Old Faithful Area (Yellowstone National Park)

On our third day at Yellowstone, we traveled to the Old Faithful Snow Lodge where we stayed for two nights.  If we ever doubted that Yellowstone National Park sits upon a supervolcano, it was here where we were reassured of the volcanic, hydrothermal, and earthquake activity that occurs below.  Upon our arrival to the lodge at the Upper Geyser Basin, we could immediately see why Yellowstone is home to more thermal features than anywhere in the world.

It was here that we learned all about geysers, hot springs, fumaroles (steam vents), and mud pots, which occur simply because the hot magma boils the water just below the Earth's surface, making it either erupt or emit steam along fissures and cracks.

We were amazed at this new somewhat "alien" landscape.  On the first day, our tour guide took us to a place called Artists' Paintpots, a short boardwalk loop, which brought us to more than 50 springs, geysers, fumaroles, and mud pots (about three miles south of the Norris Geyser Basin).  This is where we first learned the differences between thermal features.  Here's a quick lesson:

If you guessed this was a hot spring, you are correct!!

A closer look at the beautiful blue-green color of the spring.

A mud pot...

A fumarole or steam vent.

The next day (now in the 40 degree range), our treat was to see the Grand Prismatic, the largest hot spring in the United States and the third largest hot spring in the world.  There we had a chance to enjoy a short walk to see its colorful beauty (all due to the bacteria inside the spring).  Before our walk, however, we received another treat--we were just in time to see the Flood Geyser erupt.  Part of the Midway Geyser Basin, the Flood Geyser erupts sporadically--sometimes within a 24 hour interval and sometimes within a three day interval.  It's unpredictability made it special to see...plus its spray was rather powerful.

Our first glimpse of the Grand Prismatic between the pines.

On our last night at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge (the first day of summer to be exact), it snowed!  Over the course of four days, the temperature in Yellowstone plummeted from the mid 70's to the low 30's.  I was disappointed to take out my hat and gloves, but it was magical to see Old Faithful erupt in the snow.

During our last day, I did a little souvenir shopping, and we had a chance to admire the Old Faithful Inn. Built in 1903-1904 with local logs and stone, the Inn is considered the largest log structure in the world.  It is one of the most famous buildings in the National Park System as it features a 76 foot tall lobby, a huge rough-stone fireplace, and overhanging log balconies and railings.  I read an article, shown below, that said in the early days, the Inn had a "winterkeeper" that was responsible to live there during the nine month winter when the hotel was closed (and temperatures could reach 60 below zero.) What a scary and lonely job!

Do you see the snow?

We saw the Beehive Geyser erupt from our bus!

The Old Faithful Area (the Upper Geyser and Midway Geyser Basin) was certainly a site to see.  It may have been cold during our trip, but the steam kept on pouring out from every direction.  We were truly amazed by its one-of-a-kind beauty.  On the very, very last part of this visit, our tour guide took us to a hot spring that liked to "bump, sizzle, and pop."  She had all of us lay down on the ground, so we could hear the "thumping" below.  A minute after the thumping and rumbling, bubbles would come to the surface of the spring.  It was truly the last natural wonder to make our Old Faithful trip complete.

Happy Birthday to Our Awesome 11 Year-Old

Here we are, August 11th.  Today, Lewie turned 11 (at one o'clock in the afternoon), and I'm left  scratching my head once more, wondering where these precious 365 days went...

Surely, we had lots of fun this year.  Our big ticket item was going to Yellowstone (in June), but we managed to take smaller trips to Battleship Cove, Santa's Village, and the Maritime Center.  We also enjoyed annual traditions like going to Lake Quassy, snow tubing, hiking, and hosting our annual Easter Egg Hunt, to name a few.

As I scan through all this year's pictures, however, I'm reminded of a year that was both silly and charming.  Silly because this boy still loves pineapple memes and Uranus jokes (oh yeah...my husband and Lewie can go on for hours, days, and weeks about Ur-anus).

Charming because Lewie is a love bug.  When he first turned 10, Lewie, like most kids, would give me some resistance when it came to doing homework and chores. Over the past four months, however, his demeanor has changed.  He tells me that he loves me daily and does everything I ask without hesitation.  At times, he even offers to do chores without me asking...Where did this new kid come from?  (When my husband and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary on June 11th, Lewie used his time after school to make us an anniversary card!  We couldn't believe he thought to make one for us without anyone prodding him to do it.)

This year has been a year of milestones, too.  First-time events included running a 5-K (back in April), wildlife viewing with binoculars and scopes in Yellowstone (in June) and boat tubing (this July).  He's also shown more interest in new things like "the Running Club," arts and crafts (especially painting and pottery at a place called the Clay Date), and making music.  He will take four-mile, weekend walks with me in nearby towns like Woodbury and Bethany.  (He used to complain about long walks.)  He'll also beg to stay up with us, so he can watch stand-up comedians like Jim Gaffigan and Demetri Martin.  (This boy likes stand-up comedians because he, himself, likes to make other people laugh.)

