Day 2: Blowouts and geysers and wolves, oh my!

• Roll out of bed just in time for free continental breakfast, immediately discover why it is free. Exhaustive listing of available foods: sliced bread (a la Wonderbread), butter, Froot Loops, Cocoa Puffs, tater tots, hard-boiled eggs, orange slices, apple juice, orange-tangerine juice, milk. Latter are in plastic pitchers covered with plastic wrap.


• M starts driving toward Salt Lake, we catch a glimpse of Mormon temple. But only after mistaking state capitol for temple. Who surrounds a very important religious building with skyscrapers and puts the capitol alone on a hill?


• Stop for supplies at Super Target. G marvels at the fact that real estate is so cheap, he can stand in the middle of produce/bakery section and not have a single product within six feet. Successfully acquire dark chocolate M&M's for completion of trail mix.


• J starts first driving shift


• M spots Mormon church. G helpfully points out said building is an industrial complex. Turns out, M wasn't too far off: it's a Mormon industrial complex.


• J tries to kill us all by suffering a blowout, calmly pulling over to side of road. Roadside assist arrives in less than 30 minutes, less than 45 minutes lost altogether.


• G takes over driving, manages to get all the way to Yellowstone without blowout


• Stop for lunch. People are much more expressive about being Christian here. Subway is closed on Sundays, Burger King contains God poster and Book of Mormon.


• Arrive at information station just in time to see ranger closing up for the day


• See dozens of cars pulled over on the side of the road, dozens of people taking pictures with elk on river bank. Watching people flip out over a couple of animals turns out to be more entertaining than watching elk graze.


• "Paint pots." M vividly remembers blue, green, and red, we only see blue and red. G and J are sorely disappointed.


• Geyser crater from massive eruption and colorful hot spring. Picture worth thousand words.


• See osprey hunting and pair of bald eagles cruising; raven hangs out in parking lot, J dubs it Quoth, the raven.


• Arrive at Old Faithful area. Probably largest parking lot in all of National Parks system.


• M (reading sign): Next eruption within ten minutes of 6:56. What time is it? J: 6:53. Very nice, high five!


• Old Faithful viewing area ridiculously large. Once again, spectators turn out to be more entertaining than main attraction.


• Eruption!


• Bison lounges, people take pictures. Including present company, of course.


• Dinner with chipmunks at Old Faithful Lodge. Mmmm, buffalo chili. M and J don't appreciate tasty meat.


• Two more mammal sightings: wolf attempts suicide by crossing road in front of car, bat successfully commits suicide by flying into windshield.


• Crash at one of two Best Westerns in West Yellowstone.


• Total driving time: ~7 hours. Total mileage: ~400 miles.