Last September we visited Yellowstone National Park in a rental travel trailer, shortly after buying our coach (as our 40 foot motorhome was too big to fit in Yellowstone). I did several blog posts about our trip, but Jenn recently processed the photos she took with her big camera, a Nikon D7200. So here’s a bonus post with some really nice pics of a very special place. (The photos are also on her Flickr page.) Enjoy!
On day nine of our Yellowstone trip, one last campground on the way home.
We stopped off in a large unpaved parking area for a rest break, near another truck and trailer:
Before long, several other trailers and trucks joined us:
Across the road, a gas station, restaurant, and shops; we visited the restaurant for a tasty lunch, then the gas station to refuel:
Our destination for the night, the Coyote Run RV Park in Connell, WA; here’s the map:
Our campsite:
Right next to the laundry building; the aesthetic kinda fit the fact that the major industry in this town is a big prison:
But it was just a quick stop on the way home, with a nice sunset:
That concludes our Yellowstone journey in a rental travel trailer. It was a very enjoyable trip; great to see Yellowstone National Park again, and spend more time with family. One last trip before our new motorhome lifestyle.
On day eight of our Yellowstone trip, we started the two-day journey home from the park.
Here’s the west gate of Yellowstone National Park, on the way out:
As usual for a morning, the traffic was backed up almost all the way through the town of West Yellowstone; glad we weren’t going that way (a tip for anyone going into Yellowstone: go in the afternoon):
Our next stop was at Jim & Mary’s RV Park in Missoula, MT; here the map:
The rental trailer and our truck in the campsite:
This park has delightful landscaping; each site has a large grassy area and a little garden with unique decorations; here was our one:
Our site was on the end of a row, so had extra landscaping on the other side:
Across the driveway, more landscaping:
But as nice as the landscaping was, after a week in Yellowstone without a functioning shower, one of the main attractions of this campground was a shower facility:
We’ll definitely stay at this campground again in the future.
On day seven of our Yellowstone trip, the fourth and last full day in the park, we had a grand time visiting the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, plus a dusk trip to the Grand Prismatic Spring.
The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone:
Waterfall:
Jenn taking photos:
Waterfall:
Family pic at Artist Point:
On the way back, spotted some more bison:
After dinner, Jenn, Eliza, and I decided to take a sunset trip to Grand Prismatic Spring. On the way, yep, it’s more bison:
Runoff from Excelsior Geyser Crater:
Eliza and Jenn on the boardwalk; it was nice to have the place almost to ourselves:
Excelsior Geyser Crater:
Runoff from Grand Prismatic Spring, in the just-past-sunset glow:
Grand Prismatic Spring:
Reflected moon:
Jenn and Eliza on the boardwalk:
Info signs:
Dusk:
On day six of our Yellowstone trip, the third full day in the park, we explored the Norris Geyser Basin.
An unintentionally memorable hike, as Jenn tripped on a root and knocked me over, gashing my knee. It looked worse than it was, though; I was able to continue without too much difficulty.
The Norris Geyser Basin map:
Emerald Spring pool:
The Steamboat Geyser; apparently it hasn’t gone off for months, so we were excited to see it erupting; it continued for the entire time we were there:
Jenn’s father was excited to see it erupting, since it hadn’t all the many previous times he’d visited the park over the years:
Looking downhill:
Blue thermal pool:
Orange themal pool:
Another thermal thingy:
Another thermal pool:
Puff ‘n Stuff Geyser:
Geyser valley:
Steamy:
Steamy pool and cave:
Yellow Funnel Spring:
Geyser basin:
Pool and vent:
Muddy geyser:
Thermal pool:
Pool:
Geyser basin:
On day five of our Yellowstone trip, our second full day in the park, we drove up from the Madison Campground to the Mammoth area.
On the way, a stop at Gibbon Falls:
The Gibbon River below the falls:
Sheepeater Cliff:
Arriving at Mammoth, we saw some elk lazing by a building:
While eating lunch on some grass, the rangers started getting excited about elk moving nearby, telling everyone to give them space. A female and young elk wandered through the grass where we had been sitting:
Followed by a bull, who was trying to get them to go back to the others:
The elk back by the building:
The Mammoth terraces:
A nearby bridge and valley:
On the way back to the campground, we encountered a bison jam; just a bison slowly wandering down the road, followed by a line of cars:
On day four of our Yellowstone trip, we drove down from the Madison Campground to Old Faithful, exploring the Midway Geyser Basin on the way.
With a little detour for bison by Fountain Flat Drive:
Midway Geyser Basin:
Boardwalk:
Runoff:
Blue thermal pool:
Jenn:
Green thermal pool:
Boardwalk and geysers:
Geysers:
Then on to the Old Faithful area; here’s the visitor center:
Old Faithful lodge:
Old Faithful geyser, with a crowd watching it erupt:
Back at the campground, and the nearby Madison river:
On day three, we went from Jerome, ID to Yellowstone National Park.
Very flat in Idaho:
Looking back at the trailer in the side mirrors, including an extended mirror to account for the wider trailer:
An interesting building in a rest area in Firth, Idaho:
Rest area truck and trailer parking:
At last, we reached Yellowstone! Here’s the entrance road:
Our campsite in the Madison campground within Yellowstone:
An amusing result of the higher elevation; puffed up bags of chips:
That evening, a pleasant fire and conversation with the family:
Tomorrow, we explore some of Yellowstone.
Continuing the journey to Yellowstone, on day two we went from La Grande, OR to Jerome, ID. Each leg was about six hours driving.
We spent the night in the Twin Falls / Jerome KOA:
Here’s our campsite:
The trailer:
The messy side of RVing: power, water, and sewer hookups:
The KOA office:
The pool and playground; we enjoyed a swim in the pool to help cool off:
This campground also had a nearby pond:
Including some ducks:
Mini golf (we didn’t play):
Next time, arriving in Yellowstone.
Continuing from yesterday, here’s day 1 of our Yellowstone trip.
To make the drive there and back less painful, we had decided to take two days each way. The first leg was from home (in the Portland, OR area) to La Grande, OR.
Here’s the trailer and truck at a view point stop:
La Grande viewpoint:
We checked in to Grande Hot Springs RV resort for the night:
The trailer and truck in the campsite:
A super-fancy Mac and Cheese and hot dogs for our first dinner of the trip:
Some art in the driveway:
Pond and fountain:
An adjacent pond:
The RV park:
A hot water stream:
Hot pools (of which we didn’t partake, though probably should have):
Stay tuned for day 2!