Yellowstone ---Day 1

We finally got to beautiful Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming on Day 7 of our West Trip this past September (Sept. 12-27, 2012).  We spent five busy days here --and could have stayed many more since this park is HUGE.

We divided our days up into different areas of the park.  On this first day,  we visited the northwest areas (including the Norris Geyser Basin,  Mammoth Hot Springs,  Tower Falls, and Gardiner).    I'll share this first day's experience in two blog posts since we have SO many photos....

The good news for us waterfall lovers is that we saw FIVE new waterfalls on this first day...  The waterfalls at Yellowstone are fabulous.   BUT--we saw lots of wildlife,  geysers and basins in addition to the waterfalls.  What a fabulous place!!!! Hope you enjoy our pictures.  Be sure to enlarge them for better views.

Above is one of many beautiful pictures showing all of the different colors.. This area is called ARTIST PAINTPOTS...  One can see just why artists would love being here.  To learn more about this area, click HERE.

We really enjoyed the NORRIS GEYSER BASIN...  Here is a picture showing some of the area --including our FIRST geyser,  LEDGE Geyser.  Doesn't this area just look like another world?   You need to see it in person to grasp the feelings one gets from visiting here.

Here is the PORCELAIN TERRACE SPRINGS area at Norris Geyser Basin.

This picture shows more of the colors formed in the areas of the geyser basin. If you want to read more information about this area,  click HERE.

This collage shows some of MANY photos we took of ELK the entire time we were there. We saw elk everywhere throughout the park --but loved seeing the ones right in the middle of town at Mammoth Hot Springs... It was Sept ---so that male was quite interested in the ladies (as you can see from the 'sniffy sniffy' photo in the middle on the top).... ha ha.....  If you want to hear a Bull Elk bugle/holler (during rutting/mating season) ---click HERE.   Here's another video taken a couple of weeks after we were there.  This one shows a couple of Bull Elks fighting.  Click HERE for that one.

George took this picture of a Happy Girl ---after seeing this beautiful waterfall.  This is GIBBON FALLS.

Here is a collage I made showing Gibbon Falls --and also showing Rustic Falls...  This is the first two (of 5) that we saw that first day at Yellowstone.

Look at this Buffalo..... Besides elk,  we also saw lots of BUFFALOES  in the park...  I'll share a collage in another blog post.

Here is a collage showing more from Mammoth Hot Springs.  According to a friend who lives near there,  this area was not as pretty as it usually is due to the drought in the area... BUT--it was pretty to us.  To read more about this area, click HERE.

I'll close with a picture of George and me taken  at the Norris Geyser Basin.

There will be many more pictures to come.   This was only 'part' of the first day we were there... It's hard to pick a favorite area since they are all unique and fabulous.

GOOD NEWS for ME:   I went to the doctor yesterday for my annual physical.  Got the best report I have gotten in years... All of my weight loss, healthy eating, and exercise is paying off..... Don't have to go back for a YEAR.   YEAH RAH!!!

Have a great day.

Hugs,

Emoticons

An Arkansas Valentine Week

George and I took a little trip this past week to celebrate the joy of being each others' Valentines!!!  We went to one of our favorite places,  to Mt. Nebo in Arkansas.  Many of you know about Mt. Nebo if you have followed my blog awhile.  We visit there at least once a year --and even went twice a couple of years.  It's just a piece of heaven to us!!!!

We rent a cabin on top of the mountain (we call it 'our' cabin since we ask for the same cabin every year)---with a view of the valley below and of the sunset.  The picture above shows us sitting outside on top of our picnic table --while waiting for the sun to set.. It was a gorgeous late afternoon in Arkansas on 2/14/13.  

Here is the sunset we saw that evening.  Isn't that just fabulous????

The cabin is a place where we can go to RELAX.   We see wildlife all around the cabin and there are lots of places to hike in the area.  We also visit other nearby areas each time we go.  There's just no place better for a REAL vacation.    Here's a picture of the back of our cabin. 

The cabin has a fabulous wood-burning fireplace ---so you can imagine how much we enjoyed sitting by the fire when we were there.

We enjoyed all kinds of weather --and even had a little snow one night.  BUT--for the most part,  the weather was really really nice this year.  However, the day we went to Mt. Magazine (2/13/13) --the wind was VERY cold.  You can tell in this photo at one of the overlooks how cold we were.  It was fun though!!!!

One of the joys each year is seeing WILDLIFE while we are there.  There are deer on our mountain which are almost tame.   AND of course I have to take a bag of birdseed with me--to feed the little birds.  They must wait for me to get there since they found the birdseed quickly!!!!  One bird that we don't have too many of in my area of Tennessee is the Dark-eyed Junco.  Arkansas has lots of them --along with Cardinals, Tufted Titmice, Nuthatches, etc.

BUT---to my great excitement this year,  I saw a new 'life' bird for me,  a ROADRUNNER (pictured above)...  I had never seen one before ---so this is one of the highlights of this trip for me.  Isn't he amazing???   All I could think about was the old cartoon... Remember "Beep Beep"???????

We did quite a bit of hiking that week.  On this day (2/11/13) ---we hiked the King's Bluff Loop Trail --and saw a fabulous (HUGE) waterfall.  We also walked along the cliff's edge (note picture above) ---and looked at all of the different rock designs and pedestals.

On another day (2/14/13) --- we hiked on the Pedestal Rock Loop Trail --and saw some very unique pedestals (which I will show in another blog post).  Here is a picture of us on that trail.

After leaving the Pedestal Rock Loop Trail,  we drove down a dirt road in search of a beautiful waterfall,  Falling Water Falls.   I will share more pictures later of this beautiful waterfall with you --but I wanted you to see a tiny bit of it today.  The water here is a gorgeous shade of aqua!!!!  Beautiful!

I will end by showing you a picture of a sunrise. We saw the sunrise about 7 a.m. (after a drive down the street) at Sunrise Point 3 different mornings.  All of them are different --but this one (2/12/13) was a favorite.  Mt. Nebo offers benches at Sunrise Point for one to sit and enjoy the sunrise...  SO beautiful!!!!

Well--as you can tell,  we had a glorious week in Arkansas.   Hope you all had a good week also.  I have MUCH more to share---but those will come in time!!!

Have a fabulous Monday.

Hugs,

Emoticons