The Greatest Show on Earth!

We awoke this morning with much anticipation. Being on the doorstep of Yellowstone National Park and knowing what is behind the gates is enough to perk you up without the morning coffee. After we entered the park we must have driven 10 minutes and we saw a bunch of cars pulled off to the side of the road. That usually indicates that someone has seen an animal. Sure enough a herd of elk were grazing not to far from the road. Here in Yellowstone nature is on full display along with mankind on "who has the biggest telephoto lens". Where you find wildlife you are also going to spot a person carrying what looks like a small cannon mounted on a tripod.

Why do they need closeups? What are they trying to see? Are they checking the dental records of these animals? I just stood shoulder to shoulder with them and pulled out my Sony Digital camera that makes a cute sound when I take a picture. Sure I turned heads but I think I got some beautiful pictures and when I was done I put my camera in my pocket and walked away.

The day was cold and the wind coming down the mountain cut right through the multiple layers of clothing we had on. What kept us going was the views and the heat coming off the thermal pools.

We stood around for 45 minutes to watch one of natures events that is predictable. It started as small gushes of water and tons of vapor. As the excitement in the throngs of people out to see the event grew so did the height of steam. All of a sudden as if someone had turned a switch on a geyser of water shot up a hundred feet into the air. The sound of escaping water being pushed through the earths crust could be heard. In the 1 1/2 minutes this geyser pushed out close to 3,700 gallons of water. What an incredible sight to witness.

All around the park are pools of bubbling water and steam. The different colors framing the pools are created by different algae that thrive on these scolding hot waters.

In our first day in Yellowstone we saw Elk, Bison, Mule Deer, and a Wolf with her pup. We saw countless hot springs and stood in the steams from these pools as the wind shifted around. In Yellowstone you tend to forget the crowds of people around you and become absorbed in the breathtaking views all around.