Who could predict that a search for bear spray, a burning, vile substance, like pepper defensive spray on steroids, would lead to the discovery of a culinary delight dish? Defying soup’s heritage as an afterthought dish of leftovers, the burgundy herbed chicken and tomato soup at Homepage Cafe in Bozeman, Montana is a first-class tasting experience.

The careful preparation in the kitchen extends past the soup du jour to sumptuous baked goods; we tried the cranberry-orange scone and the gingersnap cookie on our visit, and it was tough to pick just two. Both were moist and fresh, with the scone satisfyingly fluffy and light, and the cookie satisfyingly dense and spicy.

The range of sandwiches on the menu sounded intriguing and original, but alas we cut ourselves off before sampling them, as it hadn’t been long since breakfast. The cafe was decorated attractively in a mix I can only describe as serenely rustic, with dark, worn wood and padded chairs you could fall into and never want to get back up.

The coffee bar at the HomePage Cafe in Bozeman, Montana

But perhaps the most interesting feature of this cafe is the art that decorates its walls. The Zimbabwean artists’ depictions of their country’s wildlife and cultures alludes to the homeland of one of the cafe’s owners. The husband in the husband-wife team was born in Zimbabwe and moved to the US with his American wife in 1986, when they decided to start a family. (For more information on the cafe and the owners’ background, read their story here.)

We had an educational and astonishing discussion with the man as he related stories of the country’s nearly-billion percent inflation rate. One example: since he last visited the country four years ago, the amount of money that would then have bought 61 new cars will today, after inflation, buy only 1 pound of coffee. Needless to say, the owner is not one of Mugabe’s greatest friends.

We whole-heartedly recommend Homepage Cafe, if you should find yourself in the Bozeman area, and you’re hungry for some delicious soup or bakery items — or you just want to have a chat about African political and social affairs in relaxing surroundings. It’s the only place in Bozeman I know to find that.

While the former may have existed one day, we visited the latter in South Dakota, between Devil’s Tower and Grand Teton.

A view of the travertine terrace from the hanging bridge over the river

Hot Spring State Park surrounds the largest hot spring in the world, pumping out millions of gallons of 127 deg F water every day. After walking around the spring, its pools, and its terraces of travertine, we took a much-needed and relaxing soak in the free hot spring-fed pool. (Fortunately, the water is cooled to 104 deg before entering the tub!)
Just what the doctor ordered for my stiff back after many hours between a car and an air mattress!

I looked up on the hillside of Teton National Forest and there he was – a big, black bear strutting across the steep slope as confident as can be. The highlight of the trip so far (for me, at least.) I have always wanted to see a bear in its natural habitat and what luck to glance up and see him!

It is now three days later, and I have seen four black bears – one as close as 50′ away, in the brush. I was in the car, peeking through the sunroof like an ostrich. The bear pictured below was farther away, but definitely recognizable!

As excited as I have been to see them in the daylight, when night falls I’m a scared little kitten. ‘Be Bear Aware’ the signs say. No bottles, toiletries, coolers, etc. to attract a bear – any scent will do it. What if he smells me? I think I smell quite tasty – would he come to my tent for a sniff and a bite?

My solution for these nighttime fears is a bottle of Spotted Cow – it soothes the nerves.

Movies that could have been made to chronicle the adventure of setting up a tent in gusty winds at Badlands National Park.

Have you ever noticed that a tent is similar in material and shape to a parachute? A device that is designed to catch the wind? The similarity was not lost to us as we struggled to erect the blessed thing before it twirled away like a tumbleweed.

Tip: Stake first, raise later.

A bird's eye view of the Badlands

One of the great things about taking a trip to the West is the peaceful serenity of the plains, prairies, buttes, and mountains. Everyone needs to disconnect from the grid occasionally and reflect on our amazing planet and the beauty that surrounds us, typically missed because his nose is buried in a cell display sending a text or checking status updates. At that point, even a 21st century man feels a connection to his ancestors who roamed this country on horseback, their newest ‘gadget’ the carbine rifle.

But then, even a nature-loving man like myself begins to miss a few things about the Internet, discovering firsthand the withdrawal induced when a beer falls over in the tent and quickly transforms a high-tech mobile gadget into a tent stake hammer.

Here are the top 5 things I miss now that I no longer have on-the-go mobile Internet access:

1. Can’t send mobile updates to this blog!
I had set up a couple methods to post in addition to the normal web interface, namely Jott and email-to-post. (Note: I haven’t found a way to post to WordPress.com from email, just self-hosted WordPress.)
I’m setting up Shauna’s phone now so we can hopefully Jott to the blog from it instead.

2. No more GPS
I used my LG Voyager not only as a mobile phone, texting machine, and Internet device, but also as a GPS navigator. This is not a good function to lose on a cross-country trip, as it’s one of the most useful features! It’s valuable for many reasons: get directions, find your current location, search for local businesses, and see how long it will take to get somewhere.

3. No mobile campground searching
It turns out it’s difficult to find a comprehensive, printed listing of campgrounds — at least one that’s not the size of a phonebook. I miss being able to search sites like Woodalls for campgrounds in a given radius.

4. No instant online photos
Until my camera adds a cell phone, I’m getting by with the cell with added camera. It doesn’t provide great photos, or even a flash, but it does the job of getting a photo from capture to sharing across the world in less than a minute.

5. No more phone
I thought I was done after #4, but then I realized that I do occasionally use my cell as a phone. I am so 2007…

… because it’s not.

We know 6:30 pm is an odd time to leave on a trip, but achieving the aforementioned level of packing zen doesn’t happen overnight! Literally – it happens the next day.

So with smiles, tears, hugs and kisses, we officially embarked on West Quest 2008!

Given the exhaustion caused by our day’s labor, we were tempted to stop 20 miles outside of Des Moines, IA – exit 97 on I-80 to be exact! There was a prominently displayed “camping next right” sign. We were about ready to pitch our new tent, but with fierce determination, we drove off into the sunset.

My mother always taught me to roll my clothes to conserve space. But what she didn’t teach me is how to roll a camping stove, tent, sleeping bags, books, tennis rackets, kitchenware, suitcases and more in a ‘lil red ‘05 Pontiac Vibe.

Somehow we managed to squeeze it all in and even managed to close the doors with one big ‘umph!’ It looked like an overstuffed closet, ready to burst open and spill out its contents. But somewhere the electric blue cooler, the vintage ivory alarm clock, countless trinkets and two bikes were piled high – it was like the sequel to Herby: Fully Loaded.

As promised, we were sure to pack some laughs and the job got done with a smile.

I enjoy laughing – the kind that has me wrapped in a ball with tears flowing down my cheeks it’s so uproarious! A good source to consult when looking for laughter, is the offbeat newspaper The Onion. I love the satirical bellyaches it gives me! So in the spirit of kicking off this westward journey with laughter, please read the following article published August 7, 2008.

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/nation_to_try_its_luck_out_west

THE FRONTIER—After having bravely endured rising fuel costs, unemployment, and a massive drought in consumer confidence, all 300 million Americans announced Monday that they will soon begin the long journey westward, abandoning their stakes in the crumbling housing market to seek the golden future that surely lies past the horizon.

Please join us in our journey westward – we’ll keep this page up-to-date with commentary, photos and videos of our roadtrip from Iowa to California (via South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Washington, Vancouver BC and Oregon)!