A Anniversary Day in Driggs

We decided to take a break from our busy schedule and drive to Driggs, Idaho. It was our anniversary, (forty three years), and one should always do something special on their special day. Never having been to Driggs,  we thought we would investigate the stores, maybe even look at bikes, and see the backside of the Tetons.

It’s only about seventy miles to Driggs from here, down to Swan Valley and then a narrow and winding road through the Big Hole Mountains,(size limit of forty two feet). There are so many mountain ranges here that it tends to be a bit confusing. About half way there a sign that told of the history of the area and that’s where we learned the name of the mountains.

Noticing a bike shop in Victor we parked and walked in but the bikes were a bit over our price range. Having wrecked two sets of bikes from salt water exposure, we were looking for bikes to ride around here and then leave during the winter travels.

Inside the store, the first bike we looked at had a price of over six thousand dollars and I realized there must be some seriously rich people here, Hmm maybe we could sell some jewelry? After explaining our price range the salesman kindly kept from laughing and suggested that perhaps we would have better luck with the local swap meet for used bikes.

Driving further we reached Driggs and cruised the Main Street where Renita had googled rock shops and found the Teton Jade and Gem Shop. Amazingly, unlike most rock shops we find, the store was open, and as soon as we were in the door we realized we had found a special place.

Opals glittered in the cases, along with a variety of finished jewelry and cabochons. Rocks lined the walls and they actually had Bitch Creek Jade, found locally in the area, along with some really good Wyoming Jade, Emerald Creek Garnet rough, beautiful rhodonite, mookite, and even a nice jade slick.

Suffice it to say we spent too much on rocks and someday we must learn to say no, but how could we resist such rare and beautiful stone, (we even found some Wyoming green jade besides an eight pound boulder of high quality black jade). Now we have rocks to carry to Texas and next winters time in the rock shop, sawing slabs.

Returning home we stopped at an ice cream shop that advertised square ice cream cones. Inside a line of people wound befoe the ice cream counter and of course I had to have a square ice cream waffle cone, (didn’t taste any different but all ice cream is good).

Arriving back at our place we decided that we didn’t want to cook so we went out to dinner in Thayne, Wyoming. Here the choice is limited but surprisingly there is an excellent steak house in this small town of four hundred people, (Dads Steakhouse and Bar). All the menu items are excellent but the prime rib is tops and so of course we had to have the prime rib.

It had been a nice anniversary with new memories that we won’t forget, and that’s what is so special about retirement, being able to have the time for exploration. A nice anniversary day trip, more rock, and especially time together, every day is a blessing but some days more so. Clear skies