'18/#22 It's Nice To Get Back Home

Since the last blog we did head home from Cody Wyoming and we did come through Cooke City. Cooke City is the North East Entrance to Yellowstone. That means that this summer we have gone through all 5 entrances to Yellowstone. The west gate is right where we are staying so that is home base. The north gate is through Gardiner and was very disappointing. The south gate was coming up through Teton National Park and if you saw the photos you know that the mountains are picture post card ready. Going out the east gate was muddled by the construction at Fishing Bridge but it meant we were going to Cody so that was OK. And finally Cooke City at the north east gate drops us into my favorite part of the park, Lamar Valley.

The ride from Cody to West Yellowstone via Cooke City is a roundabout way to go but for scenic views it shouldn't be missed. The Chief Joseph Highway crosses the Shoshone National forest through the Absaroka Mountains and is an engineering marvel. Steep climbs, hair-pin turns, and dangerous drop offs keep you on your toes as you try to safely enjoy the views.

Cooke City is a little town in Montana that thrives off Yellowstone tourists in the summer and snowmobiling in the winter and has that small western town feel. The usual gift shops, and food establishments many with wooden walkways out front add to that feel. Most important is it is the last stop before entering Yellowstone after almost 2 hours of driving from Cody.

Entering the north east gate we drove through forests with creeks and rivers keeping us company. And then the forest opens up and there is Lamar Valley. I get goose bumps because the valley looks like it must have hundreds of years ago. Thousands of acres dotted with thousands of bison, it is just awe inspiring. We stopped several times to take pictures. Then we found a large and active herd of bison. We are into the "rutting" season when the buffalo start their mating rituals. We parked the truck and just sat there for almost and hour just watching. We finally decided to move on just as the National Geographic film crew showed up to start filming for the 4 night Yellowstone "Live" that had started the day before on the Nat Geo channel. We were recording it at home so we just moved on.

After 6 hours of relaxed driving and wild life sight seeing we made it home. It was a good couple of days seeing friends and getting to see some more of this wonderful country. For now we are just glad to be in our own bed in our home in West Yellowstone because....

Home is where we park it,
Frank and Mary