geysers

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

Bucket List Progress: Yellowstone – Part 1