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Day 6 – Idaho 2025 // Hayden Valley, Mesa Falls, Bechler Region, Jackson Hole

Isaac Church — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 03:30:22 +0000

Today, we were all over the place. I joked earlier on this trip that we were basically driving the wrong direction all the time, and today was no exception. But, that means we got to see a lot of new things. In short, I hope you like waterfalls, because today is loaded with them!

Hayden Valley Sunrise

Our day started with being uncomfortably close to a wolf. After loading up the car in the dark hours of the morning, I went into the Lake Lodge to drop off the room key and check us out. As I came back outside, I heard a wolf howl. It sounded like it was right on the other side of the Jeep. I’ve never gotten back in a car faster in my entire life! It might’ve been the same pack we saw from Lake Butte overlook; because we heard them in the distance the evening before too.

Early Start

Hayden Valley Sunrise

We drove north from the lake through the Hayden Valley, following the Yellowstone River. We’d hoped to do some wildlife watching, but it was far too foggy to see anything. It was a beautiful sunrise nonetheless, so we enjoyed seeing the frosted landscape. It was absolutely freezing outside, with a wind chill in the single digits, if not negative. After intermittently stopping at overlooks, we finally decided to brave the cold long enough to hike up an ice-covered hill near Trout Creek and Elk Antler Creek. The views were spectacular, although our hands and feet quickly went numb. We both enjoyed the peaceful silence of the morning, then rushed back to the warm car.

Hayden Valley Sunrise

We continued up the Hayden Valley, delayed briefly by a frost-covered bison ambling up the middle of the road.

Bison - Hayden Valley

Canyon

Soon we arrive at the turnoffs for the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Although we already hiked along the north rim earlier this trip, we decided to quickly drive down the south rim to Artist Point to catch one last glimpse of the Lower Falls. Our spontaneity was rewarded with a magnificent glowing view of the falls and the canyon, lit up in a way that was wowing even the clearly seasoned local photographers who were set up for their morning exposures.

Canyon Sunrise

Breakfast

Driving back down to the Lake Hotel, we attempted to get a spot for the breakfast buffet, but after hearing the wait times, we opted to get some solidly average breakfast sandwiches from the Hotel Deli instead. We finished up our breakfast and some coffee in the deli, observed the elk grazing by the front porch of the hotel, and then drove by the lakeshore in front of the hotel to get a view of its iconic white columns.

Lake Yellowstone Hotel Deli

Lake Yellowstone Hotel

On the Road Again

Back on the Grand Loop Road, we circled around the lower part of the “figure 8”, and headed north to Old Faithful, pulling into the Lower Geyser Basin just long enough to realize there weren’t going to be any significant eruptions soon. After a brief detour down Firehole Canyon Road to see the falls and the cascades, we turned west and exited the park via the Madison River Valley, headed towards West Yellowstone. If you’re keeping track, we’re still headed in the wrong direction.

Madison River Valley

WEst Yellowstone

Back in West Yellowstone, we filled up with gas, and started our journey to our next realm of adventure: Yellowstone’s “Cascade Corner”. We didn’t have a solid lunch plan, but we quickly found one on the way out of town when I shouted “turn in!” after seeing the sign for Ernie’s Bakery and Deli, which I recognized from one of my travel guidebooks.

Ernie’s has a great to-go lunch special, which gives you a generously portioned sandwich, an apple, a cookie, a bag of chips, and a bottled drink. We each got a bagged lunch, and after a brief wait, we were back on the road again.

Mesa Falls

At this point, you might be wondering to yourself, “Isaac, why is this trip titled ‘Idaho 2025’ if you haven’t even been in the state of Idaho by Day 6?”. Well, here’s your answer: besides the game being in Boise, we wanted to focus some time on the more remote Idaho side of Yellowstone.

Crossing the border into Idaho and driving through the Henry’s Lake area, we were amazed by how much development had occurred since we were last there. We eventually turned onto Mesa Falls Scenic Byway, and headed to see our first waterfall in this area. First, we stopped at Upper Mesa Falls. The river canyon takes an almost 90-degree turn at the base of the falls, making it a very unique drop.

Upper Mesa Falls

A short drive down the road and a couple missed turns later (it is very poorly labeled), we pulled into the Grandview Campground for a view of Lower Mesa Falls down below. I wish there was a better way to see this one up close, but the view from the canyon rim was magnificent.

Lower Mesa Falls

Bechler Region

The Bechler Region of Yellowstone National Park is rarely visited, mostly because it’s a real pain to access. It’s not connected to the Grand Loop Road; in fact, it’s barely connected to any main road. There’s a ~28 mile drive from the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway (which is already remote), and the trailheads are over 50 miles from the latest semi-major town. Oh, and most of that 28 mile drive is down a washboard gravel road – yay for Jeep suspension and off-road mode! We were glad to finally make it to this remote area of the park – it truly feels like we had a Yellowstone experience that most people don’t even know about.

Bechler Region

Picnic Lunch

Near Cave Falls (pictures later on) on the Fall River, there are a couple of picnic tables right by the edge of the lower falls, plus no more than two parking spaces for the floods of crowds who bother to come out this far. We enjoyed our sandwiches, and used my guidebook in combination with the park’s rudimentary trail map sign to plan our hike for the afternoon.

Lunch - Ernie's Bakery and Deli

Ernie's Bakery and Deli

West Yellowstone, MT

A great place to get tasty sandwich to take on your adventures.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Bechler River Trail

Our hike of choice was the Bechler River Trail. The trail will eventually take you all the way to Old Faithful, some 30+ miles away, but we decided we’d go as far as the second major waterfall on the river, Bechler Falls. The trail follows the western side of the Fall River, until the river meets its confluence with the Bechler River. The Bechler River (and its trail) fork northwest, and the Fall River goes northeast. By the way, the rivers are 10x wider than they look in the pictures.

Confluence of the Bechler and Fall Rivers

Bechler River Trail

Continuing upstream, we eventually climbed up a clear fall line – a sign that the next major waterfall was near.

Bechler River Trail

Bechler Falls

On our way back down the trail, some kind of very large bird jumped up out of the brush and made us jump out of our shoes – not once, but twice! The solitude was getting to us, I guess…I even got a high heart rate alert on my Apple Watch. Despite the “fowl intervention”, we arrived back at the trailhead safely. The hike was really quite easy for its length, and if we’d planned better, we could’ve continued at that pace and slope for quite some time.

Cave Falls

Back at the main trailhead and [tiny] parking area, we finally took some proper photos of the most easily accessible feature of this region, Cave Falls. The waterfall is over 250 feet wide, and while the main drop is “only” 20 feet tall, there are nearly a dozen drops in just a short section of river that make the totality of the falls much more impressive. It’s one of the more unique waterfalls I’ve seen out west, and definitely worth the miserable drive to see it.

Teton County, Teton Pass

Leaving the Bechler Region, we drove south through Teton County, ID through Tetonia, Driggs, and Victor. The landscape was much different, with rolling farmland, but we enjoyed the semi-smooth asphalt and the views of the western side of the Tetons in the distance.

Teton County, ID

Eventually, we crossed the Teton Pass back into Idaho, and descended the grinding slope down into Jackson Hole.

Teton Pass

Wildlife Watching

We checked into our rental, a small two-bedroom condo in the small town of Wilson, WY – just west of Jackson, nestled up against the eastern slope of the Teton range. Once we’d settled in, we decided to go out to look for wildlife and catch the sunset, waiting to eat until after dark.

First, we actually drove around the condo’s neighborhood, because I knew the development was known for having moose live nearby. Sure enough, after our first turn, we spotted a cow and calf moose eating in someone’s front yard.

Jackson Hole Moose Watching

We watched them for a while, and actually FaceTimed Mom so she could see them (Faith was occupied and couldn’t answer). We continued to drive around the neighborhood, and spotted a frisky red fox trotting down a gravel driveway.

Red Fox

Leaving our neighborhood, we drove to a few other spots to look for wildlife, but besides some bugling elk, didn’t see much of anything. The best scenery was down Fish Creek Road, which follows Fish Creek, winding behind some marshland right at the very foot of the mountains.

Jackson Hole, WY

Nora's Fish Creek Inn

Soon it was dark, and time to eat. We had a reservation at Nora’s Fish Creek Inn, a cozy local restaurant that we’ve been meaning to try since our first trip to the Tetons. We were famished after a long day of hiking and driving on bumpy roads, so we made the most of it.

For an appetizer, we split their pulled pork poutine (hand-cut fries covered in pork, gravy, cheese, poblano sauce, and caramelized onions). For our main courses, we split: Trout Almandine (Idaho rainbow trout, green beans, corn, brown butter almonds, capers, and scallions), and burrata ravioli (roasted corn cream sauce, spinach, and parmesan). For dessert, we split a cookie skillet (at the recommendation of our server), and their signature huckleberry pound cake (huckleberry pound cake, house-made huckleberry sauce, whipped cream, and huckleberry ice cream).

Nora's Fish Creek Inn

The whole meal was phenomenal from start to finish. The trout was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten; the ravioli was perfectly done; and the huckleberry pound cake was the perfect dessert – tart, sweet but not too sweet, and the perfect combo of hot and cold. We liked the meal so much we decided we’d come back again before we left Jackson Hole.

Nora's Fish Creek Inn

Wilson, WY

An amazing restaurant. Great food, casual, and fun service. We enjoyed the live blues and jazz in the evening.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Wrapping Up

Back at the condo, we were able to relax a little more than usual. This is the first place this trip where we get to stay more than one night, so there was no prep work for the next morning. We headed to bed, ready for another big day in Grand Teton National Park tomorrow.

Video

Here’s a video from today’s adventures.

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “sunrise glow at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstonel”.

The best thing I ate today was… “trout and huckleberry pound cake”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “the confluence of the Bechler River and Fall River”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the poutine and trout”.

Conclusion

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We’ll spend the next couple of days in the Jackson Hole valley – and we hope to be at a little more relaxed pace. Also, get ready for some moose watching!

– Isaac & Jerry

Hayden Valley Sunrise

The post Day 6 – Idaho 2025 // Hayden Valley, Mesa Falls, Bechler Region, Jackson Hole appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Day 4 – Idaho 2025 // Beartooth Highway, Red Lodge, Cody

Isaac Church — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 03:30:58 +0000

Today, we woke up early in Cooke City, went wildlife watching in the Larmar Valley, and then journeyed over the Beartooth Pass towards Red Lodge, MT and eventually down to Cody, WY.

Wildlife Watching

We woke up well before sunrise, threw on some warm clothes, and drove west into the national park to do some early morning wildlife watching. As we passed through Yellowstone’s not-yet-manned NW entrance booth, we saw a very large black bear scurry across the road in the dark. It scared us half to death, but I think it also scared the bear just as badly. We didn’t have much luck seeing any more wildlife in the Lamar Valley (maybe just another black bear or two and the usual elk and bison), but it was a beautiful sunrise and nice to be out in the crisp morning air. After a final stop at Warm Creek Picnic Area, we decided to head back to the ranch for breakfast.

