Cookout Time!

The wagons

A few days ago us front desk people got to go on a real life cookout for free for what is called "shakedown."  Shakedown is basically where people practice for the real thing.  It's like the shakedown we had at the Dining Hall here at the hotel.  At this one, all the people from the front desk around the park (Mammoth, Canyon, etc..) got to ride in little yellow wagons pulled by these really big work horses.  As we rode along, we had a driver and a guide, both of whom were telling us random facts and information about the area where we were driving.  Mostly they were stories about old west cowboys and the mountain men who once roamed about in Yellowstone.  Also, they pointed out wildlife which was only a few bison, once of which was in our way so our drivers yelled out at them and I have never seen a bison run so fast!  He was running like no tomorrow.



After about a 30 minute drive, we arrived at our destination to see a campfire with coffee brewing as well as the food line all set up and steaks a cooking! When we dismounted from the wagon, there were a bunch of picnic tables set up for us to eat at and some cowboys singing poetry.  When it was our groups turn at the table they told us it was all you could eat steaks (which later proved incorrect, at which point it was all the beans we could eat.  This too soon proved false until it was simply all the apple crisp we could eat.)

An example of the food we ate!

After dinner a few of us joined the guides over by the horses and we were able to pet them and learn some of their names.  They were really sweet and playful and it was so fun to get to see them.  Soon we were packing back into the wagons and heading home.  Stuffed full of steaks and beans, we arrived back at the Hotel ready for the next day of work.