Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Sigh......  The last day of Girls Weekend 2011.  The day that I always have mixed feelings about.  I hate to see Girls Weekend end, but I also miss my family and am usually ready to see them again by the time our (extended) weekend comes to an end.

Kathi's flight leaves out of Jackson at 1:23pm, and we are looking at around a 3 hour drive from West Yellowstone to Jackson, so we agreed to get up early (5 a.m.) to allow ourselves enough time to make the drive in case there happens to be snow or ice along the way.  We also decided that, rather than 

 drive through Yellowstone Park, where the speed limit tops out at 45 mph and there could be any manner of animals crossing the road, causing delays and even weather related road closures, that we would take the surer road back to Jackson through Idaho.  So we were actually in three states today as we traveled.  We woke up in Montana, crossed into Idaho for several hours, then ended up in Wyoming.  Pretty impressive, huh?  

Needless to say, it was still quite dark when we pulled out of the WorldMark parking lot at 5:26am.  We both were longing for a gourmet coffee of some kind since we have been having coffee in our room the last few days (and it just isn't the same!), but realized that we had not seen a Starbuck's or anything like a Starbuck"s since arriving in Wyoming.  There is a McDonald's in West Yellowstone and both in Oregon and in Indiana, the McDonald's DO have gourmet coffees  (you know, mochas, lattes and the like), so we pulled into the McDonald's drive through to get that cup of joe, only to be told that all they had was small, medium and large coffees.  We declined and decided we would wait until we found a "real" coffee place to satisfy our want.  

As we were driving along the sun started to come up from behind the Grand Teton mountains.  The colors and silhouettes of the mountains were absolutely breathtaking.  I am convinced that there is no artist on earth who can match the artistry of God and love it when I see demonstrations of this painted across the sky.

We did have a couple of kind of weird experiences while making this trip.  The first occurred as we were coming up a small rise.  We could see this strange, glowing, golden light at the top of the rise that was rather bright and looked enormous.  It appeared that we were going to drive right through whatever the source was.  I was almost convinced that there was going to be a gigantic spaceship with glowing lights parked at the top. (This is the land of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, you know!) It turned out to be nothing quite so exciting.  It was only a semi-truck coming up the rise from the opposite direction with fog lights on and the fog that we drove into was causing the weird, glowy look.  Not too long after that, something that looked like a shooting start dropped out of the sky very near us.  As in, it looked as if it dropped off the top of the nearest telephone pole, not out of the heavens.  I am still baffled by the source of that strange sighting, but no harm came of it, so I guess it will just remain a mystery.  

Around 8:00 am we came to the small town of Driggs, the first real small town we passed through, and they had a coffee store in the strip mall next to the grocery store.  Hallelujah!!  We could finally have that mocha we were longing for!  I got my usual soy mocha with a shot of peppermint and Kathi got an Irish something, something hot chocolate with a shot of espresso.  This also gave us a chance to stretch our legs and, I must say, that felt pretty good.

Back in the car and back on the road, we started climbing upward to cross the mountain pass, then take the winding road down, first through Wilson, Wyoming, then on into Jackson.  Another reason we wanted to get an early start this morning (along with potential weather-related problems) was so that we would have one last chance to shop in Jackson before going to the airport.  I had found gifts for my co-workers and for the kids, but I had not yet found anything for Tom, aside from the buffalo jerky I bought him the first day. (Tom is a big fan of jerky and I don't think he has ever had buffalo jerky, so thought he might like to try some!)  So back to the great shops in Jackson for a final wrap up and we both were fortunate enough to find things.  One store even had ALL of their clothing items for at least 40% off.  We both wished that we had found this place on our first shopping excursion in Jackson.

Final souvenirs bought and stowed away in luggage and it was time to get to the airport which is about 7 miles out of Jackson proper.  We stopped for one last photo opportunity of the Grand Tetons, then turned into the airport.

We got the rental car returned and got checked in, then settled in for the wait.  Kathi's flight went out at 1:23 p.m. while my flight doesn't leave until 5:50 p.m. (what was I thinking when I booked THAT??), so here I am, sitting in the airport, typing up the last day's events.  This airport is so small that when there are several hours when no flights go out, they actually close the gate area until about 2 hours before the next flight, which means that I am currently sitting in the gate area, completely alone, while waiting for my flight.  Crazy, right?  I had 2 airport security people come to me to find out what time my flight leaves and to let me know that the LOCK this area down and that if I wanted to go back out into the main terminal area for the wait, this would be my last chance until 4 p.m.  I chose to stay because I have a comfy chair to sit in, outlets to plug all my devices into, a bathroom and a small deli/cafe where I can get food and drink if I want.  I am perfectly happy here.  I can even stretch out over several chairs and take a nap if I so desire!

