Cupcake Test 5, "Strawberry-Cream Cheese Cupcakes"

The Bride to Be sent off a quick email last week, and let me know her next three choices.  Since I found fresh strawberries at the market, I went with the "Strawberry-Cream Cheese Cupcakes".    Now, from the get-go, these aren't Strawberry Cheesecake cupcakes, these are quite clearly Cream Cheese Cupcakes, even though I think Cheesecake sounds like a mighty fine idea, and if there's another recipe, I'd highly recommend trying it.  (If I pulled the wrong recipe, Miss BtB, please let me know and I will be happy do another batch.  The only other Strawberry Cupcakes I see are the Strawberry & Cream, made with Strawberry Soda.)  These are instead, a lump of cream cheese in the middle of a sour cream cupcake, with some jam on top.  Doesn't sound very appetizing when I put it like that, however, they smell really delish ~ they are cooling as I start to write this.  They will get topped with a swirl of cream cheese frosting and a garnish of fresh fruit, which should make them oh so tasty.

Process Notes:  Since they are topped with some jam, I decided to go with some of my homemade preserves from last summer - I made half the cupcakes with strawberry and half with blueberry.  I have some cherry that I think would be tasty as well.  I didn't realize that they made cream cheese in 3 oz pkgs (why?), so I diced up my 8 oz package into 24 bits for the cupcakes.  And, instead of the chintzy 1/4t of jam, I went with a full teaspoon per cupcake.  Which, hey!, I got 24 cupcakes AGAIN with the use of the magical ice cream scoop!  Although I bought some canned cream cheese frosting, I wanted to make some homemade cream cheese frosting, so I used the recipe in the back of the book. Oh, the canned only frosted 11 cupcakes, but I was generous with it.  The recipe made more than enough for the other dozen cupcakes.  I topped the "stay-home" cupcakes with some fresh fruit, but I don't think that will travel well. Or look good for an extended period of time.  I think a sprinkle of colored sugar would be sparkly.

Ugly Duckling

Tasting Notes:  Me - The cupcake is very moist, tender and quite flavorful with just a bit of crumb.  I prefer the homemade cream cheese frosting to the canned kind, but the canned is not bad.    I think that mixing some sweetened condensed milk with the cream cheese, prior to baking, would make these more of a cheesecake cupcake and actually, taste better.  My lumps, based on the 8 oz block vs. the 3 oz block, were kinda big and well, lumpy.  I liked the flavor, but it was more of a distraction than an enhancement.

Mark - No cupcake this time, just frosting.  You can still taste the confectioners sugar in the homemade frosting, so the canned frosting was a bit smoother.  However, not much real difference between the two.

Ugly duckling

Outsiders - Ralph & Sean (my deck dudes!) ~ Sean says they taste great.  Ralph said his kids loved them, but his wife was wondering about the cream cheese.  Ralph personally, thought they just fell apart in his hands - too tender. All preferred the blueberry to the strawberry.

Things

Thing the first:  Mark & I spent a wonderful weekend in Las Vegas last weekend, celebrating our 24th anniversary.  We had a great dinner, saw a rib tickling comedian, and played some pretty awesome cards.  There's more, but it's a bit TMI, so I'm not sharing... ;-)

Thing the second:  Just before we left, Mark had read that a 1980's icon was going to be playing at the Oracle Arena in Oakland  last week.  Tickets were going on sale on Friday at noon. So, we got up "early" (early for Vegas that is!) and thanks to the marvel that is an i-phone, we got tickets to the show on Wednesday.  Oh my.  Prince.  I don't think I've had that much fun at a concert in a long time.  The show started at 7:30 and we were not out of there until 11:30.  There were two encores and even a tribute to Morris Day by Prince.  The crowd sang themselves hoarse - I can't imagine what it does to the actual stars of the show.  And Shelia E.  Just freakin' beautiful.  The girl can still pound on a drum like nobodies business and look mighty fine doing it.

