Bess's jaw dropped.

"The whole park is covered with them," Nancy said as she started driving again. "Which is why Yellowstone is so special."

"I read the guidebook, too," Bess said teasingly. "The geysers are remnants of volcanoes that erupted around here millions of years ago. But I still can't believe it."

"Just wait until you see Old Faithful. It erupts about every hour and a half. And it will be right outside our window at the hotel," Nancy said.

"That's why I wanted to stay there," Bess replied.

Nancy shook her head and laughed at her friend. "You just didn't want to camp out, even though it would be better if we were closer to the study group."

"Oh, Nan, I can't!" she moaned. "I hate bugs, but even worse I hate sleeping on the cold, bumpy ground."

"Okay, okay," Nancy said. "You convinced me. But you may be passing up the chance to get close to a cute Emerson guy," she warned her friend.

Nancy stepped on the brake at an intersection. A sign pointed right to the Grand Loop Road and left to the inn and visitors center.

Before she could turn, a tour bus passed in front other. She followed it in the direction of the inn.

"It seems a bit early in the season for tour buses," Nancy said.

"It's probably better to get here before the main tourist season starts," Bess replied. "Is Ned meeting us at the hotel?"

"He said he'd try to. But the Emerson group is incredibly busy right now, gearing up for the end of this phase of the study," Nancy explained. "If he's not there when we arrive, we'll head over to the campsite after we check in."

The road grew steeper, and Nancy kept a safe distance between her white rental car and the bus in front. On the far side of the pass, the highway ran beside a gushing river.

"That must be the hotel," Bess said, pointing to the left. "Have you ever seen anything like it in your life?"

Nancy leaned forward and saw a building that was at least seven stories high with a slanted roof and rows of little dormer windows. Its walls were made of huge rough-cut logs stacked one on top of the other.