Yellowstone

Once we arrived in Cody, we took an overnight trip so that we could visit Yellowstone.  Believe it or not, these two life-long west coasters had never been there.  Earlier in the summer there was all the flooding so we weren't sure we would be able to make it but the East Entrance outside of Cody was open.  So we buttoned up the trailer and off we went.

It was a beautiful day and the views were amazing!

Yellowstone Lake

I've seen a lot of photos of people in cars stopped for wildlife and was hopeful we'd experience the same.  I did see a bison as we drove along but no time to take a photo.  I kept looking.

First stop (no bison sightings) was Old Faithful.  This is a cone geyser and in 1870 was the first geyser in the park to be named.  It is a highly predictable geothermal feature and has erupted every 44 minutes to two hours since 2000.  The geyser and nearby Old Faithful Inn are part of the Old Faithful Historic District.

Old Faithful Inn

As we walked through the Visitor Center, we didn't notice the sign indicating the next estimated eruption but once we were out back, we figured it wouldn't be too long.

We found a good viewing spot and waited.  And waited.  And then, just like that and about 3 minutes after those around us said was the estimated time, off she went!

Thar she blows!

Eruptions can shoot 3,700 to 8,400 gallons of boiling water to a height of 106 to 185 feet and lasts from 1 1/2 to 5 minutes.  The average height of an eruption is 145 feet and in 1939 the average interval between eruptions was 66.5 minutes and has increased to an average of 90 minutes apart today.  The longer length of time may be the result of earthquakes affecting subterranean water levels.  After the Borah Peak earthquake in central Idaho in October 1983, the eruption intervals were noticeably lengthened.

The geyser attracts a lot - A LOT - of visitors.

Watching the big event

And, of course, there is a gift shop.

We drove on and made our way to the West Entrance to our reserved hotel in West Yellowstone, Montana.

The town is beyond touristy but we walked around and found a place to have some dinner.  We spent a lot of time in a photography store and were interested to see this photo of one of our planned stops the next day,  Grand Prismatic Spring.

Taken by a drone

The shop owner explained to us that to fully experience the beauty of the spring, it must be 76+ degrees.  She also stated that in order to see the blue center of the spring, the steam would continue to block your view until it reached that temperature.  We anticipated visiting early in the day because when we drove by on our way to West Yellowstone, we saw the line of cars waiting to find an empty parking space.  So we'll see how it looks when it's not at the peak temperature.

The next morning we were back at the West Entrance - it looks like several people had the same idea!

Note:  A few years ago I bought a National Parks lifetime pass.  I don't remember the specifics but this pass was for seniors and for a specified period of time, the pass was about $5 and then it would increase to about $80.  At the time we hadn't visited many national parks but I look back now and realize what a great benefit the lifetime pass is.  We've saved a lot of money on park entrances over the last few months.

So back to Grand Prismatic Spring.  There was a short line for a parking spot but not too bad.  

We walked along the boardwalk to see the geysers.

One way?  In a park?

I can see why

A few geysers to see along the way.

A mini Prismatic Spring

Turquoise Pool

And then we were there.

The Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest hot spring in the United States and the third largest in the world, after Frying Pan Lake in New Zealand and Boiling Lake in Dominica.  The spring was noted by geologists working in the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871, and named by them for its striking coloration.  The colors match most of those seen in the rainbow dispersion of white light by an optical prism: red, orange, yellow, green, and blue.

I guess she was right - it wasn't warm enough to appreciate the colors

The spring is approximately 370 feet in diameter and is 160 feet deep.  It discharges an estimated 560 gallons of 160 degree (F) water per minute.

Back in the truck to explore a few more sights.

Back in the truck to Hayden Valley as we were told the bison liked to hang out there. 

Stop the truck - there's a big guy on the side of the road!

Lots of people spotted him and stopped along with us - I felt like we were the paparazzi.

We continued on and while we never had to stop so the bison could cross the road, we did see a lot of them.

A BABY!!!!!
 

As my grandmother would have said - "that was that".  What a great two days!

NOTE:  Our visit to Yellowstone was a few weeks ago.  Since then, we've taken some time off to return to Washington for doctor and dental visits - all is well - and see friends and family.  And now we're off again and heading through Oregon.  Stay tuned for more.