Today we explored more of Yellowstone and all the many wonders it has to offer, we had two special guides from the Yellowstone Association Institute who are experts on the area and taught us a lot about the ecosystems, thermal features, and wildlife of the area.
These dead trees with white bottoms have sucked up the mineral-rich water. When the water evaporates, it leaves the minerals behind.
mud pots!
One of my favorite sights we saw in Yellowstone today ....
The vibrant colors of these thermal pools blow me away every time I visit.
We did quite a bit of driving on this tour as we made our way through Wyoming and South Dakota, the kids made a fort in the bus and had all sorts of creative fun to make some of the longer drives go by fast!
Our tour guide handed out one of these license plate games to everyone who wanted to play while we were in Yellowstone. Since visitors come from all over the nation to see this amazing National Park, it is the perfect place to look for a license plate from each state! I love games like this! It was also fascinating to see license plates from all over, something I probably wouldn't have noticed without this game.
Everyone who participated and turned in their sheet when we left yellowstone got a fun surprise prize.
Bison!
The reddish-brown calves, affectionately known as “red dogs,” stand out from the other bison due to their brighter color. Calves can keep up with adult bison two to three hours after birth! They are so adorable.
We stopped by several visitors centers during our tour through the park.
For lunch, we stopped at a picnic area and had sack lunches provided by our tour!
We had a couple of AWESOME wildlife sightings, like a this grizzly bear moseying through the field, he totally reminded me of Winnie the Pooh, he was so rolly polly.
Then we saw this majestic elk!
The wetlands area is so gorgeous.
We made a stop where our guides set up a couple of telescopes and told us about all the different birds that live in this area. We all took turns getting close up looks at all the unique birds.
At our next stop, our guide had a special treat for us, huckleberry ice cream sandwiches!!!
They were a total hit
We walked to this stunning sight as we enjoyed our ice cream sandwiches.
The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is one of my favorite places in the park, it is so awe inspiring.
Our last stop of the day was at the elegant Lake Yellowstone Hotel
Reece and Dad trying on Stetson cowboy hats in the gift shop.
After a long day in the park, it was so nice to come back to the lodge to relax and have a casual dinner.
We saw the most amazing rainbow while we were waiting to be seated for dinner!
