Yellowstone has been designed to be the centerpiece of this trip and as such, it is set up to be a major disappointment. Grand Canyon in 2007 was a kind of a let-down after so many other amazing parks. So I was ready for this to be a kind of a bummer. And the first day as we drove into the park with our first planned destination over 50 miles away and traffic inside the park at a standstill after a couple miles...things didn't look good.
But soon we realized that the traffic was slowing down as people viewed a bald eagle nest just off the road, and also to allow some buffalo to safely cross...and things started looking up.
I like it here.
It's weird...first of all, this whole place is nature's freakshow - there is so much bizarre and unique stuff in this place that it doesn't seem real. The mountains aren't as impressive as Glacier, but the thermal features alone are enough to make a whole park somewhere else, and we haven't even done half of it.
The other thing about Yellowstone is...it's one of the few places I've been where I do not feel self-conscious fanatically filming everything I see. I'm actually laid back compared to most of these people. I've seen 8 year olds with better cameras than me snapping pics right and left. This is family vacation Eden...and this KOA is the epicenter.
It's scary here. It's like Pleasantville...or the Stepford KOA...I keep thinking they're going to ask us to leave because we're not happy enough. Best way to describe it is...at all these campgrounds they have bikes and pedal cars you can rent...and usually they're laying idle. It's one of those "Oh what a neat idea...ride around with your family..." things...but no one ever does it. Well, here I reguarly see families of six...and I mean with 4 teenagers...happily riding along in a 6-seat tandem pedal car as if this isn't inherently bizarre and abnormal. It's frightening.
Then again, it might be a result of the pot I keep smelling about 3 spaces down...
Anyway, we did the obligatory Old Faithful today. timing worked out very well, got a good seat and only had to wait about 10 minutes. The girls were good and patient, if not entirely impressed. I had heard horror stories about the crowds at Old Faithful, but it wasn't a madhouse. Of course we left crazy early today and our eruption was around 10am...so maybe it's worse later on. Either way...not as overrun as Grand Canyon was.
Tomorrow we'll head back in to catch the stuff we've missed so far. Then on our 4th day here we're undecided. Grand Tetons perhaps...just chilling out perhaps...it's a long string of drive, camp, drive, camp, drive, camp to get home. Might need the day to relax.
Pics later. Almost caught up.
Matt
Me and Michael J. Fox
3 months ago
