Around the World in Several Ways

By Bob Burrows A.I.B.

For most of us, the desire to travel and see the world is a natural aspiration and for those of us who can, it is an amazing experience. In the early stages of our marriage, my wife and I enjoyed several holidays with family and friends in Europe. It was when the spectre of cancer affected us both that we became more ambitious, more adventurous and determined to see as much of the world as possible whilst we still had time. For the past twenty-plus years or so, we have done just that. We have camped, cruised around the world, yachted, been on road trips, coached, skied, fly-driven and owned a house in Florida for eleven years. This is an account of our experiences full of facts and details, some funny and some serious, with dangerous encounters and amusing and irritating experiences when letting out our house in Florida. We have seen the iconic buildings of the great civilizations, the world’s great waterfalls, spent time with the Borneo headhunters, canoed part of the Amazon, encountered polar bears, a leopard carrying her cub, armed escort in Yemen, intrigue in China and interviewed Debbie Reynolds in Las Vegas. Furthermore, we’ve experienced being trapped by a hurricane in Florida, Olympic Games in Australia, death on a plane, suicide on a ship, terrifying gang fight in Kuala Lumpur, car crash in Florida, five road trips around America and much more!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Nov 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9781528986663

Bob Burrows A.I.B.

Former bank director, Bob Burrows pursued his love of writing with freelance work for newspapers and magazines before graduating to writing factual books. One of his seven books, Fighter Writer, a biography of Sergeant Joe Lee of the Black Watch, a First World War poet, was launched at the Imperial War Museum in London, followed by a promotional tour in Scotland and was nominated for the Saltire Award. Bob and his wife, Pat, having survived cancer, decided to travel the world whilst they could and Around the World in Several Ways is a record of their experiences.

Book preview

Around the World in Several Ways

Bob Burrows A.I.B

Austin Macauley Publishers

Around the World in Several Ways

About the Author

Dedication

Copyright Information ©

Acknowledgment

Introduction

Chapter 1 America

Road Trips – Mid West

American Road Trip – Sept. 7 – Oct. 2011

Deep South

American Road Trip 2 – Sept. 8 – Oct. 4 2012

Texas

American Road Trip 3 – Sept 17 – Oct 8 2013

California

Road Trip

Island Hopping – Hawaii

Florida Sunshine State (House Owning)

Kennedy Space Centre

Kissimmee

Key West

Tampa

Celebration City

The Everglades

Fort Myers

Sanibel

St Petersburg

Indian Rocks

Anna Maria Island

Jacksonville

Longboat Key

Tarpon Springs

Fort Lauderdale

Palm Beach Gardens

Haines City

Orlando Walt Disney World Resort Magic Kingdom

Epcot

MGM Studios (Now Disney’s Hollywood Studios)

Blizzard Beach

Typhoon Lagoon

Universal Studios

Islands of Adventure

Sea World

Golf and Wildlife

Food

Las Vegas

Nevada

Las Vegas – Debbie Reynolds

Hollywood Icon

Florida Car Crash

Holiday Warning

Christmas in New York

Alaska

Cruise

Chapter 2 Canada

Canadian Rockies – Churchill – Polar Bears

Canadian Eastern Cities and East USA

Chapter 3 Cruising the World

Mediterranean – Baltic – Central America – The Gulf – South America – Panama Canal – Indian Ocean – Pacific Ocean

Traditions and Practise

Sad – Funny – Unusual.

Chapter 4 Europe

Camping – South of France

Sailing Greek Islands

Ionian Sea

Spain Road Trip – Paradores

Chapter 5 Skiing

Scotland – France – Canada

Chapter 6 South America

Bolivia – Brazil – Argentina

Peru – Amazon

Lima – Cusco – Machu Picchu – Lake Titicaca

Chapter 7 Asia

India

Japan

Tokyo – Nara – Kyoto

China

Thailand (Hill Tribes)

Phuket

Singapore – Bali – Indonesia – Hong Kong – Bangkok

Cambodia – Singapore

Borneo

Head-hunters – Orang-Utans – 1995.

Mauritius (Golf)

Chapter 8 Middle East

Israel

Egypt

Oman

Southern Arabia

Yemen

Land of Sheba

Chapter 9 Africa

South Africa (Garden Route)

Road Trip – Golf

Tanzania

Australia – 1996. 2000 – Olympics – 2015

Australia – August 2000 – Olympic Games.

Australia – 2015 – South Pacific Cruise

About the Author

Former bank director, Bob Burrows A.I.B. pursued his love of writing with freelance work for newspapers and magazines before graduating to writing factual books. One of his seven books, Fighter Writer, a biography of Sergeant Joe Lee of the Black Watch, a First World War poet, was launched at the Imperial War Museum in London, followed by a promotional tour in Scotland and was nominated for the Saltire Award. Bob and his wife, Pat, having survived cancer, decided to travel the world whilst they could and Around the World in Several Ways is a record of their experiences.

