I’ve already posted too many times about my recent trip to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. But what the heck…it’s my blog and I can post what I want, right?
As previously mentioned, spotting wildlife is a major activity in Yellowstone National Park. After your first 500 or so bison (aka buffalo), you start coveting sightings of the more rare animals— like wolves and bears.
Here’s everything we saw:
Bluebird
Lots of elk
Bison galore
Raven
Osprey (baby)
KilldeerMagpie
Two grey wolves (one white and one black) from a long distance, but very clearly seen through a stranger’s scope
The black one looked like this
Chipmunk
Pronghorn
We saw mountain goats from a long distance in that cliff face behind us. They are non-native and therefore a bit controversial in Yellowstone.
We also saw sandhill cranes and vultures, but I wasn’t able to get photos.
The wolves were the most exciting to spot, partially because everyone else was so excited! There are people that go around spotting wolves all day long in Yellowstone. They know individual members of each pack. They have special spotting scopes and they sit in certain areas watching for wolves. When you see a clump of those people, you pull over to see what’s going on. Their excitement is infectious and they are very generous with their spotting equipment.
Despite all the warnings about bears and the need to carry bear spray on hikes, we never saw one! I’ve still never ever seen a bear in the wild.
I am pleased to report that with this recent trip to Montana and Wyoming, I have now visited more than half of the fifty United States (26 to be exact). I have 24 left to go!
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PS: Is anyone else disappointed that MyGenXerLife’s blog seems to have disappeared? Did he make an announcement while I was away or something? I really loved that blog! Any info appreciated.
Brizzy Mays Books and Bruschetta is a blog I like. She likes to write about fun destinations in Australia and the unsung women of Australian history. She frequently references Aussie expressions and traditions that I’ve never heard of before—like Barbecue BOATS (do those sound fun, or what?)
Anyway, I thought of her when I visited the cabin of Maud Noble in Grand Tetons National Park in Wyoming. (We went there after Yellowstone National Park.)
Maud’s cabin in Grand Tetons National Park
Born in 1879 into a wealthy family from Philadelphia, Maud Noble moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in 1915. Noble became a significant landowner and operated a homestead and dude ranch in the area. In 1923, she hosted a meeting at her cabin to discuss preserving the Grand Teton region. This meeting included notable conservationists and local ranchers and is credited with sparking the movement to create the national park.
And oh my…what an amazing national park it is.
Thank you Maud.
Lake Jenny in Grand Tetons National Park Our first view of the Grand Tetons as we drove down from YellowstoneThe Grand Tetons jut up out of nowhere—there are no foothills—very dramatic!A view of the shrinking glacial ice in the Tetons Pristine, beautiful Jenny Lake in Grand Tetons National ParkMaud Noble reading in her Wyoming cabin (photo from National Park Service)
Having stayed in Thunderbird (one of the in-park historic lodges at The Grand Canyon) last year, I wanted to do the same in Yellowstone. These historic hotels and cabins are all booked through one agency (https://www.xanterra.com) and frequently fill-up a full year in advance.
These iconic hotels have amazing locations (inside America’s most famous national parks), but sometimes lack a few modern features—like air conditioning, WiFi, or even private bathrooms. (And there are definitely no pools or hot tubs at these hotels!) In my opinion, it’s worth it to give up a few modern luxuries to stay in the heart of the parks, surrounded by their wild beauty and animals.
I already mentioned our stay at the Mammoth Hot Springs, where we left our window open at night (there was no a/c, but fans were provided) and were awakened by the rather alarming sound of a male elk “bugling.” (Click here, to hear what that sounded like.)
This is the famous “map room” bar/lounge at Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. Behind me was a grand piano, which was played by both guests and professionals during our stay. The large, intricate wooden map of the United States is crafted from 15 different types of native wood.
We also spent one night in the Granddaddy of all the American national park lodges: the Old Faithful Inn. Built in 1904, this historic landmark is known for its rustic, log-cabin architectural style and viewing porch, which faces Yellowstone’s most famous (and reliable) geyser.
