Bingo Abroad
On January 13, 2018, we set off from Portland, Oregon to tour the world, from hiking the Andean Mountains in Peru, SCUBA diving the Red Sea in Jordan and adopting an elephant in Kenya. Lue lisää🇺🇸Portland
  • Los Pengüinos

    12. marraskuuta 2019, Chile ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    We got perfect weather for a day trip out to Isla Magdalena to see the island of penguins. It was smooth sailing for the hour long boat ride through the Strait of Magellan.

    We were told on the way out there, in 2007 it was reported there were 65,000 pairs of penguins! The population has decreased but there should still be thousands on the small island. So once we arrived, I saw black and white creatures dotting the land and thought it was a swarm of penguins. No, nearly all of them were seagulls. I think the better nickname for the island should be Seagull Island with a Handful of Penguins.

    Nonetheless we did see quite a few penguins, most of whom were inside their little burrows keeping their eggs warm or were plucking grass for better insulation underground. They were cute and funny as always when waddling to shore, and made the weirdest noises when encountering another penguin.

    On the way back we swam a few pods of dolphins to keep those of us who weren’t napping entertained.

    Not the most exciting of tours ever but still a fun afternoon.

    One of the best parts of the day was chatting with an older couple from Spain - all in Spanish! I’m sure we didn’t sound great and it wasn’t the longest of conversations due to our limited vocabulary but it was nice to know we haven’t lost that much Spanish since our last time in South America.
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  • Made it to Patagonia

    10. marraskuuta 2019, Chile ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    After 2.5 years of planning we finally made it to Patagonia! We are currently in Punta Arenas, a small city at the very end of continental Chile. It is much less remote (good cell service!) and much larger than we anticipated (130,000 population), plus better food (we’ve had some delicious meals).

    The town is a little rundown, trash on the sides of the roads and graffiti on most buildings (though to be fair, we aren’t totally sure if before the protests there was less graffiti). There is no cute touristy area like in Cusco nor a lot of activities right in town..

    All that being said, we do still kind of love it here. A long esplanade lines the water with bike and walking paths, there are a few hip coffee shops and restaurants with beautifully plated food, and such friendly people.

    We are here six nights, which is nearly forever for tourists who usually stay only a night or couple hours before taking the bus to the town closer to Torres del Paine, but we have an awesome apartment hotel and liking that we get to explore this area a little longer.
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  • Excitement in Santiago

    9. marraskuuta 2019, Chile ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    I was pretty nervous heading to Santiago - were the news reports true about the intense rioting happening in the city, or were they exaggerated? I wasn’t sure. We got our first glimpse of the answer right when we got to our hotel in Providencia, one of the nicest neighborhoods in Santiago - the front door was boarded up and we had to use a nearly secret entrance through the garage “for our safety.”

    Once inside the hotel, all seemed safe and normal. We headed out to an early dinner across the street, being told it’d be best to be back before dark. Our nice meal on the patio of a Japanese-Peruvian restaurant was cut short when hoard of people started appearing on the nearby street, with flags, masks and bandanas, clearly ready for the night’s protest. We were ushered inside quickly, finished our meal then headed back to the hotel. From our window, we saw giant military trucks drive by covered in spray paint and people throwing rocks at the police cars and heard chanting and banging on pots and pans. Exciting for our first night.

    The next day assured it was nice and calm during the day, we headed out for a walk. The streets are beautiful, lined with massive trees. But also you can see the distress - political graffiti on most businesses, nearly all shops on street level had boarded windows, either from being smashed or in precaution. It felt both safe, especially seeing the locals go about their days, but also you could notice the tension.

    Then as we walked down the street by the largest skyscraper, our eyes started to water and throats felt on fire. Everyone around us put scarves over their mouths. Tear gas. We’d just been hit by tear gas, well not really hit as much as we felt the effects from last night’s tear gas. Still pretty potent.

    After that we were more apprehensive but continued on, happened upon a great cafe for lunch, a swanky mall to buy a couple last minute hiking things, and a nice spot for dinner and drinks. We still managed 8.5 miles of walking around the city and no other issues.

    Our last day was the most uneventful with a walk in a large beautiful park, some tasty ice cream to cool off from the hot temps and even our hotel’s front door back open.

    Overall thankfully it was a much easier trip to Chile’s capital than I feared. But also more of an experience!
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  • Off we go again!

