Day 10: Yellowstone NP, Norris Geyser Basin, Midway Geyser Basin, Lower Geyser Basin

The day started gloomy with cold and cloudy weather. Today we had a small program, the geysers basins that we haven't seen yet. We started with the Norris Geyser Basin. A relatively large area with smoking and spouting geysers and springs. Unfortunately, it was unusually crowded today. A ship with Chinese passengers had already arrived. To avoid the hustle and bustle and noise, we chose the long trail. Due to the moderate weather, the photos were a bit dull. After an hour hike, we continued to the Midway Geyser Basin. There you'll find the Grand Prismatic Spring. It is the largest thermal spring in the USA and the third largest in the world. It is also very colorful. But again, we weren't lucky. It was still very cold and the spring is 70° hot. That means: everything was mostly covered in mist! Such a shame! It was crowded here as well, the parking lot was the first point of dispute. And the restrooms were in a terrible condition, unusable, even in the morning! Our last stop was the Lower Geyser Basin with the Fountain Paint Pot, a mud hole. Another ship with Chinese tourists... We drove back to the hotel somewhat irritated. It wasn't our best day for an excursion. But since vacation is also for relaxation, we just lounged around for the rest of the day. Tomorrow we will continue heading east.

~ C.