Jewel Cave, May 11

We visited Jewel Cave in South Dakota, and it was our first experience being so far under ground. The tour was somewhat cheesy at points, but I got some cool pictures and we learned some neat things.

We thought this looked kind of like bacon:

OHMYGODSOSPOOKY!

I forget what this is called, but it's really rare (the vertical straw-like bit, not the brains-like bits)

Cave popcorn:

This looks like guts or something equally gross...

And this is actually called "cave bacon" because it really looks like a strip of bacon. The right amount of water coming down at the right angle with just the right minerals will create this ribbon of bacony-goodness.

-Lily

Yellowstone National Park, May 8 and 9

Our trip through Yellowstone was incredible. We will post a regular blog about it as soon as we can, but for now, here are some photos of what we saw.


We saw bison everywhere. And even more bison poop even more everywhere! By the way, these animals are HUGE. You read that they're 2000lbs, but it doesn't really sink in until you see one in person.
Yellowstone has the highest concentration of hot springs and geysers in the world. And all that hot water underground makes for some beautiful mineral salts and explosive bubbling.







Just a pretty waterfall.

Morning Glory Hot Spring. Apparently it used to look even cooler than this!


Awesome green "living thermometer". The different minerals make different colors at different temperatures in the water.

This shot came out really well. It doesn't look like it actually exists on this planet.
-Lily

Monterey Bay Aquarium, Dec 22

Some pictures from our visit to Monterey Bay Aquarium with my Grandma.

These frogs were really cool looking.



I think most of my family has seen the jellyfish exhibit at the MB Aquarium, and more than one of us has taken pictures, but I still wanted to post my best shot:

And the awesomest animal in the ocean, the Leafy Seahorse! (Or weedy seahorse... It's cool regardless of its name)

-Lily

Long-awaited Zion NP photos! Nov 23

So these photos are six months late... But we honestly forgot that we'd never posted them! Enjoy. (as always, click the image for a larger size.)













This was a really huge bug we saw at one of the parking lots. It was about two or three inches long! I had to uncover it a couple of times to get a good shot; it kept crawling under the leaves.

Maybe I could sell this next photo for millions of dollars and we could continue this trip forever (translation: I think this photo came out fantastic!).


Coming soon are shots from Yellowstone and Badlands Nat'l parks.

-Lily