Discovering the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and the History and Cultural Lore of Cody, Wyoming.

Sunday, August 18, 2024

Discovering the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and the History and Cultural Lore of Cody, Wyoming.

Early this morning, we gathered all our bags, loaded them into our car and said goodbye to the beautiful mountain cabin in the Grand Tetons National Park that belongs to our friends, the Deans. We’d had such a comfortable stay in this sprawling homestead with its indoor pool, outdoor pond and spacious decks—not to mention the vast amount of antiques and knick-knacks sprinkled all over the home. Had we more time to spend inside it, we’d really have enjoyed it more. As it was, we were only really there to sleep at night. So, we took a few pictures of the outside of the house and the views of the grand range of the Tetons that overlook the property which looked simply spectacular at 7.00 am as the eastern sun’s rays kissed them golden.

Drive to Yellowstone National Park:

It was a two-hour drive northward, with Llew at the wheel, as we made our way to Yellowstone National Park for out last day there . Once there, we stayed in the enter-east part that would take us into the attractions of the “Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone” which is one of the most visited parts of these massive parklands. So, in a sense, we saved the best for last. Once we entered the park, we made an error reading the map and lost about an hour as we had to backtrack to get to our destination. But we reached there by about 11.00 am and began our exploration of the area.

Exploring the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone:

We made our base at the parking lot of Canyon Village where we also used restrooms. From there on, we followed easily signposted routes to arrive at the main canyon which gives the Park its name—the rocks are of a uniform orche color. The biggest attractions in this area are Upper Falls and Lower Falls and there are parking lots in each of these sites. Of the two, the Upper Falls are definitely the more striking because of their height and sound. Many artists have interpreted this scene, through the years, in various media and we saw many versions of it, later in the day, at the Museum in Cody. (But more about that later in this post).

After seeing the two Falls (each in a different location, but both nearby), we made our way to the last and final spot called Artist’s Point. This lookout is so-called because the colors of the rocks that form the canyon here are so various as to resemble an artist’s palette. Naturally, it is also a very popular spot for picture-posing—which we did too. The rocks are streaked in longitudinal color and with the river flowing through at the base and a few conifer trees that dot the area, it is indeed very scenic.

Off to Cody, Wyoming:

With the clock showing about 1.00 pm, we made do with the many snacks and cereal bars we had stashed in our Food Bag as we did not want to waste time stopping somewhere for lunch. We had a long drive to Cody, Wyoming, where we would be spending the night. Friends (Kathy, Virginia) had told me about the amazing museum in Cody and since I have never met a museum I did not love, I decided that we should try to get there before the museum closed, if possible.

The drive to Cody turned out to be longer than we expected—about 3 hours. But, attempting to beat the clock, we did get there by 4.00 pm and followed our GPS directions that took us right to the Museum.

Visiting the Buffalo Bill Center of the West:

For those who know nothing about him, the town of Cody is named after a man named William (Bill) Cody, who, in the late 19th century became legendary in these parts. He started his life in quite an ordinary fashion, in the days of the Wild West when gold prospecting, gun-running, outlaw-hunting and posses were part and parcel of American Western lore. He began his career establishing traveling entertainment shows that showcased the West for the rest of the country to see: singing, dancing, spectacular revue shows, fire-eating, etc.—all the antics associated with live shows in the 19th century—became his stock-in-trade. In time, he took on the stage name of “Wild Bill Cody” and traveled with his troupes across the Atlantic, all the way to London, where a dignitary no less than Queen Victoria herself was a guest at one of his shows. Needless to say, he became enormously successful and wealthy and ploughed the money he made back into the town of Cody where he established hotels with restaurants, saloons, bars, etc. One of the places he founded was the ‘Irma Hotel and Saloon’ which he named after one of his daughters. His entire life is well mapped out in the world-class museum in Cody which we had a little more than an hour to explore.

