Yellow Stone. Day 1

In the morning we are excited to go. Sol makes pancakes for breakfast and we load in the car. The camp site is only about 4 blocks from the entrance to the park but the park is so vast, spanning Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho that to get anywhere within it we would drive at least 45 minutes…. and that’s not counting various animals that stop in the middle of a one lane road to take a picture of a bison or an elk hanging out by the side.

The first day in the park is exploratory. We find the first spot on the map and drive to it. It is Painters Pots mud pits and hot springs.
Vivid orange (thermal bacterial cultures), bright yellows (sulfur), and deep blues of the hot springs water are astonishing.

Despite a very distinct hard boiled egg smell in the air some of the hot springs look very inviting. They are, however, deadly hot and
deadly acidic. Girls come up with all kind of scenarios of ‘accidentally’ falling into them.

Next, we drive to the Old Faithful to get all the high traffic spots out of the way. By the time we are waiting for it to erupt the temperature drops and sizable wind picks up. We are all wearing T-shirts, so, it gets progressively uncomfortable. We brave on though, waiting for the geyser to go. And it does! We are amazed for about a second before all the water from it, chilled in the cool air, rains down on us (did I mention wind?). We hastily retreat into the nearby lodge, cold and wet now. Sol takes girls to pick up some hot cocoa and I run into the gift shop to spend ridiculous money for some sweatshirts.

By the time we are out of the Lodge the wind dies down but we are not taking our chances with Old Faithful and find a little hike further into the park. The hike is to the natural bridge. It Starts as an easy and unexciting walk in the woods but once you get to the bride it is glorious with the views and nature and absolutely no people around.

Later, we realize that while there are a lot of people near parking lots in the park… it is very easy to lose crowds by hiking somewhere. Most will not go far from the car.

We have a little picnic at the top of the ‘bridge’ taking in the view of the woody mountains. We can see so far…

After hike we are spent and are on the way home to have dinner and prep for a big day next day. Next day is when girls begin their 1st and 3rd grades remotely.