Most scenic byway in the US

Jeebus this Friday morning was even colder! 41f. But that didn't stop us from making coffee, oatmeal, and hitting the road by 7:30am - when most of the parks' visitors were still in their sleeping bags. This was planned - our escape from yellowstone was hampered only slightly by photographers looking to take advantage of the early morning light shining on a herd of bison and a grizzly waaaay off in the distance.
Our exit was via the northeast Cooke City entrance, then over Beartooth Pass again. This was the fourth time over, and it was the most spectacular yet. With a nearly cloudless sky and cool temps, there was nearly no moisture in the air to create haze. We were able to see mountains on the horizon 50-75 miles away which we couldn't see before. The angle of the morning sun brought out the details and colors shrouded later in the day. The views (and lack of congestion) are magnificent. I took a number of panoramic photos i will upload when I have the means.
It remained cool (below 60f) until we reached Red Lodge. My Skullcandy titans were unable to tame windnoise above 65mph and I decided it was better to protect my hearing and listen to podcasts on one ear.
Our planned lunch stop was at Montana Brewing co. In Billings preceded by a trip to Target to get stuff to make the Titans tolerable: different sized tips and a glue gun. The tip modification was OK until we got to Crow Agency but there still too much wind noise. When we left I-90 for US Hwy 212 I switched to the much quieter but one-side-only Etymotics with hearing aid tips.
212 is shortcut to Spearfish,SD. we reached Rapid City as the sun was setting and checked into a KOA. We thought we had hit the jackpot: the KOA store stocked good beer (New Belgium's Hoptober) and ice cream for dessert. Alas as we cooked dinner the mosquitoes came out in force, making it impossible to be outside. We sucked down the opened brews, wolfed down our soups and retired to our tents before 9pm. To add insult to injury, the increased humidity prevented a comfortable sleep until it had cooled off somewhat. Just another reminder that tomorrow's 600 hot and humid and featureless miles will suck even more.