Into a Time Zone

These 3 lovely ladies sharing one last embrace and photo before we hit the road yesterday. The Kosmas team also sent us on our way with bags of goodies -- which I will come to later.

So fully loaded we set of through Portland and onto the I - 84 for our next leg of the trip to Yellowstone Park. This is a long trip--about 900 miles or there about's and we managed to cover around 600 miles to end up in a new time zone and a place called Twin Falls, in Idaho.

We had the first experience of this great system in America with magazines you can get in Gas Stations, that have all the towns in the state in that have hotels in and the hotels have details of their facility showing you a discount that you can get if you present the coupon-- we saved 40 dollars on each room with the Quality inn that we stayed in last night.

Back to the drive and I think I can speak for everyone that it was amazing -- through the Rockies with some endless stunning views. The changes also in temperature and vista. we followed alongside the Columbia River for about 200  miles that has 3 hydroelectric damson now that is harnessing the environment for energy. we went from Pine Forests to vast plains of fields and back to forests again and over gorges up mountains , and that constant blue sky, with temperatures outside of around 95 degrees.

Up in these areas you get these strange fences that are not actually fences at all--they are wind diverters, slats that when the wind blows it gets diverted upwards and stops the wind from eroding the ground soil--clever stuff.

Those are just some random shots from the trip--and I was not the photographer--it was my one handed pal Rodney, so I forgive him the bottom one. I will get round to loading more that Lynda has taken in time but we are rushing a little.

I suppose that I had better get it over with -- Congratulations William and Kate on the birth of your son--cant remember getting a message from your Mum when kids were born.

So after we booked in to the hotel we tried unsuccessfully to find a bar so we bought wine and went back to the room and had a great snack of smoked Salmon-- not like in the packs in the UK-- white beans, dolmathas and bread with Philly on as well as the wine-- it was a feats so many thanks to Anna and Souli.

Right got my ear being bashed --need to get in the bathroom and sort myself out for going for breakfast and then setting off for the 300 miles to Cody in Wyoming I think and an afternoon by the pool--well, as the driver I have earnt it.

Carefree--and if you have a read how about leaving a message. :-)