Journey from NYC to WY...

The peacefulness that lies above NYC...



It's amazing how quiet and clean it is, just on the other side of the clouds. ;)

After a full day of traveling from Queens to Bozeman, Montana, I happily arrive at the Western Heritage Inn for a night of rest. Up and at 'em early Tuesday morning at 6am, I arise to a cold rain in Montana. There are reports that it may snow today! Nevertheless, I must get myself across the street to the Greyhound bus station by 7:15am for a pickup which will bring myself and others to Yellowstone...



Yessssssss! I feel like I'm living in an episode of "That 70's Show!" When I step onto the bus, I am greeted by a 6'4" man with white hair and a large belly. He is gruff in appearance and speech, and within 5 minutes of boarding the bus, proceeds to warn us of 2 things. The first is a reminder that Yellowstone is a unique place because the Park Rangers are the "police" of the park, and that if any of us breaks the law, we will be promptly arrested, tried in a federal court (NOT in a state court, he emphasizes) and if convicted, will be thrown immediately into the prison in Cheyenne, Wyoming with no chance of early departure.

Welcome.

"Are any of ya afraid of gettin' eatin' by a grizzly?" Thus, the opening of his second speech. May I remind you that it isn't even 7:30am yet. After a long pause of silence, one girl on the bus timidly raises her hand, and admits that she is afraid of this. He then eagerly goes on to explain in great, gory detail the way in which a grizzly bear attacks a human. After about 10 minutes, he slips in the statistic that it is 7 times more likely that we will be struck by lightning than be attack by a bear.

After his speeches, our bus driver begins our hour and a half drive to Yellowstone. (Thank God!) On the way, we pass a beautiful and appropriately named area near Livingston, Montana called, "Paradise Valley." I did my best to capture the beauty of it through the bus window:





(The little black dots are cows.)



And this is only the beginning of the beauty to come...