Idaho Spotlight: The Teton Valley (and Pooh-Tater!)

Driving into Jackson Wyoming or Yellowstone from Eastern Idaho will take you within range of the Grand Teton Mountains.  This is a gorgeous mountain range and makes for some great pictures.

The name 'Grand Teton' is French for 'Large Teat.'  I find this interesting because the Tetons have 3 main peaks.

3 Tetons.... 3 Teats.... 3 Boobs... Is anyone else having a "Total Recall" flashback here?

Oh, and by the way, you find some interesting things when you google "3 boobs."  Just saying...  (don't click that link if you're at work.  If it's safe, YOU NEED TO SEE THIS!  HAHAHAHA)

Ok ok ok, back to topic.

During the drive, you will pass a small Drive-In theater between the towns of Driggs and Victor.  It's called... The Spud.

In front of The Spud is a flatbed truck with a giant potato on it:

And while the truck is named "Old Murphy" it looks more like Red from the Cars movies.

Hiding in Old Murphy is an odd tater that looks like he's trying to drive.  Or just peek at passers by...

Taters, precious?

While not as tater-tastic as the Potato Museum in Blackfoot, The Spud offers potato-themed art such as Pooh-Tater.

...yes.  I said Pooh-Tater.  If you took Winnie the Pooh and cross-bred him with a Russet, you'd get this abomination.

And look!  Not one but two!  Two potential copyright infringement issues for Disney to laugh about!

While these towns aren't very big (Driggs = pop. 1,100, Victor = pop. 1,928) there are some nice shops, bistros and bars to check out in the area.  I highly recommend the Alpine Wines Bistro off main street.  Great soups, great wine selection, and top-notch service!

If you're heading into Yellowstone through Idaho, give Teton Valley a look.  You'll miss it if you blink, but if you stop and enjoy the area, you will be mildly amused in more ways than one.

Oh, and tell Pooh-Tater that I sent ya!

Hotel Evacuation? Sounds Fun.

Until recently, I have never been in a fire or an actual evacuation due to a fire.  I have been in countless fire drills, been told how to evacuate a school / house / plane / bus / hotel in case of fire, but I was never unfortunate enough to put my training to the test.

...until last week.

Last week I was doing a ride along with a VIP.  He is a manufacturer rep, and actually more of an executive than a rep.  We covered Wyoming and Idaho in one day, and were ending the night in Missoula Montana.

750 miles and 13.5 hours after the work day started, our day finally ended.  We pulled into the hotel, checked in, wound down, settled in our own respective rooms, when...

BEEEP.  BEEEEP.  BEEEEP.

The alarm was going off.

I had just drifted off to sleep, and my TV hadn't quite turned off (sleep mode rocks) when the alarms started.

I woke up, and initially thought it was the TV.  The movie trailer for Prometheus was on, and the annoying siren-music on the trailer sounded a lot like the alarm.

So I turned down the volume.

The noise wasn't going away.

Finally, I put on some decent clothes, grabbed the essentials (room key, wallet, phone for pictures) and inspected the door.  Not hot.  I looked outside.

Smoke.  Everywhere.

Like everyone else, I evacuated.  There were dozens of people already outside (including a few hotties in only robes) and we all herded together.  I found my VIP ride-mate, and we laughed about the situation.  "You really know how to show a guy a good time, Brandon" he quipped.

Then the fire trucks came...

The night manager did a head count and assured all the patrons that we would receive some sort of recompense for the situation.

We were also assured that, although smoke was a-plenty, there were no flames.

Apparently, one of the dryers exploded.  At least, that's what we were told.

An hour later (in 44 degree weather) we were finally given the all-clear and told to go back inside.  On and off for the next 30 minutes, they tested the alarms to make sure they were working properly.  Around 3:30, after everything was said and done, and nerves finally calmed, I was finally able to get to sleep.

...and start my day around 6:30.

The next day, I checked out.  The manager on duty gave me my invoice, apologized for the night before, and wished me well.  No recompense, no discount, no comped room.  I was slightly miffed, but in a hurry, so I didn't have time to argue.

On my way out, I noticed this sign and laughed:

Ironic much?

I stay at this La Quinta whenever I'm in Missoula.  They've been good to me until this last trip, so I'm a little torn.  The next time I'm in town, I may shop around to other hotels...

The moral of this story?

CLEAN YOUR LINT TRAPS OFTEN!!  A hotel manager friend of mine mentioned this was likely the cause of the problem, and happens more often than you'd think.

Needless to say, when I got home after my long trip, I went straight to my dryer and cleaned that fucking trap.

Have you ever had something like this happen?  What did you do?  What did the hotel do?