Yellowstone - Monday

Our last day in Yellowstone started with elk! Dad thought it was funny I was taking pictures of them when all you could really see were their tails, I replied I have tail reference now. Something we had seen on a previous day was a water lily pond--a huge one--that ran right along the road and under a bridge to the other side. We stopped to take pictures. Sadly, we didn't see an frogs and it was difficult to take a picture without a stranger getting in the frame but it was beautiful. Dad seemed impressed and I was able to get some beautiful reference for future works of art. 

 

Accidentally caught Dad in this photo.

There is no shortage of geysers and hot spots in Yellowstone. While visiting this geyser, Mom and I stopped to wait for Dad to catch up and were lucky to hear a near by tour guide explaining a little bit about it and its neighbors. The one shown used to be known for the perfection of its timing, every 3 minutes, so precise you could set your watch to it. Then an earthquake in the 50s shifted its balance and made it irregular. Listening to the tour guide was very informative, but I don't know if I would take one. It's one thing to learn snippets of information but another to hear someone drone on without a way to escape (I already get that in class).

We took the North Entrance Road through a town called Mammoth. We had lunch at a very crowded fast food cafe (a tour bus had just stopped also so that didn't help), got ice cream bars across the street and walked the town. Our first stop was a visitor's center, where I found a really good book full of amazing pictures and good information on the park's animals. There was supposed to be a video on the park but there was a small black out or something, and it wasn't finished. The center was 2 floors and though I was hesitant to leave Mom alone on the first floor, my curiosity overcame me and it was amazing. I am so glad I did because there were stuffed animals everywhere! I took tons of pictures. It was probably the closest I will ever come to some of those animals. Needless to say I was excited.

We finished off the adventure with Dad buying me an early birthday gift: the book I had admired. They had a stamp desk and I put one in it to make it doubly special! I read the book throughout the trip, impressed by how well it was put together.

Buffalo skull that was sitting in the movie room.

One of the taxidermy animals. A mother wolf and kits.

Because we were so north, Dad suggested we drive through the arch just past the north entrance. I was confused at first when Dad dropped me off on the side of the road and told me to take the picture as they drove through, but then they picked me up and we drove through together, because Dad and Mom had seen something on the other side that they wanted to show me. ELK! A football field of them. Keeping a respectful distance I was able to take some great pictures as they just laid there. And the best part, no one else had seen them so it was a moment just for me.

Cars and trucks kept getting in the way as Dad drove through the arch. I had to cross the street twice to get a clear shot.

Football field elk!

Mom was just fine sitting in the truck while Dad and I got a closer look at the arch.

The rest of the day passed with us driving around, up and down a mountain, and seeing more "yellow" stone. While visiting Roosevelt Lodge, we got trapped in the driveway trying to get out because a momma black bear with 2 cubs were crossing through. I was so happy I could see them, unfortunately they were out of range of my camera.

On this trip I learned quickly that I needed to be just as fast with my glasses as with my camera. I have glasses for distance and working on a computer (yes, I am wearing them right now), but when I don't need to read anything, I keep them off. But I needed them to see the animals that weren't as close as the buffalo that was on the side of the road.

At one stop there was a crowd of people watching a few little creatures scurry out of the brushes, grab a piece of crumb or popcorn, pose for a picture, and scurry back into the bushes. I was shocked listening to the crowd and what they called the creatures. The kids were certain it was a prairie dog or hamster. One person called it a chipmunk. A couple of older women insisted it was a squirrel. Well, they were the closest. After returning to the truck, I looked through my new book and discovered that it was in fact a ground squirrel. I just wish it had been a pica--tailless mouse--since it is the origin of the Pokemon Picachu.

Ground squirrel.

Driving up, look back, saying "aww."

 Driving down the other side of the mountain, we were surprised to see all the yellow! Not in stone but flowers! Millions of sunflowers coated the hillsides and Dad and I got out and took pictures.

I love this picture.

The last stop of the day was at Canyon Village, including another visitor center, shops, and dinner at a fancy restaurant (or as fancy as you can get with all your guests dirty from hikes and camping). At the Mammoth Visitor's Center they had a buffalo head, here they had a whole buffalo! And a calf, and a grey owl posed in flight (and hanging in a dark corner)! So exciting. Also on display was information on the rock formations and the types of rock and sediment around the area. I was a mix of emotions as I was happy to use my knowledge from geography and geology to understand the displays but sad to see how much I had forgotten!

Throughout our trip I noticed these soda machines with their special fronts. The buffalo was my favorite.

A quick stop at a hot spring doesn't count as a stop when you can't see anything because its after 9pm. However, Mom did notice this safety barrier and the smoke coming out of the vent. Apparently the hot springs had extended their reach underground and were billowing out wherever they could.