Y is for...

...Yellowstone.

First time I went to Yellowstone I was about 2. Maybe 3. Doesn't count.

Wonderful Guy and I went again in 2004. I fell in love.

We stopped again coming and going to Glacier in 2005.

I pestered him until we went again July this year. It was another glorious experience.

These falls? And this canyon? I saw the original painting by Moran at the Renwick Gallery in DC. Exactly the same to this day. No photoshopping here, except to reduce the image size. It's just a perfect place.

See this geyser? While it was doing it's thing....

This one started behind it! We actually saw this one go off in 2005. (Got a photo of it then, sent it in, and it was posted on 9News! Yeah, we're famous. Almost.)

This is the Grand Prismatic Spring. It's the one photographed from way up alot, because it is so grand and...well...prismatic. Imagine what the first people must have thought coming over that ridge and seeing these colors. I made a point to see it this trip. We hadn't made this stop the other times. Wonderful Guy was a little tired. I said I really wanted to see this. So we parked and walked up and up and up. And then there it was. Wonderful Guy wasn't tired anymore!

Also, on the ridge behind the Spring, there is the remains of the big 1988 fires. This year was the 20th anniversary and the parks recovery is remarkable.

It's a big place, and there are lots of things to see, from the canyon area, to the Lamar and Hayden Valleys (where we saw wolves this year!), to the Mammoth Springs, to the Lake area.

My favorite place to stay is the Lake area. With the Absoroka mountains behind Lake Yellowstone, the effect is pristine nature, all serenity and peace.

Mornings are perfect.

Evenings are great.

This is something we do...because we can!