    6. marraskuuta 2019, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Here we are sitting at LAX, about to board for our flight(s) to Chile. A lot of nerves and anxiety have hit me the last few days in preparation, as the political situation in Santiago is sketchy at best, tours we were excited about have been cancelled in northern Chile and Argentina continues to have economic currency problems. Perhaps not the best time to be traveling to South America. I guess that’s what we get for booking something a few months in advance (which we’ve done only 2 or 3 times before on this journey)!

    But hopefully all will be ok and we will have a good time. We are both excited to visit in some new countries we’ve never been to, practice our Spanish and see some beautiful mountains and glaciers.

    Here’s to another adventure!
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  • 7300 Miles Later

    24. lokakuuta 2019, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Well, we officially survived our West Coast road trip. Two months and eleven states later, we are back in Oregon. We saw so many great National Parks, listened to a crazy number of podcasts, visited more McDonald’s than I’d been to in years prior, ate a lot of PB&Js, and visited quite a few friends and family.

    By the Numbers:
    • Miles Driven: 7,300
    • States Visited: 11
    • National Parks Visited: 15
    • Days on the Road: 55

    Top Sights:
    • Mammoth Terraces in Yellowstone. This was definitely our favorite park, and this was my favorite place within Yellowstone. The travertine made by calcium carbonate in the hot springs makes everything look snow covered. The reflections in the ponds, the weird layers of rock forming staircases, the dead trees still standing in the water, it was all beautiful in a weird way. Even better, there was a family of elk hanging in the terraces.
    • Rim Trail in Bryce Canyon. It was my second time to Bryce and I loved it just as much. Seeing the colorful pink hoodoos popping up all over the canyon is magical.
    • Mesa Arch in Canyonlands. Simply stunning and a little scary to be able to see deep into the canyon from the arch.

    Best Surprise:
    • Hiking in the Black Hills of Custer State Park. It surprised us how beautiful it is out there in western South Dakota.
    • Relaxing on the coast in Mendocino. Just before arriving back in Oregon, we stopped in the small beach town, a couple hours north of San Francisco. Massive crashing waves, big bluffs and gorgeous sunsets. I could have stayed watching the view from this incredible BnB for days.

    Coolest Towns:
    • Durango, Colorado. We loved this little town. Beautiful spot right in the mountains and along a river. Cute historic downtown area with really good food, great live music, and a perfect BnB to stay at.
    • Santa Barbara, California. Right on the beach. Awesome local restaurants, hip bars and wineries. Spanish-colonial architecture everywhere. Friendly and mellow vibe. What’s not to like?!

    Best Non-Hiking Activities:
    We did a lot of hiking, so we had to switch it up on occasion.
    • Biking 24 miles along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. It was hard not to gawk at the views along the ride but fortunately we never fell off while doing so!
    • Miss Behave Gameshow in Las Vegas. When we needed a break from nature and national parks, we hit up Vegas for a few days. This was a hysterical and fun show, ridiculous and outrageous.

    Best Tip:
    • Gypsy Guide app! “Jim” was our roadside companion and guide through 9 National Parks. It made those trips so much more interesting and fun. Plus then we had to do less planning, always a plus!
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  • A Surprise Favorite: Mendocino

    21. lokakuuta 2019, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    While struggling to figure out what to do from San Francisco to Portland as Crater Lake was already closed for the season (man, it snows early there!!), we finally decided it was worth a few extra hours in the car to hit up the coast and also see the Redwoods. I found this amazing BnB in the little coastal town of Mendocino, which became the perfect spot for a few days.

    We spent two days going on a nice walk around the massive bluffs and enjoying watching the crashing waves and beautiful sunsets from the BnB restaurant and adirondack chairs. So gorgeous and relaxing. This town is definitely too small for a long-term stay but I would go back in a second.
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  • Catching up... now I am tired

    19. lokakuuta 2019, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    We stopped in the Bay Area to visit some friends. I got to spend two days with my friend Sarah, who I’ve known 14 years since my junior year of college. She now has her hands full with 3 munchkins but they certainly are cute. It was so fun catching up, talking travel and work and life, playing with her kids I haven’t seen since they were babies. Made me so happy we’ve been able to see friends around the country while on this roadtrip.Lue lisää

  • How do they do that? Yosemite

    18. lokakuuta 2019, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    Now that I have seen El Cap and Half Dome in person, all I keep thinking is, how in the world do rock climbers do this? How did Alex Honnold climb these massive rocks of granite without rope?! Insane.

    I wish I was a better rock climber to get up there though. Talk about a climbers paradise.

