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Old 13 Jul 16, 04:47 PM  
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It's all set in (Yellow) stone - Day 5

Day 5 – 5/7/16

The backside of Elk
(Thanks to Disney’s Jungle Cruise ride for inspiration with today’s title)

So breakfasted and checked out we head to Albertsons. We want some chap sticks as our lips are like “wet n’ dry” sandpaper. I think it’s a combination of the colds we have and the air con in the car and rooms. We get some other bits and then head to the liquor store where I get a bottle of Wyoming whisky to bring home.

Time to set off for Yellowstone. The first part of the drive takes us along the road we used yesterday up to Moran junction so I won’t repeat pictures of the Teton mountain range up to the point. We now branch off up the 191 towards the southern entrance of Yellowstone park. We will follow the shoreline of Jackson Lake. This is similar in size to Lake Windermere back in the UK. We stop at Colter Bay – part of the lake, where there is the National Park Info Centre, Restrooms, restaurants, marina, the inevitable gift shop and a lovely walk down to the shoreline. It is just so peaceful.







In the background is a somewhat different view of the Teton Mountain range. We spend ten minutes or so getting photos and just taking in the vista. Nature really puts on a show around here.
We decide to have lunch here and head to the John Colter Ranch Restaurant.

John Colter was a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition. He was a trapper and a mountaineer too. The Bay and the restaurant are both named for him.

For a National Park the food here is exceptional.
For the Princely cost of $15, I get 3 bean soup, salad, baked potato and chilli con carne with all the “fixings” (condiments, croutons, Ranch & Blue cheese sauces, bacon bits…….etc.etc.) I have a cloudy lemonade.



Darrin has a brisket baguette with the most beautiful coleslaw. His drink is just water.




We get underway again. Along the roadside are those leaping deer signs. Here a bronco cowboy has been added riding the animal. The reason I mention this is because the car in front of us suddenly slams his brakes on as a deer shoots right across the road in front of them missing the car by inches. Technically. that was our first wildlife sighting and a timely reminder why the signs are there.
We pass by Lewis Fall (presumably named for Lewis of the Lewis & Clark North West Passage team):



To get to these falls you have to leave the main road and struggle your way along a very precarious path above the river clinging on to pine trees and bushes. In part the soil erosion is such that you can see the entire root system of some of the trees. We then proceed to get fantastic photos. It's on returning to the car that we realise that had we walked onto the bridge we could have saved ourselves the trek through the undergrowth!

Our next wildlife sighting is somewhat different. We see a car pulled over with hazard lights flashing. The lady motorist has a camera in hand with one of those three feet long zoom lenses attached. She is obviously taking a photo of something. When we look to the left we see the rear end of an elk disappearing into the trees – the "backside of elk" as we named it.

Further along the road and lots of cars have pulled off to the side of the road. There must be something to see. Down the bank and in a small meadow is a young bison.
Ok let’s clear this up now, They are NOT buffalo. They never have been nor are they related to them
You can blame Buffalo Bill for misnaming them. So you can get it right – what is the difference between a buffalo and a bison?
You can’t wash your hands in a buffalo! (Bison – basin).





So back to Billy as we named him. He is a one year old and he’s grazing all on his own. We respect the rules about getting no nearer than about 25 yards. (100 yards for bears). Thank heaven for zoom lenses. More about people NOT obeying rules in Day 6's report.

We take several photos of this lovely beast. He totally ignores the sill humans up on the road. If he decided to charge up the bank bear in mind he can run 3 times faster than we can.
So back to the car.

We pass over the Continental Divide a couple of times as the road twists and turns. Then we are there! You turn off down past a hot spring steaming merrily away and there is the Old Faithful Inn. Now for the Disney-ites amongst us I’m going to ask you what Walt Disney World resort does it remind you of?



Let’s go inside and look at the lobby and the balconies above:


It was built in 1902 and had its first guests in June 1904. It was a way of enticing people into the National Park and giving them somewhere to lay their heads at night. There had been earlier lodgings near Fountain Paint Pot ( about 5 miles from Old Faithful) but geo-thermic activity put paid to that area.

In answer to my Disney question - who is thinking Wilderness Lodge? Yes, you’d be right because Disney practically copied the architecture for their resort. One big difference though is that the dining room here has a roof that is 80 feet tall and its chimney if fed by 10 fireplaces – four at ground floor, four on the first floor (USA 2nd) and two on a higher floor. You can take tours and actually be taken up on the roof where the flagpoles are.

So on to our room. We are in the wing at 2059. Should you forget your room number – as many do - there is a way of working it out from the code on your key fob.

We have a standard room with a Queen bed. Are you ready for this? - $208 a night plus taxes, park reinstatement fees, let’s treat the bison to hay and the bears to honey tax and so on and so on. They even ask you to donate $2 a night towards the education centre. Work all that out for 4 nights. Plus, you need to book 18 months in advance. So – our room:
One thing – it has a bathtub so I can luxuriate and relax in bubbly hot water.





WARNING - there is no TV. Not in the Inn or any other resort in the park. It's actually quite bliss and means you get on with things.

