Arriving at Yellowstone

On late Monday afternoon, May 23, we entered Yellowstone National Park through the South Entrance.

It is believed that Yellowstone comes from an Indian name for the area which translated “yellow stone,” but no one is sure.  The first white men who visited the area were fur trappers who came about 1797.  No one believed their ‘wild’ stories about geysers and colorful, steaming basins.

Yellowstone is actually a giant caldera, the remains of giant volcanic explosions over millions of years.  Geologists believe its heat source is a ‘hot spot’ in the magma that heats the core of the earth.  A similar ‘hot spot’ can be found in the Hawaiian Islands.

President Ulysses S. Grant signed legislation on March 1, 1872 making Yellowstone America’s first National Park.

We expected snow when we got to Yellowstone, but we were surprised by the amount.

Next stop – Old Faithful Yellowstone Inn.