Having had a few days between meetings, we decided to take a vacation. As Paul and I planned this, we realized that it would be the first time we have ever taken a family vacation. Granted, we have taken time to do some museums and local sight-seeing when the opportunity arises, but these trips are always scheduled around our meetings for the week. Usually our time off consists of staying at home, getting ready for the next trip. The typical evangelist has no income when he is not in meetings, so vacations just aren’t in the budget. Besides, with all the traveling we normally do, getting in the truck to drive somewhere is not on our list of things we really want to do.
However, Yellowstone was calling. We were only a few hours away, and had nearly a week of time. We took the plunge. Paul and I both wanted to see the park, and the kids were excited too. We knew there were so many things to see, and beautiful vistas to enjoy, so I made sure to take the camera. We were not disappointed. I did not realize how HUGE Yellowstone National Park is! We ended up taking two days just to see the main attractions at the park, and another day to visit the Grand Teton park that butts up to the southern side of Yellowstone. Here are some of the things we saw.
Entrance to the park
Sylvan Lake
Josiah at the scenic overlook. Many of the trees behind him were killed in the forest fires several years ago, hence the lack of foilage.
Overlooking Lake Yellowstone
Bison grazing in the meadow
Beautiful rolling hills
The Upper Falls – over 100 feet tall
Munchkins on the trail
A beautiful day, blue skies and puffy clouds
The Lower Falls, over 300 feet tall – notice the rainbow?
At the Lower falls
Did I mention the 344 steps we had to climb to see the Lower Falls?
Some of us almost didn’t make it back up to the trail!
Observation deck at the Upper Falls
Hot springs – the water is crystal blue, but the surrounding ground is covered in mineral deposits. There was also a pervading aroma of sulphur. Ick!
Geysers
Waiting for Old Faithful to erupt
There she blows! We saw a great eruption of about 100 feet! It was worth the wait… I think. :)
Ready to head home after a long day. Guess who forgot to put on sunscreen?
Afternoon sun over Lake Yellowstone
When we finally got back to Wapiti (pronounced Woppity) where we were staying, we were exhausted. All the hiking and driving had worn us out entirely! We headed to bed, tired but satisfied with our first day at Yellowstone.
To be continued…
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