Friday was our last day in Yellowstone and we headed north to Mammoth Hot Springs and the old Yellowstone Fort. But before that, we had to stop at the Ranger Station.
The boys had been working on their Junior Ranger badge workbooks all week and our last stop was a class taught by a ranger. Friday morning there was a class about birds that I knew Kevin would find interesting with the boys. But before the class, we had to check out the hands-on displays. Antlers for the win!
The boys had more fun than I expected playing with these horns and antlers!
Ricky had left his workbook back at the cabin, so he spent his time quickly filling out information in a new one.
Bobby, I don’t think that horn is a tail!
The ranger taught them about birds and bird calls. My boys knew a lot of the answers already because their dad likes birds.
Bobby and I played in the dirt with his new bison, bear, and moose toys. I definitely could not complain about my view as we waited!
Once their class was over, the boys were sworn in as official Yellowstone National Park Junior Rangers. (that ranger lady took her job very seriously)
Badges to prove it! Plus a fun Centennial Year of National Parks pin.
Then we headed north in Yellowstone to the Mammoth Hot Springs area. This area is famous for the terraces formed by the bubbling springs.
Sometimes the dad leads the boys off trail for a little un-approved exploring.
We found a grassy field by the old Yellowstone Fort to have a picnic lunch.
Then we did the walking tour of the old fort buildings. We had a map and lots of info about each building. I found it all fascinating and could totally picture what this place was like 100 years ago! The boys found the deer who were just laying and walking around us much more fascinating.
I’m not sure if it was cool or creepy having them hanging around like this …
Posing with “Liberty Cap” in the background.
The spring that fed Liberty Cap and made it grow is now extinct. One of my favorite facts was that one of those “terraces” is growing near the fort. It is getting quite close to one of the historical homes and it is unknown which Yellowstone will try to preserve more … the natural terrace or the historical building. I don’t know how fast that terrace grows, but they will have to decide in just a few years.
I wanted to see the “Roosevelt Arch.” It is placed at the North Entrance of Yellowstone which was the original main entrance. President Teddy Roosevelt laid the cornerstone in 1903 which is where it got its name. It was a pretty impressive sight.
I really loved the mix of natural wonders and historical buildings that we saw this day. It fed both of my passions!
And you can’t visit Yellowstone without the iconic Yellowstone sign picture. Of course, my children are not always willing participants!
That’s better.
For all the selfies we take together, we had to get one by the sign as well …
And I thought this was pretty cool, too. The halfway spot between the equator and north pole? How could we not take a picture? Bobby was asleep, so he missed out on this one.
Another selfie moment …
As we were driving (lots and lots of driving this day), we finally saw an actual bear in Yellowstone. The boys did not think it was Yogi.
And that was our Yellowstone adventure. I’m so glad we went. I loved sharing it with the boys and creating those memories with them. We will go back, probably not for several years, but we will go back. We barely explored the park!
Renting the cabin was definitely the way to go. It is called Neil’s Nest and is in Island Park. The boys loved having all the space to explore and I liked the space inside – so much better than a hotel or tent! We headed home Saturday morning.
It was a good family vacation!