We were very happy to be granted free entry tickets into the museum and, upon asking at the Reception Desk where we should begin, we were told to start in the Buffalo Bill Museum itself as that would give us a composite idea of his contribution to the area’s development and prosperity as well as inform us about his life. And that was exactly what we did. There is so very much to see in this place that you could spend a whole day in this museum—which is really five museums in one! We had time for just two, but they were a truly informative and enlightening experience. We saw taxidermied bison, a load of wile life of the area, plus stage coaches, etc. in a great stage of preservation. Lots of film clips of his shows—including rodeo displays—were available and we watched a couple. There was a great deal of memorabilia from his own life such as photographs, his personal possessions, items from the person collections of his children. etc. Plus, downstairs, there was a whole gallery devoted to color posters announcing his shows in various languages for different parts of Europe to which his performing troupes had traveled. It was all quite fascinating indeed!

Having found out as much as we could about Wild Bill Cody, we moved to the Fine Arts Museum which was on the other side of the main lobby. There, we were treated to a wonderful display of paintings and sculpture pertaining to the history and landscape of the region. It was marvelous to see original works by sculptors such as Frederick Remington who immortalized the Wild West through his bronzes. In fact, in one section of the Museum, there is a reproduction of Remington’s studio in New York which I found fascinating as it contained a collection of objects from the Wild West that he utilized in his paintings. There are also a number of canvases by a variety of contemporary artists (including one by Alfred Bierstadt) depicting the Upper Falls of the Yellowstone that we had seen only this morning. How glorious it was to see the numbers of ways in which artists can interpret the same visual scene. Outside, the scene was just as stimulating as there is a huge picture window through which we could see the mountains that circle the town of Cody. In the yard bordering the parking lot, there is a larger-than-life size sculpture of Wild Bill. It was all truly wonderful and we had such a great time in this museum. I was so glad we visited it and only wished we’d had more time to admire the rest of it, as I’m sure, it would have been just as stunning. If you are ever in this area, I would advise that you give the town of Cody at least one whole day in which to enjoy this museum in detail.

Our Accommodation at King’s Inn, Cody:

When the museum closed at 5.00 pm, we used our GPS again to find our way to our accommodation for the night. We had made a reservation at ‘The King’s Inn’, a motel which turned out to be a really goofy place. It’s logo in a massive lion’s head. Inside, there is a vast lobby that is absolutely crammed with taxidermied animals from Africa. You can well go on an African safari in this lobby alone—no need to go to the Masai Mara to see the Big Five! There are lions, antelope, rhino, crocodiles, leopards, etc. all ringing the lobby where you sit in the morning for breakfast. When I inquired as to why the lobby is filled with this sort of object, the receptionist told me that the owner had spent a lot of time in Africa and had been buying these items as he had the perfect place in which to display them. Hmmm…

Anyway, after we settled into our room, being that we’d had no lunch to talk of, we decided to go in search of an early dinner. I used ‘Lonely Planet’ to find a place and one of the spots they recommended was the ‘Irma Hotel and Restaurant’ on Main Street. Before we arrived there, I bought a few souvenirs (magnet, T-shirts) in one of the stores there. I have to say that the town is stacked with memorabilia from the days of the Wild West. They are trying hard to preserve the ambience of those times and I felt as if I had strayed into the sets of a Wild West movie.

Dinner at the ‘Irma Hotel and Restaurant’:

In this hotel, founded by Wild Bill Cody and named after his daughter, Irma, a big attraction in the Grill Restaurant is the solid oak wood bar and cabinetry that was presented to the actor-director by the Queen of England of the time, Victoria, who was so impressed by his virtuosity that she made him this enormous gift. It was shipped across the Atlantic from England and makes a gorgeous focal point in the restaurant. We feasted our eyes upon it as we ordered and ate our dinner.

Served by a wonderful waitress, we ordered the Cowboy Burgers which came with Sweet Potato Waffle Fries and a side salad. We washed it down with beers that were the perfect accompaniment to a very tasty meal. The restaurant itself had the feel of a grand hotel in the 19th century: it was strung with posters, flags, black and white photographs, etc. that recounted the history of the era. All fitments and furniture date from that period—which made for a very authentic dining experience. We enjoyed our time there, in that vast hall, surrounded by other diners, in a space that was upscale and historic enough without being stuffy. We think we made a great choice because other than finding really satisfying food, we had another little bit of sightseeing covered in this historic space. At one time, this building offered accommodation to wealthy prospectors and entrepreneurs who wished to become part of the business life of a thriving town. Today, it is more of a touristic curiosity but its association with a very colorful part of America’s past still lives on.