So, once again, a completely enjoyable and blessed Girls Weekend has come to an end.  Will write again next year from Oklahoma.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Monday, October 17, 2011


(Ok, Kathi wrote up this day and I am going to leave it in her voice)

 

Our last full day. Every year it catches us by surprise. We have so much more to do and to see!

 

I was in bed last and up first – that almost never happens. Lori must have been tired! I actually got up at 5:45, journaled, sorted pictures, and made coffee before waking Lori at about 6:55. We are getting out early today, remember?  Side note: this is obviously a lie, as I am typing this at 10:09 a.m.! We just hate to rush our last morning, since we have already planned to be ON THE ROAD tomorrow morning at 6:00. We’ll get out of here soon, we promise!  After Lori was up and showered we ate more delicious yogurt and furiously turned to getting caught up on blogs and journaling. It is a stunning morning, with crystal blue skies and lots of sun. The living room of the condo is such a pleasant place, as we can look out of the sliding glass doors and over the balcony to see the outdoors.

 

After it became obvious that indeed we would NOT get out of the house by 8:00, I made us a more substantial breakfast of broken yolk sandwiches with cheese (eggs fried in olive oil and butter, bacon, and sharp cheddar cheese on buttered toast – delicious!) Lori is now fussing at me to get out, so here we go on our adventure. It is 10:15. That is kind of like 8:00, just different. OH, WAIT!! First we have to toss the states. It’s my turn today…I can’t wait to see…..OOOOOOOOHHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Only two are left face up on the floor. Colorado, and OKLAHOMA!! What the hell?? I feel like I’m back in Yellow Springs staring at the puzzle pieces which say New York and Arkansas. Please, Colorado, please!!!

 

Walking out of the World Mark brought a shock…it was COLD.  Maybe 40 degrees in the sun, but obviously much colder in the shade, as the car was covered in frost and the doors required force to be pulled open.  Lori went back inside to buy a scarf, hat and gloves set in the gift shop, and came back out looking smart in her new red accessories.  At the park entrance the ranger told about a road in the park that was closed due to snow, and Lori and I started thinking about our route back to Jackson tomorrow. We had planned to go back the way, we came, which was through the park, but if they were closing roads or requiring snow tires, it would throw a wrench in our works. We made a mental note to check out the alternate route on the interstate.

 

We entered the park through the now familiar west entrance, and decided to turn down a pass called Riverside Dr. which Lori had seen a couple of times but we had not explored. It was exactly as it was named, a beautiful drive along the river which eventually put us back on the main road about a 1/5 mile farther along.  Our elk were not in their normal spot today. We stopped to take pictures of, and us in front of, Mount Haynes, gorgeous in the sunlight and at an elevation of 8,235 feet.  After driving another ½ mile, there they were, our elk herd! They had moved quite  ways east, and were almost to Madison Junction.  They were all on the north side of the road now, in the woods, all reclining and chewing cuds.  We stopped for pictures, though the shadows of the trees made for tricky shots. Lori and I felt very close to this group of animals, as we have been privileged to see them every day now.

 

At Madison Junction we turned north (I have a vision of Lori and me at 80, sitting with heating pads and/or ice packs on our aching joints, sipping hot toddies and pouring over a map of Yellowstone, running our fingers along the routes, reading this journal and remembering these times…) heading in the same direction as we did on Saturday.  The road climbed higher, the temperature started falling, and we started to see snow on the ground. As we watched the digital thermometer in the rental car creep toward 36 degrees, and we saw the frost and snow on the ground and on the trees, we saw something unbelievable. It wasn’t a moose or a bear, though we’d have loved nothing better, and it wasn’t a cavern or a stunning mountain peak, though Lord knows there was an abundance of those.  Whizzing toward us from the other direction on the narrow two-lane road was a suntanned, sunglasses-wearing person – I couldn’t tell if it was male or female, though I highly suspect male – driving a convertible. With the top down. Like it was nothing. Lori and I, in perfect unison, exclaimed, “What the hell??!!” It takes all kinds. We turned up the heat. The sight had made us cold.

