Sunday, June 11, 2006

We left Devil's Tower this morning and drove until 8:30 pm to get to Cody Wyoming.  We did stop a lot to enjoy the scenery.  It really was breathtaking.  It seems that everywhere you look, it is so pretty that you would think it is not real. 

Monday, June 12, 2006

Made it into Yellowstone!  On the way into the park there was a coyote running along the side of the road right by the cars.    We  spent the day exploring all the things to see in the area we are camping in.  We saw 2 waterfalls, and countless animals.  The mud volcanoes are really neat.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Made the North Loop.  We finally got to see some Big Horn Sheep!  They were out on the side of a mountain.  Three Ewe and four lamb.  We had to view them through binoculars so I could not get any pictures.  Also saw an Osprey nesting and then there was a falcon nest with three chicks.  Mammoth Springs is at the top of the loop.  Everywhere there are huge white chalky looking formations. At some times of the year, the entire thing is a giant waterfall, but right now only a couple of waterfalls are going.  After we left Mammoth Springs, we drove down to another area of the park.  There were two buffalo just walking down the road.  They had the traffic tied up pretty good.  We don't know how long they were actually on the road, but we witnessed them walking about 5 miles.  It was pretty funny.  Everywhere you look there are really odd things to see.  Steam is coming out of the ground everywhere.  From one side of the park to the other, you see steam.  There are beautiful pools of water.  Some are just boiling and some are steaming.  It is hard to describe.

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Today was a very strange day.  When we left the campground, it was 68 degrees. Then the temperature started to drop.  Within a few minutes, it was 37 degrees.  It started to rain and hail, then it started to snow.  It was just a little snow, but it really got the kids excited.  We drove out to see Old Faithful.  We had to wait a little while, the kids wined the whole time because it was so cold, but as soon as the geyser finished going off Kaleb wanted to stay to see it again! 

After we had finished out sightseeing for the day, and had gone back to the camper, it started raining again.  About 7:00, Everett noticed that rain was not hitting the top of the camper, but something was still falling outside.  It was snowing, big huge snowflakes!  It was more snow than we have ever had at home.  We forgot about dinner and had to go outside in the snow.  It only snowed for about 45 minutes, and it melted as soon as the snow stopped falling, but it was really neat.  At the campgrounds in the park have no electricity or water, so it made for a cold night.  But not as bad as the people who were camping next us.  They were from South Africa, and they were staying in a tent! 

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Left Yellowstone.  Drove all day.  The trip across Montana was beautiful.

 We stopped for the night in a very small town called St. Regis. There is a carving on every tree stump in the campground.  It is pretty neat.

Friday, June 16, 2006

Drove all day. Left Montana, crossed Idaho, made it a long way across Washington.  Stopped for the night at a USDA campground about 1 1/2 hours from Seattle.

Saturday, June 17, 2006

We are in Whidbey Washington.  Whidbey is an island in Oak Harbor, north of
Seattle.  After we got camp set up, we went our to explore the park.  It is really beautiful.  I have near personally seen mountains that go right up to the beach.  The trees are huge, and they all look like Christmas trees.  The beach is kind of strange though.  The sand is not white.  It is more peppered looking.  When you look at it closer, it is more like multicolored crushed rock.  The mountains are black rock and all over the beach there are nice round rocks of all colors and types.  There are a lot of granite rocks.