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A Day in Cody Wyoming

Aug 11, 2021

Cody, Wyoming is a town proud of its western heritage and has a lot of activities to enjoy. Most people find themselves in Cody, because of its proximity to Yellowstone. Cody, Wyoming sits east of Yellowstone National Park, the first national park and northeast of Shoshone National Forest, the first national forest. Additionally, Cody is the home to Buffalo Bill and all of the history associated with his legacy.

Why Visit Cody

Cody’s location close to Yellowstone makes it a frequent stop for many. Additionally, for those adding in the Black Hills on a trip, it makes for a great stop. Our road trip encompassed Yellowstone, Grand Tetons and the Black Hills. We chose Cody for a stop because of its location and also to intersperse some history and culture in with the National Parks. There are many things to do that could easily fill a weekend, but we chose to spend one day on the way to the Black Hills. For us, one day was plenty. This guide will give you samples of activities to do while staying in Cody.

Things to Do in Cody, Wyoming

Buffalo Bill Center of the West and Museums

The Buffalo Bill Center is a museum on steroids comprising 5 different museums under the same roof. If that is not overwhelming enough, wait until you see the size of the building. It encompasses almost a city block. Fortunately, tickets for the museum will get you entrance for 2 days if you want to see it all. The museums are the Buffalo Bill Museum, the Plains Indian Museum, the Cody Firearms Museum, Draper Natural History Museum, Whitney Western Art Museum. Each museum is great in its own rights, but you may choose to focus on one unless you have a full day or two.

Buffalo Bill Museum

The Buffalo Bill Museum that focuses on the biggest characters in the western culture like Buffalo Bill, Annie Oakley, Sitting Bull and others. You can experience the days of the American West and all of the stories that came during that time

Plains Indian Museum

The Plains Indian museum is an excellent museum that features the Plains Indian culture and traditions. It shows the trials and challenges that the Indians faced during the Old West period. They also have an amazing collection of timeless artifacts and features native American artwork

Cody Firearms Museum

The Cody Firearm Museum may be of interest to firearm enthusiasts and features thousands of artifacts and hundreds of displays

Draper Natural History Museum

Draper Natural History Museum features a look at Yellowstone and its ecosystem. A great stop for kids to learn the story of Yellowstone National Park over the years.

Whitney Western Art Museum

Whitney Wester Art Museum features art work from western artists and displays the time through art and sculpture

Other features of the Buffalo Bill Center

You can participate in a chuckwagon dinner with advance registration. There are also special exhibits and a live raptor experience that is free with admission. These take place in the Braun Garden

Old Trail Town

Old Trail Town is a great stop and much less overwhelming that the Buffalo Bill Center. A collection of historical buildings have been brought to one site to create a town that is a slice of history. You can walk into the buildings and read about what they were used for and where they came from. There are authentic wagons, weapons, and other items interspersed. You can tour this area in 1-2 hours.

Cody Trolly

The Cody Trolly provides a 60 minute tour of Cody and points out many of the interesting sites of Cody. For those staying more than one day, it is a great overview to get you started.

Buffalo Bill Reservoir and Dam

Driving from Yellowstone National Park to Cody you will pass the Buffalo Bill Reservoir. You can stop in the visitor center and learn the history of dam and get up close views. This is a short stop with great views.

Cody Stamped Rodeo

No way to better immerse yourself in the western culture than to go to the Cody Stampede Rodeo. They have nightly rodeos and some special events that can be found on their website.

Grand Prismatic Spring and Midway Geyser Basin

Jul 30, 2021

Why spend time at Midway Geyser Basin?

Grand Prismatic Spring is truly a site that is unique and top of my list for Yellowstone. It is one of the most photographic spots in the park. The Midway Geyser Basin contains two of the largest hot springs in the world. In addition to the Grand Prismatic Spring, the Excelsior Geyser is also a sight that needs to be seen to understand the splendor of this hot spring. While a small area in comparison to Upper Geyser Basin, it is worth the time to walk around.