Yes, spending days with this 10 year-old is pure joy.  Sure, I do miss the days of taking Lewie to the Shore Line Trolley Museum for his birthday, but I do have to say that each new year brings amazing experiences, blessings, and memories.  This year, it was about inviting friends (we had nine boys) to celebrate at our pool.  Who knows what next year will bring?  In Lewie's own words, "You better bet" I love this wild ride called parenthood. 

Lewie and his "besties."

The ice-cream cake Lewie designed...

Some of the boys: Lewie, Ryan, Corey, Hunter, and Tyler.

Here is this year's interview:

Q:  What is your favorite color?
A:  "Orange." (This is the same as last year.)

Q:  What is your favorite book?
A:  "The Humphrey Series." (as in Humphrey the Hamster)

Q:  What is your favorite cartoon?
A:  "The Amazing World of Gumball."

Q:  What is your favorite movie?
A:  "My favorite movie is 'Avenger's End Game.'"

Q:  What is your favorite song?
A:  "'Megalovania' by Toby Fox from the UNDERTALE Soundtrack."  (This is the same from last year.)  However, he has been listening to "Stolen Dance" and "Crab Rave" this year, too.

Q:  What is your favorite board game?
A:  "Probably, Sorry.  Yup, definitely Sorry."

Q:  What is your favorite computer game?
A:  "Holy smokes!  I mean I have a lot....TABS (Totally Accurate Battle Simulator)."  (This is a pretty funny game!)

Q:  What is your favorite place?
A:  "Probably Yellowstone."  (This was a complete surprise!)

Q:  What is your favorite thing to do at school?
A:  "P.E. (Gym)." (This is the same as last year.)

Q:  Who is your favorite teacher?
A:  "To be honest with you...still Miss Drayton, my second grade teacher."

Q:  What is your favorite sport?
A:  "Dodge Ball."

Q:  What is your favorite food?
A:  "French Toast." (This is the same as last year.)

Q:  What is your favorite ice-cream flavor?
A:  "Sweet Cream." (Last year it was birthday cake.)

Q:  What is your favorite thing to do with Mommy?
A:  "Walking with you."

Q: What do you want to be when you grow up?
A:  "A media producer."

Q:  What is your favorite thing to do with Daddy?
A:  "Throw the football with him."

Q:  What is your favorite moment as a ten year-old?
A:  "I don't really know.  I've had so many good moments....Making MineCraft mods with Java."  (This is what he learned in computer camp this July.)

Finally, one of my favorite moments from this year is when Lewie came home from his camp at the JCC (the Jewish Community Center) with a special pin; it was awarded to him for being kind to other campers.  He said to me very innocently, "Look Mom.  I won an award, and I'm not even Jewish."

I laughed.  "You're right.  You're not Jewish.  But isn't it nice to know that kindness is universally recognized across all religions?"

I learned that day that he also wants to come back to this camp to be a CIT--Counselor in Training.  Thankfully, he won't be learning how to do that until he's fourteen.  There's still time (which now is my new mantra)...there's still time.

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River (Yellowstone National Park)

On our third day in Yellowstone, our little Yellowstone Forever bus brought us through the Canyon area of Yellowstone National Park.  Here we had a chance to see several breathtaking views of the canyon and its three waterfalls, including a hike to Artist Point, which is "one of the most photographed views of Yellowstone."  At Artist Point the rocks are different hues of pink and orange, and there's a "V-shaped" view of the canyon with the most beautiful view of Lower Falls.

All the kids on our tour with our guide, Chandler.

Our happy hiking crew.

Reflection time for Lewie as he was required to do some quiet contemplation at Artist Point. 
(This was one of the activities for him to earn his Junior Ranger Badge.)

Lower Falls, as we learned, is 308 feet high, which makes its height more than twice the size of Niagara Falls.  During our exploration of the canyon, we also had a chance to see the Upper Falls and Crystal Falls as well.

Beyond the scenery and the quiet meditation time, I did have three more favorite moments from the day.

1)  While in the middle of having a "family photo," we soon learned we had a "visitor" behind us.  A COYOTE was standing only a few feet away!  Well, that coyote could care less that we were taking pictures; he had his own agenda in mind.  He was way too busy trying to pounce on a little field mouse in the meadow!

Can you see the COYOTE?

There he is!!

2) On our way to the canyon, Chandler, our tour guide, brought us to a grassy field to have lunch.  After lunch, we played a game called Animals (Elk) vs. Resources.   What a great game!  One group on one side (six of us) were Resources (Water, Food, Shelter).  The other group on the other side (six of us) were Elk.  The Elk would secretly choose a Resource, and the Resource people would choose what they wanted to be (Water, Food, Shelter).  As the Elk came over to the other side, they would try to find their match.  If a person was Water (they would indicate this by using a rain motion with their hands), and if an Elk wanted water, the Elk would pair up with the person that was Water.  Then the person that was Water would now turn to an Elk and go back with the Elk to the other side.  However, if a Resource was not chosen, that person would remain a Resource.  Also, if an Elk wanted a Resource, say Food, but there was no Food Resource for that Elk, that Elk would now become a Resource.

