On Saturday morning I walk to the grocery store around the corner of the hostel. I don’t know if it’s because of inflation or that it’s a local supermarket, but I notice that prices seem a lot higher than last year. I’m glad that the dollar is so low compared to the euro at the moment, that compensates it again.
I get the usual things for breakfast and walk back to the hostel. After breakfast I look up where some good coffee places are nearby and I find Bird Rock Coffee and Moniker nearby. Bird Rock doesn’t have much place to sit, so I walk further to Moniker. It’s a nice hip coffee place and I decide to sit down for a while.
People
Extra day in Montana and visiting friends in Idaho
I’m always a bit sad to leave grandma and the beautiful mountains of Montana, but it’s not too bad this time. I’m mainly thankful for the lovely days we had together. I drive south to Yellowstone and arrive there in the beginning of the afternoon. I enjoy seeing the bizons along the road again and the geysers. I drive to Old Faithful, the biggest geyser in the middle of the park, and arrive there just in time to see it irrupt. I like how the timing of my traveling is so often perfect.
Happy days with grandma
The drive of today is pretty smooth. Some snow here and there, but no more storms. I make a stop at West Yellowstone, but I don’t go into the park, since several roads are still closed for the season. I drive further to Montana and arrive at my grandma’s house around six in the evening.
When she sees my car driving into the driveway, she waits on me with a big sign ‘Welcome Edwin’. I greet her with a big hug and am glad I made the 3000 mile drive all the way up here to Montana.
Good times with American friends
The days with Amy and Wes are very relaxed and we have a nice time together. I think they are the perfect example of real American kindness. We’ve been friends for several years and I can always stay at their house when I’m in the neighborhood. They treat me like family.
My favorite place in America
Last night my friend Ana, who lives in this area, texted me and told me that she’ll be working at the office in Ouray and I’m welcome to join her. Ouray is a small town on the other side of the mountains, about an hour away from Telluride. After a relaxed beginning of the day in the car, watching the sun rise over the mountains and having breakfast, I drive to Ouray. I’ve driven this road a few times before and know it quite well by now. They call this area the Swiss of America and it’s not hard to see why. Everywhere are beautiful mountains.
Fun days with the Huffords
When I’m at the Hufford’s house, I’m always treated as one of the family. We hang around at the house, eat together, play games and just have a fun time. I take care of the supply of ice cream and also cook a meal here and there. Even though the two oldest girls of the family have moved out to their own house last year, they still stop by every day to spend time with their family. Everyone here is really close with each other and that’s very nice.
Happy days with grandma
The days with grandma are always very relaxed, I’m quite at home at her place. In the mornings I work a few hours before she gets up and then we usually have breakfast together. Some days we go to the coffee place Vanilla Bean for breakfast, coffee or a game of Scrabble. Most evenings we watch our favorite comedy show ‘Last Man Standing’ until bedtime. The days fill themselves with several fun activities.
Visiting grandma
I wake up early, still feeling a bit tired from last night. Outside I can hear birds and squirrels around the tent. I go outside and break down my tent. Thankfully now at the third time I manage to pack the tent in one go. When the tent is in the bag I see a strip on the bottom of the back with the text “Remove to expand bag”. I laugh and wonder why I hadn’t noticed that before.
A day of catching up with friends
I wake up by the alarm at 5am, get dressed and drive to a local Starbucks to post a blog and check my e-mail. In the parking lot I enjoy my breakfast with a view of the mountains before I get go inside to get my coffee. There are friendly baristas and I talk with them for a while. One of the girls recommends me to go to Pikes Peak.
Fun days in Telluride
Monday morning starts relaxed. I have a quick breakfast with my friend Ana and then we drive both to downtown Telluride. She goes to her office and I go to a coffee place.