Dedication

Dedicated to my wife, Pat, and to my family—son, Nik Burrows, and his partner, Gill Cryer, to my granddaughter, Emily Burrows, and to my daughter, Penny Bates, and husband, David, and my grandson, Jacob Bates. Thank you for your indulgences at our continued absences and to your patience in hearing the old traveller’s tales time and again.

Copyright Information ©

Bob Burrows A.I.B. (2020)

The right of Bob Burrows A.I.B. to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781528986656 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781528986663 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published (2020)

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd

25 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5LQ

Acknowledgement

To the friends who accompanied us on our journeys, sharing the triumphs and

the tribulations.

Introduction

For most of us, the desire to travel and see the world is a natural aspiration, and for those of us who can, it is an amazing experience. In the earlier stages of our lives, my wife and I were fortunate to travel regularly and enjoy holidays together, and later, with our family. Belgium, Germany, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Majorca, Minorca, Switzerland, Malta, Spain, honeymoon in Italy, in Sorrento with a chance to see Rome, Pompeii and the Colosseum, Portugal, Czech Republic and Greece where we saw The Parthenon. However, later in our lives when the spectre of illness, cancer, affected us both, we became more ambitious, more adventurous and wanted to see as much of the world as possible whilst we still had the chance. For the past twenty plus years or so, we have done just that. We have camped, cruised around the world, yachted, road trips, skied, toured by coach, fly drive and owned a house in Florida for 10 years. This is not a travelogue, advising where to go, what to see and what price to pay. This is an account of our experiences full of facts and detail, funny, serious with some dangerous encounters, and amusing and irritating experiences when letting out our Florida home to holiday makers. We have experienced the Taj Mahal, Machu Picchu, Chichen Itza, Angkor Wat, the Grand Canyon, have walked the Great Wall of China and stood awestruck at the might of the Niagara Falls, the Victoria Falls and Iguazu Falls – have spent a night in the jungle with the Borneo head-hunters, a trip down the Amazon, an encounter with Polar Bears in Churchill and an unforgettable experience in the Yemen. Christmas in New York, however, was the culmination of a desire from being a child – just magical.

Death on a plane, a murder enquiry on a ship, a suicide on a ship and the rescue of a wrecked yacht on a deserted island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean are just part for the course. A hurricane which trapped us in our house and bush fires in Florida, a car crash in Florida, meeting and interviewing Debbie Reynolds in Las Vegas (photo), corruption and bugging in China, 2,000 Olympic Games in Australia, bitten by a Tiger fish in the South Pacific, photographed a leopard carrying her cub in Tanzania, chased by an elephant, danger in Israel, deliberately maimed children in India in the begging business, green sea snake in Bali, red light district, Bangkok, Thailand Hill tribes, witness to a terrifying machete gang fight in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, an armed escort in the Yemen and several coincidental meetings in strange lands are just a few of our many experiences.

Chapter 1

America

Road Trips – Mid West

American Road Trip – Sept. 7 – Oct. 2011

JOURNEY – DENVER, COLORADO TO LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – 4275 Miles

FUEL CONSUMPTION – 159 GALLONS

STATES VISITED – COLORADO, SOUTH DAKOTA, WYOMING,

                               MONTANA, UTAH, IDAHO, ARIZONA,CALIFORNIA,

                               NEVADA and NEW MEXICO (as part of 4 Corners)

STOPOVERS – Denver, Colorado-Residence Inn, Douglas, Colorado-

HolidayInn Express, Rapid City, South Dakota-Fairfield Inn, Sheridan,Wyoming-Hampton Inn, Cody, Wyoming-Hotel, Irma, West Yellowstone, Montana-Holiday Inn, Provo, Utah-Residence Inn, Moab, Utah-Hampton Inn, Cortez, Colorado-Holiday Inn Exp, Monument Valley, Arizona-The View Hotel, Flagstaff, Arizona Residence Inn, Lake Havasu, Arizona-Hampton Inn, Palm Desert-Residence Inn, Las Vegas, Nevada- Paris Hotel.

PARTICIPANTS – GEOFF SIGNEY AGED 64 – MAIN DRIVER.

BOB BURROWS AGED 70 – CHRONICLER, SUPPORT

DRIVER, VIDEO RECORDER.

SUSAN SIGNEY AGED 60 – SATNAV OPERATOR,

ROUTE, PLANNER, SUPPORT DRIVER.

PAT BURROWS AGED 69 – ROUTE PLANNER, MAP

READER, INVOICE CONTROLLER.

