Thursday, August 23, 2012

Wow. Oh, wow.

A word of warning --- you know when I haven't posted for a couple of days, it's gonna be a long one!

First, a big tip to all of our RV and boat friends regarding laundry.  I know you've had things ruined at coin laundries.  It's inevitable.  Today I found 5 of our shirts with horrible blue stains on them (after the hot dryer, of course).  The nice man at the laundry paid for a rewash & dry plus gave me a box of OxyClean Stain Remover.  I'm a believer!!!  It took out all of the blue stains. Just FYI!  I'm buying  box at our next grocery stop.

Ahhh...Yellowstone.  It's lived up to my dreams.  We took Simon out for the afternoon to see more    mineral springs.  We are definitely enjoying spending time with him!


This particular geyser basin had the most beautiful turquoise blue pool.


We also saw a waterfall (one of so many in Yellowstone)


Once back at the campsite, we were amazed to watch a moose cow pick her way carefully (and a bit warily) through the camp, past our picnic table.  She's BIG.


Yesterday Luke and I did the big tour - we drove all the way around Yellowstone Park.  With our many stops for pictures and gazing, we were gone 13 hours.  All well worth it!  As we left early in the morning, we were treated to a small herd of bison on the side of the road.  Grunting and snorting, one of them rolled in the dirt, sending a dust cloud among the others.


Then we began to see the fields of bison.



THEN we began to understand the "Caution - Wildlife on the Road" signs!!!


Dozens of them, ambling across the road, standing in the road, nursing in the road, watching us watch them.  I watched all right, as this big fellow slowly moved past me. I watched from a closed window~


After about 20 minutes of traffic jam (aka stopped traffic) a Ranger came roaring down the wrong side of the road, charged the guys in the street with his big SUV, and convinced them that they needed to share the road.

We saw many others, often simply walking down one of the lanes in the road. This guy got close enough to show us his mixture of fur.  He's done a good job of scrapping off the heavy winter coat on the rear of his body, but has more to go.


Much less exciting, but more smelly was the sulfuric mud caldron.  Burbling mud.


Acidic mud gas emanating from and chewing through a storm drain grate.


Next stop, The Grand  Canyon of Yellowstone.  Here is Luke's fabulous picture of the upper falls.



To get this picture, Luke had to climb down --- and up --- 328 steps.  whew.  I waited in the car for an hour.  Such a good guy!!! (Down was easy, up some wheezing -- Luke)


The falls cascade down into the valley of the Grand Canyon. (This just looks like the West, doesn't it!)


I can't begin to describe the beauty and awe of this place.  Just look ---



Look carefully. The falls are the white dot in the middle top of this picture.


Towers Falls was nice, too, named for the rock tower at the right, adjacent to the falls.


We continued to do the obligatory sightseeing.  The petrified tree, about 50 million years old.


Wraith Falls.


Mammoth Hot Springs is home to terraces of hot mineral springs and their mineral deposits.


About a mile of boardwalk go around the mineral terraces.  And with that, we bid you a "good-bye" for this post!


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