Our bus of about 30 people on Day 10, led by Derek Moscorelli (left), posing at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Photo by David J. Eicher.
On Day 10 of our eclipse trip, our 89 intrepid travelers focused on the remainder of Yellowstone National Park. We stayed in lodges relatively near the famous Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and carried on by visiting that famous spot first thing in the morning of August 23. While this canyon does not match the sprawling vacancy of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado in Northern Arizona, it too is an impressive hole in the ground.
As we drove through the northern and eastern portions of Yellowstone, we saw many more fields of volcanic activity, incredibly beautiful river scenes meandering through valleys, and large numbers of bison. They were plentiful.
An then we set our sights on Cody, Wyoming. This famous old western town, named for Buffalo Bill, holds an amazing museum dutifully titled the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. A series of museums, really, the collections here are world-class and cover the history of Buffalo Bill himself, Native American artifacts, Western art, an extensive natural history collection, a comprehensive firearms collection, and more. It’s stunning that this immense collection is relatively isolated in this frontier town.
We finished by seeing the famous Buffalo Bill Cody equestrian statue not far from the museum, which was erected in 1924. That spot was special for me as I have photographs in the family collection showing my dad and his parents posing at the monument in 1926, just two years after its completion.
The magnificent Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Photo by David J. Eicher.
The magnificent Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Photo by David J. Eicher.
At the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Buffalo Bill’s jacket. Photo by David J. Eicher.
At the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, a chest, firearms, and clothing belonging to Annie Oakley. Photo by David J. Eicher.
At the Buffalo Bill Center, a grizzly bear stares out at the visitors. Photo by David J. Eicher.
In Yellowstone, a bison strolls past our bus, apparently completely unconcerned. Photo by David J. Eicher.
Bison herd together in the northern part of Yellowstone National Park. Photo by David J. Eicher.
Fumaroles dot the landscape in northern areas of Yellowstone. Photo by David J. Eicher.
“Yellowstone Falls” by Albert Bierstadt, c. 1881, captures a 19th-century view of the falls. Photo by David J. Eicher.
Cody, Wyoming’s iconic Buffalo Bill Monument captures the spirit of the western legend. Photo by David J. Eicher.