Day 17- Billings, MT

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We were sad to say goodbye to Yellowstone. It is a such a big park with so much to see and so many hikes to do. Our plan was to try to get up early to head up to Lamar Valley near the northeast entrance of Yellowstone to be able to see more of the wildlife. We were told this is where we would be able to see some wolves. Yellowstone has what they call their "Big 5"- the grizzly bear, bison, elk, moose, and gray wolf (some lists have bighorn sheep or eagles). So far, we had only seen 3 of these, in addition to antelope. So we got up early and headed north. We stopped briefly in Mammoth for gas and coffee, and there were elk all over the lawns. There were 2 adorable fawns playing near the store and every time a tourist came near he would rear and buck and twist around.

Once in Lamar Valley we saw TONS of buffalo- herds and herds of them. There were also many antelope and deer in the valley, but so far no bear or wolf sightings. FINALLY in the middle of the buffalo herd, I spotted a lone wolf (maybe a coyote) weaving in and out. It did not seem like he was trying to bother any of the buffalo or their young, but was looking in the grass for smaller game. We were thrilled to spot one!

We continued up to the northeast entrance to exit the park, still looking for any signs of bear, but still no luck. We went through the cute little tourist town of Cooke City and then were faced with going up over the mountains through Beartooth Pass, or the milder scenic drive of Chief Joseph's Highway. With our trailer, we decided to take Chief Joseph's Highway which wove between the high mountain peaks until the end when we had to climb up over a mountain. We stopped at a vista at the top of the mountain, which offered stunning views. We then continued on our way to Billings, MT.

Once in Billings, we stopped for lunch at another brewpub- Montana Brewing. The beer and food were both delicious! After our stop, we continued on to one of my former co-resident's house- Jerilynn Casagrande! It was a great stop! We spent time catching up, they made us a fabulous dinner, then we headed to a Billings Mustangs baseball game! It was a perfect night to catch a game! We were also able to shower in a real shower and sleep in a real bed for the first time in 2 weeks, so we were very grateful!

Time to get some rest then head back on the road, this time EAST towards home!

Miles traveled: 337 miles

States visited: WY, MT

XO, B&E

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Photos

Dr. Casagrande!
(Excuse my appearance ;) )