We got up at 7:00, ate a quick breakfast of cold cereal, and got on the road before 9:00. We drove back into Grand Teton NP and turned north toward Yellowstone. We drove all the way up to Fishing Bridge Visitor's Center and parked the Minnie, unhooked the car, and got on the circle road to tour some highlights of this magnificent park. On the way to Fishing Bridge, we saw several bison, deer, a moose, and then a bear cub run across the road in front of us following his mother who was already in the trees on the other side. Of course, all this wildlife comes and goes so quickly as you drive along, that you can't get photos of any of it.
Our first stop was Mud Volcano, where the boys exclaimed about the smell before we were even out of the car. They walked up the hill to see several of the bubbling cauldrons, and discovered a buffalo was lounging by the pool. He was literally just a few feet from the trail rail.Nathan got a quick picture where you can see his head.
Canyon Village Educational Center was our next stop. We learned quite a lot about the volcanic activity under the park acreage, and also many exhibits regarding the bison. They are plentiful in the area we had just driven through.We had been wondering what the difference between bison and buffalo, and one of the exhibits answered our question; the terms are interchangeable.
We drove on to Norris Geyser Basin. The line to get a spot in the parking lot took us about 20 minutes, but we found a space for our tiny car and walked down to see several hot pools, mud pots, and spouts. The boys took a little hike around some of the pools while I stayed nearer the car and Hanna.
Our final stop before heading back toward the motor home was Old Faithful. Again, we found a packed parking lot and drove around for about 15-20 minutes looking for a space. We finally parked near the ranger station, and the boys jumped out and ran toward the Visitor's Center and the geyser while I gave Hanna a quick walk before locking her in the car for a short while. Nathan texted me to hurry, as Old Faithful was ready to blow at any minute. Sure enough, as soon as I walked up and found the boys, it started spouting. It's quite an impressive geyser, and certainly the biggest one we saw all day. As soon as it was done, I headed back to check on Hanna and they boys walked through the Visitor's Center.
Then we hurried back to Fishing Bridge to pick up Minnie and go find a campground for the night. On our way out of the park, we saw three grizzlies foraging about 10 feet from the road. There were at least a dozen cars pulled off and many people taking pictures, so the boys took a few pictures out the window and we drove on. We ended up at a state park for the night with a beautiful view and a shower house. What more could you want on your third night out?
Note: Steven brought a DSLR camera and took some great photos, too. We uploaded them to my laptop. Here are a couple shots:
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| Sun Bathing Buffalo |
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| Grizzly Bear |
I remember that smell. Sometimes in the winter an elk will go into the sulphur flats for warmth and be overcome by the poisonous gas.
ReplyDeleteSo are you adjusting to travel with toad or are you still thinking you could do this without?