July 31, Missoula, MT

We drove from Challis, ID to Missoula, MT along a winding road called the Salmon River Byway; then along the Bitterroot River. The mountains in this area were mostly bare with the exception of a few National Forest areas. The rivers were awesome!

I drove and Joe shot the photos.

Tomorrow we head for West Glacier and Glacier National Park.

July 29, 2,835 Miles

"She was comin' round the mountain, she was ........................"

Uh-Oh!

Now if I can get over this hernia ..........

I GET TO DRIVE! YES, THE CRUISIN' COWBOY RIDES AGAIN!

KIDDING!

Yesterday, we were in Eden, ID and visited the beautiful waterfalls of Twin Falls and the Shoshone Falls.

See the rainbow? How special is that!

We spotted these little Yellow Bellied Marmoths (that's what somebody called them). They were having a friendly fight over whose nest it was.

We then went to Centennial Park to watch the "jumpers". Yes, see the guy on the bridge...he's going to jump! And he did.

Then he opened a parachute and landed, Whew.

This morning, July 29th, we left Eden and drove 200 miles to Challis, ID. Along the way we stopped to tour the "Crater of the Moon". About 15,000 years ago, this was an area of volcanic activity . It occurred along the "Great Rift", where lava welled up to produce a vast ocean of black rock. It was a unique and starkly different vista in this land of mountains, valleys and prairies.

As we continued along the highway, known as the "Peaks to Crater Scenic Byway", we could readily see how it got it's name. But in our case it was "Craters to Peaks Byway". Joe took the shot below. No, he really wasn't driving.

Our day ended at the Challis Valley RV Resort with a fabulous outdoor picnic of pulled pork, delicious Idaho potato salad, the best baked beans I've ever had, slaw, watermelon and brownies. This was generously provided by our campground owners. They were super hosts!

Chuckie stands ready for another day of adventure caravanning. His driver? Well..............

July 27, Just for Family

We left the caravan this morning and made a stop in Pocatello, ID to visit with my cousin, Elaine and her husband Jay. After hanging out in the RV a while, Jay had to go back to work and Elaine took us to their house.

They have a cedar/ log home on top of a mountain about 7 miles out of town. Elaine and I caught up on all the years since we had seen each other. It was so good to be with my Mom's side of the family, even though it was for a short time.

Joe enjoyed playing with their dogs and cat, as well as sitting on the back deck with this wonderful view.

She hasn't changed a bit, except of course the addition of time related ailments like lousy bones and other physical limitations. We had a few good laughs comparing our aging problems. I'm so happy we had this bit of time together. It meant a lot to me.

July 24-26, The Grand Tetons

Oooooooh Myyyyyyy!

What a spectacular sight this was coming around a bend toward Jackson, WY. I almost drove off the edge of the road. Joe got this great shot through the front windshield. These are the Grand Teton Mountains and when they say grand they mean grand.

The buffalo truly do roam all around here. We saw them everywhere.

Joe and I got to ride up to the top of one of the mountains in a gondola. Here we are at 10,400 ft above sea level. It was breath-taking, in more ways than one. I could hardly breathe at this altitude, especially after climbing some steps. But it was worth it.

These brave (or crazy) people decided to take a different way back down. You can see the Teton Village and Snake River in the valley .

There was a lot of snow and ice still on the mountaintops; some of these snow packs are actually glaciers. Joe was able to "see" so much from up here. I think he would still be there if we hadn't had to leave for another side trip. This mountaintop experience brought out the little boy in him ....... as you can see.

The next day Bill and Jane took us on an all-day sight-seeing trip. We started at one of the many, excellent Visitor Centers. There are informational displays, bronze statues everywhere, huge photos, and just more information than you could ever want about Jackson and Tetons history.

Had to give this lonely old moose a little sugar. At the end of a lovely video about the mountains, the screen was lifted, the drapes opened and this gorgeous panoramic view of the Tetons was revealed. It was one of those moments when you just need to stop the world and absorb the beauty God has given us.

This was one of the many stops we made during the day to view the scenery. The mountain in the middle is THE Grand Teton, the highest.

A friendly couple took our picture together, with the lake and mountain behind us. I shot about 100 pictures that day and not one of them truly depicts the magnificence of this place.

July 21- 23, Buffalo Bill and Cody

Our last day in Cody was spent touring the Buffalo Bill Dam, a gunfight in the streets, dinner at the Irma Hotel and a high energy cowboy musical group. All of which made Joe, the "closet" cowboy, want to pull on his boots and giddy-up!

Cody, WY was Bill Cody's town. His influence and efforts can been observed in every corner of this place.

We went to see the Buffalo Bill Dam, which took many years and lives to build. The story about this project is one of management failures, geologic obstacles and finally success. The main purpose of the dam is to provide irrigation for the land around this part of Wyoming.

One evening we went to see a gun fight on the street outside the Irma Hotel. This hotel was built by Buffalo Bill and named after his daughter, Irma. Bill Cody became good friends with the Queen of England, who, after seeing his wild west show decided to send a beautifully carved 30 ft long wooden bar for his hotel. It is said that the Queen had never recognized the American flag prior to her relationship with Bill Cody. Hmmmmmm.

We saw Trail Town, a collection of historic buildings and relics of the Wyoming frontier. It was reconstructed on the original site of old Cody City.

Our day ended on a perfect note! Cowboys songs. Joe knows all those old cowboy songs so he sang along and tapped his feet. The selection of music was very family oriented; they sang some great old gospel songs and had the audience join in. What a wonderful way to end the day - singing Happy Trails.

Joe and the banjo player

July 21- 23, "The Wild, Wild West" Cody, WY

We had a fun informative trolley ride through Cody and learned all about the history and geography of this area. Then it was on to The Buffalo Bill Museum, which could take several days to cover.

But, the BEST part was going to a REAL rodeo. I've never been to one and was thrilled! We dressed up in our Western dudes and took off with Clarence and Sandy. Don't we all look great?

Remember to click on pictures for larger view.

The weather was just right and we had a blast. I saw cattle roping, wild bronco riding and three adorable little girls (sisters) who did trick riding.

Our next big event was a drive through Yellowstone National Park. I've seen many TV specials about this place, but none to match the feel of actually being there! The geysers were simply amazing and although I don't fully understand all the geological action going on, it was mesmerizing. The entire area was gorgeous - snow on top of the mountains, waterfalls along the road, wildflowers in purple, yellow and white and of course buffalo!

This is Yellowstone Lake. It sits atop the mountain range at 7,733 ft. and is the largest mountain lake at this altitude. It is 20 miles long, 14 miles long and at some points 320 ft. deep. It was glorious with those snow capped mountains behind it.

There were geysers at several locations. We stopped and watched them boil and bubble; some were 165 degrees. Because of the different chemical composition, many of them were brilliant shades of turquoise and bright orange.

Naturally, we went to see Old Faithful and she did put on a show for us.

What's the West without buffalo? They are everywhere and are so interesting to watch. Big, ugly, nasty - but interesting.

This was the finale for the day- the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Pictures can not portray this sort of depth, force and beauty.

At the end of the day, we were tired but happy campers.