After spending the past three days moving at breakneck speed, I think we were all in need of a relaxation day. We took our time getting out the door this morning and our only stop was the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone. While we did see a variety of wildlife in Yellowstone, there had not been any bear or wolf sightings. Kev caught a glimpse of something that may have been a bear, and that theory is supported by the fact that there were two park rangers on hand keeping traffic moving along, but that is it. As a result, there was some general excitement about today’s planned activity. The discovery center houses grizzly bears that, for a variety of reasons (orphaned too early, injured, etc.), cannot be released back into the wild. They also have two small packs of wolves that were all born in captivity and wouldn’t survive if released into the wild. That provides people an opportunity to observe these often elusive creatures in a safe environment. In addition, there is an education center where there is a lot (and I do mean a lot) of info about bears, the differences between grizzlies and black bears, their habitats, food preferences, etc.
While it was educational and very interesting to view the animals, it was, in my opinion, an overpriced visit for what we got. Nevertheless, we enjoyed several hours there and even discovered a crazy photo op in the gift store.
We spent the afternoon and evening playing more games, working on puzzles, crafting and generally relaxing. We enjoyed another thunderstorm, during which Kev happened to be in the right place at the right time to catch an amazing photo.
While my parents and my sisters Rachael and Esther have been here all week, the remainder of my siblings showed up today. It added to the chaos, but it was the good kind of chaos, the kind that means everyone is having a good time. As we near the end of the week, I’m getting anxious to be back in my own house, but we still have some fun planned before the trek home!