Our dinner done, we drove back to our hotel for showers and a much-needed rest. We had covered a lot of ground and we had certainly earned a good night’s sleep.

Until tomorrow, cheerio…

More Thrilling Yellowstone Delights: A Guided Tour of Fort Yellowstone, Eye-to-Eye with Gigantic Bison and Elk, A Stunning Sunset and Drinks at a Pub in Jackson

Saturday, August 17, 2024

More Thrilling Yellowstone Delights: A Guided Tour of Fort Yellowstone, Eye-to-Eye with Gigantic Bison and Elk, A Stunning Sunset and Drinks at a Pub in Jackson

Today was probably our most thrilling day in Yellowstone National Park as we enjoyed wildlife sightings galore and managed to shoot them on camera—still and video—to our heart’s delight. But to begin in our motel…

We awoke at the Traveler’s Lodge in Madison, Montana, munched on croissants and had motel coffee (from the lobby) before we checked out and began the long drive back into Yellowstone National Park. Again, I have to make clear that Madison is the nearest western town outside the Park and yet it is a good two hours away from the Park’s entrance and even further away from its attractions. This explains why there is a lot of (rather boring) driving to be done in Yellowstone where all you pass are long ribbons of asphalt road ahead lined by pine trees on both sides.

Driving North Past Norris Towards Mammoth Hot Springs:

Our aim today was to cover the northernmost reaches of the Park—this explains why we had to do so much driving. Past Norris, we encountered Sheepeater’s Cliff where we stopped to stretch our legs and take in the unusual basalt formations of rock that formed a steep cliff in front of us. It was at this point that we caught a glimpse of another creature that is common in these parts—a pika. This animal belongs to the rodent family but he looks rather cute as he resembles a rabbit rather than a rat. It has cute round ears and rather than a snout, a nose that twitches, somewhat like a rabbit. We enjoyed its nest-building antics for a while before we returned to our car and drove on.

A little while later, we arrived at Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces. These are so-called because the calcite rocks which are plentiful in this area were formed in layers over millions of years. We could see the hot springs smoking as we parked our car and walked towards the clearly-demarcated walkway. However, the climb to the top that would afford panoramic views of the smoking ‘sulphur pots’ and ‘mud pools’ was so long and so strenuous that we decided to pass on it and take pictures only at the base. Here too, we could smell the sulphurous fumes and my sulphur-allergy was well and truly activated at these spots (in fact, throughout the Park).

Guided Tour of Fort Yellowstone:

Driving still further north, we arrived at the Albright Visitors Center where we stopped to use rest rooms and to find out about a guided tour of Fort Yellowstone which is in this location. There is a very nice exhibit in the Center that details the history of Yellowstone and its establishment as a National Park in 1872 We discovered that a guided tour, given by a US Park Ranger, was about to start in 15 minutes. We decided to join it and saw ourselves in a pack of about fifteen other folks.

The Ranger was very good and as he walked us around the premises, comprises of army barracks, headquarters, store houses and, at the very end, a little church, he told us about the history of the military in this spot. The military set up camp there for the first time to maintain law and order in the area. The biggest danger, then as now, was poaching and the illegal shooting of wildlife and the transportation of their skins and pelts had to be regulated by law. Hence, the origin of the presence of the army. We learned a lot of interesting facts about military life, living with wildlife and the changing seasons and the training and duties of field officers. The tour lasted about 40 minutes and gave us a composite idea of the role and contribution of the US military in this area. Since we were very close to the northern exit of the Park, we decided to drive further northwards and get to Gardiner, another small town. However, it was a disappointment as Boiling River which lies en route is no longer open to visitors as it has ‘disappeared’ in a recent storm. So we exited the Park and then made a U-turn and came right back into it!

This time we drove south and then eastwards along the Blacktail Plateau where we had our first major sightings of large herds of American Buffalo (bison). We stopped to take in the heartening sight (as did many other visitors) and then drove towards the junction of Tower-Roosevelt. Once there, we followed signs east for the Lamar Valley which is supposed to offer some of the best wildlife sightings in the Park.

