Leaving Shell, Wyoming on Bighorn Scenic Byway (Highway 14), we had a very unexpected drive through the Bighorn Mountains, up past Shell Falls and up a crazy high pass at about 9100 feet, then back down at an alarming descent into the valley.  Did not do good for the gas budget but what a gorgeous drive.  We actually had no idea what we were in for until we saw signs like this....

Yes....BILLION....kind of makes our 2 1/2 month long trip not seem that long after all....

Then we saw the most amazing scenery so didn't mind the crazy drive, it was well worth it.

All along the way we kept seeing signs like "Chugwater FM Triassic 205 - 245 million years...1 billion years etc.....

Near the top of the pass we discovered 120 foot Shell Falls, almost missed it but luckily we were able to pull over in time.   And once again the rock in the area was crazy old,  sandstone about 550 million years old, resting on 2.9 billion year old  rocks—some of the oldest rocks on earth!! Makes us both feel pretty young after all.

No sooner had we gotten to the top of the pass, we were heading back down again and into farmland and the end of another day on the road, loving every minute of this.

The drive out of Yellowstone was extremely smokey due to all the fires in the area and  we missed the beautiful views of Yellowstone Lake. At one point we were the only vehicle heading to the East Gate, everyone else was heading in the other direction...started  wondering if they knew something we didn't.

Luckily the highway to Cody, Wyoming was still open and we enjoyed a day at the 300,000-square-foot Buffalo Bill Center of the West. www.centerofthewest.org Amazing place!! We spent hours at the museum learning about the life of William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody and the displays in the "Plains Indian Museum" were unbelievable.  Such history and I have never in my life seen so many guns....thousands of them... thousands....

And about the guns...check this one out..It's a Multi-bladed Folding Knife with a .22 Caliber Pistol...Really???.... just in case you need to shave, cut the end off of your cigar and shoot someone, all at the same time...