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Borrego Springs, CA

Friday, September 19, 2014

Theodore Roosevelt Nat’l Park–South Unit

Yesterday before I got that stunning call from Arizona, Kurt and I toured the South Unit.  We started off at the Visitors Center in Medora to watch the movie and visit the museum.  I also wanted to pick up the road tour backpack that Sherry had recommended.  Of course, we were miles down on the tour road before I realized that I had forgotten to get the backpack.

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Construction on the fourteen mile road is still underway, and we had to wait a while before we could proceed.  At least there was a huge prairie dog town that we could watch while we waited.  They are just so funny to watch.

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It turned out we did the auto tour in reverse of what is normal.  Kurt was driving, and I was navigator so that wasn’t really a surprise. 

What'chu lookin' at Willis?

                                                                 “Whatcha lookin’ at Willis?”

We saw what seemed like three times as many bison in the South Unit as we did in the North Unit the day before.  Kurt certainly got his fill of seeing these huge animals.  I’m thinking that by the time we finish with Yellowstone, he’ll be thinking bison are ordinary.

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I was able to take one short hike out to an overlook.  For some reason, I just wasn’t as enthralled with this unit as I was with the North Unit.

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The scenery was very nice, but just didn’t grab me the same way.  So, I’ll just include a few more shots from our drive. 

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Doing the tour in reverse did have some benefits though, as most everyone else went the other way and we saw wild turkeys and this snake that the other folks probably didn’t.

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Today was my PDD drive to Columbus, Montana.  Oh my goodness, 325 miles about did me in.  Of course the increasing side winds in the afternoon didn’t help.  I had looked up places to stay in Billings yesterday, but I felt the prices were too much and the reviews were not good.  That’s how we ended up in Columbus._MG_0882We are staying at Mountain Range RV Park for two nights.  It was definitely worth the extra miles.  The rate is reasonable for the north, and Kurt rates the bathrooms at a 10!  Best he’s ever seen.  Compared to Bismarck, this place is marvelous.  It’s on a hillside so leveling is a bit of a challenge.  I feel like I need a parachute to exit the rig, but the customer service is exceptional.  Not easy to find these days.

The reason we are staying two nights is that I want to show Kurt the Beartooth Highway tomorrow.  It is one of the most scenic drives in America.  We will also do the Chief Joseph scenic highway.  Time to get a Rocky Mountain high!

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                                                                              THE END!!

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

21 comments:

  1. Keep an eye out for the wild horses.... they were one of my favorite critters to watch when we were there a few years ago. Your photos are outstanding!

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  2. awww. ..sorry you didn't enjoy the South Unit as much. . .we loved it so much we drove it twice. . .but wow. . .you got to see the buffalo up close and personal. ..cool!

    You might get to see Bear on the Beartooth Highway. . .seems this would be a good time of year to drive it. . .we loved it. . .enjoy!

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  3. As always wonderful photo's. We enjoyed both the North and South units of this wonderful park. We did see a lot more buffalo in the south unit. We had a wet snow when we were in the north unit. Travel safe

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  4. Enjoy the Beartooth Highway!! It is my favorite drive so far.

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  5. Wow, lucky Kurt, to be taken on Beartooth and Chief Joseph highways -- outstanding! We love the State of Montana and it's fantastic Big Sky scenery. I bet Kurt will, too. Have a GREAT time!

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  6. You are hereby awarded the PDD Bronze Medal. Well done, even it if some of the driving was done in the wrong direction! ;c)

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  7. 325 miles is a lot, but at least you had someone to talk to. Glad you're enjoying your journey.

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  8. You are having a great trip! So fun to sort of go along with you guys!

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  9. I agree - the parks in Billings are way over priced and there's nothing there anyhow. I love the Beartooth Highway. It is such an incredible drive. Enjoy yourselves.

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  10. Bummer that you forgot the guide. Its information is pretty interesting. We really liked both units but then we stayed in each one for several days so we really got to look around. Glad you found a better campground. IME, the campgrounds near cities are always overpriced and under cared for. Looking forward to your drives in places I've never been. Safe travels!

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  11. Hey, welcome to Montana, Columbus is only about a hour from us--send me an email if you are interested in meeting up with us for lunch or something! We've been out of internet range for almost a week.

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  12. Oh, and I forgot, you made a GREAT decision to skip Billings and head to Columbus.

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  13. Glad you are settled in and I can hardly wait for the scenic drives...places we have never been!

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  14. The scenery looks incredible. We really can't wait to see this park one day. After seeing pictures and hearing both from both you and Sherry on this park, I know that we would love it.

    Enjoy your time a Riding Mountain, again is sounds like a fantastic place.

    www.travelwithkevinandruth.com

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  15. Oh, I'm envious of your wonderful time in Yellowstone. I tried, but failed, to get there last year because of toad problems and this year due to knee surgery; but, I'll make it one of these days and just can't wait. Thanks for sharing your beautiful photos and travelog!

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  16. That is a great snake picture. I think it is a young yellow-bellied blue racer. They look completely different as adults. Very cool!

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  17. I have spent hours watching the prairie dogs, mostly at Custer State Park. They are sure funny:)

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  18. I like the stripy type mountains in your photos, it reminds me somewhat of the really beautiful scenery here in New Mexico. The Beartooth highway is truly lovely. Hope you like it!

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