Lamar Valley Sunrise

Warm Creek

We were almost back to Cooke City, in its tiny sister town called Silver Gate, MT, when I spotted a cow moose eating right by the side of the road in some bushes. We turned the car around, headed back, and were able to find her again, despite being well-camoflauged. Parking by the side of the road, we were able to watch her for almost 20 minutes before she disappeared deeper in the woods. I only managed to get one good photo because she was so deep in the brush, but I’m very pleased we got to have such a great view for so long.

Moose - Silver Gate, WY

Breakfast

Back at Skyline Guest Ranch, we settled in for some breakfast. They make breakfast to order for all their guests (granted, there aren’t very many), and today we enjoyed a goblet of fresh fruit, orange slices, homemade coffee cake, and and egg scramble with cheese and ham, plus orange juice, coffee, and milk. All the food was delicious, and we also grabbed some more of the leftover cookies from the day before.

Skyline Guest Ranch

After breakfast, Dad sat on the porch while I took a shower and called home. While he was sitting out there (without his phone of course), another large moose came trotting through the front yard right in front of him! We loaded up the car, said goodbye to the owners, the horses, and the peaceful setting, and hit the road again.

Skyline Guest Ranch

Cooke City, MT

We loved our time staying at the ranch. The hospitality is great, and the food is amazing. They just published a cookbook, and we ordered a copy as soon as it became available.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Beartooth Highway

Starting the traverse east, we continued on US-212, also known as the Beartooth Highway. In 2021, on our first trip to the Yellowstone area, we drove this highway, but returned back west to the park. This time, we decided we’d continue on east and south to Cody, WY, one of the gateway towns we haven’t visited yet.

Waterfalls

First, before the highway reaches its higher elevations, we stopped at a set of waterfalls and did a couple short hikes to get a closer look. First came Crazy Creek Falls, and then Lake Creek Falls.

Crazy Creek Falls

Lake Creek Falls

Yellowstone Overlook

We stopped at the Yellowstone Overlook, which has a view of (you guessed it!) Yellowstone’s eastern boundary in the distance. The sharp peak you can see is often mistaken for “The Bear’s Tooth”, like the name of the highway, but it is actually called Index Peak.

Yellowstone Overlook

Index Peak

Yellowstone Overlook

Clay Butte Lookout

Next, we turned off the main highway and drove up a 2.6 mile one-way road called Clay Butte Lookout Road. This leads to a fire tower the has panoramic views of the Beartooth Butte, Beartooth Lake, and the Beartooth-Absoroka Wilderness. The lake and butte you see in the pictures below is Beartooth Lake, the same lake that we’ll be at the shoreline of soon. It was a long, bumpy drive up to the stop, but since we had a Jeep and plenty of time, I’m glad we tackled it.

Clay Butte Lookout

Beartooth Falls

The next stop, just to the side of the road, is an overlook for Beartooth Falls. The last time we came through here, they were completely redoing the road, and there were long constructions delays that also prevented you from stopping to see the view or the waterfalls. Thankfully, the road project is now complete, and we got to actually enjoy the sights from a very large roadside pullout.

Beartooth Falls Overlook

Beartooth Lake // Island Lakes

As I mentioned before, we pulled down by the shore of Beartooth Lake, which is framed by the reddish-colored Beartooth Butte.

Beartooth Lake

The next road is for Island Lakes Campground, which was mostly closed for the season. The view from the top is very nice, though. After a quick pull-in at the Top of the World Store, we were back on our way to the top of the plateau.

Island Lakes

Beartooth Plateau

At the top of the pass, we stopped at the vista point and some of the surrounding pullouts to take in the spectacular views. We saw pikas scurrying along the ground, and various raptors circling overhead. The alpine lakes were glistening in the fall sunlight. Can you spot the pika in the photos below?

Beartooth Pass Vista

Pika

Beartooth Pass Vista

Just below the pass, there’s a spot were you have a brief view of the actual “Bear’s Tooth”.

Bear's Tooth

Rock Creek Vista Point

At the east side of the pass, before the road drops sharply down a series of switchbacks, there’s one last vista point that overlooks the Rock Creek Valley. Dad and I walked out to the point, and enjoyed the views of the fall colors lining the mountainsides below. It’s easy to see why this mountain pass was barely used for most of its existence…it’s so rugged and remote, there’s not much of any reason early inhabitants/settlers would have ever thought it was worth the risk to cross.

Rock Creek Vista

Piccola Cucina Ox Pasture

Finally at the bottom of the valley, we continued into Red Lodge, MT, where we eagerly hurried to our lunch reservation at Piccola Cucina Ox Pasture. This is a very intentional repeat from our previous trip, as it is the best Italian meal we’ve ever had in the United States.

This time didn’t disappoint either. We got a variety of things to split: bread service with tomato oil, caesar salad, lasagna Bolognese, and cacio e pepe, which they flambéed tableside in a wheel of Pecorino Romano cheese. Everything was phenomenal, and left us exceptionally full and satisfied. The homemade pasta had the perfect al dente chew, and all the ingredients are simply world-class. It’s not at all what you’d expect in a tiny town in Montana, but we’ll keep coming back every time we’re in the area.

Piccola Cucina Ox Pasture

Picola Cucina Ox Pasture

Red Lodge, MT

Simply put, one of the best Italian meals you’ll ever have.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Downtown Red Lodge

After lunch, we desperately needed to walk around to let our food settle, so we browsed around downtown for a while. We unfortunately hadn’t been able to hold dessert at lunch, but we did eventually pick up a small Wilcoxson’s huckleberry ice cream sandwich to split at Montana Candy Emporium, an old-fashioned candy barrel similar to Mast General Store. We also went in Cattail Bakery to pick up a couple of baked goods for future breakfasts and snacks.

Montana Candy Emporium

Wapiti + Pahaska Tepee

We continued south into Wyoming, arriving in Cody and heading to their Walmart to pick up a few more supplies we were lacking, namely laundry detergent. After checking into our Airbnb, we decided to drive part of the way in the east entrance road to Yellowstone (unexplored territory for us) to get the lay of the land before we re-entered the park that way tomorrow. A series of tunnels brings the road alongside the Buffalo Bill Reservoir, with ragged cliffs and gulches on all sides.

Cody, WY

About 20-30 minutes down the road, we came across a small crowd watching something up on the hillside. It turned out to be a huge, blubbery grizzly bear. He was a giant. He was sitting down eating berries or something up on the hillside. I never managed to get a clear view, and as soon as he got into the open, he started lumbering down the hillside towards us, so we all had to scramble for the safety of our vehicles. So, enjoy some blurry pictures of the biggest bear we saw the whole trip.

Grizzly Bear - Pahaska Tepee, WY

Less than a mile up the road, we saw another smaller female grizzly on the opposite side of the road, right on the edge of the North Fork of the Shoshone River. We parked, and from behind the guardrail on the bridge above, watched her swim across the river and eventually disappear into the woods.

Grizzly Bear - North Fork Shoshone River

Bigg Chill + Wind Chill

Back in downtown Cody, we walked the streets for a while, going into various stores, and the famous Irma Hotel. Most restaurants are closed on Sunday, so we struggled to find a place to eat that didn’t have a preposterous wait time. So, we ended up just getting a couple cups of ice cream at Bigg Chill for our “dinner”. We both got white chocolate huckleberry and “Choco Noir”; both were very good.

After dinner, we drove down by the river to the Paul Stock Nature Trail in hopes of getting a quick sunset hike. However, the wind had picked up so much that we couldn’t even hold onto our hats. Plus, it had become cold exceptionally fast, and we were very underdressed for it. So, we snapped a quick picture, and headed back to our Airbnb to do a load of laundry and then head to bed.

Bigg Chill

Paul Stock Nature Trail

Bigg Chill

Cody, WY

Good rotating ice cream flavors. Homemade quality and friendly service.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Wrapping Up

Back at the Airbnb, we reworked our itinerary (due to the museum timetable change), and after making our final time calculations and solidifying a breakfast plan, we headed off to bed.

Video

Here’s a video from today’s adventures.

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “a tie between the moose in Silver Gate and the grizzly crossing the river”.

The best thing I ate today was… “cacio e pepe”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “the moose running across the front yard at Skyline Guest Ranch”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the Italian meal and coffee cake for breakfast”.

Conclusion

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Tomorrow we’ll head back into Yellowstone via the east entrance road, rejoining the Grand Loop Road by Yellowstone Lake and Fishing Bridge.

– Isaac & Jerry

The post Day 4 – Idaho 2025 // Beartooth Highway, Red Lodge, Cody appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Day 3 – Idaho 2025 // Blacktail Plateau, Canyon, Lamar Valley

Isaac Church — Sun, 21 Sep 2025 03:30:21 +0000

Today, we got up and moving over an hour before sunrise. We headed across the river and up the hill to “downtown” Gardiner, where we stopped at Bears Brew, a coffee food truck conveniently open before the crack of dawn. We filled up our mugs, and then headed into the park, still via the old service road because of the 2022 floods.

Grand Loop Road Sunrise

Blacktail Plateau Sunrise

The sunrise was just starting to show some color as we headed east on the Grand Loop Road towards Blacktail Plateau, a one-way gravel loop that climbs the plateau and offers some true solitude. Our plan was to drive to the top and find a spot to watch the sunrise, and then enjoy some leftover pastries for breakfast.

Grand Loop Road Sunrise

Blacktail Plateau

As we climbed, we were greeted by a couple of lone bison, but otherwise had the entire plateau all to ourselves. We didn’t see any other wildlife, but did enjoy one of the most peaceful (and one of the most beautiful) sunrises I’ve ever seen. It was dead quiet, and you couldn’t hear anything but the wind.

Blacktail Plateau

We stopped near the crest of the plateau and enjoyed some pastries for breakfast. Climbing up a sizable hill, we were able to see even more of the surrounding landscape as the sun covered the hills in golden light.

Blacktail Plateau

We continued down the backside of the plateau, stopping once again to split the pimento cheese and bacon scone from Wild Crumb Bakery.

Blacktail Plateau

During our descent, we spotted a black bear digging for food on the hillside, and watched her for a while.

Blacktail Plateau

Black Bear Spotting

Soon, we rejoined the main loop road, and headed back west to see a few more sights we’d never visited on prior trips. We hadn’t been back on the pavement long at all, when we saw another black bear in the middle of the road!

Black Bear near Blacktail Deer Creek

He started coming down the hillside right towards us, forcing us to scurry back to the Jeep to stay a safe distance away. It was a pretty amazing site to see one walk right by our car!

Wraith Falls

After a quick pit stop at the Lava Creek Picnic Area, we decided it was time to go for a short hike to Wraith Falls. The trail is a little less than a mile round trip, and leads to a 79-foot waterfall. It was a nice, easy hike, and definitely worth the quick side trip.

