This morning we woke and said, “Wouldn’t it be great if we could stay here at Grant Village in Yellowstone National Park for another night?” So Lizzie called the front desk and unbelievably they said our room was available for tonight. We thought that was funny since we had not been able to reserve it for two consecutive nights over a month ago when we made reservations. Nonetheless, we were elated and immediately jumped in our car and drove toward the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
Passing through the Hayden Valley along the way we saw lots of buffalo, elk, and waterfowl. We pulled into the parking lot at Artist Point and joined an overwhelming congregation of rental cars, SUVs, pickup trucks, and large tourist buses. We walked to the viewing area where we took some photos and went back to the car. We drove to a nearby picnic area and after lunch we took off down the Wapiti Lake Trail which passes through the open meadows of the Hayden Valley. There were very few hikers making it a stark contrast to the mass of people just two miles away. We made it about 1.3 miles down the trail to a place where we climbed a small knoll that gave us a commanding view of the area. In the far distance we could see many buffalo and elk. It was magnificent and on such beautiful day a difficult place to leave.
When we got back to the car and headed to Canyon Village for ice cream. Crawling with vehicles and tourists, their hands full of shopping bags, ice cream, and cell phones, it, too, was a vivid contrast to the immense wildness of the Yellowstone just a few steps away.
We joined the crowd and ate our ice cream. Then we drove through the campground before turning back to make the passage through Hayden Valley once again. This time it seemed like every buffalo in the world had decided to stand beside the road. They were everywhere. We dodged the hastily stopped vehicles as their drivers jumped out for photos and eventually arrived at Sulphur Cauldron where we walked the boardwalk and marveled at the boiling mud and water. Emily thought it smelled terrible and I had to agree that the rotten egg odor was a little rank but eventually we all got used to it.
Soon enough we got back in the car and drove toward Grant Village where we all decided the vibe is much more laid back. We ate a picnic dinner in our room and we were glad to to have spent...another day in Yellowstone National Park.
When we got back to the car and headed to Canyon Village for ice cream. Crawling with vehicles and tourists, their hands full of shopping bags, ice cream, and cell phones, it, too, was a vivid contrast to the immense wildness of the Yellowstone just a few steps away.
We joined the crowd and ate our ice cream. Then we drove through the campground before turning back to make the passage through Hayden Valley once again. This time it seemed like every buffalo in the world had decided to stand beside the road. They were everywhere. We dodged the hastily stopped vehicles as their drivers jumped out for photos and eventually arrived at Sulphur Cauldron where we walked the boardwalk and marveled at the boiling mud and water. Emily thought it smelled terrible and I had to agree that the rotten egg odor was a little rank but eventually we all got used to it.
Soon enough we got back in the car and drove toward Grant Village where we all decided the vibe is much more laid back. We ate a picnic dinner in our room and we were glad to to have spent...another day in Yellowstone National Park.
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