We used to have this terraced

August 14
This was an epic day. We drove across green plains, then through red then white rocks to Mammoth Hot Springs: a series of terraces, some dry and some still active, glorious colours, interesting smells, white trees, black trees, blue lakes, rust-coloured rivulets and that’s not the half of it. See what I mean here.

Back in the saddle
3.2 million visitors go to Yellowstone each year. Only 2% of them go off the roads, the man-made tracks or the boardwalks. Of that 2% some see the outback from the back of a horse. We were those lucky ones. We rode across meadows filled with wild flowers, through pine forests, past herds of elk and alongside the edge of a canyon. Already this was going down as one of the best days of my life.

“The most perfect view of the most perfect waterfall” – it’s official!
And if that wasn’t enough, we went to Artist Point. We could have looked at it for hours because as the light changed so did the colours of the water and the rocks. Then, because you only live once (in this lifetime, anyway) we decided to walk down under the waterfall which involved a steep climb down, and then 328 steps. It was worth it – in spite of those 328 steps and the steep climb back up again . But we didn’t come here to lie in the sun (nor for the fine dining!) But by this time it was 7.30 pm so time to think about food.

The Kool Tie kids
Normally we’re strangers to the outdoor activity shop but we bought these Kool Ties in Boulder because we thought they looked “neat”. You soak the ties to hydrate the crystals inside them and then you stay cool and they stay wet all day. Apparently they help reduce heart rate and blood pressure which was just the ticket when we were doing our 656 steps and steep climbs.