above: Gate to Yellowstone National Park
O.K., so I went a little camera crazy at Yellowstone. It’s hard not to with beauty to capture at every turn. Winter was still present which made for a chilly visit but, we dressed for it and made the most of it.
The National Parks have always been there and I never gave them another thought until last year when I saw the Ken Burns Documentary The National Parks; America’s Best Idea. I had no idea of the history of the Parks and after watching the series, with the amount of opposition and hurdles it took to make it happen, it’s amazing the Park System ever developed at all. And, it all started with Yellowstone in 1872. Yellowstone was not only the first National Park in the United States, it was also the first National Park in the whole world because the idea of a National Park was brand new. Since that time, over 90 others countries have adopted the idea of a National Park System.
We definitely wanted to make Yellowstone a part of our experience so we made reservations. There was only one spot available for 3 days and we rearranged some of our schedule to take advantage of it. The park encompasses 3,472 square miles and one really needs to stay in the Park to be able to see and do it all. One also needs more than 3 days but, it was all that was available to us. Then, we had mechanical difficulties so we missed our first night. We would then have to pack as much as possible into 2 nights and 3 days. So, we did.
With our tight schedule, we had to make a quick trip through the Bighorn National Forest to get to Yellowstone which had some amazing scenery and a drive through a spectacular canyon with rocks dating back to the pre cambrian era. It goes on the definitely worth another visit list.
The park system has developed a program for kids called The Junior Ranger Program.It is a wonderful educational program in which the kids earn a badge by doing a series of activities such as attending Ranger talks, visiting sites and doing some homework to turn in. The Dudes have been very enthusiastic about it and have participated at every Park we have been to. Each program is a little different and the one at Yellowstone was the most demanding to date. But, they did earn their badges.
With limited time, we focused our visit on three areas of the park: the geysers, the canyon/falls and mammoth hot springs. With the long scenic drives in between we were able to see quite a bit. Our wildlife encounters included lots of bison, ground squirrels, elk and a grizzly bear!
With so many pictures, it forced me to get the photo gallery up and running – finally. So, instead of jabbering on, I am going to let the pictures tell the story. Please check out the Photo Gallery for all the beautiful details!
“It is an incalculable added pleasure to any one’s sum of happiness if he or she grows to know, even slightly and imperfectly, how to read and enjoy the wonder-book of nature.” Theodore Roosevelt