Friday, Day 20, June 1, 2012

Good evening from West Yellowstone, Montana where I am staying in a Best Western Motel. Very nice.What a glorious day and I am a tired puppy. Left Jackson Hole Wyoming where I spent the night and headed back through the Grand Tetons for the southern entrance of Yellowstone National Park.

Bear Lake and Grand Tetons

Who Ever he is Seems to Want to Smile

Snow and Lots of it in Yellowstone

Beautiful River, Rapids & Snow

Elk Grazing Along Side of the Road

Old Faithful Erupting

I got to Old Faithful Geyser about 2 minutes before she started erupting. The wind changed directions and I got a little wet from her spray.  While I was here there is a large motel so I decided to check on availability and rates. They had no vacancies but could check all the other motels inside the park. Several had vacancies with rates from $175 to $500 plus but there is no Internet anywhere inside the park so my plan to stay inside the park just got shot down in flames. The elder gentlemen on the desk suggested going outside the West Entrance of the park and there are many motels. So I stopped sight seeing and drove out of the park about 2 hours 1 way. I found one to my liking and checked in for 3 nights. I wasn't in the park long until another of my plans went down in flames. I had wanted to park the car and use tour buses to visit all the locations. All day I have not seen a single tour bus. This place is extremely large and you are talking about miles between sight you may want to see or dozens of sights almost next to each. I know now the bus would never have stayed in one place long enough me. So drive, park,get out, walk & look, get back in and drive some more. Much better this way.

A couple of things have surprised me. 1. The large number of buffalo there are ( hundreds of them ). 2. I expected to smell a fowl Oder around the geysers and there was not. A slight odor but not unpleasant, The buffalo are generally in large group of 50 or more. They graze along the streams and open meadows. They are not a bit afraid of humans and they seem to know they rule the park. You will see some photos of this. The cows must have just recently giving birth to their calves because some of the calves still have their umbilical cords. I did not get to see it and I am not sure I would want to and that is when they move from on e pasture to the next they often have to walk on the road and I was told this could stop the traffic for 2 or 3 hours. They just do not seem to get in a hurry. The other thing is that you can see when they have moved because the roadway is green from all their dropping. I saw one park truck coming by and picking up some left behind droppings.

Crystal Clear Pool of Hot Water

Called Pots of Bubbling Water or Mud

Various Colors of Stain From Water Running Down

Male Buffalo Grazing

Small Part of Buffalo Herd

Another Large Male Buffalo

More Grazing Buffalo by River

Babies With Their Mothers

He's Thirsty

Crossing the Road in Front of Lady Blue

One of Many River, Rapids and Water Falls

Plaque Says This Hill is Solid Lava

Lots of Fishermen

Bubbling Boiling Water

More Hot Water

Small Geyser

White Dome Geyser

White Dome Geyser Erupting

Another Geyser Erupting

There are many more photographs but I guess that is enough for tonight. An interesting tid bit. The park has signs all over pointing out how unstable the ground is and how dangerous the hot water is and for you to stay on the walkways. A Ranger pointed out that when they were making these wooded walkways they had engineers, scientist and geologist saying he ground was solid enough to proceed but they still had a man walk in front of them and stan the grouna with a stick to see if it was in deed solid enough to walk on. I had not mentioned it but I hope your computer will let you click on the photographs and enlarge them. They are so much more stunning ( not with standing ) the photographer. I continue to be in awe and amazement over what I am seeing and experiencing. God night to everyone and I love you all. Grandpa Bill