Wild, Wild West...

We got an early start from Mountain Home, Idaho this morning; thanks in big part to Mike prodding me to hurry - which also resulted in me losing the car keys! Luckily, we did not have to unpack the entire trunk to find them. A quick breakfast and we were on the road to Wyoming!

On our way to Wyoming we saw the signs for and the signs of Craters of the Moon - an ancient volcanic eruption covered about 400 sq miles (thanks Wikipedia!) with lava flow.  At first glace this area looks like it has been destroyed by strip mining but when you realize what this is, it suddenly looks mysterious and interesting.

After a car tour of the lava fields, we were back on Hwy 20 our destination of Wyoming getting closer. Hwy 20 took us through Yellowstone National Park and a side-trip to see (yep, you guessed it) Old Faithful.  Just as we were heading up the walk to this natural wonder, it started to erupt.  Mike and I dashed ahead and were able to capture this moment. I was a little disappointed; I expected something monumental. There were geysers along the road that were much more spectacular and dramatic. And I learned that Old Faithful really isn't that faithful...no set-your-watch-by-it eruptions and the spewing can last anywhere from a minute to five minutes. But, it was Old Faithful and it was beautiful and it was a check off on my bucket list.

Our night ended in Cody, Wyoming. A cute little town that definitely embraces its western heritage. There is a rodeo going on in town, but we had no problems finding a very nice room.  A soak in the hot tub and a dip in the pool washed away some of the stress of the day. Tomorrow we finish up Wyoming and head (hopefully) into Nebraska. Everyday has brought a new wonder, new sites, new adventures and it ain't over yet!