Our last day in Yellowstone had a different feel to it. We didn't do a tremendous amount of sightseeing, but what we did was quality!
We started the day at the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River. Beautiful!
Larry and the girls hiked down almost to the river, while I stayed and admired the view of the Upper Falls.
Leaving the falls, we headed towards Mammoth, but were held up by animal sightings galore, and very slow, winding canyon roads. Leaving Mammoth for later, we left the park for a white water rafting trip out of Gardiner. What a blast! We rafted down the Yellowstone River in a raft with another family from Oregon. What are the odds? Emily, Sarah, and their daughter took turns sitting on the nose of the raft. At first, as we hit the rapids, they were knocked back into the raft. (Better in than out!) As time went by, they got a feel for it, and each was able to stay put through the roughest of the rapids we hit. I think they're all ready for the mechanical bull at Gilley's (but, alas, too young...). It was a great trip, and I stayed in the raft this time - unlike a rafting trip 16 years ago, when I was thrown out... I feel like I've redeemed myself now, after all this time!
Wet and happy, we headed back into the park and visited the terraced sculptures at Mammoth Hot Springs. These were truly amazing features.
Some looked like icescapes.
One was so active, it was encroaching on the road, and appeared to be building by the day.
Many of these features have detailed patterns in the pools. These are formed by thermophiles - heat-loving bacteria that dwell in these waters.
A scenic drive on the way back yielded no new animal sightings, but some beautiful wildflowers.
A late dinner, a long, slow drive home, and a midnight arrival at our cabin left us ready for bed. We all slept well!
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