Day 8: Cody, WY to Yellowstone, WY

We got up and packed up our cabin right away to set out for Yellowstone National Park. We opted not to get gas in Cody only to find out that the advertised last chance for gas before the park, a tiny little building with just one double-sided pump, only had premium gas. We decided not to get, which then made us nervous because we arrived in the park with only a quarter tank left. We got amazing views of lake on the way as we drove past Buffalo Bill State Park. We drove through a tunnel that ran right through the mountain with the structure on the walls made completely of rock.

When we crossed into the park about an hour later, we were astonished by the grandeur and the beauty. We drove for 27 miles, stopping only to take in some of the views of the forests, the mountains, and the lake.

We stopped at a Sinclair gas station located inside the park, one of many, we learned, putting our minds at ease, and proceeded to the Fishing Bridge Visitor Center. We asked some questions and the ranger gave us an itinerary, which included leaving Old Faithful for the next day. We drove to the Mud Volcano, where we walked around and saw bubbling hydrothermal pools. We stopped at a picnic area to eat our leftover Chinese food from the day before, which was still pretty good. We saw a line of cars stopped on the road because there were bison actively (or rather, passively) crossing the road, so a ranger was directing traffic to keep cars away from them.

Our next stop was the incredible Artists Point, a magnificent vista that features a waterfall and the towering mountains around it.

We set out on a road that was supposed to show us wildlife along it but opted to turn back after about 10 minutes because it wasn’t as gorgeous or wildlife-filled as other parts of the park we had already seen. We stopped at Tower Fall, which was yet another impressive waterfall. Abe got a root beer float from the general store to enjoy on the drive.

Our last stop in the park was at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, where we were mesmerized by the amazing view of the rock walls and water beneath, and we even walked down (and then back up!) a very steep 3/8 mile trail to where the falls actually are. The water was forest green and we tried our best to capture it in pictures, as always.

Though the ranger had told us that it would take two and a half hours to get out of the park, we made it to West Yellowstone, Montana, entering state #46 for Abe and #38 for Arielle, in about an hour and ten minutes. Our hotel, the Stage Coach Inn, a former USY on Wheels hotel with many animal heads in its lobby, was about five minutes from the west entrance to the park.

We had an idea, and we went for it, dropping our bags and then proceeding about 35 minutes to Island Park, Idaho (state #39 for Arielle) for dinner. We found a restaurant, Pond’s Lodge, where Arielle got a spectacular Loaded Idaho Baked Potato (in Idaho!) and Abe enjoyed the Bistro Filet and (homemade) Fries with and a medley of broccoli, carrots, asparagus, and pearl onions. It was definitely worth the late trip into another state. We drove back into Montana to head to bed before an early morning dipping back into Yellowstone to experience Old Faithful!

Approximate number of miles covered: 227

Day 7: Rapid City, SD to Cody, WY

We had a more active morning than usual, in light of all the sitting and eating we had been doing, and spent 30 minutes at the fitness center in the hotel on the treadmill followed by 10 laps across the huge pool. We finished it off with a terrifying 165-foot waterslide, only the top and bottom of which are located inside the hotel. We hit the road for Wyoming (state #45 for Abe and #37 for Arielle), which quickly became our favorite state thus far in terms of beautiful driving.

We stopped after three hours in Buffalo, WY for an incredibly delicious vegetarian Chinese food lunch at China Garden, a tiny little place with one frantic server taking care of all 7 or so tables simultaneously. We enjoyed a big pot of vegetable soup, Arielle had the tofu with mixed vegetables, and Abe had the garlic tofu, toned down slightly in spiciness. Both tofu dishes were huge (and delicious), so we each ate half and took the rest with us.

During this drive, we got the dash cam that we had bought a few days earlier set up to take some hopefully amazing videos and photos. As we approached Cody, our GPS took us on an incredible winding route with breathtaking views. We weren’t as excited by a sign about 11 miles of road work with loose gravel which set us a bit behind, but we were rewarded with a stunning drive straight into an incredible horizon, with occasional rain that lasted for just a minute or two each time.

We arrived in Cody and turned just right off the main road to the complex that includes the Holiday Inn, the Comfort Inn (a USY on Wheels hotel), and the Buffalo Bill Village Resort, where we stayed in a cabin just behind the hotels. Our cabin was quite spacious and nice, with two queen beds, a sitting area, and a very big bathroom. It was rustic and beautiful, and exactly the type of camping Abe likes to do. Arielle was thrilled that we were greeted by bunnies hopping around outside.

We left our car parked in its designated spot and walked about five minutes to town, where we were explored a few restaurant options. We settled on a slightly more expensive choice, Wyoming’s Rib and Chop House, which we later found out is a chain with locations in Wyoming, Montana, and Utah. Our server Angie was great, and Arielle even wanted to take her home with us. Abe was thrilled with his Buffalo ribeye and Arielle enjoyed her Jamaican brown sugar cedar plank salmon. Our side dishes of garlic mushrooms, sweet potato fries, and carrot soufflé (which Angie warned us was not a soufflé), as well as Arielle’s ranch-covered garden salad complemented one of our best meals yet. We walked home and turned in for the night in our cabin, which was great aside from the wi-fi that didn’t work great, and we were entertained to be sent a hotel employee from maintenance who was happy to fix our sink but noted that he’s not great with technology.

Approximate number of miles covered: 387