Yellowstone

So you get to see our day backwards because I don't want to move all the pictures :)

Brandon's Mom and Dad came up for a quick visit and we decided to be a little spontaneous and take advantage of the sunshine with a trip up to Yellowstone. We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day.

We told the boys that we were taking them to Yellowstone Park and that it was going to be super fun. Luke asked what kind of toys they were going to have, and I told him that it wasn't that kind of park. He wasn't too excited about our visit after learning that. I'm pretty sure he enjoyed himself though, and I know Kurt did. He said at the end of the day, "That was the best park ever!!" I'm so glad we were able to take the boys.

Brandon and Kurt walking out to the Artist Paint Pots. It was a little trek. (Luke had fallen asleep in the car and so Grammy offered to stay behind with him if I took pictures for her).

There was a lot of dead wood on our trek in. Some of them looked like animals. What do you think this looks like?

Here are the paint pots on the bottom level (still don't see why they're called that). They were stinky (sulfur) and bubbling though.

Kurt found his friend Mickey Mouse in this one - can you?

Some of the bubbling blech

This is one of my favorite shots of the blech

Check deer off the list...

We saw Upper Falls - wider (maybe not...), but shorter

Then Lower Falls

The sun was above/behind the falls, so you can't see the beautiful "yellow" stone canyon walls

Just past the bottom of the Lower Falls

And then this is looking down the canyon (the falls were off to the right of this picture). You can see the yellow better.

So many gorgeous scenic views

Kurt worked hard on his Junior Ranger packet requirements and was very proud to be sworn in

Here is the Ranger presenting him with his official badge (Can you see the gigantic smile on his face? I know you can't really, but can you see it?)

In case you couldn't see it, here it is. He was so proud. If you talk to him, you can ask him what some of the rules he learned to become a Junior Ranger. I think he'd remember some of them. He instructed us very matter-of-factly while we were in the park.

The Lake

A frozen section of the Lake with a small isolated island and lone tree

And check the brown bear/grizzly off the list...

How exciting huh? We were super excited! We were glad there were 25 other cars pulled over so we knew there was something out there to see. They were very far away from us, so thank you 300mm lens.

We lunched here with Old Faithful

Showing me/you where it's gonna shoot up from

"I'm so excited!!"

There she blows! They told us that was about 200 feet up.

Our troops

I don't remember what this place was called. But it was very similar to Artist Paint Pots with some added geysers.

This was the big guy here. And I was too close with the long lens on to get a very good picture.

I thought it was interesting what it looked like after it was done shooting up into the air. It was a huge blue-ish cavern.

I thought about looking up pictures of birds to determine what this little guy was, but then I didn't want to. So here is our little bird perched on a little dead tree.

Luke doesn't like walking much on his own much when we're traveling

The pool colors here were so vivid - it was beautiful.

Check elk off the list...

This one really was this close. He watched me get close, but didn't even flinch.

More pretty views

And check buffalo/bison off the list...

By the end, Kurt was so done with the buffalo, "Ah man, is that another buffalo?"

It was fun to see the babies though

Babies and then this short one? It didn't look like any of the other babies we saw, but it was the same size. It also has horns already, which is a bit confusing for me.

We had a fantastic time!