On Wednesday, September 7th, the taxi arrived to convey us to Manchester Airport for the afternoon flight to Heathrow. It was the culmination of months of route planning and forward hotel bookings by Pat and Sue. The flight to Denver, Colorado took off around 4.30 pm and after an uneventful journey, we arrived around 7.15 pm American time, a journey of just over nine hours. After clearing customs and collecting our baggage, our next job, and arguably most important, was to select the vehicle that would act as a friend and as a home for almost four weeks. The decision was unanimous and a black Chrysler, Town and Country seven-seater automatic mini-van with sliding doors was quickly loaded and our adventure commenced. With Geoff at the wheel, our next task was to find the hotel. However, Denver proved to be a vast, sprawling conurbation and our mastery of the satnav system was very much in its infancy. Following the instructions and trying to identify locations in the dark, amidst the lights and volumes of Denver traffic was far from easy and driver, Geoff, came through his first testing when we finally passed through the town and arrived around 10 pm at the Residence Inn on the outskirts at Golden close to a motorway. A long day was completed in pleasant and comfortable surroundings.

The following day, September 8th, the adventure formally began and we headed out of town to Lookout Mountain in search of the grave of Western legend William F Cody or as he is forever known Buffalo Bill. The mountain was said to be 30 minutes from Denver but we soon started to climb amidst spectacular scenery that, very soon, we would start to take for granted. Eventually, at 7,375 feet, the pinnacle was reached and afforded magnificent views overlooking the Great Plains and the Rockies. Buffalo Bill died in 1917 and requested to be buried on the mountain. The grave was simple and decorated with stone with a plaque extolling his legend. His wife was buried alongside him. Interestingly, the coffins had been covered by two tons of concrete to prevent any attempts to remove the bodies – other parties had demanded that the legend should be buried where he was born or where he had resided. It was indeed a beautiful and peaceful spot but frequented at night by bears and rattlesnakes. Close by was the Buffalo Bill Museum, a fascinating place full of artefacts from his varied life – firearms, saddles, awards, many Indian objects, weapons, stuffed animals, and many pictures and artistic pieces from the days when he travelled the world with his Wild West shows. While I was filming, Pat was looking through a bound book that listed all the places throughout the world visited by his show and, incredibly, she pointed out that in 1904, Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show had visited Macclesfield! I resolved to research that information on my return home. It was a peaceful place to visit and, as we descended the mountain, the grave of Buffalo Bill’s stepson was observed.

Our next destination was a small town 45 miles west of Denver, Georgetown, renowned for its old steam railway. En route, once again, the scenery was amazing, we passed Idaho Springs once famous for its involvement in a gold rush and Swiss-style houses nestled in the steep hills. Eventually, we reached Georgetown, situated at a height of 8,500 feet but nestled in a valley surrounded by the Rocky Mountains. It was easy to accept that this was, in the winter, a ski resort. We lunched outside on a bench in warm sunshine and enjoyed the quaintness of the small town. Mainly, bright wooden buildings widely spaced in a setting of clean, fresh mountain air. However, we had come ostensibly to take a trip on the historic Georgetown Loop. In the 1800s, Georgetown and the town of Silver Plume were the centres of a very rich hoard of silver and gold, and the railway was constructed in the steep narrow canyon connecting the two mines to facilitate transport. However, when the mines ran out, it was decided to retain and restore the line for tourist opportunities, and in 1973, restoration began and the huge Devil’s Gate Bridge was fully restored over Clear Creek, together with the High Bridge and the whole project was completed in 1984.

We got our tickets and watched as the train crossed the High Bridge and approached the station blowing its whistle. We mounted the train at the Devil’s Gate Boarding Area and the 75-minute journey through forest, over tumbling white water, spectacular bridges with the comforting smoke and noise of the steam train punctuated from time to time with the joyful blast of the iconic whistle reached its highest point of 9,178 feet at Silver Plume, before returning to the start. The ride was a joy.

We wound our way back down through the mountains into Denver to explore the city and managed to find at the State Capitol Building the marker indicating that, at that point, Denver was one mile above sea-level. We boarded the free bus that moved up and down the main street, 16th Street Mall, and were impressed by the style and quality of the buildings and the apparent style and elegance of many of the stores. Denver, we decided, was a mighty fine city. On the way back to our hotel, we were concerned to see from the motorway a considerable police presence close to our hotel. However, our fears were arrayed when we were told that there had been an attempted robbery at a hotel opposite ours and the police were following up leads.

That evening, we obtained instructions to find the nearest Outback restaurant, and despite the best efforts of all four of us, could not find it for ages. We finally found it with about fifteen minutes before closing and realised that it was roughly about half a mile from our hotel!

