Traveling On ... 2012: Montana/Wyoming/South Dakota

Badland National Park/South Dakota

Landscape/Badlands National Park/South Dakota

Badlands National Park/South Dakota

Unique rock formation and coloring/ Badlands National Park/South Dakota

Touring car group/Badlands/South Dakota

Badlands National Park/South Dakota

Taking it easy/Bear Country USA/Rapid City/South Dakota

Bear Country USA/Rapid City/South Dakota

We drove among about 50 bears just wandering around like this/Bear Country USA
/Rapid City/South Dakota

Large and in charge/Black Bear/Bear Country USA/Rapid City/South Dakota

Slight confrontation/Bear Country USA/Rapid City/South Dakota

Bear still shedding it's winter coat/Bear Country USA/Rapid City/South Dakota

Badger at Bear Country USA/Rapid City/South Dakota

Two wolves/Bear Country USA/Rapid City/South Dakota

Racoon at Bear Country USA/Rapid City/South Dakota

Cub antics/Bear Country USA/Rapid City/South Dakota

Bear Cub at Baby Zoo/Bear Country USA/Rapid City/South Dakota

Red Fox/Bear Country USA/Rapid City/South Dakota

Entrance to Bear Country USA/Rapid City/South Dakota

Bear 'playground' for the Cubs/Bear Country USA/Rapid City/South Dakota

Mt. Rushmore/South Dakota

Close up of Lincoln/Mt. Rushmore/South Dakota

Close up of Washington/Mt. Rushmore/South Dakota

A fox is running along the front tree line at the bottom
Wildlife Loop Drive/South Dakota

The grass is greener....Free Prong Horn Deer longing to get inside the fence!
Wildlife Loop Drive/South Dakota

From the set of Dances With Wolves (Filmed in this area)/South Dakota

Blending with the buffalo/Wildlife Loop Road/South Dakota

Mandatory vehicle inspection/South Dakota style/Wildlife Loop Road

OK....hand over all your carrots and no one will get hurt/
Wild donkey peeking in our car window/Wildlife Loop Road/South Dakota

Awe....can we keep him...please.....please?
Wildlife Loop Road/South Dakota

Some of the granite in this area shone like silver/South Dakota

Entertainment and amusement.....cowboy style/Fort Hayes Chuck Wagon/South Dakota

'Howdy Pardner' /Waiting out back for Fort Hayes Chuck Wagon Meal/South Dakota

Waiting for the Chuck Wagon Dinner/South Dakota

Wild turkey mother and chicks/Near Rapid City/South Dakota

Side view/notice the horse's head sketched on the side of the mountain/Crazy Horse Memorial/South Dakota

Zoom in of the face of Crazy Horse Memorial being built/ South Dakota

The sculptor of Crazy Horse Memorial/South Dakota

Drawing of Crazy Horse Memorial being built with image to right of finished project/
South Dakota

Beaded pouch/Crazy Horse Memorial/South Dakota

Knife case/Crazy Horse Memorial/South Dakota

My favorite bead work on display at Crazy Horse Memorial/South Dakota

Gift shop/Crazy Horse Memorial/South Dakota

American Indian artisans were displaying their work/Crazy Horse Memorial/South Dakota

Artist's replica of Crazy Horse Memorial with quotation at base/South Dakota

Another example of the sculptor's work/Three Brothers/Crazy Horse Memorial/South Dakota

Such humble tools to do such amazing work! Ziolkowski's Tool Chest/Crazy Horse Memorial/South Dakota

Shaquille O'Neal's shoe....size 24. The sculptor's wife is a big sports fan.

A view of the gate located at Crazy Horse Memorial/ South Dakota

Gate at Crazy Horse Memorial designed by the sculptor's children.

The sculptor had his children do research on all the native wildlife located in South Dakota and they created this beautiful fence from their designs/Crazy Horse Memorial/South Dakota

This was the original machine used to begin this project...notice the sign "Kaput"!
Crazy Horse Memorial/South Dakota

We were offered all the 'free rocks' which are debre from the Crazy Horse Memorial/South Dakota

This was in the restaurant on premises and seemed to be the theme of this operation.

There's a petting zoo next to our campground...just a little added whimsy.

Taken from the walking path around it/Devil's Tower National Park/Wyoming

We are camping at the base of this mountain today/Sundance/Wyoming

Distant view of The Devil's Tower National Park/Wyoming

Driving in to The Devil's Tower National Park/Wyoming

Climber on lower left side/The Devil's Tower National Park/ Wyoming

Overview from walk path/The Devil's Tower National Park/Wyoming

Two rock climbers upper left on ledge/The Devil's Tower National Park/Wyoming

Walking path around The Devil's Tower/Wyoming

Nice paved walking path around the tower/The Devil's Tower National Park/Wyoming

Mother deer and fawn were right by our path/The Devil's Tower National Park/Wyoming

Our son Ryan called while we walked the path/The Devil's Tower National Park/Wyoming

Santa???/The Devil's Tower National Park/Wyoming

Two prarie dogs socializing near the entrance to The Devil's Tower National Park/Wyoming

