We also had a nice meal at a local diner.
Only drawback was a third entity in our bed at 2:30am. A rather large and very active spider. We thought we dispatched him with a pillow but didn't find the body and sure enough half an hour later he was back.
This time a well-placed whack with a shoe did the trick.
Still, it made sleep difficult. Was it the same one? Or was it a nest? We left the light on for a while and read our books.
Subsequently we had a late start.
But we made our way back in to Yellowstone and returned to a couple of bits we missed the day before. I was a little out of it - nerves I think. Some of the hot springs and geysers were great to see properly.
Then we turned north and commenced the Grand Loop Road around the enormous National Park. Yellowstone is very pretty and in parts has some fabulous scenery, as well as some interesting geology and fauna. We got pretty close to the park's largest fauna. Check the pics.
Out the eastern gate we traveled through Shoshone National Forest which was also spectacular in its own way. Huge cliffs teetered overhead as we followed the Absaroka Ranges through a river valley.
We eventually made it to Cody - apparently named after Buffalo Bill Cody. They have a rodeo here every night for the three summer months. Luckily our KOA is well out of town. There are also hundreds of motorcycles in town as there are several rallies leading up to the big one at Sturgis, South Dakota. But that will be held after we pass through.
Just a few of the many photos we took today, can't show them all.
A bacteria mat in a thermal pool. Click for a closeup.
Nesting bird in a hollow and dead tree on the salt pans.
Super clear water in a super hot pool. Sulphur smell was mild.
Mammoth Hot Springs displays a large mound of bleached rock
Da Boyz Rulez - Bison have absolute right-of-way in the park and often make the most of it.
Deep canyon carved by the Yellowstone River. Click on this to see a geological display of a lava flow over washed glacial sedimentary layers. The lava has cracked into colums of basalt.
More traffic holdups by the bison. The visitors don't mind too much. A lot of the holdups are people getting their photos.
Two things here. You can see where the bison scratch the bark off the pine trees. nearly every tree in the park is scarred. Also two deer are hiding - waiting to pounce?
Results of 1988 wildfires.
Overhead fragile cliffs have many holes in them. In Shoshone National Forest.
The most dangerous beast in the USA is mostly seen in the summer months and particularly in Yellowstone Park. It is the "Rented Motorhome". Be very afraid!
ReplyDeleteJack & Linda