Summary:

We left (after sleeping in the SUV) Missoula, Montana EARLY to head to Bozeman. Why Bozeman? So Dad could pick up his new temporary AM EX card at the Montana Travel Company (an American Express Travel agency.) We stopped off at a Denny's right around when fall arrived (2:47AM) so Dad could do the summary for Day 4.

We made it to Bozeman just after 8AM and "Sweet Sue" of Montana Travel made Dad his card and we were back in business. We left I-90 and headed south on I-191 to the West Yellowstone entrance. Check out some of the pictures of south-central Montana. It really is beautiful!!

We entered the park (Yellowstone) mid-morning (after paying our $20) and immediately were struck by all the devastation still left over from the BIG fire in the late 1980's. It's so sad to see such a national treasure ravaged by (what is believed to be a man-made) fire. Still, Yellowstone is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!.

When we arrived at the Old Faithful center we were told we'd JUST MISSED IT BY 5 MINUTES! Dad was bummed cause we were know BEHIND schedule. But, that's what we came for and we decided to hang around for an extra hour and a half. I'm glad we did cause we met some really cool people on their way to Henderson to see their son, of course!

Well... the wait was worth it. (Dad says Old Faithful doesn't blast as high as it did when he was here in '83, but it still is WAY COOL!) Just take a look at the "money shot!"

After a costly wrong-turn.... we finally left the eastern exit of Yellowstone at 3:50 PM. That cost us an addition 1 1/2 hours. Total time lost day 5: Close to 5 hours! We were still over 500 miles away from Rapid City and Mt. Rushmore and still in western Wyoming.

Dad made it as far as Cody, Wy and we were done. We ate and bedded down (for the second straight night in the SUV) in downtown Cody, a cool old-time western town. The place Dad ate was built in 1903!

Tomorrow: The WHOLE POINT of the trip: On to Mt. Rushmore!! Check out today's pictures and I'll talk to you later!

Fondly,

Jordan

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