At a very busy train station, in a recently renovated area of Santa Fe, New Mexico, is La Lecheria Railyard – the first place winner of the 2023 Santa Fe Reporter “Best of Santa Fe” (I have no idea what that means, but it sounds impressive). A clean, modern-looking shop with interesting paintings on the wall (available for purchase) and attractive menu boards. It is a beautiful shop designed to relax and enjoy their craft ice cream. There were books, including children’s books in a basket, which I imagine get a lot of use when trains are late.
“Old School Good” is painted on the wall to sum up their ice cream ingredient philosophy of no stabilizers, no artificial flavorings and no preservatives. La Lecheria had a interesting variety of classic and seasonal ice cream flavors and also sold baked goods and coffee (they are near a train station). the seasonal flavors included ‘Chai’, ‘Butterscotch Miso’ and ‘Red Chili with Toasted Piñon’. I sampled the latter one- a pinon nut comes from pinon trees that mainly grow in New Mexico and surrounding areas – a traditional important desert food source.. The ice cream had an interesting flavor and just a small kick – I liked it, but knew my wimpy ability to handle spice did not warrant a full cup. I ordered a scoop of mint chocolate chip and a scoop of Irish Slammer. The mint chocolate chip had a nice texture with a good number of bitter chocolate chips – the strong bitterness of the chocolate seemed to lessen the mint sensation, but the overall effect was quite enjoyable. The Irish Slammer was a special flavor for St. Patrick’s day – Guinness and Baileys flavored – another delightful flavor with a slant from the traditional.
La Lecheria Railyard
The shop is one to add to your itinerary in Santa Fe – great ice cream, relaxing atmosphere, friendly service.
In the area: Today we started out visiting Bandelier National Monument in Los Alamos north of Santa Fe, Yesterday we drove up to the park, when it was drizzling in Santa Fe, snowing in Los Alamos. We were surprised it was closed, but when we saw the steep drop offs on the park roads, we understood!
Bandelier National Monument – New Mexico has so many national and state parks, it was difficult to decide which ones up visit. Bandolier National Monument was a good choice. It tells the story of the Ancestral Puebloan people who lived in the area for a millennia starting as hunters and gatherers and eventually turning to agriculture. The geology of this area, formed from volcanic ash, compressed into rock, which eventually, through water and wind, formed holes. The Ancestral Pueblonian people enlarged the holes, charred the ceilings (to make them stronger) and made them their homes. Eventually they built structures in front of the holes to further enlarge the living area.
Bandelier ‘apartment house’
Bandolier National Monument allows visitors to see inside of these structures including their sacred Kivas. The park also had hiking trails in the surrounding canyons and mesas which we also visited. This is an amazing and fascinating place to visit.
Icicles Homemade Ice Cream Rolls, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Icicles Homemade Ice Cream Rolls is a chain in New Mexico that we had not previously visited. When we entered, we were cheerfully greeted by staff and given a crash course in how to order the perfect ice cream roll via their computer (I admit, I really did not like ordering on the computer – it lost the personal touch that I enjoy in ice cream shops) – first choose a size (I took small), then a base (‘Time for Reese’s’), mix-ins (I skipped this step), toppings (I was an over achiever choosing brownie bits, toasted marshmallow, bananas, Oreos and whipped cream) and finally a drizzle (chocolate). It sounds like a lot of choices, mostly because it is, but at least they were fun choices!
Once we entered our choices into the computer, it was time for our treats be created. It started with the ingredients for “Time for Reese’s’ to be placed on a frozen slab and stirred around as it cooled. when frozen, wide spatulas were used to make ice cream rolls which were then placed in a cup, toppings and drizzle added and we were handed the creations.
Tasty treat!
Since it was raining and chilly outside, we opted to eat at one of the tables inside. the rolls were fun to eat, tasty and the shop a relaxing place to enjoy them.
In the area: We have been traveling around New Mexico the last few days, amazed at the miles of rural, flat, desert land – The beauty and variety of desert scenery was amazing.
Bosque de Apache National Wildlife Refuge, Marsh Overlook Trail – National Wildlife Refuges are lands with water and iconic wildlife that are set aside for conservation and wildlife viewing. Today we took a walk in the Bosque de Apache National Wildlife Refuge with two volunteer experts. Wayne and Giselle showed us the water control systems and explained some of the politics of water usage in desert areas. They showed holes in rocks made by miner bees, javelinas ( pig-like animals native to the area) and many other interesting things. This is a really nice place with boardwalks and easy to follow trails – Great for a relaxing morning walk or an afternoon of bird watching – even nicer with such delightful guides..
