Thread:61Storm/@comment-29709319-20190401001525/@comment-29709319-20190524050845

National Themes For May 24th: National Road Trip Day, National Cooler Day, National Aviation Maintenance Technician Day, Brother’s Day, National Scavenger Hunt Day, National Escargot Day, National Don’t Fry Day, and 🇺🇸National Wyoming Day.

🚙National Road Trip Day serves as the official kickoff of the summer road trip season. With two-thirds of leisure travelers planning to take vacations this summer, it’s clear that the open road calls when long weekends and Fridays roll around. We pack up, fuel up, stock up and then crank up the tunes. In fact, 63 percent of road trippers say that having good music, audiobooks and/or podcasts to listen to are the most important parts of a successful road trip. Additionally, three in five road trippers say that having good snacks and drinks for the road, finding great places to eat on the way and finding clean bathrooms to use while traveling are their most important parts of a successful road trip. Road trips that begin and end with happy passengers are always the best. Here are a few tips to keep in mind. Even a spur of the moment trip requires a little planning.Two in five road trippers find travel apps very helpful when planning their trip, and mapping out stops ahead of time can be a great way to save both time and money. One way to do so is with the Pilot Flying J app’s enhanced trip planner feature. The trip planner helps users create their route and find Pilot and Flying J locations along the way, showcasing specific amenities, fuel prices and more. Vehicle maintenance is vital to any successful road trip. Beyond the routine maintenance like oil changes and sound tires, other simple checks will keep you on the road. Check your wipers and wiper fluid, make sure your spare tire and jack are in place, all lights and signals are working, condition of your brake pads, registration is current or not about to expire. Consider construction, fuel and snack stops, shopping and the interests of the other travelers. Road trippers prioritize convenience and efficiency, primarily wanting to stop at all-in-one rest stops. Specifically, the top “road trip essential” snacks are chips and salty foods, freshly made, grab-and-go foods and fast food options. There are two kinds of people who take road trips. If you’re going together, you might want to discuss a compromise before hitting the road! The tourist takes their time getting there and doesn’t mind taking backroads to see long-forgotten ghost towns. On the other hand, the pilot enjoys seeing the country from the car, sets a course and frowns upon unscheduled stops or side trips. No matter the destination, road trips include an element of expectation, and they rarely disappoint. The best road trips bring us closer to people over a stick of beef jerky and car karaoke. They connect us to places through memories, a postcard, and the kindness of strangers.

❄️National Cooler Day! As simple as the design of a cooler may seem, it wasn’t until the 1950s that the first cooler or “portable icebox” made the scene. In fact, the material needed to make coolers didn’t even exist until 1944. While we rely on coolers today to keep our food and beverages cold for various outdoor activities, they do so much more. Coolers save lives during disasters by carrying food (cold or hot) to areas affected by loss of power. Sporting events, fundraisers, and parades run more smoothly when volunteers bring their coolers along. They also keep medications at the proper temperature during shipping. Of course, the combination of durable portability makes the cooler an essential tool in many ways. It is our spare seat, prep station, and umbrella anchor, too. Despite the wear and tear endured, they faithfully provide us with an ice cold drink on a hot day until the beverages run out.

✈️Aviation Maintenance Technician Day is to honor the men and women who have worked behind the scenes making and keeping aviation possible. We all know the story of Orville and Wilbur Wright, Kitty Hawk and the experiment of human flight. Charles Edward Taylor came to work for the Wrights in 1902 when the research turned to powered flight. The automobile companies couldn’t supply an engine both light enough and powerful enough for flight. Taylor, a machinist by trade, with a metal lathe, drill press, and other hand tools, he built the 12-horse power engine which propelled the Wright’s aeroplane 20 feet above the wind-swept North Carolina beach. The longest flight lasted 59 seconds for a distance of 852 feet. It took Taylor 6 weeks to build the engine and yet, history books rarely mention the man who helped make the historic December 17, 1903, flight possible. Being on the cusp of the aeronautics industry, Taylor continued to design aircraft engines for the Wright brothers as well as teaching them to build their own. When the first airport was established (by the Wrights), he was named the airport manager. The partnership continued when the Wright brothers were awarded a military contract for the first military plane with Taylor designing and building the engine. Taylor’s adventures continued in 1911 when William Randolph Hearst offered up a cash award to the first pilot to fly across the United States in 30 days or less. Cal Rodgers, a young pilot, accepted the challenge and hired Charles Taylor as his mechanic. Rodgers made it, landing and crashing from New York to Pasadena, with Taylor trailing along in a car. Charles Taylor continued in the field of aviation maintenance for more than 60 years. Like Taylor, aviation maintenance technicians around the world work in the background, keeping civilian and military aircraft safe. Through the efforts of Richard Dilbeck, in 2001, the FAA created the prestigious Charles E. Taylor Master Mechanic Award to honor AMTs, who had served at least 50 years in aircraft maintenance. The following year, California Senator Knight introduced a resolution honoring Aviation Maintenance Technicians annually in honor of Charles Taylor’s birthday.

👤Brother’s Day honors the brothers in our lives. Whether we have one or many, our brothers hold a special place in our hearts. Even if for those who don’t have brothers, someone in their life is usually like a brother to them. Brothers from other mothers are found in a best friend, a brother-in-law or a cousin. They are the men in our lives we count on even when we don’t talk very often. Brothers come in many shapes and sizes and so do their relationships. Whatever yours is, take the time to celebrate your brother on Brother’s Day.

❓National Scavenger Hunt Day is set aside as a day to enjoy the good ol’ fashioned fun of a scavenger hunt. American gossip columnist, author, songwriter and professional hostess Elsa Maxwell (May 24, 1883 – November 1, 1963) is credited with the introduction of the scavenger hunt for use as a party game in the modern era. A scavenger hunt is a game where teams are challenged to “scavenge” for a list of odd items. Participants are not allowed to buy the objects and depending on where the hunt takes place may have to beg, barter or work for them. Some scavenger hunts add riddles to each item increasing the difficulty of the game. The team with the most items, or the first to complete the list, wins.

🐌National Escargot Day! Escargot {es.kar.go} is the French word for snail. This day is in honor of the famous French dish of cooked land snails. However, it is an acquired taste. It is usually served as an appetizer in French restaurants. The dish of Escargot is usually prepared by removing the land snails from their shells, cooking them with garlic, butter and wine. They are then placed back into their shells with the sauce for serving. The dish is served with a special fork and tong for easier dining. Escargot are high in protein and low in fat (without the butter).

🌞National Don’t Fry Day is to raise awareness of all the risks of overexposure to the sun. It is important for everyone to remember to use sun protection and sun safety practices. Unfortunately, skin cancer is increasing in the United States, and the American Cancer Society estimates that one American dies every hour from skin cancer. The risk for ultraviolet (UV) damage to the skin increases as we spend more time enjoying the outdoors now that warmer weather is upon us. We need to take precautions when we are outside in the sun. Using a good sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher, wearing sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat are a few ways to get started with sun safety. Skin cancer is curable if it is found early. Be aware of changes on your skin with growths and in moles. See your doctor if you have any concerns.