Thing the third:  On checking the mail when we returned home, we found a Valentine letter from the IRS.   According to them, there were some discrepancies between the income reported by third parties and the income reported by us on our return, resulting in additional taxes, penalties and interest of $213,766.  No, that is not a typo.  Two hundred and thirteen THOUSAND dollars.  A couple of phone calls to some very knowledgeable and helpful IRS agents later, and I believe that we have cleared things up.  No, I did not mess up our return that badly.  Codename Mr. Grey (I know, right?) apologized and said that the letter should never have been sent in the first place.  We should have a "cleared" letter from the IRS in just a few short weeks.  I'm not holding my breath, but my fingers are crossed.

Thing the last:  All this excitement has landed both Mark & I with a cold.  I don't know if it was the petrie dish of Las Vegas, the contact high we got in Oakland, or the stress of dealing with the IRS.  But for now at least, we're snuggled under some blankets, beverage of choice at hand, feeling all miserable and stuff. 

Later gators...

Cupcake Test 4, "Key West"

StO (sadly blogless) picked the Key West cupcakes to try this weekend.  I believe we are all especially fond of Key Lime pie.  The combination of sweet and tart, smooth filling and sandy graham cracker crust, is just heaven on your tongue.   But I must say personally, an overly sweet key lime pie is not very good.

One of my favorite trips was a 4 day excursion to the Florida Keys in which I tried the Key Lime Pie at every restaurant we ate at.  The best was, coincidentally, at Lorelei's, on Key Largo.  I don't know if they are still in existence, but the large plywood mermaid is still a landmark in my mind.

Process Notes:  Wahoo!  I got 24 cupcakes this time.  I was overfilling the cups just a smidge, but now, I've got it down pat.  I added additional lime juice to the "filling" - when I tasted it, it was just too sweet, with not much lime flavor to it.  And OMG, was that not the nastiest looking stuff when you put the lime juice and food coloring in the pudding?  I wanted to do half the cupcakes with the filling on top, as per the directions, and the other half as we did the Just Because.  However, the filling was so runny, I wasn't able to just top the cupcakes.  I also added about a T of lime zest to the cake batter pre-baking and on top of the frosting topper.  Like I said, if it's supposed to be lime, I want it to be LIME!  The pics on line show a small slice of lime, but I think the zest will be just fine.

Tasting Notes:

Me:  Sweet, tart, what's not to like?  Even though I tried to push the filling into the cupcake, I think the filling was too runny, and I probably needed a cupcake corer to make it work.  Instead, it just kind of ran over the top, which was fine.  These definitely needed to be refrigerated - a consideration to keep in mind.

Mark:  He only tried the filling, which he really liked.

The Office:  Specific comments - one guy thought they were the best so far.  His second favorite were the chocolate-peanut butter JB's.  Since these were in the fridge, they took a couple of days to disappear.  Out of sight, out of mind, doncha know?

Bernardus, 1997 Marinus Reserve

Bernardus Winery
1997 Marinus Reserve
Carmel Valley

This weekend we celebrated our 24th anniversary at Morton's in San Jose.  Since we can usually handle a bottle of wlne with a big meal like that, we raided our cellar for something special to take with us.  This is the last bottle of three we purchased some time ago. 

We had taken a nice trip to the Monterey/Carmel Valley area for some time out and wine tasting.  Bernardus was probably the nicest wine we had that trip.  The Marinus Reserve was already tasting quite good, and we ended up purchasing the last three bottles in stock.  I can recall the previous bottle, fruity and ripe, also served with a steak.  This one was, again, clearly past it's prime, but still presenting well.  A bit light when tasted by itself.  Still fruity, but soft, with nearly no tannins left.  A bit of caramel on the side.  Mark's nose said oak still, but aged and vanilla.  When drunk with the steak however, the fats and carmelized fond smoothed it even further, and made the wine taste just fabulous. 

I'm sad to see it gone, as it no longer will be around to bring back memories of a great trip to Carmel, however, it was time to go.

Cupcake Test 3 "Double Coconut"

My pick this week - Double-Coconut Cupcakes. Can I just say, mmmmmm?   These are actually triple coconut, but if you used the pre-mixed frosting, then they would be just double.  There is a dollop of coconut and sweetened condensed milk as a surprise filling in the cupcake.  There is coconut flavor in the homemade frosting, and then you top it all off with some toasted coconut.

