Sunday June 20 Yellowstone

I needed gas which was more difficult to obtain than I would have thought in an oil town like Worland, but finally I could fill my tank.

The road to Cody was OK and I made good time.
The lady at the Visitor Center in Cody recommended me to visit the Buffalo Bill Historical Center and a Winchester gun show.






At the gun show I learned a lot about the value of the guns and met one of the foremost gun appraisers.

Before going to the museum I checked out the most famous Western saloon in Cody, the Silver Dollar Saloon at the Irma hotel. It has excellent Western décor and a good ambiance. I met Frank and Jean from New Jersey, also on their way to Yellowstone. I tried yet another new beer, Moose Drool, which tastes much better than it sounds, and a local brew, Teton Pale Ale, which I also liked.














The Historical Center is actually 5 museums in one, all of them very well appointed and worth a visit.

I began my tour at the Western Art museum, which houses a great variety of Western painters, including Frederic Remington, Karl Bodmer and Edgar Paxson, who painted the monumental Custer's Last Stand.

The Battle of the Little Bighorn —also known as Custer's Last Stand was an armed engagement between combined forces of Lakota and Northern Cheyenne against the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army. It occurred on June 25 and June 26, 1876, near the Little Bighorn River in eastern Montana Territory. The U.S. Seventh Cavalry, a force of 700 men led by George Armstrong Custer, suffered a severe defeat. Five companies were annihilated; Custer was killed, as were two of his brothers, a nephew, and a brother-in-law. Total U.S. deaths were 268, including scouts, and 55 were wounded. In defense of Custer, some historians claim that some of the Indians were armed with repeating Spencer, Winchester and Henry rifles, while the 7th Cavalry carried single-shot Springfield Model 1873 carbines, caliber .45–70.

After that I checked out the firearms museum, which supposedly has the largest gun collection in the world. And it does, certainly for American guns.
The Buffalo Bill gallery tells the history of this famous scout, hunter and entertainer.

After so much museum I continued my ride to Yellowstone, still 50 miles further West. The road runs through a canyon, with guest ranches and camping grounds along the river.
At the Eastern Entrance I bought an annual pass which gives access to all national parks in the US, so Nicole can use it when she lives in Los Angeles.

The weather turned bad, clouds threatening and it became really cold. At Fishing Bridge heavy rain started, so I stopped and stayed warm inside the General Store, had some lunch and when the rain lightened somewhat I rode straight trough the park out the West Entrance and found one of the last rooms in a small town West Yellowstone.
More than 25,000 firefighters attacked Yellowstone fires in 1988, at a total cost of about $120 million. Thankfully, the fires killed no park visitors and no nearby residents.
About 36% of the park’s 2,221,800 acres were burned. Estimated property damage totaled more than $3 million.

Although the weather was bad, I enjoyed the first encounter with this great national park. There were many bison around, some really close to the road.


The rain turned into a tremendous storm and I was glad to have a roof over my head.
The hotel internet did not work, so I could not post anything. It was just as well, I was cold and tired and turned in early.




The Trans America ride
is a small effort to help transform the lives of poor Maya children. During my trip I will speak about the importance of educational projects like Ak Tenamit, and especially girl´s education, and its connection to illegal immigration in the United States.


YOU CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE TRANS AMERICA RIDE!!
The target of the ride is to raise $10.00 for each mile of the ride.

I you decide to support this ride, you may:

1. Buy miles: Buy one or more miles at $10.00 per mile. There are 3,500 miles to be sold.
2. Sponsor a local event when I am in your area (a ride, a barbecue) for a $200.00 minimum.
3. Become a Student Sponsor at Ak´Tenamit for $30.00 (one month) or $360.00 per year
4. Become a Health Care Partner for $10.00 or $120.00 per year.
All funds should end up in the GUATEMALA TOMORROW FUND in the United States.
If you would like to sponsor a child, become a Health Care partner or simply want to buy one of the 3500 miles of the ride , just go to http://guatfund.org/

Tick the box ¨Trans America ride¨and authorize a charge to your credit card.
If you prefer to not to use a credit card, just see Chapter 5 of this Blog on how to donate.

JEAN , THE RIDING DUTCHMAN

transamerica.tenamit@gmail.com