Homeward Bound via Yellowstone

Long time no see everyone. Sorry about my blogging hiatus. Service is hard to come by when you are living in a car, national parks, or somewhere in Nebraska. These next few posts may be scatter-brained as I am on an unorthodox schedule and a lack of sleep but please bear with me.

So after a sad departure from the west coast, we made our way toward our last destination- Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone was a must see place on our original list of places to go and is one of the most well known parks in the country. Following one of the longest drives of the trip thus far (13) hours, we arrived in Yellowstone. As much as the place had been a hot spot for us early, or hiking fever had severely worn out and we were relieved to find ourselves comfortably located in Old Faithful Snow Lodge.

Let me take this moment to thank a friend of mine- Mr. Jim. I have come to know Mr. Jim over the course of my four years at Messiah and he has done more for myself and my classmates than we could ever have imagined. Mr. Jim is truly an incredible guy with a heart for people and a habit of selfless giving. I am probably going to get killed for posting about him on this blog but such kind acts should not go unnoticed. Thank you Mr. Jim for everything you have done for us. You truly are a blessing to us and we are so grateful for the friendship you have bonded with us.

So needless to say, Mr. Jim with the collaboration and kindness of the Dorsey’s booked us two nights in the Old Faithful Snow Lodge. As time wore on it became ever more convenient as we were forced to retreat inside due to inclimate weather. The first night was rather uneventful. After a head to head coin flipping contest to see who would lie alone in bed, we headed to our appropriate positions. As it turned out, I won the duel and the rights to a night of sleep without a coverhogging bed mate.

The morning did not come quickly the second day. We took our time getting out of bed and slowly meandered down to the outdoors. The morning was spent right outside the hotel perusing Old Faithful and the various geysers that were in the area. It was a really neat area because it was unlike any area we had seen on our trip yet. The whole area is thermal and cant be stepped on. Hot springs are bubbling everywhere you turn and if you get lucky you may even see one of the geysers erupt. Some geysers are very predictable while others are given a two hour window to erupt.

Most of the afternoon was spent around the Old Faithful village or in our room due to thunderstorms. At one point I entertained the idea of renting a bike for a quick ride but the rates coupled with bad weather just didn’t entice me enough. The evening ended with a nice dinner in the lodge restaurant. Again, Mr. Jim was kind enough to treat us to a finely fixed meal to give us a break from the monotony of Mac n Cheese and Spaghetti. Beyond that the night was spent in our room talking and reading until our eyelids no longer felt like staying awake.

The following day was actually relatively pleasant and we still got to enjoy the park (although not as well as the other parks or as well as we would have liked). Let me just put this disclaimer out there. Yellowstone is absolutely enormous. With 800 miles of hiking trails and covering an area of 3,400 some square miles, it is no small park. With this said I think we were at a bit of a disadvantage at this park. If you go to this park I would suggest three things. 1) Be willing to drive to places you want to go. You can hike from where you drive but its not as fun if you stick to one area. 2) Give yourself enough time. Unlike a lot of parks, Yellowstone doesn’t have just a few attractions. The whole thing is an attraction with tons of things to see. Allow yourself time to see what you want to see. 3) Know what it is you want to see. If you come in without a plan its overwhelming and can be disappointing.

I would say we didn’t do any of the three things I just talked about. We did have a chance to drive around on our way out of the park the second day and saw some really cool mountains, lakes, and even some wildlife. Although I would say we underachieved at Yellowstone due to lazyness, a lack of a plan, and time shortage, it is truly a great park and its beauty is not hard to see.

Eastward we go as our trip quickly draws to a close in the coming days. Where has the time gone??