To make it even more interesting, Chandler, threw a Wolf into the game, too.  The Wolf was allowed to try and "eat" the Elk as they tried to make it to a Resource.  If the Wolf "captured" an Elk, it would now become a Wolf.  (Wolves had limited abilities to capture Elk, so it was not easy for them.  They could only move from side to side, following an invisible line.)

The game was interesting because we never ran out of Elk nor did we ever run out of Resources.  What WOULD happen is that if we had ten Elk on one side and only two Resources on the other, most of the ELK would die and become Resources.  (At least eight of them would "die.")  On the other hand, if we had too many Resources, eventually the Elk would become more and more populous and the Resources would dwindle.  It was an excellent, fun, and visual way to teach kids about the cycle of life and how everything needs balance to exist.  It was also a reminder to the kids that, of course, if the ELK did run out of Resources altogether, (say because people interfered and took them away), the ELK would die off and become extinct.

Lunch in the meadow.

3) At the end of our canyon tour, we stopped by the Canyon Lodge Gift Store for some snacks and ice-cream.  There we got to see two things we've never seen before: 1) A Booth for Bear Spray Rentals and 2) A pale ale called Road Block, with, you guessed it, a picture of a bison standing in the middle of the road.  This was the perfect way to end our day!

Lewie and I had ice-cream, while Lew treated himself to one of these...

Mammoth Hot Springs (Home of Terrace Mountain and Historic Fort Yellowstone)

Our trip in Yellowstone had us staying for three nights at Mammoth Hot Springs and two night at Old Faithful.  Since our daily scenic trips never included Mammoth Hot Springs, it was up to us to explore the area on our own.  On one evening, we spent a few hours exploring the boardwalks at Terrace Mountain, which is the largest known "carbonate-depositing" spring in the world.

The mountain, which we could see from our cabins, would continuously let off a hot mist of steam (much like the steam vents and hot springs we would soon see at Old Faithful).  However, as you explore it closer on the boardwalks, you can see that the mountain was created by calcium carbonate deposits that have flowed from the the spring for thousands of years.  The result is beautiful, colorful terraces--some dry and some wet--full of interesting shapes, designs, and patterns.

A view of Fort Yellowstone from Terrace Mountain

On another night during our stay at Mammoth Hot Springs, we went to the Visitor Center to take a historic walking tour of Mammoth's historic Fort Yellowstone buildings.  It was here that we learned all about the history of Yellowstone National Park (which I LOVED)!  On March 1, 1872, Congress established Yellowstone National Park (the world's first national park) in the territories of Montana and Wyoming "as a public park of pleasuring-ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people" under control of the Secretary of the Interior.

However, in the beginning, the Secretary of the Interior didn't exactly know what it would take to run a National Park.  They first established a civilian superintendent to manage the park, but, having limited resources and authority, the superintendent wasn't able to control poaching, hunting, vandalism, or random people and interest groups trying to come in and commercialize/privatize park lands.  Thus, in 1886, the Interior Department transferred control of the park to the War Department; the army, the 1st U.S. Cavalry, was sent to Mammoth Hot Springs where they set up Camp Sheridan.  Camp Sheridan, in 1891, was later renamed as Fort Yellowstone, and the army continued to use this fort to control the park until 1918--exactly 32 years later.  (They wrongly thought the army was only needed for a few years.)

Today, of course, Yellowstone National Park is now controlled by the National Park Service, which not surprisingly, has roots from the army (uniforms, hats, boots, policies, protocol, etc.).  The difference, however, is that the National Park Service  (established by President Woodrow Wilson in 1916) was established to protect and preserve our national parks, wildlife and monuments.  Thus, they teach natural and cultural resource conservation in addition to protecting our parks.

The tour was led by a Park Ranger, and she spoke about some of the illegal activities that occurred in the park prior to the army coming in... Some ranchers would put up fencing and stake the land as their own; some would poach--one poacher was famous for killing Bison for their heads; some people would do laundry in the hot springs; and still others would put sticks, rocks, and other things in the geysers to watch them shoot out.  It was kind of the wild west until the army came in, and even then, they had difficulty arresting all the poachers and vandals...

The Visitor Center is one of the remaining Fort Yellowstone buildings.

Buildings at Fort Yellowstone.  (Today they are used by Rangers and people that work for the Park Service.)

The tour ended with lowering the flag.

The historic tour was one of my FAVORITE parts of the trip.  (I'm fascinated by early American history.)  As you will learn from at least three more posts, there is so much to see in Yellowstone, and yet, I find that I cannot fully appreciate the beauty without appreciating the history of this place, too!