July 30th - Yellowstone National Park

​We left our campground shortly after 8 am for the 40-mile drive to Old Faithful. This park is enormous! Our timing couldn't have been better. There was ample room in the parking lot. Angie got us within a couple hundred yards of the geyser. And we only had to wait about 15 minutes for an eruption - albeit a smallish one.

We moved into the Visitor Center where we learned a lot more about the underground volcano that has erupted three times in the last couple hundred million years. There are more active geothermal features (geysers, hot springs, fumaroles and mud pits) in Yellowstone than in all the other global sites combined. The geothermal activity is continuously reshaping the landscape. Scientists from all over the world are studying the unique microorganisms that inhabit these harsh habitats. One of these organisms has been used to help decode DNA. Others have been linked to the first forms of life on earth.

Our next stop was the Grand Prismatic Spring - active, steamy hot ponds of opal and turquoise with newly forming white terraces and bright yellow bacteria mats forming along their outflow into the river. A boardwalk hike allows you to safely view all the fascinating ponds in the midst of their epic surroundings.

Angie next guided us onto a one-lane road along Firehole Canyon, a steep, narrow canyon with a waterfall and a small swimming hole. Unfortunately, the swimming hole was closed for some reason - perhaps damage from the Spring flood.

We returned to the the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone to do the 3/8-mile, steep hike to the brink of the Lower Falls. We had eschewed this hike the previous day, thinking that we would get better vistas along the canyon rim. It was well worth the effort! The lower falls drop in one piece, rather than the stages we saw in the upper falls. An overlook takes you right to the top of the falls where we feel the roar of the water and the cool mist of the spray. A rainbow formed in the spray far below. And the view downstream in the Canyon was awesome.

We crossed the Continental Divide twice during our drive on the South Loop.

After returning to our trailer, we repeated our routine of "linner" and beach time. We were disappointed to find a couple of fisherman at our private little cove. But God provides! We found an even bigger beach nearby with an easier access trail and an easier water entry for the dogs. It was also sunnier, so we were able to stay later into the afternoon.

Returning to camp we had happy hour on our shady patio while listening to tunes on our Bluetooth speaker. We learned from a ranger that a black bear had appeared at the bathrooms near our campsite while we were away. Staff shooed the bear away.

As the temperatures dropped, we broke out a propane fireplace that Angie had insisted on bringing, against Hank's protests. It was the first time we used it on this trip, and it was wonderful. It was warm and provided a yellow glow to our space. We broke out the S'mores fixins and indulged, while waiting for the stars to emerge. Unfortunately, there were only a handful of stars visible by 10 pm, when sleepiness overcome Hank and we moved inside.