We thought we were so lucky to get a spot at a campground inside the park and with our National Parks Pass it was a bargain! We knew that our site didn’t have much to offer. No water, no sewer, no electricity. No Problem! We’ll fill up our tanks with water and use the generator for power. Except… before realizing it we passed the water filling station with no way to turn around. Ahh, we’ll get by with the little bit of water left in the tank (It’s only 4 nights.)
Day five, our final day at Yellowstone and it did not disappoint! We left the campground at 6:30 a.m. to make the two hour drive to see Old Faithful. We got a close parking spot and a front row seat. It was quite a sight to see.
Day four, we chose not to venture too far into the park, instead we went to the town where we’re staying to check out the local shops. Gardiner, MT 
Continue reading “Yellowstone – Day 4”
Day three started early in hopes of capturing good light for taking photos and avoiding the crowds. The temps were cool in the morning but the sun quickly warmed things up. Most of the day was spent capturing waterfalls along the Yellowstone River. 
Day two took us to Mammoth Hot Springs. I don’t have the words to describe this place, it’s kind of amazing! I overheard several tourists saying, “I’ve never seen anything like this before.” As for myself, the only thing close I can compare it to are ice formations along Lake Michigan after a miserably cold winter. But it’s not ice, or snow, it’s rock, it’s steaming hot, and the whole thing was completely surreal.
We loaded up the dogs and went off to see the park. It’s a big park! So much to see and the changes of scenery are incredible.
After leaving Glacier, our first stop was to get new tires. For a costly fee and less than 45 minute wait we were off with a new set of Goodyears and some peace of mind.
200+ miles later we arrived in Butte, MT. Once know as “the richest hill on earth” thanks to the mines, the biggest of which were copper, accounting for half the production in the US.
Today marks the end of our visit to Glacier National Park. We stayed in a nice campground close to the West entrance of the park in Hungry Horse. Unfortunately that area was mostly closed due to wildfires. We wanted to see as much of the park as possible so we loaded up the dogs and took a day trip to the East side, an eight hour drive roundtrip. We had planned to do some hiking but because of the distance and not wanting to leave the dogs for so long, on top of the air quality we missed that opportunity.
The smoke from the fires was intense at times, others were no different from any other day in a campground. They had strict burn bans in effect, no campfires, no charcoal grills, no smoking cigarettes outside, but apparently our neighbors didn’t get the memo!
Despite the fires, we managed to enjoy our stay. We visited the Hungry Horse Dam (10th largest dam in the U.S.) Checked out the local brewery, Backslope Brewing in Columbia Falls. Oh and we got Pie! Huckleberry Pie… a MUST DO in the Huckleberry capitol of the West, Montana!
Know what poison ivy looks like! If it hadn’t been for the signs at this roadside park I wouldn’t have thought twice about it. In all my 40+ years I couldn’t have told you what was and wasn’t poison ivy and was surprised at how large it gets!
As the saying goes, leaves of three, let it be!
Today I did something I haven’t done in a long, long, time. I went swimming! It started out as a relaxing day at the beach. Jim and I set up our chairs, applied sunscreen and there we sat watching the people, listening to the waves, enjoying the sunshine. Soon it was time to test the waters. I approached with caution first my feet, like I always do but instead of turning back to my claimed spot in the sand I went a little further, it’s up to my knees! A little further, oh my it’s at my waist. Before I knew it I was in the water, actually in the water submerged! This is fun! Then something happened, I turned into a kid for a moment and dove under, I jumped up and back down. I rode a wave, and felt so free, bouncing up and down almost like I was weightless in and out of the water. I was knocked down by waves, I got water up my nose, and swallowed enough saltwater that I should probably have my sodium levels checked. My body was moving with the waves in ways I didn’t know were possible. I felt like a dancer, but I’m sure it looked a bit different from ashore probably more like I was in dire need of rescuing, but I didn’t care. That was the best part, I didn’t care what I looked like, or what people thought, it was like I was a kid again just enjoying the moment, enjoying the beach. Thank you Mother Ocean.
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