August 30, 2012

Last night we had to keep all the windows closed because the smell of smoke was overwhelming.  We tried sitting outside for a bit when we first got home but both of us were having trouble breathing.  We watched a DVD on the computer and went to sleep at 11.  We didn’t wake up until 8 and it was cold so we were glad we hadn’t left any windows opened before going to bed.

We decided to travel towards the Northeast entrance of the park towards Cooke City, WY.  We kept going, stopping at a few National Forest Campgrounds along the way. 

 We saw the sign for Cody and made a spur of the moment decision to drive there.  It was over 60 miles from when we exited the park until Cody but it took almost three hours because at many areas the speed limit was only 20MPH.  We also stopped at quite a few overlooks along the way.  The sights were truly breathtaking.

 

We drove around Cody for a little while.  We would have liked to have checked out the town more but were concerned about the time.  We left Cody around 4:30 and headed towards the East entrance to Yellowstone National Park.

I was driving and Monte noticed a sign that stated just ahead was the Buffalo Bill Dam. 

Even though it was getting late we decided to stop.  Since 9/11 no cars are permitted up near the visitor center so they provide a shuttle service for free.  We timed it just right as the cart driver was dropping off passengers in the parking lot.  It was a neat place to visit and again we would have liked to stay longer but were concerned about the time.  On the way back to the parking lot the cart driver told us we had a 5 and a half hour drive back to Mammoth Springs Campground.  I laughed because I thought he was joking.  Then when we got back to the car I looked at the map that indicates the driving distances and oh my goodness, he wasn’t kidding!

The 52 mile drive from Cody to the East entrance was spectacular.  There were so many mountain formations, one more amazing after another.    

 

When we arrived at the entrance, the Ranger told us that the road to Norris was closed and that we would have to travel up towards Canyon Village and Tower-Roosevelt.  When we got to Fishing Bridge we were rewarded with a spectacular sight-Yellowstone Lake.

  Even though we were concerned about the time we had to stop for a few minutes, take some pictures and just enjoy the scenery.  The rest of the ride home was a little exhausting as it was getting dark and there are so many sharp curves.  BUT we made it home in less than 4 hours so I guess either the cart driver at Buffalo Bill Dam was kidding or taking the route we did was shorter.  In any case it was great to get home. 

We had been trying to figure out what we were going to do about not having a generator.  The battery in the rv was getting weak.  Then our wonderful neighbors, Linda and Howard, came to our rescue by suggesting something so simple that Monte and I had to say duh after we heard it.  They said to simply plug into the truck to charge the battery.  I bet you are thinking or saying, “DUH” also.

We watched a dvd on my laptop and then went to sleep around 11.  We set the alarm for 6am because we were going to go with Linda and Howard for an early morning swim to Boiling River which is located just down the road from our campground and has been called on You tube, one of the best kept secrets at Yellowstone National Park.