Today was awesome. There is really no better way to put it than awesome. When we first started planning our trip to Yellowstone, my husband wouldn’t stop talking about Lamar Valley and how it is like the Serengeti of North America. I thought that it sounded cool, but I really had no idea what it would be like until we were there.
our beautiful drive out to Lamar Valley
There is no sign saying “Welcome to Lamar Valley,” but when you arrive, you know it. It’s like the clouds part and the choir of angels sing, “taahh-daaaahhhh!” It is truly the land where the buffalo roam, and the land where the deer and the antelope play. You can’t help but want to sing a little “Home on the Range.”
“Oh give me a home where the buffalo roam,
Where the deer and the antelope play,
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word,
And the skies are not cloudy all day.”
Buffalo so close you can touch, wolves, coyotes, foxes, antelope, a grizzly bear with her 2 cubs, black bears – the list goes on and on, we saw so many animals. As far and as wide as the eyes can see is just the most beautiful green land, spotted with animals.
It felt so amazing to see all of these animals in their natural habitat – grazing, running, eating, and just being their wild selves.
#nozoom
This pretty much immediately became our most favorite experience in Yellowstone National Park. I mean, what else can I say? It was amazing and breathtaking in every single way. We both feel awestruck.
After our insanely amazing day with the animals, there was really only one thing left to do: eat pizza. We’ve started making pizza on the grill at home, so I figured, why not over the campfire?
Having very cleverly forgotten our rolling pin at home, the hubs suggested using a bottle of wine to roll out our dough, and it luckily worked like a charm!
While the dough got a little pre-cook going, we enjoyed one of my favorite recipes from my Italian travels, panzanella.
Post-panzanella, I had a little trouble picking the dough off of the grill with the tongs (hence the chunk of dough missing from the corner), but it actually turned into a happy mistake. I took that tiny piece of dough and let it finish cooking. I then topped it with some olive oil and salt, and we both devoured the foccacia-like creation. . .it was so good.
A delicious end to an unforgettable day. Yellowstone, you have charmed us with your natural beauty and wonders. Life is definitely good on the range.
The buffalo are amazing!
And rolling pizza dough by the campfire….impressive!
This is one great landscape to feast ones eyes on. The beauty of the west and all its wildness just breathtaking. I know others have said it before – so I’ll join in, beautiful beautiful photos. You have a great knack for blending beauty with dialogue. Love it. Many thanks.
Always pleases me to see Buffalo thriving … there was a time when frontiersmen wanted to completely wipe out the population. A magnificent animal. Thanks for the great pictures (and, as usual, tempting food!)