Process Notes:  Again, even with the ice cream scoop, I only got 21 cupcakes.  This is obviously user error.  I'll try to do better next time.  I used a small cookie scoop (like an ice cream scoop but just a smidge larger than a melon baller) to put the filling in the cupcake batter - and I had more than enough of the coconut goo to do 24 and more cupcakes.  Tool wise though, I'll bet this was the way to go.  I got a new pan as well - this one has the little wave things on the bottom of the cups so I think it's an air bake pan.  I also used my heavy duty pan.  Regardless, none of the cupcakes burned.  I was nervous that they hadn't baked enough, even though my toothpick test came clean, because as I was pulling them from the pan, they seemed soft on the bottom.  After letting them rest however, they firmed up.  The frosting was quick and easy to make.  I added an extra 1/2 t (making it 1 & 1/2 t) of coconut extract to enhance the flavor.  Watch the toasting process carefully.  It takes just moments to go from yum to burned.  Speaking of the coconut, the bag says that there is 5 1/2 c in it.  I'm assuming that's fluffed, because I didn't have that much extra. 

Tasting Notes:

Me:  Yum and Yum and Yum.  I like the surprise filling that's not really a filling, because once the sweetened condensed milk is cooked, it's absorbed into the batter of the cupcake making it really moist and delicious.  The frosting is addictive.  And the toasted coconut on top gives it a bit of color and crunch.

Mark:  Delicious.  Loved the frosting so much, he upped his shot so that he could eat more of it.  He usually doesn't do that. 

Work:  All but one was gone by the time Mark headed home.  I'm sure that's a function of the now regular appearance of cupcakes at his office.  And, coconut is one of those flavors that folks either really like, or really don't like.  The last one was gone before he got to the office this morning.  All comments were positive.  (He's not really good about direct quotes!)

David Bruce, 2000 Carneros, Pinot Noir, Truchard Vineyard

David Bruce
2000 Carneros
Pinot Noir
Truchard Vineyard

I recently cleaned out under the stairs, our otherwise known as wine cellar.  Wine Club boxes were racked, a few (or more) from the last trip into Napa/Sonoma were slid into place, and all of a sudden, I have no room left.  A quick count revealed that if I open a bottle a week, I've got enough to drink for three years, assuming it's not all turned to vinegar.  And that's not counting the champagne, odd lots, and other adult beverages in my bar.  In order to give some purpose to my "buying problem", I need to make some headway into this backlog of vino.  I'm planning on doing an inventory list this week, so I can find the ones that need to get drunk sooner than later.  And, know where those special anniversary bottles are located.

Tonight I opened up the David Bruce wine linked above.  The wine is spicy and warm, but a bit light on the body.  The tannins have all but disappeared.  Although clearly past it's prime, it will go well with our dinner tonight, and even tomorrow too.

Cupcake Test 2 "S'more"

This week, we've had a request from the groom to make the S'Mores Cupcakes.  

Process Notes:  Even though I went from a 1/3c scoop to a 1/4c scoop for my cupcakes, I only managed to get 21 cupcakes.  I'm still looking for an ice cream scoop with a sweep to see if that will help.  Also, the book called for baking them at 375, while the box called for 350.  I baked at 375, but just for 18 minutes.  And, due to the higher temperature, the ones in the cheaper (lighter) muffin tin, were extra brown.  I'd recommend doing them at the lower temperature.  The frosting is oh-so-sticky, but what do you expect with marshmallow fluff?  Also, I was only able to frost 18 cupcakes with the one batch of frosting.  That's a half-dozen short which will add up in quantity, quickly.  I used my mini-chopper on the candy bar shrapnel, but if I were making these in bulk, I would definitely use the food processor.

Tasting Notes:  Me - I'm not a big fan of the S'mores.  I like them in theory, but in practice, not so much.  I liked the chocolate mixed into the batter - that was tasty.  I didn't really get any graham taste from the crumbs that were added.  Instead, I felt like they made the cupcake a little rubbery.  The frosting didn't have much of a marshmallow taste to it - maybe if it got toasted with a flame thrower?  The teddy graham couples were cute for decoration.  I think StY probably had a good idea to dip the cupcakes in the graham crumbs as decor & for more flavor.

