Ana at the Bunnery

Last vacation stop was in Jackson Hole. We ate a yummy dinner before heading back to Pocatello. Here is Ana after a long day. What a trooper!

View of the Tetons

We exited Yellowstone and began traveling back through the Teton National Forest. Stunning views.

Geysers Galore

More images of Yellowstone. We went to the Old Faithful visitor center and lodge for lunch, which was yummy. We watched out the restaurant windows while people gathered for O. F.'s eruption. The kids and I went down to the obersvation deck and waited about 10 minutes for the geyser. It was pretty spectacular. Daryl had Ana and the camera, though. Check out Old Faithful's live web cam for a view of it. It erupts every 90 minutes or so. Or just take our word for it that it's very cool. http://www.nps.gov/archive/yell/oldfaithfulcam.htm

Steamin' Mud Pots

I knew all about Old Faithful, but I didn't realize the entire park is boiling over everywhere. Here are shots of the "painted mud pots" and the family in front of several geysers.

Enjoying Animal Life

Elk across the river.































Traffic slowed to a crawl as tourists stopped to photograph this herd of buffalo and their calves.

Yellowstone National Park

I am always amazed by national parks. They're almost like movie sets--so perfect, so unusual and unexpected. I guess that's why they're preserved lands. We loved Yellowstone. This was the sight that greeted us almost immediately upon entering the park. The weather was mild and the animals were active. And there were baby animals everywhere--buffalo, elk, moose. We watched a coyote run across a meadow, straight toward us, then right behind our car before he crossed the street and ran up a hillside--all with a stick in his mouth. When you're in Yellowstone, you are literally guests in the animals' home.

Bright-Eyed for Yellowstone

What a difference a good night's sleep can make.

All Tuckered Out

Ana had a very big day. She didn't move from this position the entire drive back to the hotel.

Lost Legacy

Adding to the mystery is this sign. Oh, the drama of it all. Guess someone's not satisfied with the current legacy.

Lost River

We saw this empty riverbed on our way to Craters and were intrigued by its name, so we stopped on the way back to get a picture. There's got to be a story here. What happened to the river? Why is the riverbed still so well defined? I need answers!

More Caves

I kept Ana entertained while Daryl took the kids into the caves.

Cave Exploring

Lunar Landscape

NASA's Apollo astronauts learned basic volcanic geology here in 1969 as they prepared for their moon missions.














A lava tube. Lava flow that hardened on the outside while lava still flowed within, forming a cave.
















Meili standing in front of more Devil's Vomit.

Lava Lands

An example of fluid-flowing lava.
















Vegetation finds a way of growing out here.
















An example of crusty, thicker lava flows. This rubble-like lava is called "Devil's Vomit"-- my new favorite term.

Top of the Crater