Yellowstone Again

A cool shot Kenny took at one of the geyser's as it was getting dark.

When it comes to Yellowstone I'm beginning to compare us to Kenny's family when it comes to Disneyland. They all love Disneyland and go there a couple times a year. We've found ourselves doing the same thing only with Yellowstone. Sunday evening, after we got back from Salt Lake, Kenny got a phone call from his friend Andy. He, his brother Jon, and their families were in town at the Walmart. They were on their way to Yellowstone and wanted to stop by. Luckily I had just had one of those crazy Mommy moments when I made the kids clean up because I couldn't take it any longer. That meant when they came over the house was already clean. :) Jon and his wife Allison where here from the Netherlands and the two families wanted to go to Yellowstone. We were so glad they decided to stop by. It was so much fun to visit with them and to catch up. They ended up inviting us to go to Yellowstone the next day.

Gracie looking at the mud pots at Artists Paintpots

The group, plus a few others, looking at the mud pots.

Hannah and Andy's son Bryson headed back to the car.

They drove on that night to West Yellowstone while we stayed home and drove up the next morning. We all spent Monday in the park seeing as much as we could. It was a lot of fun to see the park with friends, some of who haven't been to the park since they were kids. The kids really enjoyed playing with friends and just having other kids to hang out with. We were so grateful they invited us.

Ben and Jon's boy Chase playing around at lunch time. They're only a few months apart and it was fun for Ben to have so many boys to play with.

The adults watching the kids play near the river after our lunch picnic.

The older kids!
Sarah, Chase, Jaxon, Ben, Bailey, and Dylan
This picture is missing 5 kids; my 3 youngest and Jon and Andy's youngest.


It was a long day and the kids were tired. Hannah looked so cute I couldn't resist taking her picture.

The kids looking at mud pots at mud volcano.

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.

Yellowstone Day 2

Enjoying a short rest at Mammoth Hot Springs

Saturday didn't start real early, but it was packed full of a lot of sightseeing and driving. We decided to go to Mammoth Hot Springs because I don't ever remember going there. As I think about it I'm sure I've probably been there before, but not that I remember. We left the trailer around 9:30 and headed to the upper loop. We had to stop and take in the view near Dunraven Pass and then we headed to Tower Falls.

Look'n at the view

Here's a funny story that happened along the way to Tower Falls. Kenny had commented on all the people stopping to take pictures of the Bison. Sarah Kate was so beyond Bison at this point. She had to give us a lecture about how dumb it is to waste all your time taking pictures of Bison, there everywhere. I mean really, how lame is that. :) She has a point, there are Bison everywhere around the fishing bridge area, but I still find them cool.

Tower Falls

Tower Falls is yet another beautiful waterfall that graces Yellowstone. Again, I don't remember ever having been there, so it was new to me. As soon as we walked the hundred yards or so to the lookout point Kenny decided he wanted to go down to it. The trail to the base of the waterfall only went about half way and there were signs along the trail with notes that read something like this, 'Due to current washout conditions the trail to the base of the waterfall is closed.' Of course being Kenny he didn't think it applied to him, so when he tried to climb over the fence blocking the rest of the trail I told him no. He wasn't happy with me and decided to go down to the river below instead. I was OK with this, as there were may fishermen down there, so we all headed down to the river. Again, he really wanted to go to the waterfall so he decided to walk along the bank of the river and get to the waterfall that way. On we went, following Daddy to the base of the waterfall. I will say it was very beautiful and I'm glad I went, but I still feel guilty about going where we weren't suppose to be. The worst part was walking up the trail and climbing over the fence at the end with all the people watching us. I know I'm a baby, but I really don't like disobeying rules like that.

Sarah Kate and Ben at the base of Tower Falls.

Walking to the base of the waterfall took a lot of time and my in-laws were nice enough to watch Gracie while we went down. Again, Gary and Helen, sorry it took us so long. We had a quick sandwich lunch in our cars as we drove on to Mammoth Hot Springs.

Mammoth Hot Springs (without the water)

Mammoth was very pretty, but very cold. The wind was blowing and it was just simply colder there. We bundled everyone up and headed up the walkway to look at all the pretty sights. Most of the hot springs were dried up and I think they would have been much prettier had they had water running down them, but they were neat anyway. We also got to see some elk hanging out around the houses that have been constructed there. All in all, I'm really glad we went that way. It was a different view of Yellowstone as it contained the fort built for the Army in the 1880's and the current park headquarters with houses and apartments. Not things you typically see in Yellowstone. And the hot springs were really cool too.

All bundled up ready to see the hot springs.

We drove on down toward Old faithful and stopped at a few neat spots. Artists Paintpots were really cool with stunning views. Hannah was sound a sleep in the car (not something our kids typically do) and Grandpa was kind enough to sit with her while the rest of us took the mile or so walk around the paintpots. The kids liked the bubbling mud and I like the blue blue water and red rocks, not to mention the view.

View of Artist Paintpots

Our next stop was Fountain Paint Pot, another walk to see some geysers and beautiful bubbling mud. The kids really enjoyed listening the the sound of the splatting mud and the steam that would completely engulf them. I'm really glad my kids enjoy the great outdoors so much. I guess it's good because they happen to be our kids which means they'll be spending a lot of their time outdoors.

We took the Firehole Lake Drive, but the kids were mostly happy to just sit in the car and watch a movie for this drive. It was pretty and they got out a few times, but it was getting late in the day and they were all pretty tired.

The streams from Grand Prismatic Spring running into the Firehole River.