    I was hoping to get in more hiking while in Yosemite but turns out most hikes there include steep drop offs and cliff faces, not made for people like Brice who are afraid of heights. Instead we found the grove of giant sequoias, and did a great 7-mile home there. Beautiful large trees and a nice view at the top, and no scary drop offs.
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  • Santa Barbara, our new favorite place?

    15. lokakuuta 2019, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    We definitely loved our two days in Santa Barbara. What a charming town filled with beautiful Spanish-colonial architecture, big palm trees and sidewalks. From strolling along the beach to sipping wine in funky wine bars on State Street, it is a laidback fun town. And lots of good restaurants, cafes and even a solid farmers market to keep my belly happy too.

    Sadly there are lots of homeless people roaming the parks or yelling at themselves while wandering the streets, but that does seem to be the norm on the west coast these days...

    Ignoring that, if only it was cheaper here, maybe this would be our city?? 🤷🏻‍♀️
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  • Happy I am no longer a teenager

    13. lokakuuta 2019, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Spent the weekend in Hermosa Beach with my aunt and two 17-year old cousins. Yikes, applying for colleges, studying for AP exams, and generally dealing with teenage angst - that’s what they are going through and boy am I not jealous!

    Nonetheless it was great spending time with them, helping my cousins with applications, paddle boarding with my aunt, making delicious home cooked meals and running on the Strand overlooking the ocean.

    We also got to sneak away for Saturday morning to catch up with our friends Alyssa and Guillermo who now live in LA working for Sony Animation. We even got to see our first Oscar, of course behind a glass case.
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  • Joshua Tree... not sure i get it...

    9. lokakuuta 2019, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Several friends have raved or posted photo after photo of trips to Joshua Tree. It always looked fascinating and beautiful in a funky sort of way. So I added it to our roadtrip list.

    We got a super great Airbnb in Joshua Tree town, with a spacious comfy living room, big kitchen and nice outside space with hummingbirds fluttering and birds chirping away each morning.

    Sadly most cool restaurants we heard about were closed the days we were there, but on the plus side that did mean we had several healthy, home cooked meals instead.

    We also had some hiking planned but man it is hot and crazy dry (7% humidity) while we were there. So we opted for staying indoors until the sun was setting. The National Park has a gazillion wacky yet beautiful trees everywhere, massive rocks that look like they were thrown about, and we got to see a gorgeous sunset. But it was also quite monotonous...

    And now as for the tiny town of Joshua Tree, it is a strange mix of hippies selling healing crystals and vegan eats, military families from the nearby Marine base, and people just trying to get by, living in the desert. It is brown and ugly, with a lot of run-down looking homes. Can’t say I was as smitten as so many others about this area.

    That being said, I read a full book, played a lot of scrabble and enjoyed relaxing, so maybe that’s why people like it here!
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  • Bryce Canyon - 5 Stars

    5. lokakuuta 2019, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    Second time to Bryce Canyon and 12th National Park in 3 months, but I’m still just as smitten. The crazy hoodoos. The beautiful colors of pinks and whites from the rocks. The surprising greenery in the midst of it all. It makes me feel slightly in awe and generally just smile at its beauty.

    We did a short hike down into the hoodoos along Queens Garden trail and up to Navajo Loop, through Wall Street, a short area with tall yet narrow slots and even some random trees growing.

    After a short drive to the end of the scenic road, I took another little hike along the Rim Trail, taking in all the sights.

    We drove back to St George through the east side of Zion. Amazing. Crazy how different it was from where we were the day prior. Much larger slick rock, and the Chekerboard Mesa with its hatch marks crisscrossing the rock were unique. The mile-long tunnel with its carved massive windows to the outside, and the views of the canyon coming down from the hillside were just awesome.

    Such a good day.
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  • Trail Ride Thru Zion

    4. lokakuuta 2019, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Decided to do something a little different now that we have hiked through most of the national parks, and signed up for a 3-hour trail ride instead. My horse Murphy and Brice’s Sundance were both well cared for, mellow and certainly loved being near each other.

    It was a dusty ride, but amazing views, especially from trails we wouldn’t go on otherwise, and we even spotted lots of deer. Our guide may have been a bit obnoxious but he did keep things entertaining.

    Overall it was a lovely day and fun change up from all the hiking.
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  • Thanks Vegas

    2. lokakuuta 2019, Yhdysvallat ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    After so many days hiking and exploring National Parks, we needed a little break. To most people, heading to Las Vegas probably wouldn’t sound like the right place for that, but for us it was great. We booked four nights in a beautiful one bedroom apartment at the Marriott right off the strip. We got in four great workouts, cooked a lot of veggies and ate healthy (we only ate for one meal in four days!), got in some needed shopping. Plus we did have some fun- watching the Bellagio fountains, attending an incredibly funny show (Miss Behaved), and getting a great Korean dinner at Best Friend. We may have had one too many drinks the final night but it was worth it (I think? 😂)...Lue lisää

  • The grand Grand Canyon

    27. syyskuuta 2019, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    I haven’t been here since I was about 7, and man it is huge. Bigger than my memory for sure.

