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Thermal Vent, Yellowstone National Park

by Brian on February 28, 2014 in Photo of the Day, United States, Wyoming

The Ordinary Beauty of Yellowstone National Park

by Brian on October 24, 2012 in Travel, United States, Wyoming

Yellowstone is anything but ordinary. Diverse may be a better one-word description of this iconic park. Huge is another good contender.

At 3,472 square miles, Yellowstone is more than two times larger than the entire state of Rhode Island. Even the massive volcanic caldera that gives rise to its signature hot springs and geysers still only represents about 40% of the park. The rest is covered by seemingly endless miles of natural beauty that is more typical of what we’ve come to expect from our national parks.

The Colors of Yellowstone National Park

by Brian on October 15, 2012 in Travel, United States, Wyoming

Abyss Pool, West Thumb Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Amazingly vibrant color, more than any other single thing, is what puts Yellowstone in a league all by itself. For some unknown reason, though, the park’s collection of frequently erupting geysers gets most of the attention. Old Faithful, it seems, is as much a national landmark as the overexposed giant heads of Mount Rushmore. But seeing a column of water burst from the ground like an ordinary city fountain is every bit as exciting as it sounds. Having to wait 90 minutes or more to actually see one makes it decidedly less so.

The Otherworldliness of Yellowstone National Park

by Brian on October 12, 2012 in Travel, United States, Wyoming

Ignorance truly is bliss.

To say that we were ignorant about what we’d find at Yellowstone National Park is a bit of an understatement. We knew the park contained a geyser called Old Faithful but not much beyond that. We assumed, given its close proximity to the adjoining Teton Range, we’d mostly find more of the same at Yellowstone: alpine lakes, mountains, and rugged natural beauty. What we found, instead, was like nothing we’d ever seen before.

Mormon Row, Grand Teton NP

by Brian on October 8, 2012 in Travel, United States, Wyoming

Grand Teton National Park John Moulton Barn Mormon Row

John Moulton Barn, “Mormon Row” Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Around the turn of the 20th century Mormon settlers established 27 homesteads in the shadow of the Teton Mountain Range in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Today, six building clusters remain and are preserved as part of Grand Teton National Park’s “Mormon Row.”