July 1, 2026 (Wed.) - A Slow Day in Pinedale.
After yesterday’s long day in the Tetons, we had no real plans for today.
Lynn was up early at 5:30 a.m. to yet another chilly morning—37°. Kirk didn’t emerge until 10:00, and we eased into a slow start. He made breakfast: pancakes with sausage tucked inside. Delicious. Lynn spent the morning blogging. Even though the forecast promised dry skies, a surprise rain shower rolled through just before 1 p.m. The sun finally returned around 3, and Kirk headed outside to tackle his projects.
His main mission: replace the anode rod in the water heater. It technically wasn’t due yet, but one look at the slimy, crystalized, thoroughly unappetizing rod made the decision easy. Out with the old.
Thankfully, Kirk wrapped up the water‑heater project by 4:30 p.m., just as another round of rain started up.
Since we’d been cooped up in the RV most of the day, we decided to head into Pinedale for dinner—a solid 30‑minute drive. We ended up at Old Stones Smokehouse and Country Pizza. Yelp wasn’t kind, but we gave it a shot. They brag about their locally sourced burgers, so Lynn ordered one while Kirk went for pizza. Both were excellent, but Lynn’s burger definitely won the night—fresh, flavorful beef. They even sell the local meat inside the restaurant, though only in 5‑pound packages. No way we’d ever need that much.
We were back at the RV by 7:30 p.m. Lynn returned to blogging—still two weeks behind and not catching up anytime soon. Kirk settled in with his show (The Stand).
By 10:30 p.m., we called it a night. Uneventful, productive, and exactly the kind of day we needed. Not many pics today.
Weather – High 66*, Low 36*. Winds 3-9 mph with 17 mph gusts. No rain forecasted (but it rained). No humidity.
Traffic – None.
Food – Old Stones Smokehouse and Country Pizza – very good.
Notable – Lynn’s burger.
July 2, 2026 (Thu.) - A slow day in Big Piney.
We didn’t have much planned for today either. There’s not a whole lot to do around here besides the Tetons and Yellowstone—both of which we’ve either already done or plan to tackle again in the fall.
Lynn’s morning started a little later than usual. She was up around 7 a.m. to a brisk 43°. Kirk surfaced around 9:30. Breakfast in the RV was light, and with rain in the forecast, we decided to watch a movie. The Last Ronin lasted all of five minutes before we bailed—it was that bad. We switched to Operation Rainfall instead. Lynn also spent part of the morning on phone calls about her mom’s dental care and other health issues.
By 12:30 p.m., we were ready to escape the RV. We headed to Big Piney, about 30 minutes away. It’s a small town without much going on, but we decided to check out the Green River Valley Museum. From the outside, it looked tiny, but inside it was surprisingly large, with multiple outbuildings packed with artifacts. We ended up with our own personal tour guide—the gentleman (Chuck) at the entrance happily chatted away and followed us through the entire museum, sharing stories and local history.
We stayed much longer than expected and genuinely enjoyed it. Afterwards, we crossed the street to the Visitors Center, not much there but maps and swag. It’s the future home of more museum artifacts and the friendly woman gave us food recommendations nearby. By now it was after 3 p.m., and we still hadn’t eaten lunch. A nearby Mexican restaurant claimed to be open according to their posted hours. They were not. Even FedEx tried to deliver a package and found the doors locked.
So we drove the one minute to Marbleton to try the café the woman recommended. Naturally, they were closed too—shut down at 2 p.m. Nothing else seemed open in either town, so we ended up at Obo’s Market and Deli, part of the gas station. Kids outside were eating pizza and said the chicken strips were good. Inside, it turned out to be a fast‑food chicken franchise tucked into the market. No fresh food—just whatever was sitting in the heated case. Kirk got fried chicken; Lynn grabbed a spicy chicken sandwich. We ate inside the market with a “view of the city.” Lunch was… not great.
We headed back toward Pinedale around 4:30 p.m., making a couple of scenic detours—a bridge near the Green River and a quick stop at the Warren Bridge Recreation Area. We paused to check out the bridge and the cows, then spotted a bird’s nest perched right on top of the structure. We’re pretty sure it was an osprey, though we couldn’t say for certain. A second bird swooped in, rummaged around, and then took off with a fish from the nest. So apparently it just popped by for takeout.
We lingered to watch the cows and all the babies. A farmer was in the middle of moving the herd across the bridge to another pasture, which made for plenty of cow photos—Lynn can’t resist cows, especially the little ones. The Warren Bridge area was beautiful, with wide‑open views of the Green River and soft evening light settling over the landscape
By 5:15 p.m., we were back at the RV, and right on cue the rain, thunder, and lightning rolled in around 5:30. Perfect timing. We spent the rest of the evening tucked inside, relaxing and listening to the storm until a glowing orange sunset finally broke through at 9 p.m., painting the sky…saving the best for last.
Weather – High 68*, Low 41*. Winds 2-12 mph with 19 mph gusts. Rain = 45% (.05″). No humidity.
Traffic – None.
Food – Nothing to report.
Notable – Green River Valley Museum. Sunset.
