I’ve been helping Yellowstone visitors plan their time in the park since 1987–first at the Old Faithful Inn and the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center, then back home with friends and family and even people I’ve met on the internet. Here are a few favorite places and tips for mapping out a satisfying Yellowstone vacation.
What’s true on the trail is true in life: Planning a trip to Yellowstone might be intimidating but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Just take it one step at a time.
Yellowstone Basics
Let’s go to Yellowstone!
Writing Tools I Use
Writing involves more than writing. The writing life involves a lot of reading and observing. Most of my writing is done at my desk, and I occasionally get to spend a few happy hours writing outside in Yellowstone. These are a few of the go-to items I use for...
My 5 Favorite Yellowstone Stops
After a summer of working in Yellowstone and four decades of annual visits to the park, a trip to Yellowstone feels like going home. This is at once a blessing and a curse. With so many places to revisit, check in on, and catch up with, it’s hard to branch out to new...
Postcard from Yellowstone: Bobby Socks Trees
Once upon a time, I worked in Yellowstone—at the Old Faithful Inn Gift Shop, where I spent part of each day restoring the great wall of postcards. These days, the postcard wall is smaller, which makes me sad. Postcards are more than souvenirs. They’re a way of looking...
Hiking Gear We Use
I know of a few winter hikers. For most of us, though, hiking is an activity left to the more temperate seasons. With spring upon us, I wanted to share some things we're gathering for the coming hiking season. Hiking/Trekking Poles: In terms of stability and speed,...
Postcard from Yellowstone | Clear Lake
Once upon a time, I worked in Yellowstone—at the Old Faithful Inn Gift Shop, where I spent part of each day restoring the great wall of postcards. These days, the postcard wall is smaller, which makes me sad. Postcards are more than souvenirs. They’re a way of looking...
Lesson from Midlife | New Footing for a New Life
Early this winter, before the cold set in and the snow headed south (both with a vengeance, I might add), I wore my hiking boots to a basketball game. This is significant because, up until that evening, I had never worn those boots anywhere but Yellowstone. That...
Camping Gear We Actually Use 2026
We had a rare but not unheard-of March blizzard last weekend. My husband used the time to prepare our camping gear for the coming season. Here’s a collection of stuff we actually use when we head out west. Eating & Drinking At the campsite, we use an...
Postcard from Yellowstone: Mallard Lake
Postcards. They're more than a souvenir. More than a way to say Thinking of you! or Wish you were here! They're a way of seeing and sharing. Small by design, a postcard from Yellowstone can capture a moment. In that spirit, for you: A postcard from Yellowstone Hi...
Lesson from Yellowstone: From Old Faithful to Everyday Life
I have a love-hate relationship with paper. I’ve never met a notebook, or a post-it note, or a planner I didn’t like. At the same time, I have no idea how to manage the mountains of paper that find their way into my home. Because my husband is efficient,...
2025 Gift Guide
It's that time of year. We're searching for ideas for that special something for that special someone. Last year, one of my author-friends asked me to pair my book with a gift idea for her readers. This year, I asked some of my nature-writing friends to do the same....
“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to pray in and play in, where Nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike.” ~ John Muir