🇺🇸Wyoming was named after the Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania, made famous by the 1809 poem Gertrude of Wyoming by Thomas Campbell, based on the Battle of Wyoming in the American Revolutionary War. The name ultimately derives from the Munsee word xwé:wamənk, meaning "at the big river flat". Wyoming is the 10th largest state by area, the least populous, and the second most sparsely populated state in the country. Cheyenne is the state capital and the most populous city. Nickname(s): Equality State (official); Cowboy State; Big Wyoming, Motto: Equal Rights, State song: "Wyoming". It's highest point is Gannett Peak at 13,809 ft (4209.1 m). It's lowest point is Belle Fourche River (at the South Dakota border) at 3,101 ft (945 m). Living insignia; Bird: 🕊Western meadowlark, Fish: 🐟Cutthroat trout, Flower: 🌸Wyoming Indian paintbrush, Insect: 🦋Sheridan's green hairstreak butterfly. Grass: 🌾Western wheatgrass, Mammal: American bison, Reptile: 🦎Horned lizard, Tree: 🌳Plains cottonwood. Inanimate insignia; Dinosaur: Triceratops, Fossil: Knightia, Mineral: Nephrite, Sport: 🐎rodeo. The western two-thirds of the state is covered mostly by the mountain ranges and rangelands of the Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie called the High Plains. Almost half of the land in Wyoming is owned by the U.S. government, leading Wyoming to rank sixth by area and fifth by proportion of a state's land owned by the federal government. Wyoming's climate is generally semi-arid and continental and is drier and windier in comparison to most of the United States with greater temperature extremes. Summers in Wyoming are warm with July high temperatures averaging between 85 and 95°F (29 and 35°C) in most of the state. With elevation above 9,000 the averages drop to 70°F (21°C). Summer nights average in the 50–60°F (10–16°C). Precipitation depends on elevation with lower areas in the Big Horn Basin averaging 5–8 inches (130–200 mm) (making the area nearly a true desert). Some mountain areas do receive a good amount of precipitation, 20 inches (510 mm) or more, much of it as snow, sometimes 200 inches (510 cm) or more annually. The state's highest recorded temperature is 114°F (46°C) at Basin on July 12, 1900 and the lowest recorded temperature is -66°F (-54°C) at Riverside on February 9, 1933. The southeastern corner of the state is the most vulnerable part of the state to tornado activity. The Crow, Arapaho, Lakota, and Shoshone were but a few of the original inhabitants explorers encountered when they first visited the region. Wyoming was ceded to the United States in 1848 at the end of the Mexican–American War. French-Canadian trappers from Québec and Montréal went into the state in the late 18th century, leaving French names such as Téton and La Ramie. John Colter a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition first described the region in 1807. His reports of the Yellowstone area were considered to be fictional. Robert Stuart and five other men returning from Astoria discovered South Pass in 1812, which would be a later used route on the Oregon Trail. In 1850, Jim Bridger located Bridger Pass, which the Union Pacific Railroad used in 1868 and as did Interstate 80, 90 years later. The region's population grew steadily after the Union Pacific Railroad reached the town of Cheyenne in 1867, and the federal government established the Wyoming Territory on July 25, 1868. When the government-sponsored expeditions to the Yellowstone country and discovered earlier reports were accurate, the world's first national park, Yellowstone National Park was created in 1872. On December 10, 1869, territorial Governor John Allen Campbell extended the right to vote to women, making Wyoming the first territory and then United States state to grant suffrage to women and also welcomed them into politics. Women first served on juries in Wyoming (Laramie in 1870); Wyoming had the first female court bailiff (Mary Atkinson, Laramie, in 1870); and the first female justice of the peace in the country (Esther Hobart Morris, South Pass City, in 1870). Wyoming became the first state to elect a female governor, (Nellie Tayloe Ross, January 1925). Wyoming's constitution included women's suffrage and a pioneering article on water rights. Congress admitted Wyoming into the Union as the 44th state on July 10, 1890. Wyoming was the location of the Johnson County War of 1892, which erupted between competing groups of cattle ranchers. The passage of the federal Homestead Act led to an influx of small ranchers. A range war broke out when either or both of the groups chose violent conflict over commercial competition in the use of the public land. The Wind River Indian Reservation is shared by the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes of Native Americans in the central western portion of Wyoming near Lander. The reservation is home to 2,500 Eastern Shoshone and 5,000 Northern Arapaho. Chief Washakie established the reservation in 1868 as the result of negotiations with the federal government in the Fort Bridger Treaty. The Northern Arapaho were forced onto the Shoshone reservation in 1876 by the federal government after the government failed to provide a promised separate reservation. Today the Wind River Indian Reservation is jointly owned, with each tribe having a 50% interest in the land, water, and other natural resources. The reservation is a sovereign, self-governed land with two independent governing bodies: the Eastern Shoshone Tribe and the Northern Arapaho Tribe. Until 2014, the Shoshone Business Council and Northern Arapaho Business Council met jointly as the Joint Business Council to decide matters that affect both tribes. Six elected council members from each tribe served on the joint council. The main drivers of Wyoming's economy are mineral extraction—mostly coal, oil, natural gas, trona and tourism. Agricultural commodities include livestock (beef), hay, sugar beets, grain (wheat and barley), and wool. Wyoming is the home of only a handful of companies with a regional or national presence. Taco John's and Sierra Trading Post, both in Cheyenne, are privately held. Cloud Peak Energy in Gillette and U.S. Energy Corp. (NASDAQ: USEG) in Riverton are Wyoming's only publicly traded companies. Wyoming has one public four-year institution, the University of Wyoming in Laramie and one private four-year college, Wyoming Catholic College, in Lander, Wyoming. In addition, there are seven two-year community colleges spread throughout the state. 1️⃣The Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR) is a ski resort in the western United States, at Teton Village, Wyoming. And I n the Teton Range of the Rocky Mountains. It is named after the historically significant Jackson Hole valley and is known for its steep terrain and a large continuous vertical drop of 4,139 ft (1,262 m). The ski area partially covers Rendezvous and Apres Vous Mountains. Known for its challenging terrain, half of the runs are rated expert, 40% intermediate, and only 10% beginner. The intermediate terrain is primarily on south-facing Apres Vous Mountain, while Rendezvous Mountain has Jackson Hole's more advanced terrain that includes bowls, glades, and chutes, and over 4,100 vertical feet of skiing, the greatest continuous rise in the U.S. The slopes on Rendezvous primarily face southeast. In the summer, the resort offers numerous activities such as mountain biking, hiking and paragliding. 2️⃣Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area is administered by the Ashley National Forest and is located in the states of Wyoming and Utah. The recreation centerpiece of the area is the 91 miles (146 km) long Flaming Gorge Reservoir. The area was given the name "Flaming Gorge" by John Wesley Powell during his 1869 expedition down the Green River, due to the spectacular, red sandstone cliffs that surround this part of the river. The Flaming Gorge reservoir was created by the 1964 construction of the Flaming Gorge Dam across the Green River. Flaming Gorge Dam is used to generate hydroelectric power. Activities in the recreation area include camping, biking, rock climbing, paddling, hiking, boating and fishing on the Flaming Gorge Reservoir, and rafting on the portion of the Green River downstream from Flaming Gorge Dam. 3️⃣Jenny Lake Trail: Jenny Lake is one of only two lakes in Jackson Hole where motorboat access is allowed. Jenny Lake is easy to find. Multiple signs indicate the North and South recreation areas from the Teton Park Road. The lakeshore is split into two self-explanatory zones: South and North Jenny Lake. The South Jenny Lake area has more amenities and is the location of the visitor center, ranger station, campground, and docks. The north area features a boat launch, picnic area, and trailhead. The 7.1 mile Jenny Lake trail loops the lake. Hiking around Jenny Lake gives you views of the Tetons without the demanding climbs typically required to explore the backcountry. The glassy waters and various tributaries that compose this corner of the Snake River watershed provide an opportunity for wildlife viewing of all sorts. Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point are also huge hiking destinations accessible from the Jenny Lake shoreline. 4️⃣Fossil Forest: Around 55 million years ago, Yellowstone entered a volcanically active phase. Ashes, mudflows, and breccia from the vicinity of the Absaroka Range entombed the trees that were thriving in this area. As the volcanic matter cooled, cracks formed and water seeped through. This water picked up silica from the surrounding rock and was then soaked up by the tree material, causing the silica to be deposited in each dead tree cell. Over a long time the tree decayed away entirely, leaving only the hard rock behind. Much later, glaciers excavated these specimens as they cut through the Lamar Valley. The fossilization is very extensive, and it is even possible to count the growth rings and observe the microscopic details of the trees' cellular structure. Geologists have pieced together an entire forest containing over 100 different types of vegetation. The most prevalent trees discovered include: walnuts, magnolias, maples, oaks, redwoods, dogwoods, and pines. From this it is clear that Yellowstone 50 million years ago had a drastically different climate, probably lying no more than a few thousand feet above sea level and receiving 50-60 inches of rain each year. Thus, Yellowstone's fossil forests provide geologists with a "window to the past" that cannot be matched anywhere in the world! Another factor that makes Yellowstone's Fossil Forest unique is that many of the specimens are still standing in upright positions with their roots imbedded in the ground right where they grew millions of years ago. This rarely occurs in other fossil forests. Before descending through the fossil area in search of other specimens, you should make a short side trip to the top of Specimen Ridge. It's an additional 200-foot climb, but the spectacular views of Mount Washburn, the northern terminus of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and some beautiful open meadows make it worth your effort. Professor Erling Dorf of Princeton has theorized that these specimens do not merely represent one entombed forest but rather include trees from 27 separate forests (the most in the world), each stacked on top of the other, layer by layer, to a thickness of 1,200 feet. He explains that the Absaroka volcanism lasted for 15 million years. In that time, there were alternating periods of activity and dormancy. The active periods caused trees to be encased and eventually fossilized. During the ensuing dormancy, new trees grew up on top of the old, only to be encased by the next volcanic activity. Thus, as you make your decent, you are really passing through many different forests, each older than the last. Directions: Four miles east of Tower Junction on the Northeast Entrance Road (last pullout on the right side (SE) of the road before crossing the Lamar River). There is no trailhead sign nor is there a marked trail to follow. Therefore, it is important that you spot your destination before leaving the highway. As you drive east along the Northeast entrance Road, you will pass a number of small glacial lakes about 2.5 miles from Tower Junction. Look ahead on the right (SE) to Specimen Ridge. Near the top, you should be able to pick out two large outcroppings of brown dirt, separated by a patch of trees that rise to the top of the ridge. Near the top of the east outcropping lies a fine collection of fossilized trees. If you have binoculars, you should be able to spot some of the stumps that protrude from the bare cliff. Leave the highway, cross the sagebrush flat, pass a number of large granite boulders (left behind by glaciers) and climb the open meadow to the top of the ridge that runs northeast from the desired outcropping. Once on the ridge, you should have no trouble following a fairly well traveled trail up the ridge through a stand of trees and out to the Fossil Forest area. You will first spot a huge petrified stump with two tall petrified trunks just below. The huge stump is the remains of a giant redwood tree. It has a circumference of 26.5 feet and probably stood 200-300 feet high when living. The two trees below are pine. An early visitor to the park's Fossil Forest once commented that they "stand like columns of a ruined temple." 5️⃣The Wyoming State Museum was established in 1895 and has been collecting, preserving, and interpreting a wide variety of artifacts ever since. These collections represent life in Wyoming from prehistoric times to the present. The Museum oversees thousands of artifacts including items crafted and used by Native Americans to manufactured goods purchased and used by today’s residents. Their mission is to collect as many types of things used by people who have called Wyoming their home. Collections: Native American Artifacts: This collection primarily strives to represent Native American groups of the Northern Plains region. A few generous artifact donors in the past provided fine examples of craftsmanship from other Native American tribes, which are maintained for comparative purposes. ✨Clothing and Personal Items: Many styles of clothing from the early days of Wyoming to the present can be found in the collections, including everyday and dress clothes for men, women, and children. The State Museum also maintains many civilian and military uniforms. ✨Household Items: Everyday objects used in the home are part of the artifact collection as well. These include items such as furniture, coffee pots, quilts, and knick-knacks. These artifacts give a picture of what daily life has been like for the people of Wyoming. ✨Transportation Artifacts: Wyoming has seen many changes in how people travel. The collection reflects these changes with artifacts that represent travel by foot, horseback, railroad, car, and airplane. ✨Tools: Wyoming’s people have worked in many trades from laborer to skilled professional. Tools of these many trades, as well as tools for work in the home, are represented in the collections. ✨Recreation: Fun and recreation are also represented in the collections. Beloved childhood toys, sports equipment, musical instruments, and other items representing leisure time are collected by the museum. ✨Artworks: The museum collects all mediums of original art created by Wyoming artists, and works depicting Wyoming’s diverse people and places. ✨Natural History: Wyoming’s natural history plays an important role. Examples of minerals, ancient fossils, and animal life can be found in the collections. 