DAY 4 Rainy Drive to Idaho

Have you ever wondered what life would be like if everyday was sunny and bright and the temperature was perfect? We would all wish that indeed life would be better this way! But would it really be better? Some one said that “in each life some rain must fall; some days must be sad, dark and dreary ….” I agree! I think life would be boring without all these weather changes and life would be monotonous if we do not encounter any challenges at all. We would all succumb to a lackadaisical behavior. Just my personal opinion.

Today, we checked out of our hotel and were all excited to go visit the first US National Park – Yellowstone. Checking my cell phone’s weather app, I notified my traveling companions that we would be expecting inclement weather on our way to Idaho where we booked our accommodation. After almost five hours driving, we arrived Island Park, Idaho. What greeted us was a beautiful two story log house located in the wilderness of about 28 miles outside of Yellowstone National Park.

But let me share with you how our day started.

We went looking for McDonald’s to get some breakfast and coffee. Of course, Google Maps was again our guide to help us get to our destination. However, like what happened previously, the app took us around the city again before we finally found McD. By then, the rain started to get stronger. We were all cranky as we all wanted our caffeine fix. The place did not have dining-in so we had to drive thru. Ordering was another challenge as the McDonald “intake specialist” keeps getting our orders mixed up! After carefully repeating our order (the fourth or fifth time) he finally got it (except for my black coffee order). We scarfed down our greasy sandwiches and continued our wet drive to the Potato State.

Our drive was interspersed with drizzle and downpour accompanied with some lightning. This went on for hours. Not a peak of sunshine occurred even for a second. We initially wanted to go straight to Yellowstone but after checking my app showing 50-80% chance of rain, I suggested we go directly to our cabin. I took a vote and the majority passed to visit the park tomorrow instead. After an agonizingly slow bumpy ride on a dirt road, we reached this beautiful house nestled in a copse. It was only 3:34PM and check-in was at 4:00PM but I had the code for the key lockbox so I decided to go open the house. Hesitatingly, I beckoned for my companions to unload and bring our luggage and groceries inside.

After a back breaking 15 minutes unloading our stuff, I received a call from the rental office and instructed us not to go inside. Too late! We were already inside and unpacked! She told me that she cannot allow us to use the unit as the cleaning people discovered a BEDBUG in one of the bedrooms downstairs! She gave us an option – move to another unit which is about 7 miles further and we get reimbursed a portion of the rental fee, or get fully reimbursed and find another hotel or VRBO (similar to AirBnB) somewhere! Are you kidding me! All the hotels are fully booked and so are the VRBO/AirBnB rentals! We had no other option.

The senior citizens again loaded the tons of luggage and groceries back in the van and we proceeded to the new place. We arrived but found the place was not ready yet. Three beautiful sisters (one of them with a one month old infant in a sling across her chest) were furiously trying to finish the clean up. After a half hour (the rain was really pouring at this time and temperature was dipping), the “Tres Marias” finished and hastily left before I could ask them what to do with six large bags of trash left in front of the house! We are in an area where bears normally go foraging for food whether in the trash bins or inside the house.

I tried to call the reservation office but went directly into voicemail! As soon as I hung up, a large Chevy SUV came barreling into the gravel driveway. Before we can ask him who he was he handed us a scouring sponge for the dishes then collected all the trash and placed them in his vehicle. Then he went inside to replace a couple of burned out ceiling bulbs. Nice guy, I wish he could speak more!

Whew! What a day it was but nothing a couple of bottles of vino could not fix