Okay, so I had no reason to worry about internet access. All the lodges and campsites in Yellowstone were completely full today, not to mention that nighttime temps can get into the 30's... a bit cold for my tastes.

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Yellowstone National Park, which claims ground in three states (Wyoming, Montana and Idaho), is amazingly beautiful. If you could travel back in time to, say, 2 million years ago, 1.2 million years ago, and then 630,000 years ago, you would have witnessed the catastrophic volcanic eruptions that have created the park as we know it today. The last eruption spewed out almost 240 cubic miles of debris. (A few hundred thousand years later, the park was inducted as not only this country's, but the world's first National Park, by President Ulysses S. Grant in 1872.) What is now the park's central portion then collapsed, forming a 28 by 47 mile basin. The heat (magma) powering those eruptions still powers the park's famous geysers, hot springs, and more.

Old Faithful, one of Yellowstone's most famous residents, is quite a sight to see. Visitor seating is in a circular area around the geyser, which erupts approximately every 65 minutes. (Recent earthquakes have lengthened the average interval to 75 minutes.) A clock inside the Old Faithful Visitor Center is constantly set to inform us when the next eruption is supposed to occur. It was six minutes early today.

Driving further into the west side of the park I passed Nez Perce Creek, where I saw several cars stopped alongside the road. With curiosity tapping on my forehead, I made a left and found myself in a giant pasture with a small twisting river running through it. Then I saw the buffalo. There were several of them scattered around, some of which were grazing, and others were happily laying out underneath the sun, keeping an eye on the tourists. I stayed for a while and watched them meandering around, remembering the notice I received when entering the park. "Be careful near the buffalo. They may seem tame, but they are wild animals and do attack." I had no problem with keeping my distance, but the buffalo didn't seem to want to. One of them walked right up next to my car and peeked in. (Are my windows all rolled up? Okay... phew.)

The sun was starting to set, so I decided I'd better find a place to stay. West Yellowstone is right by the west entrance to the park, and I was told there are plenty of motels along there, so off I went.

As I edged closer to leaving the park, I saw a stream of brake lights ahead in my lane. Obviously, something was happening around the corner, but I couldn't see what it was. Eventually, the trees cleared away and I could tell what the problem was. A herd of buffalo had decided to go for a stroll down the middle of traffic. There must have been a good thirty or so buffalo, with little baby ones as well in the mix. People didn't seem to mind the wait, as you could hear a faint hum from the dozens of video cameras running.

Tomorrow, I'll visit as much of the park as I can, and then that might just be it for me with Yellowstone. Onto the rest of America. Or maybe I'll change my mind and stay. I have no idea. We'll see.

See you on the road...

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