6️⃣The Cheyenne Botanic Gardens (9 acres, 3.6 ha) are located in Lions Park in Cheyenne, Wyoming, with an associated High Plains Arboretum located five miles (8 km) northwest of Cheyenne at an elevation of 6,200 feet (1,900 m). The gardens began as a vision in 1977 to build a non-profit, solar heated greenhouse. Today, the 6,800 square foot (630 m²) conservatory consists of three greenhouses. The first is filled with tropical plants, herb and cacti gardens and a waterfall pond filled with Koi fish. The second is used primarily for growing vegetables, the third is focused on propagation of bedding plants and flowers for the botanic garden grounds and all flowers for the Cheyenne park system. Outside are many gardens featuring many flowers and cacti. The conservatory is 100% solar heated and 50 percent of the conservatory's electricity is also powered by the sun. They are the United States Intermountain West's oldest and one of the largest public demonstration sites for renewable energy. The grounds have many special garden landscapes including a rose garden, herb garden, Peace garden, water garden, cacti display, annuals and perennials, shade loving plant display xeriscape and native plants. There is also a wetland display and gardens that depict plants that were important in southeast Wyoming over the past three centuries (called the Rotary Century Plazas). It also has a labyrinth known as the "Garden Labyrinth". The Cheyenne Botanic Gardens in Cheyenne must deal with one of the more harsh climates in the lower 48 states. Cheyenne ranks #1 in average hail storms (10 per year), 4th in daily average wind speed (daily average 13 mph), has the fewest days with winter snow cover compared with other cities on the central front range of the Rocky Mountains, sits at 6,000 ft. elevation which causes cooler nights making it more difficult to get plants to mature. Cheyenne also has unpredictable late spring and early fall frosts. 7️⃣The Buffalo Bill Center of the West is a complex of five museums and a research library featuring art and artifacts of the American West located in Cody, Wyoming. The five museums include the Buffalo Bill Museum, the Plains Indians Museum, the Whitney Western Art Museum, the Draper Natural History Museum, and the Cody Firearms Museum. Founded in 1917 by Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney to preserve the legacy and vision of Col. William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody, the Buffalo Bill Center of the West is the oldest and most comprehensive museum complex of the West. The seven-acre building has more than 50,000 artifacts and holds five museums. Since 2008, the Center of the West has been part of the Smithsonian Affiliates program, the first museum complex in Wyoming to have this status. The five museums; 🍃Buffalo Bill Museum: Back in 2012, the Buffalo Bill Museum was reconceived to present a 21st-century experience for its visitors. The museum opened in 1927 in a log cabin across from the current location. It was reinstalled in 1986. The museum showcases the fame and success Cody attained through his "Buffalo Bill's Wild West show," and addresses his significant influence on the economic and cultural development of the American West. The exhibits also reveal an intimate portrait of this major American figure, his personal successes and failures, as well as his financial fortunes and misfortunes. 🍃Plains Indians Museum features the stories and objects of Plains Indian people, their cultures, traditions, values and histories, as well as the contexts of their lives today. Since 1979, the Plains Indian Museum has been a leader in promoting public recognition of the importance of Plains Indian art due to its nationally significant collection. The majority of the collection is from the early reservation period, ca. 1880-1930. It contains artifacts primarily from Northern Plains tribes, such as the Arapaho, Lakota, Crow, Cheyenne, Blackfeet and Pawnee. The holdings also include important contemporary objects, ranging from abstract art to star quilts. In September 2007, the Buffalo Bill Center of the West acquired the Paul Dyck Plains Indian Buffalo Culture Collection, recognized as the most historic, important, and privately held collection in the world of Plains Indian artifacts, art work, and related materials. The collection includes clothing, eagle feather bonnets, bear claw necklaces, buffalo hide tipis and tipi furnishings, shields, cradles, peace medals, and moccasins. The Plains Indian Museum also sponsors an annual Powwow held on the third weekend in June at the Robbie Powwow Garden at the Center of the West. This event attracts dancers, artisans, and visitors from all over North America. 🍃Whitney Western Art Museum features paintings and sculptures of the American West. The gallery first opened in 1959 and was later united with the Buffalo Bill Museum. In June 2009, it re-opened following a re-installation. The gallery is organized thematically, with spaces dedicated to heroes and legends, the heroic cowboy, wildlife, horses in the West, inspirational landscapes, first people of the West, and the Western experience. Replicas of the studios of both Frederic Remington and Alexander Phimister Proctor help visitors learn about the artists and their techniques. Interactive stations allow visitors to create their own works of art. 🍃Draper Natural History Museum opened in 2002 and features approximately 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2) of interactive exhibits highlighting geology, wildlife, and human presence in the Greater Yellowstone region. Videos, natural history dioramas, and photography replicate the sights, sounds, and smells of the area. Specimens of grizzlies, wolves, bighorn sheep, moose, elk and other wildlife are on display. The Draper museum includes adult and children's classrooms. 🍃The Cody Firearms Museum houses the most comprehensive collection of American firearms in the world. The collection includes firearms ranging from a 16th-century hand cannon to guns of modern manufacture. It holds weapons from almost every significant gun manufacturer in the world. The Winchester Collection, the heart of this museum, was transported from New Haven, Connecticut to Cody in 1976. Dedicated in 1991, the Cody Firearms Museum provides a permanent home for the Winchester collection, as well as the largest collection of DuBiel Arms Company rifles in the United States. Visitors learn about topics in firearms manufacturing, including factory workers, business competition, and innovations in production. Within the exhibits, visitors are able to trace the evolution of modern firearms technology from its earliest days through today's variations. 8️⃣Fort Laramie National Historic Site preserves and interprets one of America's most important locations in the history of westward expansion and Indian resistance. The fort was originally established in 1834 as a fur trading post, with beaver and bison acting as the main merchandise. In 1841 emigrants journeying west along the Oregon, Mormon and California trails began stopping at the fort, causing Fort Laramie to begin catering to the needs of travelers. The fort was purchased by the U.S. Army eight years later to establish a military post along the westward migrating trails. It was at this time that the fort was given its current name (it was known as Fort William and Fort John) and began growing to support the soldiers stationed to barricade the area. Fort Laramie was abondoned in 1890 and became preserved as part of the National Park System in 1938. Today, visitors of this important part of American history can take staff-guided or self-guided tours around the fort. Fort Laramie National Historic Site is located along Wyoming Highway 160 between Guernsey and Torrington. The park and historic buildings district is open from sunrise to sunset, year-round. The visitor center is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Labor Day to Memorial Day and is open 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. during the summer months with free admission. During the summer months staff members and volunteers can be seen within the fort wearing 19th century attire. 9️⃣The Texas Trail Museum is housed in a building which was formerly the Power Plant/Fire House for the town of Pine Bluffs in 1986. The museum's mission is to preserve and restore the heritage of the Frontier crossroads area (Eastern Laramie County, Wyoming) for future generations, through displays and education. The museum is a 4-1/2 acre complex, which includes: 🎗Main Exhibition Hall - includes Old West artifacts. 🎗Agriculture and Transportation Building. 🎗Saint Mary's Catholic Church. 🎗Muddy Creek School, the first one-room school house in southeastern Laramie County. 🎗Bowser Homestead Cottage, an example of how early homesteaders lived. 🎗Railroad displays, including a Union Pacific Railroad caboose, a switchman's shack and a telegraph shed. 🎗Brodine-Walker Boarding House, which had been run by local families who rented rooms to railroad crewmen between assignments and travelers. The museum complex displays artifacts of the 19th and 20th century, including a 1938 fire engine, twin diesel engines that provided electricity for Pine Bluffs from 1937–1960, a teepee of the type used by American Indians who inhabited the area around Pine Bluffs a century ago. Many teepee rings have been discovered in the Bluffs south of town. 