Grand Prismatic Spring

The Grand Prismatic Spring is the third largest hot spring in the world and the largest in the United States. It is set on a spreading mound where the water flow around the perimeter. What makes Grand Prismatic Spring so special is the colors. The center is a deep blue spreading outward to an almost green with the spillover of oranges and yellows. Walking the path around the springs you get the waves of heat as is spills over. BUT…

Fairy Falls Trail

You can’t truly appreciate how beautiful the hot spring is without a hike up Fairy Falls Trail to get a higher view of the colors. The hike is 1.6 miles out and back hike that is slightly uphill, but we considered it easy. This is where you can truly appreciate the marvel of it and get a picture. The trail continues to Fairy Falls and the full trail is 4.8 miles.

Excelsior Geyser

The Excelsior Geyser was once the largest geyser in the world, but it went dormant in the 1880’s. It did erupt in 1985 for two days, but was only 80 feet high compared to 300 feet from the 1800s. Currently the hot spring discharges over 4000 gallons per minute and has numerous boiling vents creating a layer of steam. The steam creates a crazy sensation of heat mixed with normal air temperature that occasionally takes your breath away.

Turquoise Pool

Finally at the same spot is the Turquoise Pool. The water is a beautiful blue color with mineral deposits that add a shimmering nature

Parking

This is one of the places where parking is a big problem. We did come in once and decided to come back at a later time. It is packed all day, but you just need to persevere and have a little bit of luck. We found our best luck later in the day after 3pm. Others recommend very early in the morning. We heard that earlier in the day there is more steam and the overlook is not as fabulous. People do not stay at this site long, so if you circle through a couple of times you should be lucky. The national park website also gives parking alerts that you can check.

Yellowstone Wildlife Viewing

Jul 27, 2021

Tips and Tracks to Great Wildlife Sightings

When planning a trip to Yellowstone, the one thing that is hard to schedule is the wildlife. I am not an expert and this article is not meant to be anything other than a compilation of tips and tricks from rangers and other experts. We had such an amazing experience seeing animals in their natural habitat and hope others have that same experience.

Does Time of Year Matter?

Obviously the less crowded the park, the more the animals feel free to roam. I am not here to convince anyone to visit Yellowstone in the winter. Too cold and most of the roads are closed. Bears are said to be more active in March and April, but even then some of the roads may not be open yet. We travelled purposely in May when the park roads were guaranteed to be open. Our plan was to avoid the crowds, but our timing also enhanced our wildlife sightings. Others we know visiting Yellowstone in the heat of summer and saw very few animals. We were lucky to see a large variety of mammals during our visit.

Does Time of Day Matter?

Absolutely. This is one of the most important factors. The best time to see wildlife is dawn and dusk. Driving right as the sun comes up is your best bet. It is cooler than midday and the animals are on the move. It is also a great time in that the crowds have not overwhelmed the park yet. We drove around at dusk a lot as well and were able to spot some elk, but we did not have as much luck with bears and other predators at that time.

Where in the Park is the Best?

Your best bet is where the crowds aren’t. It is a slim chance of seeing animals next to Old Faithful. Many of the articles will tell you the best place to see animals is Hayden and Lamar Valley. These are large open areas where lots of bison gather. Predators tend to gather where their prey gathers. It is not as simple as driving to these areas. You have to be patient and willing to explore. Our best luck was in the North of the park near Mammoth Hot Springs. In fact we saw elk and pronghorn gathering at the entrance one day. We stayed in Gardiner, MT which is the Northeast entrance. We found many in this area and usually right near the tree line.

Have you Asked the Experts?

The rangers know where the wolf has made a den and where the bears were sighted last. When you see a ranger who is not busy, ask them for advice. They will also tell you any park rules you need to know. When we were there, a wolf den was very near the road and there was a new litter. The rangers told us where it was but made it clear this was a no stopping area to allow the wolves to not have human interaction.

What is a Wildlife Jam?

One thing that you learn very quickly is that the road can be empty and there there is 50-100 cars clumped together forming a traffic jam. That means that wildlife has been sighted. The larger the crowd the more rare the animal. While stopping at these will give you a chance of a sighting, please remember the rangers rule. You can pull off on areas not marked as no parking. Your wheels must be off the road. You must not block traffic or drive slowly while trying to get a picture. You can ask someone who is nearby for what the crowd is gathered for to determine if it is worth parking and fighting the crowd. Part of the problem is the animals that garner the biggest crowds are the fastest movers, mostly the bear and wolf.

