アーカイブ年: 2020

Jet lag started suffering me, but I managed to wake up at 6 AM.

Breakfast offered by the hotel was continental breakfast and in addition, we could order cooked food.

After ordering continental breakfast and egg, I had black tea to make my mind clear.

I asked the bill wondering the amount I should pay (imagining that it was about $ 14 plus tip based on the amount in the menu table), but the lady said that I need to pay only for the continental breakfast (which was about $ 7). I told her several times that I should pay a little more, but she just smiled with a wink and said, “Don’t worry, Happy Friday!”. Therefore, I paid a little more tip than usual and thanked her kindness.

The travel started from Japan.
Firstly, I flew to Portland International Airport.
From Japan, the flight took about 8.5 hours.
Before flying to Bozeman Airport, there were about 4 hours so I just wandered in the Airport, took lunch and read book, checked the E-mail.
Next flight took about 1.5 hours and there were only two Asian people including me.

It was the first time for me to visit Bozeman Airport, but the atmosphere was cozy and comfortable.
Then I moved to Hilton Garden Inn Bozeman by the shuttle bus from the hotel.

This was my first time to visit Yellowstone in winter.
The reasons I visited in winter are;
・It is easier to watch wildlife compared to summer
・You can see some animals ONLY in winter time (including bighorn rams)

To see bighorn rams, which appears in “Krag, the Kootney Ram” by Ernest Thompson Seton, was my long time dream.
We can often see ewes and lambs, young rams in summer time, but couldn’t see rams with big horns before.
This is because rams tend to stay in higher altitude and only come down to lower places in winter.
Those are the reasons why I decided to travel Yellowstone in winter time.

After visiting Yellowstone in winter, I started to consider that maybe winter is the best season to visit there.
The reasons are;
・You can watch various kind of animals
・You don’t need to be worried about being chased after countless mosquitoes or encountering bears in close distance (as they hibernate in winter time)
・The Park is not so crowded
・Hotels are cheaper compared to summer

First of all,
・You can watch various kind of animals
Since the field is covered with snow, we could spot wildlife easily. Plus, regarding of wolves, as they finish their parenting and start preparing for breeding in February, our guide Daniel told us that it is easier to spot them compared to other seasons.

Also, a guided tour was a great solution for a traveler like me. Thanks to Daniel, there were many chances to see various kind of wildlife.

・You don’t need to be worried about being chased after countless mosquitoes or encountering bears in close distance (as they hibernate in winter time)

Plus, we don’t need to worry about encountering bugs, insects including mosquitoes or horseflies. Also, since bears hibernate during winter, we don’t need to worry about bumping into a bear whilst walking (although if we do not surprise or irritate them, bears may attack people).

・The Park is not so crowded
Yellowstone is crowded in summer time, especially from June to August. There are countless visitors from all over the world.
The atmosphere is lively, however, every hotels and the roads are crowded. Especially when wolves show up near roads, we need to wait for a while to park car and watch them.
Since it was in the middle of winter, there were few people in the Park. So even when there are wildlife like moose, goat, sheep near roads, traffic jam never happened. Restaurants were not crowded either.

・Hotels are be cheaper compared to summer
As mentioned above, hotels cost much in summer time. When it turns to winter, yes there are some tourists who come for ski or wolf watching, the prices are about half compared to summer.