Friday, September 23, 2022

Spectacular Yellowstone National Park + TAD and FFO


Terry and I are back home after a refreshing and encouraging
three-night stay in magnificent Yellowstone National Park. 

Standing on Artist's Point Overlooking the Lower Falls on the Yellowstone River
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA
September 14, 2022
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved


After being pandemic housebound for over two years,
it was amazingly refreshing to hike in the wilderness again.
I love my little park along Piney Creek
where I've been observing nature for seventeen years,
but it is not wilderness, and I have been craving wilderness.

White-breasted Nuthatch Along Piney Creek
Aurora, Colorado, USA
April 20, 2019
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
  
And the trip was encouraging because Terry and I have improved so much physically
since we had to cut short our trip to Nova Scotia last month for medical reasons.

Terry Sitting Near the End of the Trail to Mystic Falls
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA
September 15, 2022
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved


Our hike to Mystic Falls was the favorite part of our trip for both of us.
We chose to take the shortest trail to the 70-foot falls
which drop from the Madison Plateau.
The trail, a 2.4-mile round trip along Little Firehole River,
passes through a beautiful mixed conifer forest.

The Trail to Mystic Falls Along the Little Firehole River
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA
September 15, 2022
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved




Well, Hello, Little Guy!
Sharing the Mystic Falls Trail
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA
September 15, 2022
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved

 The Woolly Bear Caterpillar:  specifically, the larva of the Isabella tiger moth (Pyrrharctia isabella)



Mystic Falls
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA
September 15, 2022
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved







This year marks the 150th Anniversary
of Yellowstone National Park.
It was created on March 1, 1872
when President Ulysses S. Grant
signed 2.2 million acres of
Wyoming, Montana and Idaho
into existence as America's
first national park.
Lake Lodge 
Yellowstone National Park
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved


Heinrich Berann NPS Panorama of Yellowstone
(as an employee of the National Park Service)
1991




Park Map
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA
September 14, 2022


I think Yellowstone National Park is one of the most spectacular places on the planet,
especially for someone like me who is fascinated by geology and volcanoes.
Yellowstone sits atop an active super volcano which was the site
of one of the largest volcanic eruptions ever known
and is potentially the most explosive and deadly volcano on Earth.
The park contains half the world's hydrothermal features,
an incredible assemblage of more than 10,000 hot springs
fumaroles, travertine terraces, mudpots, and geysers.

Firehole River with Hot Springs in the Background
Near Old Faithful Geyser
September 15, 2022
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved


Yellowstone is also known for its abundant and varied wildlife,
beautiful waterfalls, meadows, rivers and canyons. 
If you're lucky, you may get caught in a bison jam!

An Inviting Path
North of Yellowstone Lake
September 13, 2022
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved






It's a Bison Jam!
North of Yellowstone Lake
September 13, 2022
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved


******


The theme for my friend Rain's Thursday Art Date last week was Silhouettes.
Here are several silhouette photos:

Bison Silhouetted Against an Autumn Meadow
Yellowstone National Park
September 14, 2022
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved





Hikers Silhouetted Against the Grand Prismatic Spring in the Midway Geyser Basin
Yellowstone National Park
September 15, 2022
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved

The Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest hot spring in the United States
and the third largest in the world.




Lodgepole Pine Silhouetted Against the Sunset
Near Old Faithful Geyser
September 14, 2022
© M. Louise (MacBeath) B4rbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved


This week's TAD theme is Harvest Dinner.  Here are several harvest dinner photos:

A Woolly Bear Caterpillar Munches Its Harvest Dinner
Norris Geyser Basin
September 14, 2022
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved





Terry Enjoys a Harvest Meal and Mine Awaits
The Obsidian Dining Room in Old Faithful Snow Lodge 
September 14, 2022
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved





Woodland Pine Drops Ready for Harvest
Mystic Falls Trail
September 14, 2022
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved

The pine drops red stems can be eaten raw, roasted, or baked under the fire like mushrooms.
It's ground stems and berries can be used to make a cold infusion
to treat lung hemorrhages and nose bleeds,
while infusion of the roots has been used in the treatment of gonorrhea.


