Cooke City, MT
Saturday, October 12, 2024
Last night before bed, Andi and I proposed two different driving routes to Tory and Aden: Today, we could either take I-90 East through eastern Montana, or we could detour south to Gardiner, MT and drive east through the north side of Yellowstone National Park. Of course, the kids picked Yellowstone, and that was Andi and I’s choice, too.
Detouring through Yellowstone NP added about 4 hours of driving time to our route east, but it would no doubt be prettier, and we’d probably see some animals, too. Besides being a longer route, the only other downside was that the road would be curvier. We all agreed it was worth it.
From our campground in Deer Lodge, Montana, we drove to Bozeman, Montana. Andi wanted to stop at the Sitka flagship store to look at hunting clothes. The Bozeman winter farmer’s market happened to be taking place across the street at the Gallatin Valley Fairgrounds, so we stopped there next to check it out.
It was a busy place inside one of the exhibit buildings with lots of vendors selling fresh fall produce, handmade wreaths, meat, and breakfast foods. Andi purchased some beets and potatoes.
From Bozeman, we drove to Gardiner, Montana — the northern entrance to Yellowstone National Park. Before we even entered the park, we saw a herd of elk cooling themselves off in the Yellowstone River. Finally! We haven’t seen elk since Banff National Park in early September.
We decided to stop and have lunch at Yankee Jim Picnic Area & Boat Access. This was a great spot beside the river to park, have lunch, and watch as fishermen launched their rafts into the Yellowstone River. Andi and I warmed up leftover pulled pork for lunch, and I made Aden and Tory hotdogs and mac & cheese.
After lunch, we continued driving inside the bounds of Yellowstone NP, where we were greeted by several herds of antelope and several herds of bison. Andi promised a dollar to the first child who spotted an animal, so both Tory and Aden anxiously scoured the landscape. We saw more herds of bison, antelope, and a fox.
At one point, a herd of buffalo crossed the roadway in front of us. Andi stopped the RV and we all watched as the huge, hairy animals strolled in a single-file line in front of our vehicle. It was so fun. We all said more than once that we were glad we made this detour through the national park.
“I thought you were taking a picture of me,” Tory said with a big smile, making a silly face for the camera. I loved seeing my girl so happy. Yellowstone is her favorite national park.
We continued following Grand Loop Road through the Mammoth Hot Springs area, Tower Junction, and the Lamar Valley. I wouldn’t say Yellowstone’s landscape is the prettiest of all the national parks, but it takes the cake for unique geothermal formations and the sheer number of animals you’ll see during a visit.
“Why are there so many animals here?” I asked Andi as we drove.
“Because they realize they’re not being shot at here,” he responded.
We decided to stay the night in a free dispersed camping spot just outside the park boundary on Highway 212. Technically, we were in Wyoming, with the closest town being Cooke City, Montana. This spot overlooked a small creek, and was a gorgeous spot to camp. No services, of course, but we didn’t need any.
Aden excitedly grabbed his fishing pole, and he and Andi set out into the creek to see if they could find any fish. No luck, but they had fun trying.
Meanwhile, Tory stayed back in the RV with me. She watched a show on her iPhone while I gave the RV a good cleaning and listened to the Oregon / Ohio State football game.
For dinner, Andi grilled burgers on the Blackstone with foil-packet potatoes and beets. Then, he and I walked around our camping area admiring the view.
What a great trip this has been! As we inch closer to Wisconsin, I think we’ll all sad our adventure is ending while also looking forward to the comforts of home. Tomorrow, we’ll make our way through the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming to South Dakota.
