Since we've been married, we've taken a trip with my parents each summer. This wasn't an intentional thing - it has just sort of happened over the last four years. The first year we went fishing at Lost Island Lake, the following year we traveled to the Black Hills, and last year we celebrated their anniversary with the whole family in Lake City, Minnesota. I obviously love spending time with my parents whenever I can ... and traveling is just icing on the cake. It is great experiencing new places and making memories with them. I have always said I'm lucky to have young, fit parents who enjoy doing many of the same things we do. My parents have always felt a bit like friends to me - and especially do to Ryan - so it only makes sense we would enjoy traveling together.

This year, we decided to travel out west again. This time our destination was Yellowstone National Park. Dad had been to the park a couple times as a child. It was neat to be able to have him visit the park again, some 35+ years later, with us. Much like his parents had, Dad loves the West and the beautiful scenery and areas of exploration it offers. I enjoy the effortless bonding that occurs between Dad and I when we are in the great outdoors. He is a true outdoors-man and being somewhere like Yellowstone is his happy place.

The park.

Yellowstone National Park is the first national park, established in March of 1872. It is located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, and includes small areas of Montana and Idaho as well. It draws over three million visitors yearly. In 2015, a recorded 4,097,710 visitors came to Yellowstone.

At the heart of Yellowstone's past, present and future is volcanism. The park sits on top of underground magmatic heat that powers the park's geysers, hot springs, fumaroles and mud pots. When water from precipitation seeps into the ground, it meets the super-heated world below. Heat and pressure build until the water is forced back to the surface in one of these dramatic ways.

Yellowstone is much more than this, however. It is a dramatic landscape comprised of lakes, canyons, rivers and mountain ranges. The park is 2.2 million acres of forests (80 percent), grassland (15 percent) and water (5 percent). Yellowstone is home to a number of wildlife species, including wolves, grizzly and black bears, elk and bison.

Before departing for our trip, we studied the park map. We knew it was HUGE and we knew we wouldn't be able to see it all in our three-day stay. The maps detailed the miles and estimated time between each area of interest. For example, from Old Faithful to Madison is 16 miles and an estimated 1 hour of drive time. We knew we were going to need some patience!

Here's a map of the main areas and attractions of Yellowstone.

One disadvantage of the park's large size was that we spent a lot of time in the car instead of the outdoors. We'd drive to where we were going, take in the area, and pile back into the car, traveling to the next spot. We took this approach because we knew it was the only way we'd be able to see the majority of the park during our short stay. We were able to travel the bottom loop of the park on our first day and the top section the second day. The third day wasn't very productive due to the weather but we did see some areas we missed (which was our plan all along).

Like typical tourists, when first entering the park, we stopped at the first interesting spot we saw. The area had the Teton Mountain Range in the distance, a stream adorned by tall trees and a small waterfall.

Happy-Happenings-Photo-Blog-Travel-Yellowstone

On the other side of the road was Lewis Falls.

Old Faithful

Our first stop on our first day was one of the most famous spots (and busiest) of the park - Old Faithful. The Old Faithful geyser erupts every 90 minutes or so. We arrived about 30 minutes prior to the prediction, so we found a spot to sit and waited.

Geysers, are hot springs with underground "plumbing" ... Water rises, pressure builds and the liquid flashes into steam and shoots upward, carrying water along with it. Some geysers have their own plumbing systems, erupting at predictable intervals. Others share "pipes' with adjacent geysers and erupt more erratically.

Once Old Faithful erupted, water and steam shot into the air. I can't estimate how far into the air it went, but sources say it can reach 90 to 184 feet. It wasn't as loud or as powerful as I had expected. But, I'm not complaining. It was still a sight to see. While in the Old Faithful area, we skipped the Upper Geyser Basin area but looked inside the Old Faithful Inn, a national historic landmark. Built in 1903-1904, with local logs and stone, the Inn is considered the largest log structure in the world.

Mom and I waiting for Old Faithful to blow!

We weren't the only people waiting for the famous geyser to erupt. Look at the crowd! It looked like this all around the boardwalk that surrounds Old Faithful.

