This was a 3 night stay at a lodge in Island Park, Idaho, about 45 minute drive to the West Entrance of the Yellowstone National Park. This trip also marked my visit to the 21st and 22nd US state as it was the first time being in Montana and Idaho. Wyoming was also relatively new by a couple of months, since my recent visit to Jackson Hole, WY.
I am happy that I chose the lodge, despite the adventure of finding it and the quirky owners. I remember being bombarded with messages about the many rules needed to be obeyed, which reminded me of my university years in post-communist Romania when I used the student accommodations. All in-all the lodge was a quiet and clean limited service bed and breakfast. Once I found it, it was the ideal spot, since it was well isolated from tourist traps, as well as from the beaten track.
I found that allocating 2 full days of visiting the Park was the bare minimum, as long you plan it well and you don’t get distracted. September was a good time to visit and I lucked out with a decent weather and I avoided the tourist hordes (at least for the most part). Starting my visit at 8am also made a difference and gave my a chance to still find parking spots.
This was a unique experience which involved all the senses (including an assault on your nostrils 🙂 ). I started with the Fountain Paint Pots and its red muddy terrain, continued with the various geyser craters and basins (for the most part, this is a small circuit with attractions grouped in relative close proximity), and ended up admiring the spectacle of the Old Faithful. The predictability on the timing of its eruptions is awesome, and the clocks displaying the estimated time remaining was so convenient! After witnessing 2 decent size eruptions I drove to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and was happy to see a beautiful rainbow near the bottom of the canyon. This was also the best photo op all day.
On day two I started my visit with the Fairy Falls hike, so I can take decent pictures of the iconic Grand Prismatic Spring. One day I’ve seen (and smelled) the spring up close, but I could not take proper pictures given the close proximity and the water vapors. The vantage point at the end of the hike was much better for admiring its colors.The last stop for the day was the West Thumb Geyser Basin. The 30ish minutes drive to it was well worth it. I spent an hour taking pictures of the various geysers, while enjoying the short boardwalk trail in the company of far less tourists.
