Shhhhh! Don't tell!

Not sure I can keep up at the pace we have set for ourselves. Very tired tonight. We started the day at 9 a.m. at the IMAX to watch the Yellowstone film. Had packed our camelbaks and lunch for a full day at the Old Faithful area. After the film, we spent our obligatory amount at their giftshop and moved on. We sat in the usual morning traffic due to elk alongside the road and finally made it to the Mid Geyser basin which has Grand Prismatic Spring which was supposed to be beautiful. We realized though as we wandered the boardwalk that the people we had talked to were correct and that you couldn't see it's colors because it was so big and you were not above it. We had also heard that you could take another trail and climb the mountain across from it giving you a lovely birds eye view. So, off we went.

We got to the trailhead from which you could do this(interestingly very easy to find and the one we had looked for the first day for our six mile hike! We hiked about a mile and then about 600 feet very straight up the mountain to get to the top. Not much of a path, just well worn from other foot prints. We were way winded at the top. But, the view was spectacular and the picture is from there. We then felt sorry for all the poor souls that didn't know what they were missing. We came back and ate lunch and watched the ravens eat all of someones box of single serving dorito bags one at a time because the idiots left all their food in the back of their truck including coolers of sandwiches. We were presently in a bear awareness area. DUH!

We went on to Old Faithful and hiked the entire Old Faithful Valley looking at all the different springs and geysers etc. We went to the famous Morning Glory Pool which was much smaller than Grand Prismatic but also is green now instead of blue because people keep throwing junk in it. Stupid people!

We had 6:45 dinner reservations at the famous Old Faithful Inn and had a little time on our hands. So, guess what? Luke found the piano and asked to play and serenaded the guests in Old Faithful Inn for an hour and a half. He was in withdrawal so that was good for him and good for the guests. Dinner was prime rib buffet and they charged us children prices for all the kids! Hooray. The roasted red pepper and smoked gouda cheese soup was fabulous. Then on to home and now off to bed.

Oh, what are we not telling? Katie informed me on the first day that 6 miles was way to long and so we told her we wouldn't do that again. Well, I hate to say that we are putting in at least that every day just as short hikes and although she was very tired today, she held up well.....shhhh!