Havilina hiding in Bosque de Apache National Wildlife Refuge
National Museum of Nuclear Science and History – although the word ‘nuclear’ often congers up thoughts of horrible warfare, it also has many uses in fields such as medicine and electrical power generation. This museum shows everything about nuclear history of both military and civilian uses. It also has sections not related to nuclear science, such as a whole room about the inventions of Leonardo Da Vinici. The museum was very interesting and worth a visit. Just be aware that with the exception of the Da Vinci room, the displays were very dated and non-interactive.
Leonardo di Vinci’s ball bearings at The Nation Museum of Nuclear Science And History
Sandia Point Ariel Tramway – Albuquerque, New Mexico and surrounding areas have many majestic mountains and amazing ski areas. For those of us who would like to see the view and hike some trails at the top of these mountains, there is the Sandia Point Aerial Tramway.
After waiting in a cue on a drizzly late afternoon, we stepped into the standing room only tram. When it was full we took off up the mountain. Suspended in air, the view of the mountain was awe-inspiring. As we rode up to the top of the mountain, the drizzle turned to ice fog and and then sleet. leading to glistening, ice covered trees and rocks at the top of the hill. The harshness of the sleet when we exited the tram at the top of the mountain made us rethink the idea of hiking around today.
Our guide in the tram told us interesting facts about the tramway, including that during training, he had to ride up the mountain on the roof so that if there were to be an emergency he would be prepared. I do not think that would be the job for me!
I have been to Sweet Ride Ice Cream before – it’s one of my favorites -a beautiful, friendly, nicely designed and decorated shop with great, homemade ice cream in plenty of interesting flavors – what more could and ice cream blogger ask for?
When we walked in to the shop, we were greeted by the folks behind the counter and given all the time we wanted to peruse our choices. In addition to ice cream, signature sundaes and plenty of topping choices, they also had vegan ice cream, ice cream drinks and ice cream cup cakes. They even have an ice cream truck if you want Sweet Ride Ice Scream at your next event.
I chose a sampler of 4 flavors – Banana Peanut Butter Chip ( banana flavor with peanut butter chips – great creaminess), Espresso Blast (they were not kidding with the blast! Great coffee flavor with chocolate chips), Cupid’s Milk and Cookies (pretty pink color, lots of flavor), and Fluffernutter (a throwback to my younger years). I loved all the flavors, but much to my surprise, my favorite was the Cupid’s Milk and Cookies.
For seating, there are two bars, one by the front windows and one near the ice cream counter. There are also plenty of tables inside. I assume that there are outside tables in the summer, but I am not sure. This shop is a must visit if you are in the area.
In the area: Initially we planned to visit the area to possibly see snow geese, but we found some more interesting things to do when we arrived..
Lititz Fire and Ice Festival, Lititz, Pennsylvania – to sculpt ice, artisans normally start with specially prepared ice blocks made with very clean water with few dissolved gases. Using special tools, they then slowly and carefully cut and chisel the block into a rough form. The artist finally painstakingly makes fine details to create a beautiful, but temporary, masterpiece. The Lititz Fire and Ice Festival featured many beautifully carved ice sculptures situated in Lititz Springs Park and around the town,
Ice sculpture in Lititz, PA
The day we visited The Fire and Ice Festival in Lititz, PA, was the perfect day, cold enough for the ice sculptures to remain intact, but warm enough to walk around and enjoy the sights. The town’s ice sculptures. most 3 to 4 feet high, some larger, were situated around the town. It was a lot of fun walking around and looking at them. Many were instantly recognizable, others required some thought. Some needed to viewed from different angles to truly be appreciated. All were works of art with fine details to be enjoyed – my favorite was the North Wind God that had ice wind swirls coming out from the sculpture.
Queen for a minute
As we were leaving, we saw smoke coming from Lititz Park and thought we finally got the ‘Fire’ part of the ‘Fire and Ice Festival’. There we a group of scouts offering smores with with fires for roasting marshmallows (a really nice groups of scouts handing out the makings for smores – don’t miss this stop!), but the scoutmaster assured me it was not from them. He thought the “Fire’ was from a chili cook off that happened the night before,
We very much enjoyed our visit here – it started to get crowded by early afternoon, so come early to avoid crowds.
Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, Elverson, Pennsylvania – Historic iron furnaces are common sites in much of the northern US, but the process and the lifestyle of the folks who ran them has always been a bit of a mystery, At the Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, the process is explained and can be envisioned in the historic structure. The process of obtaining iron requires three things: a fuel source (charcoal), flux for removing impurities (limestone) and iron ore (magnetite). The charcoal was obtained by slowly burning wood harvested in the vast forests near Hopewell. The limestone was abundant in the area and magnetite was mined from near by surface sources.
Hopewell explains how the iron furnaces were filled, smelted and the iron obtained. Much of the iron was either used for wood-burning stove plates, or made into pig iron bars to be shipped to other locations. It was fascinating to follow the process from start to finish, to see how the furnace was loaded in layers, heated and the product removed. This is a great site for folks interested in the history of technology,
The site also shows the lifestyle of the charcoal workers, laborers, and site supervisors, There was even a historic farm with animals. Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site has something of interest to almost anyone.
Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area, Stevens, Pennsylvania – if you search for snow geese on-line you will find a plethora of videos showing snow geese migrations where thousands of snow geese migrate in late winter and congregate on lakes in places like Middle Creek, I did not really believe that I would see this kinds of migration, but I had to try. We arrived late afternoon at Middle Creek Wildlife Management and toured their visitor center which was very well done – plenty of interesting exhibits and a bird watching area with volunteers helping to identify what we saw. The white board in the visitor center said there were 8,000 snow geese observed that morning. After the visitor center closed, we explored the park more and eventually went to the viewing area where the snow geese were supposed to congregate. Either we were too early, or the geese did not get the memo. I think I did see 5 snow geese when we were driving around. Fortunately the park and visitor center was interesting enough to make it worth a visit the park.
Li’l- Le-Hi Trout Nursery, Allentown, Pennsylvania – This was supposed to be a quick stop on our way home, but I include it here because it was an interesting stop, and not as quick as we expected.
trout hatchery, covers are to stop birds from eating the fish
Trout are freshwater fish that are native to the area, but not spawning in sufficient numbers for sport fishermen. This hatchery grew trout from fingerlings until they were ready to be released. With placards explaining the process, we walked around the large tanks learning about the process and admiring the fish.
There was even fish food in vending machines, so we could feed the fish in certain tanks and watch the crazy feeding fenzy,
Kona Hawaii is a delightful town on the Pacific Ocean with plenty of shops, historic sites. and breath- taking scenery. It was here that we found Scandinavian Shave Ice.
Hawaiian Shave Ice is a traditional dessert in Hawaii in which a block of ice is shaved into small pieces and flavored with syrups. The creations are colorful, usually quite large and often include a scoop of ice cream in the middle of the ice. I happily partook of the wonderful traditional food while in Kona watching the Ironman race. It always feels a little ironic that while our daughter is doing an intense race, burning calories,, I enjoy watching while eating lots of calories.
Tasty and fun to eat
Scandinavian Shave Ice is a small shop with a menu that gives options for ordering the perfect treat. They start with a plastic dish the shape of a an ice cream cone and fill it with shaved ice, flavored with your choice of syrups and a scoop of ice cream is placed on top. This is then covered with a thick layer of shave ice to make a large and beautifully colored snow ball. Eating it is fun – the texture is more of snow texture than a sno-cone. For the ice cream, I ordered Kona joy, and for the shaved ice I ordered lime, grape and mango, With over 60 flavors for the shaved ice and numerous ice cream flavors, there are so many combinations to try! This is a not to be missed treat in Kona.
The shop had small tables to eat at, but being in downtown Kona, we chose to sit along the beautiful waterfront to enjoy them. I definitely want to have this again.
In the area: Kalua Kona has a chill and fun atmosphere, enhanced by the Ironman athletes and their supporters who were there for the race. Among the athletes was our daughter.
Ironman Woman’s World Championship Race,Kona, Hawaii- Ironman races are challenging – athletes swim 2,4 miles then bike 116 miles and finally run a marathon. Probably the most challenging Ironman race is the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii where the swim is in the Pacific Ocean, the bike ride is over hot, dry and windy volcanic terrain and the run is hilly and long. Athletes must qualify for this race usually through placing in a previous full Ironman race – the competitors are all amazing athletes. In previous years, the race was the championship race for both male and female athletes, but this year the race was split and the women’s championships were in Hawaii and the men’s were in France (this will switch nest year and the women will be in France, the men Hawaii). It was nice for the women to have their own race. We spent the day enjoying and watching all the amazing athletes.
