I wanted to share a few shots of our trip to Yellowstone Park and so here they are. We went the last week in August and that seemed to be a good time to visit. Less people because most schools had started, but there were quite comfortable temperatures. It was our first visit to the area and we went with another couple that we've been friends with for a long, long time. We did have a lot of fun.
I will say that I am a person who tends to have motion sickness. Always have had. It's the reason that cruises don't sound fun to me and, though I love mountains, the windy up-and-down roads affect me as well. I didn't take as many pictures because I had to take meds (happily the lower-dose so that I was actually awake - ha!) for 9 of the 10 days we were gone. Have to have them when I fly as well. So, I was a little 'off', but still able to enjoy.
If you haven't been to this part of the world, I think it's worth it.
Another picture of the Yellowstone River. The house where we stayed actually backed up to the river and there were canoes and kayaks and other boats going by. Lots of ducks, swans, birds of all kinds. My husband and his friend did a bit of fishing, but they didn't catch anything. Fun though anyway.
This is 'Old Faithful' erupting. Turned out that the day we visited Old Faithful, it rained most of the day. We ended up wearing some 'lovely' yellow ponchos as we waited for the eruption. There were a lot of people waiting, even though it was pretty much pouring. Ha! Afterwards, we were glad to go to the visitor center and learn more. There were several visitor centers to stop and see all over Yellowstone. Well worth walking through.
This was the 'Mud Caldron' area. There were walkways and trails all around that visitors can stop and experience. One does want to stay on the walkways, etc. because the steam is serious. The park rangers have signs and warnings all around. Some people though don't seem to want to follow the rules.
The 'Devil's Thumb' area. It's really fascinating to see and also, as I said above, to go to the visitor centers and see the exhibits about how and why this happens.
Can you say, 'Hello, Mr. Bison?' - ha! There are many, many of these creatures in Yellowstone. You can see them on the hillsides, in the valleys, and just walking down the road - usually right in the middle. I took this shot out the car window.
Another creature that I wasn't quite as anxious to say 'Hello' - a bear. We got several shots of this one, but you can understand why the visitors that have tele-photo lenses get the better pictures. After seeing Mr. Bear (guess he was a Mr., maybe a Ms.), I jumped back in the car. There were a bunch of people that didn't do that though. Some were close on the right side of the picture. A couple of the photographers with those tele-photo lenses started shouting at the people to get back in their cars - the bear was coming. Some did and some did not - silly people!
The last two pictures I'll share are of some wildflowers. I think we were a little late in the season for flowers, but I enjoyed getting a couple of pictures.
Last wildflower picture. And last picture I'll share. As I said, hope you get to visit this area at some point if you haven't. It's definitely a wonderful and picturesque place.
Oh, how beautiful! Those folks who get so close to the wildlife are called "tourons", a combination of tourists and morons! I never had motion sickness until I went on fishing boat with my Dad in Destin, Florida in early 80's. Suffered ever since! xx
ReplyDeleteKay, I love your description of the people who don't seem to understand that wild animals are 'wild' - LOL! Sorry that you also have the motion sickness. Just a thing that some of us get to deal with and others not.
DeleteI wish I can say I made that up but that is what the Park Rangers call them! LOL!
DeleteI believe you, Kay! Yes, we witnessed a bit of exasperation on the part of park rangers one day when people were watching a really, really big bull elk. He was enormous. There were three park rangers with bullhorns and sirens and they were telling people to stay back. I honestly think some parents were wanting to put their little kids on the shoulders of the elk and take a picture!!!
DeleteYellowstone is gorgeous! My family took a road trip there when I was little. I'd love to go back and see it again. And the fall sounds like the perfect time of year to go. Thanks for sharing your photos! :D
ReplyDeleteIt is gorgeous, isn't it? Hope you get to visit it again at some point, Lark. And I appreciate your kind words about the pictures.