Lava Creek Trail

Wraith Falls

Calcite Springs Overlook

Backtracking east again, we turned at Tower-Roosevelt junction and headed south towards the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. At Calcite Springs Overlook (a repeat from our last trip), we saw yet another black bear by the side of the road, along with some bighorn sheep. While we were stopped, we walked up to the overlook platform to see the springs and the lower end of the Grand Canyon.

Bighorn Sheep at Calcite Springs Overlook

Black Bear at Calcite Springs Overlook

Calcite Springs Overlook

Yellowstone National Park

Dunraven Pass

Climbing up the Dunraven Pass towards Mount Washburn, we stopped to take in the view of the valley below. We could hear a wolf pack howling, but couldn’t see any of them; we only saw some bison in the valley below.

Dunraven Pass

Silver Cord Cascade

Now at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, we decided to do yet another hike we’d never done before, but first we saw a quick view of the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone.

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Near Inspiration Point, we parked along the side of the road at the Glacial Boulder Trailhead and joined the Seven Mile Hole Trail. It is indeed close to a seven mile trail that descends over 1,000′ to the Yellowstone River, but we had no intent of going that far. We simply wanted to go to the overlook for Silver Cord Cascade, a waterfall that leaves the Ribbon Lake area and then cascades down the side of the canyon into the Yellowstone River.

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Silver Cord Cascade - Seven Mile Hole Trail

The overlook for the cascade was about 1.5 miles down the trail, which was “no elevation gain”, but turned out to have quite a lot of up-and-down for a trail that simply followed the rim of the canyon. We actually initially missed the overlook for the cascade, walking right past it since it’s so slender and has low water flow this time of year. Since we had radios, I went up the trail a ways to make sure there wasn’t a more obvious overlook, and then we soon realized our mistake.

Silver Cord Cascade - Seven Mile Hole Trail

By this time, we were tired, thirsty, and hungry, especially after hiking around 4 rather hilly miles. Back at the car, we refilled our waters, and headed straight for Canyon Village to seek out some lunch. We grabbed a burger and a grilled chicken sandwich at the lunch counter, and ate outside on a picnic table.

Lunch at Canyon Village

Lamar Valley

We headed north back across the Dunraven Pass, and turned east at the junction headed towards the Lamar Valley. Out in the valley, we enjoyed the sweeping views of the river winding through the valley, and got to witness several bison rutting by the side of the road.

Construction over the Yellowstone River

Lamar Valley

At the eastern end of the valley near Warm Creek, we saw yet another black bear by the water, and also saw an osprey in its nest. Somewhere in the photo of the mountainside below, there are also some mountain goats that are really difficult to spot.

Osprey

Lamar Valley

Barronette Peak Overlook

Skyline Guest Ranch

Arriving in Cooke City just outside the northwest entrance station, we headed to our lodging for the night, Skyline Guest Ranch. I found this little bed and breakfast online, and thought it looked like an amazing place to stay. They offered guided horseback tours, and operate a fully functioning ranch and snowmobile tour business in this tiny corner of Montana. As we checked in, we were greeted by warm chocolate chip sea salt cookies, and very friendly staff.

Skyline Guest Ranch

We settled into our room in the lodge, FaceTimed home, grabbed another couple cookies (since none of the other guests were eating them), and headed back out.

Cooke City

Back in “downtown” Cooke City, we needed to kill some time before our dinner restaurant of choice opened, so we headed in Yellowstone Trading Post, which has a small wildlife museum in half of the store, and a very nice gift shop in the other half.

Yellowstone Trading Post

Soon it was time for dinner, and we headed into the Beartooth Cafe for a much-needed meal and time off our feet. We split a bison ribeye, Idaho Red Trout, a salad with huckleberry vinaigrette, and a cup of chili. The ribeye was a little disappointing (under-seasoned and a little overcooked), but the trout made up for it.

Beartooth Cafe

Cooke City, MT

This place really gets a star because it’s one of the only truly good restaurants a very long distance in any direction. Also, the trout is incredible.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Lamar Valley - Slough Creek

After dinner, we drove back into the Lamar Valley, where we saw a ton of wildlife, including black and grizzly bears, pronghorn, elk, bison, coyotes, and more. It was an amazing sight. We spent most of our time wildlife watching at Slough Creek, where we saw several bears on the hillside, in the meadows, and drinking out of the river.

Lamar Valley

Bedtime

Once it was finally dark, we drove back to Cooke City to the guest ranch, watched some football in the lobby with a older couple visiting from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and then headed to bed.

Cooke City, MT

Video

Here’s a video from today’s adventures.

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “sunrise on Blacktail Plateau”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the pimento cheese bacon scone and the Idaho Red Trout”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “the bear running down the road towards us”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the sea salt chocolate chip cookie and the trout”.

Conclusion

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Tomorrow, we’ll head further east into the Beartooth-Absaroka Range, and then south to Cody, WY. I’m hoping for some good Italian food along the way.

– Isaac & Jerry

The post Day 3 – Idaho 2025 // Blacktail Plateau, Canyon, Lamar Valley appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Day 2 – Idaho 2025 // Big Sky, West Yellowstone

Isaac Church — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 03:30:10 +0000

Today, we departed Bozeman and took a roundabout route south into Yellowstone National Park.

Coffee

Starting early as promised, we left our hotel around 06:00, and drove over to Treeline Coffee Roasters for some caffeine and a raspberry scone. The coffee was fantastic, and we actually picked up two bags to either brew on this trip or take back home with us. We each ate about a quarter of the scone, saving room for better things to come.

Treeline Coffee Roasters

Bozeman, MT

Quality, well-crafted coffee and a fun place to hang out. The pastries are good, but Wild Crumb next door is the real star.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Pastries

Conveniently, the bakery we’d planned to try was right next door, and opened 30 minutes later than the coffee shop. It’s amazing how well Dad and I can coordinate logistics when baked goods are involved. Wild Crumb Bakery has been on my list since our first trip out to Bozeman, and I’m glad we finally got to visit this round. As you might expect (unless you’re a new-timer to the blog), we got a variety box to go, and had to restrain ourselves from buying one of everything. I’ll go through the specifics later when we get around to actually eating some.

Wild Crumb Bakery

wild Crumb Bakery

Bozeman, MT

This might be the new reigning bakery champion from all the ones we’ve visited. At worst, it’s in our top 3. You absolutely must try their huckleberry and pimento cheese scones (along with almost everything else on the menu).

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Donuts

Next, we drove to Granny’s Gourmet Donuts near Montana State’s Campus. It’s a cash-only establishment that is a favorite with locals and students. It was decorated in a vintage style that reminded me of a Daylight Donuts crossed with an old Pizza Hut or Village Inn (with the glass chandeliers and checkered tablecloths). The staff asked us what we were doing today once we left Bozeman, and I tried to explain the roundabout path we were going to take into Yellowstone, telling them we expected to head to Big Sky and then Gardiner. “But those are the opposite direction!”, they cried. “Yes, that’s how we roll,” we responded.

We got our variety box of donuts (lemon creme, Bavarian cream, glazed cake, glazed yeast, raspberry filled, and a maple log), wrapped up our rather hilarious conversation with the operator, and headed on our way in the wrong direction.

Granny's Gourmet Donuts

At this point, you might be asking yourself, “Isaac/Jerry, why on earth are you buying enough pastries to feed an army?”. Or, you might not be asking that, and you may have just resigned yourself to the fact that we just do things like that sometimes. There is a good answer, though: we are stocking up on breakfast and snacks for several days, because we expect there to be almost no quick breakfast food available in the part of Wyoming we will be in.

Granny's Gourmet Donuts

Bozeman, MT

Good donuts, great atmosphere. We would definitely come back if we’re in the area.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Big Sky

Cutting southwest from Bozeman, we began down US-191 towards Big Sky, MT. We had no great reason for coming this way, other than we’ve never been through here and have heard it’s very pretty. After a quick bathroom break and less than an hour on the road, we rolled into town and once again had a few errands to run before seeing any sights.

Outside Bozeman, MT

First, we stopped at a bear spray vending machine at the Chamber of Commerce and picked up our reserved bear spray canisters (we could return these later at a different location, thanks to the convenient rental network). Then, we popped in Caliber Coffee Roasters to refill our mugs before starting our first outdoor adventure of the trip.

Ousel Falls

Driving to the outskirts of town, we started a hike to Ousel Falls, a 1.7 mile round trip trail that descends into a canyon, follows the river, overlooks a beautiful waterfall and then returns.

Ousel Falls Trail

While this hike had some moderate elevation change both directions, it was a brisk morning, and really perfect weather for a chilly morning hike. We didn’t see many people at all, and both agreed it was worth the effort.

Ousel Falls Trail

Back at the car, we dug into our pastries and donuts…so I guess it’s time for me to give the rundown. We got a huckleberry scone, a pimento cheese bacon scone, a ham and Gruyère croissant, a pistachio plum danish, a coconut macaroon, and a morning bun. If memory serves me right, we ate the huckleberry scone, the pistachio plum danish, and the macaroon at this stop, plus a few donuts. We were famished from the hike, but regardless all the pastries and donuts were incredible…especially the huckleberry scone.

Wild Crumb Bakery

While in the parking lot, we overheard a rather humorous encounter with a lady whose dog refused to “guard the door” while she used the public restroom…and then she publicly shamed the dog for running off and trying to mooch pastries off of us instead.

Earthquake Lake

We continued south towards the west entrance of Yellowstone, but turned west on US-287 towards Hebgen Lake and “Quake Lake”, once again going the opposite direction of the day’s final destination. Several people have recommended to me that we visit Earthquake Lake, the site of a 1959 7.2 magnitude earthquake that killed 28 and formed a brand new lake. The disaster required the US Army Corps of Engineers to intervene to prevent further flooding catastrophe, as the ensuing landslides completely backed up the Madison River.

Gallatin Valley

Earthquake Lake

Unfortunately, the visitor center was closed for the season, even though we checked their website before venturing this far out of the way. We did get a great view of the landslide, the dead trees sticking up out of the lake, and the destroyed homes still visible some six decades later. I’ve included a USDA video below if you’d like to learn more about the disaster.

West Yellowstone

By this time, we’d been on the road a while and were craving some real (non-sweet) food, so we headed back to a Mexican school bus restaurant, Las Palmitas, that we visited on our first trip to Yellowstone in 2021. We split a carnitas quesadilla with some sides, which was just enough to tide us over. After a quick pit stop for gas, we were on our way.

Las Palmitas

Las Palmitas/La Jungla

West Yellowstone, MT

Great, non-fussy Mexican food served from an old school bus…what more could you want?

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Artists' Paintpots

After waiting in the short line at the entrance station, and placing our bets of when we’d see our first bison (spoiler: it wasn’t long) we followed the Madison River until we hit the Grand Loop Road, turning north. We soon stopped at Artists’ Paintpots, mostly to stretch our legs, and because Dad didn’t think he had seen them before (we think Faith and I did the hike on our own).

