Imagine that you're standing on top of a volcano that is live, but hasn’t erupted in thousands of years. Now, imagine that it could, at any time. What gives you that impression? How about 90+ active geysers, countless fissures from which copious amounts of steam are emanating, pools of mud gurgling from the hot springs found within, and the eerily burned out areas where the intense heat has scorched all vegetation and trees. This is Yellowstone National Park. But actually, the park is much, much more. It’s roughhewn granite mountains, widespread plains, deeply-forested, with impressive waterfalls, canyons, and pristine lakes. The size of Delaware and Rhode Island combined, it’s a very popular place with campers and day-trippers, like us. But because of it’s massive size, you rarely feel the large crowds that visit it, other than at the sites like Old Faithful, where every 90 minutes or so, you can witness a terrifying explosion of boiling water and steam shoot up 100 feet or more. It’s a crowd-pleaser, for sure.
This is why, when we left Utah
. Yellowstone NP and Wyoming were on our radar. We had wanted to return after our last visit 8 years ago because it simply is an awesome place. Besides the environment, the park offers a profusion of wildlife, for which you are continually-warned. All employees carry bear spray, for instance. Bears are common, but mountain lions, elk, moose, deer, and bison are also present. While you’re there, you’re constantly looking out for them, not exactly our thing, We, who consider camping to be the Comfort Inn, are clearly out of our element. We felt vulnerable there. Yet, we just loved the place. It is non-stop beauty, and I took a ton of pictures. There are areas where hills have been formed by the shifting magma underground, still rising by several feet each year. The smell of sulphur is almost inescapable. We spent a night in a pioneer cabin, which is kind of a misnomer. It was very well appointed and quite comfortable, but given what we paid for the night, it was definitely a splurge. We spent our 2 days there taking in many of the highlights, doing short hikes, and attending ranger talks. We highly recommend this park, as it will change the way you feel about the planet.
It seemed that explosions were the theme for our stay in Wyoming
. First off, there were the continual expulsions from the earth at Yellowstone. However, this was expected. What we didn’t anticipate was that our visit to the Wyoming town of Gillette would occur at the same time as week-long conference of the PGI, the Pyrotechnics Guild Int’l. There were hundreds of people from around the world who like to play with fire and blow things up real good. Their main focus is fireworks. They take them very seriously. Being curious, we attended the trade show, chock full of people transacting in all things boom-related. From the latest in high-tech innovations to historic memorabilia; it was fascinating. But, the best part was the evening event, a fireworks show put on by the conventioneers for the public. They used state-of-the-art pyrotechnics, partly to impress the townsfolk, but mostly to impress their peers. Each company tried to outdo its competitors. For us spectators, we were treated to one of the best fireworks shows ever. It went for hours, and included the newest varieties of shapes, colours, and effects. It was so over-the-top that I had to take videos.
Our next explosive encounters were unexpected . It seems that we had (wisely?) found ourselves in S. Dakota the week of August, which coincides with the Sturgis road rally. Picture this. Between 900,000 and 1.3 million motorcycle enthusiasts converge on what is otherwise a small-ish town in the Black Hills of S. Dakota, for that week and surrounding weeks
. Everywhere we were, we encountered bikers—on the road, in the bars, at the hotels. Now, they are a friendly bunch and just out to have a good time immersed in the world of the motorcycle, and heavy-duty partying. But the numbers are just daunting.
This was the 75th anniversary of the event, and it was bigger than ever. Now, here’s where it affected us. Hotels rooms were nearly impossible to find or were charged at usurous rates, while restos and stores were packed. And, of course, the continual sounds of bikes roaring down the streets provided the explosive ambiance wherever we went. We just had to get used to the sound of motorcycles coming and going day and night. And now, one of the most interesting things about the whole experience was our observation that many of these riders were OLD grey-haired guys wearing bandanas, leathered to the hilt, heavily-tattooed and often patched. They were enthusiasts for life. Here, Harleys ruled. When the rally finally ended and bikers streamed back home, things returned to a quieter pace, and we felt the difference
.
