We pulled out of the cabin at 8:30 AM and made our way down the mountain for the last time. Rain was threatening and I was hoping that it would rain to wash some of the dust off of the truck. Just as we pulled away, the sun came out.

We had only planned a couple of stops for the day. The first one was considerable distance down the road. I admit that I really didn’t know a lot about the forced imprisonment of the Japanese Americans during WWII. When I figured out we were headed from one of the “camps”, I was anxious to hear more about it. Heart Mountain Interpretive Center left me feeling that I still didn’t know a lot about it. There is a self-guided tour which allows the visitor to see some pictures and even has a display of what the dormitory rooms looked like. It just didn’t connect for me.

After touring the center we drove to the site of the encampment where only a few skeletons of the dorm buildings and hospital remain. There are no signs, the field hasn’t been mowed for quit some time, and the dorm buildings are all boarded up and falling down.

Our path took us close to Cody, WY. While it wasn’t a planned stop, we couldn’t resist stopping by the downtown area for a brief visit. We have been here multiple time so I didn’t bother with pictures. Cody is definitely a tourist spot.

The Museum of Aerial Firefighting is conveniently located adjacent to an interstate rest area. When we entered the museum, we had to wake up the teenager who was manning the desk and the only employee to be found. I apologize to my aircraft friends but there were 6 or 8 old planes there which we couldn’t go in so I didn’t bother with pictures. If you’re interested in this museum you can check it out on-line.

Jana was driving during the stretch of road up and over Granite Pass. The road was marked as “scenic” which should have been a warning to us. The highway was pretty unnerving with all the twists and sheer drop offs. It drizzled rain off and on. The one memory I will take away is the moose herd that we encountered just over the 9,000 foot peak.

We put in about 400 miles toward home. We didn’t get in to the hotel until 8:30. I was already struggling with the going home dilemma of wanting to be home but not wanting the vacation to be over. Maybe I’ll get a better grasp on things tomorrow.