Day Six of Western Adventure

We woke this morning at Flagg Ranch with frost on the car.  Temps were in the 30’s.  I was thinking of walking to the lodge for breakfast and Bob said I don’t think so!   We enjoyed breakfast and were on the road to Yellowstone.  Old Faithful was soon to erupt, so we waited and sure enough, right on time.

 

Although all of us had been to Yellowstone before, no one remembered the extreme high elevations.  We drove over 70 % of the park today and were in elevations nearing 9,000.  We were on the lookout for moose, elk, bison and of course the elusive bear.  We were somewhat successful in our quest to see the animals.      No bears!

 

 

We all agreed that one of our favorite spots was the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone with the canyons and the spectacular falls.                    

 

 

We finished our day in Yellowstone with the Mammoth Hot Springs area.  This area is like no other in Yellowstone and truly looks prehistoric. 

                    

 

Our dinner was at a local  restaurant in Gardiner, MT with quick stop at the grocery store on our way to Paradise Valley B&B in Emigrant, MT.  When we arrived, Carol, the owner said we had been upgraded to a mansion.  She wasn’t kidding. We were in a 4500 sq ft home that was built by the Johnson and Johnson Family.  We arrived in the dark, so could hardly wait to see the place in the daylight. We were situated right on the Yellowstone River. 

Sunrise was gorgeous.     

 

 

                                                          

                           This is the view from the back of the house.  There is no snow this time of year.

 

 

Day Five of Western Adventures

Today dawned bright and crisp as we woke up at Bill Cody Ranch. We enjoyed another ranch breakfast.  ( If we don’t take a job on a ranch and work this food off, we will all be sorry.) We take a spin past the corral where the horses are waiting their riders, take a look up behind us as the sun hits the rock formations and say good by to a great place to stay.

 

The drive to Yellowstone is spectacular and we see more and more rock formations, streams and actually see a lone bison enjoying a sunny                   morning.                          

                                                                                   

We have all been to Yellowstone before, but it is amazing what we missed or have forgotten in the intervening years.  We entered at the East Entrance and skirted the lake through the entire southeast quadrant of the park. Yellowstone Lake was gorgeous as always with a stiff breeze putting white caps all across the entire expanse.

 

Today was our day to see the Grand Tetons, so the drive through Yellowstone was a means to get where we were going.  The Tetons did not disappoint.  Majestic as ever, the peaks towered above the lakes, streams and valleys below.  The weather was flawless even though rain had been forecast.  There was a slight haze from the forest fires in Idaho and Montana as well as some quite close to the Tetons.

 

We drove through nearly all of the park, looking for the elusive moose and elk.  Although we did not see entire herds of either, we did see the token one of each.  It was amazing how the moose in the water was stopping all the traffic.  Lydia remarked that we came back by the same place and he was still there, in  much the same position. She even wondered if it was a real one. ( we have all seen too much Disney animation.)  

                                             

We are tired but happy at the end of the day and so thankful that our bed tonight is at the Headwaters Lodge at Flagg Ranch, just 2 miles south of the south entrance to Yellowstone.  This positions us perfectly to start our journey tomorrow through Yellowstone.

 

                                           

                    

 

Just a neat tree.

Deadman’s Bar Lone Coyote

                   Chapel    Jenny Lake 

 

 

 

                                               Jenny Lake 

 

Day Four of Western Adventures

We all slept in a bit this AM, enjoyed breakfast at the Lodge, and then were on our way up to Wyoming and a stop at Devil’s Tower first. The best photo ops were upon the approach and we stopped for a few of those, then actually skipped driving on up to the Monument itself.                        

 

Our plan was to drive across Wyoming on the scenic route from Devil’s Tower to Sheridan, then taking 14-A up through the Big Horn National Forest and back down to Cody with a stop for the evening.  After being in the Badlands for one day and Custer State Park for another, some of us thought it couldn’t get any better.  Lydia and Jerry had been this way some may years ago, but Bob and Joyce had not been to this scenic part of Wyoming. We were blown away with the immenseness of it all.                                   It was a fairly clear day, with just a few smoke curls coming from way distant peaks.  There were  hair pin turns where it seemed we could see for ever.The rock formations displayed a never ending supply of new ways to put a rock together.  Just amazing what nature can do. These majestic formations are 430-500 million years old.           

