Yellowstone NP with Grandchildren
It’s a little over one hour drive from our grandchildren’s house to the west gate of Yellowstone National Park. (Gallatin, Beaverhead and Deerlodge national forests are about 15 minutes away.) But like many, visiting a local tourist attraction is something seldom done. So, Grandma and Grandpa decided a day trip was in order.
It took two vehicles, a couple of coolers, and a mound of towels and we were off. South on US 287, over Reynolds Pass, down on US 20 and everyone was ready for a picnic lunch in West Yellowstone, MT. Through the Park’s entrance and the children immediately wanted to know, “Are we there yet?” and “Where are the animals?”
Our first stop was Firehole Falls to watch the water thunder through a narrow chute and then off to a wonderful swimming hole well above the Falls. (Take Firehole Canyon Drive almost to the end. Parking is on the left but be careful as the roadway is fairly narrow and drivers seem to be ready to get back to the main road.)
As tricky as you might think the parking is, the hike down, and later back up, is a real challenge for little legs.
After a dip in the refreshing water of Firehole River, we were off to see Old Faithful Geyser. We had about a 40 minute wait so grandchildren and their parents got some frozen yogurt (Huckleberry for the girls, chocolate and vanilla swirl of the boy and vanilla for Mommy & Daddy) which was eaten while sitting on a window sill of one of the Lodges’s enormous picture window. That was pretty cool.
The show is beginning!
We found pretty good seats and waited maybe 20 minutes for Old Faithful to do its things. Spectacular but may be the best part was the wind kept blow a mist from the geyser over us. After sitting in the hot sunlight for 20 minutes, that mist felt wonderful.
Back to West Yellowstone, MT for dinner (pizza and spaghetti) and then home.
All-in-all, it was a good day.
