Our last two significant stops were in Yellowstone and Cody. We drove through Wyoming and Montana - enjoying the beauty of the Big Sky and the miles and miles of ranches. We wanted to stop in Glacier National Park - but we got rained out. Our first sight of Yellowstone was very disappointing. Much of the beautiful park was burned out, over 10 years ago, and it looked dismal. We did find some nice areas and we camped there for a few days.





Sulphur Falls in Yellowstone.

We waited for about 45 minutes in 95 degree sun - with NO shade - for Old Faithful to blow his top. The show lasted about 2 minutes!!!! Almost like waiting in line at Disneyland for a 2 minute ride.



After spending a few days seeing Yellowstone, we decided to venture out to what lay beyond the park. Another traveler told us to take the Beartooth Hwy - rated one of the top scenic roads - and it led to Cody.



The Beartooth Highway is a beautiful sight. We stopped once at this lake to take a few pictures. We were only out of the car a few minutes and both of us got eaten up by the biggest mosquitoes we had ever seen. We didn't stay long.



We stopped in at the Bill Cody museum for a few hours and then had lunch. I mentioned to the waiter that I was disappointed that the town of Cody didn't look anything like I had imagined. The streets were filled with K-Marts and McDonalds. He laughed and told us how to get to the real Cody - they had transported the entire town - log by log - and reconstructed it on the outskirts of town. This photo is of the real Cody.




This is the saloon where Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid hung out with their old "Hole in the Wall Gang." It was easy to imagine the spirits of the old west in this room.



We got to peek inside some of the cabins, where the cowboys hung their hats for a night or two. They were only big enough for a cot, a chair and a small table. We stayed a little too long in Cody and didn't get back to Yellowstone in time. The gates are locked at 9:00 pm and we got there at 9:15 pm They would not let us in. All of the surrounding campsites were taken - so it was the one and only night we had to sleep in the car. It was warm enough to sleep on the ground - but not with bear warning signs everywhere. After a night in the car - we were more than ready to head home.


We stopped for a few days at the Grand Titans. Kevin got to do some fishing and I got to do laundry!! He asked me to go with him, but I said, "the water is too cold." He told me we would be fishing, not swimming. He came back 1/2 hour later - all wet. He said that the small rowboat he rented overturned, and that I was right, the water was cold!! haha

We packed it in and decided it was time to get out of Dodge. We had traveled almost 12,000 miles and had been on the road for almost 3 months. We were hot, tired, hungry and running out of money. We were going to go home via Utah but decided to make our last stop Las Vegas. We stayed in Mesquite for a few nights because we got a great room for only $ 18.00 a night. It was the best and cheapest place we stayed on our whole trip. We swam in the pool & soaked in the hot tub and slept on nice clean sheets.

From Mesquite we went to Las Vegas and stayed a few more days. After being on the road all this time and eating lots of junk food, the Vegas buffets were paradise. We had our fill of great food and then we drove home. We thank you for taking this virtual trip with us. I'd like to mention that I did have a laptop with me and it was the only way we could stay in touch with our families while on the road. We were also able to access what was ahead of us, tourists sights, motels, campsites, etc. However, we could only plug in when we stayed in a motel - which wasn't often. The main things you need while on the road is a camera - the one I used was a 35 mm Canon. But, it's only a point & click. I'm an artist and do well with color and composition - but I'm not a photographer and I don't have an expensive camera. I took over 500 photos and put 250 in albums. Some I will enlarge and frame. You also need a good traveling companion. Kevin and I have taken many trips together. We have known each other for over 20 years. We enjoy traveling together because we are both laid back and enjoy the scenery, the driving and the people we meet, more than shopping for souvenirs. We love to take the road less traveled. People asked us what we did for 12,000 miles. We talked, we laughed, we took a lot of scenic tours. Sometimes we were just quiet together - just soaking up the scenery.. We also played trivial pursuit when we got bored. And after all those miles, we are still the best of friends!! If you have any questions about our trip - please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Happy traveling, Kevin & Rosanne.