Saturday, July 24th

Sigh…..this is our last day in Yellowstone. We pack up and drive to the hotel lobby to turn in our key and comment that we didn’t really have hot water for showers. They give us ten percent off for each night without even a question. Very nice! The girl at the Bell Desk explains how the old room-service system used to work. It’s an electro-magnetic system. When the guest push a button in the room, is activated a magnet on the board that moved the needle over to point at the room number. They the bell hop had to “hop” up there and see what the guest wanted! We fill up with ice and set off, strapping in the cooler so we don’t get ice and water all over the car if there is a sudden bison stop!

There is a buck mule deer up to his belly in the meadow by a campsite to say good-bye to us. And we take some forest-lined road shots to remind us of the incredible aroma of the pines. One more shot of a white pelican and the lake shore, then it is time to visit West Thumb. This is another area of geothermal activity with mud pots and hot springs. What sets is apart is that it is right on the shores of Yellowstone Lake. Also, there is an historic ranger station there. It also houses a bookstore in the summer and in the winter the merchandise is all packed away and the rangers use it as a warming hut.

We enjoy the three-quarter mile trail, noticing that a couple of the features are actually IN the lake! There are kayakers enjoying the lake, too. It appears to be a water tour, as one of the leaders points out a lava tube under the surface. We can only see the bubbles rising! It is still amazing to observe the different colors caused by the thermoacidophiles, and the bubbling, smooth mud.

There is one waterfall that we missed on the way into Yellowstone, Moose Falls. The sign going north must be down because we have no trouble finding it now! And we’re glad, too, because it is lovely. It seems the kids that work in the park have found it, too, because there is a young woman sunbathing on a large rock, and she is joined by some others as we are leaving! The bridge over Crawfish Creek is pretty cool, too.

Heading south I just can’t resist the snow-draped mountains. I know I’ve taken a million pictures of them already, but still keep snapping out the window as the car carries us away.

South of Jackson Hole we are really out of the parks and into Wyoming proper. It is a mixture of rolling hills, brown grasslands and irrigated pasture. There are horses and cattle everywhere and, surprisingly enough, there are pronghorn roaming freely inside and outside the fences! In one one-mile stretch we see at least a dozen! The there is a pasture with two horses and a dozen deer!

We arrive in Pinedale and follow the directions, “turn left at the Cowboy Bar”, to Chambers House, our B&B on the corner of Maybelle and Magnolia. We deposit our things in The Blue Room with two twin beds and a bathroom across the hall and meet the couple who is sharing it with us. They and two other couples are going to a wedding and when we see them again, they are in their finest cowboy outfits. It’s interesting because they are all from Chicago!

The manager, Ashli, suggests that we might like the restaurant at The Freemont Lodge, on Freemont Lake, for dinner. We drive about fifteen minutes and find ourselves on the shores of a huge lake! What a surprise! I guess the ranchers who drive Mercedes-Benz four-wheel drive vehicles, like the one we saw earlier, must own the sailboats and skiboats we see in the lodge’s marina.

We order the lounge special, philly cheese steak made with prime rib, and potato salad and each enjoy a glass of wine. I order the Bogle merlot and the waitress is surprised by my pronunciation! She says she’s only had one other person pronounce it “boggle” and that that person had learned how to say it at the winery! She says everyone else says it “boh-gle”. Weird, hunh?

There are beautiful columbine growing on the grounds and they have decorated the front door with a flower arrangement inside a ski!

The sandwiches are delicious and we are well satisfied as we head home and to bed. We can shower tonight without worrying about sharing! The wedding folks won’t be home until midnight or after!

Here’s a shot of The Blue Room before we scattered our belongings everywhere!