20 Jan 07 Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

 

Once again we were on the road in time to enjoy the sunrise in our rear-view mirror. It was less spectacular than yesterday but enjoyable nonetheless. Our first mission was to find chains for the tires. To that end we drove to a Honda dealership in Sheridan, Wyoming. They directed us to a tire shop down the road. The manager there told us that our tires were a very unusual size and no one carried chains for them. We decided to try in Billings, Montana anyway. Before that however, we visited the Little Bighorn Battlefield site. 

It was nearly deserted and very cold, but we both found it very moving. There are two memorials – one erected by the US Army, to the memory of the soldiers who died there, and one by the American Indians to the memory of the men, women and children who died there in defense of their way of life. There are memorial stones scattered across the area showing where soldiers and warriors fell. The small museum is excellent too. From there we headed to Billings, MT and really lucked in . We found a tire store that was open ( unusual on a Saturday afternoon [ in these parts ] and they directed us to their supplier who had the cable chains we needed in stock. We could breath easier with those in our possession for sure. We had lunch in Billings and struck out for Yellowstone National Park. As we neared our turn off the weather really began to deteriorate and we drove the 50 miles to Gardiner MT in heavy snow. Once into the park  it was quite treacherous driving, winding through the hills. However we found the hotel, signed on for a 2-night package including 2 tours for tomorrow and a private hot tub session. Delicious dinner in the dining room and a early night. We even saw elk grazing around the hotel here in Mammoth Hot Springs.

All Pictures 20 January