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.