Road Trip, Part 9

Old Faithful is the must-see of Yellowstone.  The great geyser goes off approximately every hour and a half.  The visitor center has a large sign predicting the next eruption, and about 10 minutes before it goes off people cram all around to get a good look.  Even though it was crowded, we had a perfect view.

After we saw it erupt, which the kids thought was pretty cool, we went inside the visitor center to look at the fabulous hand-on science area for kids.  They played in there for a while before we headed next door to the cafeteria for some lunch.  While we ate lunch, Old Faithful erupted again.  We could watch it from our dining table.

After lunch we went to Norris Geyser Basin.  There are several basins similar to this spread throughout the park, but this one is a favorite of mine.  There are long wooden pathways and a few natural paths that circle this other-worldly land of geysers and hot pools.

We took a long walk to the Steamboat Geyser.  Here we heard a ranger talk about geysers in general and also this particular geyser that is the tallest in the world.  It can erupt up to 300 feet high soaking the surrounding area with water and occasionally tossing basketball-sized rocks.  It has a pattern of erupting every 4-50 years.  It last erupted in 2005.

As we drove away from the basin area I snapped this pic.  It's hard to describe the feeling of being constantly surrounded by amazing scenery.  Those of us used to telephone wires, billboards, highways, and buildings get a feast for the senses in places of natural beauty.  I had a feeling of renewal and revival after being around some of the most beautiful creation on earth.  It made me want to seek out the natural beauty close to home to feed my soul more often.