September 15-16, 2018 Yellowstone National Park

Sunny and high 70's today. Back into Yellowstone. I have never stayed on this side of the park and we are seeing some things I have not been to before.

Elk and buffalo along side the road. We saw the same ones to and from today, traffic jams both times. Firehole river falls. 

Hot spring by the Firehole river. A large herd of buffalo by the Firehole river.  

Two geysers and two photos of bacteria mats growing in the hot water. Colorful spring on the Firehole lake drive. 

Pretty blue spring on the Firehole lake drive.  Steam and clouds.

 Nice spring in the Lower Geyser basin. Geyser in the Lower geyser basin. 

 A map of Midway Geyser basin. Grand Prismatic spring is too big to see unless you hike up to above it. Excelsior geyser is too big to photograph. Lots of hot water running into the river and millions of people. Excelsior geyser.

Part of Grand Prismatic spring. 

Sort of sunset tonight over the Madison river by camp-too many clouds. May rain tonight. The next day we went into town and visited the West Yellowstone Fire Center-smoke jumpers. The plane is an air tanker used to spread slurry fire retardant.  

Also in West Yellowstone beside too many t-shirt shops, curio shops, restaurants, bars, outfitters and hotels/motels we saw: Shoot real guns, guns are welcome on the premises, wooden cowboys, Bullwinkle's saloon, eatery and casino. John with a big fish outside of Bullwinkle's.  

Here is a moose in the willows near camp. We have a man with a dog yelling 'Bob, there is a moose here. Bring beer'. Behind him on the other side of the willows is a man in a red jacket waving his arms to get the moose's attention. It is a miracle more tourists aren't killed by wild animals. We left, we didn't want to see the carnage. . .