Highlights

Some of the best moments from my trip:

Dancing the two-step to great country music at the Grizzly Rose with a bear

Touring the Coors Brewery

Waking up in Craters of the Moon

Buying "cheese" in Denver

After hours drinks at the bar with the friendly staff of Buck's in Big Sky

Apologizing to Avis for the obscene amount of dead bugs on the car windshield

Rocco the Cuddlepuss

Wild Horses Monument

In central Washington

A very loud jet:

Back in Seattle

Total Mileage from my trip...

About 4,800 miles :o

DQ

Apparently Dairy Queen (at least the one here in Ellensburg, WA) stopped carrying chocolate ice cream over a year ago. Crazy, right?? I couldn't believe it. The sales girl said she could add chocolate syrup to vanilla ice cream. 

Texas Roadhouse

Steak and beer at Texas Roadhouse in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. I came here for the music, but turns out the food is pretty good. 

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

There is a grassy park, a beach, parasailing, kayaking, paddle boarding and pedal boating. And if you are so inclined, you can hop in a seaplane for a scenic flight. Also, there are lots of bros playing frisbee. 

Apparently there is some kind of Iron Man thing going on today as well. Behind me are a hundred of people singing the national anthem. 

Bozeman, Montana

Of course I went to Wild Joe's for some coffee in Bozeman :) Now walking around, checking out Main Street again (I was here last August) and Montana State University. 

It's about 90 degrees at 11:30am... So hot! Some thunderstorms might roll through later. I really miss storms... Seattle doesn't really get them. 

Good Feeling

It is 3:51pm and I completely forgot to check my email today until just now. That's what a good vacation will do, right?

Having some coffee in Jackson, WY right now. 

Jackson, WY

I really liked Jackson, WY and I definitely want to go back to spend more time there. It has a cool western feel and is just small/big enough. Also, there is a great (best of my trip so far) coffee place called Jackson Hole Coffee Roasters.

Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks

Old Faithful Geyser: 

Got stuck in major traffic because of bison crossing the road:

Yellowstone Area Hotel Difficulties

As was expected, finding a room in/near Yellowstone proved to be a bit of a challenge; it is high tourist season after all. 

I've been using Expedia via my iPhone and there was one option by 6pm called Buck's T-4 Lodge in Big Sky, Montana. I did not have high hopes for a place with a number in its name. But this place is actually pretty nice. Rustic. Clean. Killer views. And the people who work here are super cool... Shoutout to Giuliano at the bar! 

Coors Brewery

They really do tap the Rockies. The founder was searching for some aquifers out here back in the 19th-century. Interesting tour of the brewery. At the end, there is a lounge where you can sample some of their beers.

I am drinking something called Batch 19, which they market as a "prohibition-style" lager that is "bold and hoppy."

Boulder

I was being spontaneous and decided to go get coffee and walk around in Boulder. Nice college town. 

Live at Red Rocks

I couldn't believe how many people were in the Amphitheatre exercising. Seriously: running, lunging, cycling, doing push-ups. The oxygen content at about 6,000 ft altitude is something like 84%. I was feeling it. Especially with the sun and ninety-degree heat. Took a big bottle of water with me.