Mark -  Likes these very much and would put them on the list to make.  His suggestion for improvement is to put a puddle of chocolate syrup in the top of the cupcake before frosting them to add a bit more chocolate flavor.  He thought that the teddy couples were appropriate for a wedding - & fun too. 

Mark's Office - I'll add these notes some time this weekend.  Mark did say he had received positive feedback.

They all equal "Ouch!"

So, we've had some pretty nice weather around these parts for the past week or two, and it looks like it will be staying that way for the next week or two.  I decided that I'd get out and sweep the deck off so I could "get my glow on".  It's showing the dead fall from the earlier storms and it's a pain to walk on.  The deck is much older than we've been living in the house, and we've known for some time that we need to get it fixed - just as soon as we both have a perm position.  I think you can see where this story is going. 

I'm just getting started when my foot, no leg, goes straight down through one of the boards.  I'm home alone.  And my leg is stuck between the boards.  Yikes.  And the only neighbor I know is home won't hear me - as he's riding his super loud Harley too and from the house.  Okay, pull it together.  Pull my leg out of the hole - is it broken? No, I can still walk on it.  Well, that's good.  I get back in the house and IM Mark - but he's idle (working in the lab on some super big issue).  I'm feeling woozy, so I decide that laying down and elevating my leg might be a good idea.  Then my ears start to buzz.  I call Mark - but he's in the lab and he doesn't have his phone.  The buzzing goes away.  Now, what did I learn in my days as Princess-Schlepp-alot when Mark's leg was broken?   Oh yeah, put some ice on the bruises to contract the blood vessels and maybe it won't bleed as much.  Up again to get some frozen veggies to put on the leg.  Keep it elevated.  Take some ibuprofin.  Eventually (20 min or so) Mark does call me back, but everything is under control by then!

I have three, count them three, beautiful purple places on my leg today.  One on the inside crease of my knee, and two on either side of the thigh where it was girdled by the sturdier boards.  Basically, I have a "frog" on both sides of my leg.  Ugh.   So, call it a bruise, a hematoma, or a contusion, they all equal "Ouch!"

Final result:  We're going to get some lumber this week, and start repairing the deck.  One board at a time.

Cupcake Test 1a & 1b "Just Because"

My youngest sister is getting married this year!  She's asked my other sister to work her magic in producing some sort of (cup)cake for the reception.  Sister the older has sent both of us the book Better Crocker Just Cupcakes so that we can all test recipes and take notes. 

Our first test is of the "Just Because" cupcakes.  In the book, they look like a version of ho-ho's or ding dongs, rich chocolate cupcake with a cream filling.  I used a chocolate cake mix for the cupcake and then made two filling/frosting options.  The first is the "Creamy White Frosting" - I tinted mine pink because I don't have any clear vanilla (yet!) in my pantry.  The second is the "Creamy Peanut Butter Frosting".

Process Notes:  I only got 21 cupcakes (vs. the 24 advertised) - I need to get a scoop that will let me put the same amount of batter in each liner.  I baked them at 350 (preheated and everything!) on the convection bake setting in the gas oven.  Chocolate cake doesn't look good in fancy liners.  You might as well use the foil ones or plain-jane and a wrapper.  It took 3/4 of a recipe of the Creamy White Frosting to do 10 cupcakes.  1/2 a recipe of the Creamy PB Frosting was more than enough to do 11 cupcakes.  I think I put a smidge too much milk in the PB frosting - I've got a cupcake in the fridge to see if it sets up better. 

The Ugly Ducklings

Tasting Notes:  Me - The cupcakes were moist, but not exceptionally so.  I liked the PB better with the cupcake than alone.  The Creamy White was also quite tasty.  I can see this with a chocolate ganache or some jelly inside.  It does not however, taste like a ding dong or ho-ho - that would need a bit more cream I do believe.

Hubster -  The Creamy White is his favorite.  It tastes like the frosting they used to make at the Harvey's in Valdosta.

