Day 6: Yellowstone National Park, WY

We enjoyed a leisurely morning, since we didn’t have to get so many miles down and I planned to finally bathe our filthy kids. Desmond was his usual pokey self eating breakfast, and we tried to remain patient as he ate. The restroom was a bit of a hike and I have to admit I was a little fearful of running into a grizzly bear along the way, thanks to the warnings near our campsite. Thankfully, I was not eaten by a bear and made it back to the RV for an omelet.  

More bison

We planned to hit up the upper and lower falls, Norris Basin, and mud volcano area. This may sound obvious, but if you’ve never been to Yellowstone, or don’t know much about it, it is humongous. It takes a long time to drive to the various sights. But they are unlike anything you would see anywhere else, so it is worth the drive. I enjoyed driving through the national park (except the tight turns at the edge of the cliffs) and looking for wildlife. We mostly just kept spotting bison. Dad said he didn’t remember there ever being so many. I guess that it’s a good thing, since they had almost reached extinction. I also did not realize Yellowstone sits within an old erupted (and still active) volcano. This accounts for all the geysers and steaming thermal pools you find. We started at the Mud Volcano area. It was a half mile walk around the loop. I enjoyed checking out the gurgling mud puddles and spotting the steaming pools. Tommy complained about the sulfuric smell (like hard-boiled eggs). Desmond ran almost the whole way. That kid has so much energy!

Grand canyon of the Yellowstone

Grand canyon of the Yellowstone

Next we headed to the various views of the upper and lower waterfalls. Desmond liked them best when we were closest to the falls. The views were pretty cool from the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone (not nearly as grand as THE Grand Canyon), but the colors of the rock carved by the river and the river itself were really beautiful. I tried not to be too anxious about Desi running everywhere. Trudy was a bit easier to deal with, since I put her in the Moby carrier. 

Norris Geyser Basin

Next, we were on to Norris Geyser Basin. This was pretty spectacular and unlike anything I have ever seen. Tommy thought it would make a good setting for a scene in Star Wars. The turquoise pools would fade into different shades of orange and green. I tried to ignore the steamy sulfur smell (not so easy for Tommy) and enjoy the views. Desmond liked finding nearby pools, especially if they traveled like streams or waterfalls. 

Norris Geyser Basin

Norris Geyser Basin

We headed back towards camp, stopping at one of the Yellowstone General Stores for some provisions and took our showers before driving on to our site. Desmond spotted a neat lean-to that some kids had built and enjoyed playing inside it. He found some sticks he was able to attach to the wall and created a “clock” complete with a face, hands, and pendulum. He walked the parts back to our campsite and enjoyed playing outside, drawing with chalk on the ground, and building a nest for the birds. When the dandelions he put on the nest fell, he was convinced it was the birds who had eaten them. 

Desmond's Lean-to

Showing off his "clock"

"Cheers!"