Yellowstone 2010

Yellowstone is one of my favorite places in the world. It is a sacred place for me, which sounds so hokey, but it's true. My parents loved it too, and as kids, we used to visit at least once a year. We haven't been there since my mom died, partly because we've been busy, because we didn't have the kind of time it takes to go through the Park. And mostly because we haven't been emotionally ready to go back there, without my mom.

But this year, we felt compelled to go. I was ready. I wanted to take Penny on the first of many pilgrimages to Yellowstone.



We had trouble finding a place to stay inside the Park, but scored a wonderful cabin outside of West Yellowstone. Even though it was late in the season, the Park was still busy. People have discovered what we already knew, that September is the perfect time of year to go. The leaves are just starting to turn, the weather is mild, and the wildlife is "active."




Lovely Norwegian Fjord horses, grazing behind our cabin. (Not native to Yellowstone).

Penny was unbelievably good in the car. It takes a while to drive through the Park, because of the "must stop" attractions like Old Faithful, the interesting scenery, and the occasional bison crossing. Any time you can get out and inspect a thermal feature, or get a better look at a distant elk herd, you must! It was challenging to coax Penny into getting back into the car once we had stopped to look at something. But she handled it well, considering her legs were probably constantly numb from sitting in her carseat.



If you haven't been to Yellowstone, you must go. I always see something I haven't seen before. I'm already wondering when we can go back.