The National Museum of Military Vehicles Trip
Introduction
On Monday, October 14, 2020, I left Billings, Montana for the first time since last February, for an excursion down into Wyoming. My chiropractor, Dr. Holl, told me about a brand new museum that was right up my alley. This modern work of art, named the National Museum of Military Vehicles, first opened their doors on August 7 of this year. The museum (www.nmmv.org) is dedicated to military vehicles, primarily of the United States, from previous wars. At this point, they are virtually all World War II-era vehicles, but there were a few Vietnam era pieces, including a vintage Huey Helicopter.
There were row upon row of tanks and other tracked vehicles, as well as trucks, jeeps, and artillery pieces such as the famous 155 mm “Long Tom” pulled artillery piece that the United States army used during World War II. They even had a room designated for hand-held weapons such as the M1 Garand, the standard rifle of the United States Army and eventually the Marine Corps during World War II and the Korean War. These weapons were inside, what looked like a giant bank vault.
My drive down to the small town of Dubois, Wyoming wasn’t anything to write home about. The California gift that keeps on giving, smoke from their many forest fires, has been flowing steadily throughout the west, and on these three days, it left a hazy, murky, sky which dampened what would have been great views of the Wind River Range of mountains to the southeast of Yellowstone National Park. But that’s alright, because this trip was all about those magnificent sights within the National Museum of Military Vehicles.
This would be the first of what I hoped would be four autumn journeys. The trip was a mere three days, but after being cooped up for so long, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was a welcome relief. Of course, I took safety precautions, as I would urge everyone to do so. I social-distanced when I could and wore a face mask when I couldn’t. I took two facemasks and three bandanas with me. Plus, of course, plenty of hand sanitizer. Since I spent one night in a KOA cabin in Dubois, I took Lysol cleaner and disinfectant wipes with me as well.
After spending a few hours inside the museum, I headed up the highway to Moran Junction in Grand Teton National Park, a trip of only an hour. I would spend the second night sleeping in my car at one of the pull-outs in the park. On the last day, I spent the early morning hours at the Oxbow Bend region of the park, but the smoke made getting any good photos very problematic. I drove through the southern portion of Yellowstone National Park on my way home. A stop off at Old Faithful Geyser is a must for anyone that visits this iconic park. I found a log to sit on, back in the trees, and away from the crowds, limited due to the virus, but still in evidence. I got a few decent pictures, but nothing really spectacular.
By going out the eastern entrance to the park, I was able to view Yellowstone Lake on my way and then take a leisurely drive down the Buffalo Bill Scenic Highway to Cody, the town named for the famous western figure of the late 19th century. After that, it was a mere two-hour drive back home in Billings.
