It was 2 p.m. when my Personal Travel Agent (aka amazing husband stuck at home working) texted me with the Hotel location for the evening.  The text said to exit the South Entrance and drive down to Jackson Hole where he made reservations at Hotel Terra.  By the time we finished at the Gift Shop and eating Ice Cream (yes we get Ice Cream everywhere we go) it was just past 5.  By the time we got to our car and actually all got buckled up it was 5:30.  With a 3 hour drive ahead, I figured we’d arrive right before it got dark.  I put the address into my GPS and off we went!  If you are not familiar with Yellowstone, it is quiet large to say the least, it takes at least an hour to get from one entrance to another.  With that said, after driving for about an hour, I saw the exit in front of me and knew we were on track.  That is, until I saw this sign:

Montana

Ummm….I think we have a problem.  Montana?  Scott did not text me anything about going through Montana.    I call Scott.   No, definitely not, we are NOT suppose to be in Montana.  He starts asking me, with frustration I might add, what I put into my GPS?!  It was the correct address but apparently it decided to take me out of the West entrance instead of the South.  (Please note I am referring to my GPS as ‘it’ because I have not yet come up with a name to call it –suggestions are welcome, although at this point I am thinking of a few not so appropriate names)  I am wondering why I hear disappointment in Scott’s voice, personally I don’t think it’s a big deal,  after all, we now get to add another state to our list of states we traveled through.  Asking him, he finally he tells me that by going out of the South Entrance it would have taken us straight through the Grand Tetons (where I wanted to go) leading us to the bottom of the mountain right to our hotel.  With that said, he also thought we would have left Yellowstone a lot earlier giving us a much earlier arrival time -with time to relax & enjoy the hotel.  My heart sank.  I hate disappointing Scott and I know I just did.   I tell him, “No Problem!, I will go back through Yellowstone! ”  He tells me “No, that would only add on an extra hour of driving time.”  “No Worries”, he says, “Drive safely and let me know when you get there”.   I was very sad but there was nothing else to do except to keep driving.

The next 3 hours of driving was MISERABLE.  I soon crossed over to Idaho, and not the pretty part either.  I felt like I was driving through Ghost Towns, one after another.  There was no one and I mean no one around.  I did not see another car or living soul for over an hour.  I saw abandoned gas stations, run down houses and hilly roads – far from the Grand Tetons.  I started crying and didn’t stop until I got to the hotel.  I was feeling sorry for myself and  kept asking God where he was when I was turning out of the Grand Lodge, why didn’t he veer me right when I was turning left.  Why?  Why couldn’t he direct me the right way?

At 10:00 in total darkness, we finally arrive.  Pulling up to the hotel I realize why Scott was so disappointed, the hotel was nice. …very, very nice.  He wanted us to get there early to relax and enjoy it and I blew it.  I got myself together and walked inside to the registration desk.  One of the guys behind the counter  asked me how I am doing this evening.  After taking a deep breath – yes very obvious long deep breath- I say, “It’s been a long drive, (long pause) but I think I’m ok now.”  He takes my name and asks me where I am coming from.  Desperately holding back tears, I tell him more than he probably wanted to hear.

A moment of silence until he finishes typing, looks at me and says, “Mrs. Machado, we are going to upgrade you to a Deluxe Suite.”   …COME AGAIN??

Not even thinking, I replied “Are you an angel from God?”, and then I started to cry (yes, again)

Everything after that happened so fast but in slow motion – kind of like the ‘Matrix’ movie.   Two guys came out to my car to help me with my bags.  I was embarrassed at the condition of my car at this point in our travels, things were everywhere, but they just kept saying “It’s ok, let us know how we can help you”.  Then one of the guys came out with a basket of stuffed animals and let the boys each pick one out.  They parked my car (at no extra charge I might add), and  brought up  our bags.   It wasn’t until after I opened the door to the room and saw how unbelievable it was that I knew I was wrong.  God was there, the whole time, he was the one who had me go left instead of right. I knew with all of my heart that if I had arrived 3 hours earlier when I was suppose to they would have never in a million years upgraded me to a suite because there would have still been a possibility of someone walking in and actually paying for the room.   I wasn’t the only one excited about the room, the boys all voted it the best hotel yet, well duh!

I put them to bed and was able to for the first time since we left, close my own bedroom door and have a little privacy.  I took a nice hot bath in their jacuzzi tub, then laid in bed with the TV on (Yes this was also a ‘1st’ luxury since previously we were all in the same room and it would’ve kept them up).

Sleeping Beckett

The room recharged my batteries and my mental state, I woke up with more energy than a shuttle to the moon.  Check out wasn’t until noon – way cool – enough time to go swimming in their outdoor pool.

Voted Best Pool by Machado Boys!

That is our hotel nestled in between the mountain and grand trees

Look at how refreshed and Happy we all look!

I’ve traveled a lot in my life and have stayed at some pretty awesome hotels but I have to say by far the Hotel Terra in Jackson Hole is one of my favorites.  www.hotelterrajacksonhole.com Pulling up in my bug covered SUV, things falling out from every door opened, my disheveled self looking like I crawled out of hole – not once did anyone from the hotel make me feel any less than a Queen.  A want to give a special  Shoot Out to Rob, Will and Richard, my angels from God, even though you may think you were only doing your job, you saved me from having a nervous breakdown that night!  Thank you!