Welcome to the Battle of the Little Big Horn

Left Cody this morning, earlier than expected as the previous occupants had set the alarm clock to an hour earlier! On the drive we drove over a previous roadkill skunk and the car smelt awful for about half an hour - note to self: avoid dead skunk at all cost. Smell dissipated - we drove on towards Billings in Montana and then on to the site of Custer's Last Stand at the Battle of Little Big Horn. Another National Park. That's when we met the people we had met on the plane and also in Cheyenne - how could it be that we could be in the same 2 places at the exact same time in such a big country, especially as they are doing the tour the other way around.

We went on to stroll around the park, tracing the path the cavalry and indians had taken. I understand that the indians had better guns than the cavalry and that Custer, who was questionable in his decisions, also had decided not to bring the Gatling guns. He had also made the decision to use 200 men against thousands of indians - big mistake. Then not helped by the fact that Benteen, another commander, hated Custer and decided not to go to his aid.

Nice to see memorials to the indian chiefs and braves too. We then drove out across the ridges and followed another trail whereupon we were harrassed by a bee followed by Steph coming across a snake, sunbathing. Picture small English woman shrieking and hopping about and you have just about got the picture. We then drove on towards Spearfish which was about a 3 hour journey. Came across the famous roadworks and had to wait 10 minutes for a pilot car to take us through. The woman guiding the traffic said her 14 year old son had just finished driver's ed and could now go out with a parent. But all her children have been driving for years on their ranch anyway - it's a whole different world out here.

We passed loads of deer on the way and this included the two sat in someone's front garden on the way back from the restaurant. They are very pretty but just as stupid when it comes to crossing roads as they are back home. Collected quite a bug collection on the windscreen now so I don't think Alamo would recognise the car at the moment when you combine the layer of mud up to the windows as well.

Hoping to see Mount Rushmore and also Devil's Tower (remember Close Encounters of the Third Kind) tomorrow.