For it is my opinion that we enclose and celebrate the freaks of our nation and our civilization. Yellowstone National Park is no more representative of America than is Disneyland.
John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley: In Search of America
During the back half of our first day in Yellowstone National Park, we wrapped up our time at the Norris Geyser Basin area. I really think the Porcelain Basin was one of the most beautiful areas of the Park we saw. I kept finding myself saying “Oh wow!” It was just an absolutely breathtaking area. And one I would love to see again.
After lunch, we ventured to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Now, for all you waterfall lovers out there, this will likely be the highlight of that area. But for this rock nerd, it was the beautiful canyon walls that took my breath away! We explored both the South and North Rim areas. But unfortunately, the one trail I was eager to do, Uncle Tom’s Trail to the Lower Falls, has been closed for repairs since late 2018. The Forest Service has never been quick to make repairs of this kind. For example, the South Fork Kings River Bridge above Paradise Valley on the Rae Lakes Loop trail in Kings Canyon National Park has needed repairs since it got washed out during the heavy rains of 2016-17).
On our way back towards the west side of the Park, we decided to make a quick stop at the Fountain Paint Pot Trail. Random, unplanned stops like this were always fun! And the trail did not disappoint. The highlight of the trail was the Silex Spring with it’s cystal blue water, surrounded by the orange and browns of the Bacteria Mat.
Once we were done exploring for the day, we headed over to the Old Faithful Inn, right next door to Old Faithful herself. The gentleman who checked us in was nice enough to give us a view upgrade after he heard it was our honeymoon! So we had an obstructed view of the geyser right outside our window. While the hotel itself is historic and cool af, it lacks in a lot of ways. Because of this, I would not recommend staying there. Nor would I stay there again in the future. In fact, unless I was camping in a tent, I wouldn’t stay inside this Park at all. The eateries close very early; some as early as 4pm. And, they’re not very vegetarian/vegan friendly. Expect to see a lot of red meat/bison dishes.
With over an hours worth of video from the day, I decided to split the YouTube Video into two parts. Check out Part 2 below! Missed part 1? You can find the link in the “Related Posts” section below as well. And, as always, if you’d like to see more from my journeys, or follow along as I post more from our honeymoon road trip, be sure to follow me on Instagram and subscribe to my YouTube channel!
Related Posts:
Our Honeymoon Road Trip: Day 3, Part 1
Our Honeymoon Road Trip: Day 2
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The Pink Hat Hiker 