On the road!
Now we're in Badland-country - SD!
Time to explore!
Kiss-Kiss!
Sunset in the Badlands~
"Our Shot!"
Ah. The Golden Hour :)
This ad in the middle of the wheat field. Fitting, yet funny!
Devil's Tower - SD
Everyone knows I'm never satisfied with just one 'angle' when photographing such phenomena.
It really was this winding in the mountains!
Devil's Kitchen - WY
Yes. We SAW the tornado - and continued driving... Toward it. (What were we thinking?? I dunno.) But, we got a little taste of storm-chasing adventure!
Thankfully, the funnel pulled back upward, and then re-formed into this swirling cone-vortex on the other side of the road as we passed. Well-timed.
Oh darn... Another crappy view from our campsite! ;) ;)
In CODY, WY! Time for some rodeo, cowgirls!! Yeeehaw!
Now I ask you... Where else can you sit on a LIVE bull and take photos?!?
We were trained by the announcer... to sympathize with those who didn't make time: 1, 2, 3
"Aw SHUCKS!"
As the sun was setting, the girls got to join oodles of other kids and chase calves for ribbons attached to their tails bearing prizes. (The girls LOVED the rodeo. Woot!)
More beautiful scenery en-route to the Grand Tetons...
Yellowstone Lake
There are the Tetons!
Our campsite for the night, just outside of the Tetons - creek-side!
Dinner - like a true cow-hand. :)
I'm too unbalanced to try to walk this. I'll crawl, thanks!
"Our Shot" - family-style!
When the GPS has no clue where you are... you know you're having an adventure!
Oh. We're in IDAHO. Hahahaha!
From the backseat we heard a small voice blurt out, "Badlands!" We started to explain that we were past the Badlands now... (by quite a ways) - - and then we turned and realized... she was remembering!
Hmmm... Not a bad idea for us, actually.
YELLOWSTONE! Our amazing camping spot for 5 nights! If only we had a decent view ;) ;)
Our first "Hot Pots!" sighting (Addie's words as we drove past each one along the way.)
Chill time!
Yep... Just no good views on this trip ;) (Our 2-week-long joke!)
Mammoth Hot Springs
Onto the next spot!
"Steamboat Geyser"
"Cistern Spring"
Sights within the Norris Geyser Basin...
Approved!
Our family-find... $4 bucks! Yep. I needed that candle holder. It's so US!
Addie fell in love with a Jackalope in Wall Drug. That's too cute.
Even the Thistle was pretty.
Never thought I'd say this... but 'beautiful bacteria!'
A little drizzle didn't stop us. Mamma came prepared!
A cooler day meant more steam during our exploration. LOVE!
Gorgeous. Love, love, love!
Old Faithful - right on schedule. The clouds parted just in time to allow the low-lying sun to make geyser-magic!
We could see blue steam rising from this spot during our drive from high-points very far away... It is "Excelsior Geyser Crater"
I believe this was the "Fountain Paintpot"
I think this was even prettier at dusk.
We have arrived at the summit of the Lower Falls of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone!
Clouds parted just as I got my turn to take these photos! THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
One of my favorite all-time photos ;)
Our first close encounter - just feet away from the truck!
Buff in a puff...
"Mud Volcano"
"Churning Caldron"
"Artists Paint-pots"
Our young cowgirls wranglin' up some prairie dogs :)
Too bad for that view ;)
Buff in the Fluff...
More views of that canyon~
Mmmmm. Fog.
Buff lookin' tough....
"Petrified Tree"
This is "Roaring Mountain". Until it finally cooled off a bit - we had no idea why this was 'roaring'. No activity at all could be seen. Then, on a cool day the steam was evident, and beautiful. We stopped for the photo-opp, and you could hear the steam. It was a hushed 'roaring' rumble. Very cool.
This cool little guy is nearly hidden.
While here, we saw all 5 entrances to the park, drove the entire main roadways throughout the park over the course of the 5 days - and stopped at almost all of the sights! AMAZING!!! A total of 2 weeks and 4000+ photos later (no exaggeration) I narrowed it down to these 309 faves to share with you here! ~ See you again, Yellowstone! Bye for now ~
Now entering, the 'Badlands' of NORTH Dakota. Here you will find several buffalo "portraits". They all have a somewhat different appearance. Funny!
Baby-Buff
Prairie Dogs... Addie wanted to "take one home with us"! (So I found the stuffed variety. Yay!)
WILD Horses! I nearly jumped out the window to get these shots...
Buff on a Bluff!
Aw. Another crappy view. Dang! ;)
We surprised the girls and swung back down to Aberdeen, SD to visit Storybook Land! We had the whole place to ourselves, it was great! (HOT. But great!)
(They will be pirates for Halloween this year, you know. All 4 of us, actually!)
Old MacDonald DID have a farm... with real animals!
We have been SO into Wizard of Oz... This was ideal!
After walking through Dorothy's House (gift shop), you exit through a 'tornado' simulation, and wallah... You're not in Kansas anymore.
I bet I know what song is playing in your head right now. Me too. (Dang it.... Not again!)
We hadn't realized it was so HOT over the rainbow...
Addie wasn't too sure about entering the lion's den at first.
No monkeys? Oh wait - there are 2 of them right THERE!
Fitting.
Look at us, rockin' the castle!
Addie was partial to the knight on his white horse... Hmmmmm. Oh boy.
Myla & mommy were in burger-heaven. OMG - SOOOO good!
Yep. SUCCESS! "Until next time!"
