We entered Yellowstone National Park via the East Entrance road. Tonight we'll stay in a cabin near Old Faithful on the west side of the park. But it will only be for one night. Tomorrow we head south to visit the Grand Tetons. So, our drive across the park today is just a taste of what we'll do in the upcoming week.
Traveler's tip: Yellowstone offers many different kinds of accommodations. Our preference was for a cabin with two beds and a private bath. I booked the accommodations in April. You'd think that four months would be enough lead time for us to get what we wanted. Nope. We took what we could get. Some nights we had to settle for one bed or a shared bathhouse (all cabins thankfully had a sink). We were forced to move each night. As it turns out, moving around the park was the very best thing we could have done. Yellowstone is huge, and we didn't have to backtrack much. But word to the wise: BOOK EARLY! Accommodations fill up quickly!
Entering Yellowstone was a magical experience. We were not prepared for the abundance of wildflowers that greeted us along the road. Impromptu waterfalls cascaded from cliffs. Wildlife wandered aimlessly through paradise.
Traveler's tip: Yellowstone offers many different kinds of accommodations. Our preference was for a cabin with two beds and a private bath. I booked the accommodations in April. You'd think that four months would be enough lead time for us to get what we wanted. Nope. We took what we could get. Some nights we had to settle for one bed or a shared bathhouse (all cabins thankfully had a sink). We were forced to move each night. As it turns out, moving around the park was the very best thing we could have done. Yellowstone is huge, and we didn't have to backtrack much. But word to the wise: BOOK EARLY! Accommodations fill up quickly!
Entering Yellowstone was a magical experience. We were not prepared for the abundance of wildflowers that greeted us along the road. Impromptu waterfalls cascaded from cliffs. Wildlife wandered aimlessly through paradise.
Yellowstone was, quite simply, stunning.
The roadsides were covered in wildflowers. These weren't the ordinary wildflowers (weeds) that litter roadsides across the country. Everywhere you looked you'd see a section that took your breath away. Ma and I kept asking each other, "Can you believe this? How can all these gorgeous flowers possibly grow here naturally?" But there's absolutely nothing artificial about it. It's just how it is there.
It's a good thing there were so many pull-offs along the road. It seemed that every few minutes we were compelled to stop and take some pictures.
The following images pale in comparison to the real thing. Ma and I took far too many photos to upload them all. So, here's my poor attempt at representing the variety and beauty of what we saw. And this was just a few hours on the first day...
The roadsides were covered in wildflowers. These weren't the ordinary wildflowers (weeds) that litter roadsides across the country. Everywhere you looked you'd see a section that took your breath away. Ma and I kept asking each other, "Can you believe this? How can all these gorgeous flowers possibly grow here naturally?" But there's absolutely nothing artificial about it. It's just how it is there.
It's a good thing there were so many pull-offs along the road. It seemed that every few minutes we were compelled to stop and take some pictures.
The following images pale in comparison to the real thing. Ma and I took far too many photos to upload them all. So, here's my poor attempt at representing the variety and beauty of what we saw. And this was just a few hours on the first day...
Aspen fleabane (Erigeron speciosus)
Arroyo lupine (Lupinus succulentus)
Mountain bluebell (Mertensia ciliata)
This is the wackiest looking beebalm (Monarda fistulosa) I've ever seen.
Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium). There were entire fields of this stuff.
This looks to me like some sort of snapdragon. Possibly a penstemon?
I suspect it's some species of delphinium. A larkspur, maybe?
I have no clue what this is. I wish I'd been able to see it open.
Columbine (Aquilegia)
Great foliage. Wish I knew what it was.
Are these mule ears (Wyethia amplexicaulis)?
No idea.
If it weren't just 6" tall, I would have guessed it was a form of coreopsis.
What planet are we on?
Possibly some form of thistle.
Monkeyflower (Mimulus guttatus)
Sulphur buckwheat (Eriogonum umbrellatum)
Possibly a type of gentian.
Wyoming paintbrush (Castilleja linariaefolia)
In the places where these grew in large groups, it was tough to keep my eyes on the road. So beautiful!
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Note: I tried to identify the flowers above as best I could. I might have gotten them right, but then again, maybe not.
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Wildflowers weren't the only wild things we saw.
***
Note: I tried to identify the flowers above as best I could. I might have gotten them right, but then again, maybe not.
***
Wildflowers weren't the only wild things we saw.
We encountered a couple of buffalo.
Just like at Custer State Park, the buffaloes just sort of wandered nonchalantly around automobiles.
Strictly speaking, humans are supposed to remain 25 yards from buffaloes, but you hardly have a choice when one is weaving in and out of traffic.
We also saw many unmarked waterfalls. Some were contained...
...and some were completely natural and unfettered.
We stopped at one named waterfall today: Gibbon Falls
As I mentioned, we got a taste of what we'd savor more slowly a few days hence. We drove past stinky thermal features which billowed steam, stately canyons with waterfalls, deep pine forests, idyllic streams, and towering cliffs. Oh, so much to do and see! It's hard to believe that some people complete their visit in only a day or two. Between Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, we were going to spend six days here, and it was barely enough to take it all in.
It was getting late. We checked in to our cabin and ate dinner in the lodge. The dining room overlooks the most famous geyser of them all: Old Faithful. Ahh, what a day to remember.
It was getting late. We checked in to our cabin and ate dinner in the lodge. The dining room overlooks the most famous geyser of them all: Old Faithful. Ahh, what a day to remember.
End Day 8.