How to see the Grand Tetons and Colorado in a Tesla… in a pandemic!
Taking a road trip in a Tesla was better than I had ever imagined. After almost 5 months of lockdown we decided to break out of jail and take a trip into America in our Model-S, expecting that with long charge times it could be frustrating but an adventure anyway. Quite the contrary!
Who would have thought that the sheer process of stopping every couple of hours to take a break, have a snack and distance chat with total strangers who are also Tesla enthusiasts, would make the trip magical? Instead we relaxed and let the Tesla route planner do all the thinking for us — although I did make a spreadsheet so I knew where and for how long at each stop. The experience was low stress because unlike prior trips we felt no need to rush. No need to “push on” to the furthest possible point our fatigue would take us… because we couldn’t. No arguing about whether we needed to stop for a restroom break. We simply had to stop and rest and charge our car. Every charging site had restrooms nearby; every stop we stretched, snacked, talked and relaxed. Perfect.
Since it is 2020 and we are in the middle of a 100-year pandemic we made safely our top priority. We took our own food for the road, had a picnic in our room in the motel overnight on our way, wore masks everywhere and never ate inside. Just a little planning meant we always ate (and drank) well without feeling at risk eating in restaurants along highway 80 in Nevada and Wyoming — where less than 50% of the people we saw wore masks. We kept our distance and stayed outside.
The route took us first to Niwot, CO to stay with friends. As couples who had been friends for more than thirty years we compared notes on our lockdown habits and determined that our risk of seeing each other was minimal, although we still socialized and ate our meals outside. Three perfect days of hiking, catching up, sharing spectacular wines and having our souls refreshed by the glorious sunsets over the Rockies. Such a relief.
At the last minute we decided to come home via Jackson Hole and hike in the Grand Tetons. Little did I realize that many hotels were sold out! Clearly we were not the only ones escaping from our personal groundhog days. Time for professional help – the fabulous Indagare travel team to the rescue. Kial found us a room at the Jackson Hotel for a couple of nights, but as importantly, she booked us restaurants with outside seating, distanced from other guests. Glorietta Trattoria in Jackson Hole … delicious, high-end Italian food with local fresh ingredients... where the manager Chuck Greenwald went out of his way to make us feel welcome, twice.
Hiking is a dream in Grand Teton National Park — Jenny Lake at the base of the Grand Tetons is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. The mountains rise 6,000 feet above the lake like jagged teeth, dramatic and overwhelming. We hiked the full circumference of Jenny Lake and climbed Inspiration Point to remind ourselves of how glorious the American West is. The only downside was the number of day hikers without masks but it was easy enough to step off the trail as they went by. After a nine-mile hike and several climbs in the sun the sandwiches Bret made from the trunk of the Tesla tasted fabulous.
A moose in Moose Ponds
The purity that is Jenny Lake
And finally, we drove home along the Snake River from Jackson Hole to Twin Falls Wyoming. This magnificent river starts out flat and stony at road level as it leaves Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park but over the miles digs its way into the earth until by Twin Falls it flows in a rich, wide green swath 486 feet under the Perrine bridge.
Then we had a long, dry drive back to Cupertino, California.
The Snake at Twin Falls Wyoming
Two things made a big difference to how safe we felt on the trip. First, we took enough food so we never had to go into a restaurant if we could not find one with outside seating and servers with masks. We took sandwich fixings and chips for the road, prepared salads and wine for dinner in our room. And plenty of water in a cooler. Second, we stayed at motels and hotels with Tesla chargers so we could charge overnight.
The team at Indagare.com believe how you travel matters. They make travel a wonderful relaxed adventure for their members.
Bret asking which wine to cool for our picnic dinner - Italian or Ridge Californian falanghina?
Chips, cherries and cheese - who needs more!
It’s just too fast a car, officer!
