Yellowstone National Park is America’s first National Park and includes amazing wildlife, natural hot springs, hundreds of miles of hiking trails, and the world’s largest concentration of geysers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We entered the park and went on wildlife Loop straight away. We found the West Thumb Geyser Basin. These were the first of many geysers to be seen in Yellowstone. Apparently this exotic thermal feature owes their existence to superheated magma chambers. When the surface water seeps close to the chambers, it heats up and rises, erupting in a variety of ways, from mud pots to bubbling hot springs to spouting geysers and steam vents.  It was pretty clear that humans were not to walk close to the geysers because of the hot water and thin crust. But everything was very well set up with boardwalks and information for the excited tourist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The West Thumb Geyser basin overlooked Yellowstone Lake, the largest lake at high elevation in North America. We were pleased to see some Elk crossing our walkway, then heading down to the Geyser basin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We travelled on and came across the Continental Divide. (A series of mountain ridges extending from Alaska to Mexico forms the watershed of North America. Most of it runs along peaks of the Rocky Mountains and is often called the Great Divide in the United States).Yellowstone, Glacier and Rocky Mountain National Park lie on the Continental Divide. It is the point where water feeds two different river systems and flows in opposite directions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are about 300 waterfalls in the Park. All of the waterfalls were picturesque and worth photgraphing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we were visiting the “Old Faithful” Geyser, we saw a herd of bison (buffalo in Oz) or Katanka (traditional Indian name). They were feeding near the Geyser, which we were beginning to discover, attracted a lot of wildlife.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Old Faithful Geyser was pretty cool. On average, Old Faithful erupts about every  90 minutes and shoots water 135 feet into the air. The Tourist Information centre was set up very well. There were people everywhere, so I’d hate to see how crowded it would be at summertime.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On way out of visiting the Geyser for two hours, we saw an unbelievable rainbow, which I took about 60 photos of. We saw more geysers on the way to our campground for the night at Madison.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saw more buffalo on the road…a real traffic stopper. Then found the Dragon Cave geyser. The smell was like rotten eggs, so the kids only ventured to it for a short while.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We even saw a coyote due to the keen spotting by Trevor as we drove past some open plains. Coyotes are very shy and don’t often show themselves, so even though it is hard to see the coyote in our photo, we were pleased to get the opportunity to see one in the wild.

 

 

 

 

We stopped for breakfast by the river. Kids had fun skimming rocks across the surface of the water, whilst I sat with an ever vigilant eye out for a bear that may come ambling out of the forest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We came across the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, which was an awesome sight. Apparently it is a former geyser, created by rhyolite lave flows, heat and faulting. Scientists believe that at the end of the last glacial period, melting ice dams at the mouth of the Yellowstone Lake caused catastrophic flooding and erosion that lead to the formation of the canyon as it exists today. The Lower Falls plunge 308 feet into the Yellowstone River. Upper Falls cascades 109 feet into the Canyon. This is the area we saw and we were certainly impressed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We continued driving, heading towards Dunraven Pass, when suddenly there were cars banked up in front of us. We couldn’t see why until Tev yelled, “A bear…..a black bear!” And so there was, our first bear in the wild……….seemingly oblivious to the commotion it had caused.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feeling very chuffed with ourselves that we had finally seen a bear in the wild, we continued on the Yellowstone Loop towards our next campsite for the evening. There were still some pretty hairy roads with almost 90 degree drop off, but the spectacular views were worth the trip.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We found our second campsite in Yellowstone called Mammoth Hotsprings Campsite. In the evening, we saw elk crossing through, unperturbed by the number of cars and people stopped for them. There were still signs saying not to get too close as male elk in particular can be very dangerous (especially in rutting season).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spent an evening playing cards and Monopoly, then left Yellowstone the next day. We drove through the town right near the National Park and continued to see steep hills along the way. We could also see snow that had fallen and settled on the peaks of the mountains……… so we did have snow after all!

 

The following blog is written by Trev about the gorgeous Grand Teton Mountain Range in the National Park.

We’d heard a lot about this special National Park from people we have met on our travels. They all said that if you go to Yellowstone, then you must visit the Tetons. I had images of thick forests and glaziers. However; the park was quite different and it exceeded my expectation!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we headed towards the Tetons, the landscape became more and more barren, yet in the distance we could see towering mountains with thick clouds hovering above them. The mountains crept up on us as we began our climb. They were spectacular! Very high with splotches of ice /snow cupped in their crevices. Pine trees clung desperately in scattered groves on their slopes with splashes of yellow leaved deciduous trees in amongst them.