The following day, September 9th, we left Denver heading for Cheyenne with an overnight stay in Douglas. Just south of Cheyenne, we entered the beautiful state of Wyoming and investigated Terry’s bison ranch but didn’t like what we saw. Attempts to give a pseudo-western image with the bison ranch but ruined it with camels, ostriches, birds, shops and a restaurant. The buffalo that we initially saw were in a corral and numbered about 100. Disillusioned, we moved on but, as we drove alongside the ranch and started to leave the dwellings, we suddenly came upon vast open fields that contained 2,000-3,000 bison roaming free. It was great to have our first sightings and we took many photographs; in case we did not encounter more in our subsequent travels. Little did we know that we would have greater contacts with this magnificent beast throughout our journey. We travelled on through vast open prairies, which were part of the Pawnee Indian National Grasslands, and decided to bypass Cheyenne and press on.

Figure 1: Bison, Yellowstone National Park

We stopped at Weastland for lunch where Sue got a nasty sting from a wasp. I took over the driving for the journey to Douglas. Just short of Douglas, we diverted to a place called Guernsey to see the Wagon Train ruts near the North Plate River. The settlers moving west followed the Oregon Trail for hundreds of miles through difficult but beautiful terrain. The spot we visited showed where the wagons came out of the river and then crossed over a sandstone plateau leaving deep ruts caused by the wagon wheels. It is an historic site and a little further on was a cliff face in which the settlers carved their names. It was a blistering hot day in a most beautiful part of Wyoming but we did not attempt the cliff visit. Hard to imagine these tough people pushing, dragging their wagons and belongings hundreds of miles in searing heat whilst fighting off Indian attacks.

Reached our destination, the Holiday Inn, Douglas, checked in, then decided that we would go and find Fort Fetterman just a few miles north of the hotel. On reaching our destination, we were disappointed to find that it was closed. However, Geoff and I went inside the grounds to find that it was just a collection of three or four buildings with the outline of where the old fort stood. Sad because, during the Indian Sioux Wars, around the 1870s, Fort Fetterman was the last in the chain of forts designed to contain the Indian threat. Considering that such luminaries as Buffalo Bill, Wild Bill Hickok, Jim Bridger, Calamity Jane and Chief Rain-In-The-Face were regular visitors, more could and should be done to preserve and enhance this historic place.

We dined in the town at the La Bonte café in a quaint little street where we sampled local life from the waitress, as we were virtually, apart from the boyfriend of another waitress, the only customers!

An overnight stay and, once again, we packed up, and on September 10th, we made an early start setting out for Rapid City. I was in the driving seat and we got off to a lively start and, in no time, had covered 23 miles when our route planners decided that we had set off in the wrong direction, and I had to turn around and return to Douglas and start again – 46 miles wasted! After 140 miles, stopped at Hat Creek for a drinks break then Geoff took over. Just a few miles short of Rapid City, we stopped at a unique site in Hot Springs, South Dakota, the Mammoth Site. In the most beautiful setting of rolling green hills, lovely forest and manicured gardens was a most interesting building inside of which was an original sinkhole. Twenty-six thousand years old, the sinkhole had trapped a wondrous collection of animals including 58 Columbian and woolly mammoths, a short-faced bear and a giant bear and the excavations showed exactly where each fossil had been located. All sorts of fossils were on display including a full construction of a woolly mammoth. Very interesting.

Leaving Hot Springs, we headed north-west and entered the southern part of the Black Hills National Forest climbing steadily towards an eagerly awaited experience, the World’s largest mountain carving, still in progress, the fantastic Crazy Horse Memorial. What a magnificent sight, truly awe-inspiring from a distance. The face is fully formed, and the outline of the war bonnet and horse head is marked out but will take years to fashion. When completed, the cliff face sculpture will be 563 feet high and 641 feet long. First started in 1948 by sculptor, Korezak Ziolkowskie, following an invitation by Chief Standing Bear, it is estimated that another forty years will be required to finish the project. A bus took us to the bottom of the cliff face, which helped to give us an indication of the scale of the job. The site embraces gift shops with many Indian artefacts, restaurants and a museum including a superb stagecoach that once did the Deadwood to Cheyenne run.

Figure 2: Crazy Horse, South Dakota

We continued in the same area, taking directions to another eagerly anticipated feature, the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, the faces of Presidents, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. The road was majestic passing through craggy caverns, rocky outcrops, rich green trees, lakes, rivers and forest, and we were astonished to suddenly find, emerging from the forest, a magnificent bison. The first we had seen in the wild, it strutted across the road in no particular hurry enabling us to obtain close up photographs. We proceeded elated on our journey and soon observed the distinctive sight of the Mount Rushmore sculptures. We entered the massive complex, parked the car and walked up the steps and were faced by an avenue of flags – stone pillars each carrying a flag of the various states including commonwealths and territories of the USA, 56 in number. The long avenue contained information sites, museum pieces and shops, and culminated in the Grand View Terrace. Raised high, it afforded clear views of the faces of the Presidents and overlooks the amphitheatre, and underneath is a complex of shops and the official museum. Created by Gutzon Borglum in 1927 and finished in 1941, the face of each President is 60-feet-tall.

