Yellowstone -- You've Got To Go!

Here's the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone Park.

We spent a week on a road trip to Yellowstone. We were able to watch deer, elk, moose, black bear, osprey, pelican, trumpeter swans, bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope (did you know that they aren't really antelope, but rather the last of an almost prehistoric grass-feeding animal species?), and of course, bison! It's lovely to be able to see all these wonderful animals up close in their natural space.


She doesn't look too happy--good thing we weren't too close.

While the temperatures were a comfortable 60ish, there was still a lot of snow up in the higher elevations. The lake was beautiful! The upper parts were blue, and the lower portion had so much ice on it, that it looked like you could walk across it.


There's still thick ice over much of Yellowstone River in June.

We rested, relaxed, and enjoyed ourselves. If you ever go, try the East side of the park. Much less "touristy". We stayed in a great place called the Absaroka Mountain Lodge.


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The Absaroka Lodge

It's run by a family from Iowa, who have managed ranches out West for the past four years. This is their dream, to own their own ranch, and we had the priviledge of being their second paying guests! Since we were there before the season "officially" began, their wonderful staff got to practice on us. They were warm, friendly people, and offered truly great cabins, horseback trail rides, campfires, wonderful meals, and beautiful views. Imagine sitting in a log swing by a rushing river in the evening and watching the deer come out to graze. Ahhhh.


The dining room at Absaroka Ranch--charming and cozy!