Meet in Bozeman, Montana on Sunday? Or June 16 in Salt Lake City?

by philg

Folks: Although there is no place better to spend the summer than South Florida, I’m heading to the Mountain West on Saturday. For altitude adjustment, the first two nights will be spent in Bozeman, Montana. If anyone lives out there and wants to meet, please email (philg@mit.edu). I should also be available on the way out, June 16 in Salt Lake City. (In between there will be stops at all of the usual places: Big Sky, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Bryce, Grand Canyon (North Rim), Lake Powell, Moab.)

I had to make some last-minute changes to wardrobe, packing, and itinerary as a result of “Montana first to ban drag performers from reading to children in schools, libraries” (NBC):

Montana has become the first state to specifically ban people dressed in drag from reading books to children at public schools and libraries, part of a host of legislation aimed at the rights the LGBTQ community in Montana and other states.

Related:

  • Travels with Samantha, a 1993 trip through some of these same places in which there was no need to make reservations! (photos below)

15 thoughts on “Meet in Bozeman, Montana on Sunday? Or June 16 in Salt Lake City?”

  1. I wish I could be there to meet you but I am wasting away in Margaritaville, er.. Queretaro. I have been a flop with chicks since 1956 (Love Potion #9) and I have been following you since 1997 when I read SQL for Nerds. You helped me a lot because I was a technical writer at Pervasive Software, previously Btrieve Technologies, founded by Doug Woodward, who had a bad motorcycle accident. Doug create the Btrieve engine, you probably know what is its relevance.

  2. We will be in the Grand Canyon starting on June 13th-16th where we will be traveling by ass to the bottom of the ditch and spending the night in a rustic lodge with steak dinner. If you will be around then please let me know!

  3. No Zion? Not sure if you have been to the North Rim of the GC, but I think its’s one of the most special places on earth. Kiddos will also LOVE IT!

    The other *not as well known* area is Escalante – not a National Park, etc so sees a lot less people. Happy to provide suggested places to see in that area.

    Travels with Samantha one of my Top 10 books.

  4. Just had our deposit for five-day late-June stay at the N Rim refunded by NPS. Snow melt has taken out water service. Does that qualify as irony? Opening date for the park is at this point, undetermined.

    • We too were canceled out of our North Rim reservation. We managed to get one night at a lodge 5 miles back in the Kaibab Forest.

      I don’t know why they can’t fix a water pipe in less than a few months. Ron DeSantis got the bridges to Sanibel and other barrier islands rebuilt after Hurricane Ian within a few weeks.

    • And Republicans want NPS funding cut 40%. Typical “Dr” Phil / Republican — don’t fund anything but I’ll use it and it better work.

    • Mike: You’re strong on telling us what “Republicans” want to do, but there is no evidence that you’ve ever talked to a Republican face-to-face. Where exactly did you meet these people who told you that they identify as “Republicans” and also that they would like to see funding cut for Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, etc.?

    • Lol, it is Republicans who created US National Parks – specifically Republican President Theodor Roosevelt.
      Mike, please now share how US National Parks are r-aaa-sist, I would like to re-hash the argument.

  5. I would recommend Cedar Breaks except it’s still snowed in. Nearby Brian Head ski resort received 419″ of snow this winter. The Arizona Snowbowl (Flagstaff) got 399″ of snow and still has skiing thru Memorial Day.

    The snow this year was tremendous. Lake Powell is expected to rise 71 feet and Glen Canyon Dam released a mini-flood this week.

    The issue at North Rim is that they had large rockslides along the North Kaibab Trail, which remains closed. I believe water is piped up from Roaring Springs through the rockslide area. That and the NPS isn’t motivated to work quickly. The are some pleasant areas toward Cape Royal that are worth exploring, like Vista Encantada and and Angel’s Window. There’s no need to center on the GC Lodge.

    If there are kiddos in tow, they might enjoy the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. You can roll or sled your way to the bottom and then climb back up until you’re exhausted. The park is one hour south of Bryce and on the way to North Rim.

    • JJ: Thanks for the link to state-sponsored NPR. I think I will be able to keep up my influencer status during this trip: “If enacted, the ban in the state would not start until January 2024.”

  7. Will be in Big Sky on June 10th – the opening of their summer season, but looks like you will be long gone.

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