After Glacier National Park, we drove to Yellowstone! This was my first time ever visiting North American National Parks other than the handful I’ve visited in Hawai’i and Alaska: Haleakalā National Park on Maui, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island of Hawai’i; Denali National Park, Kenai Fjords National Park, and Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, in Alaska.
On the way to Yellowstone, we stopped in Bozeman, Montana, and enjoyed the Museum of the Rockies. Cyrus especially loved all the dinosaur fossils! Ken took the older two kids to the planetarium show while Rosie and I enjoyed a little picnic in the grass followed by a museum shop date.
Driving long distances with our travel trailer has proved much more challenging than anticipated. Along with all our car troubles we’ve faced. The long days on the road can be exhausting for the kids, and Ken and me. We make sure to take lots of breaks to stretch and use the rest stop bathrooms, but still there are tantrums and burnout. Makes sense, as we have never done this type of traveling before. We have covered hundreds of miles by car already. I’m so proud at how our family is developing resilience and growing together through our travels. I’m also excited that we have a cozy home to go back to after our travels. I miss our friends so much!
When we made it to Yellowstone, it was just the respite we needed. We drove to Old Faithful, and enjoyed day hikes and walks around the little town of West Yellowstone. A huge highlight was visiting the town’s small Baptist church on Sunday morning, and sharing potluck lunch with the congregation. The church was welcoming and encouraging and prayed for us. What a gift!
Yellowstone National Park is America’s first national park and was established in 1872. The park is on top of a dormant volcano and includes incredible hydrothermal springs. I had never seen anything like the springs before – the colors are vibrant! We also saw a grizzly bear! It walked across the road in front of us one morning on our way into the park. There were beautiful elk resting in the meadows at Yellowstone another morning we drove through the park. No bison, though! Sure wish we had found those to view. The last time I saw a bison was driving the Alcan from Seattle to Alaska with Ken more than a decade ago. They are huge! Here are some photos our adventures at Yellowstone.
I love my family so much and praise God for this special time we get to be together, exploring God’s magnificent creation. I’ll always treasure how we did this beautiful and growing thing together!
Little Maui Family 