I had considered booking a reservation at a different hotel in town, a place that costs $1,000 a night. I figured we'd be here only one night so it might be nice to stay at a really swanky place. But when I figured out we would get to the hotel around 9 PM and be out first thing in the morning to drive to Yellowstone, it seemed sort of foolish and unnecessary to spend that kind of money for such a short period of time. I'm sure some reading this blog will think it's stupid to spend that kind of money for one night at a hotel EVER, but I'm of the mind set that you only live once. The older I get, the more I understand that concept. The Snow King Lodge, however, is a much more reasonably priced resort.
The first photo is the view from the front steps of the Snow King Lodge in Jackson, Wyoming. I crawled out of bed while my husband was still sleeping, tugged on my clothes from yesterday, pawed around on the night stand to find the room key, grabbed my camera and quietly slipped out the door.
The sun is just coming up. I'd guess it's in the high 40s, pretty brisk. I stood outside for about 10 minutes before I began to shiver.
I can't say much about the food at Snow King. You've got your buffalo and tenderloin, mashed potatoes and gravy, not to mention chicken noodle soup. I ordered a shrimp cocktail for dinner because I wasn't very hungry. The dish that appeared before me was a bit astonishing. While they aren't bay shrimp, they're certainly not cocktail shrimp.
My husband was a little surprised, too. He had ordered a local beer on tap, and the thing that pumps out the beer had broken, so he was served a glass half full. I had requested a martini, which sat at the counter and turned warm while the service staff fumbled around doing something else. The Bears were on TV, and I think they won, so that made my husband happy. He's not really a football fan but being from Chicago, he roots for Da Bears, which he enunciates with that Chicagoan accent, emphasis on "da" and a drop in voice on "bears."
Today we drive to Yellowstone National Park. It's about a four-hour trip, I think, with stops to shoot photos. I wish I could share photos with you along the way and through the park itself, but I am afraid there is no Internet connection in Yellowstone. Strange as it may seem -- and as addicted as I am to being online 24 / 7 -- being away from a computer will be a welcome relief.
My team is busy back in Sacramento, taking care of business for me.I saw a flurry of emails come over my BlackBerry yesterday. I know, for example, that one of my Sacramento short sale sellers received an offer last night, and my very capable team member, Linda Swanson, is working on it. That really gives me peace of mind. I should have taken on a team member years ago. I would have enjoyed my vacations more. Because, like it or not, we only go around once.
Photos: Elizabeth Weintraub
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