 

We drove a couple more miles and saw a wide open meadow, seemingly empty, although upon second glance it was possible to see that a small, stealthy shape was moving in the middle of it.  Coyote.  We pulled over.  Lori was able to zoom in to get a good shot of him.  My iPhone (I  no longer have a regular camera) had no chance to get close, but I managed a beauty of a shot to show perspective from where we were standing.

 

 

We reached Norris and kept heading north. On Saturday we turned east at Norris, so we were now forging into new-to-us park territory.  As we climbed, the road snaked between evergreens and sudden, sheer cliff faces.  Lakes dotted the landscape too.  We stopped to take pictures of a pretty valley covered with purplish brush – we have noticed that most of the color here is in the sky. The land – though quite beautiful – is almost always some shade of green or brown, and almost all the trees are evergreens, so purple is noticeable.  When we got out of the car the air was crisp and cold, and it was so quiet; there were far fewer cars and people on this route than the more popular, southern ones.  It was profoundly peaceful, and indescribably beautiful.

Shortly after this stop the road started angling down again, and the temp was back up to 42 degrees in no time!  My ears, which are always so sensitive, were popping like crazy. A few more minutes and the temp was at 46. The road was now quite sinuous – though not necessarily torturous, as it was fairly easy to navigate.  Rolling, undulating layers of mountains were all around us, seemingly close enough to touch. This Indiana girl was awestruck.

 

And then, we reached Mammoth Hot Springs – our destination for the day!  It used to be a US Army Fort in the early 1900s, when the Army was responsible for maintaining the Park.  It is still like a little town, though the soldiers have been replaced by Park Rangers. There is a hotel, restaurant, general store, visitor center, public restroom, and several other buildings, but most of all, there are elk! Anyone who wants to see elk needs to go to Mammoth Hot Springs, they are literally everywhere – on the lawns of the visitor center, the hotel, the park. 

The problem is, elk are not tame, and in rutting season, you don’t really want to go close to one. Lori always accuses me of putting us in danger, and I did go closer than I should have to get a picture of the buck of the herd. This elicited a strong warning from a passing ranger…OK, he yelled at me. I got the point, and backed off…after I had my picture. Later we saw video of bucks attacking tourists and cars, which made me admit that perhaps I had been a bit careless, but it’s all good – I survived! Anyway, the preponderance of wild animals makes it fun to walk about, you are sometimes guided to cross the street and come back over later, or use a difference entrance to a building. It’s a great sight to see the humans giving way to the animals who rule here.

 

Mammoth Hot Springs yielded a surprise – a black person sighting! An older woman, taking a picture of the elk! She must have missed the meeting the other day too. She brought the count to three, and that is where it remained for the rest of the trip; I can assure you of that as I am typing this right now during my layover in Denver. Therefore, to my knowledge, until I boarded my plane on Tuesday afternoon, and assuming the two men I saw on Saturday had not already left the state, there were four black people in Wyoming on Monday.

 

We spent a few delightful hours in this great spot. It is also a thermal area, which you may have deduced from the name, so we took a hike around all the formations and thermal pools, though it wasn’t as active as the Porcelain Basin or the Artist Paintpots. Still very beautiful though, and we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly, despite the huffing and puffing that our strenuous activity produced. Lori and I really want to blame the altitude for the heavy breathing, but we both know we need to be in better shape if we’re to keep this up for another 30 years.

 

Shortly after 4:00 pm we called it a day and began the drive back to the west entrance. It was a much quicker trip out, of course, as we had done so much stopping on the way in.  We knew we had to get up very early the next morning, so we went straight in to the condo and settled down for a great final girl-bonding evening at home.   Since we only had two states left, and since I needed the suspense to be over, I told Lori to go ahead and toss the puzzle pieces. Sigh. Yep. 

Oklahoma it is. I griped and moaned, but really, it’s all good. My bestest buddy and I could spent the weekend locked in a bunker and come out having had a ball, so bring it on, Okies!! I am ready for you in 2012!   We spent the evening watching some TV, snacking on hummus and popcorn, sorting the day’s pictures, and doing our normal thing, which we both love so much, until it was time for bed. 

 

Sunday, October 16, 2011

(Again, this day's journal is actually stolen from Kathi and I just made a few adjustments and made it sound like I wrote it.......but I really didn't.  Anything in italics are my additions and personal observations).  Thanks, Kath, for doing most of the work!!

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Kathi was up before me (ya think? Considering she went to bed at 10:15 and I stayed up until something like 1:30am??) but we were sipping coffee together by 7:30, and enjoying yummy Greek Gods yogurt. Realizing we had again forgotten to toss the states, we did so, and now have only 8 states remaining as our possible for next year’s destination. They are: North Carolina, South Carolina, Colorado, Oklahoma, Washington, Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey. 