Our daughter finishing the Ironman World Championships!
The Queen’s Bath, Kona, Hawaii – separated from the Pacific by a rim of rocks, the Queens Bath is a great place to enjoy and relax, It is calm, scenic and warm, with waves spilling over from the Pacific from time to time, We took some time to enjoy this while our daughter was biking at the far end of the island. The bath is easily walkable from town, but a bit tricky to find. A local person both recommended we stop there and gave us directions.
(Big Island Abalone. Greenwell Farms, Kona Salt Farm)
October 16, 2023
Gypsea Gelato, Kealakekua, Big Island, Hawaii
Gypsea Gelato was an interesting place where one could come for the ice cream (or gelato) or expresso and stay to play Connect Four or corn hole, shop for a new hat, look at artwork or sit on a comfortable chair to read a book or play on their cell phone – an ice cream shop that has it all! Seating included a wooden boat with plenty of children’s books, large tables for groups, and padded throne-style chairs.
Seating to make you feel like royalty
There were plenty of frozen treats to enjoy including Hawaiian favorites such as “Macadamia Nut”, “Tom Kha” (coconut), “Kona Coffee” and “Lilikoi” (passion fruit) and more traditional flavors including “Just Chocolate”, “Just Dark Chocolate” and “Salted Caramel” , I went with Lilikoi. I found texture to be creamy, but the flavor a bit weak. We enjoyed our treats inside since it was drizzly outside.
Gypsea Gelato
In the area – today we went on two factory tours and one farm tour, All were wonderful and I highly recommend them,
Big Island Abalone, Kona, Hawaii -Abalones are edible mollusks with ear shaped shells. In addition to being an important food source in many parts of the world. their colorful, iridescence-lined shells make them attractive for use in jewelry. Big Island Abalone aquafarrm is an abalone grower that offers tours of their facility.
Abalone life span
Our tour began with an introduction to our tour guide – a very interesting and knowledgeable scientist from Japan. He introduced us to the abalones by showing us the life cycle from eggs to the harvestable mollusks. We then walked through rows of tanks as he explained how the fish are raised. As the abalones grow, they are moved between tanks until ready to harvest. They are fed seaweed, which is grown in separate tanks which we also shown.
After the tour of the abalones and seaweed growing area, our guide brought us to a tank with other interesting sea creatures that they keep solely to show tourists, The tour was followed by the tour guide preparing abalones in two different ways and giving us samples to try, with sea grapes for garnish. I never had abalone before, and I liked it, but the the rubbery texture would take some getting used to. The sea grapes were fun to eat.
Kona Salt Farm, Kona, Hawaii -Sodium chloride, often referred to as “Salt” is an essential component of our diets -we need it to live, but too much is obviously not good for us. Salt used in cooking may come from a variety of sources, such as underground salt beds and seawater extraction. Today we toured Kona Salt Farm, a seawater extraction facility .
Kona Salt Farm final drying step, with our great tour guide
Due to the volcanic formation of this area in Hawaii, the ocean becomes very deep very near the coast. It is here that the Kona Salt Farm gets seawater for salt – specifically 2200 feet below the ocean surface, where the salt is cleaner and richer in minerals than salts mined closer to the surface.
solar evaporation system
Our tour guide started by showing us the scenic Pacific Ocean coast by the farm, and taking our pictures by the beautiful back drop, Then she got down to explaining of the technical side of salt production. We saw from a distance where the clean, cool salt water was brought up from the deep ocean, and then headed to the drying facility. The deep sea water went through a series of evaporation steps to obtain the pure, healthy salt.
The different qualities of salts including finishing salt, coarse salt and first flake salt were discussed and shown to us – all chemically the same, but with different textures. We were then given a chance to try and buy the resulting salts at the end of the tour, including flavored salts where additional ingredients were added to flavor to the used in cooking or serving.
Our tour guide was friendly, knowledgeable and very happy to show us the amazing process. a tour I highly recommend.
Greenwell Farms, Kealakekua, Hawaii – The volcanic soil, the climate and the winds and weather patterns on the Big Island of Hawaii all come together to produce some of the best coffee in the world, known as “Kona Coffee”. We stopped at Greenwell farms for a tour of coffee-growing plantation.
