Catching Up - Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons

Wow, I can't believe I've let myself get behind again! Guess we are having to much fun.

During our stay in Yellowstone we took a day and drove to the Grand Tetons and Jackson Hole, WY. Unfortunately, the day we picked was overcast with very little sunshine and I guess that is the reason that my pictures did not turn out very good. I certainly hope it is not my new camera going bad already!

The Grand Tetons - I'm so glad we took the drive south to see them. It's like massive rock mountains arising out of no where when you first come upon them. It almost looks like an artist painted them against the sky. First glimpse is surreal.

We stopped and visited with some Escapee friends that were camping in the area and had a very nice time visiting and having lunch. After lunch we drove on to Jackson Hole, taking the scenic drive. I just couldn't take my eyes off the mountains and I was driving! Jackson Hole, to me was just another tourist town. Of course in the winter it's a great place to be if you like to ski.

On our drive back to Yellowstone we took the highway instead of the scenic route. You can still see the mountains but it's a quicker drive. We saw more elk (female) in the fields, had a coyote run across the road in front of us and saw a female moose. She had a baby with her but kept it hidden in the brush.

Once back inside Yellowstone we stopped at another pretty waterfall that is on the south end of the park.

We had an enjoyable day in spite of the lousy weather.

On our last day in Yellowstone we drove to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and back through Hayden Valley to see the bison one more time.

The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is beautiful and would have been more enjoyed if the weather hadn't turned stormy. We made two "overlook" stops and then the last one at the waterfalls, which is the Lower Falls. It was raining till we arrived there, but I got the umbrella out and walked to the overlook, determined to see the falls and get a picture or two, rain or no rain. What I didn't bargain on was that it would turn into a thunder storm with gusts of wind up to 50 mph! Well, I'll tell you, standing out over the gorge on a cliff isn't the place to be when the lightning and wind pick up, especially with a umbrella in one hand and camera in the other. I did manage to get in a couple of photos and bet a hasty retreat back to the truck - soaked! On my way back to the truck, I passed some oriental tourists all huddled under a tree - I guess they have never been taught that you don't stand under trees during storms. Guess they were lucky this time as I didn't hear any news about anyone being struck by lightning.

Of course, coming back through Hayden Valley we saw tons (no pun intended) of bison. Mostly off the road this time, but there is always a traffic jam in this area because people stop in the road to take pictures. I pulled off and watched them for a little while - they fascinate me - I guess it's their size.

On Monday morning, we departed our wonderful friends Garry and Jenny and new friends Sandy & Ken, and a great campsite heading for Livingston, MT for the night. The drive there is mostly downhill, dropping close to 2000 feet in altitude. It took us back past several of the sights we had seen previously but we enjoyed seeing them again. It was just nice, after arriving in Livingston to be able to walk and breath normally.

Tuesday morning found us back on the highway, this time heading for Billings, MT. This brings me to where we are now, Billings Trailer Village and RV park. It is a very nice little park with full hookups, cable tv and wifi for a small charge. While here we are catching up on laundry, truck oil change and cleaning. We will leave on Thursday for Buffalo, WY for two nights then on to Hart Ranch in Rapid City, SD and Mt. Rushmore. Until then, we will just relax and enjoy the down time.

New pictures have been posted with a few more to come, probably later today.

http://picasaweb.google.com/SchultzTravelPhotos

See you at Mt. Rushmore......