Yellowstone National Park (Day Two)

Sunrise along the Madison River

We were up at 5:00 a.m., made coffee and were on our way in time to catch the sun coming up as we drove along the Madison River in West Yellowstone. I really like that the park has many areas in which you can pull off the road easily to catch a view along a river or view a mountain range or have lunch while watching the Bison graze in the Hayden Valley or Lamar Valley. 

I spent much of my (Steven's) vacation and long weekend time during my adult years planing backpacking trips with friends to some pretty exotic locations within the U.S. The idea was to get away from the crowds and find isolation in nature. Nature was my church.

Traveling in Miranda has offered us some of that kind of isolation also, but not as much. For one thing, Melanie is still working part-time and we need to be connected at least 5 days a week so she can perform her job. 

We've done a few national parks, but mostly in the off season, that is, when the kids are in school and there isn't as much competition for space in the campgrounds. Yellowstone, I believe, is our first park we've stayed in during the summer months. And I have to tell you, since we fly by the seat of our pants (generally no reservations too far in advance), I don't mind the idea of first come, first served camping spots, especially since we don't mind an early morning cue in the van. I mean we have coffee and breakfast at hand. We're home.

Anyway, here's day two of driving Miranda in Yellowstone. This time we did the upper loop of that Grand Drive thing. Yellowstone, the first and oldest national park. It's an amazing place. A treasure.