Day 21 - 8/5/2004 - Yellowstone!!!

The night in the Big Horn National Forest was a gorgeous night, full of stars and sounds you would never hear in the city.  Of course we had our cursory thunder and seven raindrops that forced us to scramble for cover - only to be teased. But the night was restful, and we planned to head off for Yellowstone that morning.  Hunter and I both slept in until 8:30am.  Hunter usually wants to sleep late, but I could tell I was feeling a bit under the weather.  I was really tired, and by noon was looking forward to an early evening.

We drove through the Big Horns, and dropped into a valley via a very steep road.  On the way we went over 9000 feet in elevation.  We went through picturesque little places whose names reflected their history and place in the old west like Cody and the Shoshone River.  We stopped in Cody for lunch, which was a Deviled Ham sandwich and canned peaches.  Hunter has started a love affair with Deviled Ham after being on the road for three weeks!  Picnics are wonderful in this part of the country - the air is cool and the sun is blazing hot on your skin.  Together they make you want to find a small shade tree to sleep under.

After lunch it was off to Yellowstone in hopes of finding a campsite.  I had heard that there was no camping to be found without reservations, however we talked to a guy that had just come from there and had no problem.  We took our chances and easily got a nice site at Bridge Bay overlooking Yellowstone Lake.  After setting up camp, we trekked off for the Old Faithful show.  It lived up to expectations (as shown below).  We grabbed a quick bite to eat at the lodge, and headed back to camp.

I was still dog-tired and knew I was sick.  I just hoped I felt better the next morning.