Yellowstone 2025: Old Faithful and a Grand Circuit

The previous post (here) recounted our morning activities on September 16th. Our next stop was the Old Faithful complex, where we arrived about noon. The Inn's exterior was impressive!

That bus is not us!

We had a little while to explore the astonishing interior,

and then had our lunch al fresco. The famous geyser "Old Faithful" is visible in this photo from our balcony perch.

We lingered and caught one of Old Faithful's eruptions. They last for several minutes; this video clip isn't that long.

Then we took to the paths to other features. Quite a few, there are! (Click on any image to enlarge.)

One of the first pots we encountered. You ain't seen nothing yet.

Iron and sulfur-rich waters flowed here.

What do we have here in these blue waters?

Let's zoom in and see ... bones!

Our explorations are taking us gradually away from the lodge.

Next, we reached the Anemone geyser.

There was interesting action here: at the eruption's end, all the water drains away.

This pool had translucent blue depths.

Further away stood the Castle geyser.

Zooming in:

Here's a video of the Castle geyser.

Next, the Spasmodic geyser. (Click on any image to enlarge.)

We waited a while at the Grand geyser, but it didn't make an appearance in the time we had. In this photo, Jack, one of our two Off the Beaten Path guides, is pointing out some features. (His missing hand is a quirk of taking a picture in panorama mode, where the photographer sweeps out the photo desired and the camera does the combining.)

Then it was time to move on: today we were engaged in a long loop from Canyon Village. You'll find Old Faithful in the bottom left corner of this map; at this point, we've completed almost half of the journey.

The route became mountainous; we even crossed the Continental Divide at 8,391 feet, or 2,556 meters. Needless to say, we were not zooming along! There was plenty to see, including some resting elk.

We arrived at the shores of Yellowstone Lake and had time to take a driving tour of a section of lakeshore. By now, the day's light had become more horizontal.

Our auto tour along the shore continued; later in the evening I took this photo of waterfowl cruising close to shore.

We had dinner at the Lake Yellowstone Hotel. Our group broke into several separate tables, but the food was among the best we'd encountered. That makes up for a lot!

Needless to say, by the time we returned to our rooms at Canyon Village, it was lights-out almost immediately. Next, we'll head south to the Grand Teton National Park.

Yellowstone 2025: Lower Geyser Basin

July 16th was a steam-filled day. It began early; our group left Canyon Village and reached the Beryl hot spring, our first stop, at 7:45. (Click on any image to enlarge.)

A walkway keeps visitors away from the road and extremely hot water.

A different angle on some of the vents.

Close-up of another vent.

Our next destination was the Paint Pots complex. (A link to a detailed description of each geyser is here.)

A locale with innumerable vents came into view.

First, Jack Noll, one of our two Off the Beaten Path guides, gave us the obligatory warnings and an overview.

A circular hot pool!

Blue depths, salt-encrusted borders.

The fountain paint pot. It's still only 9:00.

How does that work? (Click on any image to enlarge.)

And this one, the Red Spouter ...

 

Another kind of photo-op.

What's that ... a bison rubbing against a tree!

Walked away in profile.

The trail took us to a somewhat higher view, including the Grand Prismatic Spring.

Zooming in reveals its paths and walkers.

Then it was time to shove off -- and head for Old Faithful and the myriad other sights in its complex. Next post!

Yellowstone 2025: Begin in Bozeman

Joan and I flew to Bozeman, Montana, on September 12, 2025, to participate in an Off the Beaten Path (OBP) exploration of the Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks. This was a day before the official start on the evening of the 13th, giving us time to explore. After checking in at our hotel, the Kimpton Armory, we went up and down the main street, identifying options for tomorrow's breakfast and lunch, bought some chocolate, and visited the Off the Beaten Path home office to see folks that so far only been voices on the phone, or an email address. We and other visitors had some great travel conversations there.

 

We had an early dinner at the hotel (5:00) so we could attend a movie about Ellen Jovin's quest to set up a grammar table in a public space in all fifty states, answering grammar questions from passers-by. Joan had earlier purchased tickets online for this documentary, to be shown in the historic Ellen Theater that evening. On arriving at the theater, we discovered Ellen out front hawking her book, Rebel with a Clause: Tales and Tips from a Roving Grammarian. We chatted and bought a copy, which she signed. The Ellen Theater was a restored historic and well-decorated building, the movie was entertaining and enlightening, and Ellen answered questions afterward. How fortunate it was that the trip schedule allowed us to be in Bozeman on this particular day!

