Western Hospitality

Still Saturday September 11. The lady (Karyn) told me that her "no" light wasn't working on her Vacancy sign and she didn't have a room. I asked her if she had a laundry room or a shed I could sleep in. I told her that I didn't want to ride in the dark, on roads I was unfamiliar with and with animals about. She was very helpful, and tried to phone other motels in the area, but they were all booked up. She heard my desperation, and said "Let me see what I can do" and went into the next room, which was a bar/restaurant. She came back about five minutes later and said 'there is a lady in there who will take you home with her.' She explained that the lady was a good friend of hers and would let me stay at her place. 

She took me in to introduce me to her. The lady, didn't say hello, she just said, "I have a gun and I know how to use it!" I said, "I'm Canadian and I don't have a gun!" She said she was just having dinner and a drink with friends and she'd leave in about an hour. She told me to relax and have a drink.

I was very happy to have the accommodation solved, and with nothing to do for an hour, I ordered dinner too. The restaurant is very quaint and the food was delicious. While eating, I talked to another guest and the owner (Michael) of the place. After we had all eaten, I told Michael to put my saviour's (Cheri) meal on my bill.

When she was ready she asked if I wanted to follow her or go in her car. I asked her 'where are we going? and are there dirt roads.' She answered yes to dirt roads and said it was about six miles away. So I decided that I'd leave my bike at the motel. So Cheri drove me six or seven miles to I don't know where (somewhere in Star Valley) and told me I could sleep in the finished basement!

Now that's hospitality. She lives alone and she doesn't know me. On my part, I don't know her, have no idea where she has taken me, left my bike at the motel and have no idea how to get back to it!!

However, I slept well, I hope Cheri did too.

The next morning Cheri and I enjoyed a cup of coffee and she asked me about myself and my trip. Then she drove me back to the Nordic Inn. I thanked her profusely and took a photo of her there. I went inside to have breakfast in the restaurant. As soon as I walked in, Karyn told all the people in there about my adventures of last night. Everyone had a good laugh. There was a large family group, who had come to the area from Georgia, in order to pay their last respects to their brother who passed on last year. He was a motorcycle rider too and one of his favourite places was Yellowstone. They were very interested in my adventures on the bike and asked me lots of questions. They were all posing on the front lawn for a group photo and asked if I would take it for them. I did, and took one on my camera too. Then they put me in the middle of their family group and took another! Lots of fun.

Karyn, her mother Ann, her brother Michael and the chef are the ultimate snow birds. Instead of wintering in Florida or Arizona, they winter in New Zealand!

This was one of the most interesting adventures of this whole trip. They were wonderful people and it makes you realize that there are still lots of good people out there.