Kathi and I had both been rooting for Arizona, but since it is gone we really don’t have a favorite. We are, however, joined by a strong desire NOT to go to Oklahoma!  Please let that puzzle piece land face down next time!! 

 Because of the morning blogging, journaling, and research, time got away from us and we didn’t leave the room until noon!  On the way to the car we promised each other we would do better about getting out earlier in the mornings.

We are crossing both Wyoming and Montana off our list this trip, and the World Mark is indeed in West Yellowstone, Montana, but since Yellowstone National Park – where we’ve spent most of our time -  is located mostly in Wyoming, we need to do some exploring of Montana as well.  We drove 90 miles to Bozeman, a historic town in the southwest corner of the state which is home to Montana State University.  It rained the first hour of the drive, but stopped about 30 miles from our destination.  We wanted to stroll downtown, look in shops, and perhaps take a walking history tour, though we didn’t end up doing that. We eventually found the Visitors Center, only to discover it was closed, as were most shops and venues. Only then did we realize it was Sunday! Not the best choice of day to visit the downtown area of a town with a population of under 30,000.  We decided to stroll a bit and regroup. It was then that we remembered the Girls Weekend tradition of bowling, an activity we had not been able to do since Philly 3 years ago, due to the lack of bowling alleys. Bozeman, however, is a college town, and what self-respecting college town does not have a bowling alley? Indeed, we found one easily, and it was only 2 blocks away from where we were standing when inspiration hit! 

Off we went, to find that once again, we were where we were supposed to be. It was 2:30 by this time, and league bowling started at 4. Kathi had 90 minutes to try to actually win a game against Killer Lori Arnold, who – with only two known exceptions in the 14 year history of Girls Weekend – has delivered a sound beating to her every time.  I started out great, and was 9

points ahead of her in the 3^rd frame, but that didn’t last long. By the bottom of the 5^th the score was Kathi – 50, Killer – 64. She never recovered, and the final score of Game One was 125-100. She was actually happy to even get to triple digits, since she had not touched a bowling ball since the last time we had played. Neither had I, but nevermind that. Kathi geared up for Game Two…and actually won (but not by much)! Unfortunately we didn’t have time to play the tiebreaker, because I'm sure that I would have won the third game and thus, the series, so we had to leave it at one game all. I WAS quick to point out that my total of the two games was higher than hers, making me the OVERALL winner of the day.

After bowling we strolled back down Main Street and actually found a couple of bookstores and a record store (yes, I said record store, and it looked like a hippy throw-back joint inside, too!) which were open. We spent an enjoyable hour browsing through those, then it was back to the car and back on the road.  We got back to West Yellowstone at 6:45p.m., and decided to take a quick drive into the park, hoping to hear or see some animals. Dusk is one of the best times to catch them, but we saw nothing out of the ordinary. Our favorite elk herd could be seen off in the distance, by now looking like dark moving lumps. We found out from our chat with the park ranger yesterday that moose were actually considered to be somewhat rare, and we would probably have to go into Teton National Park to have much of a chance of seeing any.  We would still very much like to see a bear from a very safe distance, but it’s looking like we’ll have to adjust our goals, substitute the coyote onto my list, and just be satisfied with that.  Maybe if we get out early enough tomorrow we’ll have more luck. 

After driving 10 minutes into the park we turned around and came back out, ran into the grocery to get a couple more items, came home to eat leftover pasta and pizza. While eating we watched Limitless, bringing to 4 the total number of hours the television has been on since we got here. It really is bliss to barely have that machine on at all, and only when we really want it. I  pooped out first tonight, and was sound asleep by the time Kathi went to bed at about 11:30. And yes, you guessed it, we forgot to toss the states. Again. 

October 15, 2011

(Kathi wrote up this day and I just stole it!)

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Kathi got up at 7am from a lovely night’s sleep…I mean nap…to find that I had been up since 5:00! Yikes! I had made coffee, the smell of which is what had finally penetrated  Kathi's subconscious and caused her to come out and investigate.  We spent our normal couple of hours writing, blogging, and arranging and sorting pictures. We finally showered and left the condo (did I mention this place beats the hell out of a hostel?) and went to breakfast at Running Bear Pancake House. I had French toast and Kathi had eggs and pancakes. Both of us had lots of yummy bacon on the side and justified it by saying we needed to have lots of energy to get through the physical day we had planned.

