Road Trip – Day 6 – Bisons, Baristas, Badlands

Our week was winding down. We had one more major stop – just one, but it was 10 hours away, maybe 11. We left the Old Faithful Inn just before sunrise, shortly before the restaurant even opened. I planned to get through the construction zone before they held up traffic (Nope, didn’t make that, got delayed anyway.) Also, want to hit eastern YNP to see some animals.

I prayed. I am not sure if my prayer was noble, but I do believe our Father wants to hear our desires, even if a little childish. I prayed for my wife to see an animal up close – a moose, a bison, something. I prayed that one would be so close we couldn’t miss it. Again, maybe a childish prayer, but I prayed it anyway. Even said, “God, I know this is somewhat petty, but please let her see one of your creations.”

So I drove. And as we were passing through the Yellowstone Lake area, there it was. The Bison. Walking slowly, causally in the middle of the road. Had a limb stuck in his ear. Not really paying attention to the cars it slowed down. Slowly moving to my left as it had to get around us.

So close I could’ve touched it (if my wife would’ve let lower the window, I wold tried.) And since I had passed our turn off to head to Cody, I went further down the road, turned around, and got to see the beautiful beast again. And then crossing the Fishing Bridge, we saw another. This one was crossing the road. I almost missed seeing it for the sun was rising directly ahead of us and made it quite a blinding situation. But my wife saw it and notified me in plenty of time.

In the last few minutes, we saw one of the things we came to see. God sometimes holds things off to the last minute – but God is never late – He is always right on time in His actions.

Was this an answer to my prayers? Was this a coincidence. Mere chance? You have your opinion, and I have mine. And since I am writing this blog, my opinion wins. You write your own blog if you want to say it was just a coincidence, you have the right to be wrong. God is good.

On we travelled. We made Cody, traversing the same highway my wife’s mother did almost four score years ago.

This sleepy tourist town already had waitlists at the breakfast spots recommended by Yelp. But my wife is a simple person, and really just wanted coffee. So we found a quaint hut – the Rocky Mountain Mud Expresso Kiosk – just outside downtown Cody. The large was LARGE – the taste was heavenly (so she says) and the quickness was perfect. The Barista knew exactly what my wife desired – the Rocky Mountain Fog – Sugar Free White Mocha, Caramel Latte – extra shot -no whip – with a dash of cinnamon on top. The Rocky Mountain Mudd kiosk iwas next to a McDonalds – so we ate and drank as we headed to the Badlands.

Out of Cody – through Wyoming – headed to South Dakota. We had a little drama on the way – but some things are left unsaid. All in all, a lovely, yet long 11 hours as I listened to the conclusion of Jack Reacher on audio book.

But a choice had to be made, We were getting to Badlands National Park (BNP) around 5-6p. I desired to stop at Walls Drugs, but the weather was getting dark and I wanted to make the BNP and see a little whole also making the BNP diner before it closed. So we hit the west entrance, drove the long route in the park and made the diner just before the bad weather hit.

Lisa was in awe. The colors and layers of the cliffs/valleys. The diversity of the settings, from plains, to dirt built cliffs. The otherworldliness of the entire place. We had little time to stop. – wind was blowing up to 40mph. So we drove to the diner with thoughts of what tomorrow would hold.

We made it … and … the weather got worse.

Wind. Rain, slight but some. Dark clouds. Power blinking off. This was truly proving to be the Badlands. We ate our meal and watched the weather and the few travelers from within the diner. We got to our cabin – yes, got one of the few cabins inside the park perimeter, and started to get settled for the night.

But the little rain storm stopped. The sun came out. The wind died down. It was pretty dry and we had two more hours to see some of the BNP before sunset.

So we headed to the first rock outcropping as one enters from the east entrance. We went to the Window, and the Door. I even got Lisa out on some of the classic dikes, the formation of mud rock formed over the millennia, that are on the Door Trail.

While at the Widow, overlooking the valley below, another interesting event took place. A Big Horn Sheep (small in some regards, but still formidable) snuck up behind us and just looked at us. Then he jumped off the ridge and skillfully hopped down the valley cliffside.

Wow. Animals in their protected state. Up close and personal.

We then went to the Capital Trail – and I took a photo of the Subaru at the same location of the the shot I took with my FJ when I visited back in February for the first time.

While walking the trail, we saw a few deers and we, well I, heard a rattler. Not too close, but close enough. A reminder, this world is not so safe or sterile as we always see on TV.