Bison in the road

Artist Paintpots

View from Artist Paintpots

The trail is a “lollipop” loop that climbs a 100’+ hill, providing a sweeping view of the geyser basin and the surrounding mountains. It was a nice hike, and satisfied any geothermal itch we might have had for Yellowstone.

Sheepeater Cliffs

Continuing north, we pulled into another roadside stop we’d previously missed. Sheepeater Cliffs is a rock formation that runs along the Gardiner River. We walked up the river and saw the columnar basalt, which went back farther than the eye could see. Then, it was back on the road again.

Sheepeater Cliffs

Rustic Falls

We made a quick roadside stop at the Golden Gate to see Rustic Falls.

Rustic Falls

Mammoth Hot Springs

Soon we arrived at Mammoth Hot Springs, which we’ve visited several time before. We intended to skip it, but then saw that a herd of elk was positioned on the terraces of the springs, so we decided to stop and take a quick picture. Since we hadn’t been before, we also dropped in the Mammoth visitor center. As we descended out of the park to Gardiner, we also saw a pronghorn perched on a hilltop by the side of the road.

Elk at Mammoth Hot Springs

Liberty Cap

Pronghorn

Wonderland Cafe

We decided to check into our motel and then eat an early dinner. After a delayed check-in at our lodging, we headed to Wonderland Cafe & Lodge for dinner, and were one of their first customers when they opened their doors for the evening.

Chili

Bison ravioli

We split a bowl of their wild game chili (locally sourced bison and elk, jalepeño cornbread, maple-infused mascarpone, roasted jalepeños, and a dash of powdered sugar), and an order of the bison ravioli (Pappardelle Pasta Company bison-filled ravioli, roasted red & yellow tomatoes, red onion, light cream sauce, and shaved parmesan). Both were outstanding, and they were kind enough to split the portions into multiple plates for us.

Wonderland Cafe & Lodge

Gardiner, MT

A great place to visit, proven by the fact that we’ve probably been 4-5 times in 3 trips to Gardiner. Their breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all delicious. It’s definitely the best restaurant in Gardiner.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Paradise Valley

After dinner, we decided to drive north up the Paradise Valley to enjoy the stunning scenery, and kill time before out next planned activity, which was a bit time-sensitive. We drove north up the East River Road beside the Yellowstone River, crossed back over near Pray, MT, and headed back south down US-89 after stopping to top off the tank.

Paradise Valley

Bear Watching

Ok, before I start this section, let me provide a little disclaimer/explanation. Several years ago, thanks to the insight of some locals and frequent visitors, I learned about a “semi-secret” grizzly bear watching spot outside Yellowstone’s park boundaries that is still on public land. Due to the sensitive nature of the area, and because we wouldn’t want just anyone barging into this spot hoping for a selfie, I won’t be sharing the location…just that it’s outside the park boundaries and we did not break any laws/rules by going there.

That said…we headed to a very off-the-beaten-path spot with the hopes of seeing a grizzly bear or two. I mean, it was the type of road where you thought the wheels might fall off the car before you actually made it. We really didn’t know what to expect, other than that we knew there was a type of root in the ground out there that bears would come dig up around sunset almost every day.

Turns out, “grizzly bear or two” was a major understatement. We saw NINETEEN grizzly bears, most of them all at the same time. It was one of the most incredible sights I’d ever seen. At least 5-7 were cubs, and the rest were adults. The craziest part is that there were also elk and cows, some of them very close to the bears, and none of them seemed to mind (there’s a photo somewhere below with all three animals in frame).

Ok, I’ll stop yapping now and actually post some pictures…

Bears

An elk, a cow, and a grizzly bear

Bears

A Mother Grizzly with Her Three Cubs

While out surrounded by bears, we also saw a gorgeous sunset.

Paradise Valley

Sunset

On our way back to Gardiner, we also saw another handful of bears I wasn’t able to photograph because it was far too dark. We got back to the hotel, showered, and headed to bed, ready for another very early start tomorrow.

Video

Here’s a video from today’s adventures.

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “all the grizzly bears outside Yellowstone”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the huckleberry scone”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “a cow, and elk, and a grizzly standing right next to each other”.

The best thing I ate today was… “bison ravioli and the huckleberry scone”.

Conclusion

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Tomorrow, we will explore the north side of Yellowstone, including the Lamar Valley and the Cooke City-Silver Gate area. If time allows, we might venture down to the Canyon area.

– Isaac & Jerry

Ousel Falls Trail

The post Day 2 – Idaho 2025 // Big Sky, West Yellowstone appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Intro, Day 1 – Idaho 2025 // Travel, Bozeman

Isaac Church — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 03:59:26 +0000

Welcome back — after over a year-long hiatus, we’re back on the road again, headed out west. I’ll give you a little trip background below, and then jump right in with the good stuff.

Background

As you might have guessed, this story, like many great stories, starts with Appalachian State football. A couple years ago, we found out through a conversation with an administrator in the ASU Athletic Department that we’d be playing a two game series with the Boise State Broncos. Naturally, we immediately blocked off the surrounding weeks on our calendars.

Faith’s grandmother lives in Idaho, which added to the trip’s potential. Originally, there was talk of some of Faith’s family, both of my parents, our kids, etc. making the trip together. Or, we would travel our separate ways out there, rendezvousing in southern Idaho a couple days before the game. Unfortunately, this plan fell through due to various circumstances (I’ll spare you the details), and slowly but surely the guest list dwindled.

Eventually, we decided that Dad and I would make the trip out west, meeting up with some of our friends along the way. Mom opted out of this trip, wanting to take a break from traveling. A large chunk of Faith’s family is taking a beach trip while we are gone, so Faith, Walker, and Ivey will be on that trip along with a host of their nieces, nephews, cousins, brothers, sisters, and who knows who else.

Oxbow Bend

Sunset - Lamar Valley

Dad and I are going to revisit a few places, and also see a few completely new destinations. We’re starting in Bozeman, driving through Yellowstone, the Tetons, southern Idaho, northern Nevada, and then flying back out of Utah. We’re excited to be back out west during the fabulous fall season!

Cars, Planes, & Automobiles

Last night, after I got the kids to bed, I headed down the mountain to Granite Falls. Mom volunteered to drop Dad and I off at the airport, so we left Granite around 06:00, arrived at the CLT airport around 07:15, and migrated through the whole airport process. Our flight departed CLT at 09:20, and after 4 hours and 33 minutes in the air, we landed in Montana at the Bozeman airport. We picked up our rental car (a Jeep Grand Cherokee) from Alamo, and headed for downtown Bozeman.

Downtown Bozeman + Food

In downtown, we found a parking space, and began walking down Main Street. First, we made our way to Five on Black, a Brazilian lunch counter known for quick, nutritious bowls and pão de queijo, their Brazilian cheese bread (see my Brazil blog for more info). Unfortunately, this late in the day, they were out of many of their most popular dishes. Even more unfortunately, I forgot to order the cheese bread, and the line was so long we didn’t go back through. Nevertheless, the bowl we ordered to split was excellent. It had tilapia with mango barbecue sauce, coconut roasted sweet potato, brown rice, cilantro, and lime wedges.

Five on Black

Bozeman, MT

Good, quick food – with a selection you don’t find in many places. It’s like local fast-casual Brazilian Chipotle or Cava.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Main Street + Coffee

Back on the street, we perused a few more shops in downtown, including Schnee’s, a toy store, a couple bookshops, the Bozeman Community Food Co-Op, a few leather goods stores, and some cowboy apparel shops.

Schnee's

Bozeman Community Food Co-Op

Schnee's

Soon, we stopped for coffee at Rockford Coffee. I got an Ethiopian pour over, and Dad got a Nicaraguan Americano. Both were good, and a nice pick-me-up after a long flight. They had a nice looking selection of pastries too, but we had our sights set on other sweets.

Rockford Coffee

Dessert

We walked back towards the eastern end of the shopping district and got some ice cream at Sweet Peaks, a Montana-based small chain that we visited during our trip to Montana in 2021. We got four flavors and split them: “Into the Woods”, which is pine-infused ice cream with granola and orange essence; huckleberry; “Wüstner Honey Cinnamon”; and “River Float”, which has Dutch-oven-style cornbread with extra honey and butter and a fruity swirl of forest berry jam. All the flavors were excellent, and we were hard-pressed to pick a favorite – but the “River Float” was truly unique and exceptional. Dad said it was probably the best ice cream he’d ever had.

Sweet Peaks Ice Cream

Downtown Bozeman

Sweet Peaks Ice Cream

Bozeman, MT

Amazing traditional and creative flavors, fresh ingredients, and friendly service. Everything you’d ever want in an ice cream shop!

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Murdoch's Home & Ranch Supply

We left downtown and decided to kill some time and run some errands before it was time to check into our lodging for the evening. First, we went to Murdoch’s Home & Ranch Supply, a western chain we’d heard about but never visited. It’s kind of like a Tractor Supply or Rural King on steroids, but with a large clothing and housewares section, and really a good bit of anything and everything you’d ever need or want. It was a fascinating place to walk around, and we managed to kill over an hour wandering the aisles.

Murdoch's Home & Ranch Supply

After Murdoch’s, we headed down the road to Walmart and Safeway to pick up some supplies. We got all the essentials you need for a western trip: snacks, a disposable cooler, water, and cleaning wipes…but forgot laundry detergent.

Sapphire Motel

By now it was finally time to check into our lodging, the Sapphire Motel just north of downtown. This is an old motor lodge that has been nicely renovated with a retro theme. We checked into our hotel, FaceTimed the family back home, resituated our luggage, and relaxed for a while.

Sapphire Motel

Montana Ale Works

We had a dinner reservation at Montana Ale Works for later in the evening, but I decided to call over and see if they had any super-early openings so we could eat and head to bed early. Sure enough, they did, so we headed on over to the restaurant for dinner. Montana Ale Works is situated in a historic Northern Pacific freight building, and is a beautiful, rustic restaurant that has the honor of being Bozeman’s most decorated establishment.

Montana Ale Works

We started with an appetizer of bison potstickers with mango-garlic chili sauce, and then split two entrees: the “Montana Meatloaf” with local bacon-wrapped pork, beef & Idaho Kootenai bison, mashers, and caramelized onion gravy; and the “Monarch Elk Burger” with North American elk, melted Gruyère, tomato jam, arugula, and truffled porcini aioli.

Montana Ale Works

Everything was phenomenal, down to the veggies that came with the meatloaf. We loved the meal, and saw many other things on the menu we’d love to try one day.

Montana Ale Works

Bozeman, MT

Amazing atmosphere, finely crafted menu items, and great service. This is one of our favorites we’ve visited for western food.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Sightseeing + Ice Cream

After dinner, we drove through Montana State University’s campus to see the sights (they have a duck pond similar to App’s!), and then stopped at Genuine Ice Cream Co. to split a couple of small cups. Genuine was once in downtown, and we visited their old location on a previous trip to Bozeman. For the day’s second round of ice cream, we once again got four flavors to split: huckleberry, salted caramel cookie dough, chocolate orange, and honey cornbread. All were fantastic, but perhaps a small step below Sweet Peaks from earlier. Although, we both agreed Genuine’s huckleberry might’ve been slightly better.