His Office - we'll see if we can get an update tomorrow.   eta:  The un-official verdict is this:  The pink frosting looks more appetizing than the peanut butter - all 8 cupcakes devoured vs. a couple of the peanut butter remaining at the end of the day.  The peanut butter frosting looks a little like poo if you don't put sprinkles on it.

You can see StY notes here.

A tasty mess

I haven't made one of these in a while - like years.  But evidently it's made an impression because when Mark had a pot-luck to attend, this is what he asked me to make.  I couldn't find my original recipe, so I did a search and this one sounds like 95% of the one I had previously. The only change I made was to swap the graham cracker crust for one made of Oreo Cookie crumbs.  Skip the sugar, and it is good to go.  Made for a decent breakfast this morning with a cup of joe. 

A walk in Santa Cruz....

 I went for a walk today during the break in the rain.  I had headed down to Santa Cruz for the last minute grocery shopping, and decided to drag my camera along with me.  The light on this solstice day was decidedly odd....  almost metallic on the water.  The moody clouds gave me quite a stir.  I walked from the most southern lot to the Surfing Museum.  On the way north, my focus was towards the water.

On the way back to the car, I was more interested in the homes and gardens along the water.



I love the tromp lei(?) columns on the balcony of this home.



And this wondrous garden not only had a pond and a bridge, but a Mexican pottery gecko hiding in the water....

Mirror Twin Homes...  They were repaving the shared driveway with wonderful bricks.

Whales make me happy

Purple Balustrades

A historical Victorian with fabulous landscape and paint job

And Mondays

Monday.  And the house is quiet for the first time in over 48 hours.  I don't know how a person doesn't go crazy with all that noise all the time.  I can hear a clock ticking in the far room.  The static hiss of the light bulbs.  The scratch of my pen and sleeve as they pass over the page.  A jay screeches in the trees.

Don't get me wrong.  I love music.  There is nothing like good music to set a mood, to get you moving, to score your day.  I can get sucked into the TV as well as anyone. Despite my best intentions I listen* to  more TV than I care to admit.

But this ~ this quiet time when you can hear the rain dripping off the gutters.  A critter rustling in the leaves.  The creaks of the house as it settles again.  This is necessary for the peace of my soul.

I can think, without having to process...

I can imagine, without being led...

I can listen, without having to comment...

I can be still.

On another note, does anyone know what this is?  I found it on my walk the other day.  It's about the size of a large cherry.  I'm assuming it's either not ripe or poisonous since the tree was still full of the fruit.

*These days I "listen" to TV more than I watch it, since my eyes are usually focused on what's going on in my hands.

Rainy days

We went from this on Thursday....

To this today....

Bring it on.  We are ready.  We've got gas for the generator and probably a mile of related extension cords.  We have cords of firewood for the wood stoves.  I've got a gas stove and oven now, so I can cook.  And the water heater is gas too.  The chain saw is sharp in case any of the trees fall down and I have tarps in waiting.

BTW, that's just rain hanging onto the redwood trees across the yard, not snow, even though the forcast is threatening down to 2000 feet this weekend.

Stay warm and dry!

Homecoming

Picture has nothing to do with following words, I just like it!

There's nothing like coming home to a warm fire, the smell of bread in the oven and something tomato and onion on the stove top, some good music on the stereo, and a glass of something tasty waiting for you.  Let's see if I can make that happen tonight.

Possibilities

For some time now, I've wanted to do a set of 2' x 4' paintings for my dining room.  A knife, fork and spoon.  Primitive acrylics.  Something that I can actually do.  I have the canvases and I can get the paints.  I just need to decide which of my silverware I want to use as an inspiration.  I have collected a set of mismatched silverware over the years, mostly at flea markets and other thrift shops, and it's all quite tarnished at this point.  As much as I love the look of the flourishes, scrolls and flowers on the actual handles, I don't believe my painting skill set is good enough to do them justice.  Right now, I'm liking the long handle of the third knife from the bottom.  It has a few details that might be a bit of a challenge ~ I'll have to see if I can't do a draft first.

