Yellowstone National Park

We know we have a long drive ahead and decide to get an early start on the drive. We'll eat breakfast on the road. We are not accustomed to the great distance between stops that we've found in South Dakota and Montana! We should have eaten before leaving Kalispell, Montana.  Eventually we found this little diner.

They had a wonderful breakfast that we were very grateful for. The only reason I share this with you is because I've mentioned how funny the casinos are in Montana. This diner boasts a lounge and casino. When we checked out the casino there were two machines, one Poker machine and an ATM! Very funny! Now, on to Yellowstone...

 The weather had been beautiful the entire drive but as we approached the park the thunder clouds came in and we knew we were in for some rain. The forecast had called for storms for the 2 days we were to be here.

Even in the rain, the park is gorgeous. We were in awe of our surroundings. We were excited to see deer and had high hopes of better luck finding wildlife here.

 From a distance we thought we were seeing smoke from a fire. It turned out to be steam from the many geysers in the park. It's too late today to explore but we can't wait to see what's in store for us tomorrow. Right now we need to get to our hotel.

We were so fortunate to get reservations at the Lake Yellowstone Hotel inside the park. People make reservations a year in advance for vacations so we were stunned that we were able to get a room for two nights. Jim is convinced this is the Overlook Hotel from The Shining! I must say there is a resemblance. It is very old but the history here is everything. The floor in our room was so sloped that we had to walk uphill to see out the window. What a fun memory that will be! Redrum!!!

Now I know I've been bragging about the luck we've had with great views as we've traveled this country. This view was equally as stunning. However, the window made it difficult to see it! The hotel is in the process of a remodel but our room had not been on the schedule yet. However, it was right on the lake and a wonderful setting.

Morning brought a perfect day. I don't know how we have been so lucky but aside from the terrible storm in St. Louis we have had perfect weather. We left the room at 7 AM to see what we could see.

Right off of the parking lot a buffalo was sleeping by a tree. Maybe this is a good sign of more wildlife to come!
This is a remote area and once again we don't have Internet access. I will do my best to remember these two days. I am sorry that I have not been able to post to the blog.


I have taken so many pictures I couldn't possibly share all of them. We have seen so many incredible sights on this trip I believe we're on sensory overload! I just can't convey how beautiful Yellowstone is and the photos just can't do it justice.

It is early in the season and there is water everywhere. The waterfalls are full and the lakes are full to the top.   I've never seen water so clear.  The reflection of the trees and mountains in the lake looked like it should be used in a jigsaw puzzle.

We came across this bird which we think may be a Grouse. It was very comfortable to have us nearby and puffed it's throat while making very soothing sounds. Let's hope the good luck continues in the wildlife department.

On to bigger and better things...


 There are so many people in the park that we thought we should see the main attractions while it was early. That was a good plan and were rewarded with light traffic and decent parking places.

Of course #1 on the list of things to see at Yellowstone is Old Faithful. We arrived with 10 minutes to wait for the next eruption. It did not disappoint the crowd and started erupting right on schedule.

It is a bit unsettling to know you are walking right on an active volcano. There are reminders everywhere you go. The geysers and hot springs are incredible but I think I love the paint pots the most.

I love the way they bubble and spit. The colors are so vivid.  The water in the pools are so clear you can see all the way to the bottom.




While driving, Jim noticed that the trip odometer he set when we left on May 26 was very close to the total mileage odometer. We thought that was quite a coincidence and just had to share that with you. What are the odds of that happening?

We drove the entire loop through the park. We had left at 7 AM and didn't get back to the hotel until 6:30 PM. I don't know how many miles we hiked to view the different parts of the park but it was at least 4 miles.  However, we were rewarded with unforgettable sights and we eventually found the wildlife we were searching for. By now we've seen hundreds of buffalo. I would not have believed I could have ever not taken pictures of buffalo as they appeared. soon though it's just another buffalo!

Finally we see elk! This was what we've been looking for. This one was grazing on the side of the road oblivious to the cars that were causing a traffic jam trying to get pictures.

The drive at the North end of the park is quite nerve-wracking. It rises to over 9,000 feet and a lot of the way there are no guard rails. I was so glad that Jim was driving.  He admitted that it was very difficult and he didn't see much of the view. He had to concentrate only on the road.  The picture on the right above is The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. the picture below is the cliff on the side of the road and you can see the rock formation. It looks like pieces could just drop at any time. We were glad to get through there without an incident!

 It's a little hard to see but there is a deer laying under the tree on the right. At the village by the North entrance deer were everywhere. People can walk by and they don't even stir. They are so used to the traffic. They are covering the lawn.



We hiked to the Petrified Tree. By this time we were so tired we weren't sure we wanted to go. My camera battery is dead because I've taken so many pictures and we've walked until our legs are cramping but we don't want to miss anything. Thank goodness  we did because that's when we saw the bears!


You can barely see them between the two clumps of trees. I had to use my cell phone and don't know how to crop the photo but I swear there were two bears. It was so exciting! The tree was a little disappointment but it brought us to the bears. The only animal we haven't seen is a wolf. We'll keep looking...

And here he is! We found him. He was so patient while we took the picture. Oh, I forgot to tell you he was a display at the Visitor's Center. Alas, no wolves for us. We've seen Mountain Goats,Buffalo, Deer, Bear, Elk, numerous birds and I can't even remember what else. It was such a treat!

We made it back to the hotel and had spent the most amazing day in the wild. This has been a true lesson in nature and the history of the earth. It is still evolving and the park is constantly changing. We were able to relax and shower before going to dinner in the newly remodeled dining room. They have a first class restaurant with fine dining. It was the perfect end to a perfect day.

The wildflowers we've seen in Glacier and Yellowstone have been lovely. However, I think Utah gets the prize for the loveliest wildflowers. This is the best picture I could get but the drive through Teton National Park was plush with flowers. Jim's done stopping at my every whim. No more flower photos!

The Rocky Mountains are stunning. The grans Tetons  are another place you must visit when you come for Glacier and Yellowstone. Driving South from Teton we must visit Jackson Hole, Wyoming and the Million Dollar Cowboy saloon. The bar stools are saddles and we had to try them out.

                                 

 This is not my idea of comfort. I rarely sit at any bar stool. I have a little aversion to that but I was a good sport and saddled up. We left and found a nice sit down table for lunch.

This is the entrance to the park. The arch is made from hundreds of antlers. I think it's a bit creepy but we saw these in quite a few places. It must be an accomplishment for someone. I've just never seen so many antlers in one place.

Moving on to our next hotel we had a lovely but winding drive.  We are going to Logan, Utah for the night. Tomorrow we'll go to Salt Lake City to see the Mormon Tabernacle then on to Winnemucca, Nevada. This has been a beautiful area but we can't wait to get back to normal freeways. These two lane roads can .be scary. The speed limit is way too fast for a two lane road.  We arrived in Logan in one piece. 


We are exhausted and have a few hours to relax before dinner. We are almost to the end of our journey. It has been wonderful but it's time to get home. We miss all of you so much! We'll be headed for Salt Lake City tomorrow then make our way home. I'll keep positing until we get back to Fresno. Right now, it's off to bed for me! Tomorrow's another busy day!