We haven’t talked much about the weather, which has been really great so far. Despite the threat of rain and possibly snow, Thursday and Friday had lots of sunshine, and temperatures in the low-to-mid 50s during the day. It definitely cooled down last night, but in general it could certainly be worse up here in the mountains. Today it is somewhat cooler, with a definite nip in the air, but still there is some sun despite the forecast this morning of 70% chance of rain. So we’re feeling optimistic!

After breakfast we drove into the park. Just so that anyone reading this can understand the breadth and grandeur of what we mean by “park”,Yellowstone National Park is 3,469 square miles in size, larger than either Rhode Island or Delaware.  We stopped at the ranger station at the entrance to show our paid receipt (we had to pay $25 yesterday to enter the park, but it is good for an entire week and both Grand Teton and Yellowstone) and the ranger told us that Dunraven Rd. is closed today, probably for the season. We were slightly bummed because we had intended to drive this stretch as it spans some of the highest areas (and areas where bears are most likely to frequent), but we quickly got over that. After studying our map, we decided that, having driven in from the south the day before, today we would go east and then north to Norris, which has a geyser basin – an area of thermal activity where it’s plain to see that Yellowstone definitely still has volcanic activity.

On the drive to Norris, we experienced our first “real” sighting of surprise wildlife when we came across a herd of bison lounging off the side of the road. We pulled over to watch and to take pictures. As we got back into the car, I asked, “Do only male bison have horns?”  This is a type of question quite typical to Girls Weekend,  and one of the reasons we so love travelling and seeing new things together. The question was not rhetorical, and was not asked benignly – in fact, Kath immediately wrote it down so that when we got back to the room we could look up the answer. There is nothing like being around someone who has the same thirst for knowledge as you do; even if the appetite is not for the same TYPE of knowledge, the understanding is still there to support the SEEKING of the knowledge. By the way, both male and female bison have horns!

A little farther along we stopped again, this time to gaze at a herd of elk. We didn’t get out of the car this time, as there was a majestic male with a full rack of antlers who was out in the meadow looking around and grazing. All of the literature warns tourists that regardless of how beautiful and calm they may seem, these animals are wild, and it is not smart to get too close.  A couple of his harem were with them, but several more ladies were on the other side of the road, looking as if they wanted to cross. After a few moments, that’s exactly what they did 

do, taking their time and causing all the drivers to have to wait patiently until they 

were across. 

Our next stop was at Gibbon Falls, and overlook of a beautiful waterfall of the Gibbon River. This stop prompted the next non-rhetorical question of the day: How many rivers are there in Yellowstone? Answer: A lot. J We found the names for 12 rivers, the largest being the Snake and the Yellowstone, and 3 creeks. There are also over 292 waterfalls and cascades. It’s a bit overwhelming in scope. In a word, this place is stunning.

Back into the car and driving again, thinking that surely we will now go directly to Norris without stopping, we saw cars pulled over. This always means that someone has seen wildlife and others have also stopped to look. We saw, way out in a meadow, one lone bison and thought we’d just drive on by, when I spotted…a coyote! He was moving stealthily and steadily, stalking some birds and something else that only he could see. We pulled over and jumped out of the car, trying to get a good shot and probably risking life and limb in the process, but it paid off. My zoom enabled her to grab a great picture of the coyote shielding behind a bush. This is like real-life National Geographic, folks!

We finally reached Norris Geyser Basin at 12:45pm. We parked and took a walk around the Porcelain Basin, which took almost an hour. This is a thermal area with areas of fragile ground. Visitors must remain either on the paths or on the boardwalks which are built up and out over the area, to prevent stepping through a brittle shelf into boiling thermal pools! With all the small geysers and bubbling thermal ponds, walking around in this area has to be similar to walking on the moon.

