the education of henry

Vacation: Wyoming, Montana, and South Dakota

2017-07-23

Here is the last installment of vacation pictures: our visits to Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, the Beartooth Highway, the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway, The Needles Highway, Iron Mountain Road, Mount Rushmore National Monument, Badlands National Park, Wall Drug, and the Minuteman Missile National Monument.

We started the week in Colorado - a last morning in the house and then a trip to Fort Collins so Momma could tour the seed depository. Poppa and I explored campus while she did the tour. Then we went out for some food.

Breakfast outside on our last morning in Denver.

This was the house we stayed in.

At the seed bank in Fort Collins.

The library had two chairs like the one in Daddy's library.

Now this is a stuffed animal friend! Even bigger than the real thing!

This cinnamon roll from the Silver Grill was amazing!

Waiting to try more delicious things with Momma.

At the rock shop.

The rest of the day we were mostly driving to our hotel in Riverton, Wyoming. We stayed at a nice place that had a view of the mountains. I was glad to be out of the car and have some time to play.

Tuesday morning we got up and headed to Grand Teton National Park. We spent some time at the visitor's center, Jenny Lake, the Jackson Lake dam, and somewhere by Colter Bay we saw a black bear. Daddy got a picture of it, but it was from too far away to look like much. You had to be there.

The Grand Tetons.

We made it.

Mailing letters at the park post office.

Poppa let Momma drive for a few miles.

So many rocks to examine...

From the shore of Jenny Lake.

Keeping the ranger distracted while Daddy was off the trail taking pictures.

Me and Momma.

Is that Bigfoot or Poppa?

Happy family in the mountains.

At the Jackson Lake dam.

Momma thought the water was cold.

All of us got in - it was nice once you got used to it.

We moved through Grand Teton and into Yellowstone as we had a long way to go to our cabin. We stopped to see the geysers - the main reason we added this leg of the trip. After that, we saw another black bear on the road to Cooke City, and a lot of bison in the Lamar Valley. We sat and watched them for about thirty minutes, and one of them almost rammed our car!

After years of waiting I am finally here to see a geyser!

My commentary on the eruption of the geyser.

Relaxing in the lodge. It looks like the one from Planes: Fire and Rescue.

Bison! Lots of them!

We stayed in Cooke City in a little cabin for the night, and then went back into the park. We saw some things, but there were so many people we couldn't find places to park at many of the waterfalls and geysers we passed, which was disappointing. So we saw some lesser visited parts of the park. And we did get lucky in a few places, like the canyon and the big waterfall. Daddy and I walked down - it was a little scary because there wasn't much to keep you on the hillside. We got back early to the cabin because we all needed a rest.

Me and Momma at the park sign.

Exploring the Mammoth Hot Springs.

Experimenting with pickles on my sandwich.

A nice quiet spot we found on the Gibbon River in the very crowded park.

Virginia Cascades from above.

Being silly.

Looking at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

Watching Lower Yellowstone Falls drop 309 feet.

Thursday morning it was time to say goodbye to the cabin and head east. We drove up the Beartooth Highway, a few miles beyond the pass, and then came down and took the Chief Joseph Highway most of the way to Cody, where we had lunch. I was unsuccessful in persuading Mom and Dad to buy me a cowboy hat while we were in Cody. From Cody we went to Greybull, where Momma surprised me with a Aerial Firefighting museum - they had a plane like Cabbie from Planes: Fire and Rescue! From there we crossed the Big Horn Mountains and ended the day in Gillette.

Our cabin.

One of the many marmots we saw on the Beartooth Highway.

Beartooth Lake.

I have no idea what this one is called.

We made it to the top of another pass!

Another lake I don't know the name of.

View from the pass on the Chief Joseph Byway, A few minutes after we took this, the wind picked up and almost blew us off the mountain.

At the Aerial Firefighting Museum in Greybull.

This plane is like Cabbie!

This is where the smoke jumpers would ride.

Trying to give the plane a hug.

We saw sheep in the Big Horn Mountains - but they weren't big horn sheep.

I tried drawing on me instead of paper.

A tired boy.

Friday morning was a short trip to Devil's Tower, then we drove south to come into the Black Hills on Highway 16 from Newcastle. Newcastle might just have the only burger joint in Wyoming that has a veggie burger on the menu - which was lucky for Daddy. From there we drove the Needles Highway, the Iron Mountain Road, and stopped at Mt. Rushmore. As it was getting dark, we went to our stopping point for the night: Uncle Gary and Aunt Nancy's house. Kaiden was there, and we had a little time to play before everyone was ready for bed.

Devil's Tower.

Momma was excited to see it in person.

Having fun at our lunch stop.

On the Needles Highway in the Black Hills.

There were some tunnels.

This tunnel was at the top of the Iron Mountain Road.

More tunnels.

A bridge on one of the pig tails - impossible for us to get a picture of the whole thing.

This one is by a professional.

Playing with the dynamite display at Mt. Rushmore.

Putting on a show at the Mt. Rushmore amphitheater.

Me and Poppa with the Presidents.

Saturday morning we had to say goodbye to Gary and Nancy and head for home. We drove through the Badlands, stopped at Wall Drug, and looked in at the Minuteman Missile Monument. We were all dragging by lunchtime and decided to call it a day in Chamberlain rather than push all the way home. The hotel was the least nice and it cost the most - but we needed to rest.

Saying goodbye to Gary and Nancy's chickens.

Checking out the Badlands.

Standing still so I don't fall down the cliffs.

Yee-haw! Just like the horse movies!

Mom and Dad thought this was funny.

There was a red phone and cartoon about a turtle hiding under a desk.

Sunday we drove home. I stayed with Grandpa Al and Grandma Wynne, and there will be pictures and stories about that next time. Mommy and Daddy went all the way to our house, since Daddy had to go back to work Monday morning.

Just under 5,000 miles for the trip.

The garden grew a little while we were gone.

Here are a couple pictures of some souvenirs that finally got unpacked.

Our official picture from the Royal Gorge train ride.

Additions to our magnet collection. And we didn't even get one at every stop.

And that was our trip!

Hope you enjoyed the pictures. We had fun but it is good to be home. Take care!