 |
| We attended the United Methodist Church while in Cody. |
 |
|
The stained glass mosaic behind the altar was beautiful. Unfortunately, with a photo, you can't really see all the scenes, within the mosaic, depicting scenes from Christ's life. The people in this church were among the friendliest we have encountered on our travels. |
 |
| From Cody, we headed toward Red Lodge, MT. This was actually backtracking for us, which Mr. Linebarger never likes to do, but John Purifoy (our friend who lives in Knoxville, TN) noted that we needed to be sure to drive the Beartooth All-American Highway while we were this close. So back to Montana we go! |
 |
| Just before we entered Red Lodge, we passed an old abandoned coal mine. We learned that this was the site of the worst underground coal mine disaster in Montana history. 74 men lost their lives in the Smith Mine on the morning of February 27, 1943. Some died as a result of a violent explosion but most fell victim to the deadly methane gasses released by the blast. The tragedy sparked investigations at the state and national level that resulted in improvements in mine safety. |
 |
| We entered the Beartooth Highway just west of our campground near Red Lodge. We knew, right away, that this was going to be a great day. |
 |
| The road winds through grassy hills that soon give way to heavily forested mountains. Rocky outcrops and an occasional spire juts over the trees. |
 |
| The Beartooth actually passes through both southern Montana and northern Wyoming. It extends from Red Lodge to the northeast entrance of Yellowstone in Wyoming. |