Miles To Go...
Following our people-fuel stop at Brenda's Tumbleweed place, we put 'em in the wind and headed west towards Miles City, MT. It was the same route Mitch and I had ridden the previous year... only... This time temps were easily 30* cooler, the sky was mostly cloudy, and the wind was noticeably brisker.
No small thing, either, as I'd had to slow way down towards the end last time because I didn't realize the last gas before Miles City truly was the last, and I'd been thinking a few more miles before topping off. I'd made it fine, but during the 'slow bake' while on reserve towards the end, a couple of 'Swinettes' on their HOGS had blown past us as if to remind us who was boss out there... No worries this time!
We unpacked our gear at our home for the evening and began the discussion of what to do about dinner. Hamburgers again? This was ostensibly a 'Hamburger Run', ya know... I favored a next-door local restaurant that prominently advertised 'all day breakfast'; ... But wait... What's that building over there...? Mitch volunteered to investigate. He was gone for a good while, too... so...
Mitch returned with some good news... and a menu from The Black Iron Bar & Grille... He was also sporting a big ol' grin... He said the place was quite pleasant, and he assured us the beer there was nice and cold... The menu confirmed that anytime you see that extra 'e' on the end of the word 'Grille', it means it's going to be a pricy experience, too. What the hey, they also offered Buffalo Burgers, so... off we trod at a relaxed but purposeful pace... to keep faith with the mission...
Cold Brewed Scots Ale...
What else? Buffalo Burgers, of course...
Since our opinions were unanimous, there was no need to seek a third-party interpretation/solution regarding what constitutes a ‘Hamburger’... We all ordered the Buffalo Burger. It was actually quite good, but with all the fixin's and such, we were unable to tell much difference between that and a really good regular burger... Oh well, the novelty alone made it worthwhile... Then it hit me...
We'd arrive in Buffalo, WY, the following day, which would mean among other things the fulfilment of our 'Burger Quest' mission... and the end of this phase of the journey. We'd have reached 'the turn' as that would be the place Mitch would leave our party and head directly home. He still had other commitments to keep, so...
In my previous life, ‘the turn’ had always brought with it feelings of a letdown of sorts. Heading home meant a return to normal life and the end of an episode of the life I longed for... I hadn't felt that in many years, but the thought of having Mitch leave us seemed to bring back a flood of memories. This would not mark the beginning of the end of the ride for Ross and me, but it would represent a significant change. Our wonderful travel partner will be sorely missed!
DDT (12)