Don't you love the bedside lamps? I wish they sold them in the gift shop but they don't. They'd much rather flog you something that is quite horrendous and costs $500. I counter that with the fact they do have some lovely lamps but they are so pricey!

We get sorted with our cases.

At 5:50p.m. we go to watch Old Faithful erupt. It does not disappoint.








It erupts approximately every 90 minutes but they allow a tolerance of 10 minutes either side of the predicted time. The frequency of the eruptions is dictated by the amount of rainfall from the previous year and winter that drains into the aquifer. When it blows you hear a rumble and a huge blast of steam emerges then the splashes of water as it slowly climbs to between 30 and 40 feet. It continues this column of water for about ten minutes and then it declines. It's rather like a kettle coming to the boil. Be warned - the water is at boiling point but the steam at source underground can be up to 400F ( 205 centigrade). Seats are provided in a semi - circle on a boardwalk pathway. If you’d like to see the geyser (pronounced Guy Zer and not like our word for an old man) then go here:

nps.gov/features/yell/we...Streaming.html

Two things: It’s time zone is seven hours behind us so allow for that and it can take a while to download. It should give you a prediction for the next eruption – ten minutes either side. The webcam, we discovered, is right in the apex of the rook at the front of the Education Centre.

Now then, we booked our meal reservations some 12 months ago. We saw people turned away or told to return in 1 hour 45 minutes! (These are mostly day visitors.) You thought Disney could be bad?

We are really looking forward to this. However, things are not going to go to plan. We check in and are seated quickly. Those of you who know how we eat will know that it’s rare we have a bad experience. The bus boy (they are now known as the server's assistant) arrives and fills our water glasses. Our waiter, Darius, arrives and takes our order.

Darrin orders wild Alaskan salmon served on corn fritters:



Problem #1 – the so called corn fritters, when placed in the mouth turn to fatty grits. A hideous taste.

I order gnocchi with chicken:



Problem #2 -It arrives lukewarm. I ask Darius to send it back and get me a fresh hot one. This he does so I can’t fault him. Taste wise I could be eating wall paper paste mixed with Bisto chicken gravy.. It’s a real disappointment. I leave 2/3rds of it.

The dessert I had – Yellowstone Sundae was fine. Huckleberry ice cream and sponge, whipped cream and berry sauce with cherries:



I have to say we were really disappointed and I shall be saying so on Trip Advisor. I did fill out a comment card but doubt anybody at Xanterra (the company that run these places on behalf of the National Park Service) will take any notice. I can’t fault Darius' service - he reacted accordingly and tried to put things right - but the menu choices are limited and the meals we had were on a par with school meals. Avoid at all costs.

Later in the evening we are chatting to somebody and the subject of meals comes up. We are advised to eat at the Snow Lodge where the standard of food is way better. This is bizarre seeing as its all run by one company. Check out Trip Advisor - my views are not alone.

We head back to our room where mugs of Earl Grey tea are made – you may have detected a common theme here. Darrin sorts some work emails and I carry on bringing this report up to date. By 11:30p.m. we are fast asleep.

INDEX - http://DIBB.in/11766690

Edited at 04:54 PM.
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Old 13 Jul 16, 05:24 PM  
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Brilliant report. Shame about yer dinner.

Looking forward to next instalment
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Old 13 Jul 16, 05:47 PM  
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Geoff. Two days on the run with spectacular scenery and experiences. Very envious!
I could sit for hours watching and waiting for that geyser, awe inspiring.
What a beautiful lodge to stay in. Pity about the food and no excuse for it but totally made up for it with the lodge itself. They sure knew how to construct iconic buildings in N America and Canada at the turn of the century. Love the lamps, reminds me of items styled by Remington (not the firearms company!)
Spot on about Wilderness Lodge as well!
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Old 13 Jul 16, 05:52 PM  
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Shame your food was so bad-I cant remember where we ate when we visited, I think we had breakfast at the Lake Yellowstone hotel as we stayed in a cabin there

do they still have guest soaps in the shape of a bear? I still have one of mine



enjoy walking around the hot springs-what a sight.

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Old 13 Jul 16, 05:55 PM  
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Love the hotel but not the price

Shame about the food

Nice photo of the Bison and Old Faithful

Looking forward to tomorrow.

Lesley and Melvin
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Old 13 Jul 16, 05:57 PM  
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Lovely day. Disappointing about your meal.
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Old 13 Jul 16, 06:07 PM  
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Great report as usual - shame about your meals - made a note not to order what youve had in a few weeks time -You confused OH when you said youd trecked upto Lewis falls - made him chuckle about seeing the bridge after Hope you both have a fab few days
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Old 13 Jul 16, 07:43 PM  
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Sorry your meal was a let down today, the lodge more than makes up for it though I'm sure. It looks splendid. Looking forward to the next instalment.
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Old 13 Jul 16, 08:38 PM  
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The baby bison looks so cute...shame about your meal..

Thanks for sharing.
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Old 13 Jul 16, 09:24 PM  
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Beautiful pictures
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