******


My photos for Nicole's Friday Face Off this week:

A Chipmunk Looking for Food to Harvest for Winter
Mystic Falls Trail
September 14, 2022
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved






My Favorite Face in the World
Mud Volcano Area
September 14, 2022
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved





These Furry Faces Were Part of a Bison Jam
Grand Loop Road Along the Gibbon River
September 14, 2022
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved




One of the Super Volcano's Many Mouths
Mud Volcano Area Along the Yellowstone River
20-second Video
September 14, 2022
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved


I'm looking forward to visiting around!
Have a great weekend! 





Till next time ~
Fundy Blue

  My next post will be on 
Friday, September 30, 2022.  ðŸ¤ž



On the Bay of Fundy
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved




 


56 comments:

  1. Yellowstone National Park looks wonderful........ I've been to Yosemite which too was great.
    It must be great to get out and about again because of the pandemic something I'm looking forward ro. I love my travelling and concert going. Hope both of you are feeling better.
    Have a great weekend, Take care.
    Yvonne.

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    1. Thanks, Yvonne! Terry and I are doing much better. On Wednesday I had my first of eight infusions that hopefully will improve my vision. I hope you are out and about very soon. Take care, and enjoy your weekend!

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  2. Wow, wow and wow. I am so glad that you could go - and that you shared some of the highlights with us. Thank you.

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    1. I'm glad that you enjoyed the post, Sue! We had so much fun. I can't wait to return! Have a great weekend!

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  3. Hi Louise, great to see you back i Blogland. Glad you had such a great trip to Yellowstone Park, it is a wonderful place to be. Thanks for sharing the photos of animals great and small. And nice to see your faces, and to hear that you are feeling better. And so lovely that your husbands's face is the most beautiful one in the world! Have a great weekend, hugs, Valerie

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    1. Thanks, Valerie! I nearly lost Terry to a terrible heart attack in April, 2021. He literally died on the table in a cath lab in the hospital. Fortunately the cardiologist revived him and saved his life. He's doing great now, and every day with him is a gift. We can never take our loved ones for granted. Have a great weekend and hugs to you!

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  4. You saw a lot in three days. Mystic Falls is beautiful.

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    1. Hi, Alex! Yes, we managed to see a lot. And there is so much more to see ~ I can't wait to return. Have a great weekend, my friend!

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  5. Wild and free! Such beautiful scenery. Glad both your health situations have improved now. I've always loved woolly bear caterpillars ever since I was a little girl. It's a treat to see one nowadays!

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    1. Thanks, Debra! It's great to be feeling a lot better and to get outdoors again. Thanks for identifying the caterpillar. I couldn't remember it's name, and I didn't stop and google search it. Brain glitch. I hadn't seen one in years. They are so cute! Have a great weekend!

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  6. How beautiful! It's been almost 50 years since I visited Yellowstone.

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    1. The wild beauty did my heart good, Diane! It had been about thirty years since we had been in Yellowstone. We'll be going back soon because we absolutely love it. Happy weekend to you!

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  7. A truly wonderful post. I have been to Yellowstone many times. Never get tired of it. Thank you for sharing with FFO.

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    1. Thanks, Nicole. I'm glad that you enjoyed my post. I can't wait to return to Yellowstone. Have a great weekend!

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  8. Sure some great shots indeed. Having fun is the way to be and enjoying nature too. Good you both can move around more these days too. Never even gone anywhere near Yellowstone. Maybe one day after I win the lottery lol riiight.

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    1. I hope that you get to see Yellowstone or any special place you want to see, Pat! I'm still trying to win the lottery ~ lol. Sending you energy and positive vibrations. I hope you don't get hammered by Fiona. Have a great weekend, my friend.

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  9. So glad you guys are doing better, magnificent photos.

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    1. Thanks, Christine! It's wonderful to feel a lot better and continuing to improve. I'm glad that you enjoyed the photos. Have a happy and relaxing weekend!

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  10. Wonderful images of Yellowstone which is one of my favorite places. I have visited any times and have always loved it. It's a place I never get tired of. We usually tent camp there and had some interesting experiences, like a bison walking through our tentsite and hearing the wolves howl in the wee hours. Unforgettable.

