Gallivanting Grandma

Thursday – August 28, 2014   42 degrees & sunny   Elevation: 7732 feet

Lake Lodge

We had a leisurely morning at the Lake Hotel and explored the surrounding area. There are cabins, camp grounds, a lodge, dormitory for workers, a post office, and a general store in the vicinity. 

Main Room in the Lodge

The Lodge is rustic and houses a cafeteria and a large laundry room. It also has a comfortable lounge area and rustic porch complete with wooden rocking chairs.

Guest Telephones

Hot Gases on the Northern Banks of Yellowstone Lake

Fishing Bridge Raven

After we explored the Yellowstone Lake area, we drove north to the Norris area to visit the Geyser Basin. We saw the Mud Volcanos and walked on the boardwalks above the warm fragile earth.

Mini Volcano

Cooking Hillside

Sulphur Cauldron

The Dragon’s Mouth Spring roared and grumbled loudly as it spewed hot vapor into the air. Warm water splashed out of the hole causing waves onto the opposite side.

Dragon’s Mouth Spring

Hot Spring

On the way back to the Lake Hotel, we stopped at the Upper and Lower Falls of the Canyon. We drove out to Inspiration Point to see the magnificent view then drove back to the civilization of our hotel.

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Upper Falls

Wednesday – August 27, 2014

Sign in the Park

We spent the night in Jackson Hole, checked out of the hotel, and returned to Yellowstone National Park in the morning. It was a beautiful day and we drove along the scenic road through Grand Teton National Park instead of the main road.

Ride Through Grand Teton National Park

The scenic road goes along Jackson Lake. We stopped to take photos and met a young family from New Jersey who had been camping for the last week. The two daughters were having a good time, but Mom yearned for the creature comforts of a good hotel. I was impressed that Jersey Dad was able to drive a huge pick-up truck pulling a very large camper. We wished each other ‘Happy Trails’ and continued on our way.

Jackson Lake

We ate our picnic lunch and continued to Mammoth Hot Springs which is located at the northern end of Yellowstone. The bubbling gas pools were impressive and huge.

Bubbling Gases

Sulphur Hill

Mammoth Hot Springs

Colorful Algae River

On our southbound drive, cars were stopped on the road to allow a herd of bison to cross the road. Toward late afternoon, the animals feed closer to the roads. We stopped and jumped out of the car to take photos with the other tourists.

American Bison

Crossing the Road

Hello!

American Tourists

Calf

Herd Near Our Car

After a time, we decided we had taken much too many bison photos, so we pressed on to The Lake Hotel where we had reservations for the next two nights.

Yellowstone Lake Hotel

Major renovations had been completed this year and the interior was like a new hotel. It was very comfortable and almost elegant. Lake Hotel had the services of a five-star hotel (bell hops, concierge, valet, dining room, great location, etc.) except there was no cell phone service, no wifi, no internet service, and no television.

Lounge With a View

We had all the creature comforts set within the great outdoors of the national park far away from world problems. It was a great place to stay!

View of Yellowstone Lake

Tuesday – August 26,2014     41 degrees & low clouds at 6:00 AM

Jackson is a town in the Jackson Hole Valley of Teton County, Wyoming. Most people call the town Jackson Hole and with an elevation of 6311 feet, it is well known for its ski resorts and other outdoor opportunities.

Grand Tetons in the Morning

We awoke early for the long drive to Yellowstone National Park which passes the magnificent Tetons. We arrived at the Old Faithful section of the park just in time to see the famous geyser erupt. The next eruption was predicted in eighty-eight minutes so we rushed outside and took seats around the large viewing area.

Old Faithful

We learned that the eruptions, which last for just a few minutes, vary in height. This one wasn’t particularly impressive. However, as I sat watching and listening to the exclamations of the crowd, I realized that Old Faithful is as iconic an American symbol as the Statue of Liberty or the Grand Canyon. It felt good to participate in the event.

Yellowstone Bus

Bright yellow 1930s buses were restored for tours in the park in 2007.  They carry visitors around the park on a variety of paid tours. Since distances take so long to cover in this national park, the bus was a good idea for people who want to sit and enjoy the scenery.

Beehive Geyser

We explored the Old Faithful Inn and asked if they had any vacancies in the park for the next three nights. Luck was with us and we made reservations at The Lake Hotel and The Snow Lodge. On our return to the Visitors Center, the Beehive Geyser was about to perform its daily eruption. We rushed outside and it was quite an impressive show!

