The Mighty BEARTOOTH Mountain Scenic Byway, Montana/Wyoming, 9/10/18

This is Beartooth Mountain (taken from the other side --after crossing that huge mountain)

Hello Friends,    WOW---did George and I have a fantastic 12 day (5000 mile) trip to South Dakota,  Montana and Wyoming   (Sept. 6-17, 2018)!!!!    This is the fifth trip we have taken out west  (2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2018)...  All of them have been so different, one from the other.  To pick a favorite trip is an impossibility because there are highlights from each of them.

One of the  highlights of this year's journey was a trip over the highly-acclaimed  Beartooth Mountain National Scenic Highways All-American Road...   I encourage you to check out this link  (click HERE)  for lots of information and a great video of the highway--along with more pictures, etc.

We stayed 3 nights in Red Lodge,  Montana.   That is a really neat little town --and if you ever get there, try the  Bison Meatball PIZZA  at the Red Lodge Pizza Company...   DELICIOUS!!!!

BUT--my advice  (take it or leave it) is this:   "If you are interested in getting to Yellowstone easily,   do NOT stay in Red Lodge...."  We tried 3 different routes ---and there is not a short way to get to Yellowstone from there.  SO--we didn't have nearly as much time in Yellowstone as we had hoped to have..  BUT we did see some gorgeous places in areas between Red Lodge and Yellowstone,  so we were glad we did it....  The next time we go to that area,   we will stay either in Cooke City or in West Yellowstone...  BOTH are easy accesses to Yellowstone.   Cody is another entrance --but we wouldn't choose it.   (Just my opinion, folks!!!!)

Today I'll share with you our wonderful but CRAZY drive UP UP UP Beartooth Mountain to the summit at almost 11,000 feet in elevation --and then DOWN DOWN DOWN the mountain on the other side... We spent  FOUR hours doing this  (mainly because we stopped a lot and took many, many pictures)....  IF you are afraid of heights --don't do this.    We personally LOVED every single second of it!!!!   Hope you enjoy some of our photos....  BUT--as I told my son,  the pictures don't really do it justice.  This is one experience YOU must have personally!!!!

The major OVERLOOK  on this mountain;  As you can see,  we are at 9,190 feet  UP!!!!  

A very nice lady took our picture together as we walked up to the top overlook at the Rock Creek area;

A beautiful view from the Rock Creek Overlook;  You can see ice/glaciers on the tops of the moutains.  The temperature while we were there was in the 40's --but the wind chill made it feel much colder.

I just had to take a picture of the 'point' --as we walked from the parking lot to this area.

I took this picture of George at the 'point' --at the Rock Creek Vista Point.

After we left,  we stopped ABOVE the Rock Creek Vista Point ---and I took this picture so that you can see the parking area --plus the paved walkway to the top of the point....  Such an awesome place!

As I said,   we stopped  all along the way --as we kept getting higher and higher!!!

And when we reached this area,  we thought we must be at the summit---but we WEREN'T....  We were high enough to be above the TREE LINE ---but we still were going UP.

We finally made up... This is the SUMMIT---almost 11,000 feet up!!!  WOW

A very happy lady at the Beartooth Pass SUMMIT!

What an amazing experience this was!!!!  

There were several Glacial Lakes around the area  --so I used my long lens to get this picture for you.

Heading down ----can you see our road down there on the left???????  Woooooo!

As we get a little lower on the 'other' side ---I enjoyed seeing the road below us!!!!

Here's another one of the lakes we saw as we gradually went DOWN...  The views from this side are so pretty.   The road between Red Lodge and the Summit is much steeper than the road going down the mountain toward  Cooke City.

Like I said,  we stopped a lot and took in all of this amazing place, both coming and going!!!!!  George is getting up close and personal to get a good photo of the lake!!!

Now that you've seen what the summit looked like,  here's one more picture we took near the Rock Creek Vista Point---as we looked up TOWARD the summit.... Amazing,  isn't it?

I was looking for some aerial views of our experience ----and found this google photo marking the road UP that mountain....   Like I said,  amazing!!!

WELL---are you still with me?????   I'll now show you the first picture I put on here ---so you will see again the huge mountain we crossed on 9/10/18.....  Wow WOW WOWWWWWW....

Thanks for letting me share this amazing experience with you!!!

Hugs,

Emoticons

DAY LILIES in our YARD, 2018 ---Part III

Day Lily Bed --6/25/18

Hello Friends,     Today is  Part III of my DAY LILY posts for 2018...  I truly hope you are enjoying seeing all of these pretty flowers.   Sometimes --when we see our world crashing all around us,  the very best thing we can do is to get outside and enjoy nature.  Go out and dig in the dirt;  OR--take a walk or hike;  AND--be aware of everything around you.

