Yellowstone National Park 2023

I have been wanting to go to back Yellowstone National Park so a couple of weeks ago I spontaneously booked a cabin at the West Yellowstone KOA (I've stayed there several times and I really like it) and planned a trip.  I drove there on Monday (it is about four hours north of where I live) and spent several days at the park.

My first stop was at Old Faithful.  It had just erupted when I was parking my car so I decided to wait at the lodge until it erupted again.  It is always so exciting to see it go higher and higher and I loved it when the crowd cheered!

The park was really crowded (I thought September would be a good time to go because kids would be back in school but apparently every other retiree had the same idea) so I couldn't follow my usual routine.  I decided to be flexible and hit the spots where I could find parking (I am not very patient when it comes to parking at national parks).

I spent quite a bit of time at the Grand Prismatic Spring which is one of my favorite places in the park.

I came upon a herd of bison while on a scenic drive and the park ranger got mad at me for getting too close to one of them.

Beryl Geyser

Artists Paint Pots

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and the Upper and Lower Falls

Roaring Mountain

Mammoth Springs

This was a really fun trip!  I just wandered anywhere I felt like going and ended up taking a lot of different scenic drives which were beautiful.  I also enjoyed being in my cabin at the KOA because it rained every night and I loved listening to the sound while falling asleep,

Spring Camping Trip

For the past three days I have been at my favorite KOA in Fillmore relaxing!  I needed a little getaway and I couldn't think of anything better than sitting on the front porch of a cabin and reading all day.  I really like this KOA because it is in the middle of nowhere so it is very quiet and peaceful and it is close enough that it doesn't require a lot of travel time (it is about two hours south of where I live) but far enough away to feel like a real getaway.  I have been coming here for years (by myself and with various members of my family) and the former owners knew me by name.  There are new owners now but they are very kind and welcoming and I had to laugh when they offered to show me the way to my cabin because I've stayed in this exact one several times (as well as others).  I didn't take any day trips this time because I just wanted to relax but there are quite a few things to do within driving distance.  The weather was a bit too cold to stay outside for long periods (it even snowed on Sunday) so I spent most of the day inside the cabin reading under a blanket (the cabin has a heater) which was wonderful.  I spent the evening watching movies on my laptop before falling asleep to the sound of rain hitting the roof.  It was perfect!  My sisters and I are caring for our Mom full-time now and I really appreciate the fact that they were willing to pick up the slack so I could have a weekend away!  It was exactly what I needed!

Weekend at My Favorite KOA

I knew that anywhere I wanted to go would be really crowded over the Labor Day weekend so, since I am retired and have the luxury of a flexible schedule, I decided to plan a little getaway for this weekend.  I booked a cabin at my very favorite KOA in Fillmore (which is about a two hour drive from my house) and drove down Saturday morning.  I know people might find it a bit strange but I love this campground.  It is close enough that it doesn't take forever to get to but it is far enough away that you feel like you have gone somewhere.  It is rustic enough that you feel like you are camping but there are enough conveniences (such as electricity, air conditioning, heating, a mini-fridge, and bathroom facilities nearby in the main lodge) to feel really comfortable.  Also, the hosts of this campground are some of the nicest people you will ever meet!  I spent Saturday afternoon out on the porch reading for hours and it felt wonderful because there was a cool breeze blowing through the trees.  I actually brought enough reading material this time!  My sister makes fun of me because I am notorious for finishing a book in the middle of a trip and then not having anything else to read for the rest of the time (I am like a junkie in need of a fix when I don't have a book) but she sent me a text telling me to take another book before I left and I, uncharacteristically, heeded her advice (I actually discovered that this KOA has a small library when I ran out of reading material on a camping trip several years ago but, luckily, I did not need to avail myself of it on this trip).  In the evening it started raining so I went inside, crawled under a bunch of blankets, and watched movies on my laptop.  It was incredibly cozy to listen to the rain hit the roof of the cabin as I fell asleep.  Sunday morning I got up early for a quick day trip and then spent the afternoon reading on the porch again.  I will be driving home later this morning and I am so happy that I had the chance to take this quick weekend trip because it was so fun and relaxing (and the campground wasn't very crowded).

Note:  I think I subconsciously selected this shirt because of the concert that I attended Friday night!

A Week at a KOA

I started Kindergarten in the fall of 1973 and since then I have gone back to school every year without an interruption (13 years of public school, 4 years of college, and 30 years of teaching).  All of my friends and colleagues in the Granite School District went back to school on Monday and I was not with them.  I thought it would feel bittersweet but, honestly, I was very grateful and so relieved not to have to start a new school year during a pandemic.  I really wanted to go somewhere fun to celebrate the fact that I am no longer tied to a school schedule and I had planned to go to Iceland but, like so many of my summer plans, that trip was rescheduled.  Since I couldn't go to Iceland I decided to do the next best thing and go to my favorite KOA in Fillmore for the week.  I had so much fun!  I like to stay in a cabin and the one I booked has a double bed and a bunk bed (you provide your own linens), a mini-fridge, and an A/C (it also has a heater but I didn't need that).  There is a lovely porch, a picnic table, a fire ring, and a gas grill located outside.  There is not a bathroom in my particular cabin (some cabins at this KOA have bathrooms) but there are wonderful facilities inside the main lodge which is a short walk away.  When I booked this cabin I thought that I would spend the majority of my time relaxing and reading on the porch but I ended up using it as a base of operations to go on a few adventures (more on these adventures is coming).  I did, however, spend all of my evenings eating way too many treats and watching movies on my laptop in my cozy cabin!  I kind of like retirement!

Fall Camping Trip

Since I had Friday off as compensation for parent teacher conferences earlier in the week, I decided to take a trip down south to my very favorite KOA.  This little camping trip was very much needed and it was so relaxing!

I always love coming to the Fillmore KOA because it is far enough from home so I feel like I've gone somewhere and close enough to get there in less than two hours.  The facility is outstanding and the people who run it are some of the nicest people you will ever meet!

I stayed in this cabin Friday and Saturday nights.  It was in a very secluded area and I really enjoyed the solitude.

I spent most of my time sitting on the porch of the cabin reading.  Having time to read without distractions is pretty much my idea of heaven!  I loved listening to the breeze blow through the trees!  In the evening I settled into my cabin and watched movies!

On Saturday night I built a fire and sat next to it until it got really dark.  It was so relaxing!

This little camping trip was exactly what I needed!

Note:  This trip was the first item to be crossed off my fall bucket list!