Jamestown, North Dakota

Fort Abraham Lincoln - North Dakota

Tracing the Dailey Roots - South Dakota

Pipestone National Monument - Minnesota

Corn Palace - Mitchell, South Dakota

Wall Drug - Wall, South Dakota

Wounded Knee - South Dakota

Prairie Homestead - South Dakota

Minuteman Missile Historic Site - South Dakota

Badlands National Park - South Dakota

Deadwood, South Dakota

Jewell Cave National Monument, South Dakota

Custer State Park - South Dakota

Devils Tower National Monument - Wyoming

Black Hills - South Dakota

Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, Wyoming

The day we left Yellowstone was beautiful and we couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful drive to Cody, climbing to the heights to experience snow on the side of the road as well as magnificent scenery. We saw several moose, which were much more easily visible than what we saw in Yellowstone. We spent two nights in a unmemorable RV park, but two very memorable days touring the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, an extremely well-laid out and user friendly museum consisting of five specialty areas -- The history of firearms, the Plains Indians, History of the West, Buffalo Bill himself, and Western art. In particular, the Indian area laid out the various environments balanced well with interactive displays, information, and artifacts.

Old Trail Town - Cody, Wyoming

We also visited Trail Town, a recreated street of buildings gathered from various places in the Old West, along with a small graveyard where well-known players, such as Jeremiah "Liver Eating" Johnson (Robert Redford played him in a movie of the same name), have been reburied. Yes, he supposedly would eat the livers of those whom he killed. I'll have to see the movie to see if they refer to that. Somehow I can't picture Robert Redford doing that!

Snowed in at Yellowstone

Six wintry days and nights spent in Yellowstone, but beautiful ones they were. There’s nothing like falling asleep to the sound of rain (or hail) thumping on the metal roof of the motor home, or if there is sudden silence, to look out the window to see that it is now snowing. Each morning we awoke wondering how much snow we received and needing to check road conditions to plan the day’s touring.

We were able to see a lot of wildlife, elk, bison, deer, wolves, and some bears from quite a distance. The geothermal areas of Yellowstone were fascinating and in full effect, of course, whether it was snowing or sunny. The road closures didn’t affect our ability to see most things, although a few roads to take us to scenic overlooks were closed. We HAD to stay one more night because the road east to Cody was closed. Snowed in at Yellowstone....…it's a tough life.

Yellowstone National Park - Wyoming

After two nights in the Grand Tetons, we disconnected the rigs, parked them in the Visitors Center parking lot, and drove the tow car to Jackson, Wyoming, to stroll through the town. Jackson is the virtual Carmel of the Wild West. Shops are filled with stuffed wildlife, decorative items made of antlers, fir, and most everything you could think of with a Wild West/Moose/Mountain theme. There are beautiful chandeliers and lamps that would make beautiful additions to the Arnold cabin, but not enough room in the RV to haul them back!

After lunch at a local Mexican restaurant, El Abuelito, we shopped and headed back to the RV’s, hooked on the tow car and then to Yellowstone. Upon arrival, you would have thought it was the middle of January with the amount of snow on the side of the roads. We settled in to Fishing Bridge RV Park in the middle of the park and enjoyed the rain as we barbecued our dinner. Lucy met a new friend, a Westie also named ‘Lucy,’ who lives ‘next door.’

The first night, we were welcomed to Yellowstone by a spring snowstorm that dropped about 6 inches of fluffy white stuff.

Grand Teton National Park - Wyoming

We met up with Gene’s brother and sister-in-law, Pat and Ann, arriving at Coulter Bay campground in the Grand Tetons within minutes of each other.

Toured main highway of the Grand Tetons, taking in truly awe-inspiring views. The mountains seem to emerge from the meadows and lakes and have a majestic aura that is one-of-a-kind. Got some great video of a baby buffalo trying to connect with mom who had taken a short cut over a wire fence. Not willing to try to jump himself and a bit distressed, baby B. had some trouble figuring out what to do, but finally found a space and was happily reunited with mama B. Although the temperature was a bit cool, the crowds were few, which we decided was a great trade-off.