DeleteThank you for sharing all of these phtos, Kay. As you know, we spent several weeks in the Tetons last fall. We hadn't really planned to go into Yellowstone, but wound up spending a couple of days there, which was so worthwhile. I'm sorry you had a rainy day. Not much fun walking around all of the mud pots and pools in the rain. We saw bison, as well. One came right up behind our rv when we were parked having lunch! That sure got my attention quickly. Looks like you spotted a grizzly (I see a hump on his back). Fun to see from a distance, but yes, people are really silly about not keeping a safe distance between themselves and wildlife. You've inspired me to start working on my Teton blog posts. I don't know if we'll get back since the altitude bothered Rod, mainly at night when he was trying to sleep.
ReplyDeleteLes, yes, I'd like to see to your pictures of the Tetons and whatever you took in Yellowstone. Bison right up at your rv? A little too close!! The rain that day was a bit annoying. Hard to get your hands out from the poncho to take pictures - ha! And I do understand about the altitude. I'm ok with it after a day or so, but many struggle with it the whole time they are up high. Thanks for the info about the bear. It likely was a grizzly.
DeleteWhat beautiful photos, Kay! Now that all the weddings, remodels, and hurricane repairs are behind us, I'm hoping we can start traveling again. Yellowstone is near the top of my list!
ReplyDeleteThanks, JoAnn! Hope you guys can work out a time to visit that area in upcoming days.
DeleteOh great shots. Love to see these. Such a special area & Park and love seeing the wildlife. I am curious if you saw any wolves there? Perhaps they are a bit elusive. The bear looks a good enough distance but good idea to get back in the car after a picture.
ReplyDeleteSusan, thanks for the kind words. Yes, we did see wolves. No pictures for me though. They were way off. We saw a single wolf and then we eventually saw a wolf pack on another day. You kind of feel like your head is on a swivel the whole time looking for the various animals.
DeleteOh Kay. these are wonderful. I'm pretty certain I'll never get to Yellowstone Park so it's so nice to see your photos and read about your experiences there. And you saw a bear! Wow.
ReplyDeleteCath, thanks so much! Yes, we saw a bear - well, we actually saw another couple of bears on others days, but that's the only one I got a picture of. We also saw wolves and lots of others animals. It was fun!
DeleteIt's so beautiful it's hard to believe they're real. Yellowstone is on our list to get to and I'm really excited. I am (very thankfully) not one of the people who gets motion sickness but it looks absolutely miserable. My husband does have some issues with it and a very low tolerance for all medication and has actually done pretty well on cruises. Smaller boats knock him flat though. Thankfully my son takes after me in that area!
ReplyDeleteKatherine, hope you guys do get to go at some point. Not everyone has the motion sickness as bad as I do and I'm so grateful that there are now 'less drowsy' options for the meds. When I was a kid, it was full strength Dramamine and I just went to sleep. LOL
DeleteStunning, Kay! We would love to go someday!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Angela! I hope you guys are able to visit this lovely area at some point.
DeleteBeautiful pics, Kay. We visited when our kids were younger (grade school age) and had a wonderful time. I'd love to go back.
ReplyDeleteMary
Thanks so much, Mary! It was a great trip for sure.
DeleteHappily, I worked in the park for a summer when I was in college. Oh, these photos bring back so many memories. Thank you, Kay.
ReplyDeleteThat was an interesting job you had during college, Deb. I worked in an office all those summers. Glad that the pics brought back memories to you and it was my pleasure to share them. :-)
DeleteI loved your photos of Yellowstone and I am sorry I missed them when you put them up. We had a friend visiting (just overnight), and I had been overdoing stuff to get some decluttering done.
ReplyDeleteI have never been to Yellowstone. The second and third photos are my favorites but that bison is awesome. I had it confused with a buffalo so I looked it up and bison are more impressive than buffalo. That photo of Devil's Thumb is very nice too.
Thanks so much, Tracy! We had a such a good time seeing all the beauty in that area. Yes, I understand about the bison. I kept calling them buffalo until we visited the exhibit telling about them and learned they are to be called bison. Hope you might get to go at some point.
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