9/2/13 - Sheridan to Cody

Day 3 - September 2, 2013 (We traveled approximately 260 miles. The temp in the a.m. was in the 50s which was CHILLY considering we were accustomed to much warmer temps. Later in the day, the temp rose to the low 90s but dipped back down to 75 when we arrived in Cody around 4 p.m.  Oh how I miss those warm temps!)

We started our day traveling to the site of the Little Big Horn Battlefield - visiting the actual site where Custer fell.  What an amazing sense of history as we toured the grounds.

 

 

 

We headed to Cody via the Bighorn Mountains after we left the Battlefield Memorial.  I believe, if my notes are correct, that this mountain range is a spur of the Rockies.

We were constantly at increasingly high elevations during our trip and this portion of the trip was no exception.

We stopped part way up the mountain at a scenic area to do the normal photo opp stuff.

When we got off the bus, there was a crowd of people at the rim of the look-out so of course everyone on the bus rushed over to check out the scene.

Much to our surprise, there were a couple of hang gliders waiting for the wind to pick up so they could jump off the edge of the mountain and fly like a bird.

 

Unfortunately, the wind was not blowing in the least.

As a result, no one was jumping off the side of the mountain!

Bummer!  That would have made for some really awesome photos!

We continued on our journey up the mountain, stopping for lunch at the Elk Mountain Lodge for a wonderful buffet.

The change in terrain was simply amazing - from completely flat, see-forever-in-the-distance to windy, rugged mountains with gorgeous waterfalls and trails seeming to appear out of nowhere.

The mountain ranges seemed endless at some points!

We had a great time stopping at Shell Creek Canyon for more photos.  This location proved to be one of the many beautiful stops in our quest for beautiful scenery as we traveled through God's beautiful country.

This is Mary, our awesome Tour Director for Globus.

If I haven't said it before, Mary did an outstanding job!

She's a total rock star as far as tour directors go!

Hi Mary, we miss you! ;-)

NEXT POST: 9/3/13 - Cody to Yellowstone

9/1/13 - Deadwood, Tatanka and Sheridan

Day 2 - September 1, 2013

This day on our trip was fairly low key.  We departed from our hotel in Rapid City, SD en-route to visit Tatanka and take a tour of Deadwood City, the location of Wild Bill Hickok's last poker game and eventually his demise.

Tatanka is a touristy spot that has a mini Native American village on display.  I believe, if my memory serves me correctly, that it came about with involvement from Kevin Costner who starred in Dances with Wolves which was filmed in South Dakota.   He lived in the state for several years after filming ended and became involved with the Native American people.  Tatanka means "buffalo" in Native American.  The buffalo was the main source of survival for the Lakota people.  It was not only used as a food source but shelter, clothing, tools, and many other things.

 

 DEADWOOD

Famous for Wild Bill Hickok's death over a game of poker.  He had a hand of all aces and eights which led to Jack McCall killing him.

Deadwood City is now a 'touristy' town filled with shops, casinos and restaurants.  One such restaurant, Midnight Star, is owned by Kevin Costner and is filled to the roof with movie memorabilia from many of his movie roles. 

 

After grabbing lunch at the Midnight Star, we traveled about 265 miles to Sheridan, WY, which would be the one of the very last times to make a last minute Walmart run.

You're probably thinking Walmart run??  

Yep, I forgot to bring my iPad SD card adapter so we jumped on the hotel shuttle and headed to Walmart shortly after arriving in Sheridan.  

While we were there, I insisted that we buy a backpack to attach to my wheelchair for the trip which was a real bone of contention at the time.  Bob INSISTED that we did NOT need a $20 backpack.  

I held my ground (I know, you're probably thinking highly unlike me, right?!)...something that later would prove to be a $100 savings.  

That story will be told later! 

NEXT POST:  9/2/13 - Sheridan to Cody