Go West, Young Man

If all has gone well we are now winging our way westward for our annual stay in the Wyoming mountains.

We go every year. Our destination of choice is outside of Sheridan, at a ranch nestled into the Big Horn Mountains.

Conveniently located halfway between Mt. Rushmore and Yellowstone National Park, the Big Horn Mountains are a headline attraction themselves. A Wyoming vacation all by themselves, the Big Horn Mountains offer a more diverse landscape than anywhere in Wyoming — from lush grasslands to alpine meadows, from crystal-clear lakes to glacial carved valleys, from rolling hills to sheer mountain walls.

It's a remote destination, and the accommodations are rustic. We stay in a log cabin that's over 100 years old. It does have electricity and indoor plumbing (I'm too old to sleep on the ground and squat over a hole like I used to) but no TV or phone. There is spotty cell phone reception and iffy internet service available in the general area, but for the most part we're out in the boonies.

What do we do way out there in BFE? Here's a typical day.

Eat a hearty breakfast (and I mean HEARTY - cowboys like to eat like lumberjacks) around 8:00.

After breakfast we waddle up to the corral, grab a horse, and literally head for the hills. The ranch is at around 5000 feet elevation. It seems like every direction from the main ranch complex is uphill. That's why we ride horses. I'm too old to climb everywhere I go (again with the "I'm too old" thing...).

We spend most of the morning wandering around the mountains. There are streams to swim or fish in, cliffs to climb (yeah, I know - uphill), forests to explore, and places to just sit and drink in nature.

Speaking of drinking, that's what happens after dinner. It's a relaxed, social kind of drinking. With no TV or internet people rediscover the lost art of conversation. Small groups will wander from cabin to cabin, sitting on the porch and visiting while enjoying an adult beverage or two.

In between breakfast and dinner is lunch and naps. Or if you're the active type you can hike, fish, play softball, volleyball, ping-pong, horseshoes, cards, checkers ... or go into town. There's even a very nice golf course about 30 miles away. Most folks have an early dinner around 6:00 p.m. and squeeze in a quick evening ride before the porch-hopping begins.

It's a very relaxing, low-key way to unwind and relax from the stress and demands of retirement.

We'll be gone around 10 days, but I have some stuff already scheduled to appear here, and I will have occasional internet access, so drop by every once in a while to see what's going on.

See you later...