We got started late today after enjoying the amenities at the Cody KOA. They had an outdoor pancake breakfast and the boys spent about an hour in the pool. I got a few cups of real hot coffee and we all enjoyed the slow start.
And then we got a little lost. We had an actual printed map of Wyoming like the olden days of the 1990s and it showed us a road that led down through the Bighorn National Forest. So we routed ourselves from Cody in that direction. Except we never found the turn. Even the GPS would not give us a route that went south through the forest. We checked the actual road, Google Maps, Waze, and Apple Maps - nothing showed the trail the printed map showed. So at that point it was turn around or plow ahead, and so we decided on the northern route. It turned out to be a good decision.
We ended up driving the scenic byway of the Bighorn National Forest, out to see the Snell Canyon and through amazing mountain scenery.
This was quite a road, full of switchbacks and a mandatory brake test for RVs before the descent. Besides the walk we took, the kids missed most of it, as usual, but David and I absolutely enjoyed the scenery. While we never did see a wild bighorn sheep, we did spy a pair of moose from the roadway. With a quick brake and swerve into a park campground, we were able to see them up close. I was a bit disappointed to not have seen moose in Yellowstone, so success!
We made two stops today (plus the short Moose break.) One at Snell Canyon and the other at Fort Phil Kearny, which is the site of the worst defeat of the US Army at the hands of Native Americans outside of Little Bighorn. We learned a lot at that stop about how an 1800s western fort was operated. There were only three other people there, so great social distancing.
We made a grocery run this morning for the rest of the food and drinks to get us to Friday and our return. David also chose the world’s best value party sub, $7 for a 2 pound Italian sub that will feed us lunch for two days. Sure, it’s taking up most of the fridge, but it’s worth it. Lunch is the least convenient in the RV because you don’t want to have to find a place to stop and cook (though still better than not traveling without your own kitchen and bathroom!) Sandwiches are the usual choice.
Tonight we are in the Buffalo Wyoming KOA. The fire danger is so high that we can’t even light inside our fire ring. We bought a cheap propane grill on Day 1, and so tonight it was called into action for some burgers on the grill. The burgers were local grass fed organic ones, and they still taste great on a $25 Walmart portable propane grill. Tomorrow we head back to South Dakota for a few days to see the Black Hills and surrounding areas. The kids are loving the trip and cannot wait to plan the next one.
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