The future's so bright I've got to wear sunglasses

Our trip to Yellowstone took us through the state of Idaho, and a side trip to Craters of the Moon National Monuent . On the way to the park you pass through the town of Arco, Idaho. Arco is a town where time has stopped. An artifact from the Atomic Cafe, in which it is and always will be somewhere around 1958. Its claim to fame, the first city to be lit by atomic power.

I Think it Says it in the Hat

In search of the elusive Moose, we went our entire 12 days in Yellowstone and Montana without coming across a moose, but on our last day in the Grand Tetons, we tracked down a cow moose and her young near the Jackson Lake junction. I'm no wildlife photographer, but I managed to get a couple of clear shots of mama moose and kind.

Here you go, George.

Mother and Child Reunion

I have returned from an extended hiatus and a long vacation in Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks. It was a most amazing vacation, and while it did not result in a lot of photographs that I would consider classic, I did shoot a massive number of images and a number are certainly "blogable". The main problem was the difficulty in getting morning light. Our lodge was in Big Sky, Montana, about 45 miles from the west entrance to Yellowstone. After entering the park, it took a fair bit of driving to reach any location that you wanted to shoot. Even getting up at 4 am and heading out the door unwashed (sorry for the graphic nature of that image), was often not early enough to get the best light.

Nonetheless, we managed to see a lot of wildlife. Mostly Bison and Elk, but we also saw Bear, Antelope, Eagle, Egrets, Marmots, and Moose. Some amazing thermal features and astounding landscapes. On route we made stops at Craters of the Moon in Idaho and the town of Arco, Idaho. Arco is the first town to be powered by Nuclear power in America and has maintained a kind of 50s vibe that is both funny and scary. Pictures of all of this to follow in the next days and weeks, but to start us off, here is an image of a black bear and her cub that we came across while driving along the north end of the park.