The coffee plants produce white flowers followed by green berries which happened before we arrived. The green berries then produce red fruit called “cherries”. Our tour guide gave each one of us a cherry and we removed the outer fruit to reveal an inner seed known as the coffee bean, covered with a slimy layer. Commercially removing the outer coating is done using a “pulper”, which our guide he showed us, The next steps in the process are a short fermentation, rinsing and sun drying. We saw the beans going through each step ending with beans drying on big trays in the sun. We learned about the different grades of Kona Coffee and challenges in growing the crop. We were able to sample some of the various coffee products in their small store.
But Greenwell farms did not just grow coffee, they had several other crops that thrive in the warm. moist Kona environment, the most interesting to me being bananas and black pepper.
Black pepper plants (foreground) and banana trees (background) at Grreenwell Farms
The bananas grew on a row of very tall trees with a common root system. Each year all the plants were torn down and regrown. Fascinating that they could grow that tall in one year. The rows of black pepper plants with the clumps of peppercorns were in the process of ripening were also present.
Dave’s Ice Cream “Made Fresh in Hawaii” has multiple locations in Hawaii. We drove into the parking lot (free and coinvent parking -score one for Dave’s) parked and walked in to the shop where we were met by both nicely painted walls and friendly employees pleased to let us try their ice cream. I was happy to oblige them. First I tried Ube Ice Cream which is a purple yam flavor, I did not expect to like it, but found both its flavor and texture pleasing. Next I tried Kulolo Ice Cream, which is a taro flavor, one of their best sellers, this too was much better than I expected.
Dave’s Ice Cream wall mural
I decided to order other traditional Hawaiian flavors: Haupia (coconut pudding flavor) and Lemon Custard Ice Cream. What I liked best about Dave’s ice creams was the smooth and creamy texture. Their flavors were all new to me, so I had no baseline to decide if I liked them or not. Don ordered mint chocolate chip which was a flavor I was more versed with, and it was great.
Dave’s also sold novelties, shave ice and Icees. There were picnic tables outside and small tables inside. We sat inside to avoid the heat outside and to read the whimsical sayings on the wall. We really enjoyed the friendly service and great ice cream at Dave’s.
In the area – Dave’s Ice Cream is located in Honolulu close to Pearl Harbor historic sites. I have included them here along with some of the other sites we visited on O’ahu.
Pearl Harbor National Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii – On December 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor, a United States Naval Base was bombed by the Japanese, resulting in the loss of more than 2,400 American lives, and numerous naval vessels including battleships and airplanes. This was America’s entry into World War II. This National Park site educates visitors on what actually happened and why and what the after effects were. It brings the horror of the situation to life as well as the unification of the country after the attack.
The USS Arizona was hit and sank, taking over 1700 lives with it. Their watery grave was left in place and the National Park provides a shuttle to visit a viewing platform over the ship. It is a sacred spot, and being there with the volunteers telling stories about men who died brought the tragedy to life.
The USS Oklahoma was also bombed resulting in the ship turning on its side trapping men inside. Rescuers were alerted to the location of trapped sailors when they heard sailors tapping from inside the inverted ship. Only a small percentage of the men were able to be freed when rescuers cut through the hull of the ship. Many more tragically drowned.
USS Arizona Memorial – volunteers gave interesting accounts of the ship and men who perished when the ship went down,
The National Park Service put together a fascinating memorial recounting the Pearl Harbor attack – its causes, what actually happened and its aftermath. I was so impressed with how well this museum was put together – it is something everyone should see. it includes several buildings of exhibits, a boat ride to the USS Arizona, a movie and numerous outdoor exhibits.
Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, Honolulu, Hawaii – a shuttle ride away from from the Pearl Harbor National Memorial is the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum. This is a great place for military history buffs and aviation fanatics to explore, There are plenty of airplanes and helicopters on display with stories about their combat missions. Former president George Bush was a military pilot and some of the types of planes he flew were on display. Although I know little about aviation, I was impressed with the breath of aircrafts and information provided. The aviation experts walking around (including Don) were very pleased with the museum.
The aviation museum includes a hanger which was in service for airplane repair when the Pearl Harbor bombing took place. The windows still have bullet holes sustained during the battle.
Dole Plantation -We spent a week exploring islands of Hawaii and found only one total rip-off tourist trap – the Dole Planation. Over-crowded, too expensive with tired staff going through the motions. I do not recommend visiting here.
Kaiwi State Scenic Shoreline – The east shore of O’ahu, Hawaii is unpredictably rocky – a bad thing for ships travelling in the area. To reduce the number of ships lost here, the Makapu”u Lighthouse was built in 1909. Today a 1 mile paved Makapu’u Point Lighthouse Trail allows visitors to walk to an over look above the lighthouse. A great scenic walk, all uphill (downhill on the return trip) with amazing ocean views is so beautiful, it is worth the stop. The lighthouse is not available for tours.
