We zipped past Salt Lake City early in the morning, entering Idaho before 10:00 a.m.

By 1:00 p.m., we had reached the Montana Stateline, and fifteen minutes later, we drove through the gates of the world’s first national park – Yellowstone.

With almost 1000 miles (1564km) behind us, we are ready to start our sixth visit here. This time, we had planned to take in sites unseen on previous visits, so shortly after passing through the front gate, we stopped at the Two Ribbons Trail and took an easy 1.5-mile (2.3km) walk down a boardwalk along the Madison River.

This is the kind of nature we can get behind…

…this kind, not so much.

A visit to Terrace Springs took only a few minutes.

Hello, Mrs. Elk.

A little further north, Caroline suggested we check out the Monument Geyser Basin Trail.

Why did I agree? This short but brutal hike took us up the side of a mountain with more than 600 feet (182m) of elevation gain in less than half a mile (800m).

We always need a visit to West Thumb…

…for a view of the Fishing Cone on the lake and everything else at this southern end of the park’s geysers.

Looking a bit too stormy, so we better head to our magnificent hotel.

After we checked in at the Old Faithful Inn, it was time for a walk here on the Upper Geyser Basin.

Of course, our walk should be under a beautiful sunset.

Blue Star Spring in the Lower Geyser Basin, taken during our after-dinner walk, wasn’t blue at all in the golden-orange light of the sky.

Life is good.