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2026 Leepin’ Across America
  • Mike and Kimberly
  • Mike and Kimberly

2026 Leepin’ Across America

Ein Abenteuer von Mike and mit offenem Ende Weiterlesen
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  • Mike and Kimberly2026 Leepin’ Across AmericaReisender
    Great basin national Park
    We are up to 25 national parks we have seenDeer in the roadThe mountain in the background and a sculpture depicting the mountain in the foregroundThe arrow points to the glacierMarmots in the roadPretty wildflowersThe Marmot familyThe babyThat blue stuff is snow fallingThe flakes are getting biggerA picture in the morning

    Great Basin scenic drive

    16. Mai in den USA ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F

    Today we took a drive-through great basin national Park. Of the 63 national parks this is the 25th park we have visited. It features unique landscapes, including ancient bristlecone pines, the state's only glacier, and some of the darkest night skies in the contiguous United States. I know a glacier in Nevada whoever would believe that exist, but that was the one thing that drew me to this national park.

    I really wanted to hike up close enough to see the glacier within a reasonable distance, but unfortunately, the very top of the mountain, where you have a good view of the glacier is still closed off because there’s too much snow. I know we could park at the highest point and hike in, but reports from some people we’ve talked to said they were hiking in waste high deep snow and I just don’t have the right equipment for that.

    We did get to go to Mather overlook where it had a great view of the glacier from a distance. Right after the first video, the next picture, I drew a red arrow that points to the glacier.

    After the drive up the mountain, we took another side road that didn’t quite go so high. We got to see some deer and a little family of marmots. A mom, dad and some babies. I drew a little red arrow where the baby is you can see how much smaller it is compared to the adult

    This is a small park so it didn’t take very long to see everything. Later that evening we got news of weather alerts for possible snowfall. WHAT!! as the afternoon closed out in the evening rolled in the temperatures drop and the snow started falling. Started as little tiny flakes and ended up being huge half dollar size flakes. The biggest I’ve ever seen. It was pretty neat to watch it, and of course did not stick on the ground where we were, but the mountains were covered and it was so beautiful.    Weiterlesen

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  • Mike and Kimberly2026 Leepin’ Across AmericaReisender
    Snow on the mountainCrossed from Nevada back to UtahMore snowA lake bed similar to Salt LakeLots more snowA temple in Provo, UtahDowntown Salt Lake CityPast Hill Air Force Base. We stayed here before.Giant cow on the side of the roadStop over for the night

    Hitching post-Snowville UT(5/18-5/19)

    18. Mai in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F

    Our time in Nevada and great base national Park went by quickly and before you know it, it was time to go. Although we were only there for four days being out in the middle of nowhere with a small national park to visit, didn’t give us much to do. So we were ready to get going. We were craving civilization.

    On the drive out, we had to drive 88 miles before we actually found civilization along the way we saw lots of Sagebrush as we crossed the desert. But because of all the snow, it was the most fabulous views of the mountains.

    We drove up to Snowville, Utah, which is just 5 miles from the Idaho border. We made it through all the traffic in Provo and Salt Lake City with no issues and it was an uneventful drive day.    Weiterlesen

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  • Mike and Kimberly2026 Leepin’ Across AmericaReisender
    Evel Knievel rampThe snake river is at the bottom of the gorgeThe snake river

    AmbassadorRV-Caldwell,ID(5/19-5/24)

    19. Mai in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    It was a quick stop over in Snowville and we were on our way to Idaho. We are headed to Caldwell which is just West of Boise. Along the way, I actually convinced Mike to stop and see the Shoshone Falls. We have some friends that live in Boise that we will be visiting, and they gave us all the insider information about how to stop at this area along the way with the RV. Our friends that we are traveling with, Mark and Barbara also wanted to see the Falls so we decided to do it.

    We got off the interstate and parked at a very big mall that is half empty, so there was tons of parking spaces. Our Boise friends told us that they are letting water out further up the river so the falls were really flowing great. They looked fabulous.. Shoshone Falls, located on the Snake River in Idaho, is 212 feet tall, making it higher than Niagara Falls and often referred to as the "Niagara of the West."

    Our insider information also told us to check out the evil Knievel jump site. This is where he tried to jump the snake river, back in 1974 but was unsuccessful. The ramp that they used is still there. Well, at least all the dirt from the ramp and several pieces of concrete where the actual ramp was attached.

