Yellowstone National Park

Our summer of National Parks continues.  This time we went to Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone.  I have been craving Yellowstone for years and this desire has only increased with every passing National Park.  Yellowstone was the very first National Park IN THE WORLD! Not just the country but in the world.  Amazing!  I have been there before when I was a kid and I remember seeing all the buffalo and yelling, "Buffalo breath is that what they call you?" with my brother and sisters.  I was too young to appreciate all that nature though.  Now I'm old enough and it did not disappoint my excitement.
We went there with Mark's brother, Ryan and his family along with Mark's dad.  We drove up to Idaho Falls where Katie and Ryan live and slept there.  Mark and Ryan planned a bike trip (of course) for Idaho Falls to Jackson, Wyoming.  It was roughly 88 miles.  I'm glad as I usually am that I wasn't familiar with the road before they rode it.  Katie and I and all the kids drove up there to meet them around lunch time and WOW that road isn't exactly biker friendly in many spots.
We had lunch in Jackson and then headed over to Grand Teton National Park.  I don't know if I've ever been there before so I'm calling it my first time.  It was beautiful.  We don't have any pictures there unfortunately they got erased.  Oh well, just means we have to go there again for our stamp picture and many others.  We stopped at the Visitors center there but didn't get to do any hikes.  I long to go back so I can explore that country more.  I have loved every National Park I have been to, some more then others, but there is a difference when one drives through a National Park and when one walks and hikes and explores and experiences it with all your senses.  It can deepen that love 100 fold.  I look forward to getting to do this in the Grand Teton.

From there it is a few short miles to Yellowstone and you only need to pay an entrance fee once for both of the parks but Mark and I still had our annual pass.  Our trip around Utah's National Parks Paid for the annual pass and then some so now it's just the cost of gas and camping for us.  Well we got pictures from Katie of Yellowstone.  Get ready for beauty in it's truest and oddest form.

There is something about seeing buffalo in unobstructed nature.  

They remind me of Native Americans.  

They are survivors of an old world. 

 They are struggling to stay alive in a world that used to prefer their heads on walls and their pelts as rugs and sometimes their meat as apposed to them running free.  

Buffalo are among my very favorite animals now.  

I'm so grateful to all those who helped save these last few buffalo in Yellowstone, without Yellowstone they they would have been wiped out before I was born, before my parents were born even.

Our little family in front of Upper Falls.

 I so wanted to see this.  

I first saw this in a painting and the river was an amazing blue. 

 I thought the artist took some liberties because river water is always brown form all the sediment it carries with it. 

 Then I saw it in a picture and it was just as blue as the painting.  

When I saw it in person I was thrilled to see that perfect blue river for myself.

 Mark, Scott and Grandpa Ellis on the trail.  Smile.

 This kid loves to hike, loves being in nature, loves all the animals around and LOVED being with his cousins.

This big guy was sitting right by Old Faithful.  

We all loved it.  Great oppertunity to see one close up and watch it rolling around.  

Scott fell in love with buffaloes just like his mom watching him.

And here's Old Faithful.  I do remember this from when I was a child and it was not only just as predictable as before but somehow even more amazing.  

This part of the park, just blows my mind. 

 I really am terrified that the ground below is just going to explode.  

At the same time it is so awe inspiring.

 This is behind the lodge and beyond Old Faithful on the nice long walk to many other geysers and pools.

Scott so tired from all the walking.  

All the walks we went on had wood planked paths and Scott got to do a lot of it himself.  

He loved being on his owe and being with his cousins but needed a break from time to time.  

I've decided that when I am old and can't walk I'm going to make him take me to Yellowstone and either carry me or push me like we have had to do for him.  

Notice how he has his Softness, it has been to just as many National Parks as he has been to.

I think there is a bigger pool like this that I really wanted to go see be it started raining on our way to it and we had to leave.  

This smaller rainbow pool will have to do till I go back.  

How amazing is all that natural color?

 Brooke, Kylie, Scott, Caden, and Brandon all at the table getting ready for breakfast.  

Katie made us some yummy food out there.  

Camping doesn't always have to be roughing it.

 Coming into our camp site, the buffalo get to roam where ever they want, including your camp.

 Amazing country. 

 No wonder the animals love it here and the people had a hard time letting it go to the federal government.

Knowing that this park looks close to the way it did when the Native Americans lived here is so rewarding as a nation.

I'm so glad that they had the foresight to preserve it for us.

Grandpa Ellis, Ryan, Katie, Caden, Ryan, Brooke, and Kylie.

Our Awesome company.

So Fun.

 Scott's dirty face.

He is such a boy, loves to get dirty and run about exploring.

This might very well be one of my favorite pictures of Scott.

Can't help but think, "That's my boy!"

Here's our stamp picture.

This is my new favorite National Park.

Before this Zions was my favorite.

It's still really close behind but Yellowstone won my heart.