4th of July in Big Piney.
Happy 4th of July — and happy 250th, America!
Our plan for the day was simple: ride into Big Piney to watch the parade. The folks at Old Stones Smokehouse had told us all about the town’s celebration, so we figured we’d check it out.
Lynn was up at 5:15 a.m. to a brisk 41° (felt like 38°). Kirk got moving around 8:00. We skipped breakfast and hit the road at 8:45, aiming to catch the 10 a.m. parade (started late at 10:15). The ride was about 30 minutes, and we rolled in just before start time with plenty of parking — perks of being on the bike — and plenty of curbside spots, even in the shade.
It was a classic small‑town parade: patriotic, friendly, and full of local groups, schools, first responders, veterans and politicians. Kids enjoyed all the candy being thrown out on the street, including otter pops! Everything was great… until it wasn’t. A group of motorcycles started wheeling up and down the street. Loud, but fun — until one rider went down hard. Ouch. He popped back up, the crowd cheered, and he managed to walk off with his bike. Luckily, the fire trucks were right behind him and pulled over to help. He was eventually transported by ambulance to Pinedale.
The parade wrapped around 11:00, and that’s when the traffic jam began. Everyone was trying to leave downtown and head north to the fairgrounds for the big BBQ. We needed to head north too, but we weren’t planning to join the crowd — way too packed — so we aimed for Pinedale to find lunch. Cops were directing traffic, and soon enough we were back on open road.
Holiday closures meant slim pickings for food in Pinedale, but Wrangler Café was still open (closing early). Lynn ordered chicken fried steak; Kirk got a steak skillet. His was definitely the winner.
After lunch, we took a scenic ride toward Fremont Lake, exploring the road past the water. Gorgeous day, perfect ride. The road ends at a campground and then we just turned around and headed back. It was a gorgeous sunny day. Not too hot, not too cold. A perfect riding day.
We were home by 3:30 p.m. and promptly fell into a two‑hour nap. We both woke up groggy. Kirk made pork chops for dinner, and we decided to skip the Pinedale fireworks. Neither of us felt like driving 30+ minutes at 10:30 p.m. (because that’s when it finally gets dark here). Plus, we didn’t want to join the post‑fireworks traffic stampede. Instead, we stayed in and watched the White House fireworks on TV. Spectacular on screen — and probably incredible in person.
A patriotic day with small‑town charm, scenic rides, unexpected drama, and a cozy ending — exactly our kind of Fourth.
Weather – High 75*, Low 41*. Wind 4-10 mph with 17 mph gusts. No rain. No humidity.
Traffic – Lots in Big Piney leaving the parade.
Food – Steak Skillet from Wrangler Cafe.
Notable – Parade in Big Piney. Motorcycle crash!