    It was a quick little visit and we were back on the road before. Before we knew it, we arrived in Caldwell    Weiterlesen

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  • Mike and Kimberly2026 Leepin’ Across AmericaReisender
    Black Canyon Reservoir
    Black Canyon ReservoirIt definitely got a lot greener the higher we wentPayette RiverLots of rapidsSnow on the peaksBarbecue nachos

    Ride to McCall,ID

    20. Mai in den USA ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F

    Today we went for a ride up to McCall Idaho which is a mountain resort town north east of where we are staying. Along the way we passed the Black Canyon Reservoir, which looked more like a giant river, but the water was very still so it was definitely different than the rivers. Then we turned onto Utah 55, which follows the Payette River up to McCall. As we passed along the river, the view got better and better with each twist and turn. Since it’s still technically spring, there is quite a bit of runoff from the snow on the mountains. Although, as most of the United States, this area did not get the amount of snow it usually gets. Along the river we saw lots of people with kayaks on their cars, but no one was actually kayaking in the water.

    McCall is a super cute mountain resort town we stopped at McCall brewing for some really good barbecue nachos. The side of salsa that came with the nachos was probably one of the best salsa’s I’ve had in a long time. I even ordered a cup of coffee because the weather up there was so much cooler. I was a bit chilly from the ride. Caldwell, where we are staying sits at 2300 feet while McCall is just over 5000 feet.

    We also saw quite a bit of snow still on the mountain peaks. This was such a beautiful ride with all the pine trees, the water and the twist and turns. On the way back, we took a different route. It wasn’t as pretty so there’s not too many photos of that. Mostly rolling hills, but the hills are still pretty brown.    Weiterlesen

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  • Mike and Kimberly2026 Leepin’ Across AmericaReisender
    Dinner with Bruce and Nannette
    Bruce and Nannette's houseRenting E bikesBoogie board surfing in the riverDowntown Boise skylineBoise DepotBig Mike, the train at the depotBoise State UniversityBig rainbow troutSturgeonAnne Frank statueAnne Frank MemorialFreak Alley muralsThe capitalRacing Sims, Mike is on the leftThe display of the racing

    Visiting RV friends

    23. Mai in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    Boise is the cutest city Mike and I both fell in love with it. Thanks to some of our friends that were able to show us around.

    Over the next three days we were fortunate enough to be able to spend time with friends that we met through RVing

    The first night we met up with Bruce and Nannette for dinner at rare steakhouse. We met them on the Grand circle RV caravan back in September 2024 and they recently built a house just outside of Boise Idaho. After dinner, we got to stop and see their beautiful new custom home. It was great to catch up with them.

    Day two we met up with our friends, Michael and Amanda who we met when we attended the Newmar International rally in Missouri back in September 2023. When we met Michael and Amanda we hit it off with them. Michael is into racing and used to race cars and Amanda and I have a lot in common too.

    We met them in downtown Boise and grabbed a bite to eat and then rented some E bikes. We rode the E bike bikes all up and down the beautiful Greenway that Boise has. The Greenway passes along lots of neighborhoods and connects different businesses. It is gorgeous with all the house with beautiful landscaping, the river running alongside and all the trees. We stopped to see some kids on their boogie boards in the River. Boy that takes a lot of effort to stand up on those boards. then we got a good view of the downtown skyline. Next we went over to the train depot where they often hold weddings and events. we also rode by Boise State University. and a small little nature center, which had a lot of fish. the last stop on the green belt was the Anne Frank history display.

    Mike and I have never rented E bikes or ridden them before and it’s been a good 15 years since we’ve both been on bicycles. We both had a blast and I only fell off once. I was trying not to hit Amanda and get hit by a car at the same time and I stopped and forgot to put my feet on the ground before the bike fell over. no injuries and we all laughed. After returning the E bikes, we grabbed a bite to eat at the food truck round up and enjoyed hanging out together.

    The next day we met Michael and Amanda at their new beautiful house. They took us downtown and we were able to walk around. There was a great market going on at the time with lots of interesting things to buy. We also spent more time downtown walking the streets. The downtown area in Boise is very friendly with lots of parking and businesses and super clean. We stopped in an area called freak alley where the city has allowed people to come in and paint murals. It was pretty cool. We also went to the state capitol walked around just a little bit in there. then we did some more walking around a historic neighborhood called Hyde Park. Since Mike and Michael both love racing, they decided to do some Sim racing, which is kind of like a video game but instead of a joystick, it’s a more realistic race car feel that you sit in and drive. They had a blast driving and Amanda and I had fun laughing at them. We closed out the day with dinner at their house and more hanging out together. We had a blast with them.

