Thursday, June 20, 2013

No Wifi in Yellowstone...

I suppose I better start with this picture...
Old Faithful lived up to it's name!  But what really surprised me was how many people were there!  I'd guess-ti-mate there were at least a thousand people standing around waiting to watch the geyser blow!  
As much as I found the hot springs and geysers interesting (there are a whole bunch in the same area as Old Faithful)...I really enjoyed the abundance of wild life.  Many, who are not the least bit afraid or interested in the visiting humans.  I suppose because they are completely protected.
This guy just ambled across the road right in front of our car.  These guys create traffic jams all over the park!
But these were my favorite.  I'd heard of Sand hill Cranes but never knew what they looked like!  We saw Trumpeter Swans too.  That was fun  because that was one of our kids favorite stories,  "The Trumpet of the Swan" by E.B. White.  I recommend it for kids of all ages!
There are signs everywhere warning about being Bear wise, this is as close as I ever want to be to a bear in the wild! 
We've made a few more stops since Yellowstone.  Even tho' Yellowstone is incredibly beautiful and has all kinds of interesting sights like Old Faithful et al, it is really crowded which takes some of the fun away...But the Grand Tetons are both majestic and less crowded.  We had some wonderful hikes up in the mountains there.
This place is called the Crater of the Moon national park, in Southern Idaho, and it does look a lot like the surface of the moon.  It's actually a whole bunch of ancient lava flows. 
Imagine, this was once liquid rock! 
But even in this harsh terrain Spring flowers grow!
cheers, Claire W.




   

9 comments:

  1. So beautiful! Thanks for sharing these great pics!Enjoy your trip!

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  2. Lovely Claire! This is a preview of our trip in September. I hope the crowds have mostly dispersed by then.

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  3. I love Yellowstone! I've been through the park at varying times throughout the tourist season...always, always beautiful.

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  4. Beautiful--both places are on my bucket list to visit

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  5. Gorgeous. Thanks, this is a beautiful place I would love to see some day

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  6. Gorgeous. Thanks, this is a beautiful place I would love to see some day

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  7. More wonderful scenery! The pictures and commentary are great! Can't wait until you get back!

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  8. Thanks for the pictures, we were there last week as well. We did see 2 bears though. It is one of my favorite places to visit.

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  9. No wifi, no TV and you're lucky to get a cell phone signal. But that's OK, it's GORGEOUS. Going AGAIN next summer. Did you notice the idiots standing so close to the buffalo. I read they can leap 6 ft in the air from a dead standstill. YIKES!

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