Midway Geyser Basin

We continued to ... Midway Geyser Basin. Midway hosts two of the largest thermal features of their types found anywhere in the world. Grand Prismatic is a huge hot spring and Excelsior Geyser is one of the largest (inactive) geysers.

Hot springs are colorful pools formed where super-heated water has no obstacles on its way back to the surface. Water rises, cools down on the surface, then sinks, and fresh hot water rises to replace it.

Grand Prismatic is 370 feet across and 125 feet deep. It receives its multicolored layers from different species of heat-tolerate bacteria living in the water. The blue center is because water scatters the blue wavelengths of light more than others, reflecting blue back to our eyes. The Excelsior Geyser used to erupt, nearly 300 feet high, before becoming dormant in the late 1880s. It is now considered a hot spring.

We walked the entire boardwalk to see these both. Grand Prismatic is best viewed from above but we didn't take the time to do the hike that was required to see this perspective. We skipped the Lower Geyser Basin ... and ended up missing the Norris Geyser Basin ... due to a packed parking lot (twice). I was disappointed yet, like we said amongst ourselves, the geysers and hot springs all start to look the same. We were more interested in seeing other parts of the park.

Love the ripple look and texture this has ....

Excelsior Geyser ... no special photo editing here ... it really is THAT blue.

Lots of steam in this area. Gotta love it blowing in our faces on a warm summer day.

This is what the boardwalks looked like that were found throughout the geothermal areas of the park.

Here's run-off from the hot spring into the nearby stream.

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

We reached the halfway point of our loop when we reached the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. This 20-mile-long canyon is up to 1,200 feet deep and 4,000 feet wide.

First shaped by volcanic activity and then carved by subsequent glacial periods, the canyon continues to be sculpted by three waterfalls: 308-foot Lower Falls, 109-foot Upper Falls and the lesser-known Crystal Falls, found between the two other falls. There are multiple look-out points to get a glimpse of these beautiful waterfalls and the canyon. More details below, in my photo captions.

The Grand Canyon ended up being our favorite part of the park. I think a view like this had something to do about it! A freakin' rainbow, people (even though this is common to see, I guess)! We got to take in some awesome views and burned some serio… — The Grand Canyon ended up being our favorite part of the park. I think a view like this had something to do about it! A freakin' rainbow, people (even though this is common to see, I guess)! We got to take in some awesome views and burned some serious calories while in this area of the park.

We are at the top of the Lower Falls here.

While standing at the stop of the Lower Falls, I could see Uncle Tom's Trail across the way. We would take this trail the next day to get a different perspective of the Lower Falls and the Grand Canyon itself. The trail is basically a staircase of 3… — While standing at the stop of the Lower Falls, I could see Uncle Tom's Trail across the way. We would take this trail the next day to get a different perspective of the Lower Falls and the Grand Canyon itself. The trail is basically a staircase of 328 steps, bolted to the canyon's side.

From the landing at the end of Uncle Tom's Trail, we were able to see the base of the Lower Falls. What a spectacular sight! The small people near the top show where we were the day before (and the photo above).

Walking down these steep stairs, which were completely wet, made me a bit nervous. When Ryan and I stood together, we noticed my legs were trembling. I guess my body was reacting to my uneasiness! The climb up wasn't as scary but it got me huffing a… — Walking down these steep stairs, which were completely wet, made me a bit nervous. When Ryan and I stood together, we noticed my legs were trembling. I guess my body was reacting to my uneasiness! The climb up wasn't as scary but it got me huffing and puffing!

What a lovely couple in front of a lovely scene!

Here's the view of the of the Lower Falls and the canyon from Artist's Point.

Here's a photo of the Upper Falls, from a spot along our hike. We did stop at a look-out at the top of the falls. Because the falls aren't as tall as the Upper Falls, we were able to get a better view of the water's movement. It was crazy to see how… — Here's a photo of the Upper Falls, from a spot along our hike. We did stop at a look-out at the top of the falls. Because the falls aren't as tall as the Upper Falls, we were able to get a better view of the water's movement. It was crazy to see how fast it moved, then spilled over. Very powerful!

And, here's the forgotten Chrystal Falls. I actually don't even remember taking this photo ...

