Saturday morning- rain and gray again. Our supper last evening at a local restaurant was really yummy but we both kept it with us for way too long! Sanford’s had been an old 4 bay mechanics garage on the side of a hill in Spearfish that was turned into a bar/grill that had lots and lots of cool eclectic stuff all over the place and on the walls. There was even a roll of paper towels for napkins on each table. Yes - Rolaids and Pepcid was our dessert!
I 90 was wet as we crossed into Wyoming and the sky stayed heavy most of the morning. We stopped at the visitor’s center in Sundance and had to wait as 3 extremely long trucks, each hauling a prop for a wind turbine, and their combined 6 escort vehicles tried to maneuver from the expressway, around the corner, under the viaduct and into the state’s truck entry parking lot. We found out that each blade was 140 ft long and they were being delivered to San Diego California! Should have gotten a picture!
It has been interesting to watch the terrain change as we’ve headed west. Today the 1st part of our journey on I90 was grasslands with cultivated hay fields in between. Then it changed to dark blue hazy mountain ranges in the distance with the high plains and its erosion crevices carpeted with silver blue sagebrush and an occasional scrub tree. We did see deer and antelope playing!
We finally left I90 in Sheridan and chose Alt 14 to cross the Bighorn Mountains. By then the sky was bright blue and the clouds white and puffy. What awesome views! What a thrill ride - up and down and around! Going up the mountain you could look back and see the winding road, way off in the distance that we had just come up. At the highest point of 9400 ft, we were above the dark green tree line looking down into the distant valley. Coming down out of the mountain there were 10% grades and plenty of brake check turnouts and even more breathtaking vistas. Once down to earth and across the Bighorn Lake with it’s mirrored reflections of the mountain peaks, we stopped at the Bighorn Canyon Visitors Center and was advised to drive at least the 8 miles up into the canyon to the Devil’s Canyon Overlook. From the observation area to the green water of the river below was 1000 ft! It took our breath away! We drove thru a wild mustang area but no such luck in seeing any. And now I have ANOTHER patch for my jacket. And another reminder of a wonderful memory!
Once thru Powell, and on our way to Cody, H was selected to pay a highway toll to the state of Wyoming! Because we’re from Michigan, he even got to use his credit card to do so! Before we had even gotten to the mountains, the speed limit was 75. We had been going 80 when a big pickup truck passed us as though we were sitting still! We were not going nearly as fast when we were pulled over by the VERY nice officer!!
Tonight our home is a very nice, clean reasonably priced motel in Cody. Tomorrow we’re off to explore Yellowstone! G’nite!
