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What a rainbow!
This is only one side of the largest double rainbow. We have never seen anything like it before and probably never will again.WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2010
Today we left Glacier National Park and headed south towards Yellowstone National Park. We are sad to leave because we had so much fun here, but are really excited to go to Yellowstone too. The drive towards YNP is another beautiful trip it was 75 degrees and sunny. The first part of the journey was along the Flathead Lake, which is a huge lake, or "ONE BAL" as Aaron called it. We followed it on HWY 93 from Somers, MT to Polson. We traveled through Missoula and along the Rockies. They do not have nearly as much snow as in GNP.
About 50 miles outside of West Yellowstone we hit a little bit of rain and a HUGE double rainbow. Now when I say huge this rainbow crossed from one side of the road, over the road and then touched down on the other side. We stopped to get pictures because none of us could believe our eyes and it was so large I couldn't fit the whole thing in my camera screen. We were so close it looked like you could just walk to it and touch it. The best part was we could see
where both ends of both rainbows touched the ground. Now how often do you get to see that? We won the lottery again, except there was no pot of gold. The kids were disappointed, but I told them the pot of gold was getting to see something as awesome as the rainbow.
Right after the beauty and happiness of the rainbow we came upon Earthquake Lake. The joy to turned to eerie and freaky real fast. This was the site of a devasating earthquake in 1959 that caused an enormous rockslide that buried Old Hwy 287 and damed up the water creating the lake. Well, this lake had a ton of dead white ghost-like trees all over in it. Aaron called them "Dementor Trees" like they were death eaters from Harry Potter. They really did look like something from a horror movie that would come alive at night and get you while you slept. CREEPY! We took some quick pictures and left...fast.
We found our pot of gold when we stopped at 9:30 pm at the Bakers Hole Campground in West Yellowstone. A nice old man said there was one nice large site left on the back side of the
Creepy Dementor Trees!
Eerie Earthquake Lake. campground. JACKPOT! It was right on the Madison River and by far the best site in campground as far as we were concerned. We decided it was perfect and we're staying for three nights until.
THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2010
Today we enjoyed a great breakfast at our perfect little campsite and then ventured into West Yellowstone. The girls are dying to do some shopping and Brett has been waiting to buy a pocket knife. The town is cute and country western. Very touristy. We visit many shops, bought some great homemade candies and ate at an "authentic" mexican restaurant. We all decided my "Old El Paso" is better authentic mexican . Right next door is the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center. We were going to go there on my birthday, but couldn't wait to see the wolves so we headed in. They have two wolf packs and about seven grizzlies that can not live in the wild for various reasons. It was really neat. However, it was hard to watch the wolves because they were SO MUCH like River. You can see by the pictures how they resemble her, then when they started to how.l We could hardly
take it...I think some tears were even shed for the Ol' bear. Even so, Hanna and I could have easily rolled out our sleeping bags and set up camp right in the enclosure. Now we are really on a mission to see wolves in the wild. (we have heard them outside the camper on the river at Bakers Hole)
The kids were able to participate in a Keeper's Kids program where they got to go into the bear enclosure and hide food for the bears to find. Of course they secured the bears in the back first. It was worth the trip there because it's not very often you can go behind the scenes like that. Two of the bears at the center were enormous, a 950 pound male and 733 pound female from Alaska whose mother was killed while raiding a chicken coop. Maybe that's another reason we didn't make it that far. The bears are twice the size in Alaska. After the GWDC we went back to the camper and enjoyed the BEST steak and cheesy potato (hi Becky) dinner of our lives. It tasted and smelled so good we all had a plan on who was going
Madison River
The beautiful view from our Camper at Bakers Hole Campground to grab what when the bears came in to raid camp. They say bears can smell 3-5 miles away.
FRIDAY, JULY 2, 2010 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MONICA!!
I am always so fortunate on my birthday because we are usually camping somewhere and I get the best birthdays ever! This one was no exception. We ate a terrific lunch at an Italian restaurant in town and then decided to drive a little bit into Yellowstone Park. We have decided we don't want to do too much because we want to see it all with Dad and Cathie when they get here. We head into Madison and then up towards Norris and Mammoth Hot Springs because we did not drive this portion of the park last time we were here. It doesn't take but a few minutes before we spot a bald eagle and then some elk and then a buffalo. Hanna, Brett and Maggie are just astounded at the size of the buffalo, and he is still at quite a distance. Hanna and Brett remember them, but I have to tell Maggie all the stories about how they were so close last time the could peek in the window
at her. We drive though Norris campground and many areas are roped off and they have rangers standing guard of huge steel bear traps. Apparently there are bears that have frequented the area one too many times and now they have to trap and relocate them. How would you like to camp in a tent there? We make it to Mammoth, enjoy some ice cream and visit the local elk that live on the lawns there. There were probably about 25 elk with babies just sleeping and hanging out there. They are so beautiful up close like that. We all loved it. Aaron had a great idea to eat at Old Faithful Inn for my birthday dinner so we headed back down south and our first stop along the way was lone buffalo. He looked like he was on a mission so we stopped. He was definitely heading towards us on the road. We got out the binoculars to watch him. Below is Maggie's exact narration...you have to bear with me because it was so hilarious.
"OOOOH, he has a beard. OH, no that's his chest. Wow, He has big eyes. Oh, and big horns. OOOOH look at his tail.
Fun in Yellowstone.
We stopped and played at one of the many rivers in Yellowstone. Yeah, he's a big daddy jamma. OOH, he's gonna cross the road. This is awesome, it's just like Yellowstone. He is just a walking. Daddy get your camera out. He's coming! He's coming! Mama is this the best day of your life for your birthday?" All three then hopped in the back of the truck and t his big buffalo proceeded to walk right next to us. It was amazing! The Brett asked, "What's that dangly thing between his legs?' I'm sorry but I had to include that too.
We finally made it to The Old Faithful Inn and had a wonderful birthday dinner. Maggie was right..it was the best day ever!
Tomorrow we head to Fishing Bridge, which is about 30 miles in from the east entrance.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO UNCLE TIM TOO!!!
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