    Mike and I loved Boise so much that we are in search of a city with a similar Boise vibe but east to the Mississippi. Our Google search has returned three choices, Knoxville, Tennessee. Asheville, North Carolina. And Roanoke, Virginia. We have been around these areas and we really love the Asheville area, but it might not check all the boxes so we’re going to spend some more time in Roanoke and Knoxville but we have three contenders for a area to settle down in someday.    Weiterlesen

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  • Mike and Kimberly2026 Leepin’ Across AmericaReisender
    Snake River
    Snake RiverTractorCool, looking muralSome snow on the mountainsRain on the mountainsGraduating years1Chester the ground squirrelCampsite

    Arco KOA Arco, Idaho (5/24-5/30)

    24. Mai in den USA ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F

    We had a nice easy drive day from Boise over to Arco, Idaho. Along the way we passed the snake river a few times.

    Idaho is a big agricultural area believe it or not. And in Idaho any farm equipment on the road has the right away. It’s the law. Fortunately for us when we came across this big tractor he pulled over and let us go by. Otherwise, I don’t think we would’ve ever made it passing him.

    As we got closer to Arco, we got closer to the mountains. And it was pretty neat to watch a little rain storm come in over the mountains. We only got a few sprinkles, thankfully.

    We drove into the town of Arco. We saw all of these numbers painted on the side of the hill. We later found out that every year that graduates from the high school. The kids graduating that year, climb up the mountain side and paint the number for the year they are graduating so for example, this year they painted 26. In this town, the kids have been doing this since 1923 so over 100 years that’s pretty crazy. If you look closely at the picture, I see a 48 up there so that thing has been there for quite some time. How cool is that?

    We got settled into our campsite and met our new neighbor, who now resides between our friends, Barbara and Mark and us in our RV. His name is Chester and he is a ground squirrel that lives in the fire pit at our campsite. Check out his cheeks stuffed with seeds he’s so cute.    Weiterlesen

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  • Mike and Kimberly2026 Leepin’ Across AmericaReisender
    Snow cap mountains
    McKay ReservoirSalmon RiverSalmon RiverSawtooth mountainsRedfish LakeOur view for lunchOsprey nest

    Ride to Stanley, Idaho

    25. Mai in den USA ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F

    Today we took a ride on two scenic by ways out to Stanley Idaho. Stanley Idaho is located in the sawtooth mountains. Population 117. The first scenic byway was peaks to craters on US 93 disconnects craters of the moon national monument to the mountains. Along the way we passed the McKay Reservoir. We also passed many mountains with lots of snow on the peaks. This part of the ride was pretty straight not very many twisties.

    We turned onto Utah 75 and followed the salmon River by way over to Stanley Idaho. This was the best part of the ride lots of twisties. The snow cap mountains were gorgeous. In this area, we saw the sawtooth mountains, which had a lot more snow on them.

    Once we made it to Stanley, we turned down a little side road to get to redfish Lake Lodge. They had an outdoor grill and we could sit on some picnic tables by their little beach and watch the water with the mountains in the background. The water was crystal clear and almost a turquoise kind of color that was just beautiful. On this portion of the ride, we also saw a ton of big eagle nests I think they were Osprey nest since we were close to the water and the river the whole time it was pretty neat. This was probably one of our longest rides at 287 miles.    Weiterlesen

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  • Mike and Kimberly2026 Leepin’ Across AmericaReisender
    Bristle cone pine tree, usually thousands of years old1Neat lava ribbonsLava formationsBeautiful wild flowersBristle cone pine treeLava rockCinder HillView from the top of the Cinder hillNeat lava formationThis is lava cool as it formed ribbonsLots of different colors of lichen1Roof of the lava tubeLava tube or bat caveFrom on top of the cinder hill

    Crators of the moon national monument

    26. Mai in den USA ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F

    Today we went to craters of the Moon national monument. This whole area was formed by a volcanic eruption about 2000 years ago.

    So much of the landscape reminded us of the short time we were able to spend on the big island in Hawaii.

    We did several short walks along the boardwalks and one really short hike of the Cinder Hill. There was only 1 “real” hiking trail there and we decided to skip it.

    We also went into what they called a Batcave although it really was a lava tube. The scary thing was that big sections of the ceiling of the lava tube had collapsed. It wasn’t completely dark, there was lots of natural light, but it was scary, knowing that those parts of the ceiling had collapsed at some point in time. It was a cold and rainy day, but we had a lots of fun exploring, even though it is kind of a smaller park. It was also amazing to see all of the wildflowers that are growing in the cinders.    Weiterlesen

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  • Mike and Kimberly2026 Leepin’ Across AmericaReisender
    Percentage of potatoes, grown in different areas of IdahoPotato peeler displayOne of four potato masher displaysMost potatoes become processed food like potato chipsMr. potato headThis one brings back fond memories1Build your own potato bar1Fresh cut fries with bacon, sour cream and jalapeño

    Idaho potato Museum

    27. Mai in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    Today we visited the Idaho potato museum. This is in Blackfoot, Idaho. It’s a pretty small museum, but it was a unique place to visit. Plus who doesn’t love potatoes.

