A Note About….Yellowstone National Park
Today I visited Yellowstone National Park for the first time in my life. Here are some thoughts on my visit:
The Size: This place is huge and I never realized how big it really was. In fact it is larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined. The upper and lower falls here are both twice as high as Niagara. Which to me is extraordinary. The geysers are frequent and they too are incredible to watch.
Old Faithful: Old faithful is not as faithful as it used to be. Coincidently someone pointed out to me that it lost its fidelity during the Clinton Administration….go figure!! This is actually due to an earthquake in the early 90’s. The quake reset the timing of the famous geyser to more erratic and less frequent timing. Anyway you could be in for a long wait if you go see it, and if it is not sunny, then it is hard to really see in general. The weather was overcast so I had trouble getting a good picture but we got lucky on the wait.
The Weather: It was overcast and with mountain weather you never know what you are going to get. Today it was very cloudy and visibility wasn’t the best. But no snow and low winds still allowed for good views. Besides every view in Yellowstone is a postcard waiting to happen....no matter what the weather is.
Remains of Forest Fires: It is incredible how many forest fires there are year round in Yellowstone. Almost 20 percent of the trees I saw were completely black from fires spreading around the park.
Coming in the fall: From what I heard from many Yellowstone regulars….. in the summer the place is wall to wall with Joe and Jane tourist. In the late fall though the place is a heck of a lot quieter and I enjoyed that. However the entrances can close depending on when the snow comes. So you got to play your cards right.
Yellowstone Smells: Yeah I said it. The smell in some parts of the park smells like rotten eggs….this smell is also known as sulfur. The sulfur comes from the hot springs produced by volcanic activity beneath the park. As Mark Twain said, “The Smell of Sulfur is strong but not unpleasant to a sinner.” Well I would add it is strong and I am glad I don’t live near it.
Wild Life: I didn’t see any Bears, moose or Bald Eagles. I did see Buffalo, Elk and foxes. They said seeing a Bear these days is luck of the draw. Next time I go to Yellowstone I am tying fish to the top of my car and going in there to find a bear. They have little petting zoos where you can see bears, but I can go to the zoo in Chicago for that.
The Importance: This place is an American Treasure. All it costs to come is to pay for a day pass and some gas. I am glad I made it and recommend to anyone to do the same. There is something to be said for being in the open country and getting away from everything. That is the great thing about our country. We have the resources and the freedom to travel far and wide.
