YELLOWSTONE - OLD FAITHFUL

MAINLAND ADVENTURE cont.

Sun Sept 1 cont.

The historic Old Faithful Hotel seemed quite the zoo after our backwoods cabins.  We got a great room - with the bathroom just down two short halls!  The bathrooms had been renovated and were very nice, vintage with small tiles. 

 Historic Old Faithful Inn

Old Faithful geyser is focal point

            It shot up every hour for decades until an earthquake 30 some years ago changed the clock.  It is now predictable within 20 minutes and most establishments have the next approximate time posted so you can line up to watch. 

Our great room

Erica met us and we went geyser gazing – she ran when she saw that Bee Hive was going off, yelling, "come on."

 The beehive hustle

Bee hive 

We passed Castle and it was threatening to go with inviting little bursts.  We all got to see Grand go off, knowing it would because the companion Vent and Turban went off first. 

 Castle geyser - just teasing us

 Vent, Turban, and Grand

 Grand is kicking behind us

This is the effect on nearby trees

some are just turning white near the ground and are called bobby-sock trees

We continued along the boardwalk and while chatting Gil spotted a bear paw print.  Erica said she had heard a rumor that a bear was walking the geyser field and now she had evidence!  Very fun with an expert; she clearly loves the place. 

 Crested Pool

All different, all fascinating

 Story boards on the boardwalk explain everything

Chatting Shadows 

We had a really good visit

 The bear paw (grizzly)

He is braver than we are walking on this thin crusted stuff over hot steaming water!

Erica upper right

"You know when it is really about to go because of the geyser gazers, 

you know, the ones with hats or umbrellas and little notebooks."

The Firehole River runs through the geyser area with bridges connecting the boardwalks. 

Firehole River

We turned around at Grotto.  On our way back we could see Old Faithful rising in the distance.

OF in distance

We headed for the cafeteria and got our food, sat at the window just in time to watch Old Faithful go right in front of us.  Erica headed home to meet us again Monday (labor day) to go swimming with trout and canoeing on West Thumb.  We cleaned up and crashed. 

Mon Sept 2

We got up and got layered in swim suits under our clothes, our bags packed for an eventful outdoors day.  We went to the hotel dining room and ate a ridiculously big breakfast from the buffet.  Erica got held up with her winter job, making reservations for the yurt camp (see below).  A rain storm moved in from Utah and it was chilly.  The swimming was out and so was the boating by the time she made it over. 

I took advantage of the ambience of the crazy old inn with its burled woodwork and historic items like the big clock. 

 Old Faithful Inn lobby

The amazing fireplace/clock 3 stories high

 It really felt like the stairs should start moving like at Hogwarts

The crow's nest at the top was where the band played at one time but the earthquake made it unstable and the hotel found it too costly to make it safe

 I overheard someone ask where they could go see the crooked trees these posts came from

Go figure!

 The lounge on our floor (3rd)  

very mellow compared with downstairs

Several of these old desks with glass shdes

this one had both a plug and a working light - a great place to download all we had seen

Erica brought bikes but by then I was busy on the computer in the comfy third floor foyer with beautiful 100 year old desks.  She and Gil took a bike ride out to Lone Star geyser.  

 Erica protesting her picture at Lonestar Geyser

This is a spot she thinks she'd like a tent - with a hot tub

When I got yantsy (after the rain stopped) I walked the geyser boardwalk for a 3 mile loop and met up with them as I was coming back from Morning Glory – one of the more famous sites of geyser land.  They rode on out for a peek, too.

 The Grotto

 Plenty of mountain bluebirds playing around here but hard to photograph

Morning Glory

One of my favorites

It was too late for Erica to stay for dinner; she headed home in her outfitter van.  

Erica's van full of toys, boats, bikes, clothes, etc.

Shame we didn't get to snorkel with trout - next time 

She had brought us her brochure for the winter adventures she runs in the Canyon area of the park with warm stays in comfy yurts and cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the woods.  Someday . . . .

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Old Faithful gushing before dark

  

Dinner was poor at the cafeteria.  Too late we discovered the good restaurant was the Obsidian at Snow Lodge behind the visitor’s center – next time!  We consoled ourselves with a good game of cards in the 3^rd floor foyer using our solar charged light at a big oak table.  We loved the old hotel and were really glad we stayed there.  
Oh yeah, Erica had told me about the secret bath tub closet on the 2nd floor.  I went looking after our card game and was happy to find it.  It was fairly late when I tiptoed down one floor in my PJs to soak in bubbles before bed.