Greetings friends and family,
Our day began in tiny Garrison, Montana. We didn't get much sleep last night, since the campground was located right beside the railroad tracks. All night long, one freight train after another roared past, blowing their whistles at the nearby crossings. The interstate was also nearby, which meant we were bombarded with the rumble of continuous truck traffic.
After breakfast, we bought some gas and started down I-90 in a dense fog. Gradually the mist cleared, the sun came out, and it turned out to be a beautiful day.
After a few miles, we got off the interstate to visit the site of the Anaconda Copper Mine, one of the richest in the world during the late 1800s. All that remains of the smelting facility is the gigantic 585' smokestack. There appears to be some new activity at the site.
After seeing the mine site, we continued south through Butte, a huge copper mining town. Eleven billion pounds of copper have been mined at Butte, giving it the reputation of the "richest hill on Earth."
We passed through Three Forks, and where three branches of the Jefferson River come together to form the headwaters of the Missouri River, the longest river in the U.S.
In mid afternoon we reached Gardiner, and the gateway to Yellowstone. What an amazing place. As I have said so many times in this blog, you have to see it to believe it. Looking at photos or watching TV shows about this place doesn't even begin to describe what Yellowstone is like. We didn't see too many animals (bighorn sheep, elk and bison), but the scenery was incredible with steam rising everywhere, boiling water and mud bursting from the ground, and areas of mineral deposits around every corner. The roads were in good shape, and there were lots of pull outs for slower traffic (like us). The traffic was heavy, since August is peak tourist season. Many of the most popular sites -- Old Faithful, Mammoth Hot Springs, etc. - had huge crowds, so we by-passed those and found quieter, more accessible places to enjoy.
This morning we made a decision to visit the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, so we exited the park by the Southern Gate and passed into Grand Tetons National Park on the way to Jackson Hole. We were heading south and the mountain range is west of the highway, so it was impossible to get any photos with the sun setting behind them. Tomorrow should be better with the sun rising in the east.
We saw lots of critters on the way to Jackson Hole. Just as we entered Grand Tetons NP, we saw a crowd of tourists mobbing a bewildered bull moose. A bit later, we spotted a lone pronghorn antelope lying in the middle of a large field. Soon after that, we came across some folks watching a herd of bison. We pulled over, and from my perch on top of the camper, I could see there were at least 200 - 300 bison strung out along the roadside and up on top of a bluff. There was a herd of 13 pronghorns, too.
After viewing the animals, we continued south to Jackson Hole where we found the Wildlife Art museum, which is located across from the National Elk Refuge. It was already closed, so we had to find a place to spend the night. For the first time on this trip, we had a struggle finding a place to camp - one KOA campground wanted $70 for one night!!! (most campgrounds have charged $20 - $25), one National Forest campground was full, and we couldn't find the other one. We ended up pulling into a boat launching area on the Snake River. We were both pretty tired, so we grabbed a quick bite to eat turned in.
Tomorrow, after we tour the National Museum of Wildlife Art, we will return through the Grand Tetons and re-enter Yellowstone, where we will drive around the north shore of Yellowstone Lake and leave the park by the East Entrance. Then we plan to head for Cody, Wyoming, where we will visit the Cody Firearms Museum and the Whitney Gallery of Western Art, both located at Buffalo Bill Historical Center.
Later!
Don and Cheryl
p.s. We have now traveled over 11,500 miles. Good ole Gallopin' Gertie is still holding up pretty well - a few more squeaks, rattles and creaks, maybe, but that's to be expected.
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