Showing posts with label Yellowstone Park. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Yellowstone Park. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Riding to Redmond, Oregon - Day 4

Total Miles = 108

After breakfast in the Canyon Lodge cafeteria, we headed for Old Faithful in Yellowstone Park. Along the way, we encountered hordes of bison. We stopped to take pictures and came very close to some of them. Too close for my liking! I couldn't believe how many people walked really close to these bison to take pictures. Bison weigh up to 2,000 pounds and can travel at 40 mph. Every year, park visitors are injured by bison.


We also took pictures by Yellowstone Lake in many spots. We stopped at one of the many sulfur springs, which was cool, but the highlight was seeing a bear down below from a small cliff. It was fun to take a picture at the Continental Divide, but watching the famous Old Faithful erupt was even more fun. Our final destination for the evening was the Mammoth Hot Springs, which are in the northwest corner of the park. The Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel was built in the 30s and quite nice. After dinner, there was the most vivid rainbow I have ever seen.


We then enjoyed a challengingwalk to visit the many locations of hot springs in that area. Below Sandra contemplates the meaning of life watching over Cleopatra's Table.



Saturday, July 10, 2010

Riding to Redmond, Oregon - Day 3

Total Miles = 360

We left our lovely motel in Douglas, WY at 8:30 am in search of the World's Largest Jackalope and the world's even larger jackalope!









We were lucky to see them as they are quite rare : ).




We also got a quick look at the locomotive museum.



On one of our gas stops, someone walked off with my coat (which was sitting on my bike) and left it in the parking lot. Nothing was gone. Were they looking for a wallet? A nice lady found it and brought it inside. Luckily, I was walking by just as she was doing so. Note to self: Don't be so trusting in tourist areas! We had a beautiful ride on U.S. 20 by a lake into some elevation. Sweepers! My favorite. Alas, it started to rain and we had to be more cautious. By the time we got to Thermopolis, WY, the wind were blowing something fierce.



We ducked into the Fountain of Youth Diner to assess the situation. A quick internet search alerted us to a serious storm so we decided to wait it out. Yummy food there - tater tots, brisket. Mmmmm.




Bear spray? Let's hope a situation where that would be needed never arises. Just in case, tips on how to handle a bear attack, here.



When the stormed cleared, we made our way to Yellowstone! As we took winding roads through Yellowstone to our cabin at Canyon Lodge, we passed bison and saw spectacular views of Yellowstone Lake. Words cannot describe the beauty. The sun was going down, creating a beautiful blueish purple hue over the lake. We made it to our cabin just before dark!