Wednesday, July 22, 2015 - Got off night shift at 7:30 a.m. Took the red eye from from Honolulu, Oahu, at 9 p.m. and arrived in Salt Lake City on Thursday, July 23, 2015 at 7:06 a.m. with Delta Airlines.
Day 2:
Thursday, July 23, 2015 - Got picked up from Salt Lake City International Airport. Stopped by the hotel. Utah State Capitol. Temple Square and Joseph Smith Memorial Building. Picnic lunch at a random park. Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. Dinner at Sandpiper Restaurant. Night at Shilo Inn in Idaho Falls.
Utah State Capitol.
Inside the Utah State Capitol. The beehive is the state's official emblem. It represents the qualities of industry, perseverance, thrift, stability, and self-reliance.
Temple Square. A complex owned by The Church of the Latter-day Saints.
Inferno Cone trail, Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. This national park encompasses 3 major lava fields.
View from the end of the Inferno Cone trail. Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve.
Indian Tunnel, Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. A lava tube cave. You must obtain a permit before entering the caves in order to prevent the spread of white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that kills bats.
Day 3:
Friday, July 24, 2015 - Breakfast at Shilo Inn. Morning stroll on the Idaho Falls Greenbelt trail to the hydroelectric falls. Drive to Yellowstone National Park. Lunch at the Buffalo Bar in West Yellowstone. Yellowstone National Park (Lower Geyser Basin, Midway Geyser Basin, Upper Geyser Basin). Dinner at the house. Night in West Yellowstone.
Morning stroll on the Idaho Falls Greenbelt trail along Snake River with a view of Idaho Falls Idaho Temple in the far back.
Walked the Idaho Falls Greenbelt trail from our hotel to the Idaho Falls waterfalls which are created by a diversion dam for a hydroelectric power project.
Lower Geyser Basin, Yellowstone N.P. Silex Spring. Temperature 193F. The orange are bacteria mats of cyanobacteria which are thermophiles that can live in temperatures as hot as 167F.
Lower Geyser Basin, Yellowstone N.P.
Fumeroles or a steam vent. The water boils away before reaching the surface. Lower Geyser Basin, Yellowstone N.P.
Fountain Paint Pot. Temperature 202.8F. The pink and gray tint of the mud is derived from iron oxides of the original rock.
The crowd waiting for Old Faithful to erupt. Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone N.P.
Old Faithful erupts every 30-120 minutes. Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone N.P.
Blue Star Spring. In the mid-1980's a bison calf fell into the pool and the bones can still be seen at the bottom. Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone N.P.
Sawmill Geyser. Erupts every 1-3 hours for about 15-90 minutes. Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone N.P.
Old Faithful Inn. The largest log structure in the world. 327 rooms available. Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone N.P.
Unnamed spring south of Midway Geyser Basin. Yellowstone N.P.
Bacteria mats of excelsior geyser. Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone N.P.
The runoff from the Grand Prismatic Spring. Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone N.P.
Grand Prismatic Spring as seen from Midway Geyser Basin. Yellowstone N.P.
Day 4:
Saturday, July 25, 2015 - Breakfast at the house. Yellowstone National Park (Gibbon Falls, Norris Geyser Basin, Lower and Upper Falls, Tower Fall, Lamar Valley, Mammoth Hot Springs). Picnic lunch at Canyon Village. Dinner at the house. Night in West Yellowstone.
In the morning in Madison Valley. Yellowstone N.P.
Gibbon Falls, Yellowstone N.P.
Norris Geyser Basin, Yellowstone N.P.
Norris Geyser Basin, Yellowstone N.P. The green is thermophilic algae, or phototrophs, that live in temperatures from 100-133F.
Norris Geyser Basin, Yellowstone N.P.
Yellowstone River and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Yellowstone N.P.
Osprey nest on the the ledges of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Yellowstone N.P.
View of Lower Falls from Artist Point. Yellowstone N.P.
Bison in Lamar Valley. Took this from the driver's side as he was walking straight at our car. Had to reverse out of his way. Thought he would walk around the car, but he didn't. He ended up crossing the road to the other side. Yellowstone N.P.
Bison in Lamar Valley. Yellowstone N.P.
The North American pronghorn. Lamar Valley, Yellowstone N.P.
Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone N.P.
Day 5:
Sunday, July 26, 2015 - Breakfast at the house. Yellowstone National Park (Short hike to view the Grand Prismatic Spring, West Thumb Geyser Basin, Lake Yellowstone Hotel, Mud Volcano, Sulphur Caldron, Hayden Valley, sunset at Upper Geyser Basin). Picnic lunch next to Yellowstone Lake. Dinner at the house. Night in West Yellowstone.
Short hike from the Fairy Falls trail to get a view of Grand Prismatic Spring from the top. Yellowstone N.P.
Unnamed spring next to the Firehole River on the Fairy Falls Trail. Yellowstone N.P.
Fishing cone in Yellowstone Lake. West Thumb Geyser Basin, Yellowstone N.P.
Black Pool. West Thumb Geyser Basin, Yellowstone N.P.
Mix of colors. West Thumb Geyser Basin, Yellowstone N.P.
Dragon's Mouth Spring. Mud Volcano area, Yellowstone N.P.
Mud Volcano. Yellowstone N.P.
Black Dragon's Cauldron and Sour Lake. Mud Volcano area, Yellowstone N.P.
Sulphur Caldron with some bison hanging around. Yellowstone N.P.
Hayden Valley, Yellowstone N.P.
Walking around the Upper Geyser Basin at sunset. Yellowstone N.P.
Walking around the Upper Geyser Basin at sunset. Yellowstone N.P.
Morning Glory Pool at sunset. Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone N.P.
Day 6:
Monday, July 27, 2015 - Breakfast at the house. Yellowstone National Park (Lewis Falls). Grand Teton National Park (Colter Bay hike, Jackson Lake Lodge for lunch, Phelps Lake hike, Signal Mountain Lodge for dinner). Night at Colter Bay Village Cabins.
Lewis Falls, Yellowstone N.P.
View of the Teton mountain range from the Colter Bay hike. Grand Teton N.P.
View of the Teton mountain range from Jackson Lodge. Grand Teton N.P.
Phelps Lake, Grand Teton N.P.
Day 7:
Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - Grand Teton National Park (Taggart Lake hike). Lunch at Jackson Hole, Cafe Genevieve. Drive to Salt Lake City. Shower at the hotel. Dinner at Stoneground Kitchen. 10:05 p.m. flight from Salt Lake City to Portland with Delta Airlines. Arrived at 10:54 p.m. Overnight at the Portland International Airport.
Deer at Jackson Lodge, Grand Teton N.P.
Taggart Lake, Grand Teton N.P.
Antler Arch. Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Day 8:
Wednesday, July 29, 2015 - 7:05 a.m. flight from Portland to Honolulu with Alaska Airlines. Arrived at 9:55 a.m. Night shift that night for 3 nights in a row and then flew to Las Vegas at 11:20 a.m. and arrived 11:52 p.m. on Saturday, August 1, 2015 with United Airlines.
