Animals of the PYE

During the 3-day PYE (Perkins Yellowstone Experience), we searched for animals every time we were in the car driving between sites. When we first got to Yellowstone, a park ranger gave every child an activity page showing all the park animals, and instructed them to checkmark all the animals they saw during their Yellowstone visit. For completing the activity, each boy received a golden ranger badge sticker before we left. On our quest of animal searching, we saw deer, chipmunks, antelope, squirrels, a cow moose, Canada Geese, and these other animals:

Buffalo

River Otters

Yellow-bellied Marmot

Ravens

Pelican
Elk

Yellowstone Day 3 - North, South, East, West

The 2nd Annual Perkins Family Reunion came to a close on Sunday the 16th. We woke up, said our final farewells, and separated in our cars. We headed north to Mammoth Hot Springs before departing from the park while everyone else in our group headed south to return home through the Grand Tetons.

Day 3: We took a family photo of everyone present (we missed Tabbi, Cody, Lisa, Mack, Malcolm, & Quinn), turned right at the main road instead of left like the rest of the family, saw Tower Falls and hiked down a mile to the river, drove over the Mt. Washburn pass on the east end of the park, visited Albright Visitor's Center where Ammon received his Jr. Ranger Badge, walked along the boardwalks of the Upper and Lower Mammoth Terraces while getting rained on, took trails and saw multiple geysers in the Norris Geyser Basin, passed the Gibbon Falls on the last day the southwest road was open before it closed for the rest of the summer, and finally drove home arriving around 10pm. What a memorable trip!

Yellowstone Day 2 - Water Features

The Perkins Family Reunion 2009 at Yellowstone was just amazing! We were there August 14-16 (coincidentally during the same time that Pres. Obama was), and I have so many good photos from those 3 days!

Day 2: We began the day by heading up to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. We encountered the giant buffalo herd, watched a demonstration by a park ranger, enjoyed the scenic view of the canyon, hiked a mile down to the brink of the Lower Falls, saw the Mud Volcano and the Dragon's Mouth, went to the Fishing Bridge Visitor's Center Museum and also did some souvenir shopping, had a picnic lunch at our cabins, walked around West Thumb and enjoyed the steam from the beautiful hot pools, saw the vastness of the Yellowstone Lake, overlooked the Yellowstone River, ate dinner at the Lake Village Lodge, and finished the evening with games!!! It was yet another delightfully full day!!!

Yellowstone Day 1 - Geysers

The Perkins Family Reunion 2009 was at Yellowstone. For 3 days, we loaded up everyone in the cars, drove a few miles, parked, got out of the cars, walked around seeing sites, and did it all over again and again and again. It was incredible seeing all that Yellowstone has to offer: the different thermal features, all the wildlife, the mountains and vegetation, and the rivers, streams, lakes, and waterfalls. It was awesome! My boys loved it all! I was in heaven being with my loved ones and seeing God's beautiful country simultaneously.

Day 1: We met up in Rexburg for lunch, caravanned the rest of the way together, and saw the southwest corner of the park. We stopped at the Madison station and picked up materials for Ammon to work on his Jr. Ranger badge, we drove by the Firehole River and saw people swim, we walked along the boardwalks at the Lower Geyser Basin and Midway Geyser Basin, and we watched Old Faithful erupt. We ate dinner together at the Old Faithful Lodge, and then we drove to our cabins that my dad had reserved for our whole family. After getting to the cabins, my mom threw a surprise birthday party for me complete with cupcakes, balloons, and gifts! It was a full day for sure!