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Our 1st Anniversary Trip to Yellowstone National Park

October 26-29, 2007

We hope to take a different trip during the end of October for the rest of our days. This 1st anniversary trip was a beautiful long-weekend road trip to Yellowstone National Park.

October 26 - We  left about 2p to travel to Jackson, WY, staying at the Motel 6. We walked around the downtown and a labyrinth at a church at the edge of town. Well rested and ready to start out at the crack of dawn, we enjoyed our evening watching the Rockies in the World Series on TV. We order a "gourmet" pizza from a local pizza place (Mountain High Pizza Pie). Wasn't very good . . .

October 27 - We found a bagel place (5th St Bagel? - was pretty good, quite yuppie-ish), and headed north toward Grand Teton National Park.

Between Jackson and Grand Teton National Park, along the road to Y.N.P, a herd of elk.

Grand Tetons . . .

Diana and Noel with the Tetons in the background.

All artsy and stuff . . .

THE Grand Teton of the Tetons

Cunningham Cabin in Grand Teton National Park. An original settlers residence.

Sign outside the cabin.

Artsy again . . . Tetons seen through the cabin slats.

Sign at trail head for Cunningham Cabin (and Noel scowling). Short trail . . .

Artsy - Tetons over the river.

We continue along the main route into the south entrance of YNP.

High cave in the gorge wall.

Waterfalls along roadway.

Closer view of the same waterfall.

Big crow watching us . . .

Brown bear along the roadway.

Next stop is famed Old Faithful. The visitor center is closed for remodeling. A temp trailer is open and we bought some postcards and Christmas presents (stamps). We also took a loop trail to the east and north of Old Faithful geyser. It's a great way to see many different kinds of geysers and look over the Old Faithful area. About a mile trail . . .

There she blows!

Colorful pool along trail.

Another pool . . .

Old Faithful from along the trail.

Diana and Noel with Old Faithful in the background.

We head west from Old Faithful Village and note a bike trail that we'd like to take next time. Has to be in summer (to rent) or bring our own bikes. Bikes in some part of Yellowstone would be fun. More research needed. We make several stops along the road and turn to West Yellowstone, MT near Norris Geyer Basin. We didn't have reservations ins West Yellowstone but had no problem finding a good, cheap motel. This is VERY off season. The park will close the following weekend for three weeks. We ate that evening at a very mediocre restaurant. The only one open . . .

Super heated water flowing in the cold river.

Look at the mineral deposits along river bank.

Color of pool from different thermophile organisms that live at different - though very hot - temperatures.

Diana overlooking hugh hot pool along boardwalk.

Bubble outlet in huge pool.

Super heated water and minerals pouring in river.

Drying pool.

Diana and Noel with pool in background.

Large bubbling pool.

Small but regular geyser.

Buffalo along river side.

Small waterfall along road to West Yellowstone, MT

October 28 - Found a bagel and bicycle shop (yes, all in one) near the entrance to the park. Very nice lady and good selection. A very yuppie place. There are dozens of buffalo statues in town. We spent about an hour "capturing" a few.

 

Once in the park again we see the real thing.

Norris Geyser Basin has some of the biggest and most predictable geysers. We continued to visit several of the locations in this general area before heading north again.

Steam of geyers over the boardwalk.

More fumeroles

A look down over the valley from the Artist Paintpots.

Diana walked "over the line" to look down into this steaming paintpot.

OK, so did I to get this picture.

A crusty and bubbly version.

An overview of the area's trails.

The shadow of Noel snapping Diana studying the map.

Chalk basin and some very active furmoles.

Along the boardwalk in the Chalk Basin area and a variety of different, brightly colored thermophiles.

Looking across the basin to some geysers.

Diana and Noel with the basin in the background.

Another map of the area with names.

We've now traveled to the north end of YNP and the Hot Springs terraces and village.

Along the loop drive on the south edge of the terraces Very hot water squirts out of the side of this mound, runs down the side and leaves deposits behind.

The follow as it runs down to form the terraces.

The Yellowstone Post Office in Hot Springs Village.

Diana leaning on the bear sculpture at the PO front doors.

. . . and obvious signs that they had been there.

The Visitor Center at Hot Springs Village.

A look down the row of houses that were the original military housing at Yellowstone (named for the rock color the same that these buildings were made from)

Minerva Terrace directly about the Village.

Looking the other direction.

Diana and Noel on the boardwalk along the terraces with the village in the far background.

From the top of the flow of terraces looking to the Hot Springs Village at the bottom.

Closer look at some of the dried terrace "boxes".

On our way out of the park, using the southeast entrance (exit?), we stop a couple more times to view the mudpots and some wildlife.

A wolf tracking us along the road side. We saw all the major animals represented at YNP except moose. No mooseys!

Center of look trail at mudpots. The stinkiest spot in all of YNP (and that's saying ALOT!)

Trail leading to top of the loop of mudpot area.

Mudpot

Diana and Noel with mudpot trail behind them.

A rather "dry" mudpot (smaller bubbles)

Sign on a very large pot.

Dragon's mouth . . .

A very big "belch"

Very brave and easy going Big Horn sheep.

Almost all across.

Bye-bye!

Left Yellowstone to the east and had Subway in Cody. Decided to hotel in Thermopolis, WY. Drove around the town, had to wait for deer to cross the road and looked at the Hot Spring businesses in Thermopolis. We'll have to go back someday.

October 29 - Our quaint hotel in Thermopolis, WY. Then home, after a little car trouble . . . All in all, a wonderful anniversary honeymoon :)