Yellowstone 2002
The summer of 2002 sent us on a trip west. At first the plan was to
go as far as South Dakota, but as we traveled we kept adding miles. Along
the way we saw the "famous" Corn Palace and then made our first major stop
at Badlands National Park. Badlands is way cool. Well, it's hot
in the summer actually, but you know what I mean. Spectacular scenery.
Beautiful colors. You even get to hike all over the place - no
sticking to the boardwalks like other national parks.
Badlands also included a visit to a prairie dog town and the infamous Wall Drug. Next it was on to Deadwood where we camped while visiting Mt. Rushmore and, of course, Deadwood itself. We also saw the birth and development of one of the wildfires that was sweeping the west that year.
Heading further west we stopped at Devils Tower and the Little Big Horn,
where Custer met his demise.
Then it was on to the main attraction: Yellowstone National Park. We
spent six days inside the park, moving from north to south, national park
campground to campground. Yellowstone is amazing. Thermal areas
that reek of sulfur, beautiful rivers, waterfalls, lakes, geysers, and wildlife.
After Yellowstone we turned south and east toward home, stopping in the Grand
Tetons and Dinosaur National Parks
before our last big stop at Rocky Mountain
National Park.
26 days on the road, trip mileage 6,797.