Road Trip – Day 5 Part A – Montage of Grandeur

Over Half Way

We are over half way through this roadtrip. We’ve seen three national parks, a variety of historic and scenic sites, enjoyed meals, shopped for fam and friends … and even survived almost 50 hours in the car – together – alone.

I’ve learned some things – my wife doesn’t necessarily like my choice of audio books. I had a Jack Reacher (No Plan B) volume and a Harry Potter (Goblet of Fire) volume. They were ways of keeping me alert and attentive. But no. She wants to talk – she wants stop and take pictures of every new rock and blade of grass – she wants to … connect. (Ugh, now I almost regret yesterday’s post on connections – almost.) So I listened to my audio books sporadically. During the lulls.

Also, and I kind of knew this, she basically just tolerates my flavor of classic rock tunes. Come on man, who doesn’t like Three Dog Night and ZZTop. I like country too, but oh well. So those too were listened to at select times.

But today, day five, we circled the 100 miles of highway in the Yellowstone National Park (YNP). And true, lots of driving between spots, but the scenes between those spots was awesome. 

If you’ve been there you know, I mean you just know. We purchased the app “GuideAlong” that gave great insights and intellectual snippets. And the audio was downloaded and the locations were kept synced through GPS Satellite, not cell reception (which there was very little in YNP.)

History. Science. Interesting factoids. Well worth the purchase.

We ate breakfast buffet at the Old Faithful Inn and headed out around sunrise. Again, we missed the Old Faithful geyser launching steam into the sky. We headed clockwise. First was the geyser basins – colorful, splendorous, unique, and delightful. Though the steam of early morning in the cool early hours kept a lot of the color hidden behind gaseous water, it was inspiring. The Fountain Paint Pots did not disappoint.

I also learned my wife had a keen eye for animals. She spotted the deer, the long prongs, the elk, and even the grossly a little later in the journey. But we didn’t see what she really desired to see – moose (mooses? Meese? What is the plural?) Yet with less than 200 in the park as a whole, as declared on the app guide, it wasn’t unexpected. We also didn’t see any bison. We did see a herd of bison in the Teton NP, but from a distance. 

We continued north towards Mammoth Hot Springs. 

We saw Roaring Mountain – a small cliff with geysers and steam spewing from the hillside. We saw Sheepeater Cliffs – a unique hoodoo formation that makes one scratch your head as to how they really formed.

We took the short side trip to follow the Firehose river and Firehose Falls – but the park blocked the parking and riverside stop because there was an Osprey nest with mother and babies right at the exit spot. Yet viewing the falls and the white water, as well as the Osprey nest, was again – inspiring.

The Mammoth Hot Springs was crowded – well the gas station wasn’t. So we stopped and tapped off at almost $5 a gallon. 

We got tee-shirts, gifts, and most importantly, ice cream from the Mammoth gift shoppe. And on a 100 degree day – the ice cream was splendid. Weird though, my wife didn’t take a picture of the ice cream. 

We flowed east and south through the less travelled spots. Saw the grizzly. And while many say we were too close, we always kept someone else between us and the wildlife. I don’t have to be fast, just faster than the ones around me.

Time was working well. And the montage of everything seen so far was just amazing. 

Side story – every time I was asked how amazing this new scenery was, I always said not nearly as beautiful as the view I see of the woman next to me. Corny yes. Repeated a lot – possibly. Believed – I believed it.

But it was at this point I asked what was her favorite thing in YNP? What was the most amazing thing she saw? She liked the geysers, the nature, the paired pots, maybe even the roaring mountain. But when she asked me (beside the corny normal response – which was form the heart, truly) I honestly said none of them. I would have to say my favorite was yet to come.

There is something about knowing a little of what is ahead. In this uncertain world, We don’t know everything; but if we are His, we do know what awaits us.  

The old saying – I may not know what tomorrow holds, but I know who holds tomorrow. That is true – but it is incomplete. We do know a little about what tomorrow holds – but not the half has been told. And tomorrow I will share my favorite part of YNP – a lesson that enthralls men and scares me.

But today -whether in the YNP or wherever I am – I can rest in seeing the beauty around me and knowing so much more is ahead.

Do you know that future? He can give an assurance of a blessed future to you too, if you only believe.

As far as my favorite part of YNP – read about it in Day Five – Part B – tomorrow.