YELLOWSTONE: Part one

Yes, we just braved the great unknown...okay so maybe not unknown..but definitely Great.  It's been in the works a while, and finally a couple weeks ago we packed up our XTerra (poorly), plunked our 18 month old and 7 year old in the back seat at 6am and set off for the longest road trip we'd ever done.

The trip took us through Yellowstone, to Mt. Rushmore and back via the Grand Tetons. It would take us through 7 states, and over I think 5 mountain passes.

We learned a few things...

The wind and rain of the Wyoming prairie was too much for our first tent so we had to purchase one mid way.

Apparently  the largest Harley rally there is takes place in Sturgis SD the first week of August. so we saw people from as far away as Australia riding in from every direction in PACKS I've never seen so many bikers...and we camped along side them every night...nice guys/gals all.

Our Little Miss Bug does NOT (and I can NOT stress that enough...NOT) like high altitudes... Anytime we were over 5000 feet for any length of time she would FREAK OUT...and since MOST of Wyoming is 5000+ feet it seems you can only imagine our joy. Nights were the worst...If anyone from West Yellowstone KOA who were there when she was having night terrors all night I apologize for waking you up.

We also learned that Liam is quite the photographer. (He took over 800 shots...the best of which I will feature in one of the Yellowstone posts)

And that Bug, loves to get DIRTY...I couldn't keep that girl clean for more than two seconds..I swear.

Oh, and that AC is not optional on a trip like this....we had to have the windows down the ENTIRE TIME...and were STILL dying most of it. We went through 3 cases of water.

So...that's it for now..I have a WHOLE TON of photos... (between Allan and I we took over 4000!) I won't be posting all of them though... that would be excessive.

On the road through Montana....I'm sure parts of MT are LOVELY...but all we saw was pretty dull Until....

We started coming into West Yellowstone MT. 

Shopping in West Yellowstone....and wearing Daddy's favorite color. 

This was a happy accident...Allan was obviously to the right initially(as seen by his shadow there) then he went and turned on the light not knowing I was still exposing my shot...But all told I LOVE how it turned out! 

This was our first "stop I have to take a picture" moment. 

And it paid off...as we were about to get back in the car, this eagle took off and I RUSHED to get my camera...and Voila! Eagle in flight

Our first hot spring...and our first introduction to the smell that is yellowstone. 

This was the Artist Paint Pots...

Yes, it was a stinky walk that day..

We dubbed this the Vanilla Bean Frapacchino spring

Buffalo!

This final bunch were all taken in the Norris Geyser Basin.

Steamboat Geyser....not as regular as Old Faithful, but when it DOES go off it's higher....we saw a few smaller eruptions...and it was quite interesting.