And on to Wyoming.

We will do some exploring in Dinosaur National Monument this morning. We first drive to the end of the road and visit the cabin and property of an amazing woman named Josie Bassett Morris. She homesteaded this place between 1916 - 1964  and I believe she went through at least 4 husbands before she took this land as her own and then chased the fifth one off not long after arriving there. She divorced when it was unheard of, she wore pants when it wasn't appropriate and she wore her hair short as was not the custom. Her story really touched me; a woman who, at the age of 40 ranches pretty much on her own until getting kicked by a horse at 89 and only then leaving her beloved homestead and dying at age 90; a result of her broken hip. 

Josie's cabin

We hiked through her nearby Box and Hog Canyons and saw a beautiful field of wild irises. Apparently there is a very rare orchid that is supposed to be blooming now but we can't see any.

This tree was gigantic. 

From there we go to see the "bones" because this is why you visit this park. For the bones. We hike up the 1.5 mile round trip where they have a building constructed around a hill that is full of dinosaur bones still embedded in the rock. They have done an outstanding job of preserving this most amazing site while at the same time displaying them for the public.

Twice during our drive today we will climb mountains to over 8000'. Poor old truck doesn't know whether it's ascending or descending anymore.

Flaming Gorge Dam

And this I'd the reservoir. 

And of course the obligatory ice cream cone at Dutch John Its way too big and I have to throw half of it away. 

We arrive in Rock Creek, Wyoming by early evening and that's as far as we go today. The camping spots are not plentiful so we check in to the local KOA gravel pit, give them almost 50 bucks and then listen to a couple of dogs yap until we have to complain. That's camping for you I guess😳