Figure 3: Mount Rushmore, South Dakota

It was about five pm, and the sun was bright and very warm and the cliff face was bathed in sunshine, we couldn’t have head a better time to visit. I was very impressed and had wanted to see Mount Rushmore for many years, although, in truth, the rest of the party was a little disappointed.

We continued our journey to Rapid City and were temporarily amused by a family of wild turkeys scuttling across the road and holding up the traffic. Eventually, after a thoroughly interesting day, we reached Rapid City and checked in at the Fairfield Inn, for a scheduled two-night stay.

In the first four days, we completed 743 miles and had 25,194 on the clock. September 11th – five days into our trip, again up early and away, our destination was the iconic western town of Deadwood. Our journey took us through the northern part of the Black Hills National Forest. The name Black Hills derived from the dark green trees that make up the heavily forested areas and, from a distance, the hills appeared to be black. 28 miles later, we were entering the outskirts of what appeared to be a small pseudo-imitation of an old western town not particularly well done. Yes, there were several original buildings but others were clearly built in the fashion of the mid-1800s. Old bars and saloons filled with casino type operations and slot machines. It was in 1989 that Deadwood applied for permission to legalise gambling and it was granted. There is a bar/hotel called the Midnight Star owned by Kevin Costner – pictures and photos from many of his films adorn the walls above the ever-present gaming tables. There is a bar called Saloon 110 a fabulous throwback to the frontier days, elk, bison heads on the wall, all types of weapons Indian, and frontier, old photographs of Indian Chiefs and army, many references to Wild Bill Hickok, all set in a gloomy typical salon of the Wild West period. Across the street is the original saloon 110 where Wild Bill regularly gambled and was shot dead from behind in 1876. There is a plaque recording this historic murder and inevitably at the entrance to Deadwood is a magnificent sculpture of Wild Bill in copper and bronze. The major hotel is the Franklin Hotel and is recommended for its Victorian décor. Yes, indeed, the décor was superb with old drapes, superb chandeliers and wonderful Victorian ceilings but all ruined by the ever-present slot machines.

A final must for our visit to Deadwood was to visit the Moriah Cemetery where there is an impressive bust and grave of Wild Bill Hickok, and nearby is the grave of another famous or infamous Deadwood resident, Calamity Jane, who was in love with Wild Bill and requested to be buried close to him. In the old days, Deadwood was a thriving town built on the gold mining industry, and was a haven for gunslingers, miners and drifters, today, its existence depends on tourism and gambling.

Leaving Deadwood behind, we drove several miles to visit an attraction called Bear Country, which is a drive-through park where a number of wild animals are kept. As we drove slowly through the park, brown bears, black bears and wolves wandered freely and indeed brushed against the car. We saw many charming scenes including a wolf playfully taking a bite at a bear that chased him away. Elk, reindeer, fox and bison roamed in generous grounds, and we saw mountain lions secured in a pen. In a separate more controlled part of the park, there was an enclosure containing two grizzly bears, a female and a truly magnificent male called, Tank. He was huge and wandered off to take a dip in a nearby pool. Other creatures, lynx, grey wolf, red fox, otter and beavers were in nearby enclosures.

Another hot, busy day ended with our return to the hotel at around five pm.

September 12th, and once again, we set off early heading for Sheridan with me in the driving seat. By now, a clear pattern had emerged. Packing and unpacking the clothes that we needed for each day and each one-night stopover had become second nature. We also each had our own seats and position in the car. Geoff in the driving seat, me alongside making notes and filming, Pat and Sue in the seats behind observing and commenting on route and direction, and the end seats and boot full of luggage!

Today, however, I commenced the driving to give Geoff a break and drove 142 miles through Wyoming to Gillette, then Sue took over to take us to Buffalo. The scenery was truly breathtaking. Just short of Sheridan, we detoured to take in another destination that I had read about and known since a young child, Fort Phil Kearny, notorious for the massacre of Captain Fetterman and his entire force by the Sioux.

The fort commanded fantastic views across the prairie, and was clearly a strategic key-point in the protection of the settlers on the Bozeman Trail and fighting the Indian Wars. A ridge near the fort afforded a comprehensive view over the valley and today has life-size models of Indians on horseback gazing out over the countryside. The Fort has a few buildings, an information centre and a token log stockade to show how it might have looked and there are marked out areas with descriptions showing where each building e.g. barracks, sleeping quarters and officers’ lodgings for 500 men once stood. In December 1866, a band of Indians ambushed a wood gathering wagon some three miles from the fort, and Captain Fetterman, with 80 men, was ordered to go to their rescue with strict instructions not to go over the ridge in pursuit. The Indians lured him into their trap, and over the ridge he went to be ambushed by more than 1000 Indians who wiped out and mutilated his command to the man. Ironically, Fetterman had once bragged, Give me 80 men and I will destroy the entire Sioux nation! The site of the massacre is marked with a stone monument and memorial plaque, and was, during our visit, serenely beautiful, with lush rolling green hills which made it difficult to imagine the horror that was perpetrated here less than 150 years ago. Further from the site is a memorial to Portuguese, John, who volunteered to ride the 236 miles to Fort Laramie in the depths of winter to get help.

