Welcome to the stove plate of the Earth - Yellowstone National Park

Three days ago, we drove from Rexburg to West Yellowstone to the West Entrance of Yellowstone NP to start our tour through Yellowstone from there.

Yellowstone NP is the oldest national park in the USA and is the size of Corsica. The entire area is a volcanic area, with the inner area representing the actual crater. The earth beneath the surface is extremely active. There are countless hot springs and geysers that bubble and gurgle here. Due to the different minerals and microorganisms in the earth, not every pool looks the same. The different colors and compositions offer a wow effect. In addition to the color play for the eyes, there are also less pleasant moments for the nose. Mainly sulfur vapors from one or the other pool or geyser ensure a quick walk through.

But Yellowstone not only offers water-filled springs and geysers. The Mammoth Hot Springs offers travertine terraces in the most beautiful colors and formations. In addition, the whitest calcium carbonate accumulations you have ever seen. More than two tons of calcium carbonate come from the volcano's interior dissolved in liquid form every day, creating a unique sculpture.

But besides the countless natural spectacles, there are also very beautiful landscapes that offer a composition of green expanses, forests, and mountains.

At the end of the first day, we were lucky when it came to observing the wildlife in the park. Here, mainly bison and bears are "sought after" by everyone. On the roads, it quickly becomes clear when there is such an animal to see "somewhere". Cars are simply stopped at the roadside and as an approaching car, you can directly see on which side of the road there should be something to see.

At the end of the day, we saw a herd of bison walking through Lamar Valley. One of the bison separated from the herd and walked relatively quickly towards the road where we were standing. It was a beautiful photo opportunity, and in the end, the bison trotted across the road and ate by the roadside without paying much attention to the people or cars. Ideally, you should keep a distance of 25 meters from the bison, but it was affectionate and wanted attention.

The first day in the national park had been a long one. We didn't check into the Old Faithful Lodge until around 9 p.m. Our lodge was not cheap, but it didn't offer much comfort either. We had a sink ... toilets and showers were located in a "community lodge".

The internet connection was rather poor. But we were too exhausted at the end of the day to blast anything into the world.

There will be more to read and see about the second day in Yellowstone later.

P.S. I deliberately refrained from assigning the pictures to the different areas in the NP. They are supposed to speak for themselves initially, although this is only a small selection. One thing is for sure: they are all from Yellowstone :)