Yellowstone National Park

most interesting Day. Sorry no pictures.


I was sitting down on a park bench this afternoon, waiting for Diane, when someone shouted to me,"Sir, there is a bear heading your way."


I stood up and sure enough a fully grown black bear walked by me about 10 feet away. I got my camera ready but by the time it was running I just got the back end of it. By now lots of people came running to me telling me ho lucky I was not getting eaten.


a few minutes later someone else was shouting, "Bear,"

when we saw a grizzly bear following the black bear. well this time I was ready and caught it on camera, just as a ranger ordered everyone back into their vehicles, well, our bus was about 500 metres down the road so we returned to the bus and hoped for the best.


nothing can now beat this experience.

Yellowstone National Park

We leave Cody and drive through the Shoshone National Forest to Yellowstone National Park, following the Grand Loop Road to Artist Point with views of Yellowstone Canyon and the Lower Falls, nearly twice the height of Niagara. Next, we visit the geyser basins with bubbling mud paint pots and finally the reliable "blow" of Old Faithful, Yellowstone's great geyser.

We stay two nights in West Yellowstone, the western gateway to the park. Located in Wyoming, Montana nd Idaho, it is home to a large variety of wildlife including grizzly bears, wolves, bisons and elk and we hope we'll see some of those (from a distance).

Old faithful

Yellowstone National Park

We stay two nights in West Yellowstone, the western gateway to the park. Located in Wyoming, Montana nd Idaho, it is home to a large variety of wildlife including grizzly bears, wolves, bisons and elk and we hope we'll see some of those.

Keystone - Cody

We head through the rich, mountainous country to Buffalo, where open-range cattle kings made war on the sheep ranchers of the 1880s. We drive past Sheridan, the scene of many fierce battles between the U.S. Cavalry and the Sioux, Cheyenne and Crowe Indians.

Then we climb over the Bighorn Mountains en route to the overnight stay in Buffalo Bill's frontier town of Cody.

Town of Cody

Badlands National Park - Keystone

First a drive through Fort Pierre National Grassland to see the prairie as it once was when only buffalo and the Sioux Indians occupied the land. Next we go to Badlands National Park, where 37 million years of wind and water have carved out a remarkable colourful sight. Then we head deep into the Black Hills and behold the granite faces of Mount Rushmore, a giant monument to four American presidents - Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt.

Mount Rushmore Monument

Sioux Indian Nation

Today we travel into the rich farmlands of South Dakota, homeland of the Sioux Indian nation. We'll stop in Mitchell to see the Corn Palace, a remarkable moorish-style building where the interior and exterior are covered with designs of corn outlined with grasses and grain. Then we take a scenic drive through the Crow Creek Indian Reservation and along the mighty Missouri River to Pierre, the state capital for our overnight stay.

Mitchell Corn Palace

Minneapolis

We begin the day with a city sightseeing tour of the bustling downtown area as well as the many beautiful parks and gardens and residential neighbourhoods.

Then we head out to the fabulous 'Mall of America', the largest shopping centre in the USA, featuring more than 400 speciality stores as well as several large retailers.

Tonight we go aboard a paddle wheeler on the Mississsipi River for a dinner cruise.

Mississipi Paddle Wheeler

Wisconsin Dells - Minneapolis

Today, we enter Wisconsin Dells, a popular spot for photographers. We'll take a boat trip in a unique amphibious vessel, then we're off to Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes. Then we'll drive through St. Paul, Minneapolis' twin city, before reaching our overnight hotel in Minneapolis.

Downtown Minneapolis