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)