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    1. A bison walking through my tent site would definitely be interesting, Carola! I'm at the I-want-comfort stage of my life, so I was delighted to stay at Lake Lodge and Old Faithful Inn. I heard many wolves howling when I lived inland from James Bay. That is a sound you never forget, for sure. Have a great weekend!

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  11. ...Yellowstone, what a fabulous destination. I love go there, but I doubt if I'll ever make it. Short walks out taking pictures is about all that I can do these days. 2.4 miles round trip may be too long for me. The Bison jam looks exciting, but I've about the stupid things some people do near them. The Lodgepole Pine silhouetted against the sunset is a fabulous image. What kind of winter are the Woolly Bear Caterpillar predicting? Woodland Pine Drops are new to me, I had to Google it. I have a favorite face in the world too! Thanks for your many visits. Enjoy a wonderful weekend.

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    1. Thanks, Tom! I think the woolly bear caterpillar is predicting a colder winter, because it has a lot of black still. It won't be a problem for Terry and me because we are headed for Waikiki. Terry does not like winter. I would love to visit Yellowstone in the winter. I'm campaigning to return asap. Woodland pine drops were new to me also. I spotted the plant and took a photo because I wasn't familiar with it. That's the fun thing about wilderness. There is always something new to see. Your photos are wonderful, Tom. We all do what we can, and I appreciate the beauty and fun and interesting photos you capture each week. Those of us who have a favorite face in the world are truly fortunate. Have a great weekend, my friend!

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  12. I definitely would love to see Yellowstone one day. It's a shame I live on the opposite side of the country and plane tickets are expensive

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    1. Hi, Adam! It's always good to see you. It is expensive to fly, and you have a young family to take care of. I hope that you are finding much joy in your children and wife. Family is everything! You have lots of time to see Yellowstone and other wonderful places. Take care, my friend!

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  13. dear Louise thank you for breathtaking virtual trip . it is hard to find words how much i loved the glimpses though Bisons frightened me while thinking if they were threat to you or others ?
    me and hubby love to explore world's beautiful places and we often make our dream come true while seeing them on youtube videos so there we have seen America's all most stunning and really huge parks .
    i am happy you found opportunity to wander in wilderness that you longed for since a while .
    yellowstone park is beyond beautiful or just wonderful indeed ,worth visiting once in life at least .oh that boiling spring looked so hot .but this is great that authorities have facilitated visitors so they can enjoy the sights relaxingly. and i hope you both continue to feel better as you are always in my thoughts and prayers !
    commenting through my youngest son's laptop and profile though clicking on this name won't lead you to my blog .i did it to read friends posts easily and comment .i will see if kids help me to find what is stopping me from commenting though my own profile in my son's laptop when it allows me to post .
    wishing you both and family health ,peace and happiness in days ahead
    i loved each image

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    1. I am glad that you enjoyed the pictures, Baili! Yes, bison are dangerous animals. They have killed visitors in the park. The bison I took the photos of were standing by the road where our car was stopped in the traffic line. Terry and I took photos through our open car windows (And we were very quiet!). I would never get out of the car and approach a dangerous wild animal.

      Actually, Yellowstone is a wild and dangerous place. You have to be smart. You can be lulled into complacency because you can walk and hike along boardwalks and paths easily. You have to be aware of what is going on around you, stay on the paths, be very careful near drop offs (especially taking selfies) and sloping areas with loose gravel and rubble, and dress for the weather. And, of course, you shouldn't walk off the boardwalks to get closer to the thermal features. Despite all the warnings and signs, we heard a ranger with a loudspeaker telling some idiot to get back on the boardwalk and off the thermal ground.

      I've been finding your blog by googling "Baili and I blog." I hope that your kids can help you with your son's laptop. It must be so frustrating!

      I keep you and your family and the people who are going through so much iin your country in my thoughts and prayers. Please take care! Hugs and love to you!