Our next explosive Wyoming encounter was experienced on a coal mine tour. We went to the site of a large strip coal mining operation, where we learned how coal is extracted from the earth (controlled explosions) with tons of rubble and dirt to be removed. We saw it happening, heard way too many facts about coal-mining, encountered massive equipment designed to haul the stuff (tires are 11 feet tall), and saw railcars being loaded. Illuminating, and not something you generally think about.
One final explosive link. In the 60s and 70s, this area was the site of many Minuteman nuclear missile silos. They were intended to blend in with the agricultural area, and you wouldn’t know they existed. We visited one of these silos still containing a missile, though it’s been decommissioned. The size and nature of what we were seeing left us feeling uneasy. There are, by the way, still many of these weapons still operational around the States, containing nuclear warheads
. As would be expected, those sites are strictly off-limits to tourists. Apparently, US and Russian officials are still trying to hammer out an agreement to reduce nuclear capabilities, and this will increasingly be in the news.
In Deadwood, S. Dakota, we watched gunslingers at a showdown, and the same guy dies 3 times daily. We had visited Boot Hill, full of the losers of gunfights past. But, today, most of the bloodshed is in the many casinos which have taken over the main street. We did most of our damage at the buffet.
The Black Hills of SD are in direct contrast, as they are lush with forests, granite mountains, bubbling creeks, and great winding roads to drive. We had such a nice time there because the driving is as pleasurable an activity as any site you might visit. Just breathtaking. However, one incomparable highlight of the area is Mt. Rushmore. It staggers the mind to think how it was created and executed, and it left us in awe. Here’s an example: the pupils of the eyes are 3 feet in diameter. Pictures don’t do MR justice. The intention of the monument was to honour four presidents whose achievements tangibly advanced the concept of freedom. It was noted that in 10,000 years, this monument will still stand, yet it is likely that those alive then will have no idea who these men were, or why it was created. But, as tourists, we had plenty of opportunities to learn about the process and the rationale behind it through the many resources available, like videos, museums, and exhibits. We came away with a better appreciation of this monument. Another trip highlight for us.
Remember the tower in Close Encounters of the Third Kind? Called the Devil's Tower, it stands out in a flat landscape, a large and imposing stone structure, and we joined the throngs of visitors who stood in awe of it.
S. Dakota held many other wonders such as Badlands National Park, which is a range of bleak, oddly-shaped geological formations which go on as far as the eye can see. You can drive or hike through these desolate lands, with each curve in the road revealing starling new vistas. We stopped at way too many overlooks, and took way too many pictures.
After the wonders of Wyoming and South Dakota, we knew that it was time to start heading back, so our journey next took us to Wisconsin, the home of the cheesehead. (see picture). Our next blog will report on our experiences there.
OMG, IT'S GONNA BLOW!!!
Friday, August 07, 2015
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States
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Comments

2025-02-08
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The Sunnies
2015-08-26
Wow...you have certainly experienced some memorable and breath-taking adventures! Your photos give your readers a mere taste of what you describe in your blogs! Sounds like things are winding down but with still a few more places to visit before setting your sights on home....thank you so much for sharing this trip and many others with us! Truly like standing right next to you....
We wish you continued safe travels and wonderful adventures as your trip winds down!! Love you two!
cissie.retired
2015-08-26
Ah! Close Encounters of the Third Kind!! One of my all time favourite movies! You took a great picture at its base. You certainly are in a terrific area for sightseeing with Mt. Rushmore, the geysers, all the wildlife. I love to watch PBS when they have a program on Nature about Yellowstone NP. they say wolves have returned there as well, so watch out for bears and wolves!!!
Can you believe it's almost the end of August? Come home, we miss you!
Hope Springman
2015-08-27
Enter the Liliens - here come the explosions! What an incredible way to end your amazing adventure! Loved your descriptions of Yellowstone Park and now, more than ever, I would love to go there. You gave a fabulous description of the Easy Riders Motorcycle Club -they will be forever young! And how exciting is it to see Mt. Rushmore - unforgettable! Thank you for sharing this incredible trip with us - your blogs are better than any travel book! Wishing you safe travels as you make your way home - your fan club misses you! Love, Hope
rita
2015-09-01
How fabulous to see and learn of all these fascinating places! Way to go!