Food & Drink

From Wyoming to Montana; here are pics and details from the final leg of my American Road Trip! (Not totally sure why I felt the need to capitalize the R and the T- but let’s just go with it). Click on the links for part 1 and part 2 of this trip. After shooting a show with my friends from The Mom’s View in Idaho my fam and I piled in the car and headed east for Jackson, Wyoming. The drive was beautiful from the start with no stretch of boring scenery. Jackson had been on my list of places to visit for YEARS and I was so happy I got to experience it-even if just for a night. (One night was not nearly enough btw). I loved everything about Jackson and I can’t wait to go back and stay longer.

In Jackson we stayed at the Huff House Inn and Cabins. It was located about a block from the center of town and was just as charming as can be. It was the number one ranked B&B in Jackson on Trip Advisor and I can totally see why. The breakfast was beyond delish. I can’t remember exactly what I ate- but I do remember thinking it was amazing and wishing I could eat it everyday. The service was great, except for one woman who told me I looked HUGE. Granted, I was pregnant, but no one EVER EVER EVER wants to hear they’re huge… well, unless you’re a guy. Ok, now I’m getting way off track. Back to my FAMILY road trip. On the night of our arrival the town square was putting on a show complete with Western outfits, cowboys, hookers and a gun fight. YeeHaw! Idris got so into the show that he started “shooting” people with his bottle. I’m pretty sure everyone enjoyed his performance even more than the others- but don’t tell them that.

The next day’s agenda consisted of taking a leisurely drive through Yellowstone (another bucketlist spot) as we made our way to Montana. How does one even begin to describe the incredible beauty that is Yellowstone? There aren’t enough words. It was magical. I felt like we were on another planet. We were even lucky enough to see Old Faithful erupt. Yellowstone is another spot that I cannot wait to go back to. Idris also had a blast. Every couple minutes we’d drive to new geyser, hop out of the car and explore. Eventually we made it to our ranch near Big Sky, Montana where we were staying for the next few nights. 

The ranch was called the 320 Guest Ranch. This was such a unique experience. I’ve never stayed on a ranch before and I freakin loved it. If you are traveling with kids this is the place to be. They have a giant TeePee and a playground on the property. It was so fun for Idris to play every morning and night while Michael and I had a cup of coffee or wine and soaked in the stunning scenery. The ranch drew one of the most diverse groups of people I have ever seen. I probably heard about 8 different languages being spoken from Italian to Mandarin and many more in between. One of the days on the ranch we decided the family should take a fishing lesson. None of us had ever fished before and we figured a ranch on Montana was the perfect place to learn. We told our instructor we were rookies- but I don’t think she anticipated just how green we actually were. On my first attempt I caught myself a…. wait for it… a Sharzad! Yup. I hooked my own neck with the fishing rod. It was easily one of the funniest things thats ever happened to me. I only wish it was on camera. I was standing there with a rod stuck in my neck while Michael and the instructor were trying not to loose their shit laughing. (I was totally fine in case you’re wondering.) 

When I booked the ranch I was told about a BBQ on the river that would be perfect for families. I couldn’t have said yes fast enough. They even offered a vegetarian option. Meatless in Montana!?!? Yup. It’s possible. That dinner was one for the books. We were taken to a beautiful meadow on a horse drawn carriage where we dined next to a pristine river with live music, great food and absolutely breathtaking scenery. After dinner we went down to the shallow part of the river, threw rocks in the water  and explored in the nature. Idris thought that was the greatest thing ever. When I planned the trip I remember thinking it would either be a complete fail or a total win. I knew nothing about the places we were visiting and I hadn’t done such a long road trip with a toddler. I’m happy to report that it couldn’t have worked out better.  We kept Idris constantly entertained with parks, playgrounds, nature and snacks (ok, and lots of iPad time). I can honestly say he loved this trip and so did we. We got little tastes of such cool spots around this beautiful country and we can wait to go back to them all again!