The week of June 21st, my family flew into Billings to visit and take a trip to Yellowstone! The past week has been a blur, but it has been very enjoyable having them around.
DAY ONE:
After my parents and sister stayed in Roundup Friday night, we set out for Gardiner, MT the following morning. Traveling through the Big Timber countryside was something completely unexpected: the terrain was much smoother, there were many isolated Hereford operations-which is almost unheard of- and the land was much more green. Needless to say, this was the area of Montana I had been waiting for. We also ran right into the middle of a rodeo weekend right outside the window of our lodge. An occurrence as lucky as that was topped only by the spotting of an albino bison! I had never seen one before, and it stuck out as the only mature white animal in the midst of a very large herd. As we travelled into Gardiner, we started to see hints of the park nearby. There were shops and restaurants holding the park’s name down the main road, and the Yellowstone River ran right through the town. However, Gardiner held a special place all week as the only outer park town that was not as touristy, and continued to sustain itself even in the colder months.
DAY TWO:
We finally entered the park this morning from the Gardiner entrance and hit the ground running. It’s difficult not to find the park very overwhelming since there are swarms of people everywhere and an attraction every few miles. However, we found the crowds to be helpful in spotting wildlife-this day we saw a herd of elk cows, a black bear, plenty of western coyotes, and of course bison. At this point, bison and pronghorn were a normal occurrence for me but the family was excited to see them too. We saw a ton of the sulfur springs, cauldrons, rock formations, and even hiked a bit during the day. This night, we participated in a “cowboy dinner,” which included stagecoach rides pulled by large draft horses and a home cooked dinner out inside a valley of the park. This was really exciting because we got pretty close to a lot of different species. Marmots could be seen perching on the rocky slopes as we passed and the bison felt right at home in the middle of the roads. Our guide, Jamison, reminded me so much of a friend back home, so needless to say he and I struck up a great conversation.
DAY THREE:
Today we focused mainly on the park attractions: mostly hot springs, a hike to a natural bridge near Bridge Bay, and saw the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. After a long hike down to the lower basin of a waterfall, you could see into the canyon and down the Yellowstone River. The Yellowstone Lake was an interesting sight and was so big you could see white caps across the top. It created a very strong wind across the land but it was very relaxing to sit quietly by the shore. We drove through the geyser basins tonight to get to West Yellowstone for the night, but saved the geysers for tomorrow.
DAY FOUR:
Today was the geyser day! We left Stagecoach Inn, where we would stay the following night as well, to see Old Faithful and company in the Upper Geyser Basin. Old Faithful is always a hub of activities and draws a HUGE crowd every 90 minutes for its eruption. Although the actual event was much less exciting, and was definitely not the largest geyser in the park, it was very fun seeing a natural wonder such as this. After the eruption, we walked a path around the basin to see the Grand Prismatic Spring, Fountain Geyser-which erupted for us as we passed by. and several other small colorful attractions. Afterwards, we drove to the fountain paint pots to hear muddy water bubble up from the ground. Honestly, it’s a very uncomfortable noise but that didn’t stop Virginia and I from laughing at it as it erupted. After those attractions, we headed back to West Yellowstone, where the family hung out at the Slippery Otter Pub with Carlos, our trusty server and bartender. 
DAY FIVE:
Today we said goodbye to Yellowstone and headed south to Grand Tetons National Park. I think I enjoyed the Tetons better because it was not nearly as crowded, and there were more things to do out on the water and in the mountains. We checked into our hotel, Jackson Lake Lodge, and headed to Colter Bay to do some kayaking. The water of Jackson Lake was completely clear to the bottom and Mount Moran stood right at the edge.
Now I know what you’re thinking… How cool was it that these places share my name?! Well Jackson Lake Lodge was an attraction that my mother had seen with her family when she was younger. So, as Jackson was my dad’s family’s name and my last name, Moran is my mother’s family’s name and my middle name. It must have been fate that Jackson Lake had its own Moran Bay within it, and a mountain similarly named on its shore. Needless to say, this was OUR place.
We spent the evening at the lodge and watched the sun go down on the mountains while drinking a Moran Sunset, a drink that not only resembles the Swizzles from Bermuda, but also held nostalgic memories for both of my parents.
DAY SIX:
Today we took a hike around Jenny Lake and up one of the lower Tetons to see a hidden waterfall. After a steep climb and many views of ice caps on the mountains, we arrived at the falls along with tons of other people and their small children. There were other paths around that we could have continued to hike but most were closed off for construction. After riding the ferry back through Jenny Lake, we had a picnic on the shore, along with an asian family and the fattest ground squirrel I had ever seen in my life. Spending time outside in a park like this and on the water was a lot of fun. This night we took a boat tour of Jackson Lake, seeing a mature moose bull in the water, and a pair of bald eagles and their eaglets in the nest.
DAY SEVEN:
Today we headed back to the ranch, where I was to meet the others that afternoon for some AI business at a neighbor’s farm. Together, we headed out with all the necessary tools for the job, and successfully inseminated a dozen yearling heifers. One ended up having a severe reaction to the fertility drugs, but after careful consultation with a vet, was deemed safe to breed.
I was so lucky to be able to spend this week with my family and show them a little bit of my summer home. As much as I love it here, the countdown has begun for the trip home, and I’m happy to say I can see it in the near distance!
marilynmeetsthewest 