One of our favorite places to visit is Yellowstone! Not only for the scenic mountains and wildlife, but also the unique hot springs, geysers and of course the Grand Prismatic.

We love riding the motorcycle thru Yellowstone. It is the best way to see the park, and also for parking! During this time of year, the park is very crowded, and parking is hard to find, but with a motorcycle it is pretty easy to find a spot.

Indeed motorcycle riding in the park is a blast, unless you run into a very curious bison! Below is a video of us and a bison dancing in the roadway! It was one of the scariest, exhilarating events on the bike! We came around a curve and saw cars stopped in the roadway and 2 bison on the other side of the road. I shut off the engine and coasted in because bison tend to get spooked by the sound of a motorcycle. We were stopped behind a car as the bison moved along the opposite side of the road. As soon as the car in front of us moved forward, the lead bison saw us and immediately started coming toward us. It became interesting very quickly…..

As you can see it was very exciting but in reality, very dangerous. Bison don’t have good eye sight and I believe it mistook the faring on the front of the Harley as another bison. As soon as I started the engine the bison moved off and I slowly started moving forward. Scary but it was awesome!!!

Tori Visit!!!!

We were blessed to see Tori and share our adventures with her. She was able to fly out and visit us for a weekend! We got to see a lot of wildlife and many of the geological events in the park with her!  As a special treat, Tori and Patti went on a horseback ride (first time on a horse for Tori!).  It was very challenging as it and covered many hills, valleys, and streams!  Plus Tori’s horse was extra ornery that day!

Tori was able to see all kinds of wildlife including a mama bear with her cubs! Patti and Tori also went on a hike where a deer followed them! I think Tori had a great time and of course, we loved having her!

Yellowstone Canyon and Old West Dinner Cookout

One of the most beautiful places in the park is Yellowstone Canyon. It is like a small Grand Canyon in Yellowstone!

We also enjoyed the Old West Dinner Cookout. We rode a horse-pulled wagon to a campsite where they served a steak dinner on a metal plate, around a camp fire. We especially enjoyed the singing and stories ’round the campfire while drinking super strong cowboy coffee! It is always a blast and we believe it is the best excursion Yellowstone offers!

Sidenote – the window challenge!

So part of the “RV Life” is dealing with certain issues that come along while on the road! During this trip out west we have had all kinds of window issues on the RV and car!

RV Window Vent

On the way from Denver to the Badlands, one of our window vents shattered on the RV. The window vent is the lower portion of the window that can open from the inside. It is made of 2 panes of glass – inside pane is clear and was undamaged. The outside pane is tempered and dark, like the front of an all glass stove. We were driving along and I heard it crackling behind me. We stopped at the next rest stop and sure enough – it shattered. I had black Flex tape which is water proof and taped the window. It was a great temporary solution.

I am not sure what caused it but I believe when we left the Rockies, the fast change in elevation was the culprit. In 45 minutes we went from 9,000 feet to 3,000 feet. Anyway I called Newmar and they sent a new window with instructions on how to replace it. The window cost $310 but it was very easy to replace and it only took an hour!

Car Windshield!

One evening we went to dinner in downtown Dillon MT (future post). We were parked on main street and the speed limit was 20 MPH. We come back and there is this rock chip in the middle of the windshield!!! Unbelievable! Fortunately Safelite was able to repair it and due to our insurance, at no charge!

RV Windshield!

On our way from Mount Rushmore to Yellowstone, we took state highway 89 and one section was under construction. We were stopped by a “pilot car” at a place where it was down to one lane. Of course instead of a paved road, it was gravel due to the construction. While we were stopped, dump trucks came barreling thru the opposite direction and bam – a rock hit the lower passenger side of the windshield. WHILE WERE STANDING STILL!!!! Arrggg! Insurance will cover it with only a $250 deductible. We have a huge windshield and thank goodness for insurance otherwise this would cost $3,500! Fortunately a glass place near Williams AZ (future stop) will come out to the RV park and replace it! That is very rare – this will be our third windshield. Most places want you to come to them and they need to keep it over night. Very annoying.

Overall Yellowstone was awesome and again one of our favorite places to visit!

Next stop – Glacier National Park!