Yellowstone National Park (Part 1)

Roosevelt Arch at Yellowstone National Park's Entrance

Engineer's office at Yellowstone

Mammoth Hotel

Store where we bought our souvenirs and our lunch

Mammoth Hot Springs

Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces were formed by rock fractures, heat and water with shades of orange, pink and green created by microorganisms in the water.

Liberty Cap- this 37 foot high hot spring cone is located in northern part of Mammoth Hot Springs area

Palette Spring- the water flows from a flat area and then down a steep ridge, creating a colorful hillside palette of brown, green, and orange (the colors are due to the presence of thermophiles- heat loving microorganisms) 

Another view of Palette Spring

Palette Spring

Another View of Palette Spring

Orange Spring Mound

Canary Spring

A map of Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces

Overlooking Main Terrace

Main Terrace,  a bit gloomy

Angel Terrace

Norris Geyser Basin

Norris Geyser Basin- one of the hottest and most dynamic of Yellowstone's hydrothermal areas

Fumaroles- or steam vent is the hottest hydrothermal features in the park

Whirligig Geyser- Living thermometer, orange color is around 122- 140F; green- 100-133F; "thermophile"- microorganisms that thrive in heat and living in geyser

Whirligig Geyser- green area is where the thermophilic algae lives, temperature ranges from 100to 133F while the orange area the temperature ranges from 122- 140F

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Our first stop during our road trip to Florida was at Yellowstone National Park.  We are relocating now to Florida, the sunshine state :-) so from Washington state we drove all the way to Florida, from West to East Coast, around 3,153 miles plus (if we are driving straight to our reserved hotel).

We had only few stops to see some scenic views along our way to Florida since our schedule was only limited to 1 week.  Our plan was to go straight to Orlando before heading to our main destination, which is at the northwest part of Florida, Hurlburt Field or if you're not familiar with that military air force base station, it's close to Fort Walton Beach or a 40minute to an hour drive to Pensacola.

We passed 12 states (in order):  Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi,  Alabama, Georgia, Florida.

We left Washington June 17th and arrived in Orlando, June 23rd. Our initial plan was supposed to be in Orlando by 22nd but we stayed 1 day in Kansas at our friend's house and took a rest for awhile.

June 17, our first day road trip- we took Interstate 90 via Spokane WA to Idaho and then stayed overnight in Bozeman, Montana.  It took us 12 hours our first day. We were all exhausted. We arrived around 12midnight and we were so hungry just bought KFC to go and ate at our hotel.

June 18- Went to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.  This was really in our itinerary I really have to see Yellowstone, I've been dying to see this park :-)  Due to our limited time we only spent 5 hours and only saw Mammoth Hot Springs, Norris Geyser Basin and Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and some wild animals while driving around the area.

Yellowstone National Park is the first national park in the world located in Wyoming, it also extends to Idaho and Montana. It is known to many wild life, geothermal features especially the famous "Old Faithful Geyser" which unfortunately I didn't see it but luckily I was able to see the Grand Canyon on Yellowstone :-) ....at least hehehe.

I will be posting more pictures of Yellowstone on my part 2.

Honda Bay Island Hopping, Palawan, Philippines (Our Third Day Tour)

On our way to Honda Bay

"Jeepney," Public Transportation in Palawan

We rented snorkeling gears here

Along Honda Bay while waiting for our boat, for our first tour, "Pambato Reef"

Our tour guide  (wearing his ID) was helping the old man to get off the boat

Pambato Reef, where boats are docked while people are snorkeling....what a gloomy day!

I think I'm one of them but not sure where I am hehehe

It's me!!! Can you see me???

My Dad! with the huge sea turtle on the background

Our next island destination, "Starfish Sand Bar"

Starfish Sandbar

Getting off the boat, at Starfish Sandbar

Boats along Starfish Sandbar, while the clouds are trying to say something.......rain!

The cottage

This was after the rain stopped

Our tour guide was preparing our lunch, slicing the barbecue

Our boatman showing the starfish to my son

Making a grasshopper out of coconut leaves

Grasshopper out of coconut leaves

"love birds"

Bruno Mars, ooppps nope, it's a witch! hehehe

My Dad can break a coconut! hehehe

My Dad trying to push the big beer hehehe

As we approach "Isla Pandan" or "Pandan Island"

Isla Pandan

Another shot at Isla Pandan, the sun did not show up 

My son carrying the big starfish hehehe

Wow massage by the beach

Bar /Store at Pandan Island

Kayak

Time to go home, the sun disappointed us

July 19, 2012- Honda Bay Tour, Island Hopping (Pambato Reef, Starfish Island/Sandbar and Pandan Island)

Our last tour from our tour package was the Honda Bay Tour.  That day the sun didn't cooperate with us, it was gloomy.  I didn't see much of the crystal clear water, maybe I would appreciate more if the sun showed up :-)  Anyways, still I love Palawan! ;-)

Our first destination was Pambato Reef, after few minutes of boat ride we stopped at pambato reef station where you can see the big sea turtle on top of the floating raft.  This raft is where you wait until your turn to snorkel.  There's a maximum of people that can occupy the waiting station and the number of people who can snorkel.  

I've been snorkeling before when we used to live in Hawaii so this was not new to me.  We enjoyed snorkeling especially my son, who loves swimming.  We saw a lot of different fish and corals.  Unfortunately we didn't have a waterproof camera and so no souvenir pictures under the sea and the camera protector/cover that my Dad rented was not working.  

Then after snorkeling we went to Starfish Island or Sandbar, as soon as we got off from the boat, the rain poured hard.  I was so scared because we were in the middle of the ocean and the waves were so big, the sky were so dark I thought we may get stranded on the island if the rain would not stop.  We were stuck in a small cottage and waited long for the rain to stop (we're afraid we may get wet hahaha).  I can't swim with that big waves and heavy rain, pretty scary!  By the time the rain stopped it's almost lunch time.  Our tour guide prepared some food to eat, this was included in our package.  But.....The food was not enough for all of us since we all like seafood, mangoes and shrimp paste or "bagoong" in Filipino.  If we've known that the tour guide will be bringing food, we should have bought and brought more seafood and fruits.  We told our tour guide that they should put more food or at least let the tourists/customers know if they want more food than what includes in the standard package.  After taking some pictures we headed already to Pandan Island since we were behind of our schedule because of the heavy rain, we didn't enjoy much in Starfish Island although it would be enjoyable if the sun came out.

When we were at Pandan Island it rained again,  we went swimming a little bit and then after an hour we changed our clothes already.  It was gloomy and you can't enjoy swimming if it's kind of dark.  Only on this island that you can take a shower and change your clothes. This island is pretty nice but the rain ruin our day and did not enjoy swimming in the beach.

We were so tired going home but still we enjoyed the island hopping,  there's still no place like Palawan.