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  14. We might have passed each other at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone as I was there on the same day. Really. How coincidental is that. And I see you had raincoats on because it had been raining, stopped, and then started again. And I was out at the mud volcano too. (But we did the geysers the day before.) It was a glorious time to visit the park, wasn't it? We spent 2 1/2 days there and it definitely was not enough. Loved seeing all your photos. Happy weekend. hugs-Erika

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    1. Wow, to think we might have passed each other, Erica! It just goes to show you how interconnected the world really is. It was a glorious time to be at the park, and I cannot wait to return. I was campaigning before we left the park. I'm so happy that we're out of the pandemic restrictions on travel. I hope you are easing into a happy and relaxing weekend. Take care!

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  15. You have wonderful sceneries there. Nature is uplifting in its various faces!
    Thank you for sharing your awesome photos.

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    1. Thanks, Sirkkis! I enjoy sharing my photos with others. Writing and photography are my main creative outlets. I am enjoying meeting and seeing the creative works of all the TAD and FFO participants. Have a great week!

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  16. I am happy to see these images of Yellowstone, revealing the magnificent scenery and the diverse and appealing topography and wildlife. So often I have seen view of traffic jams that would not be out of place in a city, and that's not the experience that any wilderness seeker is longing for. The fact that you might have been there at the same as Erika is quite remarkable, but I once ran into a high school classmate in Nigeria. It really is a small world sometimes.

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    1. Thanks, David. We did see several traffic jams and were caught in a bison jam for about an hour. My dentist (who loves Yellowstone and has been going there for decades) told me Friday that he knows he'll get caught in a traffic jam somewhere, so he and his wife bring snacks and enjoy themselves while waiting. I saw rangers arriving at jams and actively working to get the line moving again. Fortunately you can find quieter areas in the park.

      I think one of the important functions of a national park is exposing people to wild areas and the life, scenery, and geology they contain. If people experience nature and come to value it, hopefully it will encourage them to protect the environment and preserve and/or restore more habitats. We need to set aside much more land and sea as preserves and many more wildlife corridors if we're going to survive long term.

      It's amazing that you ran into a classmate in Nigeria! That must have been fun. Have a good week!

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  17. Oh, how lovely, Louise! Such a wonderful way to spend time together. That first photo of the two of you is adorable! I just love those little woolly bear caterpillars. Every weekend I go for very long walks with a dear friend and lately we've been seeing these little critters on the path we're on. They are always a sweet reminder that we're in the autumn season. You shared some wonderful captures! Looks like you had a great time. And what better way to enjoy time together than treating yourselves to a restaurant visit. It's one of my favourite things to do either alone with George or with friends. We've done a lot of that this summer. I guess we've been catching up for all the lost time during the pandemic! This morning I'm driving to my hometown of Montreal to get together with very old friends for brunch. I hope you are enjoying a wonderful weekend and keeping well! Hugs to you, my amazing friend. xo

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    1. Thanks for your lovely comment, Martha! I hope you have fun sharing brunch with your friends and that the drive flows safely both ways. Having a meal at a restaurant is one of my favorite things to do. It was difficult not being able to to during the pandemic, although we ordered takeout to support our favorite Parkway and some others. Tonight we are going to Las Fajitas, and I am looking forward to a margarita and sharing a Mexican dish with Terry. We discovered Las Fajitas when Parkway stopped opening on Sundays due to a shortage of restaurant workers in the metro area. Hugs back at you, my dear friend!

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    2. PS! I love the woolly bear caterpillars too. I haven't seen a lot of them in my area, and I had forgotten their names. Fortunately Debra came to my rescue. They are darling little creatures.

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  18. These are some of the best pictures and commentary of Yellowstone I have ever experienced ... and I say experienced because you took us right there with you and we could almost feel the fresh air and the tension as the Bison passed by. They can be a dangerous lot if provoked. Everything in Yellowstone is beautiful and natural and a bit scary when you consider you are walking on top of a volcano. Yellowstone has been on my Bucket list for as long as I can remember, but as of now none of my friends are nature freaks like me nor walking freaks like me, so maybe it won't happen. But, that said, I feel I may have come as close as I will ever come with this post. Thank you Fundy Blue, you made my day :)

    Andrea @ From the Sol

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    1. Oh thank you, Andrea! You made my day with your kind and encouraging comment. My greatest joy in photography is sharing my photos with others, and your words meant so much to me.