    All of the potatoes that come from Idaho are all russet potatoes and they all are grown in the southern half of the state. 62% of the potatoes that are harvested are used in processed foods such as potato chips. That leaves only 29% as fresh potatoes that are eaten. The remaining 9% are used for seed.

    The museum had lots of display cases, including a whole case of all kinds of different potato peelers. and four cases of potato mashers. Who knew there were so many different types of potato mashers. But my favorite display case was all the Mr. potato heads, two huge cases full of all different kinds. They were so funny to look at.

    After the museum, we went into the potato café and of course we had to have a potato. They had to build your own potato bar where you can select the type of potato you want to eat and then what kind of toppings you want on it. We got fries. They were fresh cut french fries. Cut from the potato topped with bacon, sour cream and jalapeños, and it was tasty.    Weiterlesen

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  • Mike and Kimberly2026 Leepin’ Across AmericaReisender
    Map of all the nuclear facilities in IdahoScience stuff. How nuclear powers generated.Illustration of how the nuclear power plant worksThe first reactor was created way back in 1951My dad used to make temperature monitors like this1This is the control board where Homer Simpson would stand at the nuclear power plantUranium fuel palletThis sign was powered by the power plant when they first got it goingThere were lots of areas we couldn't go to because of radiation1

    EBR 1- the first nuclear power plant

    27. Mai in den USA ⋅ 🌬 73 °F

    Today we went to go visit the first nuclear power plant.

    EBR-I, or Experimental Breeder Reactor I, is the world's first breeder reactor and the first nuclear power plant to generate usable electricity on December 20, 1951. It is located in Idaho and was designed to demonstrate that a reactor could produce more fuel than it consumed.

    Honestly, all this chemistry stuff is way over my head, but we went on a tour where this young girl explained how it all works and how nuclear power is created. She was very knowledgeable and Mike was in awe of the tour.

    The power plant is just outside of Arco where we are staying. And Arco actually was powered for one hour by the power plant when at first went into operation.

    Apparently, this type of nuclear power is safe and we’re not supposed to be walking away with any radiation. It was need to see and Mike thoroughly enjoyed it.    Weiterlesen

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  • Mike and Kimberly2026 Leepin’ Across AmericaReisender

    Idaho Sky RV-Rexburg,ID(5/30-6/5)

    30. Mai in den USA ⋅ 🌧 48 °F

    We had a nice short drive day from Arco over to Rexburg. There wasn’t much to see along the way, so I don’t have very many pictures, it was mostly Sagebrush. And it was raining the whole time. The rain is coming from a winter storm and bringing cold temperatures believe it or not. The day we arrive. The high was 55 and dipping into the 30s at night, so yes, we are going to be running the heater at the end of May.

    We are here for a few days to relax before our big Yellowstone adventure, and to get provisions. But of course we will find something fun to do while we are here.    Weiterlesen

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  • Mike and Kimberly2026 Leepin’ Across AmericaReisender
    11

    Idaho Falls

    1. Juni in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F

    Today we headed down to Idaho Falls to meet up with some friends that we met while RVing, Shelly and Chris. We met them last year in Virginia at the Newmar full-time’s chapter rally. We hit it off with them because they are younger like us and have family in Minnesota where are very good friends Rick and Lizzie live.

    We met them at the Idaho Falls zoo. The zoo itself is pretty small, but we had fun walking around and catching up with them. After that, we grabbed a bite to eat and then took a short walk along the waterfalls in Idaho Falls. These waterfalls were really pretty even though they are not natural.

    The water features in Idaho Falls are man-made hydroelectric bulb turbine projects along the Snake River, designed to generate electricity. They are part of the city's power infrastructure and are not natural waterfalls.    Weiterlesen

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  • Mike and Kimberly2026 Leepin’ Across AmericaReisender
    Carpet of green alfalfa
    More alfalfaOspreyPalisades Reservoir. The water looks very low.Another OspreySnake RiverSnow on the mountains1The rafting outfitter in JacksonMillion dollar cowboy barYummy nachos1Elk antler archThe TetonsThe TetonsThe Tetons

    Ride to Jackson Hole Pt 1

    3. Juni in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    Today we took a ride over to Jackson hole. Jackson hole is the valley on the east side of the Teton mountains. The town Jackson itself is just a town within the valley. This ride was so beautiful and so surprising with what we saw that I had to make two posts.

