Yellowstone NP - Day 1

It's Thurs. am and we're in Big Sky Country, Billings, MN. I'm not sure if it is cloudy, or we're just that far into the clouds. I must apologize to Gillette SD. Gillette is a strip coal mining town and a producer of methane gas. If Gillette was a country, it would be the sixth largest producer of coal in the world. Knowing these facts, still doesn't move Gillette to my lists of 100 places to visit in the USA. But, it does rate a look if you are looking for a town with 'growth' potential. I think any business that is opened in Gillette would be a success!

We did enjoy our visit to Billings. Got to visit with Donna (one of the Bouve Boards) and her husband Ralph. You have to watch out for Ralph. He draws the most realistic grasshopper on a table covering. I guess after publishing 3 books on the subject he should know what they look like! We do have to get together more often. Maybe the Bouve Significant Others should plan a get together in 2011! Anyone interested?

Thursday we found out way from Billings to Yellowstone NP. We had a stop at the local laundromat in Billings, which just happens to be located next to a fabulous quilt shop. Strategic placement for one of the businesses. Route 212 from Billings to Yellowstone is a road built for the Vettes. 100 miles took 3 hours – with no traffic delays. This road makes the Badlands look like a runway and Skyline Drive a super highway.

We spent about 5.5 hours in Yellowstone NP. That 5.5 hours took us in 47 miles, several stops for both scenic and wildlife pictures, and the drive back out. We reached an altitude of about 10,700 ft., where it was quite windy and cool (cold). We did have a few stops for pictures. We saw a few black tailed deer and a number of bison. That made my trip. They are big guys. During our trip leaving Yellowstone, we had the opportunity the view the 7:00pm performance of 'Bison on the Road'. It was a brief 20 minute production, but a command performance! Four of the participants were doing head butts and locking horns on the roadway. I guess they couldn't decide who would take credit for the production.

It's 8:00am in Cooke City MN, the outskirts of Yellowstone NP. Today's daily ritual of cleaning the bugs off the windshield was complicated by the addition of frost. It's nippy in the mountains!