Monday 6/24 recap.
Today was one we had been looking forward to for a long time. We had booked a 1-hour helicopter tour of of West Yellowstone for what we thought would be a sightseeing flight over Yellowstone National Park. Turns out, we were mistaken. Regardless (irregardless, if you’re a fan of bad grammar and Mean Girls), we had an absolutely wonderful experience!
The drive to the airport from our campsite was about 1.5 hours, typical for a travel day in Yellowstone. For those whom have never visited, the park is HUGE. Even bigger then Cuyahoga Valley National Park (lol). We packed up and headed out early for our 8am flight. As was the case for most of the trip so far, Wes and Erin took turns chauffeuring us. I must admit – I liked it. I think I found a retirement gig for Wes.
West Yellowstone is the busiest of the 5 entrances into the National Park. The town is full of shops, restaurants, hotels, and kitschy entertainment. It is the exact opposite of what we like. However, it was the home of the airport, so we put up with all of that. We arrived almost 45 minutes before our flight, which made the OCD side of me very happy! It was then that we learned that the flight would not take place over Yellowstone (given a restriction on commercial guided flights over the area), but would instead be covering National Forest lands surrounding the park. While we hadn’t realized this when we booked, it made total sense. The park experience would definitely be muddled with commercial operations constantly interrupting the serenity.
After a safety briefing, we were led to the tarmac by our pilot Chase. Chase was an energetic and personable young man (kid, let’s face it) from North Dakota. He had been flying operations in Yellowstone for two years, as well as sightseeing flights over the Badlands in South Dakota. The skies were completely clear and the winds non-existent, so Chase informed us we were in for a great flight.
Now I (Rick, that is) had never flown in a helicopter. Even though I had flown small planes as a private pilot, I was always leery of helicopters. Wes suggested I sit in the copilot seat, to which I accepted (mostly because I am highly claustrophobic and the back seat may have done me in!). Any fears I had quickly dissipated after takeoff as we approached the surrounding mountain ranges.
We were fortunate enough to see herds of elk (E.L.K.) as well as mountain goats roaming freely along rocky-edge cliffs. We got wonderful views of small lakes tucked into valleys within high alpine meadows. Miles and miles of untouched wilderness stretched out rom every angle. It was breathtaking! Karen and I were so glad Erin and Wes suggested the flight!!!
After the flight, we headed to breakfast at the Running Bear Pancake House (a suggestion of Chase). We were not disappointed. There was a wait to get in (always a good sign) and the food was excellent. Fueled up, we decided to head back into the park for two major areas we hadn’t seen – Grand Prismatic Spring and Old Faithful. As I had offered for several days, Wes acquiesced and allowed me to drive after breakfast. This was definitely a sinister ploy as there was a TON of traffic to navigate both in entering the park and on the journey to Grand Prismatic.
Author’s note – In all honesty, Wes and Erin had zero idea there was going to be a tremendous traffic jam just inside the park entrance. They did not allow me to drive because of that. I will, however, mock them in this post because it is my bully pulpit.
Grand Prismatic Spring is iconic. It is the largest thermal feature in the park, and the most photographed (aside from Old Faithful). The colors make it, in my opinion, far more beautiful than Old Faithful. A short hike to an overlook afforded us a stunning view of Prismatic in all its glory.
We then made our way to the Old Faithful Village, probably the single most visited part of Yellowstone. To say that the area built up around the geyser is big is a vast understatement. It is about as commercial as you will ever find in the National Park system, and FULL of people. Nonetheless, it has to be seen. We followed advice gleaned from a podcast and made our way to a little-known second floor deck at the Inn overlooking Old Faithful and secured great seats for the eruption.
As much as the entire area is over-built and over-commercialized and overrated, watching Old Faithful erupt really is a wonderful experience. It is quintessential America. Everyone should see it once in their lifetime.
Following that, we headed to Lake Yellowstone Lodge at my request. It was very close to our campsites, and was a place I stayed 28 years ago during my only other visit to Yellowstone. It is the oldest hotel in the National Park system, located right along the northern shores of Lake Yellowstone. It is bathed in yellow and white paint and it stands as a testament to all that is right in our country.
Walking into the lobby is like going back in time. The lobby was bathed in light from the waning sun and a cool breeze coming in the open casement windows. A pianist was playing as we wandered, adding to the ambiance. As we looked into the etched doors of the now-closed dining room, I was immediately reminded of the scene in Titanic where Jack accompanies Rose to dinner.
We found a couple of seats in the lobby overlooking Lake Yellowstone and quickly grabbed them. At that very moment, I kid you not, the lobby pianist launched into the theme song from Titanic. That was enough to bring a tear (more like several tears) to my eyes. We had a drink there, listening to song after gorgeous song, before heading back to Livvy. Magical is an understatement. I will never forget that visit.
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