🔟Old Trail Town is a collection of historic western buildings and artifacts, dating from 1879–1901, located off the Yellowstone Highway in the resort city of Cody, Wyoming. Much of the collection was derived from within 150 miles of Cody, the town that Buffalo Bill and his associates surveyed and established in 1895. One of the assembled buildings is the log cabin of the Crow Indian named Curly, a scout to General George Armstrong Custer, who escaped prior to hostilities at the Little Big Horn in Montana on June 25, 1876. In 1885, the United States government constructed Curly’s cabin as a reward for his military service. Kid Curry (Harvey Logan) and the Sundance Kid used a cabin at Old Trail Town as a hide-out before they robbed a bank in Red Lodge, Montana. Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid, and other desperados met at another cabin brought in from the Hole-in-the-Wall country in north central Wyoming. It was built in 1883. Trail Town began in 1967 through the efforts of Bob W. Edgar, (January 1, 1939 - April 20, 2012), an archeologist and a native of the Big Horn Basin region of Wyoming. Edgar explored the area and worked for seven years for the large Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody. He realized the need to gather the historic buildings and relics and display them at a common site, the actual location where Buffalo Bill Cody and his associates had surveyed the first town site, "Cody City". Trail Town has more than twenty-five buildings, a hundred horse-drawn vehicles, and an extensive collection of memorabilia of the Wyoming frontier. The largest collection of its kind in Wyoming. Visitors can stroll between buildings along the boardwalk and access the cemetery, where some local and national folk heroes are interred. Old Trail Town is open from May 15 until September 30. There is an admission fee. The Museum of the Old West is a separate entity within Old Trail Town established in 1971 as a 501(C)(3) Not for Profit Corporation. 1️⃣1️⃣Devils Tower (also known as Bear Lodge Butte) is a butte, possibly laccolithic, composed of igneous rock in the Bear Lodge Ranger District of the Black Hills, near Hulett and Sundance, Wyoming, above the Belle Fourche River. It rises 1,267 feet (386 m) above the Belle Fourche River, standing 867 feet (265 m) from summit to base. The summit is 5,112 feet (1,559 m) above sea level. Devils Tower was the first United States National Monument, established on September 24, 1906, by President Theodore Roosevelt. The monument's boundary encloses an area of 1,347 acres (545 ha). The name Devil's Tower originated in 1875 during an expedition led by Colonel Richard Irving Dodge, when his interpreter reportedly misinterpreted a native name to mean "Bad God's Tower". Native American names for the monolith include: "Bear's House" or "Bear's Lodge" (or "Bear's Tipi", "Home of the Bear", "Bear's Lair". The landscape surrounding Devils Tower is composed mostly of sedimentary rocks. The oldest rocks visible in Devils Tower National Monument were laid down in a shallow sea 225 to 195 million years ago. The dark red sandstone and maroon siltstone, interbedded with shale, can be seen along the Belle Fourche River. Oxidation of iron minerals causes the redness of the rocks. This rock layer is known as the Spearfish Formation. Above the Spearfish Formation is a thin band of white gypsum, called the Gypsum Springs Formation. This layer of gypsum was deposited 195 to 136 million years ago. Created as sea levels and climates repeatedly changed, gray-green shales (deposited in low-oxygen environments such as marshes) were interbedded with fine-grained sandstones, limestones, and sometimes thin beds of red mudstone. This composition, called the Stockade Beaver member, is part of the Sundance Formation. The Hulett Sandstone member, also part of the Sundance Formation, is composed of yellow fine-grained sandstone. Resistant to weathering, it forms the nearly vertical cliffs that encircle the Tower. There are many Native American legends about Devils Tower here is one of them. According to the Native American tribes of the Kiowa and Lakota, a group of girls went out to play and were spotted by several giant bears, who began to chase them. In an effort to escape the bears, the girls climbed atop a rock, fell to their knees, and prayed to the Great Spirit to save them. Hearing their prayers, the Great Spirit made the rock rise from the ground towards the heavens so that the bears could not reach the girls. The bears, in an effort to climb the rock, left deep claw marks in the sides, which had become too steep to climb. Those are the marks which appear today on the sides of Devils Tower. When the girls reached the sky, they were turned into the stars of the Pleiades. The first documented visitors were several members of Captain William F. Raynolds' 1859 expedition to Yellowstone. Recognizing its unique characteristics, the United States Congress designated the area a U.S. forest reserve in 1892 and in 1906 Devils Tower became the nation's first National Monument. The first known ascent of Devils Tower by any method occurred on July 4, 1893, and is accredited to William Rogers and Willard Ripley, local ranchers in the area. They completed the first ascent after constructing a ladder of wooden pegs driven into cracks in the rock face. A few of these wooden pegs are still intact and are visible on the tower when hiking along the 1.3-mile (2.1 km) Tower Trail at Devils Tower National Monument. The first ascent using modern climbing techniques was made by Fritz Wiessner with William P. House and Lawrence Coveney in 1937. Today, hundreds of climbers scale the sheer rock walls of Devils Tower each. The most common route is the Durrance Route, which was the second free route established in 1938. There are many established and documented climbing routes covering every side of the tower, ascending the various vertical cracks and columns of the rock. The difficulty of these routes range from relatively easy to some of the most challenging in the world. All climbers are required to register with a park ranger before and after attempting a climb. No overnight camping at the summit is allowed. The Tower is sacred to several Plains tribes, including the Lakota, Cheyenne and Kiowa. Because of this, many Indian leaders objected to climbers ascending the monument, considering this to be a desecration. The climbers argued that they had a right to climb the Tower, since it is on federal land. A compromise was eventually reached with a voluntary climbing ban during the month of June when the tribes are conducting ceremonies around the monument. Climbers are asked, but not required, to stay off the Tower in June. Trails at Devils Tower National Monument. 🍃Tower Trail: The most popular hike in the park is the paved, 1.3-mile Tower Trail. It starts across the parking area from the Visitor Center. A short, steep section leads you to a junction that you can take either way to walk around the base of the Tower. The trail goes through ponderosa pine forest and the boulder field. Interpretative signs explain some of the geology and ecology of Devils Tower National Monument. You will find benches along the path to enjoy views of the Tower. As you walk the Tower Trail, you will notice cloths or small bundles attached to the trees. These are Native American prayer cloths, and represent the spiritual connection many tribes have with the Tower. Please do not touch, disturb or remove these prayer cloths. Some consider it culturally insensitive to photograph these prayer cloths. 🍃Red Beds Trail is a 2.8-mile loop that offers views of the Tower and surrounding Belle Fourche River valley. You can access this trail from the Visitor Center parking area, or connect to it from one of the other park trails. Parts of this trail are steep, as it climbs up and down between the river valley and Visitor Center. 