The Big Date

June 1 marks the 33^rd anniversary of Rob and I getting married.  The day began early and cold as we opened the shades and looked out on the surrounding snow drifts.  The plan for the day was to finish the remaining sights and area of Yellowstone before heading out the east exit to Cody WY where we’d have a “night out” with Mexican food and the famous Cody Rodeo opening night performance.

After wrapping up the obligatory tasks, we went to the neighboring visitor center for the park video.  Another outstanding film (Yellowstone, Land of Life), we were ready to get out and be a part of the amazing surroundings.

We headed for the Yellowstone Grand Canyon and Falls for a bit of hiking.  We wandered along the canyon and down to the “brink of the falls” where we stood over the precipice and experienced the power of water first hand. 

The park was incredibly crowded.  Although very early in the season, it was Memorial Day week and by the time we tried to get to our other chosen hike for the morning, the parking lot was a traffic jam with NO place for an RV to park, not to mention maneuver!  Disappointed, we headed down the road toward the final hot springs area, Mud Volcano.

This area of the park is less obviously active than the geyser area.  The springs are more murky, thick and belching.  With sulfur smelling steam and fumes emanating from the different pools and names like Sulfur Cauldron and Dragon’s Breath, it was definitely a different experience from the clear pools and colorful landscapes!

We stopped for lunch along the edge of 

Yellowstone Lake and began the drive out of the park the rough more gorgeous mountain scenery.  Much of the area was victim to the park fire of recent years and total hillsides were covered with charred and fallen trees but evidence of vibrant regrowth was everywhere.  Enjoying the amazing scenery through mountains and canyon, we made our way east.

As we neared the eastern edge of the mountain range, a powerful storm came down the canyon.  Parked along the Buffalo Bill State Park reservoir just over the dam, we stopped and watched the storm come in.  Rob took a well-deserved but 2 hour(?!) nap and all of a sudden we were short on time...

Rob’s nickname in college was Cowboy and he’s always been a big fan of all things western so the Buffalo Bill Wild West museum was a must do on his list.  Being much later than planned, we headed straight there and found an impressively presented museum.  With 5 wings from art to natural history to firearms to, yes, Buffalo Bill, there was far too much for us to see in our limited time. 

We had no problem finding parking and enjoyed the main drag of Cody, a cute albeit touristy little western town.  Being that Mexican is Rob’s all time favorite meal and that the rodeo was next on the list, we stuck to a casual dinner at Las Fuentes restaurant. 

And then the main event...the RODEO!  Unfortunately, the storm that stopped us in the canyon made it’s way to Cody by rodeo time and winds were ripping as the event began.  The equestrian drill team fiercely hung on to their banners as the wind looked to try to carry them away!  The rodeo began with the excitement of bronco riding as the skies let loose a torrent of rain.  But the show must go on and it did for over 2 hours in much the same conditions!  It was opening night so many (okay, MOST) of the performers were not “up” on their game quite yet and we saw a lot of misses vs success but despite that and the cold, wind and rain, we stuck it out til the end and had a good time.  Our big date night was spent in the rodeo parking lot as we watched and listened to all of the cowboys and cowgirls pack up their animals and gear at night’s end.

We woke up early and unsuccessfully tried our luck having lattes in Cody WY.  To its credit, the café looked to have some serious breakfast goods but their coffee DID NOT hold up to the menu!  Nonetheless, we were awake and back on the road to Thermopolis, WY with its petroglyph site and hot mineral baths.

The petroglyph site was a hit!  Leaving the highway for a stretch of dirt road we dodged the cattle and pronghorn to reach this remote attraction.  A 1500’ wall of rock along a riverbed had 15 different panels of ancient petroglyphs that dated from 2000 – 10,000 years ago!  It’s fascinating to get a glimpse into our past and put perspective on day to day life.

Pulling into Thermopolis, WY, we tried unsuccessfully to park and ended up at a hiking trailhead.  No better reason for an impromptu hike!  We climbed a mountain adding our chosen stone to the large cairn and signed the register.  Enjoying wildflowers along the way, we wandered the rest of the path before lunch. 

No day would be complete without a Holy City moment and four folks from Aiken, SC of all places showed up!  A fun group on a roadtrip to Alaska, they had a beer and we had some laughs before we all headed down the hill to check out the hot springs.

The final plan for the day was visiting the “world’s largest mineral hot springs” to which we added “20 minute pool” to!  Being that the deed to the hot springs property came with a stipulation that they remain free, the throngs are controlled with time limits.  The natural mineral hot springs were the perfect remedy for my recently kinked back and it gave us a chance to chat some more with our newly found friends.

Ending the day at a campsite along the reservoir at the Boysen State Park, we continue to marvel at how amazing this journey is.  After sharing yet another beer with lovely folks from Indiana, Harry and Arlene, we retired to our site.  Our campfire skills growing, we watched our expert fire turn to embers as we ended another chapter of this ever changing story.