Yellowstone, Part One.

So we were on track to leave pretty early but Kent was having hitch problems.  Apparently the hitch on the new(er) suburban was a self installed job and it actually tilts down.  It makes for a rough hitching of the camp trailer, since our driveway is at a pretty severe angle.  So we were able to hitch up but it made the suburban hang low and the camper pull at an odd angle.  We're now budgeting for a new, properly installed, hitch.  Needless to say, playing with the hitch put us leaving a tad later.

Considering how little sleep I had, I think I did fairly well to make sure we were ready and we eventually hit the road.  It was even early enough that we were able to have lunch in Yellowstone at a lovely little side picnic area.

From Pocatello, our quickest route to the park is the West Yellowstone entrance.  My mom has a senior pass and by using it, our entrance fee was waived.  Mom also used her pass for the campsite and that fee was half the normal price.  Since we were staying three nights, it made a huge difference, and it helped alleviate my guilt of spending so much money on food!  

We stopped at a little pull off to see a hydro-thermal formation on the way to the campsite so by the time we made it there, it was time to start a fire and make dinner.

We usually camp at Madison camp ground and then explore around Old Faithful and all the pools and geysers on that side of the park.  This time we camped at the Canyon campground and spent all our time around the Norris basin, up and down the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, the upper and lower falls and we drove up to Mammoth our last evening in camp.  Kent cracks me up, he makes a running list as we're seeing all these sights of what we've missed and what he wants to see next time.

Here's the upper falls.



The kids, who knows where we are.



I was so excited to see these wildflowers, they were so pretty!



On one lovely drive we were watching this beautiful canyon and a river and we pulled over for a better look.  While taking pictures, we turned around and there were four naughty children climbing the mountain.  Kent snapped some pictures and then informed the kids they were not to do that again because it makes the scenery not as pretty for others.  I love that he snapped the pictures first.



At a stop to look at the upper falls, there was a tourist bus pulled over.  Apparently the bus was full of Chinese tourist and you'll never guess who the Chinese women loved.

Why the red headed twins of course.  I was approached by one woman that asked if she could get a picture with the twins.  The twins cooperated and her friend snapped a photo with her arms all around them.  She was so excited, especially when she found out they were twins.  Then I took a picture of the boys with my mom on her camera.  My mom went to move out of the way and there was another Chinese woman behind me.  I told the twins to get out of the way and she let me know that she wanted a turn with the twins too!  Well, Greg obliged but Dave ignored her and pretended it wasn't happening.





It was hysterical and I'm pretty sure if the twins would have cooperated, more requests for their pictures would have happened.