Ennis to West Yellowstone, MT

We'll start with the Hot Springs in Norris. From the outside, it looked kind of weird, but once you were inside it was kind of hip. We soaked for about an hour in the "water of the gods" and listened to fun bluegrass music and children almost drowning (not seriously.) We highly recommend stopping by this unique hole-in-the-wall hot spring. Check it out for yourself: www.norrishotsprings.com

Coming back to Ennis, we had the craving for hot dogs and veggie burgers. (This largely has something to do with 1. We have no grill top, and 2. Amanda loves hot dogs.) Upon entering the grocery store, we discovered: MEN. I guess that's what guys do at 7pm on a Friday night in Ennis. We might come back next week...after we've showered.

We came to camp at the edge of town in a fishing access camp ground off the Madison River. For most of the evening, it was quiet and peaceful. We got a fire going and had one of the most filling (and well deserved) dinners of the trip. Brittany found a good way to cook a burger in tin foil, and Anna and Amanda made french fries using the same technique. It was great. At around 9pm, we were joined by a bunch of high schoolers lookin' to party at the camp next door. Boo! But, even though they ruined our sleep, we got their fire wood this morning.

Today Amanda and Brittany biked for a little ways...71 miles...from Ennis to West Yellowstone. The bike ride was exactly what they had pictured in their minds when planning this trip. The scenery was beautiful, the hills were doable, and the wind wasn't horrible. Amanda met a bird friend--it flew beside her for 2 minutes--and both bikers witnessed the sheer terror cows experience when they step beyond the fence. The bikers were delighted as they biked up to the Holiday Inn (thanks Papa K!)

Anna spent the morning in Ennis at a park and started reading the book, Bel Canto (thanks Jane!) and then walked into town waiting for the girls to call to meet them for lunch. She stopped by a cooking store and met the owner, Sherry, who generously gave her a very expensive soap for free! Anna hopes that it was just a sign of generosity, not some stranger's polite way of hinting that she smelled bad.

Tonight we had a good dinner in town, bought a 3 layer chocolate cake, and now we're all fat and sassy. It's been a great day.