Yellowstone 2006

It was May 18, 2006 when I entered Yellowstone National Park from the south.  I got a giggle because the lady that check my pass looked at me and looked at my rig and said are you alone?  Well, Duh!  The south entrance into Yellowstone had only been open a few days so I guess she had not run across any other single ladies traveling alone yet. Wow, how gorgeous the views were.  I had to pull over the first chance I got to climb up on a snow bank and take a picture.

Well ok it was more than one picture!

Well, after all I am from Central Texas we just don't get snow like this!          

This was one of those times when I really wished I had someone with me!  A person to drive while I gawked would have been nice!  Besides these kinds of

adventures are always more fun with someone else to ooohh &  ahhh with.

Don't get me wrong I had FUN!  As I drove along I was able to go pretty slow because I had no one behind me.  Wow Yellowstone in any season is pretty awesome but when the snow is still on the ground it is spectacular!  I had to stop several times while driving from the south entrance to the west entrance.  I had planned to stay several days at West Yellowstone before going to work at Grants Village.  The second stop on my way through the park was at Lewis Falls....I just had to stop!

Then I came upon Lewis Lake and it was still frozen!  Wow!

Okay I admit it I love taking pictures and seeing new places.  I guess I have the right lifestyle for that.  Although I would like to travel even more!  Moving every 5 months or so is not a bad way to see the country.
As I was climbing the continential divide I was so enjoying the scenery.  It was a beautiful sunny day and hardly any traffic on the road.  So I was able to go slow and enjoy God's handiwork.  It seemed like around every curve there was a new vista to behold.  I had been to Yellowstone several times before but never at this time of the year.  I never got to drive there before either!  It was an adventure.  After I passed the old Faithful area I started seeing Buffalo (American Bison).  All of the rivers and streams were running high and the buffalo were crossing some of them.  It seemed that there were buffalo everywhere.  I later learned that the buffalo spend the spring in the west side of the park and migrate to the east later in the year. 

Look Twins!

I will never forget that trip into Yellowstone...how blessed I felt to experience it.  When I arrived at West Yellowstone I was charmed by this unique small town.  I pulled into the Grizzly RV Park and was made to feel welcome. My site was wonderful.

Got to love those pull thrus!   Ellie and I were pleased with a nice spot to stop for the night and a great area to walk her!  Never did have a picnic on the table but it was still too chilly!  The next day I got a call from Bob and Vicki, Adventureland friends) .   They were in the area and wanted to meet up with me.  I arranged for them to get the site right next door to me!  It was so nice to see them again.  They had their neighbors from Caldwell with them.  Well low and behold I knew him from our days of owning Whites Home and Auto in Hearne!  Small world huh? 

We all had a great time catching up!

In the workamping world you just never know when you will run into a friend.

We had a good time doing a little exploring in West Yellowstone and had a nice lunch together.

On Monday morning I went to orientation for my job with the Yellowstone General Stores and they set out to explore the park.  Around noon we were released to go to our homes for the season.  I had been assigned to Grants village mainly because they had an abundance of campsites for employees.  When I got there I was a little nervous about backing into my site.  The man that directed me to my sight was nice but had no experience helping back a travel trailer.  Well it was a little tight...a beautiful site but not easy to get into.  I did a fair job of getting backed in...did not hit anything.  When I got out of my truck....there were my friends. They said they were in the area and just happened to see me come by.  They were a great helping me get all straight and settled!

Wow, how awesome...God put them right where I needed them!

I must say it was a pretty place to park.   I did have to go back to West Yellowstone to the RV park and buy and extenstion cord for my electrical hookup..  I thought 30 feet would be enough cord but alas it was not!

While working in Yellowstone I worked in the store at Grants village in the Grill area.  I must say working a fast food counter is not high on my list of fun jobs.  I would much rather have been out in the gift shop.  I did survive and now if I ever need a job at McDonalds I have a good reference.  The work was not really hard but I found the split shifts we worked tiring.  One week we worked the early shift and the next week the late shift. Both shifts had about a 3 hour break in the middle!  The wierd shifts are the main reason I don't plan to work for Yellowstone General stores again.  I did make some neat friends there and have fond memories of our time together. 

At Yellowstone the staff was about half workampers and the other half was foreign College Students.  I nearly always took some of the students with me when I went sight seeing.  It was nice to have someone to run around with.

They really appreciate someone taking them around the park as they had no transportation of their own.  They all flew in to Bozeman and then were picked up and brought to Yellowstone by a company employee.

In July, Johnny, Carol, Lisa, Butchie, Bethany and Sarah came to visit me.  Carol did not want to stay in the park because she was sure a bear would get them.  But alas money talks and I was able to get them a really good rate in the employee campground!  Besides they would be close by and not have to drive 50 miles one way to a campground outside the park. 

I sure did enjoy their visit.  We had a good time touring the park as a bonus!

Awww aren't they a cute family?

Johnny & Carol at a table in the Grill.

I had fun being everyones tour guide. It sure was hard to see them go.  The picture on the front of my book Yes, You Can Full-time RVing for the Single Person was taken as they were leaving.  I did nothing to doctor the picture It really looked like that!

I hurried ahead so I could take their picture as they made the turn out of Grants Village.  Johnny & Carol are in the lead.

Over the Summer I had a number of visitors to my campsite that were not of the 2 legged variety.  I really learned to look before I came walking up or out the door!

I had a pretty good bunch of Elk that loved my yard!  The year before some of the workers were chased by elk so I was pretty cautious around them.

This one wanted to say hello!

I will always have fond memories of my summer in Yellowstone.  I made more new friends and had a great time in an awesome park.  Everyone should take the time to visit this National treasure.  I could write another book just on my time there but I won't!

My next blog will be about my trip to Texas from Yellowstone. 

God bless and take care!