Eastward Bound ...... The Wisconsin Dells

We're headed back east.  After two long driving days from Medora to St. Cloud and St. Cloud to central Wisconsin (WOW this is a big country) we took a break from the road with a two night stop at the Wisconsin Dells.  The Dells are a natural gorge formed by the Wisconsin River.  It has drawn a host of miniature golf courses, haunted castles, motels, hotels, go-kart tracks, tee shirt stores, fudge shops, amusement parks ....... you get the idea.  It's like Pigeon Forge, Tennessee or Lake George, New York's Main Street on super steroids.  The kids loved it!  Yesterday Ann took the them to Timber Falls Amusement Park and Barb & Wes had a relaxing day at our very nice campground.

These kids love roller coasters .......

..... or play miniature golf ....

..... or ride the Log Flume!

Medora, North Dakota

We arrived in Medora, North Dakota last evening.  We started our day today with a trip through the Teddy Roosevelt Badlands National Park.  It's not nearly as "bad" as the South Dakota Badlands.  This one is much greener and has some very colorful rock formations.  We drove the 36 mile loop through the park and were treated to beautiful views, saw some wild mustangs, huge prairie dog "towns" and of course a buffalo jam.

Teddy Roosevelt Badland overlook.

Another "jam".

In the evening we went to the Medora Steak Pitchfork Fondue dinner.  It's an outdoor BBQ buffet where they feature ribeye steaks that are threaded onto pitchforks and plunged into vats of boiling oil.  Wes ranks these amongst the very best he's ever eaten ..... and he's had at least one in every state we've ever traveled in.

Pitch-forked steaks ready for the oil.

Great chow!

Dinner was followed by the "Medora Musical".  It's staged in an outdoor amphitheater set in the side of a mesa overlooking the Badlands.  A stunning setting.  The show is true "Middle America".  It started with the young being invited down to the stage to lead the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance and singing of the National Anthem.  Of course our Katie jumped right in.

Katie is somewhere left of center.

The show continued with lots of song & dance by a dozen or so very talented folks.  There were  horses, wagons, cowboys, a very funny comedian who was appropriate for all ages, a little gospel singing, a reenactment of Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders assault on San Juan Hill and more patriotic songs.

It was a wonderful evening.

Big Sky Country

We left Cody, Wyoming and headed north into Montana on our way to North Dakota.  The majestic snowcapped Beartooth Mountain Range was off to our left as we passed through rolling grasslands and cattle country.

Our GPS made a boo-boo and directed us to a dirt road in the small town of Belfry, Montana.  While finding our way back onto the main road we drove by Belfry High School.  Care to guess what their school mascot is?  You're right ...... a bat.  The Belfry Bats.

Cody, Wyoming

It was with heavy hearts that we left beautiful Yellowstone.  One of the Park Rangers  told us you can see a few major features in Yellowstone in a few days but you need more time to experience Yellowstone.  Well, in the nine days we were there we certainly gave it a good shot.

We continued to Cody and met up with with Pat & George Morris our new Cody friends who lived most of their adult lives and raised their family in Marlton, NJ.  They graciously hosted Ann & the kids at the Buffalo Bill Cody Center of the West.  It is a magnificent facility that consists of five different sections: Museum of Natural History,  Buffalo Bill Cody Wild West Show collection,  Museum of the Plains Indian, Gun Collection (largest outside of the Smithsonian) and a Museum of Western Art (in conjunction with the Whitney Museum).

Katie & Greg inside a beaver lodge in the Natural History section.

While Ann, Nick & Katie were off exploring the museum,  Pat & George and Barb & Wes went for a long lunch that gave us an opportunity to get to know more about each other  ....... and talk about our mutual friends back in Marlton.

The four of us at Bubba's

Mud Volcano & Junior Ranger

Our day started with a tour of the Mud Volcano area in Yellowstone.  It's located on a beautiful hillside overlooking the Yellowstone River near the start of  the Hayden Valley.  There are all kinds of wild thermal features there.

The Dragon's Mouth.

The Mud Volcano

Here is Kathryn with her completed Junior Ranger book and the two park rangers who reviewed her work.  It's consists of more than 20 pages that included everything from thermal feature, topographic,  and wildlife observations and descriptions to measuring a buffalo chip.  Successful achievement is graded in the form of a patch.  Kathryn was awarded the highest level ...... a Bison patch.

