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.)