Our last stop was Grand Prismatic Spring. This was really cool. Big pools of hot boiling water in amazing colors of blue, green, red and orange. They created streams that ran into the Firehole River and sent up mist as their hot water touched the colder water of the stream. There was a lot of steam coming from the hot springs, maybe because it was getting late and colder, but the pools were still stunning. Everyone enjoyed the walk, but near the end we decided the kids were all getting tired (and whiny) and it was probably time to start heading back to the trailer. Old Faithful would have to wait until tomorrow.

Grand Prismatic Spring

We started the long drive back to Fishing Bridge and on the shore of Yellowstone Lake we discovered a family of elk. There were 2 females, 2 babies (I think, or was there only 1), and a bull. It was very cool, we HAD to stop and take pictures. The sun was going down, the moon was coming up over the lake, and there were these beautiful animals walking along the lake. The bull was gorgeous, a little intimidating, but absolutely beautiful. What a way to end a wonderful day.

The bull elk walking along the shore of Yellowstone Lake.

I again have too many wonderful pictures so please enjoy this slide show as well.

Yellowstone Day 1

We went to Yellowstone last weekend and it was absolutely fabulous. I hadn't been back there since I was pregnant with Sarah Kate so it's been a good 7 years or so. I'd forgotten how beautiful it is. I love going to Yellowstone as an adult because I have so much more appreciation for it's beauty than I did as a child. It's definitely an incredibly beautiful place that everyone should go visit sometime in their lives. It's nature at it finest.

Anyway, we left Friday and of course we were late. It turned out OK though because we were meeting Kenny's parents there and they were also late. We took the drive up through Island Park and West Yellowstone. As we drove I realized what a pretty place we've moved to. It's amazing to me that we live so close to so many beautiful areas. We stopped in West Yellowstone and ate lunch at McDonald's. It was a constructed like a log cabin and Ben thought it was the coolest McDonald's he had ever seen. It was great, a log cabin McDonald's and a Star Wars Happy Meal toy, he couldn't have been happier.

After lunch we stopped at an outlet store in West Yellowstone that was selling Yellowstone shirts for cheap. We bought the three oldest kids sweatshirts which came in handy as the park did get a little cold. We couldn't find anything for Gracie, but I didn't think she cared all that much. She was just happy to be out or her car seat and to crawl around on the floor.

Then we headed into the park. As I said before, it's just beautiful. Pretty much as soon as we drove in we spotted a Bison in the river. It was such a welcoming. Kenny said it should wear a sign around it's neck that says 'Welcome to Yellowstone.' I don't know about you, but I wasn't willing to put the sign on him. :) We saw other Bison and some Elk as we drove to our campsite.

Our first bison sighting.

Our first stop, minus the stops for wildlife pictures, was at Gibbon Falls. It's a waterfall along the Gibbon River (I bet you couldn't have figured that out.) Kenny decided we needed to walk down to it and so I gave up my east coast mentality that you can't go exploring and headed down with the family. It was beautiful and the kids enjoyed looking down over the edge (don't worry we held on to them.) On the way up I got the first (and only) battle wound of the trip. I was trying to help the kids up as I was holding Gracie and I wasn't paying attention to the trees in front of me. I walked right into a very poky, dead tree limb and it hit me square between the eyes. I guess it's good it didn't poke my eye out, but it did leave a small mark and Hannah was very concerned for me. She still looks at me and points as she says "Mama owie." It's very cute.

Gibbon Waterfall

Next we went to find Kenny's parents who we thought were at Canyon Campground, but when we got there we discovered the campground was closed for the season. We drove down to Fishing Bridge and got lucky when we found them there, it was also nice that they had only been there for about 15 minutes. We were originally going to take the trip with Kenny's brother Michael and his family along with his parents, but last minute Michael discovered he had to work that weekend so it was just us with Grandma and Grandpa. It turned out great and everyone had a wonderful time. They let us stay in their trailer which was very nice and cozy and kept us very warm overnight with the sometimes below freezing temperatures outside. We were grateful to have a nice place to stay.

After we got all settled in the trailer we headed to Yellowstone's Grand Canyon area. We first had to stop at the Mud Volcano, which is a hot spot for bison as well. When we arrived the Bison were by the road and as we left they were headed up the hill for the night to the warm area of the mud pots. We stopped and took a few pictures of the bison and then went to see the mud volcano. The kids loved the walk and enjoyed looking at the springs and mud pots. They even tolerated the sulphur smell, which was very nice.

Watching the Bison at the mud volcano

When we finished there we went to Artist Point which gives you an amazing view of Yellowstone's Grand Canyon and the huge waterfall along the Yellowstone River. Every time I go there I'm awe struck. It's such an amazing place. I always think of two things when I go there. One, I wonder what it would have been like to discover it. What an amazing sight it would have been had you never seen anything like it before. It probably would have also been very daunting, how would you get around it? Two, God had created some amazing things in this world and I'm so grateful for their beauty and for the opportunity I get to enjoy them.

The Grand Canyon and waterfall.

The kids enjoyed the waterfalls, but it was getting dark so we had to head out. On the way home we ran into something you only see in Yellowstone, a Bison roadblock. There was a herd of Bison on the roadway and they were just happy to chill out. They were in no big hurry to leave and no one wanted to mess with them. It took a while before the Bison moved a bit and for the people to get brave enough to drive by, but if I have to be in a traffic jam, I'm OK with it being that kind of a jam.

The bison road block.

We went back to the trailer, fed the kids and put them in bed. Then Kenny and I went for a quick walk and headed back into the trailer to play some Scrabble with my in-laws. It was a wonderful day and that set us up for yet another wonderful day.

We had a lot of great pictures so check out the slideshow.