Part 4 of a dream journey--days 2-4 in Yellowstone

On day two, Mary from the hotel advised me to go to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, and it was my favorite place that I visited in the park.

On the way to the canyon, I stopped to hike at the Paint Pots--and to watch those bubbling hot springs sprew their bright colors.

But it was the canyon that really mystified me! I could see immediately how Yellowstone Park got its name, and the waterfalls--both the upper and lower falls--were magnificent. And it was there that I first saw the Yellowstone River, which creates the waterfall below.

Stopping at a 1950's style cafe near the Canyon Lodge (which was not yet open), once again I had worked up a healthy appetite and appreciated a traditional lunch of delicious cheeseburger and fries. Thus ended another good day at YNP.

The next day back in West Montana, I decided to take a break from driving into the park. Instead I sayed in town and went to a bear (grizzly) and wolf sanctuary there in town. It was amazing to see those creatures so close up. They are truly beautiful wild animals.

Also I toured the historic Union Pacific train station, where in 1907 and thereafter, tourists used to come in on the train and then take stagecoaches through the park to the hotels. Until then visitation to the part was minimal because of its remote location, difficult access, and primitive accommodations. I took a step back in time as I toured the museum and the famous Union Pacific dining hall.

In my stay at West Yellowstone, Montana, I met so many people from all over the US and from other countries, such as the Netherlands and Australia. There were a lot of Asian tourists. One morning at breakfast when I asked an Asian woman where she was from, she answered, "LA! That's in California." West Yellowstone is a small town, but because of its gateway into Yellowstone, it's very cosmopolitan.

My last day in Yellowstone Park, once again I entered through the West Gate, but this time I drove 100 miles through the park to the South Gate, stopping at Mud Pots to hike to the mysterious Dragon's Mouth and other bubbling geothermal mud hot springs, where bufallo like to hang out to get warm in the winter. You'll see one fellow napping near a hot springs in the third picture below!

The number of geothermal features in Yellowstone--from geysers to hot springs to mud pots--is estimated at 10,000. YNP sits in a huge volcanic basin (caldera), which was the site of several massive volcanic eruptions, the last of which occurred about 600,000 years ago. These springs and geysers are caused by the build up of hot water and steam trapped below the surface.

Having seen enough geothermal features for this trip into Yellowstone, I was heading out, but it seemed that the antelope and bufallo did not want me to leave.

But by then, I was on my merry way to the Grand Tetons and famous Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to find out what made the Tetons grand and Jackson Hole famous, and nothing could stop me now--not even a few dozen bufallo!