May 8 - 15, 2022 Moving North and West While Exploring

Sunday (8th) After we got around this morning  I sent a lot of the women I know - Happy Mother’s Day Texts. We pretty much putzed around til after lunch. Then we were brave and went to Walmart. Boy that was fun! I made Chicken Vegetable soup for supper and we will have leftovers. Monday (9th) After we got around Steve drove the RV to the gas station on base and we filled it up. Next we attached the pickup and headed north on I-25. We stopped at the Wyoming line. The rest stop there is excellent. So we walked our dogs and relaxed a bit. We are always relieved to make it through Denver without too many problems. There was a lot of construction and traffic, but Steve did a great job driving. From the Wyoming line to Douglas -we had a very windy drive, with mostly a crosswind. It was a scary drive to me, but Steve kept saying it was OK. I kind of wanted to pull over but he said he could make it to Douglas and so we did. I was very thankful when we got off the road today. We filled our RV so we can move on tomorrow. When we got to the KOA - it was 44° but it felt like 39° - wind chill. Boy howdy I sure was glad to get set up and let Steve relax. We changed our route also - We decided to stick to the Interstate because my preferred route going through the Tetons and Yellowstone was going to be too much like winter! 

Carr, WY

Tuesday (10th) We were up at 8:00 AM. So we had our breakfast and got dressed. Then we walked the dogs and made preparations to leave. We were out of Douglas by 9:25 AM - pretty early for us. We had a smooth trip today through Wyoming to Billings, Montana. It was 325 miles. Today’s drive was totally opposite of yesterday. It felt like we were floating on a cloud today. We made a pit stop at Kaycee, WY where there is a nice rest stop. We walked the dogs and had a little lunch. 

Kaycee, WY

Decker, MT - Crossing into Montana

So glad it was a better drive today. We checked into Billings KOA and the satellite would not connect, so we called the office and asked to move. After that, Steve was coming back outside to help hook up utilities and unhook the pickup and he tripped on the tow bar stepping over it. He bit the dirt very hard. Of course it bled because it was his forehead that collided with the gravel on the ground. He did not get knocked out - but he was in pain for awhile. I bandaged it and we put an ice pack on it. 

Steve the day after hitting his head. 

They had a food trailer in this KOA- so we ordered hamburgers from it for supper. They used bagels for buns and the burger was good! Wednesday (11th) We were up at 8:15 AM today. We got ourselves together and then packed some snacks and the camera and binoculars. I am driving us to Lovell, WY to see the Bighorn Canyon Pryor Wild Horse Range. Again, this is a place you have to plan to drive to- It’s about 70 miles from Billings. I was going to try to get here last year but we stopped in Sheridan WY and the guy at the RV Park said we should go there from Billings MT. So today we made it. My first stop was at the Pryor Mountain Visitor Center and I bought a T-shirt. On our drive we saw 4 deer, 2 female Bighorn sheep and 5-6 wild horses. The weather was pretty good. We were gone from 10:15 to 4:30. It was a long drive but worth it! There is also a Bighorn Recreation Visitor Center where I stopped at, but didn’t get much information there.  

Wild Horses in the distance

Wild horses

The Reservoir

Ewing Snell Historic Ranch

Bench at Historic Ranch site

My t-shirt

Statue in Lovell, WY

The Bridger Cutoff- Old West Trail - Difficult but shorter-never caught on

We were pooped after we arrived back at the RV - so we ordered pizza. Thursday (12th) Tony Powell called us at 8:30 AM and said it might be next Friday before our site at Echo Lake is ready. We said OK, no problem. We are putzing around and doing some sightseeing. It was raining in Billings today so we stayed another night. Friday (13th) We left Billings about 10:30 or so and stopped in Laurel for gas in the RV then we had a nice drive to Livingston, MT. Pictures from our drive, right out the RV window.

Pronghorn - not a great pic

It was a little breezy with a head wind. But we arrived at our destination about 1:00 PM and set up at Osen’s RV Park. We stayed here years ago and this place has improved since then. We liked our site. After we got settled and had lunch we loaded up the pickup and headed south to Yellowstone. It’s a long drive (60 miles) to the North entrance. But we saw tons of Elk, some bison and 1 bear on our way out.

Elk crossing River

Elk in yard in Gardiner

Elk in Yard in Gardiner

Waterfall

Snow

Bison

 We got home at 8:30 PM. We ate supper late and since we were pooped went to bed early.

Bison trying to get a ride on the tour bus!

Pronghorn and Elk

Roosevelt Arch

Sign for Yellowstone in Gardiner, MT

Bison at the Inn

 Saturday (14th) After we got around, we loaded up some snacks and drinks. Then I drove us to Yellowstone NP. We stopped at Yankee Jim pullout and walked the dogs. We stopped in Gardiner to fill the pickup with gas. Then we toured the park. We saw lots of snow in the parking lots. We saw elk, deer, pronghorns, bison and 1 bear. Of course the bear jam was too big for us to get a picture of the bear today. Steve drove back and we went to McDonald’s to pick up burgers for supper. We were pooped! 

Yankee Jim River Access

Deer in Yard - same yard as yesterday.

Roosevelt Arch

Snow

38 °

Parking Lot Snow!

Pronghorn

Mail Carriers Cabin

Beautiful views all around! I love Yellowstone!

Sunday (15th) Today we got up a little later, like 10:00 AM. We walked our dogs and then got the laundry around and washed our clothes. When we finished the laundry, we found a car wash and Steve washed the pickup. For lunch we had leftover turkey chili and chips. Most of the rest of the day we relaxed. We did check the oil and transmission fluid in the RV and prepared to move on tomorrow. 

Great Laundry Room Decorations! They would make great Wedding presents or Housewarming gifts!

 

Dirty Pickup