Mud Volcano Area

Mud pots may not be the most picturesque things in the park, but they are unique and worth seeing. These pools of mud form under acidic conditions, which break down the surrounding rock into clay and mud. Steam and gases rising from below makes the mud bubble. Hydrogen sulfide gas is present, giving mud pots their characteristic odor of rotten eggs. It smelled bad but it wasn't as in-your-face overwhelming as some of the research I had read beforehand claimed. Maybe it is because I grew up on a farm and stinky smells were just a part of life!

The Black Dragon's Caldron exploded onto the landscape in 1948, blowing trees out by their roots and covering the surrounding forest with mud.

Yellowstone Lake

We rounded out our day with traveling past Hayden Valley and Yellowstone Lake to our hotel. Our hotel, part of Grant Village, was right along Yellowstone Lake.

Yellowstone Lake is the largest, high-elevation lake in North America. It is roughly 20 miles long and 14 miles wide with 141 miles of shoreline. Due to its elevation (7,733 feet), the lake remains cold year-round, with an average temperature of 41°F.

Yellowstone Lake is home to the largest remaining population of Yellowstone cutthroat trout in North America. But since non-native lake trout were discovered in Yellowstone Lake by an angler in 1994, the famous cutthroat population has been threatened. The larger lake trout are larger in size and live longer than the cutthroat. They also eat them. So, not good things for the cutthroat. With continued aggressive control efforts, fisheries managers expect to reduce lake trout numbers and lessen impacts to cutthroat trout.

The lake is so large it is impossible to get a photo that features the entire length of a shoreline. Here's a photo of an interesting area outside the Grant Village Dining Room building.

Here's a view of the lake from a look-out point. Unfortunately, the gloomy weather doesn't really make for a good picture. A bit crazy how you can't see where the sky starts and the water ends.

Here's a view of the lake, from West Thumb. We were going to kayak on the lake to this area ... but due to the cold, windy, awful weather (more on this later), it didn't happen. since that didn't happen, we made a point to see it before we left the … — Here's a view of the lake, from West Thumb. We were going to kayak on the lake to this area ... but due to the cold, windy, awful weather (more on this later), it didn't happen. since that didn't happen, we made a point to see it before we left the park our final day.

West Thumb Geyser Basin

As seen above, we did make a quick stop to the West Thumb Geyser Basin on our way out of the park on our final day. This area is situated on the western edge of a large bay along the shores of Yellowstone Lake.

One particularly interesting spot was the Fishing Cone. Mountain men would catch a trout in the lake and swing the pole around and dip the fish into the boiling water to cook it, without having to remove it from the fishing line. This became a popular practice.

The Fishing Bridge

The Fishing Bridge, ironically, is not a spot where you can fish within the park. It was once a popular place to fish, due to the fact that it is a major spawning area for cutthroat trout. However, because of the decline of the cutthroat population, the bridge was closed to fishing in 1973. Since that time, it has become a popular place to observe fish. The fish spawn in the spring so no spawn-watching for us.

Mammoth Falls

The hot springs at Mammoth don't erupt, but, instead rise through ancient limestone and build spectacular travertine terrace formations. The formations grow quickly, as much as three feet per year in some areas. The area has been described as looking at a cave turned inside out. More boardwalk walking here.

Elk are commonly found in this area. None were to be found on our rainy visit, however.

Terraces of geothermal pools ... very interesting looking!

Below are the buildings of the Mammoth Springs Resort.

Wildlife.

Overall, the wildlife we saw at the park is the wildlife you'd expect to see ...bison, elk, pronghorns, deer and geese.

One interesting experience with wildlife happened on our drive home, in the dark, from supper ... we saw a family of elk five elk, including a calf, totting along the road. They looked over at us, then continued along. It was like their way of acknowledging we were there. It was pretty crazy!

We traveled to the northeast part of the park, Lamar Valley, to get a glimpse at the wildlife. The area is known as a wildlife hot spot ... Unfortunately, with the rain and the cold temps, we only saw herds of bison and a random pronghorn running. Not that we anticipated seeing wolves (know to only be seen at dawn and dust) or bears ... but we knew we'd probably have better luck if the weather had been nicer. We were at least dry and warm in the vehicle! We also drove a couple times by Hayden Valley .. but didn't see much wildlife besides some bison. Nevertheless, here are some photos of the animals we did cross paths with ...

