Awesome Yellowstone

Hello, everyone,

Finally, we have a signal. I've been unable to blog since being in Yellowstone. We spent 3 days there. It is truly incredible. We finally spotted 2 wolves (through binoculars) and we came upon a herd of elk slap dab in the middle of the only town within the National Park, Mammoth-HotSprings. They were just grazing and ignoring the tourists. But, other animals have been dodging us. We did, however, take some spectacular photos of the upper and lower falls and a small lake near our park. Yellowstone Lake is so picturesque; we went on a 1-hour tour this morning and covered only a small fraction of the 136 sq. mile lake.We're enjoying beautiful weather and have met some of the nicest people from Louisiana to Oregon. So many people here are from foreign countries, most Japan, China, and Germany. In fact, we commented that without the Orientals, the park would almost be deserted. We have now arrived in Jackson just south of the Teton National Park. I'll send pic of it tomorrow.

See ya!

Caroloyn

Carolyn

Yellowstone--First Glimpse

Hi, everyone,

We had our first glimpse of Yellowstone today. Wow! Had to pinch myself while waiting for Old Faithful to do her thing. And she did, right on schedule (see pics). We walked out on the boardwalk to observe the boiling cauldrens and sniff the putrid sulfur then raced about 500 people to the Old Faithful Lodge cafeteria for a quick lunch.

Yellowstone lake is incredibly beautiful; couldn't take enough photos. Couldn't resist wading in, either. It's huge; you ride along its shores for many miles (pics).

We made arrangements to stay in the park Sat. and Sun. Hopefully, we'll see some of the elusive animals. Today we only saw buffalo (again!).

The rodeo was great last night (pic). It was very professionally done. Cowboys and cowgirls come from all over to participate for points as the work toward championships. The kids, especially, were cute.

Enjoy the pictures.

Later.

Carolyn

Big Horn Mountains

Hi, everyone!

We spent the morning driving over the Big Horn Mountains that start in Buffalo and end in Ten Sleep (named by the Indians; it was ten nights between here and some other point). The mountains were breathtaking and the drive was a white-knuckle one. Most grades were 6%-7% which might not seem like much unless you have a 7300 lb. tin can behind you that you're trying to hold back. Joe did a great job. We did have to cool our brakes about 3/4 ths of the way down from the 9500 ft. mountains. I've included a few pictures.

We wondered why we saw so few RVs on the long drive from Ten Sleep to Cody, but once in Cody we saw where they all were---in our RV park. We are the tiny little silver tin can among the behemoths (Class A's).

We strolled the streets of Cody and ate lunch at Irma's Hotel restaurant(of Buffalo Bill Cody fame). The wall-to-wall mahogany bar and the chandeliers are beautiful. You really do feel you've walked into Miss Kitty's place and you'll see Matt Dillon at any moment.

Cody has lots of gift shops and gun shops and motorcycle paraphenalia shops (and Wal-Mart). Tonight we're going to a genuine rodeo, ya hoo! We're staying through tomorrow night and will see the daily gunfight outside Irma's tomorrow.

Having a great time!

Later, pardners,

Carolyn

Shuffle off to Buffalo

We're in Buffalo, WY again tonight, just enjoying the R&R. Buffalo is situated on the Bozeman Trail. "The Bozeman Trail was an overland route connecting the Oregon Trail to the gold rush territory of Montana. The flow of white pioneers and settlers through territory of American Indians provoked their resentment and attacks. The U.S. Army undertook several military campaigns against the Indians. The trail was so important for its association with US frontier history and conflict with American Indians that it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places." (Wikipedia). It's a lovely town with a difinite Western feel.

The stretch of land between Gillette and Buffalo was the most desolate I've ever traveled. It was a little unsettling knowing that there were no service stations. We saw few cars and only a few trucks. Joe drove 75 (the speed limit) the entire way, but it still seemed to take forever.

We're moving on to Cody Wy tomorrow and should finally reach Yellowstone Friday or Sat.
Sorry I have no new pictures today. Thanks for staying with us.

Carolyn

Greetings from Wyoming!

Hi, everyone!

It's 6:50 p.m MT and we're about 45 miles from our nighttime stop in Buffalo, WY. I can see the Rockies!! Wyoming land is much like SD. We just left Gillette, a town that must have a lot of mining industry.

We stayed longer in and around Rapid City than we intended because an air injection module/pump failed and the Toyota dealer had to have a part flown in. We had a loaner car, though, and saw all the sights, including Deadwood, SD., where Wild Bill Hickok was killed. It's a nice town with many old structures still standing despite numerous flash floods through the years (I'm glad it wasn't raining today!) Deadwood is sandwiched between mountains; any flooding would flow right down Main St.; homes are built on the hillsides.We're going to stay a couple of days in Buffalo so we can wash clothes, re-organize the trailer and the truck (they are in mess), and talk to people about the best route to Yellowstone.

I've posted a few pictures of Deadwood.

Until later....

Carolyn

Where the Deer and the Buffalo Roam

Hi, everyone,

We had a wonderful, long drive today through Custer State Park. We went hoping to see buffalo and we weren't disappointed. They roam freely through the grasslands and on the roads, stopping traffic. Pronghorn, a deer-like animal, are also plentiful, as are prarie dogs. But the real attraction is the scenery. It's gorgeous here. Winding roads take you from grassy meadows, through lush forests with wild flowers and aspen trees, past serene rock-lined lakes, and through tunnels just wide enough for one car to squeeze through. Every turn is breathtaking.

We learned that Custer led an expedition here in 1874 to establish a fort, find a route to the Southwest, and to see if gold might be found there. Needless to say, the Indians, weren't pleased to see him and his arrival led eventually to the Indians being forced off the land despite the Treaty of Laramie in 1868.

We saw the Crazy Horse sculpture from the road, but decided not to spend the money to get closer. We'll come back in 30 years to see the finished product. Let's see 61+30, hmm, maybe not.

There are too many campgrounds in the park to count. Most have cabins as well as places for tents and RVs. If we lived closer, we would definitely vacation here often. It's a great place to come if you're a hiker or if you like to canoe.

All in all, it's high on my list of most beautiful places. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Later.

Carolyn

South Dakota Culture Day

Hi, everyone,

We heard that the Central State Fair was starting today. I thought we could get a better idea about the people and culture of this region by attending the fair. We started by viewing the parade. It was small by some standards, but you could see the pride these folks have in their ancestry (German, Scandinavian, Native American). Horses, as you might guess, are big around here, so there were several units with horses. I've included a few pics.

We were blown away by many exhibits at the fair. I particularly enjoyed the quilt show (see pics) and the chainsaw carving demonstration. The had many competitive events for quarterhorses, but we mostly enjoyed seeing young children 6-8 yrs. old riding and showing their skills with their horses.

We had lunch at the "German Biergarten" (spelling?). We enjoy asking for "sweet tea" at many places because it always starts a conversation with the locals. "Where are you guys from?" We talked to a beekeeper who got his bees from "a fellow in Georgia." After talking for a while we're quite sure it was Mr. Studier from Guyton. What a coincidence! We're really impressed with South Dakotans. They are much friendlier here that Iowans and Ill(annoyans).

We've been particularly interested in the climate here (today it reached about 92). One woman, who spent much of her life in North Dakota, said that this region (Western S. Dakota) is called the "Banana Belt" because of the mild climate much of the year.

Well, I probably told you way more than you wanted to hear today. Tomorrow, it's back to the tourist thing. Until then, hope all of you are well.

Carolyn