And we were not disappointed. For the next couple of hours, the further east we drove, the more animals we saw. On this single morning, in addition to dozens of bison, we saw a large herd of pronghorn (also known as antelope). And as our car was driving slowly along, I saw a bobcat! This is a rather rare sighting, I am told, as they usually stay up in the mountains. Sadly, as the car was moving, I could not take a picture and Llew (who was behind the wheel) did not see it at all. Still further west, we saw loads of elk drinking water from a stream that lay glowing golden in the sunshine. It was all very very exciting indeed. This was what we had come to Yellowstone to see. Sadly, there was not a moose in sight and I would leave the Park without fulfilling my favorite aspiration.

Lunch in Cooke City:

A very long drive eastwards, out of the Park, took us to the city that is called Cooke City. It would make a good place for lunch, we thought, as we drove for what seemed like hundreds of miles to get there. This is a typical frontier town and resembles, in every way, Madison and, later in our trip, places like Deadwood, that we would see. In general, these towns, just like you see in Western movies, have a single Main Street with shops and restaurants lining it on both sides. In the good old days of the Wild West, you would have had horses left outside the entrances. Today, there are motor vehicles and we ran into a group of bikers who were traveling across the country and enjoy taking their vehicles into the uppermost reaches of the woods where they told us, they often come across wolves!

We found a place called ‘The Prospector’s Pub’ where we settled down to have a meal. It had an old-world charm about it and in its limited menu offerings, we found a cheese steak hoagie that we shared with a side salad. It made for a very filling meal with fries. After our lunch, we used the facilities and began our long drive back into the Park.

More Wildlife Sightings:

It was from this point on, that we had some of the most exciting wildlife sightings of the trip. The Lamar Valley Plateau is simply covered with bison and literally hundreds of them roam freely here. Oftentimes, they venture out on to the roads and it is here that they come within a few feet of people in their vehicles. It was here that we stopped our car as bison had taken over the road and one of them ambled aimlessly all over the place like a drunkard who did not know where he was heading. Eventually, he came right in front of our stationary car and then moved towards the driver’s side. I was so dumbfounded that I did not have the presence of mind to use my camera to take a picture when the animal was literally eye-to-eye with Llew, not even six inches away from Llew’s eye, as he skirted the side of our car and then ambled away, just as aimlessly. It was an unforgettable experience and the closest encounter we would have with wildlife during our trip.

Our Drive Southwards:

South of the Lamar Valley, we continued our drive. We’d had our fill of wildlife and were keen to return to Grand Tetons National Park before it got too dark. Hence, we decided to begin the long drive homewards. Along the way, we stopped at Tower Falls, so-called because the river falls down from an impressive height over granite rock into the valley below—albeit in the distance—forming a wonderful canyon. It was at this point that we had another unexpected wildlife sighting. A few folks were using their binoculars to look across the river and there, they pointed, was an osprey’s nest, with the mother and her two chicks clearly visible in it. It was another unexpected encounter with bird life in the Park.

Just a little later, we stopped to take in a rather wondrous sight. Peering over a ridge, we caught out first glimpse of the amazing Canyon that is referred to as “the Grand Canyon of The Yellowstone”. For those of us who have seen the real Grand Canyon of Colorado, the feeling is a little bit like one has on first seeing the canyon—it is breathtaking! However, we knew that we did not have enough time or daylight to be able to do justice to Yellowstone’s Grand Canyon today. Hence, we decided to postpone that pleasure for tomorrow when, at the very start of the day, we’d be fresh enough to really enjoy it.

As we drove further south, we stopped at one more point—to see Suphuric Cauldron, which, as its name suggests, is a bubbling pot of sulphuric liquid whose milky waters were highly odiferous. We would, no doubt, have many more such sightings, had we stopped at all those attractions marked along the way.

A Truly Stunning Sunset:

Instead, we pressed on downwards. As twilight was swiftly falling, I took the wheel. We drove straight on and, in about two hours, we left Yellowstone behind us and were arriving at the entrance of the Grand Tetons National Park once again. We began to feel very familiar with this terrain as we had driven through or by these points, it several times in the past few days.

