Day 39 Yellowstone (LeAnn)

Ben and I biked to the major tourist areas today. We saw Old Faithful and several other geysers shoot their steaming water up into the sky. There were hot pools of every color of the rainbow and mud pots that bubbled a mixture of silica, clay and sulfuric acid. On our way out from Old Faithful, we took a short bike path through the woods and saw several bison only a few feet off the path. They were still shedding their winter coats and were accustomed to seeing humans, so they didn't even flinch as we rode past them.

On our way out of the park, we stopped at a picnic rest area dedicated to the Nez Perce band. It was a group of over 800 native americans and 2000 horses that had traveled over 1000 miles during the summer of 1877 to reach the Canadian border. They hadn't sold their land to the U.S. government or signed any treaty and simply wanted to find a new home where they could have freedom. The U.S. army eventually caught up with them when they were only 40 miles from the border and forced them onto reservation land.

Once we made our way out of the park, we found ourselves in the town of West Yellowstone on the side of the local grocery store. Ben was fixing another popped tire and we were both pretty tired and about to go into the store for some dinner, when a man came up to us and asked us the usual question: "Where are from and where are you going?" It's one of my favorites when traveling, because people are always curious and give us very positive feedback when we tell them. This man had bicycled toured before and seemed a little more enthused about our adventure than most people. After talking for a while, he asked if he could buy us dinner and we gladly accepted his offer as he placed a twenty dollar bill in my hand.

The support that we have gotten from people along the way has meant so much to us. We have seen kindness come in all shapes and forms during our journey and would just like to thank everyone again for their support and generosity.

After buying groceries, we biked a few miles north of town and found a spot to camp in the national forest off the side of the highway.