Yeehaw! Cody, Wyoming… Buffalo Bill and the Nez Perce -May 30 – June 2

New base of operations in Cody, Wyoming is the Absaroka Bay RV Park, $39 per night with Good Sam’s. This was a very nice park and centrally located for our day trips to the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway (also known as the Nez Perce Scenic Highway), tours of the town of Cody, and the Buffalo Bill Cody Center of the West Museum. This area is rich in history and a wonderful place to visit. To see the museum in full you need about 1 and 1/2 days. So much history and artifacts, you don’t want to miss it.

When we left Idaho Park, Idaho we decided to take one last trip through Yellowstone, yes with the RV. We left early and the scenery was spectacular. We said our goodbyes and headed for Cody, Wyoming. It was a great trip and we got to Cody early enough to make a trip out to check out the town. Pictures of our travels through Yellowstone.

Elk stopping traffic
Elk stopping traffic
Elk stopping traffic

Elk in Marsh
Elk in Marsh
Bison above the Road

Yellowstone Lake & River
Yellowstone Lake & River
Sage Bison

Yellowstone Lake & River
Yellowstone Lake & River
Two Skies

Two Skies
Effects of Bacon Rind Fire 2018

We set up camp around 1 PM in Cody, Wyoming and headed into town to look around. Cody was founded on the Shoshone River in 1896 with the help of Colonel William Frederick (Buffalo Bill Cody). Cody is the county seat of Park County and has a population of about 10,000. Many of the original buildings are intact and still in use. We walked the streets and met a couple of real cowboys, with beer in hand. They were happy to give us some tips about the area and acted like our long lost friends. I truly enjoyed the town and the area.

We stopped by the Buffalo Bill Cody Center of the West, which has five different museums under one roof and is a world class center. Draper Natural History Museum, the Plains Indian Museum, the Cody Firearms Museum, the Whitney Western Art Museum and the Buffalo Bill Museum make up the Center. I found it fascinating, but did not enjoy the Firearms exhibits because visitors were firing guns at stations and that unnerved me a bit. When we bought our tickets we worked out a deal to come back a day later to finish the museums as we planned to take the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway the next day and didn’t want to spend two consecutive days inside. The staff granted the the exception and were very easy to work with. Two thumbs up. I should also mention that the Center is a Smithsonian Affiliate.

Mr. Cody Himself
Plains Indian Tipi Interior
Lizard Amulet for Cradleboard/holds child’s Umbilical cord for protection

Plains Indian Tipi
Native American Sculpture

Cody’s Childhood Home

Crazy Horse
Sacagawea /Guide for Lewis & Clark

Peregrine Falcon-Raptor Center
Bald Eagle-Raptor Center
Peregrine Falcon-Raptor Center

Turkey Vulture-Raptor Center
Turkey Vulture-Raptor Center
Great Horned Owl-Raptor Center

The Irma Built and Named For Cody’s Daughter
Original Irma Dining room
Cod Fillet with Irma Fries

The Chief Joseph Scenic Byway is also known as the Nez Perce Scenic Highway. It is the trail that Chief Joseph and his tribe followed trying to escape the US Calvary to a safe life in Canada. They were just a few miles short of the border when they were captured and forced on to a reservation. The trail is now Wyoming Highway 296 and is approximately 50 miles of beautiful territory. The beauty belies the desperation that the Nez Perce must have felt fleeing for their lives and their way of life.

Sculpture at Trail
View from 296
View from 296

View from 296
View from 296
View from 296

Dead Indian Overlook
Sculpture at Dead Indian Overlook
Dead Indian Overlook

View from 296
View from 296
Dead Indian Creek

Dead Indian Creek
Tree on Granite
View Dead Indian Pass

Old Bridge at Beartooth Road
View from Beartooth Road (212)
View from Beartooth Road (212)

Dead Indian Pass
Dead Indian Pass
Dead Indian Pass

Dead Indian Pass
View from 296

I hope you have enjoyed the Cody Capers. Thanks for reading. Up Next: Rapid City, South Dakota. Mount Rushmore, Badlands, Lead, and more.

Too Much to See… Too Much to Do… Yellowstone Days 5-9 Part 5

Day five was an errand day in Idaho Falls (Ammon), Idaho. I was to get two new tires put on the truck while Ray went to his eye appointment. We had a slow leak in one of the front tires and we were also having that checked. It simply couldn’t be a patched tire. We had cracked a rim on our off-road adventures. So two new tires and a new rim later, we were back on the road. $$$$$ to “Cap the stack,” as my mother says, they didn’t have any chrome rims to fit so we ended up with a charcoal colored one. Three chrome rims and one dark rim made for a stylish ride. We did order a matching chrome rim and had it delivered to Arkansas to be installed when we arrive there a few weeks later. We did see some pronghorns and elk on the errand adventure, which was great.