While Llew simply wanted to get back home (it was about 7.00 pm, by this time), I suggested to him that we drive, once again, to the Town of Jackson. I needed to buy a few more gifts and souvenirs that we had not purchased on first encountering the town, a couple of days ago. Llew agreed and, with me still driving, we went further south.

was at this point while driving through the vast flat plains of the Park that we had one of the most stirring sunsets I have ever seen in my life. Massive clouds had amassed behind the Tetons on the left side of us and were billowing in huge, fluffy apricot folds that left me breathless. In fact, the rays of the sun were setting gently in the West; but it was on the Eastern horizon that all the magic seemed to be happening. I had to pull over at a lay-by so that I could safely take pictures as I was afraid I would not be able to commit so spectacular a sunset to memory And I am glad I did—as I now have a stack of photographs that still allow me to marvel at the changing skies that completely gripped us that evening.

In Jackson—Another Night on the Town:

In about an hour, we were skirting Jackson. We were not sure exactly where to go, but we decided to head towards the Central Square to park our car and walk about. Alas, at nearly 9.00 pm, with many smaller bars already shutting down for the night, it was hard to find parking. We had to drive around towards the smaller bylanes to find a spot in a free public parking lot. Once there, we walked about ten minutes towards the Central Square.

While the shops were still doing business, we bought some souvenirs: Christmas ornament, T-shirts, etc. and with these buys done, we began to look for a place to eat dinner. However, every spot either had a long wait list or was closing down. Finally, we found that the Roadhouse Brewing Company, a pub on the top floor of one of the buildings on the Square was open and still doing business. When we arrived upstairs, however, the waitress informed us that they were no longer seating people for dinner. We asked if we could have a quick drink at the bar and the bartender agreed to serve us just one drink only. We were grateful for little mercies, as we had driven a long way to get there and it would be a disappointment, had we been turned away.

Hence, without wasting any time, Llew ordered a glass of red wine, I had a half pint of cider that was very good and very refreshing. Within half an hour, with almost everyone having left the place, we paid up and made our way downstairs. It was still buzzing on the Central Square, but only youngsters were around. Families, children and the elderly had found their way home, a long time ago. Within ten minutes, we were back in the parking lot and in our car. And about half an hour later, with me driving, we arrived back at our mountain cabin.

As we had done every evening, we used wifi to pick up our messages (as there is very little connectivity in the Parks), ate a make-shift dinner of soup and leftover Dornan’s pizza of a couple of days ago, had our showers and then settled down to bed

Amazing Radio Station:

Before I end this installment on our travels, I have to say how much easier and shorter the long drives in the two Parks felt with our radio tuned on to a station that we found purely by chance. This was JTNX-105, a local station that played Songs from the 70s and 80s. As Llew and I knew every single track the DJs spun, we often sang along or exclaimed at how long it had been since we had heard a particular number. It often got us talking about musical artists such as Karen Carpenter or James Taylor and it kept conversation going as well as lightened the miles. Had it not been for that amazing radio station, there is no way those long drives would have been half as pleasurable.

Later, and now that we are back, we are trying to find the radio station; but it clearly has only a very small bandwidth. We are simply unable to pick it up. A true loss to us indeed. This is why we are doubly pleased that we made the most of it while we had easy access to it. If you are ever in this region and love Oldies music, I’d like to suggest that you give this radio station a go. It will add great joy to your exploration.

Until tomorrow, cheerio…

From the Grand Tetons National Park Into Yellowstone National Park—A Journey into the Wild with Geysers, Mud Volcanoes, Sulphuric Springs and Wildlife (Finally!) …for Company.

Friday, August 16, 2024:

From the Grand Tetons National Park Into Yellowstone National Park—A Journey into the Wild with Geysers, Mud Volcanoes, Sulphuric Springs and Wildlife (Finally!) …for Company.

Today, we gave wild whoops of triumph and delight! Because today we finally spotted wildlife. But, we had to migrate from the Grand Tetons National Park to Yellowstone National Park to spy them. And when we did, we saw them in droves. Indeed, Yellowstone is the home “where the buffalo roam/ And where the deer and the antelope play!”

