We originally planned to visit the Little Bighorn Battlefield in Montana after leaving the Black Hills, but that all changed when we visited the Visitor Center in the town of Buffalo, WY.

The helpful attendant informed us that the best (easiest) route to drive to Yellowstone by RV was through the Bighorn Mountains. Man, are we glad! The Bighorn Mountains are BEAUTIFUL. To think that we almost missed them!

Cliff stocked up on fishing gear and bear spray while I shopped for groceries. And we were off! Most of the spots in these campgrounds are first-come-first-served, so we were a little nervous on this holiday weekend. However, we found an opening at the first site of the first campground we found, Middle Fork, elevation 7400 ft. (Yet again, God is a great Trip Planner!)

While we’re on the subject of being nervous, these signs added their own flavor to that emotion…

I know the second one is hard to read, but Smokey the Bear says that the fire danger is VERY HIGH today!

This sign made me feel a little better, though, considering the Independence Day weekend…

And thankfully it rained every day that we camped there. The cool climate refreshed us.

Cliff has always dreamed of trout fishing, and the Bighorns did not disappoint! The trout stream was only 30 feet from the RV.

He caught his limit the first day.

He even fried them himself! (That’s a point!)

But he left the pan for me to clean. (Point denied!)

It was delicious, though.

It was Nadia’s 6th birthday, and she badly wanted a fishing pole and a “tiny tackle box.” So Cliff took Nadia and her new Ugly Stick to Tie Hack Lake, 10 minutes away.

He later took the boys there, as well.

While Nadia and I stayed home and played with her new paper dolls.

They found some “piles” near the creek, hoping they weren’t left by bears!  We were later relieved to be told that they were from a local herd of grazing cattle.

After two nights and an issue with our Brake Buddy, we descended the mountains, heading to Cody, WY.

We peaked around 9500 feet.

While it wracked Cliff’s nerves to drive the Bighorns, (We saw a sign that said, “7% grade next 18 miles” PLUS it was raining!),

it was absolutely beautiful.

I half expected Julie Andrews to break upon the scene, singing “The Sound of Music.”

We accidentally took a wrong turn and drove through Thermopolis on the way to Cody. But it wasn’t a total waste because we got to see the World’s Largest Mineral Hot Spring.

Here we are at the Cody Walmart for the night. We weren’t alone, that’s for sure!