Yellowstone 2018 part 2

Day 4: Saturday June 30

The day Madi made new friends :)

We started out hitting up Grand Prismatic since it was the only time we went past the parking lot that didn't have a line for days.

  

 Then we went on the lower loop tour.

Madi was so excited to see a marmot. Like she couldn't control her giggling she was that excited. They watched this guy and took pictures and videos for a good 45 minutes.

 Lunch Time.

Madi was proud of her crazy hair...

 Down at west thumb basin.

Madi practicing her private eye skills. 

After showers we went back to camp to get ready for family photos. 

That's when my curling iron exploded. None of those wires were exposed when I plugged it in. I didn't even make it through half my hair when it popped and a flame sparked up. 

After family photos Madi hit it off with Alicia's kids. She was having the best time of her life. 

She was of course all over helping Derek's dad start the fire. 

Day 5: Sunday July 1
We met up with some of Derek's cousins and such for a breakfast. Then we took off before the rest of the family to get more touring in, Madi was so heartbroken that we left her friends. She was such a gloomy Gus until we found animals and she got to take photos.

Like this guy who went swimming but Derek wasn't fast enough to video that, just after. 

 And this guy.. so GORGEOUS!!!! He's actually a cinnamon bear not a blonde. We were spotting some grizzlies down by soda butte and a lady made sure we knew that. He had little cinnamon boots but the rest of his fur hadn't "blown out" yet.

 He's my favorite.

 They even spotted a grizzly bear first and started their own "bear jam".

The Master and his Apprentice. 

Can you spot the bear?

  Driving back to canyon for church.

After church (which funny thing, someone I went to high school with was there with his own family reunion), Madi went in the van with Alicia's girls and Madi couldn't have been happier.
But they missed out on bears and foxes haha suckers.

Derek and I stopped in Canyon for dinner, first time "eating out" in the park. We got buffalo burgers and they were pretty tasty. 

On the way home there was a huge backup on the roads in both directions. Not sure why, but apparently the rest of the family got caught in it too and only beat us back to the campsite by half an hour. My finger is pointing to the headlights coming from the Old Faithful direction, also stuck in traffic. 

Waiting.. forever...

We left Monday July 2.
Madi was so sad to leave her new friends but happy to get back home to her mom.
Overall we saw 17 black bears including cubs, and 4 grizzlies including cubs. Madi was excited to cross off many animals on the kids brochure the ranger gave her but wasn't interested in doing any of the jr ranger things.
It was a successful trip.
Now to wait forever for Derek to make the video :)

Yellowstone 2018 part 1

It was Madison's year to join us at Yellowstone. She was so excited.
Day 1: Wednesday June 27

 Her face after we told her that's where we're going to go swimming at.

Derek forgot to grab the charger for the old video recorder, but he was super awesome about letting Madi take photos with his camera. She was all about helping Uncle Derek carry the tripod and had no problems sitting forever waiting for animals.

"Truffula Trees"

Madi was also all about helping start fires every night.

 Nachos for dinner.

 Oreo S'mores... S'moreos for dessert.

Lots of scoots around the campground.

 Nightly walks along the river because it "looks like a painting".

Day 2: Thursday June 28
The day that Madi became the lucky bear charm.

Did some walking among the wildflowers.

It got really hot but Madi didn't have a shirt on under her sweater so we went back to camp for her to change. Lucky for us we were able to see a bull moose! The first time I've seen one in Yellowstone. He had such a huge rack, it was wide enough you could sleep in them.

One of Madi's photos.

 The first of 17 black bears (including cubs, and every shade of coat).

 Snack Time!

Taco Salad for dinner. It started to rain on us but cleared up enough for us to make sushi s'mores and go to the Ranger program about volcanic activity in the park.

Day 3: Friday June 29, 2018
It was a rainy day.
We saw Old Faithful although it was very steamy.

 Madi wasn't too excited for some other hot spring spots.
This was seriously her face at each one. 

Dunraven Pass to Tower

Derek and Madi were doing their own time-lapse and animal spotting. 

So I did one too and read. Surprised much? ;)

  We did see a lot of animals heading out to Lamar Valley.
Seeing them and getting to take pictures Madi wasn't gloomy anymore.

Golden Eagle

 "Puff Ball"

 Eagle Nest

Traffic Jam heading back towards the pass. We think it's from one of the bears we saw earlier.

Tower to Dunraven Pass. 

 These guys will steal your firewood. We caught them red-handed.