Den & Kath's Vacation
'99 - Days 1 & 2
See
the day 1 map
See
the day 2 map
We
left Arena mid-day on July 4, intending to drive straight through to Grand
Teton National Park. After bucking a nasty headwind all the way across Minnesota
(I wasn't sure the little Chevy was going to make it!), we headed into South
Dakota facing a beautiful sunset. We saw the first fireworks of the evening
when crossing the Missouri River near Chamberlain, South Dakota - there were
crowds setting off bottle rockets waiting for the big show to begin. We continued
on through South Dakota and were fortunate to see fireworks in Presho and Murdo,
South Dakota, and in many small towns across the state. The last fireworks
of the night were spotted in Rapid City, South Dakota. It was an empty, foggy
night going into Gillette, Wyoming, so I decided to pull into a Flying J to
catch a nap. Being the morning person, Kath was up and rolling westward by
6:00 A.M. By 8:00 we were off the interstate and headed into the Bighorns.
We drove through clouds passing over the Bighorns, but by the time we reached
Shell Falls it was mostly sunny and warm.
We
made it through the Bighorns and were headed for Cody when the grain elevator
in Greybull, Wyoming caught Kath's eye. A short stop in Cody for lunch and
supplies, and we were off to Yellowstone.
Since
neither of us care much for crowds, we dashed through Yellowstone without any
major stops. With the July 4 weekend exodus in full swing we made for the exit
as quickly as possible. We did however see several mule deer, and of course
you can't go through Yellowstone without seeing some steam pits.
Next
stop was Grand Teton National Park to
look for camping for the night. We had arrived early enough in the day to secure
camping at Colter Bay Village Campground in the park. We quickly set up camp
then headed out the check out the park. You really could turn in any direction
and see a postcard view. I of course was burning up film (a dozen rolls before
the trip was over).
Go
to Day 3
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All images and
text ©1999 Dennis & Kathleen Deery
We
left Arena mid-day on July 4, intending to drive straight through to Grand
Teton National Park. After bucking a nasty headwind all the way across Minnesota
(I wasn't sure the little Chevy was going to make it!), we headed into South
Dakota facing a beautiful sunset. We saw the first fireworks of the evening
when crossing the Missouri River near Chamberlain, South Dakota - there were
crowds setting off bottle rockets waiting for the big show to begin. We continued
on through South Dakota and were fortunate to see fireworks in Presho and Murdo,
South Dakota, and in many small towns across the state. The last fireworks
of the night were spotted in Rapid City, South Dakota. It was an empty, foggy
night going into Gillette, Wyoming, so I decided to pull into a Flying J to
catch a nap. Being the morning person, Kath was up and rolling westward by
6:00 A.M. By 8:00 we were off the interstate and headed into the Bighorns.
We drove through clouds passing over the Bighorns, but by the time we reached
Shell Falls it was mostly sunny and warm.
