Driving South, Days One and Two

We left the lake and were retracing our path from Finley Point, through Polson, and down through Livingston, Montana and on to Pocatello, Idaho. All through the mountains I had trouble breathing, particularly as we were coming into Northern Utah. The more I thought about continuing to Durango and Silverton, Colorado and their corresponding higher elevations the more I doubted the wisdom of the idea. Finally we decided to forego the train ride and to take a more direct route home. Our first night on the return trip was in Salt lake City. We had been there three years earlier and visited a place recommended by the Food Network's Guy Fieri on his program, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. The place was a Mexican taco joint called Lone Star Taqueria. The speciality of the house is a fish taco. The last time we were there neither of us had the fish taco and I have been hearing about it ever since. So, no matter what, one of us was having the fish and it wasn't going to be me. I had a chili verde taco and Jeannie finally had the object of her three year longing, a FISH TACO! Guess what, it was just so-so! I loved it, for three years I have heard about the taco, but it is in Salt Lake City! We live in Florida! Hello! it is fish! rather have it in Florida or Utah? Ohhh, how sweet it is. My chili verde was muy buena! The moral of the story? dont buy green chili in Florida and don't order a fish taco in Utah. The next day we were up bright and early and off to lower altitudes, can you say Denver? Actually a suburb a few miles north of Denver, Longmont, Colorado. On the trip coming out we made about 700 miles a day and completed the trip in four long days. We have decided to curtail the number of hours we drive each day and have opted for a five day return and about 500 miles or so each day. So far so good. In Longmont we found a local Mexican place called "Efrains III." We had a great meal, Jeannie had a Chimichanga (what else) and I had the best chicken enchilada I have ever eaten. Two Tecate Cervezas and a large bowl of salsa and we were set. I was eating a chili verde sauce that was so hot that I had one elbow on the table, tears rolling down my cheeks and yet kept dipping into the salsa again and again. Jeannie was laughing and said her dad used to do the same thing. Eating food so hot it brought tears to his eyes but tasted so good he couldn't stop. Man it was good. Later that night I recalled a saying by the late Lewis Grizzard, "Chili Dogs Howl At Night" Well Lewis, old boy they ain't the only thing.