 

We thought we wanted to drive up to see the Medicine Wheel, an old Indian spiritual ground and calendar, but nixed that when it required a horrendous drive and then a 3 mile walk. 

    

Many Wyoming ranchers are irrigating and we were treated to a herd of prong horn antelope playing in the vivid green alfalfa fields.  As we neared Powell, we saw fields of bright, dark green crops that we couldn’t identify.  Soon the answer came to us as we passed a Sugar Beet processing plant.  They were harvesting some fields and the beets were piled high in what really looked like huge rock piles.  We saw the harvesting equipment, but none in action.  

 

As the day came to an end, we were more than excited to enter Cody with a quick drive through, then a drive past the Buffalo Bill Dam and Reservoir and on to the Bill Cody Ranch ranch  

 

where we were greeted by the resident wild turkey, Rosetta.  We have our own cabin with two bedrooms and two baths. We enjoyed drinks and snacks on the deck, then dinner in the lodge at the ranch.  It was so nice not to have to get in the car and leave to look for a place to eat.  With internet access in the lodge, we all brought our toys to access the internet and check e-mail and write this blog.  By days end, we were all lulled to sleep by the bubbling creek right outside our doors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day Three of Western Adventures

 

Day three dawned with what we thought was a sound of rain....no, it turns out it was rustling cottonwood leaves in the wind.   The day is bright, clear and crisp.  After meeting cowboy, ranch owner, Phillip at breakfast, we can say we have met a real cowboy.  In addition to Circle View Ranch  B&B, he and Amy have over 100 head of cattle.  The ranch has been in his family for many years and his 96 year old dad lives next door.

                  This is the view off the deck of the Circle View Ranch.  The White River has been dry for weeks this year.  Phillip says this happens maybe every 10 years or so.

 

We enjoy a breakfast fit for a ranch hand and hurry on our way to Custer State Park near Mt. Rushmore.  We make one last run through the Badlands Park, this time with the sun at our backs and the rocks take on an entirely new look.   The park is truly amazing. Way beyond prehistoric.  The promo materials coined the phrase "where rugged is  considered beautiful.". We were all moved by the beauty as well as inspired.

Arriving at Custer State Park is a welcome sight.  The land is much more rugged than the area we pass through enroute with  peaks, valleys and grasslands abounding. We thought the Badlands couldn't be beat, but Custer is awesome in a totally different way.  We enjoy a very nice lunch in the State Game Lodge (summer White House of Calvin Coolidge). We continued to tour the park with one awesome peak or spire after another.     

                                                

 

In the meantime, we are all looking for the massive herds of bison that are said to reside in the park.  We are nearly ready to leave, having only seen a few bison.  As we exited the park, the ranger told us where to find plenty of bison and we headed there in a hurry.  ( along with all of the other visitors he had told the same thing!). We did indeed see our bison. There were supposed to be about 1,000 in the herd.

 

                 

 

We left Custer State Park and headed to Crazy Horse.  What a surprise for all of us.  Lydia and Jerry had been there in the middle 1970s with the boys and they could barely make out the statue in the rock.  Today, there is much more accomplished.  There is an extensive Indian museum, large gift shop and excellent documentary on the beginnings of the entire Crazy Horse project.

 

                                           

 

Upon leaving Crazy Horse, we headed to Keystone where we had reserved rooms at the Battle Creek Lodge.  We were promptly checked in and enjoyed drinks and snacks on the balcony deck.  Our plans were to go to see Mt. Rushmore in time for the light show in the evening and we were there in plenty of time. 

 

Again, much had changed since Lydia and Jerry had visited in the 70s. We found seats in the amphitheater and waited until  dark for the show.  We were not disappointed.  After an excellent monologue from the park ranger with the history of this part of the country, mainly focusing on the Lewis and Clark Expedition.  So glad we had brushed up on some of this part of history as it was much more meaningful.  We then watched an excellent documentary telling why each of the four presidents was chosen to be honored with the Mt. Rushmore legacy.  Again, an excellent program. As the presidential statues were lighted, all military active, retired and national guard were invited to come to the stage where they were each asked to give their name and branch of service.  Six of them were asked to assist in retiring the flag for the end of the day.  All in all, quite a moving ceremony.