June 10: All the National Forests, and Yellowstone

Oh, where to begin?

To be honest, I was kind of dreading the day. We had driving on the agenda. Lots and lots of driving. Gillette all the way to Yellowstone, nothing but highway for hours and hours and hours. Or so I expected.

As it happened, we ended up driving through the breathtaking Bighorn National Forest (and later on, the Shoshone national forest). Again, I found myself speechless in the face of God's majesty, displayed by His creation. 

The mountains. Driving through the mountains, I was completely awed by how the sight made me feel. Standing atop the "scenic viewpoiont" where we pulled in to have lunch, I felt simultaniously as small and inconsequential as an ant, but also as if I were the conquorer of all that stretched out below me.

It amazes me to think that God chose to give little tiny man dominion over all the rest of creation. He created humankind in His image and set us up to be co-rulers over all He had made. It's an honor and a priviledge we take for granted.

I've never been one for the whole "go-green, tree hugger" movement. But God has called us to take care of what He's given us, and we shouldn't take that responsibility lightly.

By the time we got to Yellowstone it was almost 7 pm local time.  It took almost an hour to drive from the east entrance to the visitor's center near the middle of the park. 

An hour during which time, we had zero cell service. (Thank you Olga, for not breaking down)

Since it was getting rather late, we decided to figure out our sleeping arrangements for the night before we did any other exploring.

After some investigation, we discovered that all the campgrounds and lodges were either full, or way too expensive (think,  $400 and up per night. Yikes.), and sleeping in your car is illegal. 

Of course. Because that was our plan. 

So with light and energy quickly fading, we checked the map and decided to head for Old Faithful. We only really had the time and energy to see one thing,  and really,  why else do people go to Yellowstone other than to see Old Faithful?

I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting, but Old Faithful was... not it. It's a steamy hole in the ground that a shoots out more steam every 15 to 20 minutes or so. Huh.

But the sunset. Man, that sunset. Allowed for some pretty awesome pictures if I do say so myself.

We packed up shortly after and hit the road again. Breanna drove us out of the park, and I feel asleep somewhere between the west entrance and the Idaho boarder. 

We stopped around midnight at a little gas station to sleep. 

And that was day four.