May 20--Highway 89 from Livingston to Gardiner, Montana
 

We are staying at the Rock Creek RV Park along Highway 89 just to the south of Livingston and are taking a couple’s days break from our move to Wisconsin since it is the weekend. Even though the weather has become unsettled we decide to ride the relatively short distance into Gardiner and the north Yellowstone Park entrance. Shortly after take-off, River Road East veers to the left and crosses the swollen Yellowstone River so we poke along a mostly locals road past many, many trophy homes and ranches in this awe-inspring valley. The huge Abosoraka Mountains rise to our left; to the right the meandering Yellowstone comes close then flows off away from the road.

 The valley narrows as we near Gardiner and then disappears altogether as the river flows through Yankee Jim Canyon and the main highway drops us into the small town of Gardiner. We know of a small city park here so we take a break and then situate the Wing right at the stone arch built in Roosevelt’s time to commerate the entrance to Yellowstone Park. It is now $25 to enter the park and since we have seen it many times before we decide to pass. We turn around and take advantage of a picnic area along the swollen river to stop for lunch. We just barely beat the thunder showers back and Marc packs up the Road Gnome into its trailer ready to hit the highway again.