Yellowstone

We have been in Yellowstone for 2 days.  The first day was focused on wildlife; the second on geysers and thermal features.  There is no way we can post all of the wonderful pictures we have taken or describe all of the incredible things we have seen, but we will give you enticement enough to have you make the trip yourselves if you have not already done so.  

As we drove into and in the park, we saw chipmunks, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, big horn sheep, bison, trumpeter swans, eagles, elk, a black bear and a grizzly bear.  Almost every picture of an animal was taken with Alan's SLR camera and are not available to me without wifi.  Stay turned for those.  But to give you a taste, here is the cute black bear we saw foraging in the meadow.  




And a bison who "owned" the road:




Alan says this was "heavy traffic".  It is exciting to see the animals in the wild even if we have seen them in zoo or contrived habitats.  

We will thrilled to get a cabin to stay in despite the fact that reservations are made one year out.  We won the lottery.  We stayed in a quite sufficient duplex cabin with a bathroom and shower, for the price of a hotel room outside the park.  But remember that we have simple needs and get by just fine sleeping in our car--which by the way is what we are doing tonight in the lodge parking lot.  I am afraid to ask if it is permitted for fear it is not allowed and then I will feel guilty doing it.  I have that damn "follow the rules" mentality.  Alan is convinced that it is allowed as a motor home was parked in the lot all last night.  Anyway, we will try it and hope that no security guard beats on the window to tell us to leave.  One of the excitements of the adventure, I suppose.  And we really do sleep well in the van.  Just give me a light and the direction of the closest bathroom or a bush nearby to suffice if it is cold and too dark---but then, that is old news.  

Here are pictures of the wonderful pictures of thermal features in the park:



Old Faithful in its glory!



Geyser hill.



Hot pool, I think painted springs.



Travertine steps at Mammoth Hot Springs.



Fire River near Old Faithful.




Sapphire Pond?  This was on a partially cloudy day.  It was a beautiful azure that does not show fairly in this picture.




Grand geyser which is the tallest predictable geyser in the world.



Riverside Geyser.  

We estimate that only about 25% of the folks in the park speak English as a first language.  This is quite the destination for folks from the SouthEast and Japan, Europe and Scandinavia.  Everyone in the US should make it here in his or her lifetime.  It is a unique and fascinating spot that we have only nibbled at around the edges on our second trip here.  Put this on your list.  Nora, bring your daughter before she fails to appreciate it!

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