Playing Tourist in Yellowstone Park, Part II

It's been a couple of big days in Yellowstone Park for me and the hubby.  We put on funny tourist clothes and rubber necked our way all around the Park.

This is Roaring Mountain. 

I didn't hear anything, but the steam does sort of "roar" out of cracks.  It's best to see this in the morning when it's cold so the steam is visible.

We went to Mammoth Hot Springs since hubby had never been there.

We met up with my friend, Ken, and climbed to the top of the Terraces.

That's Mammoth down there in the distance.

Ken and hubby demanded "benching" time before we made it up the stairs to the top.

It almost seems like the surface of the moon.

With blue skies and mountains with snow.

Actually, the moon probably doesn't look anything like this, but it is eerie.

At the very top, you are treated to a hot springs that pours down the side of the Terraces.

Hubby stayed behind at a bench.

He was upset when he learned that you can drive to the top of the Terraces to see this.

He hinted that I should walk all the way down myself and drive the car to the top to pick him up.

It didn't happen.

Today we drove the entire loop around Yellowstone Park.

I'll spare you the details and just hit the good tourist stuff.

This is a baby grizzly that was right beside the road.

A ten year old Japanese boy ran right up to it and turned for his father to take a picture.

Everyone was yelling at them to get back in the car.

Where there's a baby, there's usually a mama and she isn't so cute.  This isn't Disneyland, folks.  The animals are not animated.  All ended well, as far as we know.

We saw the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone....from 5 or 6 different locations.

Hubby said that it's better than the other Grand Canyon.

Here I am saying "Cheeseburger" for the umpteenth time for hubby.

He waits until my smile has faded into teeth gritting before he pushes the button, so don't think that this is how I really smile.

Here's the petrified hubby looking at a petrified tree.

Actually, only the tree is rock like.

Hubby has his softer moments.

The macho elks are out and about now.

He's looking good.

Don't think any of the ladies were out to appreciate him, but there is a season for everything.

So there you have it friends.  The highlights of two days worth of traveling.

I don't like playing tourist, if you must know.  I liked it much better here when you couldn't see a car for miles.
At least I was able to experience the Park before the tour buses and RV's took over.

Tonight, we're hitting the employee pub for pizza and Moose Drool.  Wish you were here.

A Perfect Day in Yellowstone Park

You may all find this hard to believe, but I have nothing to complain about today.  Wait, wait...don't leave me.  I know you all get some kind of perverse pleasure in my suffering, but today was the best day ever in Yellowstone Park.

This is my partner in crime, Ken, from Pennsylvania.  He works at Mammoth Hot Springs in food service.

Not a career he wishes to pursue, by the way.

He said he would rather pick up bison poop if such a job existed.  I feel his pain.

It took me an hour and a half to get to Mammoth.  First there was the mandatory bison jam, then a tourist jam (a bear was chasing elks which was worthy of a tourist jam, but too far away for my camera) and then the half an hour wait in the construction zone.

Finally, we took off in Ken's trusty pick-up truck, looking for adventure and food.  We headed toward Roosevelt because the interesting wildlife lives in the northern part of the park.  That means anything other than bison, the cattle of Yellowstone Park.

Before we left Mammoth, I had to take at least one picture of a baby elk.

The elk are camped out right by the hotel.  It gives the security guys fits as tourists have been known to try to ride them.  Yipee ki yah! 

I'm still looking for that stupid tourist picture that will get me five minutes of fame.

We stopped at Tower Falls which is always impressive.

See the rainbow at the bottom?

Mother Nature was all dressed up today in her jewels. 

A big horn sheep posed for us.

That's an antelope, I swear it is. 

Lord, I need a better camera!

I could wake up to this every morning.

Not in a tent or anything like that.

What I mean is that this would look great from the porch of my summer cottage.  I would be drinking coffee, nibbling on a pastry.....

There is always a bear sighting in this area, so here you go.

Mr. black bear was just ambling down the side of a hill.

We took the northeast exit out of the park and ended up in Cooke City.

Don't you just love Buns N Beds? 

How bout them buns on the biker?

This is one end of Cooke City.

This is the other end of Cooke City.

That's all folks!

What do they do when tourist season is over?

Maybe they have snowmobile races down the center of town.

Maybe they stone the town witch.

Maybe they just get stoned.

This isn't really a waterfall...just snow melting and running down the side of a mountain.

And look!  There are flowers blooming.

More long horn sheep right outside Mammoth.

So that was my day in Yellowstone Park and it was glorious and sunny and relaxing and fun.

Don't you wish you were me?

Come on...be jealous. 

Humor me.

As Groucho Marx said, "Time flies like an arrow.  Fruit flies like a banana." 

It doesn't have to be appropriate.