Travel Recap #6: Getaway & Yellowstone

 

One thing I wanted when we first started out was something to look forward to; a time where we would have a set place to be and a break from all the travel planning and water-rationing. I happened to catch an email from Lippert (a company that makes many of the components on our RV) that mentioned “Yellowstone” and “Getaway,” so I looked into it. We were late to the game, but were able to register in time and add it to the calendar as the place we would plan to end up about a month after our family gathering in Seattle. I thought it would be good to mingle with other RVers with more experience than us - and enjoy a few unique activities and catered meals while we were at it - especially since it was in an area we had planned to visit around that time anyway.

We arrived at the hosting campground to find that we had an awesome spot on the end of a row, right across from the playground and very near the laundry/showers. We had an extra day to kill before the festivities began, so we took a family trip to Yellowstone National Park the next day.

Yellowstone was definitely a neat place, as expected! Coming in from the west entrance, we drove first by a large bison on the edge of the road, then hit Excelsior Geyser Crater and the boardwalk around the edge of Grand Prismatic Spring. It was a bit steamy but we could still see the bright orange and blue colors that make it so well known. After grabbing Jr. Ranger booklets at the Visitor Center and checking eruption times, we ate a quick lunch and then found a spot right in front of Old Faithful for a viewing. Although it erupts about every 90 minutes or so, and we were there on a Monday, the benches and surrounding walkway were full to the brim with spectators like a football stadium on a Friday night. True to its name, it faithfully erupted as predicted and gushed for a few minutes before dying back down. 

We hiked along the Upper Geyser Basin (largest concentration of geysers in the WORLD) which gave us a fantastic viewing of several geysers and hot springs, some of which were actively spewing as we passed. Castle Geyser was steaming and both Sawmill and Grotto Geysers were gushing repeatedly in a fascinating and unusual show of natural waterworks. We saw a glassy hot spring that looked as inviting as a jacuzzi tub, until it came to a rapid boil and we learned that it had a depth of over 40 feet. Our walk ended at the magnificent Morning Glory Pool, which was probably my favorite just because the vibrant contrast of colors was so vivid and up-close. We caught the next Old Faithful eruption on our return trip to the truck, just as it was beginning to rain. 

I wanted to get a better view of Grand Prismatic on our way out of the park, so Justin pulled off at the Fairy Falls trailhead and let me jog up the trail to the upper viewpoint. It was a pretty sight from above (and worth the extra walk), but I still preferred the intimate Morning Glory, which was basically a mini-version of the Grand Prismatic Spring that allowed for a much closer (and less crowded) observation. 

We spent the next day playing, schooling, and adventuring around the area (riding bikes to nearby Henrys Lake), until the activities of the Getaway kicked off that evening and packed our schedule for the next few days. We had lots of fun getting to know the other campers in attendance, including families with kids, retirees, veterans, other full-timers, and even several RV “celebrities” with healthy social followings. We enjoyed activities of all kinds, including Open House tours of some of the rigs, a Trivia Night, a Silent Auction, a Poker Run and other social events. And even though the weather started out rainy, windy, and miserably cold on our day to ride ATVs (they kept asking if we were sure we wanted to continue), it generally cleared off by the time we got to the good part and we were wildly excited to spend the next hour getting drenched in mud on the forest roads up to a natural spring and back. The kids were dumbfounded that mom and dad were so willing and thrilled to splash in the mud. It was epic. The whole experience basically sums up so many of our days on the road: even when things look bleak from the outset, we almost always manage to get filthy and have a blast anyway. 

It was a good ol’ time, but we were itching to get back on the road and the weather was fixing to turn cold that weekend, so we packed up early and headed out after saying goodbye to our newest friends.