Day 10 – (08/12) Yellowstone, WY … Day 2

Today was perfect for sightseeing.  We drove a loop:  Fishing Bridge to Canyon Village to Tower-Roosevelt to Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris and back to Canyon Village and Fishing Bridge.  We saw beautiful scenery, many buffalo, a wolf and lots of geysers.

Our route followed the Yellowstone River between Fishing Bridge and Canyon Village.  Mud Volcano was our first stop.

There's no playing in this mud

This spring was next to Mud Volcano 

The steam hissed and growled continually

Volcano steam leaks out all over the area

Yellowstone River flows quietly by the steaming cauldrons

A buffalo herd grazed along the road just north of Mud Volcano.

Here's where the buffalo roam

And they go wherever they want to go

Over the river and ...

A wolf was hiding in the trees as we turned into the entrance to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.  It stopped traffic and caused quite a commotion.

Wolf is the black shape above the truck's fender

Artists Point, Lower Falls and Upper Falls at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone ...

Upper Falls

Lower Falls

Canyon walls from Artists Point

Downstream view

The road from Canyon Village took us over Dunraven Pass, passed Mt. Washburn, Tower Falls and Roosevelt Lodge.

Countryside at the foot of Mt. Washburn

Tower Falls 

Cliff formations north of Tower Falls
were unusual and dramatic

We set out on a "Cowboy Cookout" from here on our honeymoon

We had a late lunch in Mammoth Hot Springs and viewed the Terraces there.

Liberty Cap

Palette Spring

Mammoth Hot Springs from the Upper Terrace

Upper Terrace Views

Roaring Mountain and the Museum of the National Park Ranger were highlights of the road to Norris.

Roaring Mt.

The summer ranger on duty at the museum was retired, full of stories and had served as head ranger at many parks (Grand Canyon, Big Bend, Badlands, etc.).   He had been head of bison management for the NPS and claimed a bison can jump a 4 foot fence from a standing position.  That's a burly beast weighing up to a ton folks!

We were taken by the cauldrons, canyons, cliffs, waterfalls and unusual shapes today.  Lodge pole pines caught our attention, too.  They are something very common (and straight) in a land full of strange sights.

A funny thing happened.  We met Tim and Lori Pickel (Airstreamers from IL) a few days ago at the Grand Teton Park RV Resort in Moran.  Today they moved to the same campground we’re staying in.  Our reservations were made separately and many days apart.  In fact, we checked in here on their recommendation.  This place has 7 camping loops and 358 sites … and they ended up parked just 3 sites away!   It sure was easy to end the day sharing travel stories.