Yellowstone, Day 6: The Canyon and an Extremely Honest Waiter
Animal Tallies
| Animal | Today | Trip total |
|---|---|---|
| Wolves | 5 | 26 |
| Bears | 4 | 27 |
| Coyotes | 0 | 3 |
| Moose | 0 | 0 |
I wasn’t feeling well after breakfast, but we got going. At 9:45 we spotted a cinnamon-colored black bear ourselves.
Another roadside crowd turned out to be watching ducks. We stopped to ask what they were looking at.
“Some really pretty ducks. Are you bird nerds?”
We spent about an hour at Artist Point, looking at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and the Lower Falls. The reds, pinks, and oranges in the rock were pretty. Yesterday’s recommendation for this viewpoint was a good one.
We checked into the Gray Wolf Inn & Suites in West Yellowstone. The animatronic wolf out front only howls for Ksenia. Lunch was at a diner down the street: not too big, just right.
The Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center was directly across from our hotel. We saw three of its six bears and five of its six wolves, plus otters and birds. Wade the otter sucks on his tail like a kid sucking their thumb. There were golden eagles, three bald eagles, and turkey vultures.
Dinner was at Three Bear Restaurant. Ksenia had spaghetti with game meatballs; I had a bison ribeye. Our waiter was “6’7” Kevin,” and we loved him.
Ksenia asked for lemonade.
“Despite what the menu says, it’s not homemade and there’s no mint… I can get you Minute Maid.”
Other Kevin announcements included “Here’s the bread we serve now” and “The steak isn’t chewy.” No one had asked.
Dessert: huckleberry ice cream and apple brown Betty.
Part of our June 2024 Yellowstone and Grand Teton trip. Trip summary.
From the Notebook