Montana State University

Genuine Ice Cream Co.

Bozeman, MT Mural

Genuine Ice Cream Co.

Bozeman, MT

Very good, very creamy ice cream. Great flavor selection. If Sweet Peaks wasn’t right down the road, this would probably be a 3-star establishment.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Early To Bed, Early To Rise

We headed back to the Sapphire, and settled in for the night, ready to get an early start in the morning. We’ve committed to stay mostly on eastern time, so you’ll see a lot of early nights and early mornings from us on this trip (we hope).

Sapphire Motel

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “Murdoch’s Home & Ranch Supply”.

The best thing I ate today was… “a tie between Sweet Peaks Ice Cream and the meatloaf”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “Murdoch’s Home & Ranch Supply”.

The best thing I ate today was… “bison potsticker and cornbread ice cream”.

Conclusion

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Tomorrow we’ll be driving south into Yellowstone, but we’ll be taking a new [to us] route into the park. It’ll be a roundabout way—shocker—to get to our final destination, but I’m hoping we’ll see some great scenery along the way.

– Isaac & Jerry

The post Intro, Day 1 – Idaho 2025 // Travel, Bozeman appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Day 14 – Church Trip 2023 // Bozeman, Travel Home

Isaac Church — Sun, 01 Oct 2023 02:00:00 +0000

It’s finally time to head home. At last, after two weeks on the road, we’re driving to the airport in Bozeman, MT to fly back to North Carolina.

This morning, we woke up long before sunrise, packed up all our belongings at our cabins in Mammoth, and started the drive north towards Bozeman, bidding farewell to Yellowstone. It was another cold, frosty morning, so at least we didn’t get too hot while loading the car. We were treated by hearing one last round of elk bugles as we put our bags in the car.

Mammoth Cabins

Gardiner, MT

One More Moose

I didn’t really plan for much excitement on our drive north. In fact, I’d already packed up all my camera gear and hiking equipment, including most of my warm clothes, as I figured I wouldn’t need any of those things on the flights home. As we drove north on US-89 through Emigrant, MT, I spotted a large animal grazing in the marshes right off the side of the road. It was another bull moose!

Moose

Moose - Emigrant, MT

After watching him for a while, I decided to quickly unpack my camera gear, which was thoroughly buried in my carry-on, wrapped up in clothes for padding. If I didn’t, I knew I would regret it later. The moose ate his breakfast for a while, and after taking some photos, we decided to move on so we wouldn’t be late for our flight.

Moose - Emigrant, MT

We ran into a local photographer who had been following that particular moose for a while. He had been there about 30 minutes before us, and said there were two moose then – the bull and a cow. He showed us a great shot he’d taken of then two of them frolicking in the water.

Moose - Photo by Yellowstone Wild

Driving

The drive north through the Paradise Valley was gorgeous. With the Absoroka Range to the east, the Gallatin Rangeto the west, and the Yellowstone River in the valley, it’s about as picturesque of a drive as one could imagine. The sun reflected on the mountaintops, and sent rays shining through the cloud cover. I wish I’d been able to capture the beauty of the drive, but it was difficult from the back of a moving car.

Paradise Valley

Livingston Community Bakery

Soon, we arrived in Livingston, MT, a small town that was originally a hub for the Northern Pacific Railway. It has a classic western downtown, and is quite larger than I expected. The town has seen some revitalization recently, and has lots of interesting dining and shopping options. I’d love to visit again sometime.

We stopped at Livingston Community Bakery to get some pastries for breakfast. Between all of us, we got a couple of donuts (sugar and maple), an orange cinnamon roll, a chocolate croissant, and a ham and cheese croissant. All were very good, but we didn’t have much time to enjoy them because we were in a hurry to get to the airport.

Livingston Community Bakery

Livingston, MT

A small bakery with a surprising selection of baked goods. Worth a visit!

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Ghost Town Coffee Roasters

Now on I-90, we drove east through the Bozeman Pass towards Bozeman, MT. This was another gorgoeus stretch of road that I wasn’t able to document well. We stopped at Ghost Town Coffee Roasters for one final caffeine boost before we got on our flight. I was very impressed with the coffee shop – and once again I wish we could’ve spent more time here.

Ghost Town Coffee Roasters

Bozeman, MT

A quality coffee shop with well-curated menu items.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport

We arrived at the airport, where Dad dropped everyone and all the luggage off at the front door, and then returned the rental car while I wrangled everyone and everything else inside. The BZN airport was very crowded, but we managed to get through security on time. I still maintain that it’s one of the nicest airports I’ve ever been in.

Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport

I would’ve loved to have spent some time in downtown Bozeman, but American had changed our flight’s departure from ~14:00 to ~10:30, so we had to forego revisiting. After a short, but smooth flight, we landed at DFW for a layover before our final leg home.

Lunch // DFW

At the Dallas-Fort Worth airport, we roamed the halls in search of some brisket, but there was a disappointing absence, especially for a major Texas airport. We wound up getting some burgers, fries, and milkshakes from Shake Shack in lieu of barbecue – a tasty substitute, although not very healthy. This was my first time in the Dallas airport; I thought it was fairly easy to navigate, but it seemed in need of renovation in spots.

Sunset at DFW

Home

After about a 3 hour layover, we boarded our flight back to CLT. App was playing football at UL Monroe this evening; the game kicked off just as our flight took off, so I reluctantly paid for in-flight WiFi so I could stream the radio broadcast. We landed in CLT fairly late, rounded up our luggage, took the shuttle to get our car, and started the drive back to Granite Falls. We got settled in the car just in time to hear App kick a game-winning field goal to beat the Warhawks as time expired.

Flying into CLT

Video

Here’s a brief video from today.

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “the bull moose”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the ham and cheese croissant”.

Faith

The best thing I saw today was… “the bull moose”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the chocolate croissant and the burger from Shake Shack”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “the bull moose”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the orange cinnamon roll”.

Amy

The best thing I saw today was… “the bull moose”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the burger from Shake Shack”.

Final Thoughts

I thought we’d each share our final impressions from the trip.

Most Surprising

Isaac – “seeing the last moose on the way to the airport; Rocky Mountain exceeded my expectations; Mount Blue Sky; how different the road from Tower-Roosevelt to Canyon was from the rest of Yellowstone”

Faith – “the number of moose we saw over the whole trip”

Jerry – “How good the coffee was at Vail Coffee Roasters (our third choice for the day), seeing all the elk outside the buildings in Mammoth”

Amy – “I ordered my first cup of coffee ever!”

Most Disappointing/Underwhelming

Isaac – “The days we couldn’t find food. Overall, this was not a good food trip, but not being able to find anywhere to eat in some places was shocking.”

Faith – “Not being able to get all the way to the waterfalls at McCullogh Gulch. Our meal at Old Faithful Inn was not nearly as good as you’d think it would be.”

Jerry – “The buffet at Old Faithful Inn was terrible.”

Amy – “I hope I never have to use another pit toilet as long as I live. My worst memory is getting altitude sick.”

Things Worth Doing a Second Time

Isaac – Mount Blue Sky

Faith – Blacktail Plateau Drive, Mount Blue Sky

Jerry – “Summit Lakes and Chicago Lakes are worth going back to.”

Amy – “I’d love to go back to Rocky Mountain National Park. Everything about it was beautiful.”

Things To Do Differently

Isaac – “Overall, I would definitely do Mount Blue Sky over Pike’s Peak. I’d also spend more time in the Snowy Range. I wish we’d picked out more hikes to do in advance.”

Faith – “Plan hiking times better with Walker’s schedule, and pack less stuff.”

Jerry – “Don’t sleep in a full sized bed.”

Amy – “Not eat at the BBQ food truck in Silver Gate.”

Rocky Mountain National Park Favorites

Isaac – sunrise at Sprague Lake, hiking

Faith – Moose in Grand Lake, sunrise at Sprague Lake,

Jerry – seeing the moose cross the road in front of us near Grand Lake

Amy – the elk crossing at night, and hearing the elk bugle

Grand Teton National Park Favorites

Isaac – hiking to Hidden Falls, String Lake

Faith – kayaking on Jenny Lake

Jerry – Jenny Lake Boat Tour, watching Walker while Faith and Isaac hiked

Amy – Jenny Lake Boat Tour, picnic dinner, watching Walker while Faith and Isaac hiked

Yellowstone National Park Favorites

Isaac – “My favorites were the frosty morning in the Hayden Valley, sunset in the Lamar Valley and at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, seeing wolves twice, and Undine Falls.”

Faith – Blacktail Plateau Drive

Jerry – “My favorites were the bison stampede in the Lamar Valley and Blacktail Plateau Drive.”

Amy – “As we drove through the Lamar Valley on the final evening, it was like seeing Yellowstone going down for the winter. There was snow the following week. I loved hearing the live music in the Old Faithful Inn lobby. I’ll never forget the bison galloping towards us in the Lamar Valley, and having to run back to the car as I heard them coming behind me.

Best Food

Faith – “All the good coffee we had, wild game chili at Wonderland Cafe, sorbet at Josh and John’s”

Isaac – [in no particular order] – Bindle Coffee, wild game chili at Wonderland Cafe, Persephone Bakery, Josh & John’s ice cream and ice cream in Breckenridge, breakfast bagel from Yellowstone Perk

Jerry – “Pastries from Bindle Coffee, especially the plum-vanilla thing. Dutch Bros was much better than I expected. Breakfast at Persephone was very good. Josh & John’s ice cream was some of the best I’ve ever had.”

Amy – “the beef stroganoff at Rock Inn Mountain Tavern, coffee from Vail coffee, and maple nut ice cream from Breckenridge”

Best Lodging

Faith – “staying in the cabins in Mammoth”

Isaac – the cabin in Island Park, and townhome by the river in Estes Park

Jerry – “the place by the Big Thompson River in Estes Park”

Amy – “I liked the townhome in Estes Park, but my absolute favorite was the cabin in Mammoth. I loved that.”

Conclusion

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Stay tuned for a few more trips coming very soon! Thanks for following along with our travels.

– Isaac & Co.

The post Day 14 – Church Trip 2023 // Bozeman, Travel Home appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Day 13 – Church Trip 2023 // Yellowstone National Park

Isaac Church — Sat, 30 Sep 2023 02:00:00 +0000

Today was our last full day in Yellowstone National Park, and the last full day of our trip out west. It’ll be bittersweet to head home; it’s been a great trip, but we are all very tired.

Breakfast

Early this morning, we woke up in Canyon Village, scraped the frost off our windshield, and drove back to the Canyon Eatery to get some breakfast from the cafeteria. It was pretty typical for a cafeteria breakfast, reminiscent of a camp meal you might’ve had sometime in years past. While not amazing by any means, it was satisfying, and most importantly, convenient.

