I soon came to learn that the standard parting comment to make to someone around here is not \u2018have a nice day\u2019 or \u2018ride safe\u2019\u2026 It\u2019s \u2018watch out for the deer\u2019! Yep, they are everywhere! So far, I haven\u2019t failed to spot at least one, and usually many more, of those seemingly gentle, harmless critters every time I have been aboard ALI. Even on short rides, a couple can easily be spotted alongside or crossing the road. It really pays to pay attention!<\/p>\n
We didn\u2019t do much riding the first couple of days we were there, though. I just took my time doing anything and everything, all the while drinking in my surroundings, watching sunrises and sunsets, doing laundry, cooking breakfast, grilling a couple of pretty doggone good steaks, viewing all the deer that could be seen from \u2018my\u2019 front porch\u2026 I saw wild turkeys, too, but so far at least, I haven\u2019t spotted any other wildlife species\u2026 no cougars, wolves, pheasants, elk, or bear, for example\u2026 even though I\u2019ve been told they too are in the area.<\/p>\n
Our first morning there, we rode back to Kooskia for breakfast at a caf\u00e9, then to do some grocery shopping\u2026 where I made a monumental blunder, which I\u2019ll get into a bit later on\u2026 Anyway, I ordered the biscuits \u2018n gravy with a side of bacon for breakfast\u2026 plus coffee, of course. <\/p>\n
The gravy was quite good, but the biscuits were disappointing. I don\u2019t expect anybody else\u2019s to ever measure-up to mom\u2019s delicate delights, but heck, even biscuits out of a can are better than the ones they served me. Those hockey pucks were more like doughy, dense bread in terms of consistency, and much too \u2018heavy\u2019 for the amount of gravy that came with them.<\/p>\n
And, while the staff was rather busy that morning, after delivering the food my waitress was never to be seen again until I went to pay my bill. I would have accepted a refill on my coffee, had one been offered. <\/p>\n
I don\u2019t have unusually high standards, I don\u2019t think, but this experience would rate well down on my list of good service examples\u2026 This was not typical of what I\u2019m used to finding in small villages like this one\u2026 Oh well, it was all still quite tolerable, and what I ate will definitely \u2018make one\u2019\u2026<\/p>\n
Directly across the street from the caf\u00e9 is the parking lot for a local grocery store\u2026 the only grocery store in town that I ever saw. We pulled across, found a space right up front and parked. Dang, this was so familiar, yet it had such a different feel\u2026 There is just something special about doing anything no matter how often you\u2019ve done it before at home, that makes it seem different and fun when done a couple of thousand miles from home in some strange place!<\/p>\n
I got a buggy, just like I always do, and then proceeded to walk the aisles\u2026 As is my custom, I\u2019d forgotten to make a shopping list, so I was straining my thinker muscle hard trying to remember what all I needed to pick up. I did a decent or at least a marginally adequate job, but a return trip will still be necessary\u2026 also an all too familiar aspect of my grocery shopping routine\u2026<\/p>\n
Can you believe it?! One of the things I did not get was grits!!! I didn\u2019t even think to look for them, so I don\u2019t know if they would even have had any\u2026 I doubt it, but it is definitely worth a look and\/or inquiry\u2026 There was a pleasant surprise, though\u2026<\/p>\n
It being a Sunday of a three-day holiday weekend, I had fretted some about the probable pickings, or more precisely leavings, to be seen of the steak selection. WOW! Much to my surprise, a butcher was carving away behind the meat counter, and the selection was actually quite good. <\/p>\n
I passed on a two-pound ribeye I\u2019d longingly examined and picked out two smaller ones instead. In retrospect, I wish I had bought the larger, and thicker, of the ribeye choices to later cut in half, but I\u2019m still learning and this will help me with some future decision\u2026 if I can remember\u2026<\/p>\n
While there, I also got some bacon, eggs, bread, mayonnaise, sandwich meat, and a couple of baking potatoes. In addition to grits, I failed to pick up any soda, orange juice, candy bars, cookies or other essential cabin dwelling necessities\u2026 not even any popcorn\u2026 Not crisis producing omissions, however, as much of that was already at the cabin, only in small quantities.<\/p>\n
I also didn\u2019t get coffee, tea, sugar, butter, salt or pepper. All of those things were already at the surprisingly well stocked cabin and in ample supply. OK, tonight it\u2019ll be a steak and baked potato for din-din, so is there anything else I need to get, I asked myself\u2026 Beer? Wine? Nah, those types of beverages are mostly just social lubricants for this pro-solitude trekker, so none were needed or called for, since I would be dining alone\u2026 Hmmm, in retrospect a merlot or chianti might have been nice, though\u2026 next time, perhaps\u2026<\/p>\n
Lots of folks I know can grill a marvelous tasting steak\u2026 I aspire to become one of those myself, but I\u2019m not quite there yet. I am improving, though, and I do see that day coming in my future\u2026 if I live long enough. I did a rather good job that evening, and while it was one of my better efforts, it still wasn\u2019t as good as many I\u2019ve had elsewhere. Continue to practice, practice, practice\u2026 I made a mental note\u2026<\/p>\n
When I looked into the spice cabinet back at the cabin, it immediately became apparent yuppies had preceded me there at some point. Have you ever heard of \u2018Himalayan pink salt\u2019? I hadn\u2019t. Well, I definitely had to try that. I couldn\u2019t tell much from my experience, though\u2026 <\/p>\n
Looks to me more like it\u2019s just another way for folks to appear sophisticated when discussing the subtle nuances of gourmet cooking\u2026 To be uppity and in possession of a \u2018sophisticated palate\u2019 apparently involves some knowledge beyond simply extending one\u2019s pinky finger and talking down about regular food\u2026 So, becoming a member of the \u2018quality people\u2019 set may not be in my future at all\u2026 Nope, Morton\u2019s table salt will do just fine for this simple good ol\u2019 boy. Knowing that now, can you possibly still respect me?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I soon came to learn that the standard parting comment to make to someone around here is not \u2018have a nice day\u2019 or \u2018ride safe\u2019\u2026 It\u2019s \u2018watch out for the deer\u2019! Yep, they are everywhere! So far, I haven\u2019t failed …<\/span> Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-623","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-meanderings-by-ddt-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/623","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=623"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/623\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":624,"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/623\/revisions\/624"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=623"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=623"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=623"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}