    We started out the ride riding through a bunch of farmland where I believe they’re growing alfalfa. In the valley where they’re growing the alfalfa, the grass or alfalfa is so green. It was like a giant beautiful carpet that stretched from one mountain range all the way across to the other.

    Then we made it to the Palisades Reservoir. Which is one of the biggest reservoirs I think we’ve seen in a long time we stopped along the reservoir and took some time to watch some Osprey and bald eagles. Along the drive we saw so many giant eagle nests up in the telephone poles.

    Then we made it to the town of Alpine where we turned onto Route 89 and followed the snake River all the way into the town of Jackson. We saw several people rafting on the river as we were riding by. Rafting on that river is a very popular. They even have an outfitter in the town of Jackson with a cool raft full of bears in front of their store.

    Once we got to Jackson, we passed by the million dollar cowboy bar. We’ve been to this establishment before. It’s pretty cool because they have actual horse saddles instead of barstools at the bar. We got parked and walked over to the silver dollar saloon for some nachos. We rate these nachos, a 10 out of 10.

    After eating, we walked around the Central Square where they have four arches created from all the antlers from the elk. The arches were made by weaving real shed elk antlers—each weighing 5 to 10 pounds—around a steel frame, one antler at a time, until each arch contained about 10,000 to 12,000 pounds of antlers. they started this tradition back in 1953 and they rebuild the arch as necessary when needed.

    After lunch, Mike picked up some huckleberry jam. He just loves this stuff and sadly it’s hard to find in any other state. On the ride back we had great views of the Teton mountains. The ride back was even better than the ride there and I will continue pictures in the next post.    Weiterlesen

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  • Mike and Kimberly2026 Leepin’ Across AmericaReisender
    1You don't see that every day
    10% grade and really twisty what a rideBackside of the Teton mountainsLots of twisties1Wyoming signAcross the street the Idaho sign1The moose

    Ride home from Jackson hole part two

    3. Juni in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    On the way back home from Jackson, we took the Teton pass. There were lots of signs on the road about Moose crossing and lots of signs on the road about how curvy the road was. They weren’t kidding. This was a great twisty road.

    Along the way, we stopped at the state sign for Idaho and Wyoming. We are staying in Idaho, but we went over to Wyoming for our lunch in Jackson. There was a big pull off so he had enough space where we could stop and take a few pictures. Unfortunately, everybody likes to put a sticker on the sign so the sign doesn’t look very good.

    Then, as we were riding home through the twisties, I was watching off to the side of the road and lo and behold. I saw a moose. I yelled to Mike moose! Moose! Luckily there were some nice little pull off a little bit further up the road and Mike was able to turn around and we headed back towards Jackson to try to see the moose. As we rode by he was still there, but Mike didn’t see him because he was hiding pretty good between trees down in the water. We turned around again and headed back towards Idaho and this time there were no cars behind us so Mike was able to go really slow as we drove past and I got a bunch of great pictures. This moose looks pretty young and I can’t tell if it’s a boy or a girl. It kinda looks like he has little knobs on his head likelike maybe antlers are coming in.

    We are so excited to get into Yellowstone in a day or two. I keep hearing all kinds of information about all the animals. Everyone is seeing lots of bears wolves moose I can’t wait.    Weiterlesen

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  • Mike and Kimberly2026 Leepin’ Across AmericaReisender
    Love those roadside attractions
    Another roadside attractionWhat! Snowmobile signsOn the other side of this mountain lies YellowstoneCrossed into Montana. The roads were horrible.Entering Yellowstone National ParkNow we are in WyomingI think this is the Yellowstone river1Another river.A steam ventBisonFishing bridge campgroundThis is the actual fishing bridge1Home for the next two weeks

    Fishing Bridge RV, Yellowstone,WY(6/5-6/19)

    5. Juni in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 50 °F

    We had a fantastic and beautiful ride from Rexburg over to fishing bridge campground inside Yellowstone National Park. On the drive we crossed into Montana for just a little bit and then entered into Wyoming and into Yellowstone National Park.