Breakfast - Canyon Eatery

Hayden Valley

Leaving Canyon Village, we decided we’d try to drive south back to Mud Volcano, where there was an elk carcass across the river – hoping we might spot a bear. As we passed through the Hayden Valley, we were greeted by a stunning sunrise over the frosted landscape.

Sunrise - Hayden Valley

Unfortunately, when we arrived at Mud Volcano, it was so foggy you could barely see you hand in front of your face, let alone across the river. There was a huge crowd waiting, hoping that the fog would lift. Someone mentioned a grizzly had shown up for about 5 minutes the night before, but then disappeared back into the woods.

Bison at Mud Volcano

Mud Volcano

Thinking the fog might break after 30 minutes or so, we opted to kill some time by continuing our drive south, stopping at LeHardy Rapids. The geothermal-heated water offers a refuge for birds to warm themselves in the river. Many waterfowl gather here; this morning it was primarily Canadian Geese.

LeHardy Rapids

Leaving the rapids, we turned around and headed back north, but the fog was still thick at Mud Volcano, so we decided to move on. We continued north into the heart of the Hayden Valley, stopping to enjoy the landscape adorned by the waning fog and morning light.

Hayden Valley

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Backtracking to the day’s starting point, we drove back to the Canyon area. We briefly stopped at Artist Point on the South Rim Drive. The canyon was just as spectacular in the morning light as it was at sunset last night.

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Mount Washburn

Continuing north on the Grand Loop Road, we drove the Chittenden Road up Mount Washburn. We’d thought about hiking to the top from the parking area, but it was so windy and cold, we decided it was best to skip it. It was so windy that I could barely stand to be outside of the car to take pictures. The views from the end of the road were magnificent; it was an exceptionally clear day, probably because of the high winds.

Mount Washburn

Dunraven Pass

Mount Washburn

On the other side of Mount Washburn and the Dunraven Pass, we noticed another small crowd looking through spotting scopes. We stopped, and saw they were observing the same wolf pack down in the Antelope Valley. This time, the wolves appeared to be napping in the meadows down below. If you look closely at the pictures, you can see their silhouettes in the grass, far in the valley below.

Dunraven Pass

Wolf pack

Calcite Springs Overlook

Next, we stopped at Calcite Spring Overlook again, because Mom and Dad didn’t get out of the car last time, and Faith and I told them they should definitely go see the view. I meandered down to the lower levels of the overlook to get a slightly different view.

Calcite Springs Overlook

Gardiner

We turned west at Tower Junction, and drove to Gardiner, MT to seek lunch. As we drove into town, we noticed a large elk herd at the Roosevelt Arch, so we stopped to take some pictures of them and drive through the arch one more time.

Elk at the Roosevelt Arch

Lunch

For lunch, we headed to Wonderland Cafe, the source of yesterday’s scones. We’d hoped to eat here for dinner, but realized it wouldn’t work out with our schedule if we wanted to see a final sunset in the park.

To start, Faith got a Caesar salad, Mom got an organic salad with honey-lime cilantro dressing, and I got a bowl of the wild game chili (bison, elk, jalapeño corn bread, maple infused mascarpone, roasted jalapeños, and a dash of powdered sugar). The chili was exceptionally good – maybe the best I’ve ever had, but was quite spicy. My lips were bright red after eating it! Faith and Mom both loved their salads. It was great to have a solid meal after last night’s food fiasco.

Wonderland Cafe

For the main course, we all got burgers. Mom, Faith, and I got “Montana Burgers”, with white cheddar, local bacon, a fried onion ring, and huckleberry barbecue sauce. Dad got a “Wonderland Burger”, with white cheddar, basil aioli, lettuce, tomato, and onion. All were very good.

Wonderland Cafe

We all got some coffees to go from Wonderland. Overall, the meal was excellent, and I would definitely go back.

Wonderland Cafe & Lodge

Gardiner, MT

Excellent restaurant, bakery, and coffee bar with a simple menu. Be sure to try to wild game chili!

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Mammoth Hot Springs

After lunch, we drove up to Mammoth Hot Springs, and drove through the scenic loop around the Upper Terrace. Faith and I took Walker and walked down the boardwalks towards the Mammoth General Store, where we caught up with Mom and Dad.

Mammoth Hot Springs

Angel Terrace

Mammoth Hot Springs

At the bottom of the lower terraces, we saw a large bull elk lounging by the Liberty Cap. See if you can spot him in the photos below.

Elk at Liberty Cap

Mammoth

Down at Mammoth, we got somewhat trapped by an elk herd on the lawn of a house right next to the general store and restrooms. The bull had begun to move his herd to new pasture, which, we learned, was quite the process. He’ll roam around and rally the cows, who will in turn rally the calves, and the whole herd will move on to their next destination. Many of the cows are stubborn and don’t want to go, so it takes a while. The bull will begin by bugling to alert the herd, but if verbal cues don’t work, he’ll begin prodding the stubborn ones until they get up and start moving.

Elk - Mammoth

Mammoth

Elk - Mammoth

Traffic is often held up by elk and bison herds, and there are rangers specifically assigned to the elk herds in Mammoth this time of year, when the elk are close to their rut, and are thus more aggressive than normal. There were three rangers with bullhorns and radios managing the crowd around this particular herd. One of the rangers told us there are almost 400 vehicle/large animal incidents in Yellowstone annually, and that people frequently wind up with antler holes in their vehicles because the elk feel threatened by them.

We tried to check into our cabin at Mammoth, but it wasn’t ready yet because of a shortage in cleaning staff. So, we had to kill some more time and come back later.

Blacktail Plateau Drive

Since we enjoyed the drive so much yesterday, we decided to go back to Blacktail Plateau. Once again, it was a gorgeous drive – the bright yellow aspens dotted the landscape, illuminated by the afternoon sun.

Blacktail Plateau Drive

After completing the loop drive, we headed back to Gardiner.

Ice Cream

Back in Gardiner, we went back to Yellowstone Perk to get some Wilcoxson’s ice cream. Faith got a mixed berry smoothie; I got strawberry cheesecake and “Chocolate Runs Through It”; Mom and Dad both got maple nut.

Ice cream - Yellowstone Perk

Mammoth Cabins

We’d booked a couple of efficiency cabins at Mammoth Hotel. All guests check in at the main hotel building, which boasts a beautiful lobby. The hotel is also famous for its Map Room, which showcases a 17ft map of the United States. Constructed with the hotel in 1936, it is made from 15 different woods from 9 countries around the world.

Map Room - Mammoth Hotel

After getting the keys to adjacent cabins, we unloaded our luggage, rested for a while, and prepared to head back out. The cabins are basic, but comfortable and cozy. Most importantly, they are convenient to many locations on the north end of the park.

Mammoth Cabins

Lamar Valley Sunset

For our final evening in Yellowstone, we decided to go out to the Lamar Valley to see the sunset.

Sunset - Lamar Valley

We eventually drove down Slough Creek Campground Road, a dirt road that leads to a trailhead closer to the mountain to the north. It was a gorgeous spot to watch a sunset, and a memorable end to our journeys in Yellowstone. We didn’t see much wildlife other than some bison, but it was a worthwhile journey nonetheless.

Sunset - Lamar Valley

Back at the cabins, we spent the rest of the evening sorting through our belongings and packing up our luggage. The cabins had much nicer beds than Canyon Lodge, but the insulation was very lacking. Faith and I froze all night long, and poor Walker didn’t sleep very well because it was so cold. I guess that’s why they close them down for the winter. Even so, I would stay there again – they are a great value for lodging in/near Yellowstone. I would just make better use of the radiator next time.

Video

Here’s a video from today’s adventures.

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “sunrise in the Hayden Valley and sunset in the Lamar Valley”.

The best thing I ate today was… “wild game chili at Wonderland Cafe”.

Faith

The best thing I saw today was… “the elk in Mammoth”.

The best thing I ate today was… “wild game chili at Wonderland Cafe”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “elk herd crossing in Mammoth and Calcite Springs Overlook”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the elk burger”.

Amy

The best thing I saw today was… “Calcite Springs Overlook”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the salad at Wonderland with honey lime cilantro dressing”.

Conclusion

Thanks for reading! Click here to subscribe to email notifications.

Tomorrow will be our final day out west. We’ll drive to the airport in the morning and spend most of the day traveling, but we hope to see a few sights along the way.

– Isaac & Co.

Sunrise - Hayden Valley

Hayden Valley

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Mammoth Hot Springs

Sunset - Lamar Valley

The post Day 13 – Church Trip 2023 // Yellowstone National Park appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Day 12 – Church Trip 2023 // Yellowstone National Park

Isaac Church — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 02:00:00 +0000

Today was our final day staying in Island Park. We spent the day exploring Yellowstone National Park.

Henry's Lake

It was a beautiful morning in Island Park. We left our cabin in the Bootjack neighborhood (“neighborhood” might be a bit of a stretch) and exited the gate at the Henrys Fork River, a tributary of the Snake River.

Henrys Fork

The sunrise over the river was spectacular – one of the best we’d seen on this trip.

Gardiner

From Island Park, we drove east and then north on the Grand Loop Road/US-89, and went straight to Gardiner, MT, the northwest gateway to the park. In 2022, a 500-year flood ravaged this area of the park, as well as the communities of Gardiner and Cook City-Silver Gate, MT. The damage was still very apparent, and probably will be for decades to come. Click here to read a NPS article about the flood.

To get from Mammoth to Gardiner, you must now drive an old service road that has been repaved. It’s quite long and winding compared to the old road, but it’s impressive that the National Park Service was able to get a corridor reopened so quickly. During our descent to Gardiner, we saw a sizable herd of elk, led by a large bull.

Elk

Our first stop for breakfast in Gardiner didn’t work out, so we stopped at Wonderland Cafe and Lodge to get some scones for later, and then landed at Yellowstone Perk, a local shop that had changed owners since our last visit. It turned out to be a great breakfast stop – we all got bagel sandwiches that were absolutely delicious. You had a choice of bacon or sausage, and it came with egg, cheese, and a chipotle mayo – Mom and Dad left off the mayo, and they really missed out!

Scones - Wonderland Cafe and Lodge

Breakfast sandwich - Yellowstone Perk

Yellowstone Perk

Gardiner, MT

A tasty stop for breakfast sandwiches and ice cream.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

After finishing our breakfast sandwiches, we drove up the street to Bears Brew, a local coffee food truck, to grab some significant caffeination for the day. We drove through the Roosevelt arch, dodging elk along the way.

Bears Brew

Yellowstone National Park Sign - Gardiner, MT

Yellowstone National Park - Gardiner, MT

Roosevelt Arch

Undine Falls

From Gardiner, we headed east on the Grand Loop Road, stopping at Undine Falls. Lava Creek drops 60′ over three tiers. I felt like this is a very underrated Yellowstone waterfall – especially for being right by the side of the road.