But to begin at the beginning. After our rather disappointing drive early in the morning yesterday, we did not think it worth the trouble to awake at dawn to go wildlife-scoping. Instead, we awoke at about 7.00 am, packed lightly (for just one night away from this, our mountain cabin in the Grand Tetons) to get into our car and drive north. Today, we would undertake our Great Migration North!—from the Grand Tetons to Yellowstone. The two parks are, in fact, connected. You drive north, leave one and enter the southern-most tip of the other. It takes a good two hours from where we were staying (near the airport in the Grand Tetons) to enter Yellowstone.

Stopping at the Grand Tetons Southern Entrance Sign for Pictures:

As I realized that we had not taken a picture either together or separately at the National Park’s signpost at the southern end of the Grand Tetons National Park (which includes a lovely glimpse of the mountains in the background), we made a swift detour to the spot before we began our journey to Yellowstone. The angle of the sun was just perfect at this point and we were able to take the desired pictures. It really is worth stopping here if one is an ardent scrap-booker (as I used to be in a previous life—sadly, not anymore!). Pictures taken, we began our drive northwards to Yellowstone.

Admiring Mount Moran:

En route to Yellowstone, we stopped at the Mount Moran Lookout to get a glimpse of the Snake River at this lovely point. The mountain towers above the rest in its range. It remains snow-streaked even in August—a lovely visual contrast against the grey granite of the sun-kissed peaks. Many people stop their vehicles at this point to click pictures and we did too. I tried to be artsy and get some of the mauve wildflowers growing in the area as I composed my pictures. Others walked all the way down to the riverbanks to dip their fingers in the water. There were a couple of kayaks with early-morning energetic people out to enjoy the river as its earliest settlers of the region did.

Cinnamon Rolls at Jackson Lake Lodge:

Driving further north, we arrived at Jackson Lake Lodge and immediately made a beeline for its lobby where its cinnamon rolls are reputed (according to a blog post I had read, in readiness for this trip). They had blueberry cinnamon rolls and we enjoyed them with hot chocolate while seated at the picture window that offered uninhibited views of Mount Moran. This would serve as our breakfast as our 90 minute drive to the entrance of Yellowstone National Park continued.

Arrival at Yellowstone National Park:

At the entrance to Yellowstone National Park, we spied the official signpost. However, as Llew was unprepared for the stop and missed the parking lay-off, he merely pulled up and instructed me to get a picture of myself. I jumped out of the car, ran to the sign (which has a lovely Native American teepee at its side), requested someone to take my picture and jumped back in the car again. I resolved that we should get a picture of the two of us together at the same spot on our way down into the Grand Tetons National Park—which we would do, a few days later. I proudly showed my Seniors Lifetime Card at the entrance for entry into the Park. Otherwise, Daily rates are $20 per vehicle. At the entrance, visitors are provided with a map (really invaluable) and with a copy of a weekly news tabloid that lists highlight happenings of the week in the Park. Armed with these, we drove into the Park. I could not believe that, after years of wanting to visit this Park, we were actually finally there! One more Bucket List item could be ticked off!

En Route to Geyser Country:

It must be noted that it takes at least 90 minutes of a really boring drive (nothing but conifers and the shores of Lewis Lake) before one really spies any action at all. This Park is massive—and I mean, humongous. The Grand Tetons National Park is like a little playground in comparison to the vast thousands of acreage that makes up Yellowstone. I emphasize this because you must be prepared to do a lot of driving—literally hundreds of miles—from one venue to the next—when you are exploring this Park. That was why we had booked accommodation for tonight in Madison, a small sleepy town outside the Park—just so that we would not need to do the hours of driving back to our mountain cabin in the Grand Tetons. And what a good thing too! So, a bit of advice: Treat the two Parks as two different entities and finish exploring one (and pack and leave from one) before moving on to explore the other (and book separate accommodation in the other). You cannot go back and forth between one and the other on the same day—it is simply not advisable at all.

Yes, once in Yellowstone, you will pass a few attractions and we did stop at Kepler Cascades to see a small-ish waterfall. Nothing very impressive at all but it did allow us to stretch our legs and get a short walk-about and it allowed us to spy another lovely piece of wildlife—a peregrine falcon that sat on a tree right at the sight and sang most lustily (who knew that eagles could be so melodious?).

