On we go...

Day 2--Petrified Tree and Mammoth Hot Springs

Audrey: no comment
Chloe: This is my favorite petrified tree.
Isaac: This petrified tree was so awesome.
Lindsay: After our picnic lunch we stopped off at this petrified tree to take a look. We hadn't yet realized that the road closure was going to make our day quite so long, or we probably wouldn't have stopped. It was fun for the kids to see an ancient tree, though!

Audrey: no comment
Chloe: We are so close to elk!
Isaac: At Mammoth Hot Springs we saw a lot of elk and I stepped in elk poop.
Lindsay: This was our first main encounter with the wildlife at Yellowstone and they were so close! There was a huge herd of elk just lounging around in this field which was literally in the middle of the town. Some more were just hanging out around the buildings. It was crazy! We didn't realize at the time that it was somewhat unusual for them to be that close to civilization. By the end of the week we were like, "Oh, it's just another elk!" but this was really cool! We also got to hear them bugling which is neat.

Audrey: no comment
Chloe: Audrey and Isaac were taking a picture and I was so scared.
Isaac: I was pretending to scream in this picture while we were taking a picture of the elk.
Lindsay: I don't know if you noticed the large male elk in the background. This is as close as I would let the kids get. They say the males are particularly aggressive this time of the year and have been known to charge curious tourists, so we kept our distance!
Audrey: no comment
Chloe: We were at a hot spring.
Isaac: This is a spring at Mammoth Hot Springs.
Lindsay: The first of many, many hot springs--they were all cool and warm at the same time! :)
Audrey: no comment
Chloe: A dome!
Isaac: This is a dome that is dormant, which means it doesn't work anymore. It used to be a geyser or a hot spring, I can't remember.
Lindsay: I'm guessing geyser. This was our last stop before the incredibly long journey through all of greater Yellowstone. To be honest, the rest of day 2 is something I'd rather just forget...so we will see you at day 3!