🍃Joyner Ridge Trail runs along the north boundary of the park and is a 1.5-mile loop trail that follows Joyner Ridge and dips down into the draw below the ridge. One of the more scenic but less utilized trails in the park, Joyner Ridge Trail provides beautiful views of the Tower, especially around sunset. Access the trailhead by taking the dirt road from the main park road as you head to or leave the Visitor Center. A 0.6-mile connector trail links Joyner Ridge with Red Beds. The east end of this trail has a significant elevation change, dropping from or climbing to the ridge depending on your direction. 🍃South Side / Valley View Trails: Both of these trails start from the amphitheater and proceed through the prairie dog town 0.6 miles to link into the Red Beds Trail. A nice 1.5-mile circuit can be made from the amphitheater by using a section of Red Beds. 1️⃣2️⃣Grand Teton National Park: Rising above a scene rich with extraordinary wildlife, pristine lakes, and alpine terrain, the Teton Range stands monument to the people who fought to protect it. These are mountains of the imagination. Mountains that led to the creation of Grand Teton National Park where you can explore over two hundred miles of trails, float the Snake River or enjoy the serenity of this remarkable place. Few landscapes in the world are as striking and memorable as that of Grand Teton National Park. Grand Teton has a lot to offer whatever your interests. Mountains, valleys, lakes, rivers and skies are home to diverse and abundant forests, wildflowers and wildlife. The park also has a rich cultural history with old homesteads and cattle ranches to explore and photograph. Walk on a trail built by the Civilian Conservation Corps or one that American Indians or fur trappers might have used in the 1820s. Ride a bike or paddle a canoe. There is something for everyone. There are many outdoor recreation activities to choose from at Grand Teton National Park. During the summer you can hike, walk, view wildlife, take photographs, backpack, camp, climb, fish, swim, boat, float, canoe and bike. In winter skiing and snowshoeing are popular activities. Some activities (such as overnight backpacking, boating, floating, canoeing, fishing and snowmobiling) require fees, permits, licenses or registration. 🍃Backcountry Camping: A trip into the backcountry requires advanced planning and a permit. 🍃Biking is a popular activity in the park. The first phase of the multi-use pathway opened to the public in 2009. The pathway currently extends from the town of Jackson, north to Antelope Flats Road. At Moose Junction the pathway follows the Teton Park Road to the South Jenny Lake area. The section of pathway through Grand Teton National Park opens seasonally after snow has melted from the pathway surface and park maintenance workers have swept it. The section of the pathway along the National Elk Refuge from Jackson to Gros Ventre Junction is closed from November 1 to April 30 due to elk migration. There is an extensive pathway system through the town of Jackson extending into Teton County. Please visit the Teton County website for maps of the pathway system. 🍃Bird Watching: The park is a great place to view a wide variety of bird species. 🍃Boating and Floating: There are many opportunities for enjoying water in Grand Teton National Park. The Snake River flows through the park and features world-class fishing, unparalleled wildlife viewing and mild rapids depending on time of year. Many of the more accessible lakes are open for a variety of activities. Motorboats are permitted on Jenny (10 horsepower maximum) and Jackson lakes. Human-powered vessels are permitted on Jackson, Jenny, Phelps, Emma Matilda, Two Ocean, Taggart, Bradley, Bearpaw, Leigh and String lakes. Sailboats, water skiing and windsurfers are allowed only on Jackson Lake. Personal watercraft (PWC) are prohibited on all waters within the park. Stand-up paddle boards (SUPs) require a park permit. Permits may be purchased at the visitor centers in Moose, Jenny Lake (cash only) or Colter Bay. Pets are not allowed on the Snake River or any other body of water in the park. Wyoming state law requires a boat inspection prior to launch for boats that enter the state. Boat inspection information. Boaters must also purchase an Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) decal from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. 🍃Climbing & Mountaineering: A climbing permit is not required for mountaineering, but climbers on overnight trips must have a backcountry camping permit to camp or bivouac. All Garnet Canyon permits and any trip involving technical climbing and mountaineering must be picked up at the Jenny Lake Ranger Station from June through September. 🍃Fishing: The Snake River is home to the fine-spotted cutthroat trout. The nearby lakes also offer a variety of fishing opportunities. 🍃Horseback Riding: Whether you go on a trail ride or bring your own horse to the park, many of the park's trails allow horseback riding. 🍃Hiking in Grand Teton National Park can be a challenging experience due to the rugged nature of the landscape, including high elevation, steep trails and extreme and sudden weather changes. There are over 230 miles of trails within the park. Trails within Grand Teton National Park: Granite Canyon Trailhead, Death Canyon Trailhead, Taggart Lake Trailhead, Lupine Meadows Trailhead, Jenny Lake Trailhead, String Lake Trailhead, Leigh Lake Trailhead, Hermitage Point Trailhead, Two Ocean Lake Trailhead. 🍃Scenic Drives: Many turnouts along park roads offer exhibits on park geology, wildlife and plants. Turnouts also provide safe places to enjoy scenic views, view wildlife and take photographs. Do not stop in the middle of the road to view wildlife. The Teton Park Road follows the base of the Teton Range from Moose to Jackson Lake Junction. The Jenny Lake Scenic Drive skirts the east shore of Jenny Lake and provides views of the peaks. Access the scenic drive from North Jenny Lake Junction. Drive west toward the mountains, and turn left (south) onto the one-way scenic drive. The scenic road returns to the Teton Park Road just north of South Jenny Lake. The Signal Mountain Summit Road climbs 800 feet (242 meters) to panoramic views of the Teton Range, Jackson Hole valley and Jackson Lake. Two overlooks provide valley views. 🍃Wildlife Viewing: Always keep a safe distance when viewing wildlife. Whether you are in your vehicle or on foot, you must maintain a distance of at least 100 yards from bears and wolves, and 25 yards from all other wildlife. 🍂Oxbow Bend; One mile east of Jackson Lake Junction. Slow-moving water provides habitat for fish such as suckers and trout that become food for river otters, ospreys, bald eagles, American white pelicans and common mergansers. Look for swimming beavers and muskrats. Moose browse on abundant willows at the water's edge. Elk occasionally graze in open aspen groves to the east. 🍂Timbered Island; A forested ridge southeast of Jenny Lake. Small bands of pronghorn antelope, the fastest land animal in North America, forage on nearby sagebrush throughout the day. Elk leave the shade of Timbered Island at dawn and dusk to eat the grasses growing among the surrounding sagebrush. 🍂Mormon Row; East of US Highway 26/89/191, one mile north of Moose Junction. Along Mormon Row and Antelope Flats Road, bison and pronghorn can be seen grazing in spring, summer and fall. Also watch for coyotes, Northern harriers, and American kestrels hunting mice, Uinta ground squirrels, and grasshoppers. Sage grouse, sage thrashers and sparrows also frequent the area. 🍂Snake River; Jackson Lake Dam south to Moose. Elk and bison graze in grassy meadows along the river. Bison also eat grasses in the sagebrush flats on the benches above the river. Bald eagles, ospreys and great blue herons build large stick nests within sight of the river. Beavers and moose eat willows that line the waterway. 🍂Cascade Canyon; West of Jenny Lake. Look for, but DO NOT FEED, golden-mantled ground squirrels at Inspiration Point. Pikas and yellow-bellied marmots live in scattered boulder fields. Mule deer and moose browse on shrubs growing at the mouth of the canyon. Listen for the numerous songbirds that nest in the canyon. Habituated animals such as ground squirrels often beg for food. Feeding human food to animals increases dependency on unnatural food sources. Do not let animals bite you; they may carry diseases such as rabies. 