We saw this particular bison near the mud pots area. The nearby park ranger said this particular bison was about 16 years old. He predicted that the bison would not make it through the winter this year.

Here's me keeping a safe distance from the bison. Park regulations are to stay 25 yards from bison and other animals, and 100 yards from bears and wolves.

In the winter, the elk travel south to the National Elk Refuge, near Jackson.

As we neared the exit of the park for the last time, we came up on a couple stopped cars. This is always a sign wildlife is nearby. We looked around then finally spotted the Bighorn Sheep on the mountain side. As you can see, they definitely blend i… — As we neared the exit of the park for the last time, we came up on a couple stopped cars. This is always a sign wildlife is nearby. We looked around then finally spotted the Bighorn Sheep on the mountain side. As you can see, they definitely blend into their surroundings!

Bighorn Sheep, relatives of goats, have balance-aiding split hooves and rough roles for natural grip. These attributes, along with keen vision, help them move easily about rocky, rugged mountain terrain.

A bison is always is a nostalgic representation of our country's past.

We stopped at a meadow alongside the road since we saw quite a few cars pulled off to the side of the road. This time it was a number of bison, including baby calves. Bison calves are orange-red in color until about four months. Then, their colorati… — We stopped at a meadow alongside the road since we saw quite a few cars pulled off to the side of the road. This time it was a number of bison, including baby calves. Bison calves are orange-red in color until about four months. Then, their coloration changes and the hump and horns begin to form.

Other stops

Fumaroles are also called steam vents and appear in places where underground temperatures are so high that all the water boils away before reaching the surfaces, leaving only steam to escape. Here's a hill with multiple fumaroles we saw along our dr… — Fumaroles are also called steam vents and appear in places where underground temperatures are so high that all the water boils away before reaching the surfaces, leaving only steam to escape. Here's a hill with multiple fumaroles we saw along our drive on the second day in the park.

A pretty little waterfall as we drove along.

Saw these crazy people as we drove by. No thanks!

Ryan saw a quiet little stream along the road on our first day and pulled over and said "let's stop here and have a beer!" I wasn't sure what I thought of the idea at first, but it ended up being a great component of our trip. Ryan wasn't behind the wheel, we didn't have anywhere to go or anything in particular to see. There was lily pads, a tiny little hot spring (we could feel the contrast of temperatures of this spot and the stream ... pretty cool) and a nice spot to sit and take it all in.

If you ever wondered which side I got my thick legs from? You don't have to look far here to realize the answer is "both". Haha!

Dad kicked his shoes off almost immediately upon arriving.

Remember when I said the outdoors was his happy place? Think that fact is evident in just this photo alone.

If you haven't noticed already, Ryan likes standing on boulders ...

A winding stream we stopped at, which was across from the field where the baby bison and family were.

Not the last hill we'd climb on our trip. I do wish we could have hiked more, specifically in the back-country areas. But, I guess this way we didn't need to spend $50 on bear spray. Or get mauled by a bear, when the spray doesn't work. There's alwa… — Not the last hill we'd climb on our trip. I do wish we could have hiked more, specifically in the back-country areas. But, I guess this way we didn't need to spend $50 on bear spray. Or get mauled by a bear, when the spray doesn't work. There's always an upside!

Eighty percent of the forested areas of the park are covered with Lodgepole Pine trees, as seen here.

The average size of a Lodgepole Pine tree is 24 inches in diameter and 70 feet high.

yellowstone6750.jpgHappy-Happenings-Photo-Blog-Travel-Yellowstone

We visited the exhibit on the Fires of 1988 near our hotel in Grant Village ... 1.2 million acres burned in the greater Yellowstone area, including 793,000 acres of the park’s 2,221,800 total.

Prior to the 1988 fires, the National Park Service had a "let it burn" policy, allowing natural fires — those caused by lightning — to run their course. Fire has been a natural force operating in the Yellowstone ecosystem for thousands of years. The… — Prior to the 1988 fires, the National Park Service had a "let it burn" policy, allowing natural fires — those caused by lightning — to run their course. Fire has been a natural force operating in the Yellowstone ecosystem for thousands of years. The vegetation is adapted to survive fire and in some cases is dependent on it. For example, Lodgepole Pines produce some cones that open only with intense heat. Typically, fires burn out with rainfall.

