Yellowstone National Park: Part II, Canyon Village

Yellowstone was established as the world’s first national park in 1872 since the leaders back then knew this land could not be developed for residential or commercial use…and that it is truly a gem of nature. The Canyon Village campground sits on the rim of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Since our scooter could not handle the altitude (over 8,000 feet), we toured the park in Nellie Belle for the day, traveling along the northern loop and seeing sights including: Mud Volcano, Norris Geyser Basin, Mammoth Hot Springs, and the Grand Canyon.

Mud Volcano was filled with bison.

My heart was POUNDING!

A random landscape shot that I though was pretty...

Yellowstone Grand Canyon

Nellie Belle + Mark near a jagged, vertical cliff.

A coyote (left lane) strolling along the road.

Mammoth Springs.

Norris Geyser Basin.

More shots of the Yellowstone Grand Canyon.

The largest animal in Yellowstone is the bison/buffalo and they were in abundance! We saw herds of 40-60 meander through the park and when they approach, you keep your distance since they have been known to gorge visitors. As you can see from the photo above, we also saw a coyote along the roadway, but no bears, black or grizzly (thank goodness!).

Free roaming bison : )

Like I said...free roaming bison.

Traffic delay due to one ton of buffalo...

Yellowstone National Park was a definite highlight for us, but it’s time to move onward and eastward towards South Dakota.

Ciao’ for now : )

PS: I make a damn good smores!

Yellowstone National Park: Part I, Grant Village

The campgrounds are no frills (no electricity, water and sewer lines), but the park has full accommodations for every type of camper – RV, pop-up, and ground tents. Yellowstone is ideal for family vacationing since it’s packed with service areas including, restaurants, general stores, markets, laundry + shower facilities, and bathrooms. 

Making a wish on a dandelion that we don't come into contact with any bears!

Mark and I were glad to have the opportunity for real camping (many of the campsites on our trip have been asphalt and concrete – not conducive to a genuine camping experience). Our “neighbors” at the site were families from Colorado, Holland, and England. After a full day of hiking and exploring, we built a fire each night and on the second I prepared my first campfire dinner – veggie hot dogs, baked + black beans, a vegetable and corn medley and a tomato + cucumber salad. No s’mores, though…we will be making them at the next site, for sure!

Night one: a fire with red wine and Table Topics, The 60's.

We received these wine glasses as a wedding gift - thank you Rick + Vick!

Night two...a full meal : )

When you’re here, you realize the entire park is sitting atop a cauldron of magmatic heat – bubbling springs and geysers, boiling mud pots/pools, and the fact that the Yellowstone Lake (45 miles long) was formed due to a volcanic eruption hundreds of thousands of years ago is testament that this park is pulsing with geothermal activity. 

Highlights for us were the hydrothermal sites including: Old Faithful, the Grand Prismatic Pool, and West Thumb, which sits on Yellowstone Lake. A notable point during our visit was the evident devastation caused by the 1988 fire, which ravaged thousands of acres of the park. But Mother Nature is resilient; new growth is springing up and Yellowstone will be lush with timber pines once again. 

A crater spring near Old Faithful.

Anxiously awaiting for Old Faithful to erupt.

Old Faithful - 50+ feet!

The area of Old Faithful is bubbling with springs, pools and geysers.

The water is crystal clear since the temperature is so hot and bacteria cannot survive.

We hiked to the side of a mountain to get an aerial shot of the Prismatic Pool.

Up and close at the Prismatic Pool.

West Thumb along Yellowstone Lake - another hot spot and my hair looking like it's 1985.

You can smell the sulfur as you walk by.

In some areas growth is slow even though the fire was in 1988.

Poor Mother Nature...it's been nearly 25 years and she is still struggling.

Heading to another campsite in Yellowstone, so more to come.

Ciao' for now : )

Jackson Hole + Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

En route to Wyoming - departing Idaho.

We departed Idaho and arrived in Jackson Hole, Wyoming in anticipation of camping in Grand Teton National Park. The town of Jackson is an old cowboy town that is now a thriving tourist center for winter and summer activities and is the gateway to Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. 

The park entrance...a thick archway of antlers - there are more arches throughout the area.

The famous Cowboy Bar.

The bar stools are saddles.

You can see the ski trails in the background.

We camped in Grand Teton for two nights and an enjoyable excursion was a boat ride ($10/per person/round trip through the Parks Service) across Jenny Lake and then a hike to see a waterfall. Basically, we buzzed around on the scooter, in and out of town, around the park, and once again saw the magnificent beauty of Mother Nature. 

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I took this riding on the back of our scooter.

My mantra...

 Heading to Yellowstone National Park for a few days. Ciao' for now : )

Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Idaho

Serendipity strikes again. After we departed from the Ketchum/Sun Valley area, we were driving west towards Wyoming and stumbled upon this bizarre wonderland of ancient lava and lava tube caves.

There is absolutely no vegetation in some areas.

Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve is a Great Rift volcanic zone that you can experience while driving along a seven-mile loop. 

There are walking paths and opportunities to go “caving” – currently, there are four caves that you can enter on guided walks with a Ranger or with a valid Cave Permit (we opted for the latter). The lava rock is quite sharp and abrasive, so we were sure to stay on the designated walking paths (but there were quite a few people who ignored the warnings?!). All in all, Craters of the Moon is an out of this world place to visit. 

The entrance to the lava cave - an 800 foot trek.

We were  cautious to take our time as we ascended.

My hubby on ancient lava.

Another successful hike...unlike any other!

Heading to Grand Teton National Park (the base of Yellowstone) in Wyoming.

Ciao' for now : )