Side view of Old Faithful Inn, with viewing porch on the right (above the entrance)
As one of the largest log structures in the world, it represents a significant achievement in American craftsmanship and the “parkitecture” style that blends buildings with their natural surroundings. It hosts millions of visitors from around the world each year. The lobby is jaw dropping and hard to capture in iPhone photos, but of course I tried:
The Old Faithful Inn features a towering stone fireplace in its lobby.
The clock face at the top uses red Roman numerals (so nobody under 35 has any idea how to read it, lol)
There are four levels above the lobby, but the top two were off limits. The “bird’s nest” is an elevated platform located near the ceiling. This rustic bandstand was once used for live musical performances. Imagine a band playing up there, while guests danced below.
They’ve kept the tradition of live musical performance alive at the Inn. I heard two different musicians playing for the guests. Here’s a snippet of a cellist/singer playing a GenX favorite: Sweet Dreams by the Eurythmics/Annie Lenox.
GenX in the house! (And yes, of course I sang along 😉)
A photo of the main dining room from an overlook on the first floor. The food was pretty good. I had Idaho trout, which was a lot like salmon.
Another grand stone structure (with a painting of Old Faithful) in the main dining room. Like the fireplace/clock in the lobby, it’s made of rhyolite—a volcanic stone found in the surrounding Yellowstone area.
Our room had a sink, but no bathroom (and only two plugs), but the shared bathroom was just a short walk down the hall. I got the last available room at the Inn and I booked 9 months in advance.
There’s a schedule in the lobby that lists when Old Faithful’s next eruption is expected, which is absolutely amazing when you think about it! The geyser erupts about 20 times per day and the schedule is accurate, plus or minus ten minutes. And this has been going on since explorers first discovered Old Faithful in the 1870s (and probably for thousands of years before that). Holy shit. Yellowstone is amazing!!!
The final eruption we witnessed before departing the Old Faithful Inn
In addition to amazing wildlife and geothermal wonders, Yellowstone also has spectacular waterfalls and a gorgeous canyon—“Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.”
Yellowstone Upper Falls – view from South Rim Drive
View of Lower Falls and the Yellowstone River flowing through the canyon from “Artist Point” on South Rim Drive
It was here that I could see where the park may have gotten its name. The canyon walls looked quite yellow in the sun.
As you might imagine, Artist Point was packed with tourists taking photos. In situations like this, my policy is that I always say yes whenever anyone asks me to take a photo of them, and I never say no if someone offers to do the same for us. A nice young Japanese tourist offered to take this photo of us. She did a good job! She placed the waterfall between our heads on purpose. (She was all set with a selfie stick and didn’t want me to return the favor.)
Our selfies are not very good. I just can’t figure out how to position my arm AND take the picture. People say to hold the phone up high, but then you end up staring directly into the sun.
A word about bison.
They are a big part of the Yellowstone experience. You see both herds and loners—sometimes very close up.
Traffic frequently stops for bison crossing in Yellowstone.Bison basically eat all day long. Sometimes they’re sitting down, but they’re usually munching.
They warn you not to get within 25 yards of a bison, if you’re not in a vehicle. They can run fast and have been known to rush (and even gore) people who get too close.
The animals in Yellowstone National Park are magnificent and wild, but the thermal features are insane. I was not fully prepared for the crazy geothermal activity.
This area is known as Porcelain Basin
Colloidal pool at Porcelain Basin
Roaring Mountain Old FaithfulGreat Fountain Geyser – we got very lucky seeing this one erupt precisely at sunset!Grand Prismatic Spring
Bubbling “cinnamon spring” at Black Sand Basin (this one really made me long for a hotel hot tub)
We’re flying home from Jackson, Wyoming later today.
We had an amazing trip—especially Yellowstone National Park. Many people told me how awesome and magical it is—and they were right. America’s first national park is absolutely spectacular.
Our first stop, after a quick visit to Bozeman, Montana, was Mammoth Hot Springs, which is known for its stunning thermal features.
“Minerva Terrace” in Mammoth
The sound was beautiful too.
We took a half-day wildlife tour out of Mammoth with a National Park Service ranger named Rachael. She was terrific. She took us through the Lamar Valley.
