When you hear "National Park", you instantly think of Yellowstone or Grand Canyon. These national parks are symbolic of what it means to be a national park - grand views of prairies, rivers winding through the landscape, and sunsets that bask the scenery in orange. Yellowstone had always been at the top of my list and I finally got the chance to visit in May 2023 with some college friends. And the park delivered.

Looking back, I now view it as two types of Yellowstone:

• Geysers galore
• Animal safari

1. Geysers galore:

This is what Yellowstone is mainly known for. Geysers that spew hot water hundreds of feet into the air from deep within the earth. Geysers that boil just a few feet from the boardwalks, expelling sulfur reminiscent of rotten eggs. Geysers containing micro-organisms that can survive almost 200F water and produce rainbow-like colors.

While I enjoyed the geysers, they felt too "mainstream", "touristy", and "Disney-world like". They felt more like a tourist attraction with boardwalks and information panels than a majestic national park that I had hoped for. They are however very family-friendly and I would still consider them a "must-do" if visiting Yellowstone.

This brings me to point #2.

2. Animal safari:

This is where Yellowstone truly shines and what made me understand why Yellowstone is a symbol of a national park. On our last day at Yellowstone, where most of us were underwhelmed by the formulaic geyser experience so far, we ventured into Lamar Valley.

This is where a new world opened up and Yellowstone lived up to it's name. Lamar Valley is nestled deep in Yellowstone, away from the touristy boardwalks and dining halls/gift shops - land untouched. We left at 4AM so that we could get to Lamar Valley by 6AM, when most of the animals were out and about. Driving the single stretch of road in Lamar Valley, we were surrounded by valleys, lakes, rivers, mountains, prairies, and most importantly - wildlife. In just a few hours, we saw bears, wolves, bison, elk, and coyotes. I finally understood what Yellowstone stood for.

Place visited:

• Old Faithful
• Grand Prismatic Spring
• Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
• Mammoth Hot Springs
• Lamar Valley