Day 6 - Friday, August 13

Friday was day two of our Yellowstone Exploration and what  a day it was.  Ironically, it was the first day of rain and cloudy skies we have had on our trip.  Subsequently, we weren't sure what kind of day in the park it would be as we have not heard good things about rainy days at Yellowstone.  Whereas the scenery which we have been blessed with in abundance thus far was not all that visible due to weather, the animal kingdom came out in force to give us a fabulous drive around the northern part of the park.

This Bison startled us as we came around the bend on one of the roads.  As you can see we didn't get the greatest picture as we weren't ready for him to be there.  Notice however, that he knows to walk on the shoulder allowing traffic to pass without disturbance.  Good bison!!!

After the Bison we saw a Grizzly Bear about 1/2 mile off the road on a hillside.  I talked with a couple who was out with binoculars looking at it and they said they have been to the park now five times and this is the first grizzly bear they have seen.  Julie and I were thrilled to get one on our first try. (Sorry no picture.  The zoom on my video camera is better than the one on my regular camera...time to get a new camera.)

One of the many canyon views during our drive

One of the many storm fronts moving through the park

After this picture while driving one of the side roads we came upon a bunch of cars and up on the hillside we saw a Black Bear digging and scrounging for food under some logs.  Black Bears are much more skittish than Grizzlies, or so we are told.

A herd of bison on the left, the geysers on the right and the rive in front.

At this point we came up on another mass of cars on the road and what did we see but another mama grizzly bear and her two cubs down a valley.  These bears were easier to see, but unfortunately without a good zoom lens on my camera...I have some video of them if you want to see. :-) 

As we were leaving the park for the day we also saw a wolf out in one of the prairies, not too far from the road.  All toll, 5 bears, 1 wolf, 1 moose, a ton of bison, and an assortment of other animals.

As we left the park...

and drove out the east gate to Cody, we had the most beautiful scenery to drive through.  Rocks, cliffs, canyons and lakes all decorated our hour drive and we thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it.

When we get into Cody we stayed at...

...the Mayor's Inn, bed and breakfast in Cody, Wyoming.  It was a wonderful evening of relaxation, being together on our last non-travel day as we get ready for the long trip home Saturday and Sunday.

I wanted to thank our friend at Rooftop, Justin Stone who helped us with planning our route and some of our trip.  He grew up in Cody and has been a good friend and was a great help to us.

Saturday morning...breakfast at the Mayor's Inn and then...."on the road again..."