We spent the last few days exploring more areas in and around Yellowstone. It did not disappoint us. We started every morning around eight AM, packed a good lunch with snacks, and we would get back to the RV around nine PM. Glorious days and we were enjoying more and more sun. One of the days included going back out to Tower Falls Road, where we were blessed to see a Big Horn Sheep with her days old baby. I didn’t know the babies are gray but the are and they are adorable. We watched the two of them walk down the steep rock face, cross the road, and then disappear in the direction of the river below. The lamb did not miss a step on the steep slope. It was impressive! As with the other photos, we used a telephoto lense and stayed a good distance away.

We managed to see a Whistling Swan, Sandhills Cranes, another Moose on the loose, elk and bison. We also visited more geothermal sites and watched a few geysers. Everyone wants to see Old Faithful but there are many more great geysers to see, without the crowds of Old Faithful. All in all I rate Yellowstone National Park a 12 on a 1 to 10 scale. I will return again and again. It’s officially my favorite of the places we visited.

Pronghorn
Pronghorn Herd
Pronghorn Herd

Bison on the Yellowstone River
Bison at River

Eagle Nest
Virginia Cascades
Granite

Moss on Granite

Gibbon River
Virginia Cascades
Gibbon River

Dead Tree Cross
Gibbon River
Fly Fishing the Yellowstone

Fly Fishing the Yellowstone
Fly Fishing the Yellowstone
Fly Fishing the Yellowstone

Whistling Swan
Whistling Swan
Whistling Swan

Firehole Springs
Firehole Springs

Firehole Springs
White Dome Geyser
On Firehole Lake Drive

White Dome Geyser

On Firehole Lake Drive
Kepler Cascades

Kepler Cascades
Kepler Cascades
Wildflowers

Yellowstone Lake North Entrance
Yellowstone Lake North Entrance
Thermal Vent

Bison at Thermal Feature
Thermal Vent
Mud-pots

Mud-pots

Pelicans on the Yellowstone River
Pelicans on the Yellowstone River

Elk on Ridge
Elk on Ridge

It’s a Baby Big Horn Sheep
Big Horn Sheep
Big Horn Sheep

Big Horn Sheep
Big Horn Sheep
Big Horn Sheep

Big Horn Sheep
Big Horn Sheep
Big Horn Sheep

Big Horn Sheep
Big Horn Sheep
Big Horn Sheep

Elk
Moose on the Loose

Moose on the Loose
Moose on the Loose

Sandhills Cranes
Sandhills Cranes
Sandhills Cranes

Henry Lake
Henry Lake
Henry Lake

I really enjoyed Yellowstone and can’t wait to go back and share it with my family. It is a spellbinding place, full of wonder. Next up: Cody, Wyoming! Thanks for reading.

Cubs and Calves and Stampedes, Oh, My…. Yellowstone Day 3 Part 3

We left very early for the Tower Falls area of Yellowstone National Park on the 3rd day. We had packed a lunch, as usual, and planned to stay until early evening. This was a spectacular day for wildlife viewing. Two grizzlies, five black bears, pronghorns, elk, and stampeding bison and calves. We also saw some outstanding geothermal features and enjoyed the Mammoth Hot Springs area. It was a wondrous day!

Grizzly
Grizzly
Grizzly

2 Grizzlies
Second Grizzly
2 Grizzlies

Long View of thermal features
Bison
Bison

Bison
Bison
Osprey Falls

Golden Marmot
Golden Marmot

Raven nest with Mom and 3 chicks
Hoodoo Field
Hoodoo Field

Hoodoos and Ray
Hoodoos
Geothermal near Mammoth

Geothermal near Mammoth
Elk at Geothermal feature
Orange Spring Mound

Orange Spring Mound
Northern Gentian
Mammoth Hot Springs

A tree grows there?
Me at Hot Springs
Mammoth Hot Springs

Lone Bear near Mammoth
Lone Bear near Mammoth
Elk in Mammoth

Mammoth
Mammoth Hot Springs
Undine Falls

Bison Stampede
Bison Stampede
Bison Stampede

Bison Stampede
Bison Stampede
Bison Stampede

View near Tower Falls
Pronghorn
Pronghorn

Black Bear with Yearling Triplets
Black Bear with Yearling Triplets
Black Bear with Yearling Triplets

Black Bear with Yearling Triplets
Black Bear with Yearling Triplets
Black Bear with Yearling Triplets

Black Bear with Yearling Triplets
Two cubs checking us out
Two cubs checking us out

Getting ready to cross road
Brave Crosser
Crossing Road

Safe on other side
Resting on Log
Elk at Tower Falls

Tower Falls
Back of Tower Falls
Formations at Tower Falls

Formations at Tower Falls
Formations at Tower Falls
Formations at Tower Falls

Not a Roundup
Bison next to road

What a fantastic Day 3 in Yellowstone. So much to see! Stay tuned for Day 4 – Jackson Hole and The Grand Tetons. Lovely!