The Teton Mountains form part of the Rocky Mountain Range that stretches from Canada, right through to Mexico. The peaks reach as high as 17000 feet above sea level.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we clambered through major mountain road works and into the National Park we felt the air and landscape change from hot, dry and barren to cool and forested, with running rivers, large lakes and open grasslands. Everywhere we went towering mountain peaks peered down upon us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We journeyed along past the dam, then lake and found a little church used for Sunday services, weddings etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We booked into a camping ground sitting alongside a beautiful lake in the forest. The sun was heading down and we decided to walk to the lake shore to watch it disappear behind the mountains. The sight was spectacular!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After our fun animal spotting in North Dakota’s National Park last week, we decided to get up before dawn and see what we could find in the Tetons. We departed camp in complete darkness and began the circuit around the park. Flynn had jumped in the front seat with Cathy getting things sorted in the back. Everyone else was still snoring! Our first animal spotted was a huge bull elk with a massive set of horns. He stood much taller than me! Apparently, at this time of year during the rut, bull Elk have very bad tempers. This fella was right alongside the road. As we headed over a river and round a bend we noted a bunch of other early morning animal spotters and photographers pulled up at a siding. We pulled in to see what was going on and I climbed out to face the chilly air. Standing there in the eerie morning glow you could hear bull elks bugling all over the place. From behind us a herd of elks and their calves moved along the road side. These shy animals are usually a rare sight in America and we were very privileged to experience seeing and hearing them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On we travelled as the dawn approached. The kids gradually awoke and lay in their beds watching outside their windows. Our dream was to see a huge grizzly bear, wolf or moose. We spotted scattered bison mowing the dry grass and a herd of pronghorn. The river meandered along with lots of oxbow bends and green swampy wetlands along its edges. We took a turnoff to have a better look at this part of the river. There was a siding which required a small walk to see over the ledge to the wetland. The walk was well worth it, as on peering out over the wetland we saw several moose. There were three bulls and a cow. The bulls were all fired up (it is their rut time) and put on a great show for us all by clashing their horns! The female moose just sat down and watched the boys carry on!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally we found a nice spot to have breakfast by a beaver river. Couldn’t see the beaver, but could see his dam. Walking along the river edge you could see many pine trees that had large strips of bark torn off and some fallen trunks had been ripped apart. We think bears were responsible for this. They like to eat the grubs that feed on the wood. Bears in the area kept us all very vigilant!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As the sun rose the animals seemed to go into hiding and we were left only with the beautiful scenery. So onwards we travelled towards Yellowstone, the most famous National Park in the world…

 

 

 

After leaving Custer State Park, we stopped off at the Wind Cave (still in South Dakota). Wind Cave National Park  is a popular tourist attraction and home to a diverse mix of wildlife. But underground, there lies a cave with more than 100 miles of passageways.

The cave is regarded as sacred by the American Indians, but it wasn’t actually found by settlers until 1881, when two brothers, Jesse and Tom Bingham, heard a loud whistling noise. As told to us on the tour, the sound led them to a small hole in the ground. The wind was said to blow with such force (hence it’s name) and is created by differences between atmospheric pressures in the cave and outside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alvin McDonald, a 16 yeaold explorer, discovered the cave’s extensive network of passageways. With a candle in a tin and a ball of string, (I couldn’t even imagine it!), he discovered many delicate and interesting formations in the caves, like boxwork, popcorn and frostwork formations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had planned to go to the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary near Hot Springs, but didn’t get there until much later than anticipated. We talked to the owners, who said we could camp and go on a tour in the morning, but we wanted to get to Yellowstone before any bad weather set in, so we declined. Looks like it would have been fun, but with so much to see, sometimes you have to make choices! (Trev reckons I didn’t want to stay because of the rattlesnakes!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

