Yay Yellowstone!

You would think that after six months traveling the US, we could say we've about seen it all. Zion, Yosemite, Sequoia, Big Bend, Grand Canyon, White Sands...to name a few hot spots, with their jaw-dropping views. These national parks took us to another place, then, we entered Yellowstone, and put the rest to shame! Our original vision of Yellowstone; Yogi Bear, Jellystone and Boo-Boo, not hypnotic hot springs, or up-close grizzly cubs! To add to the experience, we had the privilege of sharing this unforgettable adventure with our grandparents - something we will never forget! At it's most basic level, Yellowstone National Park is a 3,500-sq.-mile wilderness recreation area atop a volcanic hot spot. Yep - lots and lots of volcanic action up in here!

Mostly in Wyoming, the park spreads into parts of Montana and Idaho too. It's mind-boggling! Yellowstone is not a day-trip, plan on at least a week here! The park features dramatic canyons, alpine rivers, lush forests, hot springs and gushing geysers, including its most famous, Old Faithful. We've always heard of 'ye ole Faithful' but never really understood what it was all about - literally blew us away to see it in action. The Grand Prismatic is out-of-this-world beautiful and even though our conditions were a little overcast - the views still killed! Who would have thought stinky, sulphur smelling puddle of water could be so gorgeous - so breath-taking, you forget all about the odor. Yellowstone is also home to hundreds of animal species, including bears, wolves, bison, elk and antelope. Honestly we could not believe it, but we saw all of these animals - including a fox, marmot and baby eagle. The zoo is gonna be hard to appreciate after this up close invitation. So why Yellowstone? Why come explore, here are some points to ponder and entice: 1. It's the world's first national park. Sure there were other parks before YS, but on March 1, 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed a bill establishing Yellowstone National Park and it's history led to the conservation of our national treasures. 2. Yellowstone is bigger than two US states 3. A veteran of the Lewis and Clark expedition may have been the first American to see Yellowstone. 4. One of Yellowstone’s earliest explorers was stranded there for 37 days. 5. The park sits atop the largest supervolcano in North America. 6. Yellowstone was originally nicknamed “Wonderland.” 7. The U.S. Army ran the park for over 30 years. 8. Yellowstone includes the nation’s oldest herd of bison. 9. The park once featured a “bear lunch counter.” 10. Old Faithful is not as faithful as it once was. Do yourself a favor, when planning your next vacation, stop and think about a National Park, think about this park. Yellowstone will change your idea of exploration, vacation, travel and will open your mind to a whole new way towards rest, tranquility and adventure.