Museum of the West and other Adventures

This morning I  spent three and a half hours in this museum:

 
Most of the time was spent in the firearms museum, but there are three other parts that I also checked out......western art, native peoples (i.e., Indians), and Bill Cody's life and career. 

There are over 1500 firearms displayed on the main floor, and more in the lower floor that I didn't get to.  Here is a picture of the entrance:

One of the rifles in this display is the Marlin 39A that I bought when I was 14.  It wasn't my first gun, either. Different times, then.

The had a room full of hunting trophies:

And firearm displays consisting of almost every model made by every American gun manufacturer:

These are all Winchester model 94s, except for that one second from right, and I have one of those. 

They had some presentation firearms that were given to presidents.  Somehow I don't think the current president is going to get one.

And some of the machinery used to make firearms in the early 20th century.  There were some huge factories employing thousands of workers:

After I left the museum I went back through Yellowstone, but this time through the middle instead of the northern roads.  As I approached the park I could see some really dark clouds ahead, so I stopped to put on my rain gear.  Then, just inside the park I camp upon this guy:

I think that's a Griz, but Carolyn says she thinks there aren't any in Yellowstone.  At least he didn't pull this trick on me:

As I rode through the park there were some brief thundershowers with intense rain and even some hail.  And it got worse.  On the way from West Yellowstone to Idaho Falls, which is about 100 miles,  it rained almost constantly as I passed through cells of thunderstorms.  At one time the wind and rain were so intense I just couldn't ride.....I was afraid I would get blown over or hydroplane.  I pulled over to the side of the road and just sat there until it passed and got back to a simple steady rain.  By the time I got to Idaho Falls at just after 6pm I had definitely had enough for the day.

But, tomorrow is another day and it is supposed to be dry and relatively cool.  More Good Roads  ahead!