    Unlike most tourists to the Grand Canyon who come out for a 10-minute view, just long enough for a few photos, we decided to spend 3 days here. We had a fun day biking 21 miles along the South Rim. The views along the ride were amazing. But it was definitely tiring, with both of us barely awake at 8pm later that night.

    The third day we hiked a little ways down into the canyon on the South Kaibab Trail which goes all the way to the Colorado River. We only went a few miles and I felt the steep decline on my knees. It certainly made me both impressed by people who do Rim to Rim and not so disappointed we didn’t get to do it!

    This was now National Park #10 along our US journey and we sadly are getting a little tired of canyons. While some are very different from others, it seems a bit like going to Europe and how after a while all the beautiful, ornate castles just look the same.

    So we are taking a break from national parks and heading to Vegas for a few days. Crossfit, fun dinners, reading by the pool all on tap instead!
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  • Exploring Durango

    24. syyskuuta 2019, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    When looking at where to stay to visit Mesa Verde National Park, Brice pitched a blah town close to the park. Sure there was a Holiday Inn Express, our typical go to but definitely no other charm or appeal in the area.

    I had heard Durango was an adorable tourist town with good restaurants and a nice vibe. Once we also saw it had lovely looking BnB, Brice was convinced it was worth the extra 30 min in the car each way.

    So glad we made the choice. The BnB is fabulous with an amazing breakfast, beautiful garden where I spent the afternoon reading. We had two nice dinners out; one with excellent live music. The bars were hip, the old time gold rush vibe in town fun, the riverfront path nice for a walk, and I was even able to get our car cleaned (boy it needed it). Such a good few nights. Even Brice agreed.
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  • Nothing Burger

    23. syyskuuta 2019, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    We always laugh at my mom for the story of her visiting Delicate Arch years back and having to crawl on her hands and knees, being so afraid of the heights. Yesterday Brice and I finally went back to Arches to do that same hike and test out how ridiculous she might have been. Is it actually a “nothing burger” as she likes to say or was she right to be afraid?

    About half way up the massive rock, we saw the trail become more narrow with a steep slope on its left. “Ahh I bet that’s where she started panicking.” A few minutes later, around the curve there was the top. The slick rock drops down and bam, there’s Delicate Arch. Beautiful formation with lovely views surrounding it. The path wasn’t so large at that point and I could finally understand my mom’s concerns.

    I wasn’t too phased though and was determined to be like the other tourists getting a photo under the arch. Brice, more like my mom, was getting a little unnerved at this point and decided, nope heading down. Fortunately other tourists were more than happy to take my photo for me 😜
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  • Amazing weekend exploring Moab

    21. syyskuuta 2019, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    The red rocks. The canyons. The massive rock formations. The views of the rivers. It’s all beautiful here in Moab. After years of wanting to see Arches National Park, I finally got to check it off the list. But it was Canyonlands that really stole the show. Mesa Arch is incredible as were all the overlooks. The hike up to the Upheaval Dome was hot but the view into the funky mysterious crater was definitely worth it.

    It was fun exploring the parks and town of Moab while catching up with our friend Summer.
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  • Windy Weather at Rocky Mtn Park

    17. syyskuuta 2019, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    It was 85 in the valley of Denver but once we got up to 12,000’ in elevation in the Rocky Mountain National Park, boy did the weather shift. Extreme winds that even made our little car bounce a bit. And those winds weren’t supposed to be bad at only 35mph, vs the avg winter winds of 100+!

    The views were beautiful, especially of the alpine tundra where it is too cold and windy for trees to grow. We visited the highest visitor center in all the NPS and hiked up “Huffers Hill” for a nice and chilly view.
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  • Detour through Nebraska

    15. syyskuuta 2019, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Took a little detour on our way from South Dakota to Colorado through Nebraska, in part to say I’ve been to Nebraska and in part for a few road trip stops. One included Chimney Rock, not the most exciting geological feature we’ve seen but it’s on the Nebraska state coin and other billboards and things so fun to see.

