Geyser Gawking in Yellowstone National Park

A Rainbow that Ends at the Old Faithful Geyser!

The carful of kids are in Yellowstone National Park for a week, after road tripping our way from Central Texas to Jasper National Park and back. As luck or persistant planning would have it, I got two consecutive nights in the Old House section of the Old Faithful Inn.

You need to do this. As a collector of genuine experiences, this is a great one. Staying at the Old Faithful Inn will be one of the memories your family will recall for a lifetime.

The carful of kids enjoy game night at the Old Faithful Inn

Watching the Old Faithful Geyser from the balcony, listening to the fiddler play from the mezzanine, eating in the OFI Dining Room are all part of the experience. The most important of all is spending time as a family, unplugged from our screens but dialed into each other.

The carful of kids explored the area around Old Faithful Geyser yesterday by hiking to Morning Glory Pool and taking a vintage bus tour of Firehole Lake Drive. We're venturing farther by exploring more geysers and trails up to Madison Junction.

Dress in Layers, bonus points if you coordinate your outfits to match Morning Glory Pool!

The carful of kids lace up our hiking boots and head downstairs for breakfast in the Old Faithful Inn Dining Room ( Breakfast hours 6:00 to 10:30 a. m. ) for the breakfast buffet that features all the standard breakfast fare ( $ 13.25 /adults and $ 6.75/ kids ). We are able to get in and out quickly and there isn't a wait to be seated.

The Tour starts with the Doors of the Old Faithful Inn

Up first is the Old Faithful Inn Tour that starts at 9:30 a.m., it's free and you don't have to reserve a spot in advance though the crowd gets larger at the later tours. Tours start in the lobby next to the fireplace at 9:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

The Old Faithful Inn was an innovation when it was built over the winter of 1903-1904 with electric lights, steam heat and indoor plumbing under the direction of 29 year-old architect, Robert Reamer. The majority of the materials were sourced within miles of the building site, dragged by a horse team.

Robert Reamer, the OFI architect, hiked throughout the forest looking for trees like this.

As we walk around taking in the details on our tour, I am particularily drawn to the staircases and railings. They are works of art. On the tour, I see a small sign hanging from the ceiling, Tub Room--interesting, need to check that out later.

After the Old Faithful Inn Tour, the carful of kids pack into the SUV for more geyser gawking starting at the Black Sand Basin with Opalescent Pool and Emerald Pool, with names like that I have to investigate; they are across the way from Old Faithful. I am a sucker for blue-green water so I am in love with the pools of Yellowstone.

We can't get enough of the geysers.

After the Black Sand Basin, the carful of kids continue north and stop off at Biscuit Basin to view the Sapphire Pool and Jewel Geyser; both of these are within a short hike of Old Faithful Inn if you would prefer to walk. Continuing north, we pull into Midway Geyser Basin for the largest hot spring in the U.S., Grand Prismatic Spring.

Some of the trash that Park Rangers pick up around the pools and geysers.

Grand Prismatic Spring is a marvel and a must-see with its rainbow colors formed by the microbes in the mineral water. This area is very popular and parking can be a problem, visit early or late in the day.

Grand Prismatic with the carful of kids.

We continue on to the Lower Geyer Basin where we pass the Fountain Paint Pot and meet our first bison. He makes his home next to a steam vent and this area is a favorite with bison, who overwinter here because of the heat.

Now is a good time to remind the kids that bison are unpredictable and can run three times faster than an adult. It is best to leave 25 yards in-between you and the bison but when they sit next to the boardwalk that's nearly impossible. Yellowstone Park Rangers are on duty in this area patrolling and monitoring the human-animal interface.

Bison watching visitors.

After bison-watching and geyser-gawking, the carful of kids are ready for lunch. We park at the Madison Junction area where I find the nicest public restrooms in the park and have a picnic. Remember to keep your picnic site manned at all times, chipmunks can ransack your table in a flash.

After lunch, the carful of kids check in at the Junior Ranger Station, the only one in the park and located at Madison Junction, to speak with the Park Rangers about activities that kids will enjoy. The Ranger Station has animal hides for the kids to touch and a bookstore dedicated to Junior Rangers.

My Girl Scout getting her NPS-Girl Scout Patch

This area also hosts Evening Ranger Programs just for Junior Rangers; check the park newspaper for current offerings. This is also where my Girl Scout received her patch for National Park Stewardship after she completed 10 hours of service--there is a similar award for Boy Scouts.

I promised the carful of kids I'd take it easy and enjoy our stay in Yellowstone so we are heading back to the Old Faithful Inn to spend time on the balcony watching the Old Faithful Geyser and playing games. We have a dinner reservation in the dining room a little later but I have an idea.

My husband and I want to have a dinner by ourselves and since the oldest carful of kid is babysitter certified, we give her a room key and some cash and send them to the cafe next to the dining room. It's a nice break when traveling with a carful of kids.

Dinner at Old Faithful Inn

We visited Yellowstone National Park years ago before we were parents and had dinner in the Old Faithful Inn's Dining Room. Well as luck would have it, we were seated at the same table that we ate at 15 years ago. Funny when your past and present intersect unexpectedly.

Up Next: Lake Hotel and Yellowstone Lake


Know before you go: If you have a limited time in the Old Faithful area, walk through Old Faithful Inn, witness Old Faithful Geyser and stop by Grand Prismatic Spring. Talk with the Park Rangers about seasonal traffic and road construction to prevent driving delays.

Yellowstone National Park is open every day and the 7-day admission is $ 30 for a private vehicle or you can purchase an annual America the Beautiful Pass for $ 80 to gain entry to the majority of the national parks and monuments. There are seasonal road closures in the majority of the park except for the North and Northeast Entrance that are open year-round to vehicle traffic.

I reserved an Old House Room with a shared bath for a reasonable $ 115 a night--yes there isn't a bathroom in this room but the facilities are amazing and right down the hall. A sink with a mirror and vanity is located in the room so you can brush your teeth and wash your face.

There are no televisions or radios in the OFI rooms but there are outlets to plug in your phone, though service is spotty throughout Yellowstone NP.

The lodging reservations within the National Park System is available 13 months in advance so you have to be persistent to get rooms in the more popular locations within Yellowstone NP. I was and got all the properties I wanted--MAKE RESERVATIONS months in advance, even for camping, if you are visiting Yellowstone NP during the high season.

Old Faithful Inn dinner reservations are recommended for the best times. Breakfast and Lunch are open-seating.