Travel and Akta Lakota Museum

Today, we left Milwaukee bright and early. We got to see a beautiful sunrise as we headed west out of town. We traveled most of the day before stopping at the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center inRead more
More from the Badlands

Additional images from our drive through Badlands National Park.
Minuteman, Badlands and Wall Drug

After leaving Pierre this morning we made our way west. After a stop at the Minuteman Missile Historic Site. From there we traveled through Badlands National Park on our way to Rapid City. The parkRead more
Mt. Rushmore

We did some sightseeing around Rapid City today. First, we returned to Mt. Rushmore, where we had last been 20 years ago. The view was slightly different during this trip because the area was coveredRead more
Custer State Park

Located southwest of Mt. Rushmore, Custer State Park offers a variety of recreational opportunities. A major road through the park is Needles Highway. Along the highway are several geologicRead more
Needles Highway

Additional photographs from our travels along Needles Highway in Custer State Park.
Devil's Tower National Monument

Known as "Bear Lodge" to many Northern Plains tribes, Devil's Tower was formed millions of years ago. The monument towers above the local countryside. We traveled the Tower Trail to get a 360 degreeRead more
Gardiner Views

We traveled from Rapid City today. Gardiner, Montana sits on the northern entrance to Yellowstone. After arriving in early evening we decided to walk to the Roosevelt Arch. Along the way we saw aRead more
Roosevelt Arch

Roosevelt Arch was dedicated by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1903. From the arch, we were able to view a nearby mountain range. We also saw a small herd of elk that had ventured out to Arch Park,Read more
Gibbon Falls

For our first full day at Yellowstone we took the "Yellowstone in a Day" tour. Our tour guide drove us in a loop around the park stopping at some of the most popular attractions, including OldRead more
Fountain Paint Pot

Our tour next took us to Fountain Paint Pot. This is a mud pot located in Yellowstone's Lower Geyser Basin. Here we saw the Celestine Pool, a bacteria mat, Silex Spring, and a mud pool. Around theRead more
Fountain Paint Pot (cont'd)

A few more images from Fountain Paint Pot showing Red Spouter, Leather Pool, Clepsydra Geyser, as well as a few other geyser pools and fumaroles.
Old Faithful Inn

Mid-day we stopped for lunch at Old Faithful Inn. Built in 1904, the structure sits a short distance from the world's most famous geyser. The inn's lobby is done in a log and timber design andRead more
Old Faithful

After lunch we headed over to watch Old Faithful erupt. It was a sight to behold!
Yellowstone Lake and Lake Hotel

From Old Faithful we traveled to Yellowstone Lake. At 7,732 feet it is the largest freshwater lake above 7,000 feet in North America. Near the lake is Lake Hotel. Built in 1891, it's a popular placeRead more
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Our last stop on the Yellowstone in a Day tour took us to Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Formed as the result of river erosion, the canyon measures approximately 24 miles long, between 800 and 1,200Read more
Wildlife

On our first day in the park we saw several bison, a moose, elk, mule deer, an osprey, a male black bear and a mamma bear (most likely black) with her two cubs.
Lower Yellowstone Falls

Our first stop today was to Lower Yellowstone Falls. We traversed the heavily traveled Brink of the Lower Falls hiking trail to get to the falls. Full of steep switchbacks, the trail took us to theRead more
Upper Yellowstone Falls

Sitting at 109-feet high, the Upper Yellowstone Falls marks the first plunge of the Yellowstone River as it flows through the park from Lake Yellowstone.
Undine Falls

In addition to Upper and Lower Yellowstone Falls, there are several other waterfalls present in the park, including Undine (pronounced Un-den) Falls. These falls drop 60 feet into a rock and treeRead more
Mammoth Hot Springs (1 of 3)

We finished our day with a stop at the Lower Terrace of Mammoth Hot Springs. The spring's waters originate from Norris Geyser Basin. Traveling along an underground fault line through limestone, theRead more
Mammoth Hot Springs (2 of 3)

Continuing on through the hot springs, we saw Jupiter Spring, Mound Terrace and Minerva Terrace.
Mammoth Hot Springs (3 of 3)

A few more Lower Terrace views before we stopped for the day.
Mammoth Upper Terrace (1 of 2)

We began our day with a trip to Mammoth's Upper Terrace. Here, we saw several features, including Cupid Spring, Angel Terrace and Grassy Spring.
Mammoth Upper Terrace (2 of 2)

Traversing around Grassy Springs, we were treated to an amazing view of Canary Spring. Remnants of Lodge Pole Pines dot the area.