From Yellowstone to Cody, WY

Where do I even begin?

We had two of the greatest days exploring Yellowstone National Park. On Saturday, we were able to visit Old Faithful, see tons of wildlife, some fumerals, mud pots, and geysers. It was fantastic. Both Boyd and I have seen three bald eagles (Caden only saw two), tons of elk, bison, and geese.

I guess while we were visiting the park someone hit and killed one of the bison. It totalled their car, but I guess everyone was okay - except for the buffalo. It was a fatal mistake.

Following Karyn and Jacy's advice, we decided not to be the typical tourists who get out of their cars to approach the wildlife. Safety first! We were supposed to remain safe and sound within the confines of our protective vehicle. It worked well until Boyd decided to put his life at risk by posing in front of a huge bull buffalo. I think I saw his life flash in front of my eyes - that is what happens when you have known someone for as long as I have known Boyd. I was scared, as I know that we are an accident prone family. Do not try this at home - or at Yellowstone for that matter. He was within about 40 feet from the buffalo. Was that dumb or what?

Anyway, I had left the truck door open so I could scramble back to the truck to save my life, if necessary. Guess what - all I got was grief for leaving the door open. It was a precautionary measure!!! I had to have a back-up plan. We made it out of there safely.

On Sunday, we packed up the trailer and headed for Cody, WY. We stopped at one of the oldest lodges in Yellowstone for lunch and had a fabulous meal. While the ambiance of the hotel reminded me a little of an old folks' home, the food was fantastic. Boyd had a grilled chicken, sun-dried tomato, arugula, and goat cheese sandwich. It was so tasty! I had an antipasto plate that included meats, cheeses, breads, dressings, and peppers. Yummy! But, the winning meal was Caden's Lobster Ravioli. Not only did she clean up the plate, but she had to fight off both Boyd and me from trying to get bites. The sauce was creamy and delicious and was topped with a white truffle oil. We probably could have stayed there all day eating the ravioli.

Then, after we had such a great meal, we headed back out to the trailer to walk the dogs and they were able to sample the same type of fabulous meal - buffalo chips (fresh and fantastic). It was a scramble to keep them away from their buffet.

We drove from the lodge to Cody, WY driving past huge cliffs, beautiful rivers, and sweeping plains. We saw rugged land and dramatic homes built on practically unreachable hillsides. The drive was breathtaking.

Once we arrived in Cody, we set up "Howie" - our home on wheels at the local KOA. This KOA gives us something to write home about. It not only has a larger than life chess set, but a playground, dog agility course (which our dogs are failing at miserably), and a jumping pillow - kind of like a trampoline. If we would have made it here before Labor Day, we could have sampled the pancake breakfast and gone for a trail ride right from the KOA grounds. They also have a HUGE game room with a TV, diner tables, tons of video games, Skeeball, Foosball, and many other activities.

If it wasn't so cold here year around, I could see our family living here. It portrays that old wild west feel that we love.

We head for South Dakota tomorrow - hopefully!