What can I do to plan ahead?

Schedule slow-time

The short answer is to not over plan your days. Plan half or 3/4 days doing the highlights then leave plenty of time to get away from the crowds. Some people go on longer hikes, some will pack a picnic and just pull off the road and wait. For us, we gave plenty of opportunity early and late in the day to just drive around the less well-trafficked area and observe. And when I mean drive, I mean drive slowly and by observe I mean have one person focused on the tree lives for anything moving or different.

Practice

Our favorite sighting was driving to Grand Tetons from Yellowstone early in the morning. We were in the wooded area and was truly alone on the road. I was doing my usual scan when I saw movement. I screamed BEAR!!!! My husband came to an abrupt stop (Not recommended if other cars on the road with you) and a bear standing in the woods looked at us and decided to cross the road ahead of us. It was an amazing experience. Practice during hikes and outdoor times. Scan for movements and you will be surprised what you can see.

Talk to others

You can easily identify the people who take wildlife sightings seriously. Ask them for advice and where they have been successful

Don’t focus just on predators

So many want to see a wolf that they don’t marvel at an elk or moose. Enjoy what nature gives you.

For those who are truly focused on wildlife, a tour may be a good option. There are many tours available. Here are a couple of examples that I have heard great things about.

Yellowstone Wild Tours

National Park Lodges Tours

Animal Safety

The park has lots of notices to say 25 yards away from animals and 100 yards away from bears and wolves. There is always a few incidents where someone gets hurt. Often at no fault of their own, but some people are so anxious to get that picture that they are putting themselves at risk. Bison look like slow animals, but they can move fast and can hurt you if you are not respectful of their space. Also, if you are going to do a lot of hiking, you may want to purchase or rent bear deterrent. We were told to always talk and make noise while hiking as the animals will avoid you where possible.

Mammals of Yellowstone

Bison

People get excited when they see their first bison, but trust me. It won’t be your last. There are estimated to be over 4,000 bison in Yellowstone National Park. There are actually two herds that are very distinct. One in the North often in Lamar near Gardiner, Montana and one that makes its home in Hayden valley and surrounding areas.

Pronghorns

We did not research our animals before going and didn’t quite know what they were. They were the size of deers, but were obviously not. If you remember the song Home on the Range, you remember the line “where the deer and the antelope play”. So I started my research on antelope. While they are often called American antelope, they are not a true antelope. Instead they are the only animals in a unique family of animals. They are usually easy to spot, but they are really fun to watch. Take some time to admire the herd.

Elk

These are often very easy to spot in a herd, but often in hot weather and crowded conditions, they can be a little elusive. They are the most abundant large mammal in Yellowstone. They are also popular to photo because of their large racks.

Moose

For the animal spotter they may first appear to be an elk. The population has decrease to an estimate of around 200. We were lucky enough to see 2 of them and both were in wooded areas. Their antlers are very distinct and beautiful to get a picture of.

Bighorn Sheep and Deer

Bighorn Sheep are somewhat elusive in much of the park. They are migratory and usually are located in the northeast and northwest of the park. During the warm times of the year, they typically settle in the higher altitude areas. There are two kinds of deer in Yellowstone, the white-tailed deer and mule deer

Don’t forget to look for the smaller mammals. Beavers, chipmunks and marmots are also fun to discover and watch in their natural habitats.

Read on the Yellowstone National Park site for an overview of all of the mammals in the park.

Another great article that was helpful to me

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A Guide to Upper Geyser Basin – Yellowstone

Jul 23, 2021

Overview

The Upper Geyser Basin contains the most concentrated group of geysers in the world. There are over a hundred with many that are routinely active. Many of the geysers are clustered along trails that follow the Firehole River. There are several groupings that are named after the larger geysers including the Castle Group, Grand Group, Daisy Group, Giant Group, Morning Glory Group, and the Cascade group. At the very end you will find Biscuit Basin which is further north and more distant from the other clusterings.