🍂Blacktail Pond; Half-mile north of Moose on US Highway 26/89/191. Old beaver ponds have filled with sediment and now support grassy meadows where elk graze during the cooler parts of the day. Several kinds of ducks feed in the side channels of the Snake River. Moose browse on willows growing along the river. 1️⃣3️⃣Yellowstone National Park became the first national park for all to enjoy the unique hydrothermal wonders on March 1, 1872. Yellowstone ranks among the most popular national parks in the United States. The National Park Service maintains 9 visitor centers and museums and is responsible for maintenance of historical structures and many of the other 2,000 buildings. These structures include National Historical Landmarks such as the Old Faithful Inn built from 1903 to 1904 and the entire Fort Yellowstone – Mammoth Hot Springs Historic District. An historical and educational tour is available at Fort Yellowstone which details the history of the National Park Service and the development of the park. Campfire programs, guided walks and other interpretive presentations are available at numerous locations in the summer, and on a limited basis during other seasons. In Yellowstone whether you like a challenge of a strenuous hike or prefer to sit quietly and watch the sunset, the park offers a great diversity of activities. 🍃Camping: Yellowstone offers 12 campgrounds with over 2,000 sites. Yellowstone National Park Lodges takes reservations for five of these campgrounds: the rest are first-come, first-served. Yellowstone also offers a network of backcountry campsites for people who prefer to explore and camp along less traveled routes. 🍃Photography: When photographing wildlife, keep your distance (100 yards (91 meters) bears and wolves, 25 yards (23 meters) from everything else) and be sure not to block traffic when you park. Never approach or pursue animals to take their picture. Wild animals can become aggressive without warning, carry infectious diseases, and may be killed if they attack someone. Zoom lenses with focal lengths up to 300 or 400mm offer a great combination of portability and reach. Stay on boardwalks and trails in thermal areas. Don’t risk your life for a photograph by underestimating the danger in these areas. Tripod legs must remain on boardwalks, and make sure you leave enough room for others to pass safely. Park in roadside pullouts. Don't block traffic to take pictures. Keep roads clear and stay with your vehicle if you encounter heavy traffic. Don’t drive or park on roadside vegetation. Carry bear spray. All of Yellowstone is bear habitat: from the deepest backcountry to the boardwalks around Old Faithful. Leave the drone at home. The launching, landing, or operation of unmanned aircraft is prohibited in Yellowstone. Popular Shots: Pack your patience if you intend to photograph any of these views during the busy summer months. Grand Prismatic Spring, Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River, Old Faithful, Animals (Lamar Valley), Geysers (Upper Geyser Basin), Lakes & Rivers, Night Skies & Hot Springs, Sunrises (Yellowstone Lake), Sunsets (Lower Geyser Basin) and Wildflowers (Dunraven Pass). 🍃Bicycling: Yellowstone permits bicycling on established public roads, parking areas, and designated routes. It is subject to the same traffic rules as automobiles. Bikes are prohibited on backcountry trails and boardwalks. Yellowstone strongly recommend wearing safety gear, including helmet and high visibility clothing. Several gravel roads are open to both bicycle and automotive traffic. The Old Gardiner Road allows two-way bike traffic and one-way auto traffic. This road is best suited for mountain bikes. 🍂The Abandoned Railroad Bed Bike Trail located near the north entrance of Yellowstone makes a beautiful bike trail. 🍂The Bunsen Peak Loop is a ten mi (16 km) bike trail that circles Bunsen Peak. 🍂The Old Gardiner Road Bike Trail is a dirt and gravel road that begins just behind the Mammoth Hot Springs hotel and ends at the park’s north entrance. 🍂Riverside Bike Trail Is just inside the park’s West entrance, bicycles can travel a short distance (1.4 mi, 2.2 km) on the Riverside Trail to Barns road. This trail gives access to a section of the Madison River. This is a fairly level trail and mountain bikes are recommended on the dirt and gravel road. 🍂Fountain Freight Road Bike Trail is six miles north of Old Faithful, bikes are allowed on the Fountain Freight Road, an old dirt and gravel road now closed to autos. 🍂The trailhead for Lone Star Geyser Bike Trail is east of Kepler Cascades pull-out, 3.5 miles (5.6 km) southeast of Old Faithful overpass on Grand Loop Road. 🍂Old Faithful Lower General Store to Morning Glory Pool Bike Trail is a paved trail in front of Old Faithful Lodge runs all the way to Morning Glory Pool. This trail is a short, (2 mi. round-trip) fairly level, paved-path that takes you by geysers. 🍂Natural Bridge bike trail is 2.5 mi (4km) round-trip ride and begins just south of the Bridge Bay marina off the Grand Loop Road. 🍂Old Lake Road Bike Trail is an old roadbed near the lakeshore between Lake Hotel and where the roadbed joins the main road south of Lake Junction (1 mile) has a great views of the Yellowstone Lake. 🍂Mount Washburn Bike Trail is between Canyon Village and Tower Junction hardy cyclists can ride three miles to the top of Mount Washburn. Access is from the Chittenden Road parking area to the summit of Mount Washburn. 🍃Day hiking in Yellowstone National Park is one of America's premier wilderness areas. The park encompasses more than 2.2 million acres, has more than 900 miles (1,449 km) of hiking trails, and is primarily managed as wilderness. Day hiking does not require a permit. When planning a hike, remember that many of Yellowstone’s trails are more than 7,000 feet above sea level. Most areas retain snow until late May or early June, and some (especially mountain passes) are snow-covered until late July. Also, many routes require fording rivers that can be 25 feet wide, 3 to 6 feet deep, extremely cold, and swiftly running during their late spring runoff. Check their backcountry situation report for the most up-to-date information on park trails. Day Hiking Areas In Yellowstone: 🌳Lake & Fishing Bridge Area: There are 6 trails, here is but one of them. 🌲Natural Bridge Trail takes you through a forest and along an old service road to a natural bridge, which was cut out of a cliff of rhyolite rock by Bridge Creek. 🌳There are 8 day hikes in the Old Faithful Area. Hydrothermal features abound in the Upper Geyser Basin, and many trails in the area lead to some quieter views. Here is 1 of the 8 trails. 🌲Lone Star Geyser Trail is a partially paved trail that follows an old service road beside the Firehole River to the geyser. Lone Star Geyser erupts up to 45 feet (13.7 m) from a 12-foot (3.6 m) cone approximately every three hours. 🌳Mammoth Area has 9 hiking trails. 🌲Osprey Falls Trail is 1 of them. Follow Old Bunsen Peak Road through grassland and burned forest 3 miles (4.9 km) to Osprey Falls Trail. Descend 700 feet (213 m) into Sheepeater Canyon, one of the deepest canyons in Yellowstone National Park. Osprey Falls, on the Gardner River, plunges 150 feet (46 m) over the edge of a lava flow. Return by the same route. 🌳Madison Area has 2 hiking trails. 🌲One of the trails is the Purple Mountain Trail. You will climb 1,500 feet (0.47 km) in 3 miles (4.8 km) to a view of the Gibbon and Madison rivers. This strenuous trail is not recommended for persons with heart and/or respiratory problems. Trailheads: Look for the trailhead at a turnout about 1/4-mile (0.4 km) north of Madison Junction. 🌳Grant & West Thumb Area has 6 trails. The lakes in Grant & West Thumb Area provide excellent habitat for wildlife. 🌲One of the 6 trails in the area is the West Thumb Geyser Basin Trail. Walk through a geyser basin of colorful hot springs and dormant lakeshore geysers situated on the shores of Yellowstone Lake. 🌳Tower & Northeast Area has 7 trails. The Tower area was a crossroads for Native Americans, trappers, and explorers and a campsite for presidents. 