Leaving Fort Kearny, we arrived at Sheridan named after General Sheridan, an officer in the Union Army of the Civil War, and checked in at the Hampton Inn on the outskirts of town.

After check in, we explored the town renowned for the Sheridan Inn where Buffalo Bill often stayed and conducted auditions for his Wild West shows. Inside the white wooden colourful building, there are pictures of him and his family, and the office that he used during his frequent stays. To get into the town, a rail crossing had to be overcome, and if you were unlucky to find that the barrier was down and a train was due, you could be stuck there for ages as huge trains, sometimes a mile long, passed through the town.

Had a superb meal that evening at the Wyoming Chop House. Mileage to date, 1164.

September 13th, another early start heading for one of my lifetime ambitions, the Custer Battlefield at the Little Big Horn. Very soon, we passed the State boundary and entered Montana. Soon after, we found ourselves on the approach road to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument and were amused by the antics of a whole troop of tiny prairie dogs aroused at our presence. We paid our entrance fee and entered the park on a gloriously hot day.

Firstly, we visited the Visitor Centre, and Geoff and I watched a film of the depiction of the Custer fight and then reviewed the comprehensive memorabilia – artefacts, photographs, paintings of Custer’s Last Stand, books (I bought The Custer Album) and other souvenirs. Outside, overlooking the battlefield was a platform, with many seats that was used as a starting point for the guides and lecturers. We could see paths through the battlefield which stretched for miles and at every point of interest were raised information plaques explaining what had happened at that particular spot. There were also white markers indicating where a body had fallen during the fight, and some bore the names of the soldiers and Indians who had died. There were also warnings of rattlesnakes in the area.

Figure 4: Custer’s gravestone

We left the Visitor Centre and walked up an incline to Last Stand Hill on which stood the 7th Cavalry Memorial. The plaque stated that most of the 225 men of the 7th Cavalry who died on that infamous day in 1876 were buried under the monument.

The hill was named because about 41 of the last survivors including Custer retreated to the hill, then shot their horses to use as cover before fighting to the death. White markers including that of Lt Col George Armstrong Custer were dotted all over the hill, and naming each man and where he died. Custer’s body was later removed and he was interred at West Point.

We only visited the Last Stand Hill area as the battlefield covered many miles into the magnificent Little Bighorn Valley where Custer and his entire force of more than 600 troops had originally galloped. Although Custer was involved in the main fight, other battles occurred in different parts of the valley and along the Bighorn River. In total, more than 260 soldiers died at the hands of several thousand Lakota Sioux and Cheyenne warriors. It was also gratifying to note the excellent memorial to the Indian fighters who died on that day, fighting for their freedom.

It was a hot day and the views over the Little Bighorn Valley were wondrous, gently rolling lush green hills, a ravine or two, dark green trees and the river. Once again, it was hard to imagine the carnage and the savagery that took place on a warm June day in 1876 in such a beautiful place.

As we left the area, we passed the Custer National Cemetery which contained the bodies of the men killed in the Fetterman massacre as well as those of Major Reno, second-in-command to Custer, who survived in a different part of the battlefield and later died of cancer. Also buried here are several of Custer’s Indian scouts who Custer allowed to leave before the battle and lived to old age. The cemetery also contains many bodies of people killed in other conflicts throughout the frontier.

We left the park and headed for Cody, Wyoming, for our next overnight stop.

Very soon, we passed the State boundary and once again entered Wyoming before stopping at Billings, a small town that promised much but in effect proved to be a disappointment. Once again, we relied on Subway for a snatched lunch. With me at the wheel, we passed through hills, and then a gentle fertile landscape of farmland, ranches, horses and cattle and through the quaint village of Red Lodge – virtually, one street resplendent for some reason, in flags.