Despite considerable manpower — more than 25,000 firefighters battled the blaze with as many as 9,000 fighting it at one time — the fires didn’t subside until September 11, 1988, when the first snows helped to dampen the flames.

The drive.

The drive, as expected, was loonngg. We traveled down Highway 20, across Nebraska on our way there. It was ... surprising ... a scenic drive, with higher speed limits than we expected, too. Everything went fairly well until we were about an hour from our destination for the night (Dubois). The tire pressure warning went off on Ryan's Explorer. We came to notice a shiny, metal piece stuck in the tire. We could hear the air hissing, out from the tire as well. We were able to fill it with more air (which was a small miracle considering we were in the middle of nowhere) before arriving in Dubois. We pulled into the first gas station we came across, which happened to be right across from the cabins we were staying at for the night. Long story short, Ryan used his charm to convince a mechanic (who was working at the gas station) to put a plug in the tire that night. This allowed us to get on the road early to the park. Thank, goodness!

The weather.

Welllll ... I will say, beside a rainy weekend in Milwaukee, Ryan and I have always been blessed with amazing weather when we travel. We didn't even have a rainy day in Kauai, one of the rainiest places on earth. I guess our luck ran out. The first day at the park was beautiful. It was mid-70s. The sun was warm but it wasn't hot. We knew this would be the best day weather-wise while at the park, so we tried to make the most of it. The next day was in the 50's, with overnight temps in the 30's. We woke up early to travel to Lamar Valley, only to find rain about halfway there. When we got closer, in the Roosevelt Tower area, we were in a complete storm. There was lightning and thunder happening ... all while we were at one of the tallest points in the park. Talk about a little scary! Once we got to the valley, it continued to rain, making it hard to even see outside our rain-drop covered windows. As we headed to Mammoth Springs, it stopped raining so we weren't so reluctant to get out of our car and check out the area. The rain didn't really come back except when we were on Uncle Tom's Trail (not the ideal time for that!). On our way to the Yellowstone Lake Hotel for supper, the sun peeked out. But, it was still chilly and breezy.

Knowing the weather was going to be even cooler our last day in the park, we opted to take in the town of Jackson, south of the park. We returned to the park later that day, to meet the kayaking guides. We didn't want to kayak, but the operation had a strict cancellation policy. Rain or shine, they said. We talked to the guide and he was perfectly fine with us cancelling and the company gave us a full rebate. We were disappointed we couldn't go ... but relieved we didn't have to go in that sort of weather. We all were good sports about the undesirable weather, making the most of our time at Yellowstone.

Lodging & Food.

We stayed at the south end of the park at Grant Village. Grant Village is located near Yellowstone Lake. Beyond lodging, the area also hosted two restaurants, including the Grant Village Dining Room, which we dined at our first night in the park. We decided to go on this trip rather late so when I looked at hotels within the park, just about everything was booked up. Luckily, I came across two back-to-back nights available at Grant Village and snatched them up. What a relief! I did not want to have to stay outside the park and drive the 1+ hour in each morning.

Here's the view of Yellowstone Lake inside the Grant Village Dining Room.

Mom, Dad and I all enjoyed this beer we had while there. A lager brewed with huckleberries.

Enjoying the company and the view (Not Ryan ... the lake!).

As I've stated many times before, one of my favorite things about traveling is ... eating. And drinking. I like to get outside my box and eat foods that are common and popular in the areas I visit. Here in Wyoming, the menus featured game meats such as elk and bison and fish like salmon and trout. While at the Grant Village Dining Room, Mom and I had the trout and Dad and Ryan had the bison/elk meatloaf. I had never had trout before and was surprised to find that it was similar to salmon in its coloring and taste. Mom and I shared a Creme Brulee, vanilla bean cheese cake. It was yummy!

