Wyoming Drive By Shootings

The first place we visited in Wyoming was Devils Tower National Monument.  We first spotted the tower more than 20 miles away because it shoots up 1,267 feet in the middle nowhere. While visiting the tower we could see climbers making their way to the top which is a common occurrence during the summer.  Most people take 4-6 hours to do the climb, but in 1980 we understand that someone did it in only 18 minutes – without ropes.  For reference it took us longer to walk from the parking lot to the base of the tower.

The next stop was Yellowstone National Park.  It’s funny that they call it a “park” when you spend most of your time driving around because the park’s primary access roads alone cover over 230 miles. Of course, the Corvette loved the windy and open roads…hmm so did the driver!

As with everyone visiting the park, we saw Old Faithful “blow” and visited the other various Geysers.  We were a bit amazed at how active the area is and you definitely get the sense the Earth is still very much alive.  However, the more dramatic experience was seeing firsthand the glorious scenery and wildlife.  During our drive we had to stop to let Bison cross the road, watch Elk eat the grass and stay well clear of the Grizzly bear who was keeping the Rangers busy.  But more often we simply stopped to soak up the scenery. 

Speaking of the wildlife, apparently many people don’t understand the meaning of “wildlife”.

A geographically noteworthy thing about Yellowstone is the Continental Divide passes through the park.  This means that all water to the West of the divide goes towards the Pacific Ocean and to the East goes towards the Atlantic Ocean.  Fortunately the Corvette goes in any direction.

The final park we visited was Grand Teton – rich with majestic mountains and pristine lakes.  These, said Teddy Roosevelt when first he laid eyes on the Teton Range, “are what mountains are supposed to look like.”  We know our new friends from Belgium would agree.

Finally for a literal interpretation of “drive by shooting”, note that rodeo rider on the state welcome sign is riddled with bullet holes.