Yellowstone National Park is just too good to not repeat regularly

 My parents took me to Yellowstone National Park for the first time when I was about 8 years old and I have been in love with it ever since.  

I have posted previous trips to Yellowstone here on the blog, but we went again this year for Fall Break and as you can see from the pictures my family has grown up (and expanded!).  

And, since everything that is great about Yellowstone is outside, it was the perfect place to go during a pandemic too.

Forest fires have always been part of Yellowstone's history.  Understanding that they are a natural part of the lifecycle of the park helps to view scars as beauty instead of blight.

The storms brought amazing sunsets.  Notice that we were alone at Norris Geyser Basin--something that only happens when it's late in the season and stormy.

Steamboat Geyser is the world's tallest active geyser and it has been really active this year.  We didn't see it blow while we were there, but in this picture you can see how wide its explosions go.

We watched Old Faithful geyser from a new vantage point this year.  We hiked up the trail above the geyser and it was a great place to see just how big the eruption is.

Sometimes even when the boardwalks are officially open--they aren't!  Bison sometimes decide who can pass and who can't.  Today, we couldn't.  My daughter loves the "hunchy bois" ;-)

I try to slow down when I'm in the park.  Noticing the reflections is sometimes even more enlightening than the pools themselves.

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River is always just stunning--especially late in the day on stormy days.

The Upper Falls have been inspiring artists and visitors since time immemorial.

They grow up whether you want them to or not ;-).  Yes, it was pretty cold and I made everyone stay until the sunset was gone.

Our drive home also took us through the Grand Teton National Park.  It was a dramatic day for picture taking.  I have so many memories here too--I once spent 3 days canoeing/rafting down the Snake River through the park and past Jackson Hole to the class 4 rapids!