Yellowstone National Park

On Friday, we had a nice breakfast at Cracker Barrel to fortify us for the full day ahead. Lodgings that normally serve buffet breakfasts included in the room rate, have had to adapt during COVID-19.  They now offer 'grab and go' breakfasts that range from individually wrapped Jimmy Dean sausage egg biscuits with a bottle of juice, to boxed cereals with a small carton of milk, piece of fruit, and/or container of yogurt.

Willie Nelson's song, On the Road Again, was very relevant during this trip.  We always stayed behind Jeremy's RV and let him lead the way.  On short sight-seeing jaunts we used our SUV and left the RV parked.  In the photo below we were on our way to Livingston, Montana - 117 miles from Billings. Livingston is known as the northern gateway to Yellowstone. 

We arrived in Livingston in late morning and checked in at a Fairfield Inn.  Then we got in our SUV and headed for Yellowstone.  The ride to Yellowstone is truly God's country. Only He could create such beautiful scenery.  Two songs went through my mind:  How Great Thou Art and This is My Father's World.

We had to stop for some pictures.

It's about an hour's drive [54 miles] from Livingston to Gardiner, Montana - the northern gateway town to Yellowstone.  Gardiner sits on the north edge of the park and is the only year round entrance to the park.

Entering Gardiner [below] an old western style town.  It wasn't overly touristy or crowded.

We stopped to take pictures by the park sign before actually entering the park.

Samantha and I posed for a picture in front of the large [50-feet high and 12-feet wide] stone 'Roosevelt Arch' before we drove through it to enter the park.  Theodore Roosevelt laid the cornerstone in 1903.  It is inscribed at the top with a quote from the Organic Act of 1872 - the legislation which created Yellowstone - "For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People."  It's a very impressive entrance to Yellowstone.

Officially entering Yellowstone National Park.  The park spans Wyoming, Montana and Idaho - an area of 3,468.4 sq. miles.  It contains lakes, canyons, rivers and mountain ranges. It's known for its wildlife, and geothermal features, especially the geyser, Old Faithful.  It is the first national park in the U.S. established by congress and signed into law in 1872 by President Ulysses S. Grant.

There were lots of scenic pictures to take before we reached 'Old Faithful' which was about an hour and 36 minutes [57 miles] from the entry point.  

About five miles into the drive we came upon Mammoth Hot Springs.  It's the headquarters for the park and all the administrative offices are there, plus a U.S. Post Office, Justice Center, Visitor Center, an old Army Fort [from the days when the army was in charge of the park before the National Park Service] a large upscale hotel and camping sites, eateries and gift shops, and of course, the hot springs.

There were several elk lounging and grazing on the hotel lawn. They have become acclimated to tourists and are completely unfazed by them.  They must know they're protected and have nothing to fear!  ;-)

Hot Springs are closely related to geysers, but their underground channel systems are not constricted.  Water circulates to the surface where heat escapes through evaporation or runoff.  The cooler water may return to the underground system or flow into nearby streams.

Time could be spent in Mammoth Hot Springs, but we pressed on to see Old Faithful in the Upper Geyser Basin, where the majority of the world's active geysers are found.  Old Faithful erupts more frequently than any of the other big geysers, but it is not the largest in the park. Its average interval between eruptions is about 90 minutes, varying from 50 to 127 minutes. An eruption lasts 1.5 minutes to 5 minutes, expelling 3,700 to 8,400 gallons of boiling water that reaches a height of 106 to 184 feet.

Members of the Washburn Expedition of 1870 named the geyser for its consistent performance.  Its eruption is a spectacular sight.

When we arrived a large group of people were already there waiting for Old Faithful's eruption.   I didn't look at my watch, but I'd guess we waited about a half hour before the eruption.

Bubbling upward, steam expands as it nears the top of the water column.

The confined bubbles lift the water above and the geyser overflows.  A huge volume of steam is produced that forces water out and eruption begins.  The eruption stops when the reservoir is drained of water or heat.

After seeing Old Faithful, Jeremy had one agenda - to see a bison in the park.  It was approaching early evening, and with the temperature cooling down he was hoping they'd be more apt to come out in the fields to graze.  As we drove along, he spotted one way off in the distance, so we pulled off to the side of the road or 'turnouts' as they're called, and waited for the huge bull to come closer.  Trust me when I say he was in no hurry as he meandered through the field.  The sun literally set while waiting for him, but he finally made his way to the water.

Watching him get ready to cross the road in the photo below.  By now a crowd of onlookers had gathered to watch too. 

Bison and buffalos are not the same animal, but they are related.  The American bison became the official national mammal of the U.S. when President Barack Obama signed the National Bison Legacy Act into law in 2016.  They are the largest mammal in North America, growing from 7 to 11.5 feet long from head to rump [excluding tail], and they are the second tallest animal, ranging from 5 to 6 ft. after the moose.  Wild bison weigh from 930 lbs. to 2,080 lbs.  They appear slow because of their lethargic movements, but they can easily outrun humans, running as fast at 40 mph for five miles.  They typically feed on prairie grass, and their average lifespan is 10-20 years, but some live to be older.

Even though they are considered social creatures, they are among the most dangerous animals encountered by visitors at National Parks. They will attack humans if provoked. More than three times as many people in Yellowstone have been injured by bison than by bears, and some injuries have been fatal.  Yikes!  Needless to say I watched him from inside our SUV, but Jeremy got pretty close.  I'm glad the animal wasn't camera shy, or Jeremy could have been in big trouble!  

Jeremy's day was now complete.  He was as excited as a child on Christmas morning.  We could now get something to eat and go to bed.  We picked up pizza at Domino's and took it back to the hotel.   And there was evening, and there was morning - the seventh day!

to be continued...