We left South Dakota without seeing their Badlands (they are supposed to be quite different to North Dakota’s Badlands), but we had spent  a lovely time at Custer Park and we were keen to move on. We crossed the border into Wyoming where we stopped for lunch at a rest area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We stayed at a small campground near Riverton. As I was doing my washing, a man called Mars approached me because he could see I had come with my family. We ended up talking for a couple of hours. It was fascinating to hear his story as he lives away from his family (who are from Arizona) for months on end, so he can work and provide for them. Mars lives in a tent with two others and they travel 100 mile to work, getting up at 4am every morning. He doesn’t return to the campground until 8pm every evening (except Sunday). But, in his words, “I always wake up with a smile on my face.” Well, I believe everything happens for a reason. I had been feeling like I needed my space from the family (after spending so much time together in an RV), but after listening to this man, I could once again find the positives of being able to travel with my family across this beautiful country! I couldn’t imagine being away from my family for months on end. How lucky we are, when Mars can’t even get work in his own hometown and has two young sons who must change so rapidly everytime he sees them. But not once did he complain. To him, it was just the way it was.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next morning we went into Riverton, shopped at the Bookstore and at the secondhand shops for warmer jackets. We had heard that it may well snow at Yellowstone, so we wanted to be prepared. Then as we journeyed along, we came across an accident. We can only hope no-one was seriously injured or killed.

Below is a map of our travels so far. We are actually in Seattle as I write this. My next blog will be about the Grand Tetons National Park (gateway to Yellowstone National Park). Hope you can join us on that part of our journey…..

We were excited about going into Custer State Park as we wanted to see some wild animals in the wild roaming free, rather than in a zoo or Wildlife Park (although we did enjoy that experience). Our first challenge going into the Park was coming across a tunnel and having no idea if our RV would fit through it. We had to park and let other cars go ahead while I pushed the side mirrors of the RV in. Then I walked through the tunnel ahead of Trev, guiding him through and praying that we wouldn’t get stuck!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Luckily we made it through with a little room to spare. On the Wildlife Loop Drive, we couldn’t go down Needles Highway as there were a few more tunnels which our RV definitely would not get through. But the rest of the loop was very scenic. We started at Sylvan Lake where we planned to only stay for half an hour, but ended up going for a walk around the lake and didn’t leave until a few hours later!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We met some lovely people as we walked around and Steve and Phyllis were no exception. That’s what we love about our travels. The people we have met are so friendly and helpful. The kids enjoyed the trek and found many unique rock formations to climb and clown around on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next part of our journey took us around another section of the Wildlife Loop. On the way, we saw some Burros (like donkeys). They were extrememly friendly (as you can see) and we had a hard time getting back into our RV so we could continue our journey. The Burros in Custer Sate Park are not native to the Black Hills. Apparently they are descendants from the herd that once hauled visitors to the top of Harney peak. According to the guide book, the Burros were released into the park where they have become a popular tourist attraction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We saw beautiful scenery and lovely buildings along our journey. We stopped at the Game Lodge Camping Ground and hired an RV site AND a cabin for the night. We had been travelling in an RV with seven kids for over 4 weeks and decided that we needed a little space! So Trev, myself, Akaisha and Chayse stayed in the cabin, whilst the rest of the kids stayed in the RV. I think they liked sneaking late night hot chocolates and marshmallows!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cabins were great (they had both heating and airconditioning.) All we had to provide was the bedding. We enjoyed spreading out and using all facilities. In fact, we enjoyed it so much, we stayed for another night. Chilling out, doing some art and interacting with nature was just what the kids needed (and so did we!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, we couldn’t stay here forever, so we were up early the next morning to see what wildlife we could spot before leaving South Dakota and journeying onto the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.

 

After leaving Crazy Horse Memorial, we headed to Rapid City (in South Dakota), but stopped in at “Bear Country USA”. This is a unique drive through a Wildlife Park where tourists can see Black and Grizzly Bears, Mountain Lions, Wolves, Elk, Reindeer, Buffalo and heaps more wildlife.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following show pictures of the wild animals we saw in the Park. There were signs everwhere warning people not to wind down windows or disembark from their vehicles. We had great fun winding throughout the park looking at animals we hadn’t managed to see in the wild (at this stage!).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By far the most exciting part of the park was the bears. They seemed to all have their own little character and did some funny antics like sitting like a human and walking in front of the cars patrolling the exit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After driving through the Wildlife Park, we parked and walked around the second area which included a gift shop. The main attractions here were the baby bears (now 8 months old) and the Grizzly Bears.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On our way to finding a nice place to eat lunch, we happened upon part of the set for the movie “Dances With Wolves”, starring Kevin Costner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After leaving the Wildlife Park, we found a place to stop for lunch. Being around so many wild animals earlier must have rubbed off on the kids. Follow us on our next blog post where we end up in Custer State Park……..