NPS map download

Plan for getting the most from Upper Geyser Basin

To get the most of your time at Upper Geyser Basin requires some research and planning. You could easily walk the trails in 2 hours, but to really get the most out of the Upper Geyser Basin you need to see some eruptions. It is hard to plan too far ahead because of the timing of the eruptions, so wake up with a flexible plan and be ready to adjust

The Yellowstone National Park App

The key to success with Upper Geyser Basin is to download the official Yellowstone National Park App. Like all national park maps it has great information but this one has geyser eruption predictions for the larger geysers. It lists the predicted next eruption and if you look at the geyser usual eruption interval you can predict them for the day. The first thing to do in your day is to look at the geyser predictions and determine your plan starting with Upper Geyser Basin. Once you know eruption times, begin mapping how to see as many as possible during a half-day window. Each one is very different and each one remarkable in its own way.

Frequent Mistakes not to Make

Don’t plan ahead – Many plan their day in logical order and get to Upper Geyser Basin when they get there. I remember our day where we say 8 geysers in a period of 3 hours, seeing people walking the trail from the parking lot with the kids and families. They had just missed the most spectacular eruptions and were looking at their map reading what geysers were there. It will be another 6-8 hours for a repeat performance. Had they been 1 hour earlier their experience would have been completely different.
Start with Old Faithful – So many people park and look at the next eruption of Old Faithful and have a seat to wait. The great thing about Old Faithful is just that. It is Old Faithful. It erupts every 44 minutes to 2 hours and the rangers will have the geyser predictions posted. Save Old Faithful for the last and plan around the geysers that erupt less frequently.

Not taking into account eruption windows – We made this on our first try. The eruption say 9:42 am + 30 minutes. We had to do a little jogging to get up close as it went off about 15 minutes early. Pace yourself and try to be there before the actual prediction.

Not willing to sit and wait a bit – The larger eruptions are really a remarkable thing to witness. They are on their own schedule and not ours. Sometimes you see one eruption and there will be another just a few yards away in 1 hours. I heard so many say, “I am not going to wait an hour, we can come back”. Again, there is a window and you might come back having missed it. And part of the thrill is watching it sputter, start and stop, then erupt with full intensity. This is vacation. Take a few minutes to sit and enjoy the show.

Castle Geyser

Grand Geyser

Grotto Geyser

Key Geysers to See

Castle Geyser – Within site of the parking lot, the Castle Geyser has a larger cone than many of the geysers. It usually erupts every 12 hours. It is not always mapped in the app, but last for about 20 minutes and will continue with a steam follow-up of 30 – 40 minutes.

Grand Geyser – Grand is the tallest predictable geyser known and can reach heights of 200 ft. The geyser is on a separate short path near Old Faithful and Castle. Its eruptions last between 9 to 12 minutes and occur in a series of 1 to 4 burst. Many will see the burst then quickly leave. My advice is to sit for 10 to 15 minutes and you may see the next burst. It erupts every 4 to 8 hours and is one to really plan around.

Giant Geyser – This geyser is currently in a dormant phase since 2019. When it does erupt is can last over an hour and can reach up to 250 feet high.

Daisy Geyser – This geyser is on another short path with eruptions every 2 to 4 hours. The eruptions lasts between 3 to 5 minutes and reaches a height of 75 feet.

Grotto Geyser – A fountain geyser and erupts about every 8 hours. The eruptions are only 10 feet high, but can last between an hour and 10 hours long. The shape of the grotto geyser is really unique. The geysers in this area impact each other and eruptions change as one geyser erupts. Take some time to talk to a ranger who will tell you the behavior of these geyser at the time of your visit.

Riverside Geyser – Our favorite geyser as it sites on the Firehole River. The geyser erupts every 5 to 7 hours and reaches heights of 75 feet. The water creates a beautiful arch into the river and often you can see a rainbow above the river. It is very predictable in that there are no other geysers nearby that will interrupt its activity, but is often 20 minutes early or late from its predictions. This is a great geyser to watch before as it will bubble water into the river for a period of time before eruption.

Old Faithful – Now that you have spent a few hours chasing eruptions, it is time to have a seat near Old Faithful. It is a cone geyser and erupts every 44 minutes to 2 hours and is predicted by the ranger each day. The eruption can be up to 180 feet and last for 1 1/2 to 5 minutes long. There are a lot of crowds to watch Old Faithful so take a seat and enjoy the show.

