Tag Archives: Road Trip

Yellowstone’s Midway Geyser Basin

September 17, 2024 Tom Dills 2 Comments

Grand Prismatic Spring at Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park

One of the most popular spots in Yellowstone National Park is the Midway Geyser Basin. It is so popular that if you arrive after about 10:00 (earlier in the summer!) you could wait for hours just to get a place to park.

With that in mind, Kathy and I decided to make a non-peak visit to the basin, early (-ish) one morning (my first photo was taken just before 8:00. Unfortunately that meant that instead of dealing with bunches of crowds, we ended up dealing with bunches of steam. As it works, the bigger the difference between the air temperature and the springs, the more chance for steam and fog.

We knew this going in and decided that seeing it, even in less than ideal conditions, was better than dealing with huge crowds. It was still quite dramatic, and even though I didn’t get the “classic” Grand Prismatic Spring” shot (in reality very few people do get the classic shot, and to get it you kinda have to be there in perfect conditions, preferably in an airplane!), we were happy to have gotten there on a nice day with plenty of sunshine to show off the rainbow of colors.

Boardwalk at Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park

Opal Pool at Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park

After our morning visit to Midway Geyser Basin we headed on down the road to Fountain Paint Pots, another popular spot. That lot was starting to fill up when we got there, and by the time we got back to Midway the traffic was already starting to line up for the parking lot. But that’s a story for another day. The lesson though is that timing is everything!

Excelsior Geyser Crater. Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park

Leaning Tree. Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park

Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park

Travel

Biscuit Basin – Before The Explosion

August 18, 2024 Tom Dills 2 Comments

Sapphire Pool at Biscuit Basin, Yellowstone National Park

Imagine our surprise when we read that a “hydrothermal explosion” had occurred at Biscuit Basin in Yellowstone on July 23. We had visited just two months prior, and the news photos of the devastation were incredible. All of our tour guides had joked about how Yellowstone sits on a huge underground volcano, and “you never know….” It’s well known that violent eruptions can happen at any time, and sometimes they actually do. Yikes! Fortunately no one was injured, and damage appears to be mostly limited to the boardwalk. And of course the size and shapes of several of the pools were dramatically altered.

Biscuit Basin, Yellowstone National Park

Our visit was in an evening and the sky was overcast. As a result a lot of the colors are quite muted. But the various colors of the pools and the surrounding bacterial mats are quite evident.

Jewel Geyser at Biscuit Basin, Yellowstone National Park

Bacterial mats add interesting colors and textures to hot pools and geysers. Biscuit Basin, Yellowstone National Park

And gnarly trees! 🙂

Travel

Why Did The Bison Cross The Road?

August 14, 2024 Tom Dills 3 Comments

Because that’s what bison do! 🙂 Hopefully not on a blind curve at dusk….

This was just one of numerous occasions where we had to wait on a “Bison Jam.” And yes, it was snowing.

Travel

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River

August 12, 2024 Tom Dills 4 Comments

Yellowstone River from Inspiration Point. Yellowstone National Park

Kathy & I visited Grand Canyon twice during our visit to Yellowstone. The first time was on our own, and we got there before 8:00am to avoid the crowds. We use the term “Nooners” to describe the people who start showing up to tourist locations around the time we are leaving. Yes, I know there is another connotation for that word! 😉 In a place like Yellowstone the Nooners start showing up and filling the parking lots by around 10:00am, in some places even earlier.

Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River from Artist Point. Yellowstone National Park

Upper Falls of the Yellowstone River from Upper Falls View. Yellowstone National Park

The canyon and the waterfalls are spectacular in any light, and we managed to get quite a few photographs, especially on the north rim where you could really see the topography. One of the things I particularly liked about the north rim is the gnarly trees growing out of the rock cliffs. They made for interesting subject matter and I’ve included just a sample here.

As we were leaving the Artist Point area, someone asked me if I knew what time the rainbow happened. It must have been obvious from the look on my face that I didn’t know anything about a rainbow. Silly me – a failure of research!

Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River from Lookout Point. Yellowstone National Park

Fortunately, we returned the following day on a morning photography tour aboard one of the yellow buses. Our guide knew exactly when the rainbow would occur (about 9:40am, just in time for the Nooners! 🙂 ) and positioned us in the right spot. Not knowing when the peak color would be I made over 100 frames in order to end up with about 6. The one posted here is the only one I’ve processed so far but is typical of the others. Interestingly, the first day we visited was overcast, so we might not have seen the rainbow that day anyway!

Because it was a photography tour and not a Tom & Kathy journey, the tour only stayed long enough to capture the rainbow and didn’t travel the north rim at all. It was off to another photographic destination! I’m glad we saw the rainbow, but also glad to have visited the canyon on our own!

Random Thoughts

Before I Forget

August 5, 2024 Tom Dills 9 Comments

Tom with Mark Graf at Marine City Fish Company in Marine City, Michigan

Since my last post was a bit of a bust, I thought I’d post this to rev things back up. When we were in Michigan I caught up with this guy. Had dinner with Mark and his wife at a nice seafood restaurant in Marine City. I’m much taller in person…. 😉

Travel

You’ve Got Mail!

July 30, 2024 Tom Dills 2 Comments

Rural mailboxes near Lac La Belle on the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan

During our time in the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan, we took a day to explore the countryside and essentially circumnavigate the peninsula.

We came across this line of mail boxes near Lac La Belle. It is certainly the most mail boxes I’ve seen in one place! We didn’t count them – feel free if you must! – but we estimated there to be about 20 in each section and 6 sections. I wonder how long it takes the letter carrier to stuff all those boxes?

Photography

Room With A View

July 25, 2024 Tom Dills 2 Comments

View of the Portage Canal and Lift Bridge in Houghton, Michigan

We’ve been staying in Houghton, Michigan the last few nights and managed to snag a hotel room with a high floor and view of the Portage Canal which connects Portage Lake with Lake Superior. We had this rather nice view just after sunset.

Travel

Falling For Falling Water

July 24, 2024 Tom Dills 6 Comments

Upper Tahquamenon Falls, Tahquamenon Falls State Park, Michigan

I started the most recent installment of my photographic journey chasing waterfalls in western North Carolina, and still enjoy checking out new-to-me waterfalls during our travels. We recently stopped by Tahquamenon Falls State Park in the U.P. of Michigan to see and photograph the Upper Falls.

Tahquamenon Falls is sometimes referred to as the “root beer falls” due to the amber color of the waters caused by tannins in the cedar swamps from which the river drains. The water really does take on the cast of root beer barrel candies!

Travel

Don’t Adjust Your Set….

July 23, 2024 Tom Dills 4 Comments

Piles of Taconite, a form of iron ore pellets used in the production of steel. Seen at the Algoma Steel Company plant located on the St. Marys River in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Canada

Kathy & I are currently on a journey through cool, comfortable Michigan. We’ve visited a number of places so I’ll likely be posting images completely out of order as I get to them!

We recently visited Sault Sainte Marie, MI and did a boat cruise (never pass up a boat cruise!) on the Soo Locks. These piles of Taconite are used in the production of steel and were waiting alongside the Algona Steel Company on the St. Marys River. The black piles made me think of the opposite of something like White Sands, NM.

Random Thoughts