    We also stopped at the Scotts Bluff National Monument, which was surprisingly cool. The 800’ hill has a split through which people traveling west would pass. It was often difficult with howling winds or deep mud. From the park we were even able to walk a portion of the original Oregon Trail. Would not have wanted to do that in a little wagon!

    The drive to the top of the bluff was beautiful and we passed through the only 3 car tunnels in the whole state! Such a fun little stop.
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  • Badlands or the moon?

    14. syyskuuta 2019, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    The Badlands in western South Dakota is a pretty funky place. Just minutes before arriving to the park, it’s just flat prairie grassland. Then bam, it looks like you’re on the moon, with layered rock formations made by almost a million years of erosion.

    We went on a short hike on Door Trail where you’re allowed to walk along the rocks and get up close to the formations. I thought it was pretty cool, Brice was less impressed.
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  • Beautiful South Dakota

    12. syyskuuta 2019, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    Wow, the Black Hills in western South Dakota are much more beautiful and the land is way more mountainous than I expected it to be. I’ve loved watching the scenery change as we drive east.

    We first visited Mount Rushmore and was shocked how much I liked it. I was so impressed by how massive and detailed the sculptures are. Even more impressive when you realize how much rock that had to explode to carve it.

    The next day the sun came back out so we did a 10-mile hike through Custer State Park up to Black Elk Peak. This is apparently the highest point between the Pyrenees and the Rockies. Who would’ve thought you’d only need to be at 7,200’ for that claim. The views all along the trail but especially at the summit were stunning.
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  • Hello 35

    10. syyskuuta 2019, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    A pretty perfect birthday.

    A nice run through Jackson.
    A lovely brunch of excellent food including cake - why not have cake for breakfast on your birthday?!
    An afternoon reading and catching up with family.
    An evening viewing incredible wildlife and landscape photography at local galleries.
    Drinks while sitting on a western saddle at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar.
    A fabulous dinner at Gather - oh man that truffle pasta.

    All that and still in bed by 10. 🙌🏻 #thisis35
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  • Grand Tetons!

    9. syyskuuta 2019, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Our last morning in Yellowstone, we drove south down to exit the park. No exciting stops or animal sightings along the way - once you’ve seen a hundred buffalo, I guess you’ve seen em all.

    The weather the last few days turned on us and went from sunny and 85 to rain and 45. Talk about a quick change.

    But with nearly 6 days, we drove almost the entire park and clearly saw a lot! What an experience.

    From Yellowstone, we entered Grand Teton NP. Though much much smaller in that we saw almost everything in just one day, I found it to be spectacular. The clouds cleared enough for us to make out the massive mountain peaks. I convinced Brice to do a hike around Jenny Lake for even more gorgeous views. Minus not getting to see a moose like we hoped, it was pretty great.
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  • Amazing Yellowstone, Days 4-5

    6. syyskuuta 2019, Yhdysvallat ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

    The other few days we spent further north of the park.

    After driving around Lake Yellowstone, we were greeted by herds of buffalo and even got our first buffalo jam on the road - definitely the only kind of traffic I’m ok with!!

    We saw the Grand Prismatic Spring and Excelsior Crater, though not as exciting as we imagined.

    We crossed the Continental Divide.

    My favorite by far was Canary Spring at Mammoth Hot Springs. The colors and reflections in the pools of hot spring water were astounding. A fun surprise was a family of elk hanging in one of the terraces.

    Another plus was seeing the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. I did a short hike to the Brink of the Lower Falls, which was a sight, being over the 300’ waterfall as it shoots down the canyon.

    We saw a pronghorn and even a big group of elk next to Mammoth Visitor Center with the male trying to herd all the ladies.

    Our last evening we spotted a bear finally! I maybe got too excited and was certainly too close vs the recommended range, but nothing bad happened as the cute black bear was more focused on snacking. I learned my lesson though! 😬
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  • Yellowstone, Days 1-3

    5. syyskuuta 2019, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Yellowstone, you are real cool.

    Days 1-3 of our national park adventure included seeing lots and lots of crazy geysers, staying at the historic and beautiful Old Faithful Inn, hiking 24+ miles, having a sketchy encounter with a male elk while walking back from one said hike, learning a sorts of science facts and eating a lot of ice cream.

    After one hot day of hiking, we got some snacks and camped out in front of Grand Geyser, the tallest predictable geyser in the world, waiting for it to erupt. We had to wait over an hour but what a sight once it started - powerful bursts that shoot 200 feet in the air. So cool.

    Everything in the park we saw was beautiful and colorful. Such an amazing first few days.
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Hanki oma matkailuprofiilisi

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