Monday, June 30, 2014

US Hwy 191: Paradise Valley, MT

It was such a beautiful drive up the Gallatin River valley from West Yellowstone, that I decided to check out the Yellowstone River valley down to the Park's north gate in Gardiner, MT.

The road definitely did not disappoint... It's called "Paradise Valley" for a reason! (Click to embiggen)



Stunning views for 50 miles going south, then the flip-side views coming back north... What a drive!

Gardiner is a pretty typical tourist mecca, packed with wilderness adventure companies -- offering whitewater rafting, horse pack trips, extreme fishing, etc. -- and the usual assortment of motels, lodges, restaurants, bars, souvenir shops, etc. I only stayed there long enough to have lunch, take Happy for a long walk and share an ice cream. (Of which my dog ate well more than her half!)

Although I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Livingston area -- and will happily come back for a longer visit some day -- I'm going to push north tomorrow. With all the Fourth of July rodeos and other festivities coming up at the end of the week, it's going to get crazy and crowded around here.

I'll be heading up into the hinterlands of Central Montana, nearing the completion of this road trip at the Canadian border... Stay tuned!

Click here to see exactly where I am posting this from on Google Maps.

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