Urgint Need for Editers at Yellowstonf!!

This way if you need a kiss at Yellowstone.

I may be away from the office but that doesn't prevent me from practicing my annoying habit of noticing misspelled words on signs in public places. While Yellowstone may enjoy the title of most-famous national park, it is also, based on my observations, by far the leader in misspelled signs. Take the plural for bus. I know, Wikipedia claims that busses is acceptable. But busses will always refer to kisses in the style guide in my brain. Only the version with one "s" is acceptable. Anyway, just about every sign in the park referring to that mode of transportation uses the double "s." I also saw a sign pointing the way to a "Dinning Room," something I have no interest in checking out, and one advising not to park "vehilces" in the drive-through lane. Paula actually pointed out all the misspelled signs to a ranger who said they have probably been like that for a long time!

Why Yellowstone?

The vibrant yellow tones in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

The Lower Falls, one of the most photographed and painted waterfalls in the world.

Historians aren't exactly sure how the name Yellowstone came to identify the vast wilderness in northwestern Wyoming when it was set aside as a national park in the 1870s. One theory holds that it was because of the vibrant yellow hues found in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, a deep chasm carved into the very heart of the park. The canyon features the famous upper and lower falls of the Yellowstone River, which were especially impressive this year due to the record snowfall over this past winter. The canyon and the falls can be viewed from a series of impressive overlooks on both the north and south rims.

Celebrating Native American Heritage

Competition is serious at the annual Plains Indian Pow Wow.

We were lucky enough to be in Cody for the annual Plains Indian Pow Wow, a 2-day event featuring Native American dancing, food, and crafts. The Pow Wow is held on the grounds of the Buffalo Bill Museum and serves as a competition in various classes of dancing and attracts participants from Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, Idaho, and the Dakotas. The costumes are striking, most made by hand by the participants themselves. I'm not sure exactly which dances the contestants were doing but one must surely have been the rain dance. While the first day of the event was sunny and pleasant, the second day brought rain and a bitter wind, canceling the final rounds of the competition.

Sweetheart of the Rodeo

Miss Cody Rodeo Bailie Allshouse with a shameless blogger and new rodeo fan.

In Wyoming, you never know when you are going to run into a celebrity. I can tell you  this -- you can find the 2011 Miss Cody Rodeo working behind the cash register in the cafe at the Buffalo Bill Museum. How do you tell a rodeo queen cashier from the run-of-the-mill variety? Check out the belt buckle. The one Bailie Allshouse, this year's queen, sported was big, shiny, and would hold its own against anything a world-champion prize fighter might parade around the ring. Bailie told us she is up for the 2012 Miss Wyoming Rodeo title this August and was a real sport about making the busy lunch crowd wait in line while she indulged a new fan in a photo. We're rooting for her to bring the title back to Cody this summer.

Why Did the Bison Cross the River?

Bison mothers and children taking part in morning water aerobics.

Your humble blogger snapped this shot while standing between the hungry herd and the good grass up the hill.

Your typical Yellowstone "wildlife" jam.

We aren't exactly sure, but as we were driving one morning in Yellowstone, we noticed a rather large herd of female bison and several calfs running toward the Yellowstone River. The river at this point was at near-record flow and about 50 degrees. The lead bison stopped at the water's edge, as if testing the water, then jumped in and proceeded to swim the 100 or so yards to the other side (where we were standing). Once they hit the shore, they shook
  themselves off like your average dog and took off running up the bank, across the road, and over the hill toward Mary Mountain. This first group was followed by another, then another, and finally a fourth group, all crossing the river and bounding up the other side. Word must have gotten out that morning that the good grass was on the other side of the river.

The World's Most Famous Suds

The best-selling bubble bath in the world has its own section in a Medora museum

I know you are anticipating a blog entry about beer, given my penchant for uncovering worthy microbrews as we make our way across the country. This story, however, is about real suds. The kind that used to create mountains of foam in your bathtub when you were a kid. In particular, this is about the biggest-selling bubble bath in history -- Mr. Bubble. 2011 is Mr. Bubble's 50th anniversary of cleaning the grime off of America's kids, all while putting a smile on Mom's face by not leaving a bathtub ring. What does this have to do with my travels, right? Well, I'll try to keep this clean.

Harold Schafer, the creative force behind Mr. Bubble and numerous other household cleaning products marketed by the Gold Seal Company, was a big benefactor to the Town of Medora, North Dakota, before he passed away about 10 years ago. The historic Roughriders Hotel was in a shambles and many other properties in the town were in need of improvement. Schafer invested in restoring the hotel and was the catalyst in transforming the Teddy Roosevelt-era village into the gateway to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. There is a museum in town celebrating the life of Harold Schafer, which includes a section devoted to the history of Mr. Bubble.

Mr. Bubble hits the big screen with Steve Martin in the 1980s film "The Jerk."

A Blogger's Nightmare

We have finally found the place in the world where the internet and cell phones have not penetrated. It's known as Yellowstone National Park. Due mostly to it's remote and mountain-shielded location, and partly to the National Park Service's attempt to keep the focus visitors having a "natural" experience, cell phone coverage is only available at certain points along the park roads and at varying times. One day we might have a signal near the beaver pond in Hayden Valley-- and the next day no signal in the same spot. Yellowstone is known for its "bear jams" where cars stop to look at wildlife (primarily bears and bison), blocking the road sometimes 20-30 cars deep. They also have cell coverage jams -- if there isn't an obvious animal near the side of the road, chances are all those cars have found a cell signal and they are taking advantage.

As for internet, nothing available in the park. Rumor is there are two suites at the Mammoth Hotel that have internet access, but that has not been confirmed. Park staff also have access to the internet, but they treat it like a big secret. Bottom line for campers like us, we are SOL until we get back to civilization sometime toward the end of the month.

So, if anyone was wondering why I haven't posted, that's the reason. We have not been carried away into the mountains by a grizzly bear.