It’s Baby Season in the Park…. Geothermal Features…. Yellowstone Day 2 – Part 2

Day two in Yellowstone National Park took us on a route down Firehole Canyon Road, alongside the Firehole River and Falls. It was early in the morning and we were in for a big surprise. Down on a little peninsula in the Firehole River was an Elk who had just given birth to a beautiful calf. We parked and slowly exited the vehicle and sat quietly on a rock on the ledge above the river. We watched as the calf got up and nursed for the first time. It was a surreal and spiritual experience, a sacred part of nature. Please note that we used a telephoto lense and were well spaced away from the event out of respect for nature.

Success

Firehole Canyon Road
Firehole Falls

Once we could tear ourselves away from the miracle of birth, we completed the trek down Firehole Canyon Road. We stumbled upon a coyote hunting rodents in the meadow, bison, and many geothermal features, including geysers. We also saw Old Faithful and while it is a big attraction at Yellowstone, there are many other geysers that are more impressive and have fewer tourists vying for a good spot. I love exploring!

Fumaroles (steam vents)
Fumaroles (steam vents)

Coyote hunting Rodents
Coyote hunting Rodents

One of many warnings
Trees killed by toxic heat
Dead trees interest me

Bacterial Mat
Bacterial Mat

Paint Pots

Paint Pots
Paint Pots
Paint Pots

Blood Geyser
Blood Geyser
Fumaroles

Dead trees on bacterial mat

Fumaroles
Beauty in death
Bacterial mat and fumaroles

Bacterial Mat

Bacterial Mat
Bacterial Mat

Bacterial Mat
Bacterial Mat
Bacterial Mat

Bacterial Mat
Bacterial Mat
Bacterial Mat

Bacterial Mat
Bacterial Mat

Bacterial Mat

Sulfur Stream
Sulfur Stream
Sulfur Stream

Bison at thermal feature
Bison at thermal feature

How in the world can one have a better day than day two at Yellowstone? Well, day three was bear day… Grizzlies and black bears. One with her yearling triplets. Stay tuned. It’s awesome! I love Yellowstone!

Bison & Pronghorns & Bears…. Oh, My! Yellowstone May 18-30th

We made one stop at Deer Lodge, Montana, Indian Creek Campground at $31.34/night, to break up the distance to Island Park, Idaho. We broke camp early on the 19th and headed to Jared’s Wild Rose Ranch, $45.46/night with Good Sam’s, just 20 minutes from Yellowstone National Park and on Henry Lake. What a beautiful place. The park had full hookups but the spaces were very small. That didn’t matter when you saw the view of the lake and the Mountains. We also had eagles visit us right at our campsite each day. I would definitely stay there again. The staff was also very accommodating and while we didn’t fish, the fishermen (and women) were making many big catches of trout.

View from RV site

We spent several days in Yellowstone and made day trips to the Grand Tetons and Jackson Hole. Everything was so picturesque and being spring, the wildlife was in full bloom too. Calves, cubs, fawns, etc. You name it, we saw it. All this means is that the Yellowstone blog will be broken in to several parts. This is Day One – Part One… I must have taken a thousand or so photos. If you are interested in avoiding crowds and seeing a lot of wildlife, I recommend going early in the morning or staying later in the evening. It will make for an amazing visit. We did a little of both and slept well at the end of the day. Please respect the wildlife and stay a respectable distance away and please do not feed them. It causes many of the bears,etc to become dangerous and they sometimes are removed but sometimes they are destroyed. RESPECT! A bison can weigh up to 2,000 pounds and can run up to 40 miles per hour. Watch for their warning signs and do not get too close. It will keep you safe.

Yellowstone National Park is the first national park in the USA, founded by President Ulysses S Grant on March 1, 1872. It is known for it’s abundant wildlife and it’s geothermal features. It is a hotbed of volcanic activity and is absolutely beautiful. Ancestral Native Americans inhabited the area about 11,000 years ago. The Park is 2,219,789 acres, with 96% in the state of Wyoming, 3% in Montana and 1% in Idaho. The Yellowstone Caldera is known as a “supervolcano” and the largest volcanic system in the USA. It is expected to erupt sometime in the future, which would have devastating effects on the world. Something to look forward to?

The first day we took the route to Madison, Norris, and Canyon Village from the West entrance. It was beautiful. Some of the roads were closed due to late snows but those roads opened in a couple of days. The best way to experience our trip is through pictures, although the pictures cannot capture the beauty. Yellowstone is my very favorite of the national parks that we visited. I want to go again and again. I will!