Drive Across the US Day 5

Today Wyoming and Montana welcomed us. :o)

Today was the most fun day so far. First thing in the morning we went to see Mt. Rushmore. It is truly a very cool place. It is hard to believe that they carved out the faces using mostly dynamite. Jonny said that he expected them to be bigger. We didn't spend a whole lot of time there because they don't let dogs in the park, so Duke had to stay back in the car. I got some good pictures though.



This was a really cool arch way/mini tunnel that we had to drive through. It is carved out of the mountain.



So Mt. Rushmore was about 30 min each way out of the way, but it was definitely worth stopping. So off we went headed toward Butte, MT. We passed drove through a little bit more of South Dakota before making it into Montana. In Montana we saw a lot of empty land...often with groups of cows just hanging out. Jonny brought up the question "how do people out here aforrd to build nice homes when their doesn't seem like there is anything to do to make your living?" Well...good thing I had to pee really bad. We stopped at an Exit that had a Subway and it was right around lunch so we thought we'd have something different and "eat out" for lunch. While in Subway, I order my current usual which is a turkey sub and the old (80s ish) authentic cowboy (hat, boots, belt buckle, and all) turned to me and said "you know this is cattle country don't you?" (he had ordered a steak sub). I of course said "Yes sir, but I'm pregnant and beef doesn't sit really well with me right now." He then looked horribly disappointed and did not speak to me again. I asked his daughter who happened to be standing next to me (she stated that he was her father)..."Are you from around here?" She said yes and named some town to which I said "is that around here?" Anyway...turns out that she lives on the ranch that her family homesteaded back in the early 1900s and that her father still runs today. It is a cattle ranch. She and her husband are saddle makers. How cool is this!?! For the rest of the day when we saw a herd on big empty land I thought "must be a cattle ranch." 

Anyone know what these fence looking things are for? Should have asked that lady, but I didn't think of it at the time. They don't connect on the end to anything and often have broken parts and holes between sections.



Did you know Wyoming is a oil state? I didn't.

 It was in Wyoming that we got our first look at the Rockies. They are definitely beautiful and I was definitely thankful for us not to be driving through the taller parts like these.

Here are two pictures of Jonny and Duke. They were both enjoying being out of the car...as was I.

Ok my question of the day...I'm learning so much from this trip and you guys!...We are staying at a hotel in Billings, MT and right outside of our building, there is all of this cotton on the ground (or that's what I'm calling it...looks like it to me). Jonny and I took Duke for a little walk and I realized that it was coming from these trees. They are pretty tall and I'm pretty sure this is some kind of cotton. I don't have a pic for you...if you need one I'll take one in the morning. What kind of tree do you think this is? A cotton producing tree? Have I been living under a rock all of my life?