America the Beautiful: Park 5

We are now back in California, having arrived safely home on Monday night. We got the news that Doug's sister Jan passed away on Sunday night. Click here to find her obit. She was truly one remarkable woman and she will be missed by all who knew and loved her. 
On Saturday morning we woke up pretty early and had a very ambitious day planned. We wanted to get to Yellowstone via Billings, MT and drive all the way west across the park, hoping to return to some sights on Sunday. It proved to be far too ambitious and we had to change our plans on the fly. Fortunately it worked out well.
Montana continued to dazzle with its strong, amazing beauty. I'm not sure I've ever travelled this road before and even if I did, I was 11 years old and in the back of the car, likely wondering if we were there yet. As it was, the road just stretched out in front of us for miles and miles. The vast landscape fanning out in all directions. This sign cracked me up a bit...wondering why one would take the "Bad Route". I actually have no idea where the name for the Badlands came from. I should google that. 
Ridges and rivers and lush farmland enveloped us and we continued to marvel at how beautifully diverse the United States are. 

We had a planned stop in Billings where our dear friends from the International Church network now live in their retirement. Their house is located near the rimrocks of Billings and the setting was spectacular. Sharing a lunch of Swedish pancakes on their deck was an absolutely wonderful way to take a refreshing stop. Paul and Kay are among the most lovely people we've ever met. Kay actually taught nursing at North Park for a season while Paul pastored in Chicago so our shared history goes pretty deep. We have also had cause to meet up with them in Palm Springs as they are there to visit friends somewhat regularly. We are blessed by their friendship in our lives.
They know Yellowstone well so they had some good tips for us and also gave us a sense that our plan to get all the way to west entrance by night fall was likely biting off a bit more than we could chew. But off we went to figure out the rest of the day. Big beautiful mountains came into view fairly quickly. As we approached Cody, WY, we realized that there was no way to get to the place where we thought we'd stay. We were lucky to be able to cancel our reservation and just hoped we could find something that would suit our needs better for that day. It was already evening as we neared the east entrance of the park so we were very thankful that we were able to shift our plans. 
Cody is a cute little town, quintessentially the wild west! But it was still a good hour from the park entrance so we sallied forth. 
Just 2 miles before the east entrance of the park we saw the Pahaska Tepee resort and took a chance that they'd have space and allow Tanner to accompany us. SCORE! The rooms were small, barebones cabins, clean and in a gorgeous setting. The restaurant was also open so we had all we needed for the night. The lodge bar was a classic place with these three characters on the wall.

I couldn't help but think that this lodge was the exact inspiration for Disneyland's Country Bear Jamboree where Buff, Max and Melvin welcomed you to the show!

Stock photo Disney's Country Bear Jamboree

Turns out that Pahaska has a cool history as being centered around Buffalo Bill's spectacular historic lodge. It is nestled amongst the pines just East of Yellowstone at the foot of majestic Cody Peak.
It's good we stopped. We were quite tired and soon after we got settled, the rain started. We were happily warm and dry in our little cabin. There was no tv, no internet and barely enough light to read. Sleep came easy and early. It was good to slow down, get off the grid and relax into the wonder of Yellowstone that now awaited us early the next morning. 

America the Beautiful: Part 4

After spending a bit more than 2 weeks in MN, we knew that we needed to begin to the trek back to California. It was hard to accept that going home meant saying good-bye to Doug's family, especially his sister Jan, and this was a juxtaposition that I didn't like at all. After much deliberation, we decided to head north then west as the scenery along the route we chosen had the potential to be quite lovely. We felt like we needed some wide open spaces to think, pray, and soak in God's beautiful creation. We were not disappointed.

We did have torrential rain all across Minnesota. And it was in the 50's F when we left. Not a good temperature for the end of May. By the time we reached the 7th state on our journey, North Dakota, it was a frigid 41° degrees. How can that be?! We got gas outside of Fargo, ND and we were just hoping that we wouldn't run into Billy Bob Thornton! (TV show Fargo reference for the uninformed.) The rain had stopped however and it was even beginning to clear. 

Interstate 94 pretty much goes in a very straight line through miles and miles of lush, green farmland. West of the capital, Bismarck, things started getting more and more interesting and just about an hour before our destination, the Theodore Roosevelt National Park popped into view. We decided a detour was in order. We were not disappointed. 

The Badlands of North Dakota are breathtakingly beautiful. Layers of color and various rock formation took my breath away. The prairie dogs were adorable little creatures, scampering about, standing up on their hind legs to catch the sunshine and generally charming all who drove by. The areas where they roam are called prairie dog towns and there were several scattered throughout the park. The other animal that roams freely is the bison. These animals are huge, weighing up to 2,000 pounds! We even saw a mama and baby. They were on the run so the photo was blurry. Very cool.

Tanner desperately wanted to run around these gorgeous grounds but strict pet rules in National parks prevented him from doing so. Domestic animals and wild life do not mix so warnings about keeping your dog on the leash or in the car abounded. He did enjoy sticking his head out of the window when possible.

I was once again stunned by the diverse beauty of the United States. I've never been here before so it was a real treat. I was inspired to sing Home on the Range and delighted to discover that there is an actual town with that name just outside of the park! A 36 mile driving loop gives you a good lay of the land when you are short on time. The evening sun was just gorgeous. We felt so lucky to be ending our drive in this manner, especially after how lousy the weather was when we started. And it had warmed up to 57° so we weren't completely freezing when we got out of the car!

Our final destination for today was The Beavercreek Inn in Wibaux, MT. We had never heard of it either but good reviews and pet friendliness encouraged us to give it a try and I must say, I'm happy we did. It's a lovely little local spot which I love. Tanner is right at home and after a long day of driving, got on the bed before we did. He's a good little traveler!

Upon the recommendation of the hotel owner, we ventured into town to the Shamrock bar and grill. This place was great. I didn't have my camera which is unfortunate because a big 'ol longhorn cow head adorned the wall above the bar and the food was amazing. We deduced that having a loud discussion about politics or gun control would not be a good idea but I loved hanging with the locals in their place! 

Driving back to the hotel, I told Doug that I didn't really think we were in the United States...it's just so different than what we are used to and yet...I love being here. I love tasting and touching this area of the US, seeing people just doing their thing, happy for a Friday night after a long week of work. 

As for me...I'm happy to have a full belly and a clean bed. It's very quiet here in Wibaux, Montana, the 8th state we've now entered on this trip,  and I'm pretty sure I'll have a good sleep tonight.