Brisbane, QLD


Sunday, August 14, 2011

A DREAM CAME TRUE

Ever since I read Geographic Magazine articles and saw TV docos on Yellowstone, I have always dreamed of visiting it one day. I was excited when we left Cody for the Northern Entrance to the park.

 We had a rest stop here at Dead Indian Bluff. I took this shot waiting outside the restroom. It must be the " loo with the best view."

 Next rest stop was in Cooke City, which is really a quaint western small town just outside the border of the Yellowstone N.P. and yet it has not developed into a tourist town (yet). Our guide said it is because the northern entrance isn't as popular as the others. Our guide prefers it as it is a scenic route through the mountains. After entering the park we drove for miles until we came to Mammoth Hot Springs. The Park is 3,468 square miles /8,983 square km. It was the first National Park in the world established in 1872. (The second one was The Royal N.P. in Sydney in 1879)

 The Mammoth Hot Springs are terraces of calcium carbonate filled with boiling water, which......

overflows making a spectacular, steaming landscape.

While we were there we saw 2 bears, a black bear and this grizzly bear. I missed capturing the black bear as I was way up on top of the springs but it walked within a few metres of Bill , who didn't think to move to a safer spot, instead he lifted his video camera and started shooting. On this same day a hiker in the back blocks was attacked and killed by a grizzly bear, which had a cub.

After lunch we drove on to the Lower Falls in the Yellowstone River Canyon. It was awe inspiring.





We drove on to the Upper Falls and .......

the Gibbon Falls before leaving the park through the western gate and going to our hotel at West Yellowstone. The next day we would return to see more exotic scenery in this part of the world where the ecosystem hasn't altered much since it was discovered. 

29 comments:

  1. Wow! Despite being a sailor there is an awful lot of this beautiful planet I have yet to see. Think I better get a move on.

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  2. I wish I still had a picture that was taken at Lower Falls. My son was always as happy as he was not hungry. If he got hungry which was about every four hours on the dot he'd get very cranky until he got fed. I was there once with my sister and her kids and none was finally coming on. We were out in those Yellowstone areas and didn't have a restaurant just right there handy. We lined the kids up in front of those falls and took the picture. Every kid was smiling except Dan --- he was hungry and his face showed it. What a funny picture. I wish I still had it.

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  3. OH MY GOSH---that is awesome... We have Yellowstone and the Tetons on our 'list' --hopefully in 2012... I cannot wait. Your pictures are awesome especially the waterfalls.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  4. Your photos are beautiful, Diane, like the Loo with a view too! The water gushing through the canyon looks alive and you captured the mood very well. Thanks for sharing. Jo

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  5. Diane, so beautiful and your photography gets better and better.

    I want to go there someday. I have never been.

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  6. Oh wow, those photos are beautiful. Thanks for the tip about the northern entrance. We will go there next time we are in Yellowstone.

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  7. Wonderful post on my favorite park, Diane! I love all the photos, Especially the grizzly bear. I've been twice and we made sure we saw all the entrances. The view of the Lower falls is beautiful. Now after seeing your photos, I want to go again.

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  8. Another favorite ever place! Ever! We've actually never gone in at this entrance although we've driven and camped all through the park several times (even before we wre full time RVers, because the West is where we went back then of course). Now though I want to go back and do this entry.

    Your pictures are just great; I will go look at Bill's video (yikes!)

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  9. I'm glad you got to see the park, and that Bill didn't get eaten by a Grisley! It's good to know about the less crowded northern entrance. I've not yet had the pleasure of visiting Yellowstone but perhaps one day....

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  10. Unbelievable pictures, you write a lot lately. Good.

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  11. On my first tour out of Europe in 2000 we went to the US and our first stop was Yellowstone Parc. As you come from a flat country as ours,I was so impressed by the scenery, couldn't believe my eyes. I can remember the excitement I felt just like you to see it in reality. Beautiful photo's.

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  12. spectacular views. i didn't know they had the hot springs. the bears look a bit scary. great that you've realized your dream of visiting this amazing place.

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  13. I've been following your adventure every step of the way and have had a ball drooling over all your fabulous photos. I haven't been making comments because I think all I'd ever say would by 'WOW!' of 'Fabulous!'

    Anyway, this is one place I would definitely like to see one day and your photos have confirmed my belief in the awesome beauty of this place. Just wonderful!

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  14. I am eating my heart out. Those waterfalls are marvelous. Thanks for the tip about the northern entrance to the park. We'll keep that in mind.

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  15. Oh my what great photos they are just so awsome and you were so lucky to have gone to the places you have gone to.......

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  16. Diane - As you said on my blog it is interesting to see the terraces from a different position ! One of our group was not too well so we drove to the lookout, missing your vantage point. Lovely photos! Brings it all back to me again. How lucky you were with seeing the bears! When I saw paw prints in the white, I was unsure if they were real - now I know! Loved the video too. Thanks!

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  17. Lovely Diane,
    Photos are beaut. Well done.

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  18. Fabulous! I was intrigued by the Mammoth Hot Springs. Those waterfalls are something else.
    A photographer's delight!

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  19. Simply beautifully captured shots...lovely!

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  20. Wow these are gorgeous photos! Love the hot springs!

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  21. Diane you have lived my DREAM holiday - you are so so lucky! (And at a time when the Aus$ was brilliant!)

    I think I will have to humbly, cap-in-hand ask your kind permission to draw/paint some of your WONDERFUL images. They are just so inspiring - I can see so many paintings in your blog.

    LUCKY DUCKS just let me repeat!

    Cheers,

    Cindy

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  22. So glad you enjoyed a little piece of our paradise. You did some awesome photos! If you ever decide to come back, drop me note and we'll give you a longer tour! :) Glacier and Banff are also fantastic and I'm blessed to live smack dab between the 2!

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  23. You are definitely in God's country! Loved seeing your photos and revisiting our trips there when we lived in Idaho. Thanks for the memories!

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  24. Mr B and I spent our 25th there and LOVED it! We hit some of the same spots as you did and can't wait to get back there again. So sad about the person who lost his life to the bear..

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  25. I love Yellowstone National Park and my dream is to visit it again someday in winter. It is really magical looking in that season andvisitors get around by snowmobile.

    The bear encounters were wonderful! It's not often they come out like that near people. Bill was very brave ..loved his video!

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  26. So much of the scenery in this area is awesome. I haven't been to Yellowstone, I always get it muddled up with Yogi Bear's park.

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  27. That's a KILLER loo view!! Although I reckon my Charlotte Pass loo would give it a run for its money in winter!!! One day I'll prove it!!! I suspect I missed this one because I was travelling myself at the time!! Thanx for sharing it!!

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