Yellowstone Day 3

Our final day in Yellowstone started very cold. It got into the 20's overnight and we woke up to frost outside. I must admit it was nice. There's just something about frost in the great outdoors that makes me think of when I was little. Despite the cold morning we got a pretty early start and loaded stuff in our trailer, (we have too many kids and not enough room in our van so we have to take a small trailer most places we go) hooked up Gary and Helen's trailer and headed out.

Our first stop was Fishing Bridge. It's the bridge crossing Yellowstone River that we drove over everyday to get to our camping sight. Ever since the first time we drove over it, Ben had wanted to go under it, so on the way out we made a quick stop to look under the bridge. The bridge is very old and very big. The kids loved playing under it for a few minutes and then they walked the entire length of it with Daddy and Grandma while Grandpa and I drove the vehicles to the other site.

Ben and Sarah Kate under Fishing Bridge

The next stop was Old Faithful. Gary and Helen were dropping their trailer off at West Thumb so they didn't have to pull it around all day. This made it so we arrived at Old Faithful before them. As we were driving up we could see the geyser going off in the distance. We had just missed it so we wasted time shopping. The kids each got a stuffed animal, Sarah and Hannah got a wolf and Ben got a bear. We had to go to another store to find a shirt for me and while we were there the kids found a baby wolf and a baby bear. They wanted them bad enough to buy them with their own money. This was fun for them and it's made those toys so much cooler. Grandma and Grandpa bought them a Yellowstone movie that we've really enjoyed and an animal block puzzle that they, especially Ben, have LOVED.

Ben in front of Old Faithful with his baby black bear.

Next we waited for Old Faithful. It wasn't nearly as exciting as the kids and adults were hoping for. I think after having been to the Soda Springs geyser (the one that comes every hour on the hour, shoots higher than Old Faithful, and you can play in the spray) Old Faithful just wasn't as cool. I know it's the largest natural geyser, but it was actually kind of boring for everyone and the wind was blowing so the steam blocked the view of the water. Not the best use of our time, but it's a huge part of Yellowstone so I'm glad we stayed to watch it.

Black Sand Basin

Next we went to Black Sand Basin. It's a half mile walk where you can see geysers and hot pools. The kids liked the geyser here better then Old Faithful because it went off almost continually and you could get much closer to it. It didn't go as high as Old Faithful, but it's still cool when you can get so close. I thought this was a very pretty place because of the variety of colors. The waters were green, red, blue, yellow and orange and the mountain behind it had beautiful red shrubs growing all over it. It was also a perfect walk to get engulfed in mist from the hot pools and all 4 of the kids enjoyed that.

Gracie standing in the mist from the hot pools.

After our trip to Black Sand Basin it was time for us to start heading home. On the way to Old Faithful my Mother-in-law had commented on the fact that we had seen very little variety of wildlife. It was perfect timing because on the way back to West Thumb we spotted a coyote on the side of the road. I don't think I've ever seen a coyote in Yellowstone. It was very cool, but not something I was willing to approach (the picture was taken out the car window as we drove by.)

Mr. Coyote

When arriving at West Thumb we were originally going to just hook up the trailer and head for home, but instead we decided to take the 1/2 mile walk around. West Thumb is full of springs, cones, hot pools and geysers all along the shore of Yellowstone Lake. It was so pretty to see all these amazing works of nature with Yellowstone Lake in the background. It was a nice walk, but we quickly discovered the kids were very tired and it was time to head out.

Hot Pool at West Thumb with Yellowstone Lake in the background.

The long drive home was kind of nice. We decided to drive home by way of the Tetons because, again, it's been over 7 years since we've seen them. The leaves weren't changing as much as I thought they would be, which was kind of a disappointment, but it was still beautiful. The lighting wasn't very good for pictures of the Tetons, but I had to take some anyway. It was kind of a disappointment, but I guess it just means we'll just have to go back. DARN!!! :)

Tetons; not the best picture, but you get the idea.

We stopped in Jackson Hole to eat at McDonald's (again) and then made it home before 8:00. It was a perfect trip and everyone had a ton of fun. The kids keep talking about it and last week when our temperature was in the 80's Sarah Kate really wanted to wear her Yellowstone sweatshirt to school. Oh, she also got to take the postcards we bought at Old Faithful to school and tell her entire class about her trip. That was cool for her. The other day Ben, out of the blue, asked me why the Bison get to walk down to the hot pots and we don't. I think the trip was a success and I've told the kids we'll go back in the spring and see how it's changed with the seasons.

Another day with a lot of pictures so please enjoy this slide show as well.