Off to Conquer Geyser Land:

Our main aim today was to get the biggest attraction in Yellowstone right out of the way! The area is well-known for its geo-thermal activity. For some reason, there is massive activity taking place in the bowels of the earth in this area. And ever so often, the bubbling of active liquified gases bursts through the surface of the earth via a variety of outlets that makes this region a paradise for geologists. By the end of the day, we became familiar with a completely new vocabulary that included words such as “mud pools”, “sulphuric springs”, “volcanic rocks”, etc. Not to mention geysers (pronounced ‘gai-zers’)—glorified fountains, really—that are everywhere. However, the Grand Daddy of them all is the one that is referred to as “Old Faithful” and for very good reason! This was the one we were headed out to see first.

Off to See Old Faithful:

Old Faithful is so-called because every ninety minutes, like clockwork, it spouts a grand and impressive fountain out of the earth—a phenomenon that has been going on since time immemorial, day and night, and will continue for who knwos how long? In general, Nature is unpredictable…but Old Faithful can be timed almost to the minute. This is why when you enter the vast parking lot, park your car and make your way to the lovely Visitor Center, you can actually see the timings on a large board, of the next eruptions at Old Faithfal and several other minor geysers in the region.

We decided to catch the eruption at 3.34 pm. This left us enough time to cross the street to the Cafeteria to pick up food. I have to warn you that everything is really expensive within the Park itself. This explains why wise families bring their own picnics with them before they set off for the day. Also, there isn’t much that’s healthy or exciting in the Park cafes. You get the usual stuff: hot dogs, cheeseburgers, ice-cream. No salad that I could see. Anyway, Llew and I opted for the Broccoli Cheddar Soup and large servings of ice-cream (Rocky Road Chocolate and Pralines and Cream) and it would serve us well until dinner-time when we hoped to get a better meal (Alas! That was not to happen…as I will soon reveal).

We walked out of the Café area and found seats at the site of Old Faithful. We had about twenty minutes to go before the eruption and we ate our make-shift meal at the site overlooking the mouth of the spout which was already lined by eager-beaver human beings with cameras at the ready.

Twenty minutes later, as if right on cue, the first rumblings could be heard and spumes of white smoke began to emerge from the spout. Within minutes, it was a full-blown gushing of gallons of water that leapt up high into the sky as countless cameras caught the action—some through video, others through stills. Yes, although one knows exactly what to expect and has seen dozens of pictures of it through the ages, the sight is still spectacular and you are filled with awe at Nature’s possibilities. I know I was! Most of us are speechless or let out occasional gasps—so thrilling is the sight. It lasts for three minutes (or so it felt), but it is a very long three minutes. Enough for one to keep camera aside and simply gaze upon the wondrousness of the sight. And if one wants a repeat performance, well…you only have to wait another 90 minutes to return to the same spot and watch the spectacle all over again. It is truly Nature’s Gift that keeps on giving!

Before we left the site, we took pictures at the signpost that proclaimed that we were at Old Faithful. There were literally thousands of people at the same site at this time and I wondered just how many visitors come to this Park everyday to encounter Nature in her watery glory. It must run to millions! Back at the Visitors’ Center, we asked for advice on how to see the rest of the geysers and were informed that our best bet would be to go back close to Old Faithful and find a little bridge behind it that would take us on a clearly-marked path throughout the area that would enable us to see spouting water in abundance.

And that was what we did. We undertook another hike—but one with a big difference. For the next two hours (or two miles, back and forth), we walked along a beautifully-constructed pathway that took us past most of the main geysers. We saw bubbling pools and we could smell the chemicals that the earth kept spewing out all around us—including loads of pungent sulphur. I have to say that my sulphur allergy was activated merely by breathing in the fumes of this area. Immediately, I began to have hay fever-like symptoms such as a runny, tickling nose and watering eyes. This allergy manifestation stayed with me throughout our days in Yellowstone. It took me a while to out my finger on it and understand why I was suddenly having this cold-like nasal reaction.