We arrived at Cody, named after William Cody aka Buffalo Bill, around four pm and drove down the main street for our first glance at the world famous Irma Hotel, our destination for the night. In truth, neither the hotel nor the town, despite assurances that ‘you will love it’ impressed us. The Irma Hotel, named after Buffalo Bill’s daughter, was built by him in 1902 after he founded the town in 1895 and established his ranch here. In the past, the hotel had hosted a number of European royals and a number of famous celebrities. One side of the hotel had a sheltered wooden sidewalk supported by wooden arches and contained chairs for residents to sit in the shade. We checked in and were shown to our rooms, heavily draped and furnished in Victorian-style, together with an old-fashioned toilet draining system, a direct contrast to all the modern establishments that we had stayed in to date. Sue did not like her room at all and complained of dust on furniture. Pat and I accepted the difference, and for one night, we felt that it was adequate and interesting. Downstairs, the huge dining room was incredible, a bison head, elk, Indian weapons, tomahawk, bows and arrows, all sorts of firearms on all the walls, together with numerous old photographs of Buffalo Bill, Indians and the frontier days were complemented by the long polished cherry wood bar and the carved wooden ceilings all originals from 1902. Buffalo Bill retained two suites and an office permanently for his personal use at the hotel.

The original building had had two extensions in the past.

Most nights, the street fronting the sidewalk played host to an open-air gunfight with the spectators seating in chairs beneath the sidewalk and spilling out onto the street.

We took our places and, in truth, it wasn’t much of a spectacle, much shouting and shooting of guns, very much an amateur production. Still, tourists came to see it from around the area as we discovered to our cost when Pat and I decided to dine at the hotel restaurant – Geoff and Sue booked elsewhere. As we came down from our room to select our table, to our horror, there wasn’t a seat to be had, and we noticed a queue going out of the front door of the hotel and another queue waiting at the bar.

We went out into the main street which was very busy, strolled past the many quaint shops and managed to find a restaurant.

After dining, we walked up the main street and saw that the sidewalk of the Irma was busy with people outside drinking and listening to a group playing. We had heard of a Gun Museum close by the hotel that was still open and enjoyed an entertaining hour or so looking at dozens of firearms collected from all over the United States. We chatted for some time to the owner who had collected most of the items from the Civil War, the Indian Wars and the First World War – some very exotic items and one rifle found in the Little Bighorn River thought to have been used at the Custer battle.

September 14th – we loaded the car in pouring rain and started to leave the car park to go to Granny’s café for a cooked breakfast. The breakfasts included in the hotels to date followed a similar pattern, cereals, juiced drinks or hot drinks, scrambled egg, toast and fruit but never a cooked breakfast. However, as we drove away and pulled up for the traffic, there was a frantic thumping on my side of the window and I wound it down to find a distraught young lady, bare-footed in the rain, shouting, You’ve rear-ended me. It transpired that as we were reversing, Geoff had indeed reversed into her as she sat in her mother’s car. None of us noticed the impact, so gentle had it been. Geoff and I met with her mother, and Geoff exchanged all the required details. In truth, it was difficult spotting any damage on either car – it was minimal. Nevertheless, details were exchanged – no need for the police, it was decided and we amicably departed for the café where we proceeded to have our breakfast.

Whilst dining in the packed café, two armed policemen in shorts entered and we joked that they had come for Geoff – no joke, they had! The woman had telephoned the police and they tracked us down, it wasn’t difficult to find us. Once again, all details were supplied and the police photographed the scratches on our car. During our banter with the investigating officer, he admitted that it was a very minor incident but he had to investigate and report. Geoff was a little shaken but insisted that he continued driving.

After breakfast, we started for the much-anticipated journey to Yellowstone National Park, very quickly starting the climb into the mountains through Shoshone National Park. Yellowstone was established in 1872 and became America’s first national park and covers an area, which embraces parts of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.

We came through an impressive tunnel blasted through the mountains and stopped at the Buffalo Bill Dam in pouring rain. We entered Yellowstone at the east entrance and proceeded over the Sylvan Pass at 8,530 feet elevation heading north. The views were sensational, and soon, we made our first stop at Steamboat Point and watched the sulphur fumes rising up from vents around the lakeside. We crossed over Fishing Bridge, a most scenic spot and proceeded to Lehardy’s Rapids where we stopped to admire the strong on-rushing white water in a wide expanse of river and discovered that cut-throat trout used this river on their spawning voyage.

Figure 5: At Yellowstone National Park

As we approached a clear section of woodland, one or two cars had stopped and were photographing one or two bison but, as we moved slowly forward, we suddenly realised that, as we entered a section of forest, there were quite a few, moving through the forest. Very soon, there was a considerable herd of bison and they started filtering across the road, virtually walking alongside our vehicle. Huge males snorting and grunting as they directed the females and calves along the road, impervious to our presence. Winding down the window, one could smell and almost touch these superb beasts. Every now and again, a buffalo would roll over in the dust by the side of the road before the herd, finally, after giving us many photo opportunities, moved back into the forest.

