The Ortiz’s Go To Yellowstone.

Deep in the wilds of Wyoming bear country my family gathers around the warmth and shelter of our campfire. A canopy of stars peek through the haze of smoke emanating from dozens of fires around us.  At the height of my Tio’s story, about a human size owl he once saw, a high pitched howl sounds from the woods behind us, startling everyone to their feet. “It’s La Llorona,” someone whispers.  “No, it’s a coyote,” someone else chimes in. “I think it’s a wolf,” I tell them.  It’s was just another night in Yellowstone National Park…

This wasn’t my first trip to Yellowstone National Park, it was my third. This trip was special, though, because it was a family affair. Yellowstone is a place you visit many times and no matter how many times you return, you never manage to see it all.  It’s as alive as you and me: always changing, growing and surprising.

Yellowstone was the first national park to be created.  It lies in three states: Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. It covers 3,472 square miles, has five entrances and over 466 miles of road. Yellowstone attracts an average of 3 million visitors per year. The park is best known for its many geothermal features and the wildlife that roam free. But equally impressive are Yellowstone’s Lake, streams and rivers, breathtaking forests, mountains, grassy valleys, and hundreds of hiking trails.

For our summer camping trip, we camped inside of the park during the Fourth of July weekend. We were a group of 9, and we came in three cars from Las Vegas, Denver, and Chicago.  My mother and I drove in from Chicago, our drive up was as much a part of the trip as our destination.

We passed by Mt Rushmore, Devils Tower, and the Crazy Horse Monument. But we didn’t have time to stop due to a spur of the moment detour we took the day before. But it was alright because we enjoyed the landscape around us: from the breathtaking birds eye view of the US-14 switchbacks , to the  endless expanse of the South Dakota Prairie—it was a sight to see.

Just before entering Yellowstone National Park, we stopped in Cody, Wyoming, where a Fourth of July parade was about to began: what an unexpected surprise! Cody is a quaint western town located a few miles outside of Yellowstone. It has everything you come to expect from a “Wild West” kind of place, plus the amenities of a tourist town: nightly rodeos, shopping centers, museums, banks and small town charm.

We didn’t reach Yellowstone till around 3 o’clock. We came in from the east entrance, It was an enjoyable and scenic ride in on a high mountain road that first drops you down in elevation through cliff hugging switchbacks, then hugs the shores of Yellowstone Lake for several miles before depositing you into the Lake Village area, and then onto the main loop road, which was a short drive from Bridge Bay Campground, where we stayed.

As soon as we entered the park, we were in awe of our surroundings: we passed by road side waterfalls and a herd of elk grazing in a field. We were even forced to come to a stop because of a lone bison causing a Yellowstone traffic jam (bison Jam).

After checking into our site, we went about setting up camp: we set up our trusty Coleman Tent that has gotten us through a few storms, our air mattress for comfort (no need to forgo all the comforts of home), a warm sleeping bag (it can get pretty cold in the summer here), and a lantern (to keep El Cucuy away). After setting up, we spread out a picnic and waited for the rest of our group to arrive.

For this trip, my mother and I decided to forgo the main sights and go wildlife viewing instead. The first two days we saw pronghorn, swans, a crane, more bison and elk, and we even caught sight of our favorite animal: a bear! The rest of our party, some having never been to Yellowstone, visited the main attractions, such as Old Faithful, Upper and Midway Geyser Basins, Yellowstone Lake, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and the Mammoth area. After each day of sightseeing, we all gathered at one campsite for a dutch oven cooked meal by my aunt and uncle and told campfire stories that went into the late hours of the night (an Ortiz family tradition).

The last day (Fourth of July), we attended the Roosevelt Old West Dinner Cookout by Xanterra. It was a great experience that I highly recommend. It started off with us arriving at the Roosevelt Corrals where we signed in. After an entertaining safety speech, we were ushered to our canvas covered wagon.  Each wagon was assigned a lively guide and  driver decked out in cowboy attire. The guide entertained us with stories of the first visitors to Yellowstone and pointed out areas of interest as we drove into the backcountry.

Our destination was a clearing filled with picnic tables,  a campfire, and outdoor kitchen. For the dinner we were served cowboy coffee (the best I’ve ever had!), steak, coleslaw, cornbread, chili beans, and watermelon. During the meal, we were entertained with western music by our very own singing cowboy (you can’t get more authentic than that). It was a perfect meal for a perfect night.

On our last night in Yellowstone,  we were serenaded by a pack of wolves near our campground.  It was a perfect end to our trip. The howling wolves epitomized what I’ve come to love about Yellowstone most: Its a wondrous place where nature roams free, where adventures happen and where memories and experiences of a lifetime are created.

If you’re interested in going on a trip of a lifetime to Yellowstone, checkout the links below to plan your trip.

http://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm

http://www.yellowstonenationalparklodges.com

http://www.yellowstonepark.com/plan-your-trip/faqs/

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g60999-Yellowstone_National_Park_Wyoming-Vacations.html