Cody, Wyoming
Thermopolis, Wyoming
Cody, Wyoming
Thermopolis, Wyoming
Date: June 17,2011
Time: 9:36 pm mst
Location: Thermopolis, WY

Temp: 59 F
Weather: Rain, snow, cold,
warm, Partly Sunny... been a
day!

Gas prices: $3.93/gal
Day 3
Short and sweet and too the point! It has been a day of adventures. Crappy coffee,
no good coffee to be found. *sigh* There must be a plug in the dashboard coffee
maker somewhere on this planet.

We started out going to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West
Yellowstone.  That is a great place.  he bears and wolves they have at the facility
were rescued from various locations and can't be released into the wild. It is
definitely worth the time and money to go.  The bears were playing when we got
there.
It was FREEZING cold when we left, quite literally.It started to rain, and then
snow, and snow... and snow... lightly, but holy cow!  The boys had their first
experience with the snowy weather.  We hiked up to artist paint pots,mud volcano,
sulphur cauldron and it pretty much snowed on us the whole way.  Kinda cool.
The neatest thing was the Dragon's Mouth at Mud Volcano.  The water would
rush out of the cave  and the steam kept coming and it roared like an angry dragon
lay wait.

As we went to leave the part we were held up by a few rambling Bison who really
didn't care that there were 100 cars parked on the road waiting to go anyway.  
They just sauntered along like they were the only ones in the world.  A bison
walked right through the parking lot of the mud volcano causing quite an uproar
from a large number of tourists getting on their bus. They all rushed out of the door
to run over and take pictures.Oh and we even saw a moose as we were driving
through. HUGE antlers, and you know what they say about a moose with huge
antlers don't you?? He has a heavy head.

We were almost out of the park when traffic stopped again.  I looked out through
the trees and there it was! A grizzly bear! My first grizzly bear in the wild!
AWESOME! The boys and I were snapping pictures left and right hoping one
came out good.

Next stop Cody Wyoming. You know you are Wyoming when you go into the
local Dairy Queen and in stead of bar stoold they have saddles. Ride 'em cowboy!
I came  sooooo close to sitting there and eating my meal but the boys were giving
me hell, so I didn't.Apparently I embarass them enough.

We went to a museum called the Buffalo Bill Historic Center. That was really
cool.  They had a whole section on the Yellowstone geography and natural history.
The boys thouroughly enjoyed the firearms museum.  There were firearms started
in the 1500's on up.. insane. I had all the firearms I could stand and went and sat
down on a bench until they had their fill.  That took a long time!  We stopped at
The Old Trail Town where there was a collection of cabins over 100 years old
rescued and placed in arrested decay.  There were cabins where the Sundance
Kids, and Wild Bill Hickock planned their "gentlemenly robberies." Glad to see
history is being preserved. So now we are in Thermopolis, Wyoming awaiting a
new day and a new adventure.  Tomorrow we will see the Dinosaur Museum here
and the hot springs.  Should be fun.

On a sad note, Cody Wyoming lost of it's young men this week to the war in Iraq.  
As a show of respect and honor many of the American and State flags flew at half
mast as requested by the governor or Wyoming.   When they lose one of their
own, we all lose one of our own. Peace be to the families and loved ones.
Mud Volcano
Smith Mansion, Wapiti Wyoming
Grizzly in the wild!!!
Bill wants a bowler hat!
Old Trail Town
Pronghorn Antelope with her twins.
Ok,TIME FOR BED!!! 10:48 pm