Day 11: Yellowstone and 320 Guest Ranch

When I told The Crew on Monday night that the upcoming day was my favorite of the whole trip, I was not lying!  I am sure I sound like a broken record but the sights and attractions seen were something magnificent.  When The Crew gets back to the East Coast, the things they saw on Day 11 they will never forget.  Our day started with entering the Grand Teton National Park.  Snow-capped mountains, free-flowing streams, and evergreen trees painted the outside of the bus windows.  Entering Yellowstone National Park, The Crew had no idea what to expect.  The chaperones keep quite about expectations and what they may or may not see because the anticipation of what is coming adds to the trip.  The Crew, as well as myself, was amazed at the natural beauty of Yellowstone.  We saw countless buffalo, 5 large elk almost crossing the road in front of us, moose, and as you can see some of the buffalo decided to cross the road even though traffic was heavy.  Of course we yielded to the bison!  I guess you could call a bison crossing "Yellowstone's natural stoplights."

Yellowstone is impossible to fully visit in a day; but we did well to see as much of it as possible.  We went to the Mud Pots where geysers were numerous and The Crew was able to see the high pressure, hot water seep through the cracks of earth's outer layer.  The sulfur from the geysers provided an aroma I am sure The Crew will not forget.  Another interesting sight was the closeness of the bison to the Mud Pots.  One of the pictures shows some bison roaming as we venture through the Mud Pots.  

The next destination in our Yellowstone tour was the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.  A beautiful waterfall flows through a large canyon, providing pictures galore.  Ironically The Crew saw one of the most unusual weddings I have around; a couple was married in a matter of minutes at Artists Point, the overlook of the Grand Canyon.  You can only imagine how in awe some of the girls were of having a wedding not just at Yellowstone, but this beautiful overlook.  

After a picnic lunch in the park, we headed to Old Faithful.  Of course, Old Faithful did not disappoint.  Few spurts of water came out prematurely and the thousands of people gathered to see the iconic sight were in a tizzy.  But the water seeped down and the climax was still to come.  When the final water spurt came, The Crew stood in disbelief  of the science behind the event.  I will say that somehow Katie and Eleanor seem to be in a lot of pictures from Day 11.  Lucky them!

We exited Yellowstone and entered West Yellowstone, Montana.  A 45 minute IMAX video on Yellowstone was observed and The Crew loaded up the bus for 320 Guest Ranch.  Clarence maneuvered the bus perfectly over the bridge, as each side of the bus playing chicken with the side rail.  We were finally at The RANCH!  We immediately unloading the bus, went to the banquet hall, and had a lasagna meal that was one for the ages.  Double and maybe triple chocolate cake followed the meal!

The Crew unloaded the bus and visited their cabins.  Bunked 4 to 6 in a room, The Crew will be able to experience staying in a well-equipped cabin by the river.  After an hour of free time, The Crew settled in and waited for their next day at the Ranch.  It is necessary for me to say that there is no service on the Ranch; however they do have Wi-Fi and most spots. . . So if you do not hear from your child or you call them and they do not answer, there is no need to worry as we will be cooped up at the Ranch mostly, having the time of our lives.  It will do The Crew well to be without service for a few days; mountain living has a lot of benefits.  Stayed tuned to hear of our adventures!  Signing off GWT!