Grandma proudly pinning on Kathryn's Junior Ranger patch.

Lamar Valley

We took the motorhome out today to visit the Lamar Valley in the northwest quadrant of the park.  It's currently home to most of the animal herds.  We saw hundreds of buffalo and elk.  Lamar is about 15 miles long and 5 miles wide so if there is wildlife there you'll probably see it.

Here're part of a roadside herd.

We stopped at Pebble Creek for a yummy lunch.  The kids did some wading in the creek.

Continued on to Cooke City which is at the northeast entrance to Yellowstone.  Did some shopping and drove about 10 miles along the Bear Tooth Highway to get a feel for it.  Here's the gang on
Main Street Cooke City.

On the return from Lamar Valley we stopped along the Yellowstone River at Nez Perce Ford for a pancake supper prepared by Wes.  Barb watched Greg & Nick get their feet wet.  A little later Katie managed to fall all the way in.

North Rim of the Yellowstone Grand Canyon & Junior Scientist

Today we returned to Artists Point at the Yellowstone Grand Canyon to catch it in the morning light and then to  the north rim of the canyon which we had not yet visited.

On the way we ran into yet another buffalo-jam.  This time this bull challenged a car then he swerved into our lane and we followed him at his pace until he changed lanes again.

Ann taking a pix of the kids with the Lower Falls in the background.

The lower falls are 300' high.  This shot is of the Upper Falls which are 100' high and is taken from an over-look named "Brink of the Falls".  The falls literally thunder and you can feel the rumble under your feet.

Here a shot of Greg & Ann at the Canyon Education Center.  Yellowstone has various programs that youngsters can join.  One is the Junior Scientist Program.  Greg had to complete a workbook that contains all kinds of questions about the science of the Park that need to be answered by visiting and observing various Park sites.  Greg successfully completed his and here he is being awarded a pin by a park ranger.  A very proud moment.

West Thumb Geyser Basin & Old Faithful reprise

Today we started at the West Thumb Geyser Basin.  It's located right on the shore of Yellowstone Lake and is loaded with all kinds of thermal features.

Hot pool by the lake.

Urban Mountain  Legend has it that you can catch a fish in the lake and cook it right in Fishing Cone without moving.

Old Faithful reprise.

Ann snapped this terrific shot of Old Faithful from the rear of the geyser while she and kids hiked some of the trails that surround it.  Meanwhile Barb & Wes hung out at the Old Faithful Inn enjoying one of our favorite pastimes ..... people watching.

Falls & Paint Pots

Today we drove Jamie to the airport in West Yellowstone.  Unfortunately he has to return to Marlton ....... he has to work.  After we saw him off,  Ann took the kids to the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center.  They loved it.  As we headed back to our campground we stopped at Gibbons Falls and the Artists Paint Pots thermal feature.

Gibbons Falls

Barb & the Kids at Gibbons

Gang at the Artists Paint Pots

Just before we returned to the our campground we came across this bull buffalo giving himself a good scratch against a tree.

Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone

Today started at Mammoth Hot Springs.  Here are a couple of shots taken on the upper terrace.

Elk lounging in front of the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel ....

After Mammoth we went to Mass at the outdoor amphitheater in the Yellowstone Canyon Village.  While there we met Pat & George Morris from Cody, Wyoming who used to live in Marlton.  They were there assisting the priest.

On the way back to our campground we ran into a "buffalo jam"  caused by this bull who ambled right past our car.

The Grand Tetons

Today we took a day trip down to the Grand Tetons, Jackson Hole and the city of Jackson.  Despite a bit of haze drifting through the area due to a forest fire in Idaho, the Tetons look magnificent.

Kids at the Tetons.

The Gang at one of the elk antler arches at the entrance to the Jackson town square park.

Old Faithful

We started the day at Old Faithful .......

Between eruptions we had lunch at the Old Faithful Inn.

We continued the day at the Grand Prismatic Springs.  The sights are astounding.

Yellowstone !!

We made it today.

We got ourselves settled in so quickly so we had time to visit the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

Big Horn Mountains

We left Devils Tower today and are on the road to Cody,WY.  We crossed over the Big Horn Mountains.  The road was curvy but wonderfully maintained and constructed.  We left an elevation of 3,500 feet and climbed to over 9,000 feet and back down to 4,000 feet in the Cody area.  A magnificent ride with spectacular views.  Here's a couple of shots but they just doesn't do justice to the seeing the real thing.