Undine Falls

Blacktail Plateau Drive

Continuing east on the Grand Loop Road, we turned off onto Blacktail Plateau Drive, a suggestion given by the GPS audio guide we use for most of our National Parks adventures. The six mile, one-way, dirt road winds up on top of Blacktail Plateau, giving stunning views of the fall colors, surrounding mountain ranges, and occasional wildlife. We only managed to see one bison on our visit, but the foliage alone was worth the side trip.

Blacktail Plateau Drive

Bison - Blacktail Plateau Drive - Yellowstone National Park

Blacktail Plateau Drive

We all said this was one of our favorite drives we’d done in Yellowstone, especially in the fall.

Lamar Valley

Back on the main road, we continue east past Tower Junction, and entered the Lamar Valley. Herds of bison dot the hillsides here; some get more up-close-and-personal with your car.

We stopped by the Lamar River Bridge, and soon were rewarded with a variety of wildlife spotting. First, I spotted a coyote on the other side of the bridge – wandering down to get a drink from the river.

Coyote

Thinking we might spot something else, we waiting a while longer, enjoying the scenery as we looked for movement around us.

Lamar Valley

After a short wait, a herd of bison started roaming down the road, attracting a large crowd of onlookers, some of who didn’t have any choice because the animals were holding up traffic. They came trotting across the bridge, and then broke out into a full gallop. The bison headed almost straight at us, and then veered off and over a hill on the other side of the road. We scrambled as fast as we could (which was not very fast, admittedly) back to the car, and got in just in time before they passed by.

Bison

Attempted Lunch

We drove farther east on the NE Entrance Road, and after exiting the park, we entered the sibling towns of Cooke City and Silver Gate (not in that order) with the expectation of finding some lunch. The last time we visited, en route to the Beartooth Highway, Cooke City had a decent selection of restaurants. I wasn’t sure how the flood had affected their food service industry, but online indicators showed that plenty of places were open.

This visit led to two great disappointments. First, I’d read that the Beartooth Highway was already closed for the season, so I hadn’t dedicated a day to driving it. Turns out, it was open after all. Second, pretty much all of the restaurants in Cooke City had closed for the season just the week before. The one restaurant that was open had literally run out of food because they were so busy.

So, that left us very disappointed and very hungry. We calculated our options, and drove back to Silver Gate to stop at a roadside barbecue truck we’d seen on the drive into town. They were also sold out of two-thirds of the menu items, so we just ordered some very expensive (and small) sandwiches and plates. At the recommendation of the cook, we drove about 25 yards to the city park to eat our meal. There was a primitive store selling coffee and ice cream across the road, but upon further investigation I realized it was $10 for coffee and $15 for ice cream, so we quickly moved on.

Silver Gate BBQ

Museum

After finishing our lunch, we dropped a couple postcards off at Cooke City’s post office, and stopped at the Cooke City Montana Museum to view their small but interesting section of exhibits. The museum covered the history of the towns and had many artifacts from life in the old west.

Cooke City Montana Museum

Traffic Delay

Coming back through the Lamar Valley, we were significantly delayed by the construction to repair some of the road damage caused by the flood. After sitting stagnant in two stages for well over an hour and a half, we finally made it back to the Lamar Valley, and headed back towards Tower Junction.

Remember that giant coffee Faith ordered this morning? Apparently she either forgot to order decaf, or [more likely] they forgot to give her decaf, so Walker was wired and had not slept well all day. It was rough going the rest of the afternoon and evening.

Republic Mountain

We now had a decision to make: how should we allot our time for the remainder of the day? After our sad lunch, we’d planned to go back to Gardiner for a meal, but that was now out of the question because of traffic delays. We decided to see as much as we could, and worry about food after dark.

Calcite Springs Overlook

At Tower Junction, we turned South back onto the Grand Loop Road, and started on a section of the road we’d never been on. The road between Tower and Canyon was closed the last time we visited, so we were excited to see the sights on this “new” stretch.

First, we stopped at Calcite Springs Overlook, which sits above the Yellowstone River. Calcite Springs marks the downstream end of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. The hydrothermal features in this part of the canyon occasionally cause liquid sulphur and oil to bubble up from underground, leaving black spots on the otherwise yellow canyon.

Calcite Springs Overlook

Calcite Springs

Calcite Springs Overlook

Calcite Springs

Tower Fall

Behind the Tower General Store (which was closed for the season), there’s a 100 yard walking path that leads to a magnificent view of Tower Fall. It’s the second most popular waterfall in the park (behind the Lower Falls in the Canyon), and drops 132 feet. The falls are surrounded by unusual columns, from which it derives its name. The falls were one of the original marketed features of Yellowstone to both legislators (for conservation) and tourists (to entice them to visit).

Tower Fall

Dunraven Pass

The road climbed higher, approaching Mount Washburn, giving us even more spectacular views of the surrounding mountains.

Dunraven Pass

At Dunraven Pass, just below Mount Washburn, we noticed a crowd of people gathering around some spotting scopes by the side of the road. Down in Antelope Valley, there was a pack of wolves roaming around, playfully preparing for the night’s hunt. I was able to get a few fuzzy pictures with my telephoto lens, but the waning light made photography difficult. It was amazing to see the wolves in person – they are one of the rarer animals to spot in Yellowstone.

Wolves - Antelope Valley

Washburn Hot Springs Overlook

We made a quick stop at Washburn Hot Springs Overlook to see a view of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone from a distance.

Washburn Hot Springs Overlook

Lookout Point

We drove onto North Rim Drive, and parked at Lookout Point, which overlook the “Lower Falls of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River”, if you want to get really technical with names. We got there just in time to witness a picturesque sunset over the falls and the canyon.

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Lower Falls

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Lower Falls

Attempted Dinner

Extremely hungry and tired, we pulled into Canyon Village with hopes of finding some food at one of the area’s relatively plentiful selection of eateries. Unfortunately, our fortunes didn’t get any more fortunate. All of the counters were closed, except for one, and the line was at least 100 people long. They had a sign that more or less said they stopped serving in 15 minutes, and if you hadn’t made it through the line, you were out of luck.

Desperate to get some food and get to bed, we scoured the grab-and-go counters for anything that looked filling or appetizing. Mom, Dad, and I each wound up with some cereal and a carton of 2% milk, and Faith got some dry cereal and the last hummus and pretzel container. On the plus side, Faith’s cereal came with a free milk, so using an empty cereal container, we dipped our scones (maple walnut, huckleberry, and strawberry orange) into the milk.

Cereal - Canyon Eatery

Scones

Life lesson: be grateful for the food you have, even if your milk is 2% and your scones are slightly stale from sitting in the car all day. Also on the upside: I got Faith a new hat in the gift shop, which looked like it had more staff than the eatery.

Lodging

It was a short drive from Canyon Eatery over to the lodges. When you book lodging through Yellowstone, you have a reservation for “Canyon Lodge”, but there are in fact seven lodges scattered around. All guests check in at the Washburn Lodge in one slow, grueling line, surrounded by out-of-control children and guests spouting off their daily wildlife sightings like some kind of fisherman’s exaggeration.

We stayed at the Chittenden Lodge, just around the corner from the Washburn. The rooms were nice, but exceptionally tiny (especially the bathrooms). It was next to impossible to find parking, but Dad and I finally managed to secure a space. We had to dodge several bison pies in the parking lot on our way back inside.

Chittenden Lodge - Canyon Village

Video

Here’s a video from today’s adventures.

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “wolves in the Antelope Valley and the sunrise view at Henrys Fork Bridge”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the breakfast bagel sandwich”.

Faith

The best thing I saw today was… “the bison running over the bridge, and Blacktail Plateau Drive”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the breakfast bagel sandwich”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “bison coming over the bridge”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the breakfast bagel sandwich”.

Amy

The best thing I saw today was… “bison coming over the bridge”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the breakfast bagel sandwich”.

Conclusion

Thanks for reading! Click here to subscribe to email notifications.

Tomorrow will be our last full day in Yellowstone, and the last full day of this trip. We’ll continue exploring the road between Tower and Canyon, and maybe see a few other sights along the way.

– Isaac & Co.

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Lower Falls

Henrys Fork

Lower Falls

The post Day 12 – Church Trip 2023 // Yellowstone National Park appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Day 11 – Church Trip 2023 // Yellowstone National Park

Isaac Church — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 02:00:00 +0000

Today, we traveled around Yellowstone National Park. Our goal was to see things we missed during our last trip, and to repeat some of the highlights.

Breakfast

We left our cabin near Henry’s Lake in Idaho, and traveled east to West Yellowstone to find some breakfast. We stopped at Go-Go Espresso, a small drive-through-only shack that sold coffee and some basic breakfast items. We all got coffees, plus some bagels and muffins. The coffees were good, but not very hot.

Bagel - Go-Go Espresso

Yellowstone National Park

Since this is our first full day here, here are some facts about Yellowstone National Park.

By the numbers:

2,221,766 acres // 3,472 sq mi (larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined)
10mi north of Grand Teton National Park, connected by the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway
Named after the “Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone”
From 1886 to 1916, the US Army oversaw management of the park
1,000+mi of hiking trails
Lowest elevation: 5,282′ (Reese Creek)
Highest elevation: 11,358′ (Eagle Peak)
Average elevation: 7,733′
96% in WY, 3% in MT, 1% in Idaho
5% water, 15% grassland, 80% forests
Yellowstone Lake is 131.7 sq mi, with 141 mi of shoreline
1,000-3,000 earthquakes annually
10,000+ hydrothermal features
500+ active geysers
290+ waterfalls
67 species of mammals, 285 of birds, 16 of fish, 5 of amphibians, 6 of reptiles
9 species of conifers, 1,000+ of flowering, 186 species of lichens, and 225 invasive plant species

Fun facts:

World’s first national park – established March 1, 1872
The park sits on top of an active supervolcano
About half the world’s hydrothermal features and half the world’s geysers are found in Yellowstone
Home to the largest concentration of mammal species in the lower 48 states
Wolves were absent from the park for 70+ years, and were successfully reintroduced starting in 1995

Yellowstone National Park

Old Faithful

After stopping for breakfast, we drove straight to Old Faithful, where we parked and watched the geyser spout off. I’ll echo what I said the last time we visited: if you are tight on time, skip Old Faithful in favor of something else in the park. But, Mom wanted to go back, so we made the stop again.

Old Faithful

Mystic Falls

We drove a short distance up the road to Biscuit Basin, where Faith and I started on a hike to Mystic Falls on the Firehole River. The falls drop 70′ over multiple levels, and feature several geothermal features in the canyon (mostly fumaroles). The hike was short and flat (about 2.4mi out-and-back). It was much more impressive than Fairy Falls, which we visited last year. Getting down close to the falls was a little sketchy, as the trail turned into a steep slope with mostly scree. We decided to not go all the way to the base of the falls, especially since my ankle and leg are not quite 100% healed.

