I absolutely adore Yellowstone National Park. I can see why it was the nation’s first national park, and I truly believe it is one of this country’s greatest treasures. Everybody should make an effort to go there at least once in their lifetime.
The road between Old Faithful and West Thumb (basically where we were staying) was closed due to a forest fire after an unfortunate lightening strike. Since we didn’t know when (or if) the fire would be brought under control, we reworked our plan and instead got up early and high-tailed over to Geyser Country to make sure that we got to see the sights there.
Since it was a long drive around to the geysers, we decided to let Anna-Sophia sleep while we drove. Unless we saw a bear, we weren’t going to pull over, and so we moved right past the half a dozen elk grazing and the herd or bison along the side of the road, knowing there would be plenty more. Humorously, it ended up taking quite some time for us to encounter more so Anna-Sophia started to think we told tall tales about the frequency of animal sightings in Yellowstone. More on the critters later…
We’ve been listening to Bill Bryson’s A Short History of Nearly Everything while driving. I knew that he covers Yellowstone about 2/3 of the way through the book and I had to wait until after we left the park to get to that part lest I stress myself out at the thought of what makes Yellowstone what it is. The thinking part of my brain understands that geysers, mud pots, and hot springs are not magical creations but rather the result of volcanic geological activity, but I can certainly file those thoughts away for a bit while I marvel at the beauty of the place.
There’s a weird confluence of hot steam from the spring and the cold surrounding air that rushes in right after it. The steam and the cold air can feel like they hit you simultaneously, so you can feel sweaty and have goosebumps at the same time. Icy-hot, as Anna-Sophia described the sensation. Only in Yellowstone.
Camping that night was in Canyon campgrounds. That place is HUGE. We were a million miles from the visitor center or any other amenity, but we were tired and so sleep was not elusive.
Vacation Days 