Wide Open Country - USA
Trip Start
Oct 14, 2008
1
3
Trip End
Mar 01, 2009
Where I stayed
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
I have 1 more day to go, then that's it.
I left home on Friday morning and headed to Calgary Airport to drop of Ben.
Then my trip was on.
By the time I left the aiport, it was around 3:00pm. So that didn't give me much time to get to Great Falls in Montana.
The drive out of Calgary was nice. Weird but nice. I drove on the Deerfoot Trail (highway 4) right down into the USA Border, then stayed on that till i arrived at Great Falls around 11PM.
It was different to not see any mountains. The road was quite smooth and FAST!!! 75mp/h. Crazy speeds
Me and Old Faithful
.I arrived at the USA border around 7:30pm. Not much of a line up.....thank god.
But it still too me 2 HOURS!!!!!
I actually got pulled into a small room (this happens all the time).
And asked heaps of questions. Like what are your plans, why are you here, do you have any weapons.And hows this one......are you planning on commiting a crime!!!!!
What the HELL!!!! I almost wanted to say no bloody wonder no-one likes USA!!!!!
On Saturday morning i left Great Falls (Wal-Mart) around 7:30am or so. And headed onto US-12 highway going through Townsend.
Townsend was a great little place. I was shocked to see people riding around on the roads on ATV's....WITH NO HELMETS!!!
Not long after that i turned onto US 191. Heading for West Yellowstone.
When i approached West Yellowstone, i was shocked. I came across a classic car show.
Yellowstone Camping
HOW COOL.I stayed for a bit then made tracks to the National Park.
Entering the national park is different. There was a three lane waiting lines to get in. But the whole process didn't take too long.
As soon as i drove in, i was met by moose playing around the swampy lake.
After about an hour of driving through the park, i finally set up my tent at Bay Bridge camp site.
Late in the evening i went back through the park to see "Old Faithful". It was pleasing to see mother nature letting off a bit of steam.
I had a great night sleep in the park, however I woke up to the sounds of heavy breathing and heavy foot steps.
My nightmare was true......IT WAS A GRIZZLEY OUTSIDE MY TENT!!!!!!
But a park ranger saw me through my netting of my tent, and he motioned to me to not move. THE BEAR WAS HUGE!!!!
(I just wanted to not be there at that moment)
Shortly afterwards the bear walked away
Yellowstone Store
. But it didn't stop there.A few minutes later, the camp ground had a heard of Buffulo walk through the camp grounds.
I quickly packed up my tent before it got stomped on.
About ten minuted into the drive out of the park, I had come across a HUGE heard of Buffulo walking on the road. I had them all around my car.
One Buffulo hit his head on my door. Not very hard thou. I don't think he saw me there.
I have to say being in Yellowstone National Park is one thing you have to expreience it to believe it. It was awesome.
After that I left for Mt Rushmore. Heading out of Yellowstone through the East side.
The drive from Yellowstone to Mt Rushmore was interesting and long.
I loved the old town of Cody. (Buffalo Bill country)
Seeing the REAL wild west was great. They still had the original old town there.
I was in my element
Old Faithful
. I love western stuff.Leaving Cody was an experienced, i have never seen such a change in scenery in 10 hours.
1 minute I was in wide open rocky dessert, then corn farms, then forest, then more dessert then Mt Rushmore.
About halfway through Wyoming, I came across this airfield with heaps of old abandoned war planes.
I drove in only to be met by this really old frail looking guy.
After we spoke for some time, he showed my around the planes.
I was allowed to touch and play with what ever I wanted. It was cool.
After that I had to make tracks and try and get to Mt Rushmore before It got dark. Mind you I had already done 400kms and I needed to do another 500kms. I was heading out on highway 16. (make sure you have a full tank of fuel)
Cut a long story short, I did it.
But just before I got to Mt Rushmore, I noticed heaps and heaps of Harley Davidson's around. At one point I saw 2 main roads full of parked bikes lining both sides of the street.
By now I'm thinking... what the???
But I had to push on.
I got to Mt Rushmore around 6PM. With heaps of time to spare.
I walked around the monument and just kept looking at the presidents
Yellowstone Sunrise (through fire smoke)
.I was amazed how clean cut they look. But I did notice part of Lincoln's face has fallen off. Oh well.
But the whole place was a buzz with people looking at the mountain and the flags of all 50 states.
When the rain started, I left.
I was there for a good hour or so.
I thought I might as well start to head for home.
After about 3 hours of the road and as darkness was falling, I found this cool campground. Called Elkhorns Campground.
When I checked in, I noticed all the bikes again.
I asked the girl what was going on.
She said I must be from the otherside of the world.
It was the biggest Harley bike week show in the world.
Bigger then the one they have in Daytona each year.
Do you know how hard it is to sleep when you hear Harley's going through the park and on the highway ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT!!!
Traffic Jam
! I think at one point I heard silence around 3AM for about 10 minutes.
And today I have pretty much just drove from the Sturgis bike rally in South Dakoda to Helena in Montana. Took me a good 10 hours and heaps of pee breaks.
Tomorrow I am off to the the "best road in Montana" to see the Glacier park and the mountain ranges....then home.
Should take me around another 10 hours or so. I will mainly be on US-90 then onto US 93. And that will take me right into Canada and right by my turn off at Invermere.
In all I have done 4000kms in 5 days.
My butt is a little sore, my car is surviving...just.
I broke the back hatch door.
I sent the door strut through the interior roof and snaped off the clip.
And i have a rock wedged into the front left brake caliber. I tried to remove it, but it won't budge.
BUT I DON'T CARE!! :-)
Anyway I best be off.
