[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ Yellowstone Up Close and Personal Chat Page Version 1.60 ] [ FAQ ]
Posted by Ballpark Frank (66.58.238.35) on 13:18:50 07/23/12
In Reply to: I've also always been taken with the interior posted by Granite Head
Notice I did not place a question mark after "Lodge" in the subject line.
Lake Lodge is by far my most favorite visitor use building in Yellowstone, excluding the visitor centers. I am nowhere near as enthusiastic about the revered Old Faithful Inn, maybe because it is a victim of its fame. The place is a mob scene most of the time!
On the flip side, Lake Lodge sports that incredibly spacious lobby that invites visitors to relax and linger a while. Being a student of human behavior, I love to wander through the lobby, and make note of all the creative ways visitors spend time there. Over the years, I have witnessed birthday parties, card parties, and even pizza parties. I have seen groups of Asian visitors unpacking their own traditional foods in there, and having a group dining experience. Decades ago, we learned that Lake Lodge was a great place to take our kids, when day after day of cold, rainy/snowy weather was taking its toll on their enthusiasm. They could run around, play table games, interact with other kids, and be themselves, without wearing rain gear and having their parents warn them about leaving the boardwalk or feeding wildlife.
I love the activity room, which is used by employees for everything from basketball to talent shows. The in between fun includes dances, movies, and a host of other athletic endeavors. Church services are held in that room. In recent years, I have seen visiting special interest groups use the room as a breakout room at a conference hotel. These include groups as diverse as hand surgeons and salespeople.
I'm a big fan of the cafeterias in Yellowstone, because they are a reasonably priced alternative to the dining rooms, yet still offer healthy options. The Lake Lodge cafeteria is the best in the bunch!
Then there is that spacious porch. There is no other wooden building in Yellowstone that holds as many special memories for me. One of the premier experiences was hanging out on that porch with a LARGE group of Loons one evening, a day or two prior to the Alison Memorial. Another memorable time was the night a group of us set up spotting scopes on the porch, and watched the East and Grizzly Fires torching trees in the Lake Butte and Sedge Bay areas. There have been countless other gatherings of Loons in that cafeteria. How many times has one group encountered another one in that room? I love the flexibility of being able to move the tables around, and expand to accommodate a larger assemblage. Ironically, Bison and I ran into Granite Head in that very space this past June 18!
Thanks, Granite Head, for your continuing trip report, and its diverse focus.
Ballpark
[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ Yellowstone Up Close and Personal Chat Page Version 1.60 ] [ FAQ ]