 

After coffee and a big breakfast at the Main St. Over Easy, Joan and I spent most of the 13th exploring. We visited the old Bozeman jail, now the Gallatin History Museum with a wide range of exhibits and historical artifacts. Bozeman was a boom town in the 1860s due to the discovery of gold in nearby Virginia City and the creation of the Bozeman Trail, which attracted settlers and miners to the area. We followed a walking tour route through the old town, with many classic/historic buildings, including the T. Byron Story Mansion. (Click on any image to enlarge.)

Observed from the curb.

Joan and I had a chat with the owner of another historic home, who was mowing his lawn and curious about these two strangers staring at his house.

 

The current St. James Episcopal Church building was built in 1889-90.

Then our wandering took us to the Emerson Arts & Culture Center, which includes an artists' co-op. Joan and Nick, one of two glass artists, fell into a long conversation. Then we decided to visit La Chatelaine Chocolat to buy more chocolate confections. Finally, back at our hotel, we checked out the rooftop pool, and I took this elevated photo of Bozeman.

That evening our group assembled, and food, introductions, advice, and schedules were served. Jack and Steve, our Off the Beaten Path guides, took a photo of each table; here's the one featuring Joan and me.

What a day!

Puebloan Mysteries: Acoma Pueblo

On May 10, 2024, our Off the Beaten Path group departed Grants, NM, to visit the Sky City of Acoma Pueblo, a settlement perched atop a 365-foot mesa. Arriving promptly, we were among the first to arrive at the visitor's center, sitting near the foot of the mesa. (Click on any image to enlarge.)

All visitors must be accompanied by a tribal guide. A van took us to the top of a road blasted out of the rock in the 1950s.

 

Acoma first appears in historical records in 1539. Several Spanish expeditions followed over the years, culminating in a massacre and enslavement of the Acoma in 1599. Between 1629 and 1641, the Mission Church was built using enslaved labor, 20,000 tons of adobe and other materials, plus Ponderosa pine cut and carried from over 40 miles away. In this photo, our guide is explaining the architecture, art, and grisly early church history.

No photos are allowed inside.

Afterward, we began a walking tour of the Sky City. To make the presence of tourists less intrusive, taking photos of the residents is not done.

There are streets and cross streets.

The mesa hosts buildings old, new, and refurbished. About 55 families live here during the summer, but fewer in winter, so the children can attend school.

Some home renovations are still a work in progress.

Here's a look back as we left the church behind.

There are some vehicles up here. Note the outdoor oven to the left of the car.

To the northwest lies Enchanted Mesa, an earlier abode of the Acoma until erosion destroyed all access to the top.

Zooming in for a closer look ...

This closeup of a knob of "our" mesa shows how sheer the sides can become.

At one location, local artisans had works for sale, including gorgeous pots and other handicrafts. Joan and I needed extreme self-control to avoid accumulating more souvenirs.

 

Here, our group is moseying down the wide "Main Street."

Originally, access to the dwellings was through an opening in the roof, and ladders gave access from the street level.

At a wide intersection we enjoyed some more presentations, but without any photos, I'm at a loss to describe them in any detail. One fellow gave a presentation about his hand-made knives.

At the end of the tour, we could take the van back down to the visitor's center or clamber down the mesa, using the original route. This was the prospect as we pondered our choice; the visitor's center is in the green circle.

Click on any image to enlarge.

Most of us decided to try our luck with the trail. In the beginning, there were well-worn steps in the rock.

Then things went vertical, and the original hand- and foot-holds were very welcome. John, our Off the Beaten Path guide, did an excellent job guiding and assisting us.

More descent on more accommodating stairs.

Everyone made it safely down, and on our stroll to the visitor's center we admired this rock formation, perhaps a dike. The tip at the top right seemed ready to fall off.

After reassembling at the visitor's center, we left for the Pueblo Indian Cultural Center in Albuquerque. We had an ample lunch there, and then admired the traditional arts of 19 pueblos, such as the San Ildefonso black-on-black pottery. We also watched a traditional dance in a central courtyard.

Afterwards our group checked into the elegant Hotel Albuquerque Old Town, and later had a yummy farewell dinner at a favorite spot for our guide, John Ninneman. We arrived half an hour early at the restaurant and therefore retreated to the Old Town Plaza, perusing shops and the courtyard of the San Felipe de Neri Catholic Church, built in 1793, and other establishments around the plaza. Also, we had a chance to admire a couple of elegant lowriders before our excellent farewell repast. Early the next morning John ferried the first wave, including Joan and me, to the airport, ending our Off the Beaten Path adventure.

 

If you missed the first post in this Puebloan Mysteries sequence, it's here.