as you could see from my first blog entry, each year since we've been married kyle and i have gone on a road trip vacation. in think my favorite of the bunch would have to be our trip this summer to the tetons and yellowstone. here are some of the highlights in pictures.
gorgeous view at oxbow bend
aggressive bear behavior meant closed trails at this trailhead
we hiked to this lookout over jackson lake from our campsite
death canyon trail
abandoned mormon homesteads were scattered throughout the valley
wild horses. there is a fence, but they looked wild enough for an old western
with the mountains in the background.
with the mountains in the background.
while pulling into the parking lot near old faithful, we saw the smoke above the trees.
bad timing since it would be about a 93 minute wait before the next eruption.
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| fake smile, as i was disappointed to have just missed old faithful |
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| geysers and a river near old faithful |
being a mile away when the approximate eruption time neared, we had to run back to ensure we would not miss old faithful for the third time. i couldn't believe the crowd that formed as the minutes clicked off nearing the eruption.
a few people cheered as the geyser started sputtering.
sometimes i just fly through life without taking time to notice God's hand at work, but for a few minutes i delighted in a God who creates beauty in nature simply for enjoyment -
and even on a time schedule!
not one person clapped when the eruption ended. since i don't like attention, neither did i.
like everyone else, i turned and just walked away.
if i ever go back, i will clap, for God desires applause, don't you think?
to ensure we got the message, as old faithful neared the end,
the Artist added his signature to the performance with a rainbow.
we made a few more stops in yellowstone before stopping to camp for the night.
the term camp is actually relative.
we slept on a futon mattress in the back of an suv parked in a hotel lot because all the campsites in and outside of yellowstone were full. i made kyle dive behind the seat quickly so no one would see us. signs were literally posted all over the city against parking overnight.
i swore someone would knock on our windows, but thankfully no one did.
we woke with the sun and were soon again surrounded by the beauty of nature.
i think this picture really captures yellowstone.
i swore someone would knock on our windows, but thankfully no one did.
we woke with the sun and were soon again surrounded by the beauty of nature.
i think this picture really captures yellowstone.
this big guy stopped grazing and chasing girls to pose for us.
dust baths are the rage in yellowstone.
if you want to freshen up, but don't feel like blow drying your hair, try a dust bath.
fyi - i don't think that's an official term.
when not taking dust baths, the bison did other things to attract the ladies-
such as making belch-like sounds, chasing off opposing males, and decorating their horns.
although you can't see the carcass in this picture,
a bear had been feeding on an elk near the bend of this river.
the grand canyon of yellowstone did not disappoint. this is the largest fall in the park.
what did you expect? the weather in wind cave national park was, of course, windy!
mount rushmore's lighting ceremony. beautiful.
our last stop on the way home was the badlands. this picture basically captures it,
fields suddenly drop off in random rock formations.
i didn't enjoy the badlands nearly as much as i anticipated-
though kyle did humor me with unexpected commentary
in his attempt to bring the badlands up a level in the excitement factor.
i certainly wouldn't coin them bad, as someone has apparently done, but will say the badlands is my least favorite national park to date. that is, if i was forced to rank them, which of course i was,
because i'm married to kyle and he makes me rank just about everything.
here's a list of a few of the things that come to mind:
cereal
dog breeds
ice cream
movies
trees
board games
drinks
sports
tea
candy
rice
national parks
just quiz him to see how he's doing. :)
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