Kathy & Scott’s USA Tour in the Wild West

Glacier National Park

Upon leaving Canada, we spent the night in a KOA cabin. They don't permit cooking inside their "Kamping Kabins", and when a fierce windstorm struck, it was clear that the picnic table was useless and we would have to eat out. As we set out for a restaurant, a two-person tent came bouncing along the drive towards us. Scott managed to snag it despite his limp. We handed it over to the campground staff and went on our way.

The next day, we travelled east-to-west across Glacier National Park on the Going To The Sun Highway. It’s a sad prediction that all the glaciers will have melted in another 8 years. We stopped to gaze at the mountains, lakes, and waterfalls.

The only Mountain Goat of our trip appeared right on the highway.

Virginia City

We headed to Virginia City, Montana. There we spent one night in the historic Fairweather Inn and the next night in the nearby town of Ennis.

Here’s the interior of the inn:

Kathy had a wonderful time at the nearby ghost town of Nevada City, while Scott caught up on email and bills.

Kathy enjoyed visiting with the local history interpreters who recreate life in the frontier in 1863.

Like this visitor, Kathy attempted to master the art of spinnning wool with minimal success.

All the food cooked by the interpreters was auctioned off as a fundraiser for the historical society that cares for the town as a living museum. Along with the basket of food the successful buyer got to have the company of the lady who made, as was traditional in those days.

Kathy traveled between Nevada City and Virginia City riding one mile on this train:

In the evening we had a great time at a show at the Virginia City Opera House, viewing an old melodrama followed by a set of vaudeville acts.

Yellowstone

The route to Yellowstone took us by Quake Lake, the site of the 1959 earthquake in the Madison River Valley. The mountainside slid down and 90 million tons of rock traveled across the river in less than one minute, damming one end and creating a lake. Several campgrounds were wiped out and 19 people were never found. That earthquake brought on many changes to the geyser activity in Yellowstone Park.

The scar is still perfectly visible where the earthquake caused the mountainside to collapse and rush across the valley.

What is left of the former forest is a good place for eagles to perch and we saw several on the dead trees in the lake.

Among the earthquake debris we were treated to a view of Bighorn Sheep wandering by.

Around the time when we entered Yellowstone National Park, we were making plans to follow our stay at Yellowstone, by driving directly to East Tennessee to visit our daugher Jocelyn and her family. The idea was for Grandma (Kathy) to continue to stay in their basement each night and help out. Grandpa (Scott) was thinking of mixing up his nights with some amount in the basement and some camping, in order to continue in vacation mode and have some time to himself. We were looking forward to the visit very much.

During our first full day at Yellowstone, we visited hot springs, geysers, etc.

Geysers at Artists Painpots

Gibbon Falls

Next, a series of geysers and hot pools along the Firehole River Drive. It is really bizarre to see a flowing stream and realize you had better not touch it or you will burn your hand.

Old Faithful still draws the crowds. Believe it or not, Scott skipped his chance to view this geyser during our trip to Yellowstone eight years earlier.

Hot mineral streams at Grand Prismatic Spring.

Reflections on the minerals layers at Grand Prismatic Spring.

Sometimes the arrangment of the mineral streams are like an abstract painting.

Scott and Kathy at Grand Prismatic Spring.

Bison grazing in the Hayden Valley.

This bison takes his siesta by the hot springs at the Mud Volcano.

Churning Caldron Spring

Dragon’s Mouth Spring. Scott loved the way this cave belched every minute.

Black Pool at the West Thumb Geyser Basin by Yellowstone Lake. Even though 3,100 gallons of hot water flows from this basin into the lake, the water temperature still averages only 45 degrees in the summer.

more springs of the West Thumb Geyser Basin

Historic Old Faithful Inn.

Kathy’s comments on the architecture and decor were that the interior of the inn seemed like something out of the Lord of the Rings and she kept expecting to run into dwarlves and elves.

The dining hall where we had a fabulous dinner of elk medallions and bison stew (raised outside of the national park).

On our last day at Yellowstone, we visited the Lamar Valley in hopes of seeing wolves and bears.

We were excited to join a group of serious wildlife fans, some of whom had spotted a wolf. Eventually the whole Lamar Canyon pack made an appearance and crossed the river in our view. This photo shows Kathy in the back of the group.

While returning to our camp site, we stopped at Undine Falls.