When we came back to the campground, Kevin and I were discussing the situation about the cooler nights in the Rockies. He didn’t want to spend another night with Sara in the car because it went below freezing. For a 9-month-old, this is just too cold. And she always keeps pushing herself out of the warm sleeping back. So, we decided, we call this trip in Yellowstone done and move on to the Mount Rushmore Memorial in South Dakota. But until late afternoon, we can still spend some time in the National Park. Said, and done! We packed our belongings, while Sara took a nap in her play bin. Katelynn helped get the pillows and the blankets in the Grand Cherokee. And once Sara was awake, fed, and had a diaper change, we moved on to see more sights.

Two days prior, Kevin and I had no idea there was a geyser basin within walking distance from the Grant Village Campground. And we almost skipped it, but then decided to visit it anyway. And it turned out to be my favorite place in the whole park: The West Thumb Geyser Basin.

West Thumb Geyser Basin is one of the smallest, yet most concentrated, geyser basins in Yellowstone, but its location along the shore of Yellowstone Lake ranks it as the most scenic. The 1870 Washburn Expedition gave West Thumb its name because of the thumb-like projection of Yellowstone Lake. The trail begins from the parking area and is a short figure-eight-shaped boardwalk looping through the basin and along the shore of the lake. Fishing Cone is one of the basin’s most popular features; its location on the shoreline and its symmetrical cone was popularized by early stories of “boiled trout.” Abyss Pool-the deepest in Yellowstone- is noted for its color and depth.

https://www.yellowstonenationalpark.com/hikingwestthumb.htm

… to be continued …