Day Trip to Yellowstone

On May 30, we took the kids to Yellowstone National Park. We had looked at a map and we figured it was about as close to us a Glacier National Park....we were 1 1/2 hours wrong...each way!

Even tho' we left at 6:30 in the morning it was still after 11 when we finally arrived!







Our "welcome" to the park was less than encouraging as we had our route all planned out, and part of it was closed. So we improvised.



Here the kids are in front of Mammoth Hot Springs. Note the lack of running water. This was not encouraging! The only water was a couple of little spouts coming out here and there, and a small pond on top....not quite what we had come to believe we would see. We did show the kids how the minerals in the water would deposit into these wonderful formation, and how different minerals created different colors.

We saw Elk and Buffalo not far from this. Lacy spotted them first!


We stopped at Sheepeater Cliff for lunch were we saw
a Marmot and a chipmunk playing in the rocks. Here Nathan is getting a photography lesson from Papa.







We stopped at the Norris Basin where we saw a variety of geysers and springs. The colors were wonderful, the smells weren't. This walk took us about 1 1/2 hours. Cub Scouts paid off...the kids were quoting from the "Leave No Trace", and saw where people had carved their names into the decking and rails and were quite disgusted. From here because of time we headed to Old Faithful.




By the time the we reached "Old Faithful" the clouds were starting to roll in and it was just starting to rain. We missed one eruption by 10 minutes so we went to the cafeteria to get something for dinner as it was already after 5. We finished eating just in time for the show.


Christian, Lacy and I stayed sheltered from the showers, while Papa and Nathan went closer for pictures. At this point Christian was looking for his Aunt Fay who lives in Bozeman. To him, Old Faithful and Aunt Fay are one in the same (?). He was disappointed that he did not see her.

On our way out, we "discovered" some places for our next trip. We saw Elk, Buffalo, and to my thrill, Moose on the way out. We saw an Osprey carrying a fish he had caught as well.

Linn and I learned an very important lesson.....Yellowstone is not a day trip!...next time a definate overnighter...or two!