Saturday, July 16, 2016

Chapter 10: The Sights, Sounds, and Smells of Yellowstone

12:30pm. Driving through Yellowstone

We're heading to the visitor's center and we see our first bison!

It's just a lone bison dude hanging out on the side of the road -- but he's only like 10 feet from the road and it's cool as anything!


1:00p. Canyon Village

We've finally made it to the centerpiece of our trip: the majestic vistas of Yellowstone Park! And what's our first stop in this land of wonder?

The laundromat.

As much as we'd like to start seeing the sites, we need some clean underwear.

Plus, the laundry facilities also have showers, so we all have a chance to clean the dust and dirt from the Rocky Mountains out of all the nooks and crannies.

The regular vacation will resume shortly.



3:00pm. Norris Basin. Yellowstone Park

One thing you learn when you visit Yellowstone Park is that much of the park is set within the caldera of a massive volcano. The park's geothermal features -- hot springs, geysers, and so forth -- are just manifestations of the boiling, dangerous gasses lurking just beneath the surface.

After a quick stop at the visitor's center in Canyon Village, we've decided that our first touristy event will be a trip to Norris Basin, which has a hiking loop that takes you past dozens of geothermal features.


When you read about Norris Basin (or any of the geothermal sites at Yellowstone), you might come across a note that says "these features may give off a slight odor of sulfur."

Here's what they mean by "a slight odor of sulfur." Imagine that someone left a bag of rotten eggs in the sun for a week and then you stuck your head in the bag and then someone tied the bag tight around your throat and all you could breathe was rotten eggs. That's kind of what the Norris Basin is like.
At least one of my boys agrees with me.
And it's a shame because it's a fascinating and astonishing site -- steam rising up from holes in the ground, clear but colorful pools of boiling water, cracks and fissures emitting slowly-accumulating mounds of minerals. But it's nearly impossible to breathe and I hate vomiting on vacation. So after we make our way through one loop of the trail, I head back to the parking lot where the air is only faintly egg-like. The rest of the family explores the second loop of the trail.

I only lasted one loop 
My boy checks out Steamboat Geyser 
The eerie landscape of the Norris Basin
I really hope the rest of our time in Yellowstone smells better.

[Editor's note: And if Norris Basin wasn't freaky enough, apparently one wrong step can lead to your body dissolving in a boiling spring.]

8:00p. Madison Campground. Yellowstone Park

We're all still a little beat down from our long drive yesterday, so we came back to the campground after visiting Norris Basin for some low-key hanging out and dinner. Having clean water and a dishwashing station nearby makes everything super easy.

One other thing to mention: today the kids learned about the Junior Ranger program. Apparently, if a kid does a certain set of activities within a national park, they are eligible for badges and other cool "Junior Ranger" swag. My kids are FIRED UP about this concept. Our only regret is that we didn't do the program back in Rocky Mountain National Park.

So that's it. Day One of Yellowstone is in the books. Mark it as a success.