Prarie dogs/Near the entrance to The Devil's Tower National Park/Wyoming

Wyoming's red earth

Signature red earth/Wyoming

We saw more green foliage today/Near Sundance/Wyoming

Memorial to horses fallen in battle/Wyoming

Markers showing where Indian Warriors fell in battle/Wyoming

Unique mountain/Buffalo/Wyoming

Display at Battle of Little Bighorn Museum/Wyoming

Museum display/Battle of Little Bighorn/Wyoming

US Uniform/Battle of Little Bighorn/Wyoming

Battleground of Custer's last stand/Wyoming

Visitor Center at Battle of Little Bighorn National Park/Wyoming

Monument at Battle of Little Bighorn/Wyoming

Ranger teaching public about the Battle of Little Bighorn/Wyoming

Custer's grave/Little Bighorn Battlefield/Wyoming

Due warning/Little Bighorn Battlefield/Wyoming

Ranger teaching public/Little Bighorn Battlefield/Wyoming

Native American visitor to Little Bighorn Battlefield/Wyoming

Symbolic military and native 'tents'/Little Bighorn Battlefield/Wyoming

Military graves near Little Bighorn Battlefield/Wyoming

Tourist attraction near Buffalo/Wyoming

Bright red soil near Buffalo/Wyoming

Landscape near Buffalo/Wyoming

Lots of red soil near Buffalo/Wyoming

We wouldn't be able to get very close to some of the formations without a boardwalk.
Yellowstone National Park

Abstract 'art' from Yellowstone National Park

Our tour bus for about 11 hours at Yellowstone National Park

Amazing chemical reactions at Yellowstone National Park

Liberty Cap/A dormant hot spring cone/Yellowstone National Park

Stan took this photo of an elk near the Visitor's Center/Yellowstone National Park

So many wonders at Yellowstone National Park

Natural rock formation looking like a fence/Yellowstone National Park

Stan on boardwalk at Yellowstone National Park

Tourists on boardwalk watching the natural wonders at Yellowstone National Park

Our tour guide explaning the scientific reasons for the
'bubbling and oozing' going on at Yellowstone National Park

Chemical "Ooze" for want of a better term/Yellowstone National Park

Dangerous beauty at Yellowstone National Park

Male and Female Buffalo holding up traffic and our tour/Yellowstone National Park

Crowd gathering at Old Faithful/Yellowstone National Park

Old Faithful/It was minutes late, but still faithful/Yellowstone National Park

Park Ranger at Artist's Point/Yellowstone National Park

View of waterfall/Artist's Point/Yellowstone National Park

Close up of a beautiful twisted tree formation/Artist's Point/Yellowstone National Park

Waterfall in the distance/Artist's Point/Yellowstone National Park

Close up of rock formation/Artist's Point/Yellowstone National Park

Tourists going to a cookout 'western style' Yellowstone National Park

Ancient petrified tree/Yellowstone National Park

One of many herd of buffalo/Yellowstone National Park

Scenic view/Yellowstone National Park/Bear Tooth Drive

Always the forest burns/Yellowstone National Park

This was the home of an elderly woman that was selling the art of her deceased husband.
He was a primitive artist and painted the area as he knew it growing up, so it was a history lesson on canvas.
I bought a little print of his work from her....she was a delight to talk to.

So much beauty all around us...Yellowstone National Park

Those dots are a herd of buffalo/Yellowstone National Park

Lots o' Rocks/Yellowstone National Park

Scenic View/Top of the World Highway/Bear Tooth Drive/near Yellowstone National Park

Nice view of a lake/Top of the World Highway/Bear Tooth Drive/near Yellowstone National Park

Ski lift for only the best and boldest skiers
Top of the World Highway/Bear Tooth Drive/near Yellowstone National Park

Top of the World Highway/Bear Tooth Drive/ near Yellowstone National Park

Top of the World Highway/Bear Tooth Drive/near Yellowstone National Park

It's as if he was posing for the tourists. Yellowstone National Park

On a mission.....cyote at Yellowstone National Park

North entrance to Yellowstone National Park/Gardiner/Montana

Interesting fact/Yellowstone National Park/Montana

Unfinished painting of Thomas Moran(pardon the flash reflextion!)/Yellowstone Visitor Center/Montana

Palette of Thomas Moran...British painter of Yellowstone National Park/Montana

Drive in Yellowstone National Park/Montana

Wildlife in Yellowstone National Park/Montana

Stream in Yellowstone/Montana

Nice scene along highway/Montana

Ranch along drive to Yellowstone/Montana

We took a break from driving to visit Wheat Montana Bakery, which is a well known bakery in Montana

Huge loaf of bread/Wheat Montana Bakery and Deli/Montana

Unique rock formation near Yellowstone/Montana

Cloud shadowed landscape near Yellowstone/Montana

Near Yellowstone National Park/Montana

Not sure what the tepees are all about but thought they were interesting/Montana

Views on the drive to Yellowstone Park/Montana

Great Northern Town Center/Helena/Montana

Wouldn't argue with this/Helena/Montana

Sculpture at Great Northern Town Center/Helena/Montana

Painted Pony Ice Cream Parlor/Great Northern Town Center/Helena/Montana

Photo shoot at Great Northern Town Center/Helena/Montana

Arches added artistic interest at the Great Northern Town Center/
Helena/Montana

There was a lot of stained glass on the carousel as well as this pretty window in their building
Painted Pony Ice Cream Parlor/Great Northern Town Center/Helena/Montana