Biscuit Basin

Back at Biscuit Basin, we made a quick lap around the boardwalks to see the hot springs and other geothermal features. Some of the highlights of this basin include Sapphire Pool, Black Diamond Pool, West Geyser, and Dark Opal Pool. It’s amazing how unique each one of the features is.

Biscuit Basin

Sapphire Pool

Biscuit Basin

Midway Geyser Basin

From Biscuit Basin, we drove to Midway Geyser Basin, home of two main features: Excelsior Geyser Crater and the massive Grand Prismatic Spring. Excelsior Geyser was an active geyser in the late 1800s, erupting over 100ft tall and 300ft wide Researchers believe it erupted so violently that it actually damaged its internal plumbing, and has since transformed into a hot spring, except for a brief 46hr-long stint of relatively tiny eruptions in 1985. The hot spring dumps ~4,500 gallons of 199°F water into the Firehole River every minute.

Excelsior Geyser Crater

Park Superintendent Philetus Norris on Excelsior Geyser

“…simply incredible, elevating to heights of 100 to 300 feet, sufficient water to render the Fire Hole River, nearly 100 yards wide, [into] a foaming torrent of steaming hot water, and hurling rocks of from 1 to 100 pounds in weight, like those from an exploded mine, over surrounding acres.”

Grand Prismatic Spring is by far the largest and most famous hot spring in Yellowstone and in the United States. It’s the third largest in the world, behind Frying Pan Lake in New Zealand and Boiling Lake in Dominica. We walked the boardwalk up to the 300′ wide spring, and marveled at the colors and runoff.

Grand Prismatic Spring

Opal Pool

Grand Prismatic Spring

Remember when I said I was foreshadowing about high winds on Day 7 of this trip? Faith lost her hat to a wind gust, which blew it 25ft away into the middle of the runoff. I counted at least 18 other hats which had fallen victim to the wind. Before Faith lost her’s, we had just talked about the crazy wind gusts, and I had just taken mine off to fasten it to my backpack. Faith was reaching up to grab hers when it blew off.

Lost hat

While Dad, Faith, and I pushed Walker up the hill in the stroller (a rather long walk), Mom sat down by the river to enjoy the view. She attempted to cross the bridge, but decided to turn around because of the wind gusts.

Firehole River

Lunch

We drove back to Old Faithful, and stopped at the Old Faithful General Store to get an afternoon snack in lieu of lunch. Dad got a slice of pizza, and the rest of us got either a hot dog or a bison brat. We ate our lunch on the front porch of the store, while watching the oversized crows scavenge for crumbs.

Old Faithful General Store

Lake // fishing Bridge

Leaving Old Faithful, we drove east toward Yellowstone Lake, winding our way up and around West Thumb. It was a beautiful, clear day, so we had a great view of the vast lake from the car and a couple of the pullouts we stopped at. I’d hoped to have time to continued around the lake to go to Lake Butte Overlook, and the Pelican Valley, but once again time didn’t allow us to. That was disappointing, as it’s one of the only areas of the park we haven’t visited.

Fishing Bridge

We made a quick pull-in to see Lake Yellowstone Hotel, made a brief drive across Fishing Bridge, and then drove north toward the Hayden Valley and Canyon Village.

Yellowstone Lake

Mud Volcano // Hayden Valley

Before the main stretch of the Hayden Valley, we arrived at Mud Volcano, and noticed a huge crowd by the side of the road. We though it might be some wildlife, but we were only half-correct. There was a dead bull elk on the other side of the Yellowstone River, by the East Caldron. The crowd was waiting to see what predators might arrive to try to score an easy meal. We waited for a while, but nothing showed, so we decided to leave and maybe try again later.

Mud Volcano

Bull elk carcass

Bison

Continuing north on the Grand Loop Road, we drove through the magnificent Hayden Valley. The Yellowstone River winds through the valley; bison herds were grazing in the distance. It a picturesque remnant of what the American west was once like.

Hayden Valley

Upper Falls

At the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, we stopped at Upper Falls View on South Rim Drive to see the thundering Upper Falls. For the sake of time, we didn’t continue to Artist Point at the end of the road, but I would highly recommend going if you have time.

Upper Falls

Crystal Falls

Madison River Valley

We left the Canyon, and cut across Norris Canyon Road back towards the park’s west entrance. In the Madison River Valley, we had to stop to feed Walker; fortunately, this allowed us to watch the sunset, and take some photos of a some birds and a lone bison grazing by the side of the road. Eventually, the bison had caused so much traffic backup, that two rangers had to arrive with bullhorns to move the cars along. We watched the spectacle from the a parking lot on the opposite side of the road.

Dinner

Back in West Yellowstone, we got to-go boxes from Firehole Bar-B-Que Co. for dinner. Mom got a pork sandwich, and the rest of us got brisket sandwiches. The food was pretty good, but most of our sandwiches had soggy buns. The food was filling, and that was the most important thing after yet another full day.

Firehole Bar-B-Que Co.

Ice Cream

After dinner, Dad and I ran in Food Roundup Supermarket to get him some allergy medicine and me some blister pads. Then, we drove to Espresso & Ice Cream House to get some ice cream. They, like many establishments in the state, serve Montana-made Wilcoxson’s Ice Cream. Mom got maple nut; Dad got maple nut and strawberry cheesecake; I got maple nut and huckleberry; and Faith got raspberry and mango sorbet.

Espresso & Ice Cream House

Island Park

After finishing our ice cream (and then turning up the heat in the car, because it was near-freezing outside), we drove across the state line into Island Park, Idaho. This time, it was much easier to find the gate to access our cabin. We did a couple loads of laundry, packed up all we could in preparation for tomorrow’s departure, and headed to bed.

Opening the gate

Video

Here’s a video from today’s adventures.

The Best Things we Saw Today

Isaac

The best thing I saw today was… “Mystic Falls”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the brisket on the sandwich”.

Faith

The best thing I saw today was… “Upper Falls – the worst thing was watching my hat fly away”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the bison bratwurst”.

Jerry

The best thing I saw today was… “Grand Prismatic Spring”.

The best thing I ate today was… “the brisket sandwich”.

Amy

The best thing I saw today was… “front row seating at Old Faithful, and sitting by the Firehole River”.

The best thing I ate today was… “maple nut ice cream”.

Conclusion

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Tomorrow, we’ll explore the Canyon, Lamar Valley, and Dunraven Pass areas of the park.

– Isaac & Co.

Madison River Valley

The post Day 11 – Church Trip 2023 // Yellowstone National Park appeared first on Isaac Church // isaactchurch.com.

Intro – Church Trip 2023

Isaac Church — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 16:30:00 +0000

We’re back! Sorry the blog has largely been absent this year…we’ve been busy with a newborn, and thus haven’t really traveled (or had much free time at all, for that matter). After our semi-involuntary hiatus, we’re back on the road/in the air for another Church Family adventure.

Soon, we’re heading back out to the Rocky Mountains for the third time in three years! We’re very excited for the trip, and can’t wait to share about our travels. As you might have suspected, there’s a football game involved. App is playing at the University of Wyoming, so we’ll be attending the game, and we also hope to make at least a few innings of a Rockies game.

War Memorial Stadium

Coors Field

The original plan was to visit South Dakota (Black Hills and Mount Rushmore, Badlands, Wind Cave, etc.), drive to the game in Laramie, and then head northwest to Yellowstone. However, we again ran into rental car availability and pricing issues (see also: Church Trip 2021), so we decided to fly into Denver, where we could rent a minivan for our travels. After exploring Colorado, we’ll head up to the football game, and then continue to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone.

Updates

First, some life updates. Our son Walker was born this spring, so it’s been an exciting (and sleepless) time for everyone. FYI, our blog won’t include pictures of him, or really any other information, for that matter. All the tech giants spy on us adults enough as it is, so we don’t need to feed them an advertising profile for our little ones on top of that. If you want to meet him (or see pictures), text me, or better yet, come visit sometime!

Dad and I are both recovering well from our winter surgeries, and are starting to get back to business as usual. We’ve even managed to play golf a few times.

Sunset Dinner

In August, some friends graciously gifted Faith and me a sunset dinner atop Beech Mountain, since they made reservations but were unable to attend. The evening, hosted by Chef Will Young, started around 17:30 with a chairlift ride to the 5,506′ summit, followed by appetizers, salad, entrées, and dessert.

Chairlift ride

5,506'

The appetizers served were: various charcuterie; smoked trout, crab, and spinach dip on grilled crostini; and various fruits and vegetables. The curry pickled cauliflower and trout dip were our favorites.

Appetizers

During a break, we were treated to a rather entertaining doorbell camera video of our babysitters entertaining Walker.

Appetizers

The Babysitter

The salad was mixed greens with strawberries, glazed apples, goat cheese, and various praline nuts with a zesty apple cider vinaigrette.

View

Salad

View

We enjoyed watching several does and a large buck while we ate. Between courses, we were able to roam around the mountaintop, taking in the splendid mountain views.

Buck

View

The main course was grilled spinalis (the best part of the ribeye), risotto with roasted red peppers and local mushrooms, and asparagus wrapped in provolone and prosciutto.

Main course

For dessert, we enjoyed a homemade sugar cookie and three types of homemade ice cream: chocolate, strawberry, and butter pecan.

Dessert

There was a splendid sunset that evening – one of the best I’ve seen in the High Country. After dinner, we rode the shuttle back down the mountain to our car. I’d definitely return sometime – it’s a great place for a special dinner.

Sunset

Sunset Dinner at 5,506'

Beech Mountain, NC

A great place to spend a special evening! It was nice to roam around the mountaintop between courses. The setting is very casual and relaxed, but the food is top-notch. The combination of setting, service, and food ears this dinner a star. Note: reservations are required.

* – Would definitely visit again

** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area

*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there

For more info on food ratings, click here.

Sunset dinner

Trip Preview

That brings me to the purpose of this post: our latest trip is fast approaching. We’re headed out to the Rocky Mountains to visit four states, watch a football game, see some wildlife, eat some good food, hike, and relax. We’ll be in Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, and will visit three national parks: Rocky Mountain, Grand Teton, and Yellowstone. We’ve visited Yellowstone and Grand Teton before – click here for a link to that blog. We also visited Colorado Springs in 2022 – click here for that blog. We’ll also visit Wyoming’s Snowy and Wind River Ranges, and some of north-central Colorado.

Grand Teton National Park

Yellowstone National Park

Pike's Peak Summit

Pike National Forest

By the way, when I say “we”, I mean Isaac, Faith, Jerry, Amy, and Walker. While some destinations will be repeats for us, we’re excited to have more time to explore places we missed (or had to skirt over) last time, to visit the parks in a different season, and to see things a second time! Neither Dad nor Mom has been to Colorado, so we’re going to take them to some places Faith and I visited last summer. We’re excited about visiting in the fall, which brings cooler weather, more wildlife activity, the elk and bison ruts, and colorful fall foliage – especially Colorado’s famous aspens.

Conclusion

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– Isaac & Co.

Pike's Peak

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