Hey noodle what did you do today?

Well I had a dream I was in a swim area and I accidentally pierced myself with a syringe that had been in there. My friends and family helped me try to find the culprit, but even after some anime-tier battled we could not.

I woke up as the Sun was rising, then drove to the bathhouse, brushed my teeth, and left the campground. I decided to do some earth caches along the way, since those are generally placed in spots that have a really good thing to see. I saw some angry rapids, some lands of bubbling mud, and bubbling lakes, and all sorts of oddities. Despite being busy, Yellowstone can certainly accommodate such a large group of visitors. It's also no wonder why Teddy Roosevelt felt this park should be preserved.

Even the parking lot to the Prismatic Spring (That famous spring you see) moved fast, though I parked about half a mile away and walked. I'd much prefer to hoof it than stress myself out behind the wheel of a car. I hiked through some alpine trails and made my way to the gangway. Because the lands are so potentially unstable, guests are required to stay on the wooden walkways and paved paths at all times. This was rue at the prismatic pool, just as it was at the Painted Pots I'd visited earlier in the day.

I saw a lot of different kinds of people entranced with the area, and it was really surreal walking past the blasting clouds of steam...One moment I'm enjoying brisk 50 degree winds, the next I'm bathed in a sulfuric heat. It smelled like farts. However this billowing smoke also served to hide the pool and its infamous colors, so while it might be a sight during most of the year, it was basically obscured by clouds. I still had fun though!

From there I did another drive, then headed to the visitor station. I parked and went to the station, bought a coin and asked about the post office (So I could mail out the envelope I'd bought the night before), then tried to find it with the instructions given. I meandered through the lodge's Geyser Grill, then found the lone building. I sent myself the letter (But made the postcard addressed to mum), then headed to Old Faithful. En route, I stopped by the cafeteria, which was WAYYYYYY less busy, and got an open face buffalo meatloaf sammich, some mashed potates, and 2 lamb gyros. I sat outside and ate it while watching Old Faithful and chatting with a couple of Chinese immigrants who were now living in Cali. They told me to see the Fantastic Geyser, but alas, I never did!

Old Faithful erupted, then after finishing my food I did about a 2 mile walk around it, seeing the surrounding geysers. There were a lot of small ones, but mostly I was getting Earth caches! A couple of them I skipped out on because I'd finished drinking my root beer and my shoes were hurting my feet. I'd found them under my bed in Florida while cleaning, but remembered why I stopped wearing them: The insides had worn away, causing undue pressure on the outside arches.

Either way I did the 2 mile walk that encircled Old Faithful, then tried finding my car. While doing so a couple of ladies in their 40s, Amber Lee and Tracy, were drinking wine and offered me a glass. Sure! They lived in Porto Mejor in Mexico, and Tracy was from Australia and they wanted to go see the geyser.

After I found my car I grabbed some gas, then drove toward the Grand Tetons. I was really pushing the time until the ranger station closed, and the slow cars in front of me weren't helping...I actually learned a new cussword during this excursion! Cruise-America RV. Know why it's a cuss word? Because if you get stuck behind one, you'll be doomed to go between 5 and 15 below the speed limit on roads with no passing lanes. Guaranteed.

As I drove and cursed the slow drivers, I couldn't help but admire the mountains jutting up in the distance. They were just so...Sudden! So stark against the rest of the land! Like they came from nowhere!

I got to the station at # learned they closed at 7. Hooray! I got my swag, then wandered around the museum and then watched their movie. It was a really pretty place, but seemed more geared for those looking to spend an extended vacation in one spot. Tempting, but not this time!

As I drove out of the park I had to stop on the side of the road (Only place with signal!) and ask Google where I needed to go. Finally, after having tried for close to 45 minutes, she gave me a map. Yey! As I left the park I stopped and photographed the mountains and pre-autumnal trees below. From there I drove through lovely Wyoming desolation, past red-and-brown striped mountains, and through 'cities' with populations of only 900. At around 8 I saw signs for a rest stop so I decided to pull over and type a bit before heading to sleep.

However I just couldn't get to sleep, and after seeing the empty darkness surrounding my car and reading a missing poster in the rest area, my imagination was populating the world with all sorts of horrors and haunts. I wasn't afraid, but my mind was too active to sleep, so I did more driving. I stopped at a gas station and got a cappuccino (French Vanilla!), as well as a personal pepperoni pizza and a Mr. Goodbar.

And I drove and drove and drove. Wyoming was the weirdest state to drive through because of its desolation. It wasn't like a solitary desolation, but rather a “Hills Have Eyes” desolation. The cities that constituted highway landmarks, the ones that were advertised 60+ miles away, had naught but 921 people in them. And there were deer about every 5 miles, just grazing beside the road. And once I almost hit a gazelle. And I only saw like 15 cars the whole time.

Eventually around 2ish I pulled into a rest stop and finally fell into a restless sleep.

I hope everyone has a Teton's Day! <333