| Yellowstone is the worlds first national park | | | | The best place to stay when you go to |
| and one of the largest in the contiguous | | | | Yellowstone, unless you are camping, is in |
| United States. Sprawling across volcanic | | | | Gardiner at the North Entrance of the park. |
| plateaus in the northwest corner of Wyoming, | | | | You can get picked up for you tour here and |
| Yellowstone contains more than 2 million | | | | it is the most convenient entrance and exit |
| acres of steaming geysers, crystalline lakes, | | | | of the park. |
| thundering waterfalls, and panoramic vistas. | | | | |
| | | | We elected to stay in the park one night at |
| Home to a remarkable diversity of mammals, | | | | the Yellowstone Hotel. While it was nice |
| birds and fish, it is one of the worlds | | | | staying in the park, the hotel is very old |
| foremost sanctuaries. Here every season | | | | and needs a lot of updating. We could |
| brings special wonders and each of the parks | | | | actually hear every footstep of the people |
| five regions offers you its own experience. | | | | above us. Needless to say we did not sleep |
| | | | well. |
| For convenience purposes, Xanterra divides | | | | |
| the park into different regions, or | | | | When you leave the park, if you can, you |
| countries. Mammoth Country has fascinating | | | | should take the Northeast exit and go over |
| thermal are and is home to elk, bison, and | | | | Bear Pass. This road takes you to the main |
| has an abundance of hot springs that have | | | | highway but after you go though the mountains |
| formed travertine terraces. | | | | and through some very, very beautiful |
| | | | scenery. Taking this road in the winter is |
| Geyser Country is home to Old Faithful, the | | | | not advisable. |
| worlds most famous geyser as well as other | | | | |
| geysers and fumaroles, mud pots, and hot | | | | The park is open all year round, but in the |
| springs. | | | | winter many roads might be closed due to |
| | | | snow. |
| Lake Country is the domain of the native | | | | |
| cutthroat trout, osprey, bald eagles, moose, | | | | If you want to see bison/buffalo this is the |
| bison, and bear which wander the coast of | | | | park to do it. We actually got luck and saw |
| cold Yellowstone Lake. | | | | them hanging around the road. At night as we |
| | | | were driving to the hotel, they decided to |
| Canyon Country features the Grand Canyon of | | | | start crossing the road right in front of us. |
| Yellowstone, Hayden Valley and Lowe falls | | | | We had to wait several minutes as they |
| which is almost twice as high as Niagara | | | | crossed. These huge animals are really scary |
| Falls. This are houses elk, bison, and bear. | | | | to see so close up. But it was an awesome |
| | | | adventure. |
| Roosevelt Country revisits the Old West, | | | | |
| where visitors can see a stage coach forge a | | | | Old Faithful is also a sight to see. It blows |
| stream, deer, bison, or wolves in Lamar | | | | its top every 90 minutes or so. You can check |
| Valley. | | | | at the visitor center when the next eruption |
| | | | will be. It is kind of like the fountains at |
| Xanterra is the company that runs just about | | | | Bellagio in Las Vegas but without the music, |
| everything in the park. If you want to stay | | | | lights, and the water only goes in one |
| at one of the hotels, lodges, or cabins in | | | | direction. |
| the park you have to go through them. They | | | | |
| also handle all the restaurants, general | | | | The Hot Springs are really beautiful to see. |
| stores, and all other commercial activity in | | | | And it is amazing to see the animals living |
| the park. | | | | in such climates. If you get real lucky you |
| | | | might see a bear or two. |
| We took a Xanterra tour called Yellowstone in | | | | |
| a Day. And the tour was well worth it. Not | | | | Most of the park is inaccessible to cars |
| only was the guide very knowledgeable but the | | | | since it is mostly forest and mountains. |
| tour covered all the highlights on the park. | | | | |
| Amazingly it also gave us enough time as each | | | | Everyone in the family will get a kick out of |
| stop to fully see every stop. | | | | this park. |
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