How we spent our weekend...and Monday

Saturday, June 4th, 2011

Nothing much to say today, we left the black hills and drove all the way to Garryowen, Montana (about 300 miles) to our site at an RV park called 7th ranch. Overall this one was probably the best site we've been to so far, and it's very close to the Little Bighorn Battlefield, which we plan on going to tomorrow. The wi-fi however was not so good, and would only work in the back of the camper.

Saturday -- Sunset at 7th Ranch RV Park, Garryowen, Montana

Sunday, June 5th, 2011

Today we visited the Little Bighorn battlefield. For those of you who don't know (or forgot like me) , this is the place where "Custer's last stand" took place.

Custer's Last Stand:  "Where they fell"

The visitor's center is very informative, and tells the story from both sides. There are also plenty of sights to see, including a monument to fallen soldiers, and also one for the Indian warriors. Afterwards, we made our way down to Gardiner, Montana, stopping in Billings to grab a few quick things. Gardiner is fairly close to a Yellowstone entrance. We plan to visit Yellowstone tomorrow, and dad is talking about staying the night a couple nights after.

Little Bighorn Battlefield Monument atop soldiers' mass grave

Approaching the mountains west of Billings, MT, Sunday evening

Monday, June 6th, 2011


Today we entered Yellowstone through the Roosevelt Arch, at the North end in Gardiner.  Surprisingly it's nearly 58 miles from the northern entrance to Old Faithful, one of about 5 formations we want to see before leaving here.

Kyle at the Roosevelt Arch, North Entrance to Yellowstone National Park in Gardiner, Montana

We saw 3 of them today, Old Faithful of course, the "Great Prismatic spring" and Mammoth hot springs. Mammoth hot springs and Old Faithful actually have kind of their own village of sorts. Along with the visitor's center, there's lodges, hotels, clinics, diners, and even a casino.

Old Faithful erupting at 4:50 pm

The Great Prismatic spring is so named because of how the mist flows over it, making the sun beams seem to turn the water into a rainbow of colors on the surface. (sorry, no picture, it didn't come out right) Of course that's not all we saw, we stopped along the road at times to look at some of the falls and number of different springs as well.

Gibbon River in Yellowstone National Park.  Kyle wants to canoe this. (not)

Kyle at Beryl Springs, Yellowstone NP

Gibbon Falls; Kyle is among people upper left

Firehole Falls

Firehole Canyon

Turquoise Pool at Midway Geyser Basin

Spring at Midway Geyser Basin

Along with all that, today we saw a lot of out of the ordinary wildlife sightings, including a buffalo that walked in front of a line of cars for a few miles, a lone grizzly yearling, an elk cow trying to lead her calf across a river (the calf eventually won that argument and they both went back to the shore) and so many other buffalo throughout the park that we stopped paying attention.

Buffalo as Parade Marshall  -- happened at several different sites

Elk cow trying to coax calf across Yellowstone River near North Gate.  Fortunately, calf tried but retreated and wouldn't go.

Lone grizzley bear; also saw a mother with two cubs