Dornan's and an old friend from NC...

I recently saw on Facebook that my former neighbor from NC was making his way through the national parks with his girlfriend Kathy. He lived in the One Meeting Place cul de sac a few years back, is Italian, a great cook, and hosted the best parties ever. He always had a crowd and feast for Superbowl, Cinco de Mayo, Thanksgiving ... you name it. He retired to San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico 3 years ago and has never looked back.

Like me, he travels the world and posts his photos so his friends can live vicariously. Last year, he and Kathy traversed South America by car from top to bottom, and the year before that, he drove across the American west solo. What a treat to have them in town. They're "camping" nearby.... think queen size air mattress with bed skirt... on a cot... heaters, elaborate cooking gear and more. I look forward to visiting their deluxe campsite this week.

I suggested that we meet at Dornan's in the tiny town of Moose, midway between us. Of course we met for cocktails. Dornan's is legendary and like a little town unto itself. I had no idea what to expect as I drove north 9 miles north through GTNP and turned off a desolate highway at the Dornan's sign. I immediately saw cars and crowds.

Dornan's has a gas station, grocery store, cabins for rent, float trip and fly fishing activities, 2 restaurants, liquor store, ATM, mountaineering store, gift shop, roof top deck, bar and more. A ranch local told me it's an authentic old Wyoming establishment, the way it should be. They offer all you can eat outdoor chuck wagon dinners and on Monday nights, a "Hootenanny" live  music event. It was touristy but neat. Once again, the Teton range views were spectacular!

I'm not sure what the teepee is for, but based on this pic (below) from their website, it's been a fixture at Dornan's since day one (1948).

Check out their website and history:
http://dornans.com/about/

This is the view of the mountains and Snake River from the deck...wow! Lou is one of the most amazing people I know with an arsenal of stories, recipes and adventures to rival anyone's. Despite both of us leaving Wilmington, NC, I consider him a friend for life. He has encouraged me to visit him in Mexico since he moved there, and after meeting Kathy, an American ex-pat and realtor, and hearing more stories of how amazing their life is there, I'm determined to get down there this winter... stay tuned! Tomorrow, it's back to work at the ranch after 2 days off and a huge Italian buffet for dinner this evening ;) Ahh.....