Beartooth Highway, here we come!

August 15 - It was a very crazy day!

I was up just before eight and received a phone call from a guy who we are working with to sell our property in Ocoee. He wanted me to contact the rest of our group and let them know we had an offer. Of course he wanted an answer from everyone today but that was just not going to happen. He needed additional information and I told him I would see about getting it through a friend of ours, so I was already behind before even starting for the day. We had a relatively quick breakfast once Bill got up and he started loading the car while I started loading the cooler. Then the guy from Rand McNally called about our faulty GPS system. He said they had the new SD card ready to send us to replace the old one but I needed to send that one back first.  One more thing to do before we leave!  I found an envelope to put the SD card in and got it ready to put in the mail. Our goal is for it to get there and the new one to get here before we leave in September so we could actually use our GPS system for the first time.

Then Bill called his friend with the title company and I spoke with her about the title questions that I was told to ask and she was very helpful. So I was scurrying around getting the rest of Molly’s  belongings together because she was traveling with us for two days and what jackets and things we were taking and Bill got a phone call from a friend. So while he talked to him I went outside and called our land partner back and went over what I found out from the title lady.  I told him I would try very hard to get him an answer back by tomorrow night from the rest of our group.  I explained that we were leaving to go out of town I would be with no cell service for the most part of the day but hopefully I would get to email everyone out the documents and then get back to him sometime tomorrow.

Then my neighbor came over to show me a craft project that she had started because she and I have been doing some crafting while we are working together.

We finally got in the car at almost 10:30 and we had missed putting our mail in the mailbox so after we got to West Yellowstone and stopped for gas we went through the drive-through at the post office and put all of our mail in the box.

We thought we were finally on our way but because we were so late when we got to the entrance of Yellowstone there was quite a line.

Lone buffalo strolling down the road

Once we made it through the gate house we were kind of glad there were no animals on the way to slow up traffic and we headed north away from Old Faithful. The traffic

Lamar Valley

really was not bad at all today and we did get to see a couple of single Buffalo and once we reached Lamar Valley we saw herds of Buffalo. At one point we had to stop so they could cross the road.  Since it’s not often that we have the experience, we do enjoy watching them with their calves.  They are all along the valley but today they were mostly back off the road, appearing as black dots on the grass.

Main Street Silver Gate

Just before leaving the park we were searching for the picnic area that was designated on the map. We ended up stopping at a wayside with a bathroom and then just ate our meal in the car.  They should have at least one picnic table at each pull off.

She doesn't look it, she loves
riding in the car

We weren't too far then from the exit of the north east entrance/exit for Yellowstone. Then we immediately went through the town of Silver Gate and then Cooke City and then we were on the Beartooth Highway.  The road reaches to over an elevation of 10,000 feet at Beartooth pass. We made a number of stops along the way at overlooks, mountain views, and we when we reached the very top the temperature had

A section of the switchbacks

dropped to 33°. There was hail and then just slushy rain. The nasty weather was only bad at the part where the switchbacks are and we were literally zigzagging up to the top and then zigzagging back down. It was a very scenic and very beautiful drive but with the weather like it was we missed a lot of great views.  We did see lots of snow still on the mountain tops and a ski lift and runs.

Hail on Bill's window

We arrived in the town of Red Lodge around 4:30 which was sooner than Bill had expected since we got such a late start.  I think the fact that the weather prohibited us from stopping as often as we would have is the reason.  Red Lodge is a lovely small town.  It’s along a river you can hear rushing when you walk out of the motel and the downtown is vibrant as tourists stop in the various shops, restaurants and saloons.  They are about 2 hours from Billings where the residents head to do most of their shopping.  We stayed at the Red Lodge Inn, which is owned by a young couple who moved here to raise their children in a safer and small town atmosphere.  Molly loved our room which was newly renovated.

After settling in and resting a while we went “downtown” for dinner at Foster and Logan’s.

Main Street Red Lodge

  It’s a combo pub/restaurant that the owners of the motel recommended.  We were disappointed in the lack of dinners available as it was mostly burgers, sandwiches, salads and 1 steak cut.  Bill enjoyed his buffalo burger and chips and I settled on the fajita appetizer.  It was HUGE!  It had chicken and all kinds of veggies and cheese and was served with 2 sauces.  I managed to eat 3 of the 4 pieces and Bill had the last one.

We drove around town a little and checked out where to get gas in the morning and stopped at the local grocery for 2 individual ice creams cups.  I brought the leftover peach/blueberry crisp and we warmed it in the microwave and put the ice cream on top.  Yummy!

Time to settle in and read and relax!