    The scenery inside Yellowstone National Park is just breathtaking. We were here in September 2016, 10 years ago, and everything was kind of brown as far as the grass goes. And the rivers were running a little low. But being the beginning of June, the waters are all running high in the rivers, and the grass is so green. We saw some elk and a couple of buffalo, but not much as far as animals on the drive-in.    Weiterlesen

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  • Mike and Kimberly2026 Leepin’ Across AmericaReisender
    1Yellowstone Lake with snow capped mountains in the background
    Fairy Falls trailheadGrand prismatic on a cloudy day from the overlookFairy FallsMostly the hiking trail was like this thick with Lodgewood pinePeople on the boardwalk, looking at grand prismatic at the end you can see the overlook1The clouds went away, and the sun made the color shine2Bison1They love rolling in the dirt

    Fairy Falls, grand prismatic, and bison

    6. Juni in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    Day one and we were out the door and on the road by 7 AM. Yes that’s early for me. We drove over to grand prismatic where we are going to do the ferry Falls hike. Along the hike there is a short offshoot where you can go to the grand prismatic overlook. We started the hike and quickly got to the overlook. Unfortunately, it was pretty cloudy so the grand prismatic view was a bit disappointing. It looked nothing like the photos that The you typical.

    We carried on with our hike to the Files. Round-trip was about 5 miles. After we passed the overlook, we got to a section where they had a big sign about bit frequent bear activity in the area. We’re both carrying a canna bear spray, but we were still on the lookout for any bears. The falls weren’t flowing very fast as I had hoped they would be. They were still beautiful. We turned around and headed back and discussed if we were going to stop at the overlook again and see if it looked any better. The sun was starting to come out a little bit, so there was a good chance.

    Well, we got to the overlook with the sun was shining and we decided to climb up the hill to the overlook again and I’m really glad we did. Wow the view was awesome. Now the gram prismatic really looks like it does in all the pictures.

    After the hike, we headed over to the Madison area where we did a quick little drive-through between two big herds of bison. They were on either side of the road and there had to be at least 100 of them. This time they all had babies with them. They were so cute. And so tiny. Of course in Yellowstone whenever they’re bison there’s always a bison jam so it took us a bit to get through this area, but it was fun to watch the Buffalo.    Weiterlesen

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  • Mike and Kimberly2026 Leepin’ Across AmericaReisender
    1Emerald pool1Paint potsSteam ventJelly geyser1Jelly geyserJelly geyserMidway basinExcelsior poolExcelsior poolGrand prismatic from the Boardwalk1The colors are outstanding11Even the steam is different colors

    Lower and midway geyser basin

    6. Juni in den USA ⋅ 🌬 68 °F

    The lower geyser basin is where the fountain paint pots are located. These are some of the neatest formations here in Yellowstone. They remind me of boiling water, just bubbling like a big giant cauldron. You have to watch the videos in this post. We also got to watch jelly geyser, which had little mini eruptions similar to old faithful, but on a much smaller scale, it was pretty cool.

    Next, we went to Midway geyser basin. This is where Excelsior pool is and where the grand prismatic pool is. Again, you have to watch the videos to really see how it is the pictures don’t do it justice.    Weiterlesen

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  • Mike and Kimberly2026 Leepin’ Across AmericaReisender
    Old, faithful inn
    The lobbyOld faithfulSnowMore snowThe Hook 'em and Cook 'em geyserYellowstone Lake

    Upper geyser basin and Westham geyser basin

    6. Juni in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F

    Our last stops of the day were at upper geyser basin and West Thumb geyser basin.

    At upper geyser basin this is the area where the old faithful inn is and old faithful and the whole upper geyser basin. We popped into the Inn first. This is such a beautiful hotel and someday I would love to stay here. It’s like six stories high and just feels all warm and cozy inside. We didn’t walk around the upper geyser basin because we wanted to spend some more time doing that and not feel rushed and it was getting late in the day. But we did get to see old faithful go off.

    We stopped and saw another waterfall Kepler Cascades, and we also saw a lot of snow on the side of the road

    At West thumb the best geyser was the Hook ‘em and Cook ‘em geyser. Legend has it that the fisherman would catch the fish out on Yellowstone Lake and then put them directly into the geyser while they were still on the hook to cook them. I thought that was really funny. The last video is Yellowstone Lake. It’s pretty expensive and is the largest high elevation lake according to the billboard I read.    Weiterlesen

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  • Mike and Kimberly2026 Leepin’ Across AmericaReisender
    Walking along the side of the roadLove watching these Geyer's bubbleIt was a neat view in the morning with all the steamSome of the pools are the same color as the skyLove the contrast between the yellow brown color and the green blue color

    Norris geyser basin- porcelain basin trail

    7. Juni in den USA ⋅ ☁️ 48 °F

    Today we headed over to Norris Geiser basin. This is a very popular area of the park so we wanted to get there early before the crowds.

    Along the drive, we passed a few bison, including one that was just walking along the side of the road. That was kind of funny to see.

