Blooming Cactus

Custer Battlefield

Wild Flower

Custer Battlefield

Yellowstone NP, WY: Got up this morning and did the laundry and cleaned the bathroom. Then I updated our expenses in my spreadsheet. We left Hardin, MT, around 11:00 and headed north on I90. We stopped around Billings and had some lunch, then continued on. On the outskirts of Billings we crossed the Yellowstone River with some pretty impressive sandstone bluffs. There are a lot of oil refineries in Billings which aren’t too attractive. We need more refineries though, but nobody wants them in their city. Just west of Billings we started seeing the Beartooth Mountains. Shortly after that we got off the highway and headed southwest along the Yellowstone River, following the river for quite a while. The river is very high and really cranking. The river valley is pretty, but beyond is a pretty desolate landscape with ridges and buttes covered in sage brush—and probably lots of rattle snakes. We went through Bridger, MT, named for mountain man extraordinaire, Jim Bridger. After Bridger we drove for miles and miles seeing nothing but huge ranches. Went through Cody, WY, which is a neat little town on the Shoshone River. Just outside of Cody the river flows through Shoshone Canyon which is incredible. We definitely will go back sans the fifth wheel. Our campground is at the Yellowstone Valley Inn just west of Cody. They have cabins, the inn, and have recently added a campground. Pretty nice place. Beautiful panoramic view of the mountains all around us. Had dinner in the restaurant there. We’re not even unhooking. Will leave tomorrow for our campground in the middle of Yellowstone. We’ll be in Yellowstone for 3 weeks.