Yellowstone

We arrived in Yellowstone at 2:30 pm on Saturday afternoon. Jess had made reservations for our family to enjoy a stage coach ride to a cowboy cookout of barbecued steaks and all the yummy side dishes in the middle of nowhere. We were supposed to meet at a designated spot in the northeastern area of Yellowstone. When we arrived and drove up to the toll booth to pay the park fee, we were notified that one of the main roads was closed for construction. This was the road that was to lead us to our dinner destination. The detour was 80 extra miles. Needless to say, we had to cancel our reservations because there was no possible way for us to arrive there on time. We were all initially disappointed, but we were able to do quite a bit of sight seeing before nightfall.

Our future family vehicle. I'm really serious!

Celestine Pool at Fountain Paint Pot

Fountain Paint Pot

Clepsydra Geyser

Old Faithful

Simon sleeping in a very awkward position in the car.

A female elk eating near the parking lot of our lodge.

Sunday Morning.

We were on the road early to make it to church in West Yellowstone. Before we left, Simon said a prayer that we would see some animals. Not long after the prayer, we came upon this bison. We were literally 5 feet away from him in our Jeep. During the course of the day we also saw a bald eagle, ravens, elk, herds of bison, and a deer. When we asked the kids what animals they wanted to see, Simon exclaimed, "a moose!" while Ava said, "a squirrel!"

Mud Volcano

Gorgeous views like this at every turn.

Brahm napping in the car.

Lower Falls of the Grand Canyon in Yellowstone.

Jess and I happened to be fasting, because it was fast Sunday. I wouldn't recommend hiking to this waterfall if you haven't eaten all day long. The ascent took everything out of me.

The family in front of the Lower Falls

Grand Canyon

Yellowstone Lake

The love of my life.

Next stop: Jackson Hole!