I once heard someone say that a true performer doesn't just view their show as a job. A real performer is always thinking of ways they can improve. They would do this all the time, regardless of whether or not they got paid to do it. Truer words were never spoken! Today, as we were driving toward Yellowstone national park, Paula and I were discussing things we could do with the show this year. We have some surprises in store when we introduce brand new material this year at the Cincinnati zoo, including a major improvement on one of our favorite illusions!
So, we're really looking forward to tomorrow's show (2 shows, actually) at Gallatin Valley Mall in Bozeman, Montana. We're staying tonight in Livingston, Montana, which is just over a half hour from Bozeman. That also put us in a perfect spot to check out Yellowstone today!
We had never been to Yellowstone before. If you've never been. . . honestly, I could write about it for a very long time and still not fully describe all that we saw. Basically, in this huge national park, there's a driving loop that goes all the way around. Yellowstone is BIG- the loop is 142 miles long! Everywhere you go, there are pulloff areas with views like these:
So, we're really looking forward to tomorrow's show (2 shows, actually) at Gallatin Valley Mall in Bozeman, Montana. We're staying tonight in Livingston, Montana, which is just over a half hour from Bozeman. That also put us in a perfect spot to check out Yellowstone today!
We had never been to Yellowstone before. If you've never been. . . honestly, I could write about it for a very long time and still not fully describe all that we saw. Basically, in this huge national park, there's a driving loop that goes all the way around. Yellowstone is BIG- the loop is 142 miles long! Everywhere you go, there are pulloff areas with views like these:
I had expected Yellowstone to be flat. It isn't! You're in the mountains most of the time. You'll see tons of canyons and waterfalls. Also, look at this:
See the plumes of steam rising from the ground? That happens in a zillion different places within the park- and the steam never, ever stops. This is one of the many hot springs. The ground all around is brown because it's literally bubbling from the hot escaping gas. Much of Yellowstone sits atop hot underground activity, so it produces things like the hot springs- and this:
They call this spot "Dragon's Mouth". It's a giant cave that constantly bangs and hisses as it releases a never ending thick plume of steam. Incredible!
As you drive along, you'll pass many fields and meadows that have random steaming spots pouring from the ground. Here's one area where it's becoming a problem:
As you drive along, you'll pass many fields and meadows that have random steaming spots pouring from the ground. Here's one area where it's becoming a problem:
This is one of the many parking lots along the loop- but in a random spot, the pavement has melted due to the extreme heat that showed up here. It now releases steam non-stop!
Of course, several of these areas are famous. Do you recognize this one?
Of course, several of these areas are famous. Do you recognize this one?
That's "Old Faithful"! It's always releasing steam, but every 90 minutes (plus or minus ten minutes), it erupts. This is one amazing thing to see:
These photos don't do it justice. The water shoots more than 100 feet high and lasts for close to three minutes! They've set up seating all around the geyser so you can get a perfect view.
There are quite a few geysers in the park, and many can be predicted- but Old Faithful is the one that's known for being very accurate. It boggles my mind to think that this spot has been erupting every 60 to 90 minutes for as long as we can tell. God's handiwork is truly evident throughout this entire park!
AND- what about the wildlife in Yellowstone? We saw a ton of Buffalo:
There are quite a few geysers in the park, and many can be predicted- but Old Faithful is the one that's known for being very accurate. It boggles my mind to think that this spot has been erupting every 60 to 90 minutes for as long as we can tell. God's handiwork is truly evident throughout this entire park!
AND- what about the wildlife in Yellowstone? We saw a ton of Buffalo:
They're everywhere. You'll see them grazing right along the road, and they have no reservations about stepping right into traffic.
We saw just as many Elk:
We saw just as many Elk:
These critters are huge, and don't seem to have much fear of people. They'll be visible all through the park.
For us, here was the big one we hoped to see:
For us, here was the big one we hoped to see:
We saw a grand total of TEN bears today! Yellowstone has both black and grizzly bears- at least three today were definite grizzlies (possibly four, couldn't tell with one due to the distance). This guy (or gal) is a black bear. Also, have you ever seen a cartoon where a bear will stand up and scratch it's back on a tree? They actually do that! Here's one from today:
So- if you're planning a trip to Yellowstone (and you should), make sure you allow plenty of time. We saw so many more things that I could write about, and you want to make sure you have time to see it all. God is an amazing artist, and Yellowstone is an incredible gallery of His work. You'll be amazed- we sure were!
We're now a couple of weeks into this tour and we can't wait to see what else is in store. We'll be in Montana, South Dakota, Iowa, Indiana, Florida, Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Alabama, and a bunch of other places- and all within the next six weeks! Tomorrow we head to Bozeman. To our friends in Montana- we have some new exciting magic since the last time we were here. Come see us!
We're now a couple of weeks into this tour and we can't wait to see what else is in store. We'll be in Montana, South Dakota, Iowa, Indiana, Florida, Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Alabama, and a bunch of other places- and all within the next six weeks! Tomorrow we head to Bozeman. To our friends in Montana- we have some new exciting magic since the last time we were here. Come see us!