West Yellowstone is just outside the National Park, so our routine here was to pick up lunch at the decent supermarket close to the hotel, and then be driven for about an hour into the centre of the park. On our first day, it made sense that we did the big tourist thing and hit the geyser trail. We did this as a whole group, rather than splitting into 'harder' and 'easier' routes. Our guide here was Dave, who is about our age and, it became clear, knowledgeable about the park but somewhat introverted.
We parked near the Old Faithful Inn - built in 1904 and a stunning wooden construction. The Old Faithful geyser is so-named because of the predictability of its eruption schedule - between 45 and 125 minutes apart . We'd arrived in good time for the next one, so were able to sit on one of the benches and wait with the crowds. This felt similar to a show at Disneyland, without the pre-show entertainment. There were lots of children around - all very well behaved despite the longish wait.
We took a break in some shade, and most of us ate our lunch. Rosie made a little friend here and allowed it to crawl on her hand. This was put to an end when Dave pointed out that she'd have to have a rabies shot if she were bitten.
We'd worked out Dave's approach now - after a detailed and engaging description of a feature, during which he'd answer any questions (usually including one about pine trees) and then move on to the next feature at a fast pace, with no attempt to wait for the group. I think this was in order to avoid any 'small talk'. His descriptions often included details of the different ways that people and animals had died in the park. My favourite was the one about the bison that ventured onto the thin material surrounding a hot spring and fell in. The water in these hot springs can be close to boiling point so, even though the bison got itself out, it staggered over and died nearby. This was noticed by a bear that quickly came over and claimed a ready-poached dinner. In Dave's telling, the bear stood on top of the carcass in triumph.
After a few more geological features, we rendezvoused with Bo and his coach and headed back to the hotel. The Holiday Inn had a pool, so Rosie took a swim while I explored the town a bit - looking for souvenirs or a decent bar for later use! It's small, and clearly just a tourist town. It's easy to forget this is 'The West', but there were some reminders, not least the sign on the right - in the window of a photographers.
Dinner met our expectations - it was poor and once again featured carrot cake. A few of us joined Mike on his venture out on the town in search of a proper bar. We eventually found The Slippery Otter - a large selection of beer, sports on the TVs and a large contingent of bikers ordering pitchers. I think that counts as a real bar. Both the beers I had were good. No-one else wanted to stay for a third!
We parked near the Old Faithful Inn - built in 1904 and a stunning wooden construction. The Old Faithful geyser is so-named because of the predictability of its eruption schedule - between 45 and 125 minutes apart . We'd arrived in good time for the next one, so were able to sit on one of the benches and wait with the crowds. This felt similar to a show at Disneyland, without the pre-show entertainment. There were lots of children around - all very well behaved despite the longish wait.
Old Faithful obliged and was duly spectacular. We then had a brief visit to the Visitor Centre (and its loos) and re-assembled for our walk. After a short while on a boardwalk. passing a spectacular hot spring, and then ascended through woods to Observation Point, looking down on Old Faithful and the Inn. Dave had worked this well, because we were just in time for another eruption. we then descended to the boardwalks and followed Dave to a series of geysers, hot springs and mud pots.
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We took a break in some shade, and most of us ate our lunch. Rosie made a little friend here and allowed it to crawl on her hand. This was put to an end when Dave pointed out that she'd have to have a rabies shot if she were bitten.We'd worked out Dave's approach now - after a detailed and engaging description of a feature, during which he'd answer any questions (usually including one about pine trees) and then move on to the next feature at a fast pace, with no attempt to wait for the group. I think this was in order to avoid any 'small talk'. His descriptions often included details of the different ways that people and animals had died in the park. My favourite was the one about the bison that ventured onto the thin material surrounding a hot spring and fell in. The water in these hot springs can be close to boiling point so, even though the bison got itself out, it staggered over and died nearby. This was noticed by a bear that quickly came over and claimed a ready-poached dinner. In Dave's telling, the bear stood on top of the carcass in triumph.
After a few more geological features, we rendezvoused with Bo and his coach and headed back to the hotel. The Holiday Inn had a pool, so Rosie took a swim while I explored the town a bit - looking for souvenirs or a decent bar for later use! It's small, and clearly just a tourist town. It's easy to forget this is 'The West', but there were some reminders, not least the sign on the right - in the window of a photographers.
Dinner met our expectations - it was poor and once again featured carrot cake. A few of us joined Mike on his venture out on the town in search of a proper bar. We eventually found The Slippery Otter - a large selection of beer, sports on the TVs and a large contingent of bikers ordering pitchers. I think that counts as a real bar. Both the beers I had were good. No-one else wanted to stay for a third!
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