Adventures in Yellowstone

Walter Begelman is a printer in Manhattan, and was born and raised in New York. He and his wife, Glenda, don’t travel that frequently—and when they do, they usually spend time in Europe. But on a recent vacation, Walter decided that he wanted to try something off of his beaten path.

I wanted something try something really different on my last vacation, so my wife and I went to Billings, Montana to see a re-enactment of Custer’s Last Stand. She thought I was crazy when I suggested it, but we wound up having such a good time. It was an adventure, that’s for sure.

We flew into Billings, and stayed at the C’Mon Inn. It was clean and comfortable, and very well run. Plus, the people out west are so nice and so accommodating, even though they drive down two-lane roads at 95 mph.

The next day we drove to Harding, where all of the festivities around the anniversary of the Last Stand were taking place. There were actually two re-enactments, one from the Calvary’s perspective and one from the American Indians’ perspective. We got to go to the battlefield, which is in a national park and so really hasn’t changed for more than a hundred years. It was really like going back in time—we went to a trading post, saw where the Indians had camped, and spent some time on the reservation. Sure, the 83rd Airborne division parachuted in at one point, so that was a little anachronistic, but otherwise is was a real taste of the Old West. We even went to a local museum, and saw an old farmhouse and a teepee.

The next day we drove to Yellowstone, and getting there was an adventure in itself. We were driving over the Beartooth Mountains, so the views were amazing, but the switchbacks and the curves really set your teeth on edge. I definitely developed a whole new appreciation for the early settlers. I can’t imagine doing something like that in a covered wagon—it was nerve-racking enough in an SUV!

We finally made it to the Yellowstone Lake Hotel, which was also very well maintained, but very old-fashioned. No television, no Internet access—we had to stargaze at night. You never see the stars in the city, but they’re still there.

I recommend taking a bus tour around the park. We saw deer, elk, buffalo, all the geysers and hot springs. The countryside was so incredibly beautiful…I’d never seen anything like it before. And, you know, the people out west are really different than New Yorkers. They really are more rugged and independent than we are.

After Yellowstone, we went to Cody, Wyoming, to the Buffalo Bill museum. You know, I used to have an office at 1 Union Square West, and in a picture of Buffalo Bill, I actually saw my old office building! It used to be a theater or performance hall, I guess, and Buffalo Bill performed there.

On the whole, Glenda and I had a really fantastic trip. We learned a lot, saw a lot of interesting things, and had a totally new experience. I think travel should always include really new experiences. Plus, with the economy the way it is right now, it was important to me to not only see some more of this amazing country, but to spend my money here as well.

I’m really glad we went. I feel like, through traveling in Europe, I’ve had the opportunity to see a lot of man’s beauty. Out west we had the chance to see some of God’s beauty.