View from the overlook on Makapu’u Point Lighthouse Trail
He’eia State Park is on the Pacific Ocean with nice walking trails and rental Kayaks. Being on the beautiful, calm Pacific Ocean, I could not resist the renting a kayak.. As recommended by park attendants, I paddled out to a sandbar a bit over a mile away, The entire way was breathing scenery with shallow turquoise water, coral reefs, and darker deeper water. Sea turtles floated around enjoying sunny day – one actually passed right under my kayak.
When I got to the sandbar, I jumped out of my kayak and enjoyed the warm, clear, salty water. When I went to return, I was not too successful at figuring out how I got there (note to self- you always map your run in the woods, perhaps[s you should always map your kayak rides). I eventually had to call the state park because I had no idea how to get back (glad I had a cell phone to share my location!). I somehow got miles away from both sandbar and the state park. Bonus – to get back to the kayak rental place I got to ride on a pontoon boat with a park personal as my private tour guide. Worth the trip, just keep better track than I did of where you are going, and bring a charged cell phone. Beautiful water, wonderful staff, nice walking trail.
The name “City Creamery” hit me quite funny because I would not consider West Yellowstone a “City”, but we are in Montana, not New Jersey. Much of West Yellowstone seemed to be a place for tourists visiting Yellowstone National Park to stay, unfortunately we did not explore the area beyond the tourist district – we simply ran out of time. Our visit to the City Creamery was at night after leaving Yellowstone National Park,
The City Creamery
Our friendly server showed us the machinery used to make the ice cream – older traditional machinery that I have seen in antique magazines – it would have been fun to see them in action. The City Creamery prepared a variety of creative flavors including Huckleberry-Honey-Lavender and Cowboy Coffee as well as the old standbys of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. I had Peppermint and it was quite tasty. I cannot say that antique machinery made ice cream any better than modern machinery, but it would have been more fun to watch.
It would have been fun to see these in action.
There were tables next to the store to eat at, which we did tonight. Normally it would have been fun to walk around the town, but since it was quite late, mostly everything else was closed – We were glad the City Creamery kept hours like shops in most cities.
Great ending to a great day
In the area: Yellowstone National Park – Around 630,000 years ago a massive volcano erupted in what is now the western United states, The hollows in the ground resulting from the emptying magma collapsed causing a caldera where hot magma is still relatively close to the surface. The hot magma still causes numerous hot springs, fumaroles, geysers, paint pots, and mud springs.
I first went there as a child over 50 years ago. My memories are of the Old Faithful geyser which as a child I found cool, but not as thrilling as my parents did (now I find it really thrilling) and of hot springs where people would throw in coins for good luck, My brothers and I got sticks and fished the coins out – we never had much money in those days. so this was like a gold mine.. Time has marched on as it always does, and Yellowstone is no longer a place where throwing anything into hot springs is okay and getting that close to hot springs is not okay either. – But the changes make it an even better place to visit. There are fabulous boardwalks which enhance the experience by allowing folks to safely see a wide variety of hot springs, geysers, fumaroles and many, many other things close up and safely. I absolutely loved it.
Yellowstone also has wide sections outside the caldera that include waterfalls, canyons, mountains and lots of wildlife including bison, elk, and bears.
Sheep Eater Cliff – here you can leave the restrictions of boardwalks and climb on the rocks – a uncrowded area that was a great place to explore and rest at.
In 1872 Yellowstone National Park was created – the first national park in the world.
Grand Prismatic Spring – so amazing beautiful – like so many of the sights at Yellowstone.Lake Isla – only natural body of water that flows into both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans
Yellowstone National Park far exceeded my expectations – we explored it for two and a half days and never tired of it – there were so many great things that I will not even pretend to describe much more that a very small fraction.
Old Faithful Geyser had been going off at regular intervals for longer than the national park existed – it is not as regular as it used to be, but it is still close to a schedule, so we enjoyed watching it, Right next to Old Faithful is the Bee Hive Geyser which normally goes off once a day, we were able to get very close to it and feel the pressure that forced the water far into the air, Another of my favorite geysers was the Steamboat geyser, called Old Unpredictable, because its eruptions have varied between 48 hours and 50 years – it did not go up while we were there.,
Yellowstone National Park is a not-to-be-missed park.
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