Today we left Buffalo WY and drove to Livingston MT.

Once again we saw the incredible countryside that inspired so many people to write the stories that became our westerns and tales of adventure. We stopped at a roadside lookout to take in the hills outside of Buffalo and discovered that it was the location of the worst defeat of the US Army in all of it’s battles with the Western Tribes. Reading the story board offered to visitors about this battle of nearly 150 years ago was like reading a headline from a couple of years ago. The Army set up a fort to control the area. The local Tribes destroyed the supply convoys and disrupted business. The Army reinforced the area and built more outposts. The Tribes continued to attack, finally drawing the Army into a pitched battle. The Army didn’t realize the size of its opposing force and underestimated the Tribes’ commander. An entire company of US Army regulars was destroyed with 80 dead. The valley was abandoned by the US for years until sufficient force was available to drive the Tribes away. I found it fascinating to look out over this beautiful landscape and see how it all happened.

We drove on. We saw the Yellowstone River.  We saw more trains than you can imagine (and long ones too).  We were following I90 and skirting the mountains most of the day. About 4 o’clock we arrived at Livingston and checked in to a great room with the foot hills of the Rockies just across the road. We had a nice meal and Steph got the film ready for her large format camera (no small undertaking).

Tomorrow we head into Yellowstone National Park. We expect to visit Old Faithful and see what else we run into while we are there. I have yet to see a bison. I am hoping to fix that tomorrow too.

J