When in Yellowstone

Sure you can drive, stop, park the car — get out and walk up to the geysers to check them out when visiting Yellowstone National Park.

But there is one really awesome way to see them that we discovered during our Airstream trip over the past summer.

Thanks to Yellowstone Kayak and our super knowledgable guide, we took kayaks out onto Yellowstone Lake where we got up close and personal — and even floated above — the geysers. They were so awesome to see at such a close distance. The water was even super warm too that we were paddling in (I couldn’t help but dip my finger in . . .)

Everywhere we looked there seemed to be a geyser steaming away or hot springs bubbling away in a frantic tizzy. We spied wildlife and beautiful wildflowers too. Truly such an incredible experience visiting Yellowstone National Park.

During our kayak trip I stayed behind hubby and B as they paddled tandem so I could get some pictures of them. I started to think about B and what a great summer he’s had so far. He’s also been such a trooper on this trip with all the mileage we’ve put on the truck/trailer. For the last hundred miles or so before we arrived at Yellowstone he’s been begging me for hot chocolate — so as homage to these beautiful geysers, after our kayak trip, I made him some of his favorite steamy Mexican hot chocolate that he loves so much :)

Our guide was so knowledgeable and very easy to talk to. Turns out he grew up in Ohio just like me — so we had a lot in common and had a great time chatting. When we stopped along the shore for our scrumptious lunch (provided by Yellowstone Kayak) our guide also helped show us some alternate routes where we could take the Airstream the following day.

He also told us a little history about this cool looking geyser/hot spring named “Fishing Cone.” The name Fishing Cone can be traced back to tales told by mountain men of a lake where you could catch a fish then immediately dunk it into a hot spring and cook it on the hook. It’s also referred to as “hook and cook.” Today, the temperatures in the cone have cooled enough that it no longer erupts and is now considered a hot spring.

“Wow mommy, that is awesome! Can we go fishing?” B asks me

I had to smile . . .

Steam everywhere – what planet could we be on?

And back to that steaming cup of hot chocolate — the recipe is here and I promise you, it’s one of the best hot chocolate recipes ever for kids and adults too :) You’ll see what I mean xoxo

It was such a beautiful experience - kayaking to the geysers of Yellowstone National Park ♥ Definitely one for the bucket list, I think :)