Originally posted Tuesday, May 30, 2006
…via Yellowstone National Park.
Yes, if you look on the map it looks like we didn’t go very far! But actually we went all the way down to Yellowstone National Park and back. So silence, critics.
The day started (as all should) with Froot Loops and Starbucks. Our goal today was to go to Yellowstone and then cut across Wyoming on highway 14 through Cody and pick up I-90 again at Sheridan. But events conspired:
- sleepiness due to late night spent nerdily video editing
- unexpected jail stop
- bad road conditions between Yellowstone and Cody, and
- snow (yes, snow, in May).
First, the sleepiness. Guess what happens if you spend until 3am editing up a fabulous video montage of the day’s travel? (That was Jeannette. Helen was slacking off watching Adult Swim.)
Second, jail. We are trouble, it is true, but in this case it was merely happenstance that we passed a sign advertising an abandoned jail museum in Deer Lodge, Montana. This thing isscary: made of imposing stone and metal doors to hold murderous gold prospectors and other undesirables. It features two embattled lookout towers, and a chatty lady behind the souvenir counter. Helen was eyeing a little bottle of gold flakes in solution for $8 but was cheerfully informed that *real* gold was running for $200 an ounce, which made said bottle a suspect purchase. Ah, Montanan honesty.
[It should be noted that we were advised against going there, but we flagrantly ignored it (well, honestly, we saw the comment after we had gone) and I’ve posted photos to Flickr. Unfortunately they are not in a neat little group, for there is an angry woman sitting across from me, bitter because her PC isn’t connecting to wireless as effortlessly as this mac, and her thinly veiled accusation that I am hogging the “one space” available on the wireless network sort of threw me.]
More about parts 3 and 4 later. But first, let us bore you stupid with images of the spectacular Yellowstone National Park:
Yes, it’s pretty. And there are stinky geysers and “paint pots” (mud pools), as well as buffalo, elk and sundry skunk. There appears to have been a fire several years ago, so there’s a lot of new pines (Lodgepole Pines, to be exact) with fresh green to add to the mix. The buffalo are kind of tatty, with their molting coats. Being prissy, we immediately hatched a scheme to start up a Park Ranger movement to conduct buffalo makeovers (including stylish bandanas and buffed hoof polish). We’re thinking angel investors will flock to this one.
We reached Old Faithful about 6:40pm. Still light, but a bit chilly. We decided to go to the cafe for a warm-up and to buy Helen a sweater. While we were in there, something unexpected happened: it snowed! Helen promptly called Tim on the phone in West Virginia, who confirmed he had gotten sunburned that afternoon. Clearly Yellowstone, like some members of our beloved administration, does not believe in global warming, and has decided to start an Ice Age movement instead.
This was followed by a long, complicated conversation with a park ranger, who informed us that the road to Cody had been “tore up” and we shouldn’t go there. Consultations resulted in our deciding to abort the eastern Wyoming run and return to Montana. We will pick up I-90 east again tomorrow morning and head out across the great state of South Dakota. A visit to Wall Drug is definitely in the offing (more about that tomorrow!). And Amy, if you’re reading this, I’m not sure we’ll be making it to Lincoln tomorrow: call us!!
Names captured on signs today:
Book report: Lyra Belacqua is currently staying with the Gyptians and has made a discovery concerning her heritage. We’re not saying any more in case you end up wanting to read the book.
Today’s XM satellite stations: Bluegrass Junction and 40s music.
And to top it all off, we saw cowboys! And cowgirls! Oh, and cows too.
