Luglio: Spaghetti Western?

The scenery I'll be posting soon on social media won't look very Italian, and that's because I'm blogging about my visit to Yellowstone National Park. On my Italy blog.

The reason for my visit is that my older son is here for five months working as a front desk clerk at a West Yellowstone hotel — a perfect gig while the Boston Sports Museum is being renovated (where he currently works). They are both Delaware North companies.

Also, we share a birthday. Tomorrow. 58 and 24. He was my 34th birthday present.

I landed in Bozeman around noon on Wednesday and rented a Mustang convertible! They tried to upgrade me to a pick-up truck but I told them it would be too much for me, a Mini Cooper driver. So I ended up with the Mustang. I then headed to the condo of my brother- and sister-in-law who have a condo in Bozeman where their two kids live. (They were visiting.) They fed and watered me well. (Water's important to combat altitude sickness.) Then off I went to West Yellowstone to see my boy at the front desk of the Yellowstone Park Hotel. My brother- and sister-in-law had visited him the day before and sent me this:

This is the Bozeman Airport. Lots of wood! Like a giant lodge!

My brother-in-law made sure to tell me to stop at the Soldier's Chapel in Big Sky on my way to West Yellowstone.
It's dedicated to those who died (or maybe just fought?) in WWII.

The window behind the altar frames Lone Mountain perfectly.

Had to stop at this sign!

On my way to see Henry, I was stopped in traffic forever while they repaired a guard rail. Or replaced it. I had no idea what the issue was. At first I was hopeful it was a bison sighting or something.. but no. Just traffic taking turns going single file. It was on the news tonight. Some folks waited two hours. I think I waited about 45-50 minutes.

All along this highway were white wooden crosses... sometimes in bunches of four or five. I asked a guy at a convenience store if they memoralized people who had died in an accident and he said yes... I said, Snow? Or this time of year, too? He said, all year round, and mostly stupid reasons. The example he gave was a woman who stopped to look at a Big Horn Sheep and a semi came around the bend and mowed her over. So it was a white-knuckle trip for me, one I don't relish doing again, but I will be doing it three more times. A round trip on Saturday (NO construction on the weekend, though) and again to the airport Monday. Geez, I just read that US Highway 191 in Gallatin Canyon is one of the five most dangerous highways in Montana. The Gallatin River runs along it where rafters and fly fishers do their thing. The American Legion puts up the signs, and they've been doing so for over 50 years. I'm researching this as I write and have decided to take an alternative route.

Finally got to the Hotel and found my boy at the front desk :) It's a charming hotel and I have a lovely suite!

The downtown. Think Lake George. Or Weirs Beach.

Henry's Hotel.

Henry's street (Grizzly Street).

These cabins are associated with the Hotel. I see them from my window.

Henry's street — the other way.

This is another hotel where Henry sometimes works. Also a Delaware North property.

Henry worked till 11 and then slept on the pull-out couch in my suite. I ate at a restaurant called the Slippery Otter —one of the favorites here, apparently. It was fine. I read a book. There were absolutely no other solo diners. I was at the bar, which helped me not feel too conspicuous.

The next day (today) we planned to drive into the Park and explore the Upper Loop. Our tour Friday will be of the Lower Loop. Henry has a co-worker he asked to join us who volunteered at Yellowstone for EIGHT years! She accepted our invitation and it made all the difference. She even drove since my Mustang convertible is not ideal for sight seeing. She knows every inch of that Park. It was amazing. She is what she calls a "roaming concierge" here at the Hotel. She putts around the properties in a little golf cart and asks people if they need any help with their plans and day trips. She's a wealth of knowledge and a lovely person.

Mary and I.

Mary in her cart.

Henry and I.

We saw a huge bison (but far away) and a mother black bear and her two cubs! We were in "The Bear-muda Triangle" when Mary said here's a good area to spot bear. Then, sure enough, there was a "Bear Jam"—cars pulled over to get out and gawk. Some people went horrifically close to her. We learned to stay 100 feet (or yards?) away from bear, which is the length of eight school buses. These folks were about 20-40 feet away. NUTS.

I have no pics of the animals, but here are some of the scenery.

These are called Lodge Pole Pines — they're used for teepees. I thought Mary was saying "Large" Pole Pines at first but she does not have a Bostonian accent.

Water is bubbling out of this at the top. There are steaming springs everywhere.

More white hot steam.

The architecture in Mammoth Springs (in the Park) is great. The Park (2.2 million square miles) was opened in 1880-ish under the Grant administration. The first national park in the world. Other countries followed suit.

My heart has been heavy seeing all this beauty and nature while our president (lower case p for this one) slashes all the funding for anything natural. He cannot have a soul.

I'll close with some silly shots from the downtown area. Tomorrow: the Lower Loop!