Distances not Quite what They Seem

Ok.
The first mistake was thinking that the 300 miles --or there or there abouts-- was straight. Wrong!

Well we got to Yellowstone Park in pretty good time and the group decided that we would do a bit of drive around it , maybe see the \Geezer--sorry Geyser--and toddle off to the hotel for a dip in the pool, well it was getting up around the 90 + mark---Wrong!.

For a start the speed limit in the park is 45 mph.
Then you get stuck behind the site seers who slow down every couple of minutes.
Then you get more twist and turns than a Poirot movie.
Then you get the ups and down -- from 4000 feet to 8,500 feet in easy moves.

Of course and then, in the  middle of the wilderness, you have to be prepared for the children wanting to take a bathroom break --but this is definitely not over Epsom Common---there are Bears in these woods, so squatting behind a tree is not the first choice for sorting the problem.

We eventually got to the Hotel in Cody, Wyoming at around 4.30pm and found that we are in these quaint little log cabins--pictures later.

Now---Having said all of that-- the scenery we have seen has been some of the most spectacular I or the others have ever seen and the drive through the park, while not as quick as we thought, was absolutely staggering and cant wait to see more.

This is not old faithful but gives an idea of how close you get to something that one day may well blow north America into a new dimension.

Today we plan on having a quiet day by the pool and maybe see some of the sites around Cody--there is a Rodeo every evening so we may go down there, although I am not sure how well |Rod's wrist will hold up to the Bull Riding--they do wrap that rope round the hand pretty tightly.

Some more shots below of the views but only a taster for tomorrow.

 Standard views up and around the hills in the park.

 This is Yellowstone Lake--it's huge.

 This is the lake that feeds into Buffalo Bill Dam. 

 So many great places to trout fish.

 These are the areas where some of the Geysers are.

Not sure what the sign is yet--we were trying to get the one for yellowstone and Cody.

So the pictures below are from the cabins we are in and of the old Geezers--yes this is the right spelling this time.

 

So after dinner in the nearest restaurant and bar, we were all pretty tired so we came back to the cabins and  got the furniture out for a glass of wine and cards-- the boys won--again.

So that's it , we have driven around  a  1000 miles from Portland and have seen the stunning places in the Mid-West and are planning to see a whole lot more tomorrow---but first, breakfast , pool , sun and relaxation in that order. Gonna be hot, hot , hot. :-)