Roosevelt National Park

What another beautiful park that is chockful

of wildlife.

We hit the trifecta of all wildlife:

bison

wild horses

prairie dogs

elk

Quaint little town that rolls its sidewalks up 

way too early.

 Prairie dogs - 100's of them all over

these fields.

 Elk coming out of the ravine to check things out.

 Bison - were everywhere.

 Baby bison too were all part of the traffic jam

happening in the park about sunset.

 These deer crossed the road, and we stopped of course

to gawk. The deer kept looking back across

the road and we couldn't see what they were looking at

but all of sudden they crossed back over to the right side.

Still didn't see anything.

 Bison rolling in the dirt.

 He was a big guy too.

 Feels better now.

 Wild horses.

Were they running through the ravine with their

manes flying.

No.

 This buffalo strolled on down this hill.

and of course, I didn't post the ENTIRE walk.

I was actually outside of the RV when he started

his stroll and when he got the bottom

he looked right at me so I hot-footed back in the RV

and he casually strolled right in front of me like

he had no plans and walked into the sunset.

So cool.

This photo looks better here than on my FB page.

Elk and friends...

An entire herd.

Awesome!!

 And not so good settings but I do NOT claim

to be a pro.

 The man of the herd kinda lost control LOL!

He was across the street and all his babes were on

the other side of the road.

 And they did stop traffic.

 Battery Point Lighthouse.

I turned around and made a friend.

He thought I had goodies because evidently

people feed them.
Silly squirrel.

 The coastline of Cali..

Made another friend and he has followed me up the coast.

I have proof 💼

The coastline on the west coast is wild and beautiful.

Highly recommend a ride up Hwy 101.

The Great Smokey Mountains

Omg. 

(photo heavy)

If you've never been you need to put it on your list.

Its beautiful.

 Yeah the roads are like this.

 ELK! Finally I got pictures and not of their backsides.

They were feeding in a field by the side 

of the road and naturally stopped traffic.

 This is the start of Clingman's Dome.

 Which is a half mile in and out.

Up a paved road that's deceitfully innocent in the beginning

luring you in as an easy walk

that escalates into a 9% grade where you are

practically perpendicular to the road.

Of course there are tidbits of beauty to make you not notice 

that you're sounding like an obscene phone call

with every step you take.

 This is your reward at the top.

You get to walk up another ramp to get to the tower.

Word was a 90 year old man made the trek.

I'm thinking it may have been a rumor so that no one

could now quit in.

 I started up the ramp and got to right here

before I wigged my bad-self out

because we all know I HATE HEIGHTS.

However, I am impressed I got that far.

It was a lot easier going down that up.

However, it was worth the trip.

Buffalo, bears and elk oh my .... in Yellowstone

This is part of a bubbling pool (which I'm sure has a name)

but it seems my note taking is totally lacking.

This beautiful pool was by the side of the road and we

stopped to wander through the boardwalk.

It was on our way to Mammoth Hot Springs.

 And there are elk in the middle of Mammoth hot springs.

 Like right in the center of town.

 Acting like its all theirs.

 We were making our way back after a delicious

moose track ice cream

- mint and huge chocolate chips in Gardiner

and once again - the bison jam happened right on time.

LOL.

 Its rutting season and they were bellowing and snorting.

Really rather noisy.

 As we happened down the road - as usual there was the usual

crowd staring out into the tree line and curiosity

got the best of us and we stopped.

So glad we did - that's a grizzly bear and the first one

we have ever seen in the wild.

People were nuts - getting out of the car and sending their kids down

to the stream to see the bear up close and personal.

Uh....

WILD ANIMAL PEOPLE.

Just because we're in a park does NOT make them pets.

And Yellowstone Falls at artists' point.

The point where all of whom are of an artistic bent

go to paint, photograph and admire the falls.

Had a bit o'trouble with the lighting as the sun was off to 

the right of the falls.

Got a flair smidge and sky-blowout.

I changed it up and used a "brownify" enhancement in

Aperature that I downloaded from

Thomas Fitzgerald's blog - designer of said enhancement.

Love the old timey look.