West Yellowstone, Montana: Okay. Let's start out right away with four things.
1. We know there may be escaped murderous prisoners in this area. We did not know this until you all told us though. We were in Yellowstone National Park all day and never heard a thing, did not see a WANTED poster. Nothing. I understand one of the prisoners was aided in his Arizona prison escape by his fiance, who - conveniently enough - is also his cousin. I can't make this stuff up. Rest assured, DT and I will be vigilant. I hope they catch these murders right away, or I hope they are eaten by bears. They murdered RVers. Remember Linda & Gary Haas, both 61, of Tecumseh, Oklahoma in your prayers tonight.
2. I know the animals are bison and not buffalo. Bison Sunday just didn't sound as cool.
3. We had every sort of weather imaginable today. We used the air conditioner and the heater in the Honda. We needed only tee-shirts at times or we needed sweatshirts, rain jackets, hats and sunglasses. It rained. It was 80+degrees. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. The sky was black. There was no wind and it was so windy we could barely stand up.
4. It is already very late as I type this column. DT and I did not return from our drive around the lower loop until nearly dark... so I am just going to post a few photos and call it a night.
A bubbling pool in the Firehole Lake Drive area.
White Cone Geyser erupts about three times an hour. I did record video of this geyser and will post it later in the week.
Pretty wildflowers blooming along the Yellowstone River.
These flowers were along the Yellowstone River by LeHardy's Rapids - where the river begins as it leaves Yellowstone Lake.
We had seen quite a few animals - swans, ravens, eagles, geese, elk, songbirds and dragonflies - already today, but between Fishing Bridge and Canyon Village we saw hundreds and hundreds of bison. They were everywhere.
Causing traffic to come to a halt. Our Honda weighs about 4 pounds more than this bull. We waited for him to cross the road.
I used by big lens and stayed far away from the bison. They can run 30 miles per hour. I cannot. This little guy is having a snack. The males are staying close to the females this time of year - mating season is coming up soon!
Seriously. One of the lucky bison babes will sleep with him.
Though there are actually bison in this photo... little dots on the other side of the river... the vista was just stunning.
Let's call this shot "DT with Bison". I have video of the bison scratching his head on the nearby rock.
This old guy is done with the ladies. Now he just wants to wallow in mud holes and dust bowls.
Getting one last meal before sundown.
Yellowstone Falls - as the Yellowstone River leaves Yellowstone Lake and cascades through the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. The names are not very imaginative here, but at least you know where you are. We were between 6000-8400 feet elevation all day. We crossed the continental divide several times. We heard about 20 different languages. We helped a family break into their car. We had a picnic in front of a geyser. It was a wonderful day.But never have we been in Yellowstone when it was this crowded. Actually, we have never been in Yellowstone when it was crowded at all. We could not find a place to park at Old Faithful. I thought we had made a wrong turn somewhere and were possibly in Disneyland. Lines and crowds were shocking. Traffic jams - not helped by road construction. Parts of the day were not enjoyable.
Until you witness this lovely mother-and-child encounter. Except it wasn't a mother-and-child encounter. It was a baby trying to grab a little milk... and she was not his Mom. She booted his sorry butt out (after giving him this little sniff, just to make sure he wasn't hers). Then he cried and his Real Momma came running.Want to know the rest of the story?
All of these people were there to witness the adorable mother-not-child encounter with us.Oh, don't you worry your pretty little heads about crowds. We will find a way to make Yellowstone our own.
Until my next update, I remain, your vigilante correspondent.
RV Park: Grizzly RV Park. We feel this is the best big-rig park for a visit to Yellowstone. Just outside the west gate, the park has 50-amp pull-through and back-in sites. Wifi, laundry, bathhouse, playground, dog walk area, store - everything you will need, plus all the amenities of West Yellowstone, Montana - post office, shops, groceries, restaurants, tour companies, museums, etc. We are paying $48 per night.