In Jackson

Well, after about 5 days of traveling, I made it to Jackson, Wyoming in one piece and with everything I set out with. As I have more time here, I will be able to write more about what it's like, but for now I can say with certainty that it's very cold (in the 20s), the town is quite nice, and the people are very friendly. Until then, I wanted to share a few select photos from the bus ride. The scenery west of Minnesota was really quite spectacular as we rode from Minneapolis into Fargo and across into Montana and finally headed south through Idaho and into Wyoming...check it out.

^Leaving the Empire State Building behind.
^Leaving New York.
^Met a cool guy while waiting (6 hours) for this bus to Pittsburgh, he was moving to Allentown after 20+ years in Malibu Beach.

^If you read the post about the overnight in Chicago, The Sears Tower in particular was quite cool at night.

^This was the view for about a day and a half...corn.

^Quick rest stop somewhere in Wisconsin while the sun was headed down.

^Sunsets in the midwest toss some pretty cool colors around.

^This was pretty memorable.

^Pretty cool view from the highway.

^As I said the sun was doing some pretty crazy things.
^The Orpheum in Minneapolis. I was lucky to have gotten this shot because those letters light up on and off.
^When I woke up in Fargo, ND I noticed the scenery changing.
^This was probably the first time that I actually realized I was quite far from home.
^Fargo rest stop, very early in the morning.
^This is what most of eastern North Dakota looks like.

^Flat. Badlands style.
^Lots and lots of farmland in this area.
^Pancake flat.

^One thing you can follow almost all the way out: the powerlines.

^Towards western North Dakota, the scenery really begins to change quickly.

^The roads are still mostly flat and straight, but the land gets rougher.

^And before long you're in scraggy country.

^Although the rolling hills do continue.

^And it can change right back to badlands style without the blink of an eye.
^But you know far in the distance remains hills and scraggy land.
^We're getting there.
^Here we are...Montana, I do believe. Sergio Leone style.
^Everything is just enourmous. This field just went on forever.
^The vistas and plateaus make for great grazing for cattle and buffalo.
^And the land stretches on and changes as we go.
^Interrupted only by the occasional river.

^This particular endless stretch of field was fantastic.
^This picture was probably taken a half hour later, and that field is still rolling.
^Just endless.
^But the hills in the distance provide finality.
^So people do tend these fields. A lonely tractor.
^Once upon a time someone lived there. Another lucky shot.
^Lots of cattle call these fields lunch.
^They live well, lots of elbow room.
^Not one dairy cow though. Just these all-black angus cattle.
^Checkerboard fields.

^This was what much of Montana looked like from out the bus window.

^The only thing interrupting these fields were the scraggy plateaus and canyons.

^And then came the snowy mountains.

^In the distance were real mountains, which we would pass through.

^The driver had quite the view too.
^Big sky indeed.
^And big country, too.
^Hard to believe crops grow here.
^Well, I made it. The view from Hotel Matthew--to the left and right and behind us is town. My host lives above The Lotus Café, a GREAT place to eat (think Bridge St./Green Cup/Haymarket Mom and Dad) and enjoy Jackson.