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| Photo Credit: A. D. Getchius |
Articles: From Illinois to Yellowstone Where is CG Models Needed Drop Us A Line Our Favorite Websites
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| Photo Credit: A. D. Getchius |
Having never been to Yellowstone National Park, the idea was to make a quick jaunt and check out the park. Then later, in the early Fall, return to the park for a photo expedition. We were to drive for two days. Spend three days and nights in the park. Then drive for two days back to Urbana, Illinois. We would be home before the Memorial weekend.
Twenty miles into Wyoming I realized on paper my plan made sense but because of the magnificence of Wyoming it was a stupid idea. Wyoming, in the last week of May is a photographer's paradise. The topography seemed to change every twenty miles. You drive by buttes, rolling hills, wasteland, snowcapped mountains, canyons, waterfalls, streams, lakes and forest. With a speed limit of seventy-five miles an hour you can drive from one end of the state to the other within four to five hours. After spending five days in the state I knew Wyoming is a place I will be returning to again and again.
Soon I will be posting a complete article about our little trip but for now I will briefly describe some of the plusses and minuses that we observed about Wyoming and Yellowstone National Park. I'll start with the plusses. In Wyoming, a week before Memorial day, driving on I -90 is like having the whole highway to yourself. You can drive for miles without seeing a car in front or behind you. The people I did meet in towns and at stops along the highway were all very friendly. An oddity about I- 90 in Wyoming is that there are so many sections of the highway that if you look to your left there is one type of topography and if you look to your right it will be completely different. As a photographer I found this to be a delight. I could spend a month just photographing everything I viewed on I -90.
Driving west, about halfway between Gillette and Sheridan you can start to see the mountains on your left hand side. On the right hand side you will see cattle grazing on rolling hills. It's as though Colorado is on your left and Southern Illinois is on your right. About ten miles west of Sheridan we turned off I- 90 and took the scenic version of Route 14 to Yellowstone. The scenic State Route 14 will take you through the Bighorn National Forest and the Shoshone National Forest. The road in the Bighorn National Forest is two lanes and it winds up and down the mountains. Its a beautiful and awesome drive with many roadside stops. It is well worth your time to pull over and take advantage of these scenic stops. You will experience waterfalls, interesting rock formations, canyons and Aspen groves. I could have spent days hiking around the Bighorn Forest.
Just west of the Bighorn National Forrest the state highway becomes flat. After about an hour you enter the city of Cody and then soon after you start to drive through Shoshone National Forest. While there are mountains all around you the drive is rather easy but still very scenic. It is here that I spotted a black bear in a stream and latter witnessed two two bighorns on a cliff. Leaving the Shoshone National Forest you enter Yellowstone National Park.
You have to pay to get into Yellowstone and when you drive up to the gates there are many toll booths. Only two were open on the day we drove up and there was only one RV in front of us. Entering from the east side of the park I am told is very beautiful but both times on our way in and way out it was foggy and snow was falling. So while we could not look out while we climbed the mountains and see the view, nevertheless, both my wife and I were in awe of what was around us. You will drive by lakes and steams and with the snow it was incredibly beautiful.
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| View of Lake Yellowstone from lodge |
As we got closer to Lake Yellowstone the weather changed drastically, Instead of snow we had sunshine and we started seeing the animals. We stayed at the Lake Yellowstone Lodge which had a beautiful view of Lake Yellowstone.
I saw a lot at Yellowstone during our three days in the park. Too much to try to describe here. So keep an eye out for the complete article of the trip. But I would be remiss if I did not mention by going to the park during the time that we did I was happy to discover the flood of tourists had yet to invade the park. When we hiked we were alone and when we drove on the east side of the park there were few cars on the road. This was a huge plus for me.
Now for the minuses. The first night we stayed at Lake Yellowstone Lodge the temperature in our room never got above the low fifties. We complained and they gave us an extra blanket. The whole time we were there I do not believe the room temperature ever got above sixty-two degrees. Other lodge guests had the opposite problem. Their rooms were way too hot. At two hundred dollars a night I think they should be able to correct the problem. The food in the dinning room was mediocre at best. Twice I ordered baked potato and it was cold both times. We soon learned there was a deli in the lodge and its sandwiches were pretty good. Others also discovered the deli and while in line we all engaged in conversation about our adventures in the park
While the staff was friendly they were also not trained properly and very slow. But here I have to give them a break. The lodge had only opened a couple of day before we arrived and most of the staff were college students on summer jobs. I imagine their professionalism will improve greatly as each day goes by. This lack of training of staff was apparent throughout the park. I ordered a hamburger at the Old Faithful General Store and the cook had problems cooking it. But if you happened to have someone wait on you who had worked there last year everything was fine.
Gas prices in the park were steep. $2.32 a gallon in the park and a $1.92 in Cody.
Visiting the park before the memorial weekend means you have a less of a chance in seeing bears than you would later in the summer. Many of the trails are closed because of bear activity. During spring, mother bears are very protective of their cubs and the park service works hard to keep separate the human population from the bear residents. While I considered the weather and its constant changing a plus others might find this a hardship. You should be sure to wear layered clothing. In a minute it will be in the low twenties then the next minute you might be experiencing temperatures in the forties or even low fifties. Also be sure to have snow tires on your car or chains.
Well that gives you a general idea of what I experienced in seven days. Like I said previously, I will be writing more on this subject at a later time. I have posted a few pictures in Galleries IV and V. Hope you enjoy them. CG
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Some new photos of Wyoming and Yellowstone National Park (Last photo
added to gallery, July 12th, 2004)
Over the next thirty odd days I will be staying close to home. Planned at this moment are camping trips to Moraine View State Park and Kickapoo State Park. Also I will be doing some photography in the Chicago area. There are a couple of spots in Mclean County, Illinois that I will be checking out. And as usual I will be spending a lot of time at the Champaign County Forest Preserves. So, if you see me out on location feel free to stop and say hi.
We are now looking to hire three female models for a couple of projects that will taking place in the Champaign-Urbana area. If you are interested please email us at clgphoto@clgphotos.com.. Just tell us a little about yourself and employment history and be sure to include your email address in the body of the message You do not have to send a photo at this time. That will occur in the follow up. While no experience is necessary, payment will be based on experience and difficulty of assignment. This modeling work will be predominately outside and early in the morning or during the late afternoon. We are looking for women who have the appearance of being between the ages of twenty-one and forty.
If you have an opinion or a suggestion about this website feel free to contact us. Also if you are aware of locations in central Illinois that are ideal for photographing landscapes or animals please let us know. Our email address is clgphoto@clgphotos.com.