Today was one of the big items on the list: Yellowstone, with a mere 351 miles of driving (More about the hairpin tight turns later on a few of those scary miles.) It was new for both of us and so worth it! The beauty of the park is absolutely breathtaking. Many might believe that it can't be done in one day and to a degree, they're right. You cannot accomplish it all in one day, but you sure can knock out a whole lot!
We managed to see The Painted Pots, Grand Prismatic Spring, Old Faithful, Mud Pots, lots of bison and even some elk along Hayden Valley, and we were in absolute awe over the view of Yellowstone Lake with the mountains in the background, along with all of the beautiful spontaneous waterfalls on the sides of the mountains. We also managed to squeeze in a spotting of a grizzly having a delicious dinner of elk carcass, thanks to the other visitors safely pulled over, indicating there was something to see on the side of the road. That was something we learned quickly: if there were several cars pulled over in an area and nothing marked in the app to indicate something was around, that indicated there was natural wildlife to be seen (safely from a distance of course).

The painted pots when you first come up on them don't seem all that interesting, until you get a closer look. Of course it was after the visit that I learned the sulfur surrounding these is so acidic it can burn your skin and visitors goofing around have been injured or killed trying to show off. This is when it's a good thing to play it safely and just stick to the rules.

As you continue to check out more of these hydrothermal wonders, it is hard to not watch in awe. Another learning from the walk on the boardwalk is that as the steam is blowing, do not be surprised to notice after your walk that your clothes might be damp.

As a mountain loving person, I think I fell even more in love with the beauty of the west, with amazing sights all around. This was the part that my daughter and I strategically planned her nap through. While I love the beauty of nature, she wanted to see the famous springs, Ole Faithful, and the animals. Traveling with a person who has epilepsy and dealing with time changes, this was something we had to work out ahead of time. We know that if she gets exhausted, her risk increases. I didn't mind having some of this quiet time for myself to enjoy the park, so there were frequent pulling off the road photo opps to capture and share.


I woke her up as we were coming up on the area known for the wildlife and just in time to see the mud pots. Since we basically winged it for planning what to see in the park, we didn't know ahead of time just how overwhelming the sulfur smell is. If you didn't know before, this is your warning. Oh my word, my poor sensitive nose! Whereas the hot springs are a thing of wonder, this is more like a cool plop and gurgle type of effect.

And then there was the wildlife. The first time we drove past this field of bison, we were standing in the area now covered with them. We had to come back through this same area when we realized the road to the northeast entrance wasn't open. We also were able to enjoy a quick snow shower on July 1st during that time, which of course made our day! The park rangers are great at being aware of the wildlife getting close to the road and ensuring that park visitors keep their distance. Maybe it's related to the fact that we were there the day after a park visitor ignored the safety guidance and was mauled by a bison. Seriously people, keep your distance and adhere to the guidelines for how far off that must be.

After we left the park, my partner informed me we would be passing the Museum of Flight and Aerial Firefighting in Greybull, Wyoming. Unfortunately, this was another one of the sights that was closed due to the 'rona. I was able to pull to the side road and grab this quick pic of some of the planes on the outside. Of course it was as I almost went into the do not trespass area on accident that I caught this quick glimpse of some of the planes. This rest stop is also noted as a local airfield, but the reviews online for those who were able to make it inside aren't very impressive, so maybe my lack of direction provided a better view of some of the vintage planes others weren't able to see live. Regardless, I still thought these were neat and when you have a significant other as entrenched in aviation as mine is, you find yourself drawn to these places.

We ended our day on Highway 14 along Wyoming's Bighorn Mountain. My significant other warned me that I had some curvy roads ahead, but I didn't quite realize just how much of a white knuckler this road is. Here's a link that helps explain it. Yes, I can definitely see how this road made the list! https://www.dangerousroads.org/north-america/usa/6542-alternate-u-s-highway-14.html I had my daughter take video to show just how unnerving this road was and to make it even more fun, I happened to be on this road as the sun was going down, which of course meant prime time for wildlife to explore the road. About the third hairpin tight turn with a deer right in the middle of the curve, I decided to expect them hanging out there. We were thrilled with all of the wildlife we managed to see in the park, but the list of what we saw on this highway beat it. In a matter of hours, my daughter counted the following of what we saw, as she kept track on a note:
57 deer, 5 were bucks
4 adult donkeys, 1 baby donkey
1 big horn sheep, 1 traditional sheep
2 moose
2 raccoons
1 llama
a field with over 100 elk
and 1 baby bear scampering across the road
Here's a still shot from the video my daughter captured. Make sure you are wide awake when driving this road.

Since we are detouring to Mount Rushmore and the Badlands tomorrow before hitting Colorado, we decided to only drive a few hours to Sheridan, Wyoming, after a long day of driving through the park. Our day was pretty much go go go and this is when we were incredibly grateful for our planning and packing of food for the trip and along the way. The hotel once again did not have breakfast, due to COVID restrictions. We had a protein bar and shake for breakfast, our easy go to. For the rest of the day, we snacked. This is one of those real posts admitting I am the mom who has stringent expectations most days so we can have days like today. I am fairly certain the rest of the day was mostly a beige food day. Clearly tomorrow needs to include better healthy meals since cinnamon rolls, dinner rolls, tortilla chips, beef jerky, yogurt, and cheese don't exactly count as a balanced meal day.
We will be reviewing the top places to eat gluten free list for tomorrow to find something amazing in Wyoming, South Dakota, or possibly Nebraska. Until then, cheers to an adventurous day and some awesome wildlife!
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