We started our day with breakfast at Obsidian, and we all did the buffet this time after the debacle yesterday. It was still a limited selection but it was faster and more reliable so we were fed and on our way. Today's agenda was to head out to Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, but of course the boys and I checked the geysers app to see if Grand or Castle was about to erupt (they weren't). We still hadn't seen Castle erupt. It had several small eruptions that apparently throw off its predictability. Tip: Download the Yellowstone and NPS Geyser app before you come. Most of the content in the Yellowstone app is available even when offline in the park, and the Geyser app requires wifi or cellular connection, but the geyser area is one area you can often connect at least slowly. The app is really helpful if you're trying to time catching a geyser if it is one of the 4 really predictable ones.
The Canyon has a North Rim drive and a South Rim drive. We started at the North Rim. Our first stop was for the Brink of the Lower Falls Trail. It is a short 0.7 mi steep trail to the top of the lower falls. It is a unique view of the falls and worth the trip. One note though, it is noted as strenuous on the map and sign at the trailhead. It is, in fact, strenuous. We saw several people truly struggling to get back up to the parking lot...heck, even our kids who are in pretty good shape from running and XC slowed down quite a bit on the ascent. If you have people in your party with heart problems or health issues, be aware that the hike back up is tough.
Before leaving Lower Falls, we stopped at the bathroom and a bison was just hanging out right by the fence there! None of the kids in the photo are mine, those kids are WAY too close to it. We were told by a ranger that more people get injured because they got too close to bison than due to bears and other predators. I'm fairly certain it is impossible to visit Yellowstone and NOT see bison.
We drove on to Inspiration Point overlook and got some great pictures of the full canyon. The trail from Inspiration Point to Silver Cord Cascade overlook was closed for maintenance (heavy maintenance from the look of it) so we could not go further up. It was around lunchtime, so we headed over to Canyon Village and ate at Fresh Wok in the Canyon Lodge Eatery. This was a huge hit with the whole family. You can pick your base (rice, noodles, etc), protein and veggies as well as sauce and they cook it in the wok for you there. There were options for everyone, it was served quickly, and tasted delicious! After lunch we explored the Canyon Village area and picked up a couple of snacks at the general store to have on hand for later. This was our favorite Visitor Center of the several we visited. The reason was that they had a very impressive display putting the super caldera of Yellowstone in perspective. It had visual aids to show how big past eruptions have been and was really helpful in getting an idea of the massive scope and impact on all of America (and further) that Yellowstone has. This was also where the boys turned in their booklets to get their junior ranger badges.
Well fed and rested, we set out for the south rim drive. We went up to the iconic Artist Point for the view of the canyon that is the most iconic in Yellowstone. We were again super lucky parking wise as we came up behind someone just pulling out. There is a short trail leading from there further up the canyon, but we didn't take that one. Sadly, can't do them all!
We headed back towards the main road on the South Rim Drive. We had wanted to do Uncle Tom's trail for another view of the falls from the front, but it was also closed for maintenance. So, we parked at the Wapiti Lake Trailhead and followed part of the South Rim Trail to the Brink of the Upper Falls trail. this one was still steep but not as strenuous as the lower falls trail. The trail we were on was pretty much deserted, likely because the rest of south rim trail as well as the parking lot at Uncle Tom's was closed going down towards Uncle Tom's trail due to the construction. Our path was along a river and beautiful vegetation. The rare solitude in Yellowstone just made it even better!
We left the area after the hike and headed south through Hayden Valley to watch wildlife and head towards Old Faithful Snow Lodge for our cabin. We also got our first glimpse of Yellowstone Lake since in the morning we had gone north and then east to get to the Canyon and we returned home South then west, completing the loop.
Got back to the cabin and got ready for our dinner reservations. The boys and I were done early and my husband wanted to relax a bit more in the cabin, so the boys and I went over to see if Grand Geyser or Castle Geyser were about to erupt. We saw a deer hanging our on our way up.
Grand was ready, and erupted just after we walked up... it went on for quite awhile and I actually had to pull the boys away because there was lightning and Grand is next to a granite rock face (granite is not a good place to be by if there is lightning).
As we walked past Castle towards the gift shop/Inn it was active but not erupting still.
The boys humored me with a picture by Theodore Roosevelt's bear in the gift shop
Our dinner reservations were at Old Faithful Dining Room. These reservations were hard to get. A few tips: If you are staying at Old Faithful Inn, you can book it pretty far out (starting May 1 of the previous year), but if you are at another hotel you can book 60 days out. I'd recommend submitting your request or calling them on the day it opens as it will book up very quickly. We enjoyed the feel of the restaurant and the meal, although we expected a bit more. The items on the buffet were hot and good but they were not being replenished quickly. Luckily we had a table right next to it so we could jump up if they came back with something they were out of. We just didn't really want that level of chaos in our experience at a nice restaurant.
At the end of the day, everyone was ready for a good night's sleep! We were ready for another fun day in Day 6 - Mammoth Hot Springs, Lamar Valley and a Chuckwagon Dinner!
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