      We are very careful around wild animals, especially ones like the bison. We will not get out of our car around them. Fortunately Terry and I were able to take photos through our car windows, and we were very quiet doing so. All the cars and trucks were slowly inching along. Yellowstone's bison have been known to headbutt or attack vehicles, and they injure more people than any other animal in the park.

      Maybe you could join a tour of Yellowstone. I hope that you find a way to visit the park. It is well worth it. Sending you hugs and a wish for a great week!

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  19. I've never been to Yellowstone and boy, after seeing these photos, who wouldn't want to go! I can see why they call it Artist's Point -- who wouldn't want to paint there! Your photos are spectacular and I really appreciate your descriptions and attention to the details. You'd be a fabulous guide or ambassador! Thanks for stopping by my blog, too! So nice to see you! (For some reason I thought you lived near Bay of Fundy but oops, so my reply to your comment probably didn't make much sense!)

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    1. Thanks, Jeanie! You put a big smile on my face with your kind words! My blog name "Fundy Blue" does come from the Bay of Fundy. Generations of my mother's side of my family have lived at various places on the Bay of Fundy, as have I. I have a great love for that body of water. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would end up living in Colorado for over forty years. But here I am. Thanks for visiting.

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  20. PS -- I'm following you now, so I don't miss out!

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    1. Thanks! I'm following you back! Have an awesome week!

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  21. i enjoyed your photos, i love nature so much.

    I love your blog also. Let’s connect. I followed you, hope you’ll follow me back :)

    JULIE ANN LOZADA BLOG
    INSTAGRAM: @julieann_lozada

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    1. Thanks, Julie! Nature has been a passion of mine all of my life. I hope you are having a great week.

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  22. wonderfyul! I have been to the Yellowstone twice but I have never seen the Mystic Falls. Seems beautiful. I love the Grand Prismatic Spring and the bisons of course as well as everything else. If it was possible I would go back tomorrow and stay for at least a month. There are soo much to see.

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    1. Thanks, Monica! Yellowstone is a very special place. I was campaigning to return before we left. Fingers crossed, I will return soon. You have a wonderful day!

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  23. my dream is to come here... Such am amazing place!!! Follow:) Hope U follow back:)

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    1. I hope you have a chance to visit Yellowstone someday, Kathy Leona. It is a uniquely wonderful place. Have a good one!

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  24. Looks like a great trip! I like Yellowstone, though I'm kind of addicted to pointier mountains and alpine scenery :) (And yes, I'm wayyyy behind in my blog reading and just bouncing around catching up).

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    1. It's so good to see you, Rebecca! Volcanoes are my favorite things in geology, so of course, I love Yellowstone. You can't go wrong with any of our national parks and wild areas though. I'm way behind in blogging too. Take care! Have a great day!

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  25. Yellowstone is an incredible place. I had scheduled to backpack there in 1988, but they had the fires and I ended up hiking the Sawtooth and Boulder Mountains in Idaho. I made it there in 1989, right after the fires and have been back a couple more times. Glad you had such a good trip.

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    1. Hi, Jeff! I'm glad that you have experienced the wonders of Yellowstone. This was my third visit, and Terry and I are definitely going back. Have a great week, my friend! Take care!

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  26. That national park is so amazing. I would like to visit it one day. I'm so happy to see that you had amazing time there.

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  27. Splendid!
    Unfortunately, I've never been to Yellowstone National Park, but I hope to get there one day. Luckily we saw bison at Zion National Park and a few years ago we were in Iceland where we were able to experience geysers. So I can at least get a little idea of what Yellowstone is like... It's great that you've experienced this special trip.
    All the best from Austria
    Traude
    https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2022/09/strudlhofstiege-gartenpalais.html

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    1. Thanks, Traude! I hope you do get to visit Yellowstone someday. Zion is the first national park I visited in the USA, after I unexpectedly ended up living here instead of in my native Canada. Zion holds a special place in my heart, and I have been there numerous times. And Iceland ~ what an incredible place! I was thrilled to visit there and long to go back. Greetings from Las Vegas! Terry and I are making up for lost travel time during the pandemic. Happy autumn! I'm looking forward to future posts of yours. Take care!

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Thank you for your comments! I appreciate them very much.