Vacation pictures!
OK, so I am warning you all right now, this post is sure to be filled with sappy, giddy comments from me as I wax nostalgic about vacation. :0) I had the most fabulous time, took over 300 pictures, and didn't get mauled by any bears!!!! All kidding aside, I have nothing against bears but I do have a healthy respect for sharp teeth and claws. At one point up in Glacier National Park I really wanted to hike a particular trail that led to a waterfall, but when we finally got to it (in the rain, no less), the park rangers had closed it because of grizzly bear danger! My brother-in-law, who is clearly insane, wanted to ignore the warning and hike out anyway. Me myself, I was already halfway back to the car before anyone else finished reading the sign. ;-) If you dare, enter this post to share my first trip ever to Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, and Glacier National Park!
We traveled to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming first, which is just an amazing experience. The whole area is an underground volcanic system, which fuels not just the geysers but also hot springs and mud pots. This is part of Mammoth Hot Spring, and that's me and my oldest daughter.
Chromatic hot spring...the water really is hot! Some of the pools actually boiled! (but we didn't stick our fingers into those!) The colors come from microorganisms that live in the pool. At the center is a hole leading from deep underground. Very cool!
This is the Snake River. We rafted down a wider, deeper part of it and enjoyed wildlife such as eagles, beavers, elk, a moose(!), and loads of bison.
Geysers!! There are many in the park, and here's the most famous...Old Faithful! It shoots water and steam upwards about 100 feet into the sky, every 1 1/2 hours. Remarkable that it is so regular.
Riverside geyser- this one doesn't go as high as Old Faithful, but when it does blow it lasts for a half hour, whereas Old Faithful only goes off for a couple of minutes at a time.
Grotto geyser- this cone gurgles ALL of the time, so you don't have to rush to get to it, or wait around if it's late. :P
Waterfalls! I admit it, I love waterfalls, could stare at them forever. I didn't take very good pictures of the three largest falls, we couldn't get quite close enough, but here are two of the smaller ones that were indeed very pretty. Undine Falls...
Kepler Falls...
After leaving Yellowstone we drove south to a part of the Rockies called the Grand Tetons. This might be my favorite picture; the Tetons are wondrous to behold. There you are going along on prairie fields when suddenly these monstrous peaks just jut right up out of the ground. There are no foothills to block your view, it is fantastic!
We stayed at a lodge on Jackson Lake, with the Tetons in the background. At the other end of the lake is Jackson Hole, a famous ski resort made more famous by the fact that Harrison Ford owns a nearby ranch. Our rafting guide told me Harrison is very popular with the locals, is very unprepossessing and lent his helicopter to rescue some stranded hikers once, etc. All the while my tongue was lolling about...HAN SOLO! heehee.
Lookout Point- behind our lodge is a mountain called Signal Mountain, which you can drive to the top of. It's about 7,000 feet elevation above sea level, and then you have a splendid view of the valley on one side and the Grand Tetons on the other. Those peaks reach up to about 12,000 feet I believe.
My daughter took this picture of me by Jenny Lake. They had to practically drag me away from there, it was so beautiful and peaceful. I wanted to stay all afternoon!
After bidding a sad farewell to the Tetons, we drove to the northern part of Montana to Glacier National Park. We did not have nearly enough time to see all the glorious places I wanted to see here, the park is fascinating! The main road is called "Going To The Sun", and they friggin' mean it. I was out of breath just running a wee bit up the side of a hill to see some mountain goats. We also saw grizzlies! (From the car, thank goodness) This valley was cut out when the glaciers first moved through and then receded.
My twin sister and I...it's been two years since I saw her last. I started to cry when we met. I'm such a sap!
This is another one of my favorite pictures. Night was falling, you can just see a sliver of moon, and it was so peaceful and gorgeous! I think that mountain name translates to Big Chief. The Blackfoot Native American Reservation adjoins the east side of the park and many of the mountains and waterfalls have Indian names.
