Tim has been more excited for Yellowstone than any other park. This is his all-time favorite place. I have to admit, after revisiting it, it’s definitely a close second to Glacier. It doesn’t quite have the same spectacular beauty of Glacier that is more of an appeal to me, but there is an incredible amount of interesting natural phenomena to visit because of the super volcano it rests on.
We decided we really liked the early morning quieter side to the parks after our Glacier experience, so even though there wasn’t any timed entry nonsense to Yellowstone, we still chose to enter as early as we could - much to the teenagers’ excitement. It takes an hour an a half to get just about anywhere in this ginormous park, so, after a bone jarring ride down the mountain, through Gardiner, we entered the park. I dished out breakfast while we drove to the first area. It saves SO much time to eat while we drive rather than feed people at the campsite or at a picnic area. It usually involves me balancing jars of peanut butter or pickles, making sandwiches on my lap, slicing cucumbers with my pocket knife, or spooning yogurt out of a cooler (we’ve even done milk and cereal and mugs of hot cocoa…watch out for the bumps!). I dish it all up and then we work as bucket brigade, passing the first plate to the back of the van and so on until Mom and Dad get their meals. Usually the kid in the back is asking for seconds before I get a spoonful in my mouth. I’ve taken to glaring into the backseat and declaring no seconds until I finish my plate. It’s a little messy but it allows us to continue at the breakneck speed we’ve been running at to do all the things before our crazy summer really must come to an end.
Honestly, I don’t know how Tim does it. He’s like a machine - driving constantly, day in and day out. Sitting in that same seat in basically the same position almost ALL DAY LONG. Besides throwing meals down the length of the van, I’ll move to the back to read to the kids, play games, write my blog, read a book, break up fights, find books and other entertainment items, navigate and all manner of things before the day is out. If I sit in that drivers seat for much more than an hour or two, I’m asleep. Like for real. Tim says I have narcolepsy. But I can understand his unease when I am at the wheel, not to mention any of the teenage drivers in the back. And if I don’t fall asleep I get RLS (restless leg syndrome - it’s a real thing - look it up!) in about the same amount of time. Sitting still for long periods is nearly impossible for me. I think we have calculated that he has driven close to 10,000 hours this trip. On top of it, we’ve been getting to bed close to 10-11pm if we’re lucky, and getting up around 5:30/6am on our travel days. Me, I fall asleep, either intentionally or unintentionally, at least once during a driving day. Somehow, Tim is still awake only to do it all over again the next day. I admire his stamina because with out it, we would still be in Alaska.
Tim loves wildlife. Even if it’s spotting a squirrel that most people wouldn’t give a rip about, if it moves, he wants to watch it through the binoculars. Which is another reason why he loves Yellowstone so much. It’s pretty much impossible to drive very far without seeing something. Elk, bison, deer, bears.. He’s like a little kid on Christmas when we are spotting wildlife. He’s also a science geek so all of the thermal activity, super volcano, steaming geyser activity here is right up his ally. It’s no wonder Yellowstone is his favorite park.
The kids seemed pretty into most of the park too. It’s funny, but our intention to take this trip when “the kids were old enough to appreciate it” sort of backfired. I mean, mostly we had no choice but to wait, with absolutely no spare funds in the past many years, and I was constantly either pregnant, about to give birth, or nursing and carting around a baby. But we had this nice idea that they would appreciate it and get more out of it as older, more mature teenagers. Having never raised a teenager, and of course, forgetting what it is like to be a teenager until your children suddenly remind you, we didn’t realize until it was long past too late that teenagers rarely appreciate anything. At least not out loud. The fun traveling partners have been the 11 and under crowd - excited about everything, anxious to see the next thing, exclaiming over even the slightest point of interest.
Mammoth Springs
Zippy is probably the exception as we have given her the Shoshone Native American name of “Happy When Not Hiking”. She is a whiny puddle about 5 minutes into any hike at this point. But as soon as we going swimming or something more relaxing, she is her happy little self. But the poor kid is obviously exhausted and on her last little legs. In one of the last pictures I took of her we had to just laugh because she looked so bedraggled - like she hadn’t slept for a month. Which is just about true with all these late nights and early rises. We’ll catch up when we get home…
Along with hiking, Zippy isn't a fan of the stinky sulphur smell either.
We walked across Firehole Creek to see if it was hot water coming out of the top and it was!
Yellowstone Canyon
Lower Falls
Mouth of the Dragon
It has been nice to see Abbey finally warming up to the idea of travel, though. I know she is homesick and was ready to go home about a week into the trip. Barfing through Canada, long roads of boredom with no cell service, and hours in cramped quarters with admittedly very obnoxious younger siblings (especially the 14 year old boy. OMG we are all ready to leave him at some pitstop). But she has really pulled it together. She has been uncomplaining (unless she’s asking if she can shove Micah off the next cliff), mindful of helping me with hiking Zip around, dishes, laundry, and meals. I’ve been so pleasantly surprised to see a mature adult emerging slowly from the self-centered teen. I just pray it continues. It definitely had something to do with our time with the beautiful people in Alaska. I’m not sure I can say exactly what it was precisely, but I know the wholesome, godly, selfless examples of Ann and Pat, Simeon and Naomi, Bernadette and Randy, Glenn… made a significant impact on her. I feel like I can see her quietly pondering since we left. I haven’t seen the moody teen, headphones in, blank and unhappy stare, since we left. There has been an interest in what we are seeing and doing AND she is actually talking about taking trips places which, if you know Abbey at all, is SHOCKING. Visiting a friend in California, going to Myrtle Beach to learn how to sail with her old boss… wow. I know Kirsten, the interesting carpenter girl from Germany had something to do with Abbey rethinking travel and experience and I think she made it seem less of an old person mom and dad thing and more of an adventure that forms people kind of thing. Maybe. Who knows. It’s all speculation at this point, as it usually is with teenagers. As soon as you think you have them figured out, they about face on you and you’re back to square one. Either way, Yellowstone and all of its wonders have been thoroughly enjoyed by all.
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