Going
camping in Yellowstone each summer never gets old. There’s always something new
to experience, whether it’s pitching a tent in the snow in June one year or
suffering with 90 degrees weather the next. I like to get away from the heat of
summer, so that’s why I’m complaining about the 90 degrees. And when you’re
already at an elevation of 6000 feet or more, the sun is a whole lot closer,
and the air thinner. For a fair-skinned blond like myself, that only means one
thing – sunburn! But I digress…..
One thing
that stays pretty much the same every year, the one “touristy” activity my family and I like to do when
we are in Yellowstone, is partake in the Old West cookout at the Roosevelt
Lodge. This is an immensely popular
activity, and reservations need to be made many months in advance. The nightly
event takes visitors from the Roosevelt Stables a short distance into the
“backcountry”, to an area called Pleasant Valley. 
Visitors either get there on
horseback or by riding in a covered wagon pulled by a team of Percherons. Upon
arrival, the smells of great outdoor cooking will make anyone’s mouth water. The
fare consists of steak (cooked to your liking), corn bread, vegetables,
cobbler, and baked beans. (I’ll only quickly mention the cowboy coffee, which I
will leave to my husband to post about. Personally, I haven’t been brave enough
to try it.).
The food is
great mainly because of the beautiful outdoor setting, but one of my favorite menu items is the
baked beans. Years ago, they even posted the recipe for their “Roosevelt Beans”
on the napkin holders. I copied it down, of course, so that I could make these
at home myself. These beans can definitely become a meal all by themselves, not just a sidedish. Great for Fourth of July BBQ’s, or for camping!
1 lb ground
beef
½ lb diced
bacon
1 small
onion, diced
4 cans assorted beans (pinto, kidney, white, butter,
pork & beans, lima, etc)
½ cup brown
sugar
2 tbsp
cider vinegar
1 tbsp
mustard
½ cup
ketchup
salt/pepper
to taste
Fry the
bacon until crisp. Drain the fat off. Brown ground beef, and sauté onions with
the beef. Add bacon. Drain the liquid from the beans (unless you want to end up
with baked bean soup), then add beans and all the other ingredients. Mix everything
thoroughly and put in oven proof dish. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.
When
camping, throw everything in a dutch oven and bake in hot coals. Enjoy!
That sounds like fun. I have enjoyed staying at Roosevelt Lodge whenever we can get in but it's usually spur of the moment and requires somebody cancelling. We have done the trailride but wouldn't really recommend it as for safety, it's one of those tail to nose rides which feels more like a ride in a carnival than a real trail ride. It is beautiful country though to ride through and I've seen those wagons go out. It's wonderful country and this summer we'll be back to spend two nights at Old Faithful this time and take the trailer we bought last summer so we can sleep more comfortably in the Lamar Valley.
ReplyDeleteI've never stayed at the Lodge, or at the Inn at Old Faithful. We tend to rough it in a tent. (I'm getting to old for a tent!) How exciting that you'll be there this summer! So will I.
DeleteOur visit was determined by the very few available times at Old Faithful Inn. I am more the wolves and grizzly person for my fascination but my husband, the chemist is the geyser person; so we break it up. We stayed in the back of our truck last time at Pebble Creek as we couldn't get into Slough Creek which was our real goal. I don't think I'd have the courage to tent camp in either having seen the grizzlies close by but it's my favorite area to spend time.
Deletesounds delicious-copied it off thank you for the link
ReplyDelete