Friday, July 27, 2012

Friday was a sightseeing day in Yellowstone National Park.  We started at Canyon Village with lunch at the cafeteria--very good and not overly priced.  The a trip to the visitors center for the park orientation movie.  Now that we were "oriented" we headed off to the Yellowstone Canyon and the Upper and Lower Waterfalls.  What a totally amzing site.  If you can't be inspired by the waterfalls and the canyon you are totally brain dead.  After the falls' viewing we went to Lemar Valley in search for the wildlife in Yellowstone.  We saw buck deer with huge antlers still in velvet, two black bears, 8 herds of bison and antelope.  We did get caught in an early evening thundershower, complete with small hail.  We got to Mammoth Hot Springs too leate to get into anything, but the restrooms.  Yes, Captain Potty Break (Jim) is keeping us all in frequent stops for relief of our plumbing.  We drove back to West Yellowstone and had supper with Kathy & Bob (Jim's sister & her husband) at the Geyser Grill--very good food at a modest price.  Talked with Jim's sisters and their husbands and nieces and nephews and then headed back to the RV camp for some sleep.

Madison River with Mt. Haynes (center) & National Park Mt (left)

Bison in the wild

Yellowstone Canyon & river

Lower Falls of the Yellowstone

Yellowstone River with stained cinnamon rock caused by steam ventss near the river
which therefore causes the oxidation on the rock. 

Fishback ridge in Yellowstone Canyon

Mule deer buck



Mule deer buck, turning away from my camera!

Upper Falls on Yellowstone River

downstream from Artist Point...Yellowstone Canyon

Lower falls of Yellowstone, from Artist Point

Yellowstone Canyon

Looking southeast at mountain range in Yellowstone

Looking northeast at mountain ranges in Yellowstone

Looking east at a ridge of mountains in Yellowstone

Tower/Roosevelt Falls

Storm clouds gathering



Lava flow balcite between layers of sandstone

Driving by lava flow balcite in Yellowstone Canyon

Beautiful wildflowers at Yellowstone NP

Prong Horn Antelope with calf

Bison in field

Black Bear

Bear on the move

Black Bear

Bison in the field

Bison calf nursing

Yellowstone touring cabs

Calf making mom stop,in the road because he's a thirsty calf!

Devastaion from a past forest fire...trying to make a comeback

Mammouth Hot Springs from afar....we got there too late due to a
thundershower and a couple of bison jams!

Very religious elk family...on the church lawn

Gibbon Falls

Elk lying hear the river bank as we headed home for the day

A trio of elk

Black bear going back "home"