Old Faithful Village

Since you have spent at least half a day here, you may want to spend time in Old Faithful Village. Only the well-planned travelers will get to stay in the Old Faithful Inn, but everyone should take a moment to walk around this historic inn. If you are looking for food, you can dine in the Old Faithful Inn dining room. Other options include the Old Faithful Lodge cafeteria, and the Snow Lodge Geyser Grill. There are picnic tables for those that have packed their lunch and don’t forget the gift shop has wonderful ice cream for a hot day.

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Gardiner Montana – Gateway to Yellowstone

Jul 9, 2021

Gateway to Yellowstone – Why Gardiner, MT

Planning a trip to Yellowstone? Staying at the hotels in the park is an amazing experience, but usually requires reservations a year in advance. Finding lodging outside the park can be found in West Yellowstone, Gardiner, Cody, or Jackson. We chose Gardiner, Montana and glad we did. Providing some information to help you plan your stay in Gardiner.

Link to the Gardiner Montana travel site

Why Gardiner?: Jackson is a great place to spend time but below Grand Tetons and a bit of a drive for Yellowstone. Cody is also a great home base east of the park, but a little further away than we wanted. West Yellowstone is a little bigger and comes in to Yellowstone National Park a little further south. We chose Gardiner because it was smaller and very convenient for our itinerary.

I want to suggest Gardiner as a home base for your trip for a few reasons:

Location – The town of Gardiner is sitting right at the northern entrance of Yellowstone which is the only entrance open year-round. The Roosevelt Arch which is a beautiful landmark named after President Teddy Roosevelt as a champion for the national park. You can quickly connect to Grand Loop Rd for convenient access to key parts of the park. West Yellowstone is also close to Grand Loop Rd which is really the basis for all sites in the park.

Charm – If you want to experience the charm of Montana, Gardiner will not disappoint. You will not find upscale luxury hotels with wine bars and spas. You will find an amazing group of locals that own quaint hotels, rustic restaurants and authentic bars and shops. When planning hotels and restaurants, it might seem a bit rustic for your taste. Please trust the reviews. The locally owned businesses are great.

Convenience – Gardiner has everything you need to have a great vacation at Yellowstone. It is also the home to many tours outside and inside the park that provide access to whitewater rafting, fishing, wildlife guide and other activities

Restaurants in Gardiner

The Corral Drive-In – Recommended by our hotel we went across the street to a great restaurant stand with outdoor tables for a burger. They have options for buffalo burger, elk burger or your more traditional burgers. And did I mention they have beer and ice cream to cover all of your dinner needs. Loved the stop

Yellowstone Grill – Another cute spot with a great patio. Menu of burgers, sandwiches, salads and more. Their western breakfast is also a hearty way to start the day.

Yellowstone Pizza Company – So the pizza is good, but the views are what sells this restaurant. We enjoyed our meal while watching elk graze at the entrance of Yellowstone.

Iron Horse Bar & Grill – This restaurant has a very Montana menu with bison meatloaf, elk nachos along with more traditional items. The view is also great especially from the patio where you get a view of the mountains.

Tour Companies

There is nothing like Yellowstone, but if you are staying for a week it may be nice to add in some tour or other adventures in the area. Gardiner has its share of tour companies. While eating our breakfast on the patio, we watched as the tour companies prepped for the day.

Flying Pig Adventures – Located right near Tumbleweeds Bookstore and Cafe, they offer whitewater rafting, horseback riding, and fly fishing tours.

Yellowstone Dreamin Adventures – Located in the downtown area and they offer hiking and wildlife tours.

Yellowstone Rafting & Zipline – Located in the downtown area and have options for rafting, ziplining and horseback riding.

Where to stay

Yellowstone Gateway Inn – This is where we stayed and the only one we can truly vouch for. Pictures looked a little rustic but we were convinced because of the great reviews. We were thrilled with our stay. Everything was very clean, newly renovated and had a full kitchen. It got 5 star reviews from us.

Other places nearby include Ridgeline Hotel at Yellowstone, The Roosevelt – Yellowstone, Yellowstone Village Inn and Suites

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