Monday, September 6, 2010

Cody, WY

It wouldn’t be a normal week without some part of the RV acting up on us… This week we have been noticing that the countertop next to the stove is bending way more than normal and that the stove itself is pretty loose. Upon further inspection, we determined that there actually wasn’t much of anything holding the stove up… Not exactly the best situation.




So our day started really early this morning with a trip to the Home Depot for surgical supplies. And as I am only now getting around to typing, our repair work will have to wait til morning…



First thing this morning we left Sheridan, WY and made the short trip across the Montana border to the Little Bighorn National Monument. You always hear about Chief Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and Custer’s Last Stand. But why do we know them? What were the circumstances surrounding the battle? The park at Little Bighorn actually does a really great job of answering those questions…





An exuberant ranger gave an introductory presentation at the visitor’s center, laying out all the important events leading up to the battle. How the gold rush had come to the Black Hills area. How the Sioux had been ordered to leave, but many refused. How the killing of a settler’s oxen had escalated into battles between the Sioux and settlers, causing the government to step in and send troops to remove the Sioux. How three armies converged on the village of Chief Sitting Bull from different directions, but were not able to communicate with each other and had scarce information on the strength of the Native Americans.

He then went over the battle itself, pointing out various areas out the window that had been important. And, finally, there was a movie to bring it all together. The nerd in me loved watching the blue and red rectangles strategically dance around the map…



Then we went out and climbed Last Stand Hill…










We also found a memorial to the fallen Native Americans there which, again, helped to bring a full perspective to the scene. Apparently, the park was originally called Custer’s Battlefield. Only in the last 12 years or so was it changed to include all those involved…



Before leaving we drove along the ridge of the battlefield where markers pointed out various important landmarks from the battle…



Then it was back to Wyoming and on towards Yellowstone!! But the Bighorn Mountains were in our way. Nothing to do but drive right up to the top…





The Bighorn Mountains create a really interesting landscape. They are pretty high, but the majority of the summits are flat and covered by grasslands. Sheep, Cattle, and Horses were everywhere. One young cow almost committed suicide by attempting to run headlong into the side of the RV as we drove by…





Once already up there, we figured we should go check out the “Medicine Wheel”. High up on a mountaintop, overlooking the valley, and at the crossroads of several old foot trails, the Medicine Wheel is a large circle of stones laid out on the ground, with 28 spokes and several evenly spaced cairns. No one is entirely sure of its genesis, but the sight is still used today by many Native American tribes for spiritual ceremonies, prayers, and pilgrimages. Definitely not as large and imposing as Stonehenge, but still very interesting…









Then we travelled down the other side of the range through a really spectacular canyon pass…







By this time it was already late afternoon, but we still had just enough time to go check out the Bighorn Canyon…





Wow. It is pretty incredible!





Originally, the canyon was filled with rapids and rushing water, but a dam was built in the mid 1900s and now the entire canyon is filled by a lake! I can only imagine how amazing it would be to take a kayak trip through the whole canyon… There are even a few campsites in the park that can only be accessed by boat!! Sounds like a trip fit for my family. Greg, Nick, and Brandon would love it!



With the sun setting in our faces, we made our way west to Cody, WY, just outside of Yellowstone National Park. Caught the second half of the Virginia Tech v. Boise State game… VT, once again, found a way to lose its first game of the season and immediately dash the championship hopes of Hokie Nation.



At least the folks we met at the bar were really nice. They had nothing but great things to say about Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. So we are wicked excited… They also suggested we take in the sights around Cody. There is a humongous Buffalo Bill museum just off the main street. And if we had arrived only a couple weeks later, we would have been in town at the same time as the Western US Fashion Design Conference! Now that would have been a sight worth seeing, fashion elite from New York descending on this small Wyoming city in the middle of nowhere… Maybe next time.



Next stop, Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons for 3 or 4 days!!!

2 comments:

  1. Maybe Meagan could have done some networking at the conference...Looking forward to your post on Yellowstone. Be careful!

    Love,
    The Heppies

    ReplyDelete
  2. Remember Yogi lives in Jellystone Park...

    ReplyDelete