This past July I set out on a near cross country adventure with my sister Chloe Riley and cousin Merry Ward with the final destination being Yellowstone National Park. Merry did all the heavy lifting of planning the trip, (thankfully) because anyone that really knows me is aware that I am not one to plan anything. I was crazy excited about the trip in general but didn't anticipate Yellowstone being a high point of the trip. I love nature and natural wonders but I really didn't expect the park to blow me away. My thought process was that the land would be beautiful and I'd have a good time but it was, after all, just land. I figured at the very least I'd just get to check a box off of my ever-so-long bucket list. Little did I know that within minutes of driving onto Yellowstone grounds I would be floored.

1. The Wildlife

Being from Nowhereville, North Carolina I'm no stranger to the wildlife. Nearly everyone I know has either hit a deer with their car or their car has been hit by a deer. It isn't unusual to flick on the porch light at night to see an opossum chowing down on the cat food, and you're just lying to yourself if you say a raccoon has never strewn trash around your yard. Part of me figured the animals would be about the same in Yellowstone, the only difference being there would be new animals to see. We were just out of eye sight from the entrance gate when we were forced to stop in the road. A massive Bison was taking a leisurely stroll down the middle of the two lane road. We eased along behind him until a park ranger showed up and waved us around. As we sat not three feet away from his huge body he barely bothered to glance in our direction.

Later on that same day we pulled off the road to climb up a hill and look at some Elk grazing in the distance. The three of us stood on the side of the hill facing the car discussing how majestic these

beast looked just minding their own business. A van full of people pulled over beside our car and a man in the passenger seat pointed up in our direction. I just figured he was pointing at the elk until he yelled "Behind you!" We whipped around to see a Bison had soundlessly come over the hill to stand just a few yards behind us. We scurried down the hill, hearts beating, afraid that at any minute he would charge and flatten us. Instead he just flopped down in a dirt hold and rolled around.

I still cannot get over the fact that they weren't scared of the human presents that surrounded them. In fact they didn't even act like they noticed people were there at all. Generally when you encounter a wild animal here at home they quickly dash away in fear. In Yellowstone the roles are almost completely reversed! Merry said it best when she explained, "Well, we are visiting them. This is their home."

2. The Landscape

Yellowstone is made up of serval different ranges of mountains and peaks. I knew the landscape would drastically differ from the good ole flat lands of NC but I wasn't just head over heels excited about it. I expected the differences to be a minor part of my excitement. I'd only been to the mountains one time in my whole life and that was on a field trip to the Smokeys here in North Carolina. While still beautiful, they paled in comparison to the breath taking peaks that shot up from the grounds of Yellowstone. Every where we looked I felt like I'd jumped straight into a painting hanging in a museum. I honestly couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that what I was seeing was real! I snapped picture after picture but none could fully capture what the sunlight looked like pouring in through the aspen groves. There are no words that can use to get across just how blue the water was that rushed down rocky river beds.

At one point we pulled over at a Ranger Station and followed some moose prints into the woods. They led us to the most picturesque rushing river I've ever even dreamed of seeing. Tall lodge pole pines lined the river banks with rich greens and browns. A few lie fallen over the water in a perfect natural bridge. Chloe and I shuffled over it and watched in awe as the water rushed below us. I quickly discovered that what we consider to be rocks here in Southern North Carolina are mere pebbles. Enormous rocks jutted up breaking the surface of the water. We jumped from rock to rock pausing only to figure out the next move. Being the klutz I am, I slipped and fell in. I was instantly met with the beyond freezing water. It was so cold my legs almost immediately went numb. Once I got over that shock I was amazed by the fact that my feet hadn't sunk three inches in mud like they do in The Black River at home. Only rocks covered the river bed.

I woke up every morning and looked out the window or the tent door only to have my breath taken away by what surrounded me. I couldn't, and still can't, get over the fact that this land mass that is the US of A could contain such drastically different landscapes.

3. The People
 

To pass the long car rides the three of us kept track of how many states we spotted the license plate for. By the time we made it to Yellowstone majority of the states had received a check, but I can guarantee there was a family from every one of our fifty states present at the park as well as several from different parts of Canada. It was pretty amazing to me that people from different countries that had made a trip to the United States for vacation chose a national park. I would have thought the big cities would be what drew people in.

It is always an amazing experience to stand along side people from all different walks of life and just marvel together. It didn't matter where we came from we were all there at the same place with the same goals. While everyone takes a different experience away from Yellowstone, we all leave with the same wonderful appreciation of what the park offers. As well as a keen awareness of just how different our accents are.

4. The Park Rangers

By the time we left Yellowstone I had basically convinced myself that I'm supposed to major in forestry and become a park ranger. Their job is amazing. Every ranger we came across was extremely knowledgeable about the park and everything in it. They never made us feel like we were asking a stupid question and they were always willing to go out of their way to help us out. It's touching to see just how much these people truly care about Yellowstone. They work to ensure the safety of not just the park itself but the people in it.

At one point along the way we went out on a night tour of the prairie. Two rangers took a group of us out with only our flashlights and Merry's binoculars in tow. As if just being out in a totally new landscape at night wasn't enough, the rangers brought things to our attention that I wouldn't have noticed had I been by myself. They pointed out the smells of a few wild herbs, the sounds of bats fluttering over our heads, and the noises (or lack of) that my brain had already chosen to ignore. They work extremely hard so people like us can enjoy national parks.

5. To Support The National Parks Service
 

Not only Yellowstone, but all of our countries national parks are truly amazing places. Unfortunately, they're taking a hit. The funding for national parks is being cut but almost 5%. That may seem like a small fraction but the reality is that 5% of the funding for Yellowstone alone is just over 1 million dollars. The park is having to cut back on staffing, open later in the year, cut out several ranger led programs, and lay off some of the park staff. When a long term ranger was asked about what these cut backs will mean she states, "longer lines at the park entrance, decreased visitor center hours, and dirtier bathrooms."

These parks are a precious resource here in the United States that deserves everyone's attention. Generally, when you ask people where they would like to travel given the opportunity. I find the answer usually lies in another country. I myself have been guilty of answering the same thing. What a lot of people don't realize is that there are wonders like you could never imagine right here in our own country that you can hop into your car and drive to. The national parks have so much to offer for people of all walks of life. For these reasons I believe Yellowstone Nation Park should top your travel list.