Benign Neglect

Last year, a friend was leaving the company I was working for and I bought her a purple Christmas Cactus and told her that if she took good care of it, it could live for 20 years.  At the same time, I got a hot pink one for me, thinking, there's no way I can keep it alive even a season, but it'll be pretty while it lasts.

So after it finished blooming (dropping most of the buds), I put it in the window sill with the rest of my succulents, and watered it about every other week.  I noticed some buds on it earlier this month, but since they dropped like crazy last year, I didn't think I was actually going to get flowers. 

And then I read an article, I think it was in Martha Stewart, and it turns out my benign neglect was actually the perfect combination of conditions for a beautiful set of blooms.  Water it occasionally after it drys out, let it grow where it gets normal daylight hours, and is cool during the day and cooler at night.  They suggest a basement window but my house is pretty cool most of the time anyway. 

Of course, it's not even Thanksgiving yet, so maybe I have a Thanksgiving Cactus instead.  Regardless, it's blooming and I'm happy!  I may go get another one this year - in purple this time.

Unemployed. Again.



Pear Leaves in the Fall

So, my most recent contract gig has ended.  It lasted over a year, so I have no real complaints, just how the heck do I get hired next time?  And it's the best/worst time to be unemployed.  Best  - It's the holidays, and I can spend the time to enjoy them without the need to be rush-rush-rush everywhere everywhen.  I might even get out my Christmas decorations for the first time in three years.  Worst - It's the holidays, and I have no extra money to spend.  It's not like I don't have enough supplies and time to make things, just, wow, can I make it work? I'm sure I can.  But still.  I need to take inventory.

I find I do well if I keep to a schedule.  Get my house cleaned up.  Get moving - cardio, yoga, weights.  Don't get sucked into the Internet.  Get out of the house at least once a week - even if I don't have an interview.  Make plans and schemes and dreams - and I will get a job just in time to mess them all up. 

Today was my first day home.  I'm still playing catch-up with the things that have been avoided or "slapped at" over the past year.  It'll take the rest of the week to get everything in order - and I miss a day because I have an appt on the far side of the hill later this week.  At least I'll be able to run some errands that day as well. 

Here's to some good spirits, some good karma, and some good times.



Ten on Tuesday

10 pieces of advice for college freshmen:

1. Stay put.  It'll take you longer to finish your degree if you change colleges.  Really.  Like 2 years longer.
2. That includes your major - make a decision and stick with it.  Chances are, you aren't going to be doing what you majored in anyway.  I did, but most folks don't. 
3. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.  This is advice for all my life.
4. True Love will wait, if it's right.  If it doesn't, well then, aren't you glad you know now instead of later?  (Not saying that you shouldn't have fun or a relationship, just you know, don't get seriously deeply involved (Do as I say, not as I do....))
5. Have fun - get involved.  I wish I did.
6. Be aware.  Walking home from class at 10:30pm and the dude stops the car next to you to ask if you want a ride home?  Um, no.  And ride the bus the next time (or all semester).
7. In spite of your parents (but not to spite them), move into the guy/girl dorm if you are living on campus.  The Virgin Vault is no place to be.
8. You don't have to put on the freshman 20# (this from a girl who's now significantly overweight).  I lost a lot of weight the first year of college - walking everywhere and salad bar in the cafeteria because I was impatient.
9. Take night classes, even if you are not working, just going to school full time.  You will have better chances at job opportunities during the day, if you want/need to work (not competing with high school or as many other students).  You can sleep in later.  You don't have to go as often during the week (they are usually 2x/week instead of 5x/week).  And they usually don't happen on Friday so you can still attend the local party/game.
10. Maximize your credit hours.  Maximizing your per semester credit hours means you will be done faster (and cheaper).  If I take four classes instead of three, I will be done in 3 years instead of four.  Tuition goes up every year, and there is usually some flat fees (which also to up) that you pay each semester.  So I'm paying for 9 semesters of flat fees instead of 12.  And pretend that tuition is $100/class the first year and $110/$120/$130 the following years.  So the standard 3 classes/semester would cost me $4140 and the 4 classes/semester would cost me $3960, saving me $180.  Which doesn't sound like much, but where can you find tuition at $100/class??  Do your own math.