We also dined at Yellowstone Lake Hotel's Dining Room. This hotel was built in 1891 and is the oldest hotel in operation within the park. The hotel lounge/sun room and dining hall had tall pillars, large windows and wood floors. Maybe it was the string quartet, but we all felt like we were on the Titanic. This is probably due to the renovations done to the hotel over the years to restore ts 1920s grandeur. Here, I dined on bison tenderloin. And a deconstructed pecan pie for dessert. Both were really good. Both places offered a wide drink list, including a lot of micro-brews from Montana and Wyoming. Ryan and I always love this as it gives us an opportunity to try beers we never would have otherwise. They tended to be heavier beers, and we enjoyed some really good IPAs.

Other places along the way.

Grand Teton National Park

We traveled through Grand Teton National Park on our way to Yellowstone. We only drove through part of the park. If we had had more time, we might have done a hike or something in this park. It looks super relaxing and scenic. Viewing the Teton Mountain Range was the highlight of our passing through experience.

Gardiner, Montana

We traveled north, to not only kill time until the dining room in Mammoth Springs opened for lunch but to also claim we had been "to Montana". We didn't realize at the time that the town of Gardiner was right outside the park entrance. We decided to grab a bite to eat there and it ended up being one of the best, down-home meals. We indulged in peach cobbler for dessert. I've never had it before but I'm guessing this was a pretty good attempt at it... The town was cute and obviously had a tourist feel to it.

This August, The National Park Services celebrates its 100 years in operation. It was neat to be at the first National Park during this special year. They will actually be holding a celebration at this brick arch, known as the Roosevelt Arch.  … — This August, The National Park Services celebrates its 100 years in operation. It was neat to be at the first National Park during this special year. They will actually be holding a celebration at this brick arch, known as the Roosevelt Arch. Yellowstone and the other 58 national parks were created ... as the arch says, "For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People"...

Jackson

As I mentioned earlier, we decided to take a detour to Jackson for a change of scenery. Since we covered most of the park's hot spots and couldn't hike Mount Washburn with the stormy (even snowy) weather, we thought visiting Jackson would give us something to do. We talked around the main plaza area and Dad and Ryan ended up going to a bar that his friend Steve's parents went to in the early 80's. It sounds like it wasn't much different than the description given to Ryan. We had lunch at Pinky G’s, a New-York-style pizza restaurant, that was visited by Guy Fieri for his show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Note: Jackson is a town that is often, mistakenly, referred to as Jackson Hole, which is actually they valley in which the town is located. It was a nice town so it's not surprising many people visit it each year.

After our last day in the park/Jackson, we left the park and drove to Cody, to stay for the evening. Cody lies about 50 miles from the park's east entrance. The town was founded by Colonel William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody, who passed through the region in the 1870s. He was so impressed by the development possibilities of irrigation, rich soil, grand scenery, hunting, and proximity to Yellowstone that he returned in the mid-1890s to start a town. Cody now has about 10,000 residents ... the largest town we had been to in quite some time! We ate a nice dinner there and had drinks at the saloon attached the the famous Isle Hotel. We would have watched nightly rodeo but it was still chilly and very windy that evening.

Our drive home was through South Dakota, on Interstate 90. Before getting there, we drove through the curvy roads of Bighorn National Forest (Mountains). Up and down, round and around we went. It may have not have been the quickest part of our travels but, at least it was pretty (even though I didn't bother to take any photos).

Devil's Tower

We missed seeing Devil's Tower when we were in the Black Hills so we made sure to stop on our way home. When we got there, there was an entrance, with a long line of cars behind it. We decided we wouldn't go up to the tower since we'd spend at least an hour doing this. I snapped a few photos and we were on our way again.

Well, now we can officially say we've been to Yellowstone National Park. It was a big, beautiful place. We didn't have good cell reception or a wi-fi connection the whole time we were there. And, it was kinda nice. Who needs social media when you are on vacation in a place as marvelous as Yellowstone?

The fundamental purpose of national parks, like Yellowstone, is to "conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." Even though I'm sure some things have changed and become more commercialized since my dad's first visits ... one thing still rings true, he was able to enjoy the same park, the same beautiful landscape he did as a child with his parents and siblings ... now with his wife, daughter and son-in-law. That, alone, makes my heart very happy.