Yellowstone day 4

Today we saw the Norris Geyser Basin, The Artist Paint pots and The Fountain Paint Pot Trail.  We went back to Old Faithful to go to the gift shop.  We had a nice picnic by a little creek. 

 

This is day 14 of our trip.  We are all tired but have so much more fun things to do.  I am working on laundry again tonight and hopefully will only have to do one load tomorrow and we will have enough close to last the rest of the trip.  I try to pack light so we have room to fit everything in the van.  We are still packed full even with planning on doing laundry!  Because everyone needs extra shoes and swim suits and jackets because it can get cold here in Yellowstone.  It is usually in the mid 30's in the morning and then around 70 in the afternoon.  Today was a little warmer than the last 2 days have been.  I need to figure out what I want to see tomorrow since its our last day here. 

 

Oh..I forgot to mention that yesterday Jacob lost a tooth.  He seems to do that when we are on a trip.  He lost one at Mount Rushmore 4 years ago and I know he lost one on our trip north to Maine but I can't remember were we were at the time.  He will be out of baby teeth soon.  He seems to be later than a lot of kids loosing them.

 

 Steamboat Geyser.....it is the largest geyser in the world.  But it has lots of small eruptions most of the time.  The last big eruption was in 2005.  It can go 3 times higher than old Faithful when it has a big eruption.

 Emerald Spring

 Veteran Geyser

 

 Monarch Geyser Crater

 

 Minute Geyser...this one has a sad story.  Many years ago it would erupt every minute and go 70 feet.  Tourists would throw rocks into it and now it just kind of sputters all the time.  That is upsetting to me that now we can't see this geyser as it should be.  That is why the park service tries so hard to keep the parks natural.  But unfortunately people don't always act as they should :(

 Michael in front of a steam vent.

 

 Norris Geyser Basin

 

 Artist Paint Pots.

 Silex Spring

Fountain Paint Pot