Bison Drive-By

Hey look honey!  Cute Bison on the hill side.....

Look honey!  There's a bison in the road....

And he's getting closer!

He's headed straight for us!

Can he get any closer?

I guess so....

Advice for Yellowstone...

We had a blast, came home more tired than when we left. I’ll be posting blog pictures probably this weekend – I just downloaded the 1000+ last night from the 5.5 day trip.


Words of advice:

• If you can postpone this trip until after Labor Day, you might want to – it’s crowded with end of summer parent/kid combos in August.


• We didn’t need the bear spray or the bug spray, but ran out of two bottles of sunscreen. But we only went on the trails that EVERYONE was going on – if you are off-roading or taking trails less traveled, I’d still bring the bug/bear sprays.


• They were working on the roads near “the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone” and the traffic was horrible. However, don’t miss it, especially if the sun is shining – it’s kinda awesome. (Look for the Osprey nest near Inspiration Point on the North Rim)


• The construction between Madison and Norris (I believe) was advertised as being really bad, but we didn’t really have a problem with it. However, there’s not really that much to see along that road side, so you can avoid it and not feel like you are missing anything.


• You have to see Old Faithful (obviously!), but do it as early in the morning as you can. We got there for the 9:00am “show” and I laughed at how large and empty the parking lot was. At noon, you couldn’t find a place to park and the restaurants were just jam packed with people. Oh, and the cafeteria isn’t open for breakfast – we had ours at the Old Faithful Inn.


• If there are people pulled over on the side of the road and you don’t know what they are looking at (ie. Upcoming Scenic Vista), pull over too – it’s usually some large mammal like a BEAR! Or a BISON! Or even a BALD EAGLE! (I know a Bald Eagle isn’t a large mammal, but it’s still really cool!)


• Which also means – bring your binoculars and the longest camera lens you own. The critters usually aren’t in the middle of the road, but are up the hill a ways from you.


• Usually, means that sometimes, the Bison is coming straight for you down the middle of the road and you could reach out your hand as he walks past your car to pet him. Highly not advised (the petting part – which we didn’t!), but still a story to tell. (Can’t wait to show the pictures!)


• If you have a need/desire for a vegetarian meal – bring it yourself. My veggie sister wanted eggs and hash browns one night (it was on the menu) but they stopped serving that at 8:00 even tho they were open until 10:00 (huh!?!?!). The next restaurant was advertising black bean burgers in addition to the hamburgers and bison burgers – but they were “out”. I suspect they didn’t have much call and so stopped ordering them.


• Bring as many gig for your camera as you can. Those 1000+ pix were on three cards, totaling 20gig (the last card wasn’t full). But I missed a day when we went whitewater rafting – I didn’t bring my camera that day, so I can only imagine if I had the day full of pix too. I had 28gig to play with tho, so I was in no danger of running out. (RAW+L format for my Canon)


• Go whitewater rafting – but do the half day trip, not the full day. You still get the experience, but you don’t spend all day on the river. We used the Flying Pig Outfitters in Gardiner, MT – they had dry bags, storage cubbies, jackets (life and dry), and water booties – all for your use, and free. If they offer to let you “ride the bull” do it – it’s the best seat on the boat! And get there kinda early – parking is a pain.  If you do the full day (including lunch), and you have a special diet, let them know and they will do their best to accomodate you.


• Be prepared for weather. The folks from TX were in jeans and sweatshirts the whole time, while Mark & I were in T-shirts and shorts (or short pants) most of the time. Put the rain jackets/ponchos in your backpack EVERY DAY even if it looks like a clear day! It will rain on you some time – maybe not for long or even hard, but it will rain. Friday night we were at the campsite and we got a winter mix – rain/sleet/snow. So bring sweaters/sweat shirt/layers just in case…


• We went down to the Grand Tetons on Friday and did the boat ride/hike to Hidden Falls on Jenny Lake – way cool. The boats run every 10 min or so, and again, the parking lot was jam packed at noon – get there earlier if you can.


• Plan a full day the night before – you probably won’t see everything you want to, but without a plan, you definitely won’t see half of what you want.  Be open to the unexpected/detours though as well.