 23, 2024

Yesterday we drove from Colorado National Monument about 170 miles northwest to Dutch John, Utah, where we camped in Mustang Ridge Campground. Mustang Ridge is on a high desert bluff above Flaming Gorge Reservoir. If you decide to peruse a map of Utah, Flaming Gorge Reservoir is at the far northeastern corner. We did take some pictures before we left Colorado National Monument yesterday morning:

Today we drove to Jackson Hole where we have a VRBO condo rented for the next four nights. Unfortunately, when we arrived we found out the parking is very tight and oversized vehicles are not allowed (it was probably in the fine print). There was absolutely no place to park. Called the rental company and the guy who answered had zero idea of what we should do. Panic time. So, since we couldn’t park we headed back out the way we came.

As we were driving down the street we saw a woman in front of her house getting ready to take her dog for a walk. It was a cute dog—a springer spaniel, I think? All chocolate and vanilla with liquid brown eyes. Doug said, “I’m going to get out and ask her if we can offer to pay to leave this albatross in her driveway” (he did not say albatross, but that’s the word that came to my mind). I screeched, “Are you crazy? She isn’t going to let us do that!” So, I sat in the car pretending I was invisible while Doug got out and asked her. Her name was Judy and she has an interior design firm downtown. Judy said, “Sure!” She even felt sorry for us. I finally had to get out and overcome my feelings of complete and utter embarrassment at the idea of asking a complete stranger if we could park a huge white van in her driveway for four days. Heavens!

Judy was nice enough to offer to drive us downtown or anywhere we needed to go, but we decided that she had already done quite enough. So, we drove Vanna to airport, where we rented a Subaru Forester. Then we drove back to Judy’s house and parked Vanna in the big turn-around. And there Vanna sits for the next four nights while we have a lightened load with the Forester. I was completely done in after all of that, so I took a very long shower, washed and dried my hair, took two Tylenol and had to lie down for a bit.

Today driving up through Wyoming we saw several animal crossings. They are like a bridge or overpass over the highway, but they are for animals, not cars. To entice the animals to use the bridge (path?) they lay sod, plant greenery and fence the sides. On the road we were on every year thousands of Pronghorn and other animals migrate north and south a distance of about 150 miles between Grand Teton National Park and upper Green River Basin. There are animal crossings like this in several states. I didn’t know there was such a thing. Also, I have to wonder how the animals find the crossings?

So Vanna is safe and we took the Forester to town for dinner. (I’m not sure why my hand is in a fist looking like I am about to punch Doug).

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