So on we trudged past all manner of eruptions. The colors of the earth were mesmerizing. There were the most beautiful tones of ochre, blues, greys, yellows, as they mingled with the earth above. The temperature at these pools and mud holes was very high and one could not get even close to them. One would surely get burned if one tried to touch these emerging fluids. Each of the main eruptions had names such as Castle Geyser and Grand Geyser and one would occasionally catch its next eruption—but these were very minor compared to the grandeur of Old Faithful. We simply took pictures of a few of them and walked on. Our aim was to get to the very end where a spouting hole called ‘Morning Glory’ is a huge highlight.

An hour later, we reached Morning Glory. It used to be much larger than it is today, but it is still quite impressive in its current guise. I believe it is so-called because it resembles a large, colorful flower—the Morning Glory. It is ringed in vivid colors such as red, orange, yellow and green. A lot of pictures are taken at this spot, but seriously, no camera can actually do it justice.

Having reached the end of the marked walkway, we made our return hike to the Visitors’ Center on the opposite side as the pathway forms a loop—another hour of walking past a different variety of geysers. Fortunately, the weather was really good and the hiking did not seem strenuous in the slightest. You can stop as often or as little as you like, depending on how much time you have at hand.

Visiting Yellowstone Lodge:

Just before we returned to our car to continue our exploration of the Park, we followed the instructions in our Guidebook and made a swift detour at Yellowstone Lodge. Like the lodges in the Grand Tetons National Park, this is a vast structure with a spacious lobby clad in wood and stone. There is a stone fireplace and a grand clock that tolls the hour. This place provides accommodation, of course—so it is like a grand five-star hotel. But booking must be done at least a year in advance, if one wishes to stay here (not inexpensive, but I would imagine, a handsome experience). We rested our feet on one of the side sofas in this space and took in its soaring architectural achievement in the glorious timbered ceiling, before we left and made our way back to the Visitors Center to use the restroom and before getting into our car.

Heading Northwest Towards Madison:

This entire area is known as the Geyser Basin and it is divided into the Upper Geyser, Middle Geyser and Lower Geyser Region. After a while, you will feel as if you have seen them all. There is variety in the size, shape, color and activity of each of these geysers, but stopping at all of them takes up a lot of time. By this time, it was about 5.00 pm. and we decided to follow the map and drive north towards our accommodation for the night in the town of Madison. We stopped en route at Firehole Falls, a short cascade, where we took a picture. These drives are equally stirring as the Lookout points they take you past granite canyons that tower ahead of you, thick forests fragrant with pine and eucalyptus and several minor waterfalls.

Finally---Some Wildlife Sightings:

It was at this point that we received our first wildlife sighting of the day: a single bison chewing the cud in the shade. We saw a line of cars ahead of us and realized immediately that someone had sighted an animal. As is customary, we too joined the line, then stepped out of our car, to catch a glimpse of the massive beast in a clearing, well hidden by a thick grove of trees. It was impressive because it was so close to us, although seemingly oblivious to our presence. This was not much of a sighting, but it would be a good start.

Just a half hour later, as we were driving out of the Park, we passed by a river and, seeing other cards parked ahead of us, we too stopped. This time we saw a whole herd of elk—from larger members to does—about . They were grazing calmly very close to the road and allowed for wonderful photo ops. Luckily for us, we were very close to the river and as the elk made their way to the water, first to drink and then to cross it, we had a chance to take really wonderful video and still shots of them. It was a truly uplifting experience after days of not having seen any animals at all.

Driving to our Hotel in Madison, Montana:

Once you leave the precincts of the Park behind, it is a very long drive westwards—almost two hours—to get to the little town of Madison, where we had booked accommodation for the night in Traveler’s Lodge. This very modest motel, located outside the Park and in the state of Montana, would suit our needs for a quick single night of showers and rest before we set out again. We checked in and set out to find dinner. But, as we were tired and didn’t want an elaborate sit-down meal, we traversed the town and its little grid of side streets on foot before coming to the conclusion that we were best off picking up sandwiches from a local supermarket and eating them in our room.

And that’s what we did. We found a deli-grocery open and we chose roast beef and ham and cheese sandwiches which we washed down with a cold Sprite once we returned to our rooms. Showers and a quick use of the wifi later, to pick up our messages, and we were off into Dreamland after what had been a really eventful day.

Until tomorrow, cheerio.