After we had experienced our fill of spewing geysers and spitting puddles, Kathi and I returned to the car, drove east to Canyon Village Visitor Education Center, and spoke for about 10 minutes with one of the park rangers stationed there.  We wanted to find out whether we would still be able to view the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, the area we wanted to get to by driving along the road that the ranger at the west entrance had warned us was now closed.  We were thrilled to learn that we could still view the Upper and Lower Falls and followed the directions given to us. We were faced with a choice of staying up high where we were, going onto an overlook, and viewing the Upper Falls, or making our way along a precipitous, winding path to the brink of the Lower Falls. The park ranger had told us that taking the steep (600 foot change in elevation), sinuous path to the Lower Falls was well worth the trip, so that’s what we did.  It is important to note here that I always blame Kathi when we find ourselves in the midst of anything overly strenuous or seemingly dangerous. I want it to be noted here that it was a JOINT decision to go down – and more notably, back up – this path.  You could call it steep…or you could call it damn steep – either way we knew that the trip back up the thing was gonna be a doozy. There were 12 switchbacks (Kathi counted just so she could record that piece of data here later) that took us down hundreds of feet to the edge of the falls, where an observation platform was built out and over the rushing water. Words cannot describe the beauty we saw here. The Yellowstone River raced toward, under, and next to us, then dropped down over the falls to continue its journey what seemed to be a mile below. Meanwhile, sheer golden brown jagged cliff faces soared upward on both sides, forming a tunnel-like structure that zigzagged ahead, channeling this rushing lower river into a long ribbon that snaked forward so far until it seemed the two sides met. In mockery of the weathermen who said it would be an overcast day with a high chance of rain, a huge shaft of sunlight shone on the entire scene. It was truly God’s country, and a wonder to behold. Awesome.

Inevitably, the time came to begin the climb back up, and oh boy, was it torturous. (Holy crap, Batman, now it's time to climb back UP that 600 feet.  This is where I accuse Kathi of trying to kill me and tell her how much I hate her and that I will never do another trip with her again!!  All in jest, of course.  Look what we would have missed had we not taken this little hike.) Kathi and I stopped at least 6 or 7 times to catch our breath (that sounds so gentle, but we were actually heaving with exertion a couple of times. Damned altitude!) but we did eventually make it back up and to the car into which we gratefully climbed. I had to admit that the reward had been well worth the climb, and even said that since I knew what I was getting into, I would not blame Kathi for making me do it. Wow, now that is progress!  At 3:50 p.m. we decided to go west toward our park exit point, tired and figuring we’d had just about enough for the day. As we left the Falls parking area we began to feel a few raindrops. Maybe the weatherman was right after all, though we didn’t much care. We had just seen the artistic mastery of God.  We did not, of course, make it out of the park quite yet. We had heard that the area called Artist Paintpots was another thermal area where the bacteria produced much more vibrant colors than in the Norris Basin. Since we had to drive right past it, we decided to make a quick, easy stop there. Note the words quick and easy. We navigated the non-taxing walk in with no trouble, and were faced with a largish area of thermal ground which was smouldering and we could hear bubbling, but we couldn’t really see into the pools well, and it appeared to not be very interesting at all.  It was then we noticed that the wooden boardwalk path took off and climbed – yes I said climbed – quite a ways up, leading to a path that hugged the surrounding hillside. It was obvious that the view would be much better up there. I – still suffering the effects of having hiked up from the Falls, declared that if seeing more involved going up that path then I would just miss it, because there was no way I was going up there. After some extremely gentle and loving encouragement on Kathi's  part I did indeed agree to go with Kathi, but I let her know that I thought she was a   bitch for making do more climbing! (again, this is all said in sarcastic jest for I know of course, that Kathi is right and that there will be something spectacular to see once we climb those hundred stairs and I will be happy that we did so,  I just like to complain!) Once up there I did have to admit that the view was wonderful, we could see the colors in the pools, and we happened upon an amazing mud pit that was spitting boiling plops of mud into the air. It was so cool! We both just had to take a video of the bubbling wonder.

 

 

The rain sprinkles, which had stopped, started up again as we went back to the car. This time it seemed more intense, but as it turned out they only lasted maybe 15 minutes.  Driving toward the west entrance we came upon our herd of elk again. This time we got a great picture of a yearling.

Every year I keep a count of how many black people we see on our trip. I suspended this practice when we went to New Orleans, D.C., and Philly, but especially when we are west of the Mississippi, this is not a particularly demanding chore. This year, not only will I be able to leave my socks on, I won’t even have to take my second hand out of my pocket to keep tabs. We have seen exactly two – both were men, both in their 30s, both seen within 10 minutes of each other by the visitor center at Old Faithful. I guess I missed the meeting.

 

After all the distractions of the Paintpots and the elk herd, we finally left the park for the day and went to buy groceries. We then went back to the condo (soooooo luxurious, especially after the clean but bare-bones hostel) where I made a delicious dinner of pasta with garlic, olive oil, lemon, chicken, and broccoli. It tasted like it came from a restaurant! After dinner we settled on the couch to journal and sort pictures, but Kathi was a complete wuss and lasted only about an hour and a half before she had to give in and go to bed. My head was literally rolling on my neck. What a day!