Luna my sweet, I took this picture JUST for you! Imagine my surprise as we entered East Glacier and came upon this delicious little place! The food was quite good, and I simply had to snap off a shot. :-)
I have a billion other pictures, but I think I've tortured you all enough already, and if you made it to the end here, WELL DONE! Thank you for indulging me. I love Ohio but we don't have anything like those rugged mountains. It's like visiting another world! I would go back again in a heartbeat, so if anyone else is planning a trip... :)
We traveled to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming first, which is just an amazing experience. The whole area is an underground volcanic system, which fuels not just the geysers but also hot springs and mud pots. This is part of Mammoth Hot Spring, and that's me and my oldest daughter.
Chromatic hot spring...the water really is hot! Some of the pools actually boiled! (but we didn't stick our fingers into those!) The colors come from microorganisms that live in the pool. At the center is a hole leading from deep underground. Very cool!
This is the Snake River. We rafted down a wider, deeper part of it and enjoyed wildlife such as eagles, beavers, elk, a moose(!), and loads of bison.
Geysers!! There are many in the park, and here's the most famous...Old Faithful! It shoots water and steam upwards about 100 feet into the sky, every 1 1/2 hours. Remarkable that it is so regular.
Riverside geyser- this one doesn't go as high as Old Faithful, but when it does blow it lasts for a half hour, whereas Old Faithful only goes off for a couple of minutes at a time.
Grotto geyser- this cone gurgles ALL of the time, so you don't have to rush to get to it, or wait around if it's late. :P
Waterfalls! I admit it, I love waterfalls, could stare at them forever. I didn't take very good pictures of the three largest falls, we couldn't get quite close enough, but here are two of the smaller ones that were indeed very pretty. Undine Falls...
Kepler Falls...
After leaving Yellowstone we drove south to a part of the Rockies called the Grand Tetons. This might be my favorite picture; the Tetons are wondrous to behold. There you are going along on prairie fields when suddenly these monstrous peaks just jut right up out of the ground. There are no foothills to block your view, it is fantastic!
We stayed at a lodge on Jackson Lake, with the Tetons in the background. At the other end of the lake is Jackson Hole, a famous ski resort made more famous by the fact that Harrison Ford owns a nearby ranch. Our rafting guide told me Harrison is very popular with the locals, is very unprepossessing and lent his helicopter to rescue some stranded hikers once, etc. All the while my tongue was lolling about...HAN SOLO! heehee.
Lookout Point- behind our lodge is a mountain called Signal Mountain, which you can drive to the top of. It's about 7,000 feet elevation above sea level, and then you have a splendid view of the valley on one side and the Grand Tetons on the other. Those peaks reach up to about 12,000 feet I believe.
My daughter took this picture of me by Jenny Lake. They had to practically drag me away from there, it was so beautiful and peaceful. I wanted to stay all afternoon!
After bidding a sad farewell to the Tetons, we drove to the northern part of Montana to Glacier National Park. We did not have nearly enough time to see all the glorious places I wanted to see here, the park is fascinating! The main road is called "Going To The Sun", and they friggin' mean it. I was out of breath just running a wee bit up the side of a hill to see some mountain goats. We also saw grizzlies! (From the car, thank goodness) This valley was cut out when the glaciers first moved through and then receded.
My twin sister and I...it's been two years since I saw her last. I started to cry when we met. I'm such a sap!
This is another one of my favorite pictures. Night was falling, you can just see a sliver of moon, and it was so peaceful and gorgeous! I think that mountain name translates to Big Chief. The Blackfoot Native American Reservation adjoins the east side of the park and many of the mountains and waterfalls have Indian names.
Luna my sweet, I took this picture JUST for you! Imagine my surprise as we entered East Glacier and came upon this delicious little place! The food was quite good, and I simply had to snap off a shot. :-)
I have a billion other pictures, but I think I've tortured you all enough already, and if you made it to the end here, WELL DONE! Thank you for indulging me. I love Ohio but we don't have anything like those rugged mountains. It's like visiting another world! I would go back again in a heartbeat, so if anyone else is planning a trip... :)