Trip

Sorry for everyone who got email invite 8 times. My gmail account was hacked and when I changed my password it made my blog private. I didn't intend for that to happen. I haven't had time to fix or cell/ Internet connection in a week, but here's a sneak peak of the trip. I will email a Flickr link with all the pics as soon as I get back to MN and upload them (Yes Dad... I promise).

These are all iphone pics, I did use an actual camera to take nice pictures which is what will get uploaded :-).  I have hundreds and hundreds of pictures.

Places visited were:

The Bandlands in SD
Mount Rushmore (SD)
Caves (SD)
Grand Tetons (Teton National Park) (WY)
Jackson Hole (Jackson, WY)
Yellowstone National Park (WY & Montana)
Glacier National Park (Montana)

Surprisingly--- I don't know if I'd ever bring a young(er) kid a long to either Yellowstone or Glacier. Yellowstone is like a big figure 8 and every major attraction (hot springs, mud pots, sulfur cauldron, geysers etc.) is a GOOD 45 minute drive in on a windy road. It was really hot, and kids just don't seem to appreciate or understand what they're seeing. The park is actually quite dangerous if you're not watching your kid either. The hot springs are boiling and some of them give off sulfuric acid. We were on a boardwalk looking at the Painters Mud pots just south of Norris, and there are signs everywhere in every language to stay on the boardwalk, to not touch the water because it's boiling, and to not step on the ground around because it's unstable and the hot springs spew acid and could burn through your shoes.  Then in bold letters it says "PEOPLE HAVE DIED FROM BURNS IN THESE HOT SPRINGS."  I saw this couple letting their 3 year old stir a hot spring with a hiking stick. Before I could say anything this lady started yelling at them (the hot spring was boiling and bright red from all the acid). I thought maybe they didn't speak English.... nope...they were just incredibly stupid and thought the colors were neat. The altitude at both Yellowstone and Glacier is high and air is thin. Even using SPF 30+ you still need to be covered up because you will sunburn.

Making the 20 hr journey home starting in 5 hrs- can't wait to be back home.

Day #4 (Yellowstone) Bison Crossing road early in the AM leaving Lake Yellowstone heading to Canyon Village. The foggy air isn't fog... it's all sulfur and gas from the sulfur hot springs in the area. Smelled lovely :)

View of the Grand Tetons (day #2) taken at 8:00 am.

Was on this highway for a LONG time

Day #6- Glacier National Park-- view of the falls at Avalanche Creek. Yes..the water really is that blue all throughout the entire national park.

Big Bison chillin on the road @ Yellowstone

Day #3-- Grand Teton's at sunrise (5:54 am) at Oxbow Bend.

Day #1-- Caves in Rapid City, SD.

Day #3 (afternoon) at Yellowstone. A huge portion of the National Park was surrounded by dead trees from all the fires that happen. I thought it was neat to see the new tree growth right below the dead trees. While at Yellowstone there were 2 fires that started. They have onsite spotting crew who's only job is to look for fires and of course fire department that help contain the natural fires and make sure they don't get out of control. Quite amazing to see in person.

Day before I left for trip---I don't know why I put this on my blog- ha. Koda was just super cute and the pic was on my phone.

Day #3 at Yellowstone-- This is a picture of Old Faithful geyser going off at 8:10 pm. The geyser goes off (faithfully) every 90 minutes or so. Pretty impressive to see. Park Rangers said without geysers going off in the park and hot springs releasing sulfur gas, the volcano that lies beneath Yellowstone would have erupted enough lava to cover the entire state of Wyoming, a portion of Idaho and a portion of Montana.  

Day #2 ---Super awesome city to visit. It's like a party town at night-- Love all the cowboys in Jackson Hole too. I thought the cowboys were just in Cheyenne, but nope they're up in Jackson Hole too.

Day #1--Mount Rushmore at Sunset

Day #2-- 9 hours in the car but had to pull over to admire the Grand Teton's at 4:00 pm.

Ever heard that Montana has "Big sky?"  Well it's true....

Day #6-- Hiking at Glacier National Park. 

Day #6-- Virginia Falls @ Glacier National Park.

Day #3-- my FAVORITE part of Yellowstone-- the Prismatic Hot Spring. This made me geek out and remember why I did my undergrad in Microbiology.  I wanted to hike up high to get an aerial view of the rainbow hot spring, but it was a 3 mile hike up (6 miles round trip) and it was already 6:00 pm. 

Day #3  Another View of the forest killed by fires -- and of course the new baby trees.

I was sporting hiking socks and hiking boots for a week straight. Any guesses on what my tan lines look like? :)

Day #6- Glacier National Park at 6:00 am at Logan Pass.  To get up to Logan pass it was a good hour drive before the hike started. In the parking lot this cute little guy put his nose right up to the window to say hi. Oh yeah.. 2 minutes later he tested out the jeep with his horns to see what it was. No bueno. At least it was a rental car and not mine? (Nicole you would have DIED....they were so cute and everywhere...)

Day #1-- Lightening heading back toward Rapid City, SD.