Summer Vacation Part 7

When it finally came time to leave Yellowstone, the trip out of the park was especially beautiful. There was a combination of fog and steam making the park look even more otherworldly than normal!

We exited the park through the east entrance that led into the Shoshone National Forest. This happens to be the first national forest in the United States, created by President Benjamin Harrison in 1891.

We were on our way to Cody to spend the night, and passed by ranch country and the Buffalo Bill Reservoir.

I didn't get any pictures of Cody I'm afraid, but we had a great time there. Cody was founded by Colonel William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody. Buffalo Bill, was an American scout, bison hunter, and showman. We spent most of the day at the Buffalo Bill Cody Museum, where we learned about the history of the man himself, the Native Americans of the region, the natural history, western art and a huge firearms collection. I think my hubby could have spent all week there, and we all thoroughly enjoyed it.

 Then next day we headed back through the Bighorn Mountains, dropped my sister back in Spearfish and headed back to Custer to spend another night with the in-laws. The next two days were spent heading back to Minnesota. It was such an amazing trip, getting to see Yellowstone and the Tetons again after all these years. And to see it with my family made it even more fun this time around. I hope you enjoyed my photos and if you want to see the rest of my trip here are the links: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6.  Bye for now!

Summer Vacation Part 6

The next day of  our trip we headed south to Jackson Hole and the Tetons. I think I was most excited about this part of the trip, because I loved the Tetons so much when I first saw them years ago. They did not disappoint!

Our first stop was Colter Bay on Jackson Lake. This is an ideal spot to get pix of Mt. Moran which stands at 12,605ft. (3842m).

As we drove on we got better views of the hightest peak, Grand Teton, which is 13,770ft.(4197m).

Below are the stunning views we had while eating lunch at Moose Junction. I couldn't imagine a better view!

Finally we headed to the town of Jackson, which I had remembered being very quaint and cowboy. And my hubby was excited to see where they shot scenes from an old favorite movie of his, "Every Which Way But Loose".

Thankfully the antler arches are still there, so we took advantage of the photo op, but with the exception of a few touristy buildings; most of Jackson is very upscale now. No doubt it's do to all the celebs who have homes there such as Harrison Ford, Sandra Bullock and Dick Cheney. It was more art galleries and jewelry stores than tourist traps. Still we got to see it and we had fun.

My daughter, my hubby, and sis.

The drive back to Yellowstone, was just as beautiful. We really didn't want to leave! The last part of our trip was a stop over in Cody WY which I will post about next. If you want to catch up on the other days of my vacation, here are the links: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5
Bye for now!

What I Wore

Wew! Another hot weekend, and very muggy! So I dress to be cool and comfortable, and dresses are my favorite way to achieve that! I decided to pair with a more casual brown purse, that I just found at Target on clearance.
Dress: JCPenney
Purse and sandals: Target

Linking to:
Visible Monday
#iwillwearwhatilike
Turning Heads Tuesday

Summer Vacation Part 5

After we left Old Faithful, we continued on to drive past Yellowstone Lake (above) which is the largest high elevation lake in North America. Then we headed on to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. On the way we got to see an elk on the side of the rode (below), can you see his head and rack in the tall grass?

 The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is where the Yellowstone River roars through 20 miles of canyon with two major waterfalls. We were only able to see the Lower falls as there was no place to park at the Upper falls. One thing about a park as popular as Yellowstone, is that you want to head to popular places as early as possible, before the crowds hit. That was why we went to Old Faithful first that day. So by the time we got to the falls, it was afternoon and everything was very packed,

We all took a trail to an overlook, and it was a breathtaking walk. Lower falls is 308ft. high!

Next time I will take you to the Teton Mountains and the town of Jackson WY. To see the other parts of my vacation: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4. Hope you're not tired of seeing vacation photos. Bye for now!

Summer Vacation Part 4

Today I will show you our first full day at Yellowstone. We left West Yellowstone and headed to Old Faithful. Old Faithful holds a special place in my heart because that is where I worked one summer back in 1981. Above, you see me standing in front of the store I worked for. Even though it looks different inside, it still brings back such memories. I had sooooooooo much fun working there! Then we hiked up to Observation Point, as it would be a while before Old Faithful erupted.

We were told there had been a bear sighting on this trail, but all we saw was a marmot (above).

The view of the geyser basin is amazing (Old Faithful would be right in the center, above).

By the time we got back down, Old Faithful was just about to go off, so we found a spot to take in the show. Thousands of gallons of steaming water thunder into the sky with each eruption. On average the geyser erupts every 92 min., thus the name.

(My sis, my hubby, my daughter)

After that we headed out on the boardwalk that takes you all around the basin to see beautiful pools, hot springs, fumaroles, mudpots, and of course more geyers.

Fumeroles are one of the hottest features. They vent steam and have very little water.

Hot springs are like geysers, but their underground systems aren't constricted, so heat escapes through evaporation or runoff, so there is no eruption.

With Geysers, constrictions in the underground system prevent water from circulating freely to the surface, which eventually leads to eruption.

After this long walk, we were hungry and tired, so we ate lunch, and then headed to the famous Old Faithful Inn (below). It is a national historic landmark, built in 1903-1904.  Built with local logs and stone it is considered the largest log structure in the world.

(my daughter, my hubby and me)

The towering lobby features a massive stone fireplace and a hand-crafted clock made of copper, wood and wrought iron.

Stone fireplace with clock (above). Looking up into the ceiling (below).

Hope you've enjoyed my pix so far. Tomorrow, I will show you scenes from Yellowstone Lake and Lower Canyon Falls. Links to the first parts of my trip: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.  Bye for now!