Places of interest were thick and fast, and we stopped next at the Mud Volcano that, in the late 19th century, exploded blasting lava into the nearby trees causing the ground to shake. The Sulphur Caldron was next, a group of circular holes emitting white sulphuric fumes as we journeyed alongside the Yellowstone River. Our next stop was arguably for me the most beautiful geographic scene I have ever witnessed and I have seen a few in my travels – Artist’s Point Lower Falls. A huge cavernous gorge into which tumbled a roaring white-water waterfall into the valley below was flanked by cliffs that rose majestically either side displaying rocks of white, red, orange amidst clumps of green vegetation – breath-taking glimpse of the power and the beauty of nature.

Figure 6: Artist’s Point, Yellowstone National Park

As we left Artist’s Point and continued our journey, there was great excitement on the road as many cars were stopped and people were focussing on something in the distant hills. It proved to be a black bear but, in truth, it was very difficult to spot at such a distance.

When we reached Tower Fall, another majestic waterfall tumbling into a narrow gorge, it seemed almost ordinary!

We continued north, still at an elevation in excess of 8,000 feet, until we saw in the distance the distinct white clouds of another of Yellowstone’s unique features, Mammoth Hot Springs. In the nearby village, we saw a group of mule deer or elk.

Mammoth Hot Springs is a group of large sulphuric emissions on a calcified base of coloured previous eruptions – impressive. I took over the driving from Geoff who had performed very well throughout the park manoeuvring over mountain passes and descending narrow roads.

As we headed for Madison, West Yellowstone, we drove into bright sunshine but were fortunate enough to see a large elk in a nearby river. Eventually, after 75 miles, we arrived at dusk around 7.30 pm at the Holiday Inn, Madison, West Yellowstone, Montana and another stopover. That night, we dined in the hotel restaurant.

September 15th and day nine of our adventure had a shock for us as we awoke to a sharp frost but an excellent fried breakfast soon put us in the right mood, and off we set, hopefully, for another series of experiences. Within ten minutes of entering the park, we had a sighting of an elk and watched a coyote cavorting in a roadside meadow opposite a field containing large cranes. On our journey to Old Faithful, there were frequent views of distinctive plumes of white smoke clearly emitting from the many vents and geysers in the area. We arrived at our destination just in time to witness the next eruption of Old Faithful around 12 am. Seats were arranged in a huge semi-circle around the distinctive mound where the eruption would take place, and virtually on time the eruption happened, a muffled clump and then plumes of white sulphur shooting into the air. After perhaps five minutes, it was all over and order was restored. The whole area was dedicated to the phenomena, gift shops, restaurant, information centre and hotel – a pleasant experience.

We continued on into the park on a blistering hot day and settled for a sandwich lunch on benches when we reached yet another feature, the Kepler Cascades – yet another wondrous waterfall cascading down into a craggy ravine. As the day progressed, our animal sightings became more and more rewarding. A pair of elk, the male with huge antlers, broke into a run in an open meadow close to the road. Another bull elk standing in a river, two coyotes surprised us by emerging from the forest, glancing at us as they crossed the small road and disappearing into the other side, several bison sightings but sadly no bears. The highlight for me, however, was as we stopped by a lake for a break; we noticed a large bison moving toward the lake through the forest about 100 yards from us. We watched as he continued his march and then he entered the lake, swam across and got out to enter a meadow on the opposite side – in terms of sightings, pure gold.

As the day ended, we returned to Madison and visited the museum. The exhibits included a stuffed grizzly bear standing around ten feet tall that was well-known to the locals. He was called Snaggletooth because of a large crooked tooth in his jaw and, sadly, had been killed by poachers. There were also old coaches used in Victorian times to get around the park. The museum keeper told us that there were an estimated 400 grizzly bears and around 400 black bears in the area, and they frequently come into town. There was also in the local papers reports of two killings of humans by grizzlies.

That evening, we dined at the Three Bears Restaurant and were attended to by a real character. Clearly gay, he sped around the tables, to everyone’s amusement, at high speed with camp mannerisms calling us and everyone ‘kids’ and finished all requests for service with ‘done deal’. He told us that sometimes he coped with 30/40 tables in a night!

After dinner, we walked around the delightful shops until 9.30 pm. Madison, West Yellowstone was a splendid place with a wide open main street with nearly every building constructed from timber with a frontage of logs giving it a real old western town feel.

September 16th – up early and a cooked breakfast at Timberline Café. As we were eating, an Australian couple from Sydney, sitting nearby, engaged us in conversation. It transpired that he, Kenny Rogers, knew Rod Hodkinson very well from their days together at Moorbank, small world indeed.

After breakfast and just before we set off, I showed the others the superb train carriage that was part of the entrance to our hotel. I had explored it the previous evening, and its Victorian features, drapes, polished wood and light fittings were of the luxurious old-style. Set off in pouring rain, Geoff behind the wheel heading for PROVO, south of Salt Lake City. Initial part of