We seem to visit Yellowstone National Park every couple of years: we stayed in a rental trailer in 2021, stayed for a couple of weeks in our coach in 2023, and here we are visiting for nine days in 2025.
This time, we just concentrated on our favorite locations, for the most part, visiting different areas each day, or more accurately each evening after work during the week.
On our first evening, we visited the Canyon area. Here’s our route:
Grand Canyon of Yellowstone:
We took a scenic drive around the upper Keweenaw Peninsula of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Here’s an interactive map of our route, heading counter/anti-clockwise (Jenn recently pointed out that I always write “anti-clockwise”, but “counter-clockwise” is the typical American form; my Kiwi roots showing again):
Lake Linden:
The beginning of US 41:
Copper Harbor:
Copper Harbor Overlook, with a view of Lake Superior:
Esrey Park overlook:
Eagle Harbor lighthouse:
Jacob’s Falls:
Keweenaw snow thermometer:
Quincy Mine Hoist:
We did a pregame tour and attended a game of the Pittsburgh Pirates vs the Chicago White Sox at the Pirates’ ballpark, PNC Park.
Jenn’s game summary:
We took a tour of the park before the game, and it’s a lovely ballpark. A beautiful view of the skyline and numerous neat touches throughout—plantings and artwork that tie the present to the past. The team has a rich history and shows much respect for its roots. The current team, however, is not good. Blown out by the White Sox, who are also one of the worst teams—an embarrassment. Still, the fans show up to root for “the Bucs”. Cute pierogi race between innings and a Warhol cam to salute a famous son of the city.
An interactive map of the ballpark and environs:
PNC Park:
Exhibits:
Pirates logos:
Exploring PNC Park:
A suite:
Tenders and fries:
View from our seats in Section 115, row S, seats 27 & 28:
Preparing home plate:
Play ball:
Warhol Cam:
Nachorita:
Race:
Mascot:
Scores:
Crew credits:
We drove our coach 233 miles, about four hours of driving, from Plattekill, New York to Bellefonte, Pennsylvania.
Here’s a map showing our route, heading west:
An interactive map, with potential stops pinned:
Paladin on the dash:
I-84 West:
Welcome to Pennsylvania:
Rest area:
Rain:
Exit to Scranton:
Roadworks:
Exit to I-81 South:
President Biden Expressway:
Exit to I-80 West:
Deer on the side of the freeway:
More patches than road:
Rest area:
Roadworks:
Exit to Bellefonte:
Roadworks making the road one-way:
Arriving at Bellefonte Campground:
The second of two games of the New York Yankees vs our Seattle Mariners at Yankee Stadium in New York.
We visited their Monument Park:
And their museum:
Some Benihana for dinner:
View from our seats in Section 124, Row 10, Seats 17 & 18:
Starting lineups:
Marking home plate:
Cal:
Keys to the game:
Seat selfie:
Mariners warming up:
Play ball:
A nearby fan caught a foul ball:
Run scores:
Exploring the ballpark:
More food:
Dancing grounds crew and train:
Run scores:
80’s in the 8th:
Tied game:
Alas, Yankees win again:
We attended a couple of games of the New York Yankees vs our Seattle Mariners at Yankee Stadium in New York.
Jenn’s game summary:
A very nice stadium. Even though it’s not the original one, they imbued it with some classic touches and filled it with old ghosts and memories. The game did not start well for the M’s, with Luke Evans giving up three runs in the first, which wound up being the number of runs they lost by. The Yankees starting pitcher, Schlittler, made his MLB debut and pitched five strong innings, striking out 7. The M’s went deep four times, including Cole Young’s first major league homer. It still wasn’t enough to overcome the early hole, alas. Pleasantly surprised by how friendly all the Yankees fans near us were—they seemed impressed by my scorekeeping.
An interactive map of the ballpark:
Our seats in Section 124, Row 1, Seats 7 & 8:
Exploring the ballpark:
Sundae:
Exploring again:
Dancing grounds crew:
Rain:
Play in review:
Scores… the Mariners with lots of runs, but Yankees had more:
After the game:
After our two tours of Fenway Park, we attended part of a game of the Boston Red Sox vs the Cincinnati Reds.
Jenn’s game summary:
Took two different Fenway tours before the game—one more history-oriented, one where we got to go on the warning track and then watch batting practice from the Green Monster seats. It was pretty fun to watch the homers go over our heads or come very near us. Not a bad vantage for a game, but spendy! We changed our tickets from grandstand seats to loge box ones and got to see three innings before the game was postponed due to severe thunderstorms. A pity, because I was really digging the vibe. The Red Sox did win it the next day.
An interactive map of the ballpark:
Outside Fenway:
Free fans handed out on entry, which was appreciated; it was rather hot:
Concourse:
Exhibits:
Bobbleheads:
Concourse:
View from our seats; our original seats were Grandstand 16, Row 4, Seats 5 & 6; after experiencing how uncomfortable those seats were, we changed them to Section Loge Box 133, Row DD, Seats 5 & 6:
Seat selfie:
Mascots:
Play ball:
There is netting above the seats behind home plate (rather unusually). A ball landed on the netting, rolled down, and got stuck:
Run scores:
Interesting hot dog vendor box:
And pretzel vendor:
Nasty weather on the way:
Unconvered the tarp:
Covering home plate and the mound:
Unrolling the tarp:
Game delayed:
LL Bean Keeping your Sox Dry:
Weights for the tarp:
Take cover:
Tarp on the field:
We left, as we could tell the rain wouldn’t stop for hours. The game was eventually postponed.
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains.
We visited Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Connecticut.
Mystic Aquarium had some fond memories for Jenn:
Map:
Beluga:
Sea lions:
Seals:
Belugas:
Fish:
Touch tank:
Sharks:
Stingrays:
Fish:
Coral:
Jellyfish:
We drove around the main park loop in Acadia National Park in Maine, including the main visitor center, a nature center, Thunder Hole, and Jordan Pond.
Here’s an interactive map of our route:
The Wild Gardens of Acadia:
Thunder Hole Gift Shop:
Thunder Hole:
We went to Jordan Pond House for dinner:
Jordan Pond:
