Barbara Graham’s Wyoming World:

The far northwest corner of Wyoming is Yellowstone National Park. I understand it is the first piece of land ever given such a designation which also gives it certain protections. Don’t let “park” mislead you. It is a vast area, 3471 square miles, filled with various ecosystems. The geysers are some of the most well-known and of them and Old Faithful is the most famous of all. It is far from being the largest or even the most beautiful geyser but it is accessible to everyone and reasonably predictable. A crowd always gathers at the anticipated eruption holding multitudes of cameras ready to capture the action. Steam, followed by water, shoots into the sky.

The words “beautiful” and “wow” are heard all over the park, spoken in many languages but we all understand. Eyestrain can result from staring at the colorful canyons and forests, lakes, rivers and waterfalls. Stay on the walkways, as you walk through the geyser basin. Colorful natural pools of boiling water smell of sulfur. Large and small geysers blast boiling water from the ground. People leaving the walkways have died.

Not into nature’s beauty? How about wildlife? There are bears. There are wolves. Hiding from them are elk, moose, goats, chipmunks and many other species of mammals. Large birds like swans and pelicans swim in the rivers and lakes. Small birds are everywhere. Some days when you visit, you will see large numbers of animals. Some days, not as many. Inside the park, the animals have no restrictions, and no fences.

People do have rules to follow. Unfortunately, there are too many incidents involving people who ignore instructions from the rangers and will approach buffalo or other critters for a photo op. Bad plan. Buffalo are huge and quick. They have bad attitudes. Bears are armed with big teeth and claws and are not looking to make friends. Last year, a well-meaning tourist picked up a baby buffalo and drove it to the ranger station. Separated from its mother, it could not be saved. Leave the animals alone.

Also on the natural side is the subject of forest fires. Please do not cause one. Enough do occur from lightning strikes to help keep the forests healthy. The park policy is to leave the burnt trees in place. It is not rare to see thousands of small trees growing up around older burns.

Inside the park are hotels, campgrounds and RV parks. Make your reservations early. There are also accommodations in the towns and areas near the various entrances. My personal favorite hotel is Lake Hotel. It is an old hotel facing Lake Yellowstone. Even if you cannot get reservations at the hotel, or prefer not to pay those prices, go inside and sit with a beverage and admire the old hotel and the vista of the lake with mountains in the background. Sometimes there is piano music to add to the peace.

Need more beauty? Grand Teton National park is south of Yellowstone. Those jagged, gorgeous mountains appear to rise from the plains or the lakes, depending on where you stand. I think those mountains are in more commercials and photo ads than can be counted, and deservedly so.

I believe that somewhere within these two national parks every language in the world is represented. Case in point, I drove my “sister”, an exchange student when I was in high school around Yellowstone. We stopped by one of the entrances to take her photograph with the official sign. Other people were doing the same thing. While I handled several cameras for visitors, my sister started chatting with a woman. The next thing I know, they have established that both of their families fled Estonia at the end of World War II. My sister’s family went to Sweden and the other woman’s came to the USA. The two women were chattering away in Estonian while I visited with the husband in English. It’s a small world.

Beyond the two national parks are national forests and then private lands and farms and ranches, unincorporated communities. The town of Jackson sits below the South Gate and Cody is to the east of the East Gate. North and west of Yellowstone are Montana and Idaho. There are stores, and shops and restaurants and motels. Vacation guest ranches supply horses, accommodations, meals and other entertainment.

Winter is not without tourists but they are hardier souls who think climbing on ice is fun, or skis or snow machines are involved. Almost all roads inside Yellowstone are closed to cars.

It’s a good time to study maps and decide where to visit next.

Visit Barbara Graham's site here: https://www.cozy-mystery.com/barbara-graham.html

(All info provided and released by Author)