    The first part of the hike was through porcelain basin. We started from the overlook which gave us a great view of all the geysers below. From this overlook, you can see milky blue pools saturated with silica, the primary component of glass. The thermal waters in Norris contain the highest concentration of silica in Yellowstone. Then we went down and walked along all the boardwalks through the porcelain basin. It was pretty neat to see such a contrast of colors all in the same area.    Weiterlesen

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  • Mike and Kimberly2026 Leepin’ Across AmericaReisender
    The warning sign in the parking lot for steamboat1This one sounds like bacon frying1The top pitcher is before the explosion2Didn't get the name of this one, but it was very different than the rest

    Norris Geiser basin - back basin

    7. Juni in den USA ⋅ ☁️ 50 °F

    Next, we walked through the back basin trail. We spent some time at steamboat geyser. When we were here in 2016, we were lucky enough to see a mini eruption. We were really hoping to see one again today. But it didn’t happen, which is kind of good but bad. They have warning signs in the parking lot about the damage the eruption will due to your vehicle if it goes off. Steamboat has a geyser that shoots 300 feet in the air with an acidic acidic type water that will ruin the glass and paint on your vehicle. It would be cool to see you, but we don’t wanna have the damage to the truck.

    It wasn’t too windy today so you can hear a lot of the hissing and gurgling that all the geysers are making so make sure you watch the videos with the sound on. One of my favorite ones to listen to was the puffin stuff.

    We also like the rapid boiling water effect that you saw in the blue mud steam vent. Not sure how they come up with these names because that water is black not blue.

    Another neat geyser was Porkchop geyser. I took a picture of the information board here. This geyser started erupting in 1985 and constantly kept erupting until 1989 when it exploded and chunks of rock went flying and hit spectators that were at the park. It’s crazy to think that someone would witness something like that happen luckily they did not get hurt.    Weiterlesen

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  • Mike and Kimberly2026 Leepin’ Across AmericaReisender
    Gibbon Falls1All the large pole pines are a sea of green1Wow, all that green1View from the overlook at the paint potsThis one is starting to form a cone1This one is so thick and fun to watch

    Gibbon Fall and artist paint pots

    7. Juni in den USA ⋅ 🌬 54 °F

    The next step was to Gibbon Falls. This was a nice waterfall with a 84 foot drop. The water, kinda just cascaded down the slope of the Caldera. We walked along the edge of the overlook, and when we weren’t looking at the waterfall, we were looking across the valley at the mass amount of Lodgepole pine trees. It was like a sea of green. I thought The great Smoky Mountains had a lot of pine trees, but I think there might be more here.

    Next, we headed over to the artist paint pots to walk around the trail there. This trail also had a nice overlook where you could get up high and view the paint pots down below. There were several geysers we really liked here. One had bubbling that almost looked like wet clay or a thick stew. It was so thick. Pieces of it even shot up onto the boardwalk. Again, you have to watch the video with the sound on because the pictures don’t do it justice.    Weiterlesen

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  • Mike and Kimberly2026 Leepin’ Across AmericaReisender
    Virginia Falls
    Tree growing in the rockChurning cauldronDragon's mouth

    Virginia Falls, and mud volcanoes

    7. Juni in den USA ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F

    Our next step was a quick little stop at Virginia Falls. You were only able to see the falls from the road and only in a very small section, but it was kind of neat to see. We also saw a neat tree that was just growing right out of the rocks.

    The last stop of the day is the mud volcano. This area also had a couple of geysers we really liked. The first one was churning geyser. This one was bubbling so hard and so rapidly that it was creating waves and it’s a little pond. The next one we saw that was pretty cool was dragons mouth. This one you could hear all kinds of crazy noises the little geyser is making.    Weiterlesen

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  • Mike and Kimberly2026 Leepin’ Across AmericaReisender
    Old faithful from the overlook
    Old faithfulOld faithfulSawmill geyserNot sure that this is considered an eruptionGrand geyserGrand geyserA side water spurtGrand geyserGrand geyserGrand geyserGrand geyserGrand geyser1Grand geyserThis one had a very neat shapeThis one was really pretty like a smaller grand prismatic

    Geyser eruption day part 1

    8. Juni in den USA ⋅ ☁️ 43 °F

    Today we went to the upper geyser basin and had an epic eruption day. We started out first on a hike to the Old Faithful overlook. Once we got up the hill, we made it there just a few minutes before Old Faithful went off. The view wasn’t that great being that far away but it did give you a much different perspective.

    Old Faithful erupts more frequently than any of the other big geysers, although it is not the largest or most regular geyser in Yellowstone National Park. It is believed this regularity is in part due to no known connection with other hydrothermal features in the area. The eruption lasts from 1 to 5 minutes and is about 100 feet in the air.

