Yellowstone National Park

Fri. Aug 13:
At Rock Canyon, alongside Yellowstone River. David got fishing license; cleaned fridge & floors. Cleared bunk for Tim. To Albertson’s for a few groceries. Rained most of the day so we couldn’t grill pork loin – cooked it in convection oven with squash. Tim arrived about 8:30 as we were sitting down to dinner. Good laughs & conversation.
Sat. Aug 14:
After breakfast, Tim & David went fishing til noon, David caught a small trout but threw it back, so we gave him a hard time about “fish stories”. Packed up to leave after lunch, drove along Yellowstone River to Yellowstone NP. I rode with Tim. Entered Park thru Teddy Roosevelt gate. Several clots of cars were stopped to watch black bear & buffalo. Buffalo ambling down road, holding up traffic. Tim stopped for gas and salsa for chicken dish for dinner. Finally to Fishing Bridge RV park. Today was “Free NP” day so very crowded. Got info on tours & fishing at registration desk. Tim made pollo con arroz in dutch oven; rice, water, 3 chicken breasts, salsa and cheddar cheese. Delicious. Put charcoal on top of Dutch oven & set oven on top of grill. Played cribbage; Tim won by 2 points.
Sun Aug 15:
Very cold! 38˚ outside when we got up. (Later the USA Today reported Yellowstone was the coldest place in the nation at 31˚) Breakfast with Tim at Yellowstone; he left about 10AM Dave worked on ICAI while I “putzed”. Drove to registration where Dave took a shower for $3.25! While I made reservation for “Circle of Fire tour” on Tues. Made an appointment for an oil change on the RV while we are on the tour. Drove to Yellowstone Lake Hotel for hotel tour. Originally built in 1891 with 80 rooms, Expanded in 1903 to 210. Wicker furniture in lobby in 1920’s with lobby/sunroom restaurant. Etched glass doors & windows and tile fireplace. Owned by No Pacific RR as rail travel destination to Livingston and stage coach to Lake. Back to RV for dinner of Halibut Veronique. Family from KS gave us fresh peaches they had picked.
Mon Aug 16:
So cold in AM, we stayed in bed until 8AM when we could turn on the generator and the heater! Had blueberry muffins for breakfast. Left about 10AM to do north circle tour on our own, starting with Mammoth Hot Springs. Steam vents and mud pots and bright blue hot pools – lots of buffalo holding up traffic – too late for lunch at the Hotel but ate at the grill. Mailed package to Tracy and got some sandwich makings. Back to Fishing Bridge via Canyon, several waterfalls & more buffalo. Returned to RV site after 8PM so no generator. Potato soup for dinner and the rest of the peaches.
Tues. Aug 17
Cool AM.  To Registration Center by 8:45 to catch Circle of Fire Tour around the caldera of an ancient volcano which blew off the entire mountain range - north of here Rocky Mountains and Glacier NP, south of here Rocky Mountains and Grand Teton NP, here at Yellowstone mud pots & geysers!  Fell on a boardwalk at West Thumb and got a sliver under my right thumbnail, appropriate! Spent most of the 90 min. stop at Old Faithful at the clinic getting it out!  Saw the Old Faithful eruption from a distance.  Stopped at other steam vents, mud pots and rainbow colored ponds. The bus driver pointed out a skraggly looking tree on a rock in the middle of the Firehole River and called it "Charlie Brown's Christmas Tree"  He and the other bus drivers decorate it every Dec 25 and Aug 25 (more tourists to see it then!) Held up by bison in the road between Norris & Canyon.  Finally the bus driver pulled into the oncoming lane and drove right up to the bison in the road, explaining that they don't like the deisel smell and sound and sure enough the animal hurried right off the road and we pulled in ahead of all the stopped traffic!  Back to Fishing Bridge about 6:30 and out to Mary Bay to make phone call for book study. Went to the Lake Hotel for dinner; earliest table at 9:30 so had a drink watched the moon rise over the lake and played cribbage!
Wed. Aug. 18
Up at 8:15; turned on generator & heater.  It was 41˚ inside!  After breakfast we packed up to do laundry and check out.  Took the RV for service - oil change & new truck battery - lunch at FB deli. Finally left Yellowstone about 3PM headed for Jackson Hole.  Trunk odometer went over 100,000 on road to Jackson Hole where we got groceries.  Campground at Coulter Marina full; ended up at Gros Ventre - no hook ups but nice and quiet; generator allowed from 8AMto 8PM.  Had dinner at 10PM.