Buffalo, WY to Livingston, MT 8 June 2013

In 1863, the John Bozeman party blazed a trail from the North Platte River northwest across the Powder River Basin.  This was in violation of the 1851 Treaty of Ft. Laramie.  The U. S. government built 3 forts.  All of this precipitated the Powder River Indian Wars, 1865-1868.  Under Red Cloud, the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho defeated the U. S. troops.  The 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty ceded the Powder River Country to the native nations. This marker is between Buffalo and Sheridan, WY.

 The country around Sheridan, WY is beautiful.

 According to Montana State University, Montana and Wyoming have mostly saline soils.  They grow a lot of sugar beets because they have relatively high salt tolerance.  Many of the pastures in the region are planted to wheatgrass for the same reason.

 Billings, MT.  It is so amazing how few vehicles there are in this part of the country, even around major business centers.  Penny drove through here without any nervousness. 

 Here is a refinery in Billings, MT.  As we have mentioned before, improved technology for harvesting oil and gas is helping the economies of this part of the country.

Named for Frederick Billings, a president of the Northern Pacific Railroad, Billings remains a major rail hub.  There were many coal cars in this rail yard.

The Rockies came into view as we left Billings.

This very pretty valley along I-90, west of Billings, seemed like a great place to live, at least, in the summer.

We passed the previous range and saw these.

At Exit 352, we could see the Absaroka Range, which was our destination today.

We turned south at Exit 333, Livingston, MT and drove on the west side of the Absaroka Range down Paradise Valley on Hwy 89.  This is the area where the movies, "A River Runs Through It" and "The Horse Whisperer were filmed.  Lewis and Clark camped on the outskirts of Livingston on their return trip from the Pacific Ocean.  A few miles further south the road enters Yellowstone National Park.  The last time we were at Yellowstone, we stayed at the West Entrance, so we are enjoying a different view.

The road was lined with pastures and meadows, many of them irrigated.  This is definitely cattle country.  When we drove past the John Deere dealership, the only equipment we saw was haying machinery.

Seventeen miles south of Livingston, MT is Yellowstone Edge RV Park; our destination.  We will be here through Monday.  This and the photo below are the views out our windshield!  We watched two rafts, full of kids, float by.  A bit north, we saw several fly fisherman.  

The Yellowstone is quite swift and a bit more turbid than normal, but still beautiful.

The park is very nice.  We paid extra for the view, but, even then, it cost less than $42 a night, with our FMCA membership.

Pretty sweet, wouldn't you say?

 After getting settled, we drove to Livingston, MT.  If you have been to Jackson Hole, WY, you might recognize a similar view, but far less commercial.  This is quite a vital and large downtown.  No wonder Peter Fonda, Margot Kidder, among other Hollywood types, have permanent homes in the area.  Calamity Jane lived here for 10 years.  The record high has been 105º and the record low -41º.  It has record winds.  I am in love on this beautiful windless, warm day.  Doubt that I could remain faithful on a cold windy one.

 This house is representative of how well-kept all are surrounding downtown.  It is such a nice throw-back to days of yore.

 A typical residential street in Livingston.

 This was sitting across the highway from the busiest restaurant in town, the Rib and Chop House on 89.

 As we attempted to find a place to park to go to dinner, we came upon these and about 7 more in a parking lot. We learned that these belonged to a group from Billings that was on its annual jaunt.

Even had a pickup truck version.  Note the Tudor Sedan across the street.

 This is the sign for Dan Bailey's Fly Shop, which was begun 75 years ago and has a thriving mail order business.  I wish that I had taken a photo of the fish landing nets.  The wood around the nets were individual and works of art.

 Next to the fly shop was Gil's Goods.  We saw that it was busy, with people sitting at tables on the sidewalk.  It looked like an opportunity to eat with the locals.  It turns out Anthony Bourdain has been here.  We had salads and they were good.  Customers order from the counter and are encouraged to bus their own tables.  However, if you want gluten free, forget it.