🌲The trail follows a dirt stagecoach road about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to a shelter where Yellowstone National Park Lodges operates the Roosevelt Old West Dinner Cookout. From there, the trail continues north along Elk Creek until nearly reaching the Yellowstone River. Here the trail divides: the west fork joins the Hellroaring Trail, the east fork traverses around Garnet Hill and back to Tower. The east fork offers views of the Yellowstone River and a variety of other terrain. Bears, elk, bison, badgers, mule deer, and wolves frequent this area. The loop rejoins the stagecoach road leaving about 1/4-mile (400 m) walk back to the parking area. 🌳Canyon Area offers 9 trails. 🌲One of the trails is theSeven Mile Hole Trail. For the first 1-½ miles, you will walk near the canyon rim and have views of Silver Cord Cascade across the canyon. In another ½-mile, you will join the Washburn Spur Trail; after an additional 3/4-mile turn right onto the trail to Seven Mile Hole, which drops more than 1,000 feet in 2.3 miles. 🍁There are other things to do like Backcountry Camping, Boating, Fishing, Horseback Riding, Wildlife Viewing, Snowmobiling, Snowshoeing, Skiing, and Snowcoach Tours. And there is so much more to do in Yellowstone National Park. I had no idea there was so much to do. 1️⃣4️⃣Yellowstone Falls consist of two major waterfalls on the Yellowstone River, within Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. These falls are 308 feet (94 m) high, or nearly twice as high as Niagara Falls. The upper falls are 109 feet (33 m) high. As the Yellowstone river flows north from Yellowstone Lake, it leaves the Hayden Valley and plunges first over Upper Yellowstone Falls and then a quarter mile (400 m) downstream over Lower Yellowstone Falls, at which point it then enters the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, which is up to 1,000 feet (304 m) deep. 1️⃣5️⃣Undine Falls is approximately 60 feet in height, descending in three plunges. Originally called “East Gardner Falls,” “Cascade Falls of the East Gardiner,” or “Gardiner River Falls,” Undine received its present name in 1885 from geologist Arnold Hague. Undine (Webster says it is pronounced UN deen) was named for wise, usually female water spirits from German mythology who lived around waterfalls and who could gain souls by marrying mortal men. Undine Falls was featured on the cover of the July 1977 edition of National Geographic magazine. 1️⃣6️⃣Kepler Cascades waterfall is on the Firehole River in southwestern Yellowstone National Park in the United States. The cascades are located approximately 2.6 miles south of Old Faithful. The cascades drop approximately 150 feet over multiple drops. The longest drop is 50 feet. The cascades are located very near to and visible from the Old Faithful to West Thumb road. 1️⃣7️⃣Rustic Falls is located in the northwest area of Yellowstone, about 4.7 miles south of Mammoth Hot Springs on the main loop road. The falls lies at the head of Golden Gate Canyon, where Golden Gate Bridge has been rebuilt three times since the original wooden one was erected in 1885. Glen Creek flows from Swan Lake Flats to fall over a ledge of Huckleberry Ridge Tuff to form Rustic Falls. Glen Creek passes through a narrow opening at the head of Golden Gate Canyon to fan out over the welded ash tuff. Rustic Falls is a 47 feet (14 meters) tall waterfall. 1️⃣8️⃣Gibbon Falls is a waterfall on the Gibbon River in northwestern Yellowstone National Park in the United States. Gibbon Falls has a drop of approximately 84 feet (26 m). The falls are located roadside, 4.7 miles (7.6 km) upstream from the confluence of the Gibbon and Firehole Rivers at Madison Junction on the Grand Loop Road. 1️⃣9️⃣Moose Falls is a 30 foot waterfall in Yellowstone National Park, just north of the south entrance. There is a small parking area alongside the road and it is just a short walk to the falls. Unlike some of the other roadside falls, you can get right to the top and to the base of this waterfall. 2️⃣0️⃣Hidden Falls are in Grand Teton National Park and are 150 feet in height. The waterfall is on the far side of the southern part of Jenny Lake. This is one of the most popular destinations in the park. There is a boat ride that will take you across the lake ($7 round trip), or you can hike 1.7 miles around the lake. From there it is another half mile to the falls. The trails continue beyond Hidden falls for miles. Cascade Canyon is very interesting, and a relatively easy hike. 2️⃣1️⃣Mystic Falls is 70 feet in height and are in Yellowstone National Park, near the Biscuit Basin a few miles north of Old Faithful. This is a very interesting waterfall. There are steaming vents on either side of it, and hot springs empty into the river just below the falls. Be careful where you step! Some of those streams are hot! It is a 1.5 mile walk to the falls. The first half a mile is through the Biscuit Basin, where you will see Sapphire Pool, among other thermal features. 2️⃣2️⃣Crystal Falls, height is 129 feet and are in Yellowstone National Park, between the Lower and Upper Falls of the Yellowstone River. The falls can be seen from the foot trail between the Lower and Upper falls. 2️⃣3️⃣Tower Falls is a waterfall with a height of 132 feet in Yellowstone National Park, a few miles south of the Tower Junction. There is a parking area (and a general store). An overlook is a mere 100 yards from the parking area. There is a trail to the base of the falls. 2️⃣4️⃣Shell Falls is located in the Shell Canyon, a few miles east of Shell Wyoming, 14 miles east of Greybull. There is a small roadside interpretive center along highway 14 from which you can view the 120 feet high falls. 2️⃣5️⃣Colonnade Falls ht. upper 35 feet (11 m), ht. lower 67 feet (20 m) is a set of two waterfalls on the Bechler River in Yellowstone National Park. Colonnade Falls is accessible via the Bechler River Trail. The falls were named in 1885 by members of the Arnold Hague Geological Survey probably because the falls resemble a row of columns at regular intervals. 2️⃣6️⃣Dunanda Falls 150 feet (46 m), Boundary Creek in Yellowstone Park. 2️⃣7️⃣Fairy Falls 197 feet (60 m), on Fairy Creek in Yellowstone National Park. 2️⃣8️⃣Terraced Falls ht. 130 feet (40 m) is a waterfall on Fall River in Yellowstone National Park. The highest waterfall on Fall River, Terraced Falls was probably named by the Hague Geological Survey in 1885-1886. An attempt was made to rename it "Totem Falls" in the 1920s, but the USBGN kept the original name. Terraced Falls is easily accessed via a short trail from the Ashton-Flagg Ranch Road along Yellowstone National Park's south border. You’ll have to put in a little extra work to get to these falls, but you’ll be rewarded with a stunning view of clear water pouring over the 130-foor tiered waterfall. Terraced Falls is located on the Fall River in the southwest portion of Yellowstone National Park. You can reach this area by driving down a jostling 14-mile trail. We suggest taking a four-wheel-drive vehicle if you are going to brave this journey. 2️⃣9️⃣Union Falls ht. 250 feet (76 m) is a waterfall on Mountain Ash Creek, a tributary of the Fall River in the Cascade Corner (southwest) of Yellowstone National Park. It is the second highest waterfall in Yellowstone exceeded in height only by the lower Yellowstone Falls. The falls got its name from members of the Arnold Hague Geological Surveys sometime between 1884-86. Geologist J.P. Iddings claims the name derives from the fact that a tributary of Mountain Ash Creek joins at the very brink of the falls, thus Union Falls. Access to the falls is via the Mountain Ash Creek trail and the Grassy Lake Road.

I already did a road trip through Wyoming and I took my trusty cooler with me. Thank you Aviation Maintenance Technician for keeping the planes safely flying. No brothers, but I had six brother-in-laws, unfortunately one passed away a year ago this month. I have never been on a scavenger hunt, but I think I would like to try one, they sound fun. Escargot? No! Forget it! Not happening! If I'm out in the sun I need a hat or my head sun burns not to mention my face. Wyoming! So much there that I would love to see. Is there a zoo in Wyoming? I could not find one. Grand Teton National Park and the Yellowstone National Park both look to need at least if not more a week to visit all that you would want to see and there's a lot.

I like the coining stories. Be surprised what one can do with just the lose change from a dollar. Enjoy your trip my twin.

Warm hugs!💕🐶🐶🌧⛈🌥