Yellowstone National Park
Ultimate Yellowstone National Park
Finally, getting to Yellowstone National Park was a dream come true. Yellowstone National Park was established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by Ulysses S. Grant in March1 1872. The park is a geothermal wonderland. Hissing geysers, bubbling mud pots, and steaming hot springs are part of this staggering landscape.
Yellowstone was the first national park in the U.S. and also the first national park in the world. The vast majority of the park is in Wyoming, but it creeps into Montana and Idaho, and it is larger than the states of Delaware and Rhode Island combined. Apparently, it is the biggest and most diverse National Parks anyone ever visits. We knew we didn’t have a chance to see even a minuscule part of the park in the time we had available to us, as we were on a fairly tight schedule, as opposed to those who go there for a longer period of time. Anyway, the planning of our travel organizations was perfect. They included all the parts that are defined, repeatedly, as must-see main landmarks and attractions of Yellowstone. They made sure that we got the most out of our short stay there. The parts we saw are few and far between, considering the size of the park.
According to sources, there are approximately 10,000 remarkable geothermal features in Yellowstone Park, and the best known is Old Faithful.
Thousands of gallons of steaming water thunder into the sky with each eruption. It is believed that Old Faithful is as faithful today as it was 150 years ago. In recent years the geyser has erupted at an average of every 79 minutes. Since we were visiting National Parks in July 1997, we were warned that it was the busiest season with the crowd around the most popular attractions. That being said, we found that it was hushed around Old Faithful, the most popular attraction in Yellowstone Park. When we got there, we had just missed the eruption and had to wait. It was interesting to wait and time it. Lo and behold, it did erupt in just over 70 minutes. It was exciting. Everyone cried out at this amazing sight of stunning natural wonder erupting right in front of their very eyes. The best part was that the eruption lasted long enough to admire the geyser and take plenty of photos.
Old Faithful is in the Upper Geyser Basin, home to 25% of the world’s geysers. We walked along the paths where we saw many geysers and thermal features. Our walk through the Upper Geyser Basin brought us to the Morning Glory Pool, our favorite for its beautiful colors and nature’s artistry. The pool gets its name because it resembles the morning glory flower. It is no longer as deep blue as it once was because its vents are clogged by debris visitors have thrown into it.
Not far from the Morning Glory Pool in Yellowstone National Park, noises from bubbling mud pots call attention. Mud pots are acidic hot springs enough to dissolve the surrounding rocks and lack water in their system. This viscous clay-water mixture creates a muddy area through which gases gurgle and bubble. Gas or water vapor thermally heated rises through the mud creating the bubbles seen on the surface. It was the most intriguing scene, which sent shivers down my spine.
The next attraction was the Old Faithful Inn in the heart of the park. It is a National historic landmark and the world’s largest log cabin structure. It was built of native logs and stone at the turn of the century. You can see Old Faithfull erupt, standing right in front of it. Walking in, we found a historic lobby with a fire going. A large lobby and yet very warm, cozy, and comfortable.
From Yellowstone, we left for the spectacular Grand Teton National Park. On the way, we stopped for a photo op of Firehole Falls, which rushes through Geyser country. Its waters are warmed by hot springs along the riverbed. A shot of Firehole Falls was well worth treasuring forever.
Grand Teton National Park occupies the majority of Jackson Hole valley. Craggy peaks of the Grand Teton Range looked like shiny silver, jeweled celestial neckless – its peaks rising as high as 7000 feet off the valley floor simply left us dumbfounded. We were offered a scenic boat trip down the river to catch the most dramatic and varying views of the Teton skyline, sections of the river, and surrounding terrain, making the experience overwhelming while meditational. I think this boat trip seemed like the most essential part of the trip – It is the way to do it.
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