A Sulphur Pool

Tempest in a Teapot

Hot Ground

Elk by the Road

Double Rainbows

Sunset Over the Tetons

Monday – August 25,2014     52 degrees & cloudy

The Plaza Hotel in Thermopolis, Wyoming was lovely and comfortable but since it was located directly on the hot spring, it smelled of sulphur. We didn’t try the naturally warm pool but enjoyed a decent breakfast and left to see ancient petroglyphs.

Far From the Middle of Nowhere

Legend Rock Petroglyphs was located about twenty miles east of Thermopolis, out in the middle of barren nowhere. Visitors have to obtain a key to the grounds before they drive out or make sure that someone is out there.

Caretaker’s Cabin

A tall stout woman wearing western jeans and a cowboy hat greeted us as we drove in. She sat in a comfortable lawn chair and looked like she was expecting us.  The woman explained the history of the area and the drawings. We learned that Shamans made pilgrimages to this sacred land to gain wisdom and power. Some left marks on the rocks to express a variety of ideas, symbols, and experiences.

Petroglyph

Thunderbirds and horned animals represented power which was transferred to the Shamans. Some of the petroglyphs were believed to be dated from 8000 BC – 6000 BC.

Dinwoody Tradition Style Petroglyph

The figure with a line connecting it to two objects is believed to be a person connected to the spirit world of the rock.

Elk Petroglyphs

The two elk pictured above are believed to be just two thousand years old. The oldest petroglyphs in Legend Rock were approximately 11,ooo years old, according to the caretaker. They are drawings of bison, elk, bighorn sheep, and deer.

Pronghorn Deer

Driving away from Legend Rock Petroglyphs we saw pronghorn deer which have very unusual markings.

Wind River Canyon

We drove twenty miles back to Thermopolis and returned to Route 20 West. The terrain immediately changed as we left town. We passed through a steep canyon and then through many miles of the Wind River Indian Reservation. The flat barren land was broken up by tiny towns with small cement-block casinos.

Route 20 West

After several hours of driving through flat corn & soy fields and cattle ranches, we stopped in Lander, Wy.  at the Gannett Grill for a tasty lunch.

Lander, Wyoming

Gannett Grill in Lander, Wyoming

Red Rock Canyon

We knew we were getting close to Yellowstone because the land slowly became more interesting.  We stopped for gas in a town called Shoshoni – population: 629 elevation: 4839 feet. We had 2695 miles on the car odometer since we left New York.

Approaching the Tetons

It was a glorious sight to watch the towering peaks of the Grand Teton Mountains rise on the horizon as we approached Jackson Hole. It was 5:30 PM, we had driven all day and were happy to finally reach our destination.

Jackson Hole, Wy.

Jackson Hole Stagecoach

Wildlife Photo?

Sunday – August 24, 2014     63 degrees and sunny

Wyoming Welcome

We checked out of the hotel in South Dakota early in the morning and drove northwest along Interstate 90. Traffic was light and the broad western sky was a brilliant shade of blue.

Beautiful Day

We had noticed Devil’s Tower on the map and thought it might be fun to see the monument. We reminisced about the 1977 science fiction movie which had introduced us to the tower. Jeff hated the movie! I thought it was interesting at the time.

Approaching the Tower

There are several theories about the formation of the monument and it was a sacred place for the Native Americans who had lived in the region.

Shadows Across the Tower

Climbers

Prayer Cloths

Devils Tower

Heading West

Buffalo, Wyoming

We stopped for lunch in a town called Buffalo. There was an old historic hotel on Main Street and as we were peering into the windows, a young woman standing outside encouraged us to go in to take pictures. The receptionist behind the old desk welcomed us and talked about the history of the building.

1880s Occidental Hotel

Lobby of the Occidental

We had a very delicious Mexican lunch at the Cantina across the street from the hotel.

Mexican Cantina

Back in the car, we continued our drive to Thermopolis, Wyoming. The Plaza Hotel turned out to be an historic building on the National Register of Historic Places. It was created as a hotel and apartments in 1918 and is located in Hot Springs State Park. It was built to accommodate guests who wanted to bathe in the curative warm mineral waters.

Best Western Plaza Hotel – Thermopolis

There were several mounds of steaming multi-colored ‘rocks’ in town called Hot Springs Teepees. These were formed by putting a pipe in the earth which allowed the hot mineral water to pour out. Over the years the minerals calcified and grew to form the existing weird formations.

Hot Springs Teepee