Yellowstone in Winter, Day 1

On January 4 2019, I flew out to Bozeman Mt for a week in Yellowstone's winter wonderland with Pam and James. Russ decided he had a lifetime of winter while living in star Lake and that he preferred to stay home in Florida with Stela.

I had seen pictures of snowy Yellowstone over the years and imagined how beautiful and fun it might be to visit when the roads go unplowed and you need to ride in on a snowmobile or in a 'snow coach' with huge, low-pressure wheels. In July, I got an email ad (probably because of my Grand Canyon walk two winters ago) touting the wonders of winter in Yellowstone and offering a big discount. I fell for it. Later I learned that the Christmas in July discount is not any better than the usually available Frosty Fun Package, but both are better than the rack rates.

It took a lot more planning during the fall to determine our dates and select our activities. That kept our excitement going. Finally, the day arrived.

I flew from Gainesville to Atlanta to Minneapolis to Bozeman. Pam and James from Richmond to Minneapolis to Bozeman. We arrived together on the final flight, checked in to our Bozeman hotel and walked through the city's quaint downtown before dinner back to the hotel. It was a smooth first day ending with a nice walk and good dinner.

First view of the mountains, from the ground, was at the airport.

Pam in Bozeman. The ornate brick buildings were mostly built by Irish laborers in the 1800s.

Bozeman has many restaurants, pubs, and shops in these old brick buildings. This pub's murals were notable.

Outside a brick pub

Downtown Bozeman

The original Ted's Montana Grill

The sidewalk cafe called to us only as a photo opp on this snowy Friday afternoon