Riding, Riding, Riding...

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I'm beginning to feel like this trip is 70% riding on the motorcoach and 30% actual seeing stuff. Okay, maybe that's an exageration, but it does feel like A LOT of time on the bus. Left Sheridan this morning at 8 am, drove from there to the Little Bighorn Battlefield. On the way, we watched the videos that are shown in the visitor's center so we wouldn't have to spend time there getting oriented.

The battlefield itself looks like a big field of grass. With scattered white gravestones (and a few red ones). The National Monument is two separate sites, about 4 miles apart. One part is the Reno-Benteen battlefield and the other is "Last Stand Hill." I never knew that the battle was actually two different fights that far apart. Custer split up his forces into three groups, with Reno in charge of one, and Benteen in charge of other and having the supplies with him. Benteen was supposed to meet up with Custer but was cut off due to high ground being held by the Native forces and ended up trapped with Reno and surrounded by Crazy Horse's forces. Once the Indians left the area and more of the army folks showed up, the dead were buried where they fell and markers were installed. Eventually, the bodies were exhumed and moved into a grave on top of the hill, where the memorial now stands.

We spent some time at the Reno-Benteen site and then drove back to Last Stand Hill and visited the memorial and saw the iron Indian Memorial Sculpture I liked that sculpture a lot, it was an outline of 3 horses and riders and you could see the field through them. After a stop at the visitors' center, it was back on the bus....

Back through Montana to Wyoming and time to cross the mountains. We climbed all the way up the Bighorn Mountains with some pretty spectacular views and a stop at the Bear Lodge Resort for lunch. Lunch was not included in the tour, but our guide has a nice deal with the place, and we had a yummy buffett for a decent price. After climbing, you have to descend, so most of the afternoon was spent driving down the mountains. Normally there would have been a brief stop at Shell Falls, but the rest area there has already closed for the season.

So, now we're in Cody. I'm heading out to grab dinner.

Tomorrow morning we go to the Cody Museum and then on to Yellowstone. Since there is no TV in the rooms in Yellowstone, I'm guessing that there is also no internet, so don't expect a blog for a few days.

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