Cody, Wyoming

Here we are, about 60 miles from Yellowstone Park in Wyoming. It has been a day of interesting landscapes, as well as one of my reasons for wanting to do this trip: Mt. Rushmore.

We started out early. I wanted to get in a swim in the pool at the hotel, but was informed that it didn't open til 9!! Ugh. So we got some breakfast and left. It was about 7:30am.

We drove straight to Mt. Rushmore, which was great. It looks just like it does in all the photos and postcards, except that you don't realize how high up it is.

After Mt. Rushmore, we crossed over into Wyoming. We drove through grasslands and mountains:


The mountains were incredible. The earth was a red color and the road twisted and turned up through the mountains and then back down.

Wyoming is a very desolate place. There are very few people around. We passed through the OTHER Buffalo (it had snow-capped mountains in the distance, so we didn't get confused and think we were in Western New York). Apparently, Buffalo, WY also has an airport because when I search for flights to my Buffalo, the website asks me which Buffalo I want to fly to. Now I know where I'll end up if I pick the wrong Buffalo!

We are both pretty tired. Jim has done all the driving and we're both tired of being in the car so much. I hope tomorrow we'll get some time outside at Yellowstone. We need to stretch our legs.

One more completely unrelated note. I was pretty upset when I heard today that Senator Kennedy has been diagnosed with a malignant glioma brain tumor. My dad also had a glioma, although there are several kinds of them. My dad had the worst kind. I hope Kennedy's tumor is less aggressive. For all of his seedy history and reputation, he has done a lot for Massachusetts and a lot for immigrants. He has been a true advocate, and someone who is accessible to his Massachusetts constituents. I saw him a few months ago at Logan Airport, waiting for his luggage from a flight from D.C. I wish I had gone up and shook his hand. I was too shy. He is a legend, and rightly so. I hope that he will come out of this OK.