Rachael looking for wolves that were in the area feasting on a carcass
A sweeping view of a bison herd crossing the Lamar Valley
A closer view of the bison herd
A herd of pronghorn we spotted in Yellowstone’s northern range, which is sometimes called “America’s Serengeti”
We stopped here to check out an osprey nest through Rachael’s spotting scope.I was able to get a photo of this young osprey, still in the nest, by holding my iPhone to the lens of Rachael’s scope.
Back at the hotel, a few elk were hanging out near our parking spot.
After two nights at the historic Mammoth Hot Springs hotel, we headed south towards the major geyser region of Yellowstone.
Stay tuned for Part 2 (and possibly Parts 3 & 4). I took so many pictures!
I look forward to catching up on all your blogs when I get back. 😊
I’m thankful that I got to have lobster (“lob-stah” – if you’re from around here) last night. I typically have one lobster dinner per summer, so I’m glad I got this one in before Labor Day—the unofficial end of summer.
Growing up in New England, I’ve eaten many, many lobsters. And yes, as a kid, I was extremely concerned about the seemingly cruel manner of death – by boiling. But once I had that delicious claw meat dipped in hot, melted butter, I got over it.
For those who have never had a lobster, the best ones are from the cold New England waters, especially Maine. (I made the mistake of ordering a lobster in Hawaii once. It was a totally different experience.) In my opinion, boiled lobster is best accompanied by a baked potato and either fresh corn or good coleslaw.
And if you’re a GenXer like me, you must recall a certain song, whenever lobster is served. (You know the one.)
Growing up in Massachusetts, I should have visited New York City before age 18, but I did not. For some reason, my parents never took us there, even though my mother’s parents were true Brooklynites—Dodgers fans before “dem bums” moved to LA. I remember my grandmother always pronounced certain words the Brooklyn way—“earl” for oil and “erster” for oyster. (My grandparents moved to Worcester, Massachusetts early in their marriage and never returned to Brooklyn.)
I first went to NYC on a bus from my college in Hartford in the mid eighties. We went for the day. I’ll never forget seeing those vertigo-inducing Manhattan skyscrapers for the first time. New York is so much bigger and taller than all the other American cities. Chicago, Miami, Philly, DC, LA, San Francisco, and of course Boston, are all special in their own ways, but New York is the greatest of them all. (And I say this as someone who grew up despising the New York Yankees.)
On that very first trip to NYC, I remember a shopkeeper asked me where I was from and I said “How do you know I’m not from New York?” He answered, “Because you’re not wearing black and you smiled and said thank you.” He guessed I was from Connecticut. Also, on that same trip, my friend Ann told me to quit gawking and saying things like “I can’t believe I’m in NEW YORK.”
I was determined to expose my kids to NYC before they were 18, so they wouldn’t seem so naive and Connecticutty when they visited.
A photo I took of my sister in NYC in 1987. (She was living there at the time and did not give Connecticut vibes like I did.)
My friend Andreada in Washington Square Park in 1988. That was a wild trip. NYC in the late 80s was a bit scary. I had to sit near a nasty perv on the bus down and got robbed of my leather coat while I was out at a bar. AIDS and drug addiction were casting a pall.My daughter in the Empire State Building, 2005
My son’s first trip to NYC, 2011
A mini-reunion with high school friends in Manhattan in 2011.
In 2018, I just HAD to see Hamilton on Broadway, so my friend Dina and I planned to go down for the day in late March. I thought we’d be safe from winter storms, so I bought tickets to a matinee. But then a freak spring snowstorm was forecast so we went down on the train the night before, so as to not miss the show. Well, the snowstorm was so bad that they cancelled our Amtrak home and we had to stay over a second night. It was quite a snowy adventure! We ended up running into a friend who took us to see a second Broadway show (Carousel starring Renée Fleming) for free. (She had extra tickets because her friends wouldn’t brave the snow.) We ate at the famous Sardi’s restaurant after the show.
The Hamilton marquis on Broadway, 2018My friend Dina outside the Bryant Park Grill in March 2018. Amtrak shut down for two days due to this little bit of snow! We took the bus home instead.
I went back to NYC for a conference the following month. There was no sign of snow then. I think that was my last trip to the City. I’m not sure when I’ll go back again, but I will.
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