The upper part of the map was not marked by the Lake Lodge Lady because she said there was only so much we could do in one day, and the best sights were in the lower part. But we were determined to drive the whole loop around the park, even if it meant just leaning out the window to snap a picture as we drove by.
But we were doing good on time and were able to walk around this large hot spring complex.
Algae buildup in these warm pools is what gives them orange and brown tints.
Let's take a closer look.
Little closer.
Okay, that's close enough. Movin' on. (*gag*)
These are called travertine terraces that have been formed over thousands of years.
Hot water from the spring cools on the rocky ground and leaves behind this white stuff, called calcium carbonate.
The calcium carbonate is what killed these trees.
Terrace Mountain at Mammoth Hot Springs is the largest known carbonate-depositing spring in the world.
It was a lot of fun learning about this incredible creation.
But Annette was still having a hard time with the smell.
Afterwards we drove down the hill to the "headquarters" of Yellowstone in the little town of Mammoth. We spent some time souvenir shopping and on the way out saw this guy with his whole family hanging out in someone's front yard.
By this time we were hungry, and the Lake Lodge Lady had told us a perfect place for a picnic lunch. The rest area was near a river where the water had risen so high some of the tables were under water.
Annette had this creative idea to chop down one of the trees, lay it in the water and we could all walk across it and have lunch at this table.
I made an executive decision just to stay on dry land.
Next stop: Old Faithful.
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