Days 19, 20 & 21

Bison, bighorn sheep and black bears, oh my! Yellowstone was wild and crazy indeed. Wildlife is lurking around every corner, and my senses were overstimulated with the sights and sounds and smells. We spied the above animals (the bear was my favorite!), as well as moose (meese?), elk, antelope and a golden eagle, and paid tribute to Old Faithful, which was a little bit tardy but we'll let it slide this time. The steamy show was worth the wait.

After reading about a grizzly bear attack on one of the trails, we chose to camp along a lake at Buffalo Bill State Park, about a 45-minute drive from Yellowstone. We made s'mores and drank wine and roasted gourmet sausages for dinner before crawling into our tiny tent and tried to sleep (a newly bought air mattress on the second night definitely helped). I kept hearing noises and going to the bathroom in the middle of the night is never a treat, but camping is fun. Honest!

Nearby tourist trap Cody hosts rodeos every night, so Jun and I headed to one on a whim. I've never seen so many cowboy hats and chaps in my life. The horses were manhandling the cowboys left and right, bucking them off within a second or two most of the time. I had to advert my eyes during the calf tying event, but the part where about 70 little kids chase three calves around the arena to get the ribbons off their tails for prizes was hilarious. Rodeo = check.

Now we venture to Glacier National Park for a glimpse of the Northern Lights.

Thar she blows!