Wall, SD to Cody, WY

A lot of driving today, but some of the most scenic views so far, for sure.

We went through a beautiful canyon with tall pine trees, beautiful rising cliffs, flowing waters and houses. You have to wonder how the people out here get groceries and deal with the winters that have to be harsh. But the summer weather is just amazing. 68 degrees and sunny. Perfect weather to me. Who needs a beach?! We played some of the games from 52 Fun Things to do in the Car while we drove.

When we got to Wyoming, the landscape changed and we started seeing these strange tall fences that were slightly angled. After some research, it turns out they are snow fences and are 100x more cost effective than other ways of keeping the snow off of the dangerous winter roads.

We stopped for lunch in a state park, since we didn’t see the rest stops we were supposed to see according to the signs. They must have been off of the highway. We ate lunch at Keyhole State Park. It was beautiful and had a reservoir. We found a quiet place to eat at a picnic table and enjoyed our family picnic.

The next part of our day was a gorgeous trip with winding vistas and some of the most beautiful things since Snowdonia.

We got to our teepee around sunset and encountered quite a steep hill to get down to our teepee just to unload our Highlander.

We unloaded our bags and made the decision to go out for dinner. It was super windy when we left, so it sounded like it was going to be a long night.

We went to Granny’s for dinner. It was our first hot meal since our first night and it was enjoyable. All the food was good and the service was excellent.

After dinner, the wind had died down some, but the temperature was in the 40’s, so it was quite chilly. We turned on the propane heater, got ready for bed, and the kids were asleep before Jill got back from her shower.

The showers were glorious and warm. I remember standing there thinking how amazing it felt to be warm and then remembered I needed to bathe. I took a moment on the way back to check out the stars. It was crystal clear and the sound of snake river flowing around the campsite.

After some chatting with the kids snoring in the background all snuggled up in our sleeping bags, I fell fast asleep.