Yellowstone Scenes: Lake, Mud Volcanoes & Odds & Ends

No trip to Yellowstone is complete without visiting Old Faithful, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and Mammoth Terraces. But there were so many other odds and ends that we managed to see during our four days at the park. Here are some of the best of the rest.

Grand Prismatic Spring

Sunset Lake

Views in Gardiner, Montana

Half-staff flags after shootings in Dayton and El Paso.

Roosevelt Arch in background.

Mud Volcanoes

Stinky!

A bear!

Yellowstone Lake

West Thumb Geyser Basin (Yellowstone Lake in background)

Find Paul and Atticus! (Hint: Paul is in red.)

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

We spent basically an entire day of our Yellowstone trip exploring the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and its amazing views.

We started with the North Rim drive, stopping first at Lookout Point and then Grand View. We intended to take a short walk along a trail but inadvertently followed the North Rim trail from Grand View to Inspiration Point. It was about a 90 minute hike round trip, but the return trip felt much shorter since by that time we knew the exact distance. Atticus did well, Edith acted like we were killing her, and all of us learned some hiking skills from Paul -- there were number of steep and slippery parts in which they came in useful.

After lunch at Canyon Lodge, we followed the South Rim drive. Unfortunately the steps to Uncle Tom's Trail were closed, but the astounding view of the Lower Falls and the canyon at Artist Point was certainly the highlight of the day, and one of the best stops of the trip.

A Day at Yellowstone: Mammoth Terraces, Lamar Valley & Tower Fall

We stayed close to "home" on our initial day at Yellowstone, and a rewarding first day it was. We rented an Airbnb apartment in Gardiner, Montana, just minutes from the northern entrance to the park. We arrived at the airport in Bozeman the night before, stayed near the airport and then made the 90-minute drive from the airport hotel to the park entrance the next morning. First up: a few photos at the Yellowstone entrance sign and the Roosevelt Arch.

Look closely for Paul and the kids!

Then on to Mammoth Terraces, a dramatic start to the trip with the unique sights and sulfuric smells. It was a long walk full of steps and sun that didn't do much for Edith's mood! Lunch at the nearby Terrace Grill, which included kids' meals served in a cardboard school bus, helped.

After an impromptu and underwhelming stop at a petrified tree, we drove through Lamar Valley. I hesitate to guess how many hundreds of buffalo we saw -- sometimes alone, mostly in herds and one in the middle of the road walking by our car as we stared out the window in awe.

Buffalo everywhere.

Tower Fall waterfall was our last stop of the day -- a lovely view, followed by a steep trail downhill that leads to the river. Paul and Edith made it to the water, but Atticus and I opted not to follow the last bit of unmaintained trail. The day was a rewarding start to the trip, and an excellent introduction into the variety of things we were to see at Yellowstone.

Find Paul and Edith! (Hint: He's in red.)