National Parks

Good evening to you from my lounge chair in the Grand Tetons National Park. It's the third national park in a week, following the Badlands, and Yellowstone.

Each park has its own unique features, its own personality. The Badlands were rightly named for the desolate region in the southwest of South Dakota. Of the three national parks, I'd say the Badlands appeared most "other-worldly". It was like I was on another planet - beyond the 2001 space odyssey. I honestly could say I was surprised by what I saw.

Yellowstone was no surprise. Virtually everyone has heard of it - being the oldest national park in the world, who wouldn't know at least something about it? Going into it, I knew what to expect, or I thought I knew. During our exploration of the park I was continually amazed at the sheer number of geological features all squeezed into one area. You've got mountains, forests, meadows, rivers, lakes, canyons, waterfalls, tons of hot springs, geysers, cauldrons, etc. On top of that, no two hot springs or geysers, or whatever, was the same! Oh yeah, did I mention the countless animals we saw?

Just to the south of Yellowstone lies the Grand Tetons. What this mountain range lacks in breadth and distance is made up by its intensity, ruggedness, and beauty. Indeed, I have never seen mountains quite like this. Jackson Lake flanks the eastern part of the Tetons, and the mountains seem to rise out of lake to heights above 13,000 feet. Now I wish I had a house here to stay during the summer. It's SO nice here!

Pic of the Day

It's a picture of my family, yes. But behind is in my opinion the best Yellowstone has to offer.
Sitting for a photo in front of the Grand Prismatic Spring.