Living in the Moment – Day 2 – Lamar Valley – Slough Creek

As we continued on our journey through Yellowstone National Park on Day 2 of our trip, it was early afternoon and we were starving. We had planned to stop earlier but, with so much to see and the bison traffic jam we encountered, we were behind schedule. If you missed any of our “Living in the Moment” posts, check them out here: Just After Take Off, Day 1, Day 2 Mammoth Hot Spring, Day 2 Traffic Jam, Day 2 Undine Falls and Lava Creek.

Finding good food and a great place to eat is a real challenge in most National Parks. Yellowstone is no exception. The park is huge and the number of places available for food are small. In addition, the menu options are limited. The solution sounds like a pain in the rear end but it’s not. All it takes is a little planning, a couple of stops for supplies after picking up the rental vehicle and you’re set for the entire vacation. More on that in a later post.

It was sunny and the temperature was in the 60’s with the wind blowing 5-10 mph and gusts up to 15 mph. In other words, the weather was perfect for a picnic. It was close to 2 pm and we hadn’t eaten since 8 am that morning. Now the challenge was finding the perfect spot. The search continued for such a place where we could get some shelter from the wind to be able to use our MSR Pocket Rocket. It’s an awesome little stove, that when compacted, fits in the palm of your hand. We stopped at every turnout but nothing was just right. At one of the turnouts we saw this beautiful Pronghorn Antelope. Hunger pangs aside, we had to stop and get some photos since he posed up for us.

Finally, we came to an intersection with a dirt gravel road that said Slough Creek Campground, BINGO. Driving down the campground road, we found a perfect spot with a view above Slough Creek.

We pulled over, adjusted the van so that we blocked the wind on the passenger’s side and set up to cook lunch. The view of the valley and creek were absolutely beautiful. This was our spot!

We unloaded the van with the gear & food that was going to be prepared. Grilled cheese, fresh corn on the cob and an apple was on the menu. Frank began preparing the stove while I prepped the food. This menu would have tasted great at home but, food tastes so much better outside where you’re surrounded by mountains, a lake, the ocean or any place that makes you forget about all the troubles of the world. We took our time and savored every bite, view and moment. Our first lunch in Yellowstone National Park couldn’t have been more magical!

More to come next stop Trout Lake! We are still on Day 2! What???