    Next, we headed down to the boardwalk where we saw tardy geyser and sawmill geyser, which are located right next to each other, both erupting at the same time. It wasn’t a huge eruption, but it was pretty neat to watch. Sawmill Geyser's eruptions are highly variable, some lasting only 9 minutes while others may last over 4 hours. Sawmill received its name because water spins in its crater as it erupts looking somewhat like the rotating circular blade of a lumber mill.

    We only walked a few more feet down the boardwalk, and we made it to grand geyser. There were several benches set up in front of this geyser and several people were starting to sit around and watch it. Mike and I stood there for a few minutes and watched the Marmot’s running around in the field across from the geyser and then BAM. The geyser erupted. It was huge and we were not far away from it. Much closer than you can stand to old faithful. According to the NPS website, Grand is the tallest predictable geyser in the world to erupt. A classic fountain geyser, Grand Geyser erupts with powerful bursts rather than a steady column like Old Faithful. An average eruption lasts 9-12 minutes and consists of 1 to 4 bursts, sometimes reaching 200 feet. We timed it when we were there and that geyser went off for about 20 minutes. It did take a brief break for about one minute and then he irrupt it again. And I would say it was about 100 feet in the air not quite the 200 the park site says.

    We walked around on the boardwalk to the back of the basin and saw several more pools of water and but no more guys eruptions.    Weiterlesen

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  • Mike and Kimberly2026 Leepin’ Across AmericaReisender
    Daisy geyser
    Daisy geyserDaisy geyser1BeehiveThe water was shooting all over the boardwalk12Beehive

    Geyser eruption day part 2

    8. Juni in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 50 °F

    On our way back towards the parking lot, we took a little offshoot trail over to Daisy geyser. This Géiser only went off for about 3 to 5 minutes and was about 15 feet tall. Not the biggest one, but it was still pretty neat to see.

    When we were here 10 years ago, we got to see beehive, geyser erupt, and Mike really wanted to see it one more time but this time is from as close as we could get. So we detoured off the hiking path back over to the boardwalk to walk to beehive geyser. When we got there, the crowds were already starting to form so we decided to stick around and see if it was actually gonna go off. Beehive Geyser is a favorite performer in this geyser basin, but is irregular. When active, it typically erupts once or twice daily and lasts 4-5 minutes. The narrow cone acts like a nozzle, projecting a powerful water column to a height of 150-200 fee. We got lucky once again because we saw this one go off and it did not disappoint. Because we walked up late after the crowd already performed we didn’t get the best view, but we still could see it pretty good. It was like a fire hose coming out of that cone. It was crazy.

    Total hike around the basin was just over 6 miles. On the drive back we crossed over the Continental divide and saw a few bison.

    We took a break from sightseeing and hung out for a little bit and then after dinner, we headed to Lamar Valley. This is a popular area to see wolves and grizzlies. We got there at about seven and sunsets at nine. We pulled up to a pull off where several other people were already set up with huge spotting scopes and gigantic lens cameras. We just had our little binoculars, but it was nice to talk with the other folks and get information on where the bears or wolves were. Once we had an idea where to look we were able to find them with the binoculars. We saw one grizzly that we were able to watch for about 20 minutes. But he was so far away. There was no way to get any pictures of him. We also watched a pack of black wolves come down the hill. We counted a total of nine in the pack and we were able to watch them run around for about 30 to 40 minutes. It was awesome to see. We are definitely gonna go back to that area a few more times but maybe early in the morning instead of at night. It was a long dark drive home.    Weiterlesen

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  • Mike and Kimberly2026 Leepin’ Across AmericaReisender
    Snow on the truck
    Snow in the pine treesLove the lines in the snow where the bison walkWhat! A snowplowBlackbearYep, it's still snowing a little bit1Look how close the bear and the bison are to each other

    Drive to Mammoth

    10. Juni in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 36 °F

    Today when we woke up, there was a dusting of snow outside. We headed out anyway, the weather wasn’t going to be bad in the morning, but they were expecting thunderstorms in the afternoon.

    You know it’s gonna be a great adventure day when there’s lots to talk about before we even get there.

    We’re headed over to Mammoth, Hot Springs and the drive over was so pretty seeing the snow on the pine trees. We also saw some bison along the way. It’s kind of neat to see where they walked because it leaves a little line in the snow.

    On the drive over we ran into a bear jam. This is when everybody stops in the middle of the road because there’s a bear. We found a place to pull off so we could get out and check him out.

    He was just a black bear and he looked pretty big until you see him next to the bison. It just amazes me that the bison would stand there and eat his grass and the bear would stand there and eat his grass and they’re literally 20 or 30 feet away from each other. It just blew my mind.    Weiterlesen

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