The Wild West and running repairs

 

When we left Yellowstone National Park we headed north back into Montana.  We were wanting to go east through the park to Cody but found out that the roads taking the direct route were still closed for winter.  With one of the mountain passes over 10,000’ I’m not surprised.



Pompey's Pillar

Graffiti from 1806

Travelling eastward, we stopped at Pompey’s Pillar to see some early graffiti (at what point does old graffiti become a national treasure?).  One of the early explorers of the region, William Clark, had engraved his name into the sandstone butte.  We forgot to leave our own names for future tourists to look on in awe? amazement? disgust?

 

Had a couple of problems with the 5^th wheel but nothing that couldn’t be fixed using kiwi ingenuity.  We put on our MacGyver hats, pulled out some No 8 wire (bungie cord) and fixed our step that keeps opening out while we’re driving along and put up a temporary vent cover.  Goodness knows what happened to the vent cover – that vent hadn’t been used for a couple of days and had been checked since but we did strike some incredibly strong cross winds after leaving Billings, Montana so likely that was the cause.

 

Spent the night at Crow Agency before venturing into the Little Bighorn Battlefield Memorial and a history lesson.  A place where the Indians won the battle but ultimately lost the war.  Very sobering.

Last Stand Hill
The markers indicate where the soldiers fell,
the black-faced one being Custer's

Part of the Indian Memorial

Definitely colder up on the roof

From the Crow Agency we headed west again, calling first into an RV shop at Sheridan to purchase and fit a new vent cover.  Jean got the short straw and ended up on the roof holding the cover in place while Sue stayed in the warm and wind-free RV screwing everything back together.

 

Sue smiling because she is out of the wind

After our minor repair job it was full steam ahead to Cody where we were parking up and chilling for a few days.  Went for a walk through Cody where the most we did was call in at Buffalo Bill’s old Hotel, The Irma, and have a welcome beer.

 

 

On our travels we’ve had a few people telling us if we get to Cody to visit the Buffalo Bill Center for the West.  As we were in Cody, we did.  It’s an affiliate of the Smithsonian and it’s huge.  We spent all Friday there and only got half way through the exhibits; the Natural History Museum, Buffalo Bill Museum and half of the Plains Indian Museum.  Fortunately the tickets are good for two days.  One of the highlights is the Raptor Experience where you get to meet a variety of raptors and talk to their handlers.  A bit nervy when they look you directly in the eye like it’s a tasty morsel.

 



Teasdale
Great Horned Owl

Hayabusa
Peregrine Falcon

 

 

 

 

 

Suli
Turkey Vulture

Day two at the Center saw us complete viewing the exhibits at the Plains Indian Museum, the Western Art Museum and the Cody Firearms Museum.  All very interesting, we were there for most of the day, but I think we’re museumed out for a while now.