When I was younger,  I never took time (or thought I had time) to enjoy the outdoors very much. I guess it is all about our choices,  isn't it?  Or maybe is has to do with where we live.   Once George and I started hiking and taking pictures,   I began to see things I had never noticed before...

Sometimes,  the little things we see end up being the most unique, most gorgeous of all. My blog friend,  Linda,  takes pictures of Dragonflies...  I for one had no idea how many varieties there are,  and how beautiful they are.   SO---my advice to all of us is to get outside and ENJOY the beauty!!!

Hope you enjoy Part III of our Day Lilies!!!!! (Be sure and check out  Parts I and II if you missed either of them.)

Staci Cox Day Lily ---7/6/18  (another one of our unique "double" day lilies)

Canadian Border  Patrol  Day Lily---6/6/18

Lady  Elizabeth  Day Lilies --7/14/18

Chicago  Apache Day Lily ---7/9/18

Orange Velvet  Day Lily -- 7/6/18

Ed Brown Day Lilies --7/6/18 (always a favorite with the frilly edges)

Dublin Elaine Day Lily ---7/9/18  (another pretty 'double')

Bicolor  Day Lily --7/14/18  (always one of the last Day Lilies to bloom) 

Pretty Woman  Day Lily-- 7/9/18

Star Struck Day Lily---7/9/18

More  Chicago Apache  Day Lilies ---7/7/18   (I showed you a single above --but just had to add this group one for you.)

Condilla  Day Lilies ---7/10/18  (a very large day Lily --and another 'double')

Lady Lucille Day Lilies  --7/6/18   (gorgeous blooms this year)

Here's  TWO for you:  Little Heavenly Angels  (pink ones)  and Bahama Butterscotch Day Lilies --6/18/18

A favorite every year:  Buttered Popcorn  Day Lilies ---6/16/18;    This daylily loves to bloom --and since it's TALL,  it tours over over entire bed....  We LOVE it.

Fuchsia Dream  Day Lily ---7/7/18  (a favorite of mine)

 Well---if you are still here  (and not bored to death from so many Day Lilies),  I'll  go ahead and ask you if you have a favorite or even more in this batch.....  I love reading your thoughts ---and I find that most of us choose things because of the color.  I know that I do!!!!  With Day Lilies though,  it is also about their uniqueness!!!

Hope you enjoyed these little beauties...  On another note,   if you have noticed that George and I haven't been around much lately (either in the blogging world or on Facebook) ---we have been on a 12 day trip to Yellowstone/Grand Tetons --plus other areas!!!!!     You know I will have many many pictures to share with you soon...

Hugs,

Emoticons

DAY LILIES in our YARD, 2018 --Part II

Day Lilies blooming  on 7/3/18

Dear Friends,   Today I am featuring  Part II of some of the beautiful Day Lilies that bloomed in our yard this Summer...  (If you missed Part I,  click HERE to see them.)    I will have one more set to do next week....  I don't know if you prefer seeing them close-up as singles or in larger groups.  SO-- I'll do some of both!!!   Hope you enjoy them  --and are not  'day-lilied out'.......  ha

Pandora's Box Day Lilies --6/22/18

Trahlyta  Day Lily --6/25;   I love all of the colors and designs in this one.

Savannah Debutante  Day Lilies -- 7/4/18   (This is one of our 'double' Day Lilies. Very unique!)

Double Eyeful Day Lily--6/4/18  (such a unique Day Lily)

Elegant  Candy Day Lilies  --6/22/18

Spellbinder Day Lily ---6/13/18

Charles  Johnston Day Lilies --6/22/18

Wild Horses  Day Lilies --6/19/18  (a special Day Lily every year)

Carolyn Criswell Day Lilies  7/4/18

Orange Vol  Day Lily 7/5/18  (Love my Tennessee Volunteers)

Spanish Glow Day Lilies  --6/29/18  

Pink Playmate Day Lilies ---7/5/18

Lemon Vista Day Lilies --6/22/18

Christmas Wishes  Day Lilies--- 7/3/18  (one of my favorites this year)

Night Beacon Day Lily ---6/22/18  (another one of my fav's);   The design in the middle looks like the Tree of Life --with light flashing off of it.   Night Beacon seems to be a perfect name!

Day Lily Bed  --and Canna Lilies (upper left)-- 7/6/18   (Loved our Cannas this year)

As I have said many times,  George and I love Day Lilies.   Besides being so pretty and bringing color to the yard--they are easy to grow and since we buy re-bloomers,  they will bloom again in Fall.   They die back in winter --and come back in Spring!!!!!

Any favorites today for you????? I always love hearing your thoughts.

Hope you have an awesome week.

Hugs,

Emoticons