We visited Yellowstone during its shoulder season (late May). Most back roads and hikes were closed.
For example, we could not hike Mt. Washburn. The next best thing we could do was to stop at various outlooks to enjoy the views and take pictures. The one below is an outlook not far from the north entrance to Mt. Washburn. The outlook showcases the other side of the road (west view, most likely a view on Cook Peak), while Mt. Washburn is on the east side.
It was mid-afternoon already, and we were tired, so we went back to the hotel to get some rest and download pictures to the hard drives. Unfortunately, we had no internet. We considered buying some, but it was only available in the hotel’s main lobby. So it was an alternative, either rest or the internet. We chose rest. Restaurants were closed for the afternoon break (or whatever they have between breakfast and dinner).
We still wanted to visit the Canyon that day, so the resting period was short. At 5PM we went to the Canyon Village restaurant and, as expected, it was a pretty underwhelming experience. The food was not bad but definitely lacking in flavors, the food court type of food. The restaurant in the Canyon Village had several stations like Asian food, comfort food, and some other type of food. We tried the Asian version.
The Canyon, on the other hand, was a feast for our eyes. It was just beautiful. We took South Rim Drive all the way to the parking lot near Artist Point. We had no time for hiking that day, but the views from the outlooks were breathtaking.
On our way back we drove through North Rim Drive, but it was already too dark for any hikes, so we decided to return there in the next couple of days. We stopped by Upper Falls of the Yellowstone outlook to take a couple of pictures.
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