On Monday July 23 we visited 3M’s facility to speak with them about all of their new technologies that could help us build our next solar car. We found many intriguing new tapes, velcro’s, adhesives, and coverings that we will definitely be integrating into our future projects. Thanks again 3M for inviting us to drop by!
That event finished up around 1pm and we decided to get going on our return road trip. 250 miles later we ended up in Fargo, ND. The place that we stayed at had an indoor pool which was well used by the team members that night. Not the most fascinating city, so we got up early the following day and set out for a long long long day of driving.
We completed 600 more miles along highway 94 which took us to Billings, MN. That drive was one of the most beautiful scenic drives that we have had in the last 5 weeks. Montana has the prettiest landscapes and scenery by far. We all couldn’t stop taking photos because each ravine, mountain, and plain was just stunning! All in all though this scenic drive was just a way to get us closer to our true goal: Yellowstone National Park.
On July 25 we pulled into Yellowstone National Park around lunchtime and ate food while we planned out what sites we were going to see. Due to some road construction, our desire to see the Yellowstone river and lake, as well as our time commitments we decided against going to see Old Faithful and opted instead to see the grand canyon of Yellowstone and the glorious falls!
Both of the Lower and Upper falls were absolutely gorgeous! Massive height drops and white water misting through the air with beautiful valleys full of colored rock walls. Truly truly amazing. If you ever get the chance to go through Yellowstone National Park take more time to see all the sites, and for sure go see the water falls because they are breath taking.
Part way through the park we encountered what seemed to be a road block in the middle of a large plain. After we inched our way through the long line of cars we figured out what the problem was – bison! A large herd of bison was crossing the road and people took to leaving their vehicles in order to get better pictures of them. They are really very large creatures and you can just tell that they are incredibly dense and must weigh a ton. And with hundreds of them around we decided to keep our distance and not provoke any stampedes.
We ended the day leaving Yellowstone and we found a campsite in the Grand Tetons. At this late time in our long journey camping is very efficient and we have more relaxation time for swimming in the lake, writing in our journals, or playing card games. Which is exactly what we did!
The idea is one more long day of driving and we will be pulling our caravan back into the Richmond Field Station and officially completing our journey! Wish us luck driving about 550 more miles!