Road Trip 2019: July 2, 2019
Today was another day n our western paradise. Todd and I changed our route before we left Gillette, WY. We decided it would be neat to enter Yellowstone from the Montana side and take in the views.
Although, all views are extraordinary, there is something so spectacular about Montana. Snow capped mountains and vivid green prairies all on one magnificent canvas. We travelled I90W out of Gillette and into Montana. Got off in a little town called Livingston and had breakfast at Cracker Barrel. Not all Cracker Barrell’s are created equal, only the decor. The breakfast here was amazing, featuring the best cured ham and grits ever.
Leaving Cracker Barrel we took Route 89S right into Gardiner, MT. Unbelievable entry into Montana, we kept stopping to take pictures, it was breathtaking! We arrived at the North entrance of Yellowstone. Our America the Beautiful pass has paid for itself . We never travel without it! The pass cost $80.00 and covers all of your entry fees at the National Parks. Depending on how many parks you are visiting it could be a big money saver. It has saved us every time. Gardiner is what they call “Nature’s Favorite Entrance to Yellowstone Park”. It is absolutely stunning.
This entrance brings you to Mammoth Hot Springs. This was our introduction to the park and a stunning one at that. There is a visitor center, gift shops, gas station, hotel and restaurant within walking distance of the springs. Toddy and I became Yellowstone supporters today. For a nominal donation, we even received a plush bear, who I named Sedona. Throughout the park there are shops and gas stations. Restrooms are plentiful as were the crowds throughout the park. Road jams are common, as you brake for wildlife. It is possible for a 5 mile trip to take you 30 minutes or more.
Ignorance does exist in Yellowstone, and people think it is okay to stop the car, get out and ogle at the wildlife, regardless of the miles of cars held up behind them. A couple of times I prayed to capture a bear bitch smacking a visitor. I did not say kill them, but possibly knock some sense into them. It was a bit frustrating, but tomorrow will be less frustrating as we will be hiking and the trails are not as crowded as the roads.
Mammoth Springs is beautiful and it is a wonderful walk up the terrace, where you capture the view of the hot springs from many angles. The altitude is approx. 8,000 feet, it made it a little hard walking all of those stairs, but it only gets me the first time out. It is very dangerous to venture off the boardwalk and more times than less it results in death. It is important to be a rule follower in any National Park.
This was a bizarre death in 2016, but unfortunately it happens quite a bit. Just follow the rules and watch your kids. It makes the visit more enjoyable for everyone.
Entering through Montana north was a wonderful experience and blessing. Not only did it allow us to jump into action, but the ride through the park to the East entrance landed me the opportunity to capture a beautiful Grizzly with my lens, as well elk and a few mighty bison
The park has five entrances. The West entrance coming in from Idaho, north entrance from Gardiner, MT, northeast from Billings, MT, south from Jackson, WY and east from Cody, WY. The park has so many “must see” spaces and I can easily spend a month with my legs and camera. The map of the park is user friendly. The park is handicap friendly, although we did not observe many wheelchairs, it is very doable.
We exited the park to the East which is an 81 mile ride to the civilization and comforts of Cody, WY.
This is where things got a little stressful. I booked a hotel, in what was represented to be located in Cody. It actually was only 12 miles outside of the park which should have been a good thing, although now looking back made no sense. Cody is 81 miles outside the park. All the reviews and photos were awesome, although the price hefty, I believed it was good so I booked.
Upon our arrival it was not what we booked. They tried to put us in an “A-Frame” room facing the woods, along with the warning, “There are many bears and wolves, please use caution and keep any food securely tucked away”. We were okay with that. We love nature and animals and photo opportunities.
We get to the room after a day of no internet or phone service. Time to check in and make our calls to the kids, nursing home and friends. Ugh, no! No cell service, no internet, no TV and no working lock on this hut in the middle of the Shoshone Forrest.
So here we are at 7:00 marching to the front desk to ask, “WTF?” Without getting into details I got a full refund. Now we drive an hour into Cody and were fortunate to get a hotel for the two nights. But what about our friends? Tammy and Tom? They had a room booked there too. Them getting off the plane on the 4th of July, all of us room-less on the night of the 4th. Well, it worked out, we secured places to rest our heads and now move onward with our road trip!
Cody is a neat town. Lots of things to do and the home of the Cody Stampede Rodeo. We settled into this little cabin on the Holiday Inn property, Buffalo Bill Village Deluxe Cabin Rentals. They are just perfect and much less than the “off the grid “A” frame in “somewhere in Wyoming”. We had dinner at the Cody Steakhouse, you can’t go wrong with steak out here. The appetizer was awesome too, Fried Green Tomatoes with Lump Crabmeat sauce. We went to bed happy as sows, full belly and full internet and phone service! Tomorrow is another day.
Thanks for following us on our road trip. Get out there and travel America.
Peace xo
Somewhere in America 