Journey to old Faithful

On August 23 we left our Super 8 Motel room headed for Yellowstone.  (If you are still stuck on Super 8--yes that was not a typo.  As our girls can attest--we never waste or spend money on hotels, especially when we are not going to be in the room for very long.)  

Old Faithful is located in Yellowstone National Park.  The park covers an area of over 3400 square miles which include areas of Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana.  Established in 1872 as the first national park in America, the part is home to the majority of the world's geysers.  Old Faithful was the first geyser in the park to receive a name in 1870.  As its name indicates, it is one of the most predictable geysers on Earth erupting every 35-120 minutes each day.  

We had to stop several times along the way at the turnouts for the views were spectacular.  Caroline had to journey to the edge of a rock.  She wanted to cross to the smaller rock just behind her but stopped short.  The area behind she and Steve had been badly burned by a fire in 1988.  

Old Faithful was scheduled to erupt at 12:09 give or take ten minutes.  The geyser started off slowly teasing us with a few small burps.  The water temperature has been taken at 255 degrees. 

The Old Faithful Inn which opened in 1904 was our choice for lunch.  It is designed in the National Park Service Rustic and features a 85 foot stone fireplace.  It was built largely using locally materials such as lodgepole pine and rhyolite stone.  The central feature is the high ceiling open beam lobby.  

Grilled Portabella Mushroom Sandwich and Salad

Grilled Sausages with Sauerkraut and Potatoes

BLT National  Park Style

Joy