A Yellowstone Dream Come True - My Family Travels
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Last summer, when I went on a family trip, was the BEST summer of my entire life. The memory of that special vacation is forever imprinted into my memory… and I smile to myself as I sweetly reveal my story to you.

When my parents first told me that we were going on a family vacation I just—shrugged. But then they told me it was a trip toYellowstone National Park.I was so excited that I could hardly sleep the next few weeks. As a child I always loved the outdoors and often dreamed of going to Yellowstone. Now my dream had become a reality and I was PUMPED about it!I waited and waited until finally my family and I jumped into the suburban and drove to Wyoming. Several days later we reached the park and when we finally did I felt my eyes widen as big as saucers. Adrenaline rushed through my veins as I took in the beautiful scenery before me. The trees, perhaps thousands upon thousands of years old, stood magnificently erect above everything else, their branches brushing the very tips of the clouds. Animals roamed around freely, unafraid of hunters and fat with an abundance of food.

Before we headed over to the hotel we stopped for a quick family hike. It was very simple with nice scenery. We heard clapping and watched as a lady slowly turned the corner clapping her hands loudly and looking around her in anticipated fear. When she saw us her face grew red. She tried to play it off by walking casually away. Her husband was right behind her, clearly annoyed. It was hilarious because the woman really thought that she would see a bear. After our “hike” we drove further into the park to eat. We found a restaurant (if you would call it that) made of logs. I gorged myself with the last decent meal I would have for days. As we finished eating my parents suddenly surprised us. “Who wants to sleep in the car?” my dad asked randomly. What had happened was this: we came early and our hotel reservation wasn’t until the next day. So the first night I spent in Yellowstone was sleeping in the suburban on top of the luggage. My back was snapped in two and we looked like we just came out of a jungle but we survived. We lodged in the Snow Lodge Inn and discovered that there wasn’t any air conditioning or television. The next few days we visited geysers and hiked.

There are dozens of bison and caribou. I got within 10 feet of a female caribou. That was one of my favorite moments of the trip. Another is when we found a small river and had the nerve to see who could stand on a rock about halfway into the river. Of course my father tried first and he made it… but almost slipped from the rock’s slippery surface. I tried next and made it also but…I slipped. The first thought I had when I fell back into the freezing mountain water was: River Monsters. River Monsters is a show about how Jeremy Wade travels all over the world searching for large, man-killing fish living in the depths of murky rivers. So needless to say I sort of—freaked out. I laugh at it now because it was so stupid. The river was hardly big enough to be called a river. It was more like a creek, except deeper. One day I’ll take my kids there. I’ll never forget my incredible journey. Never.

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2 Replies to “A Yellowstone Dream Come True”

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  • Prisca

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  • Prisca

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  • Ana Katrina Lopez

    Thank you for these tips on how to plan a family safari! I’d like to be able to take my whole family and show them the beauty of Africa. But it always seemed so daunting to plan a whole trip that everyone would enjoy. I mean there’s always the age differences, and differences in interest as well to think about. Just thinking of ensuring that everything goes well planned is stressing me out. That’s why I turned to the internet in search of tips! Definitely will use your tips on how to choose a safari.

  • Kristen

    Very good tips. We all should follow these tips for a safe road trip. Thanks for the great help.

  • Kiran

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    i will be travelling for the 1st time from adelaide to melbourne this month end. it will be of grt help.

  • Vouch

    Soon I’ll be planning a trip to Dubai. Thanks for the information about what’s worth visiting.

  • Hello Lansdell family! This is a great place for a long weekend of outdoors exploration and a beautiful park. In late May, a new business is opening = https://www.floattheriver.net/ = which will run float trips on inner tubes on portions of the river. I asked some locals and they suggested that after biking and hiking and riding the train, your kids might enjoy day trips to nearby Canton, Akron or Cleveland. Each has lots of Metroparks (the public system of urban parks) and museums, etc to do and see. With some planning, all your days can be as full of variety as you would like. We hope you have a wonderful trip.

  • Dave

    How did you get around the Darien Gap?

  • CJ Sunny

    Thank you for sharing these warm and touching thoughts of yours! I’ve only been the Belarus once, but I wish I read it before going, something in my experience would definitely be different then. I did use some advise – from the telegram channel for foreigners https://t.me/Belanews but I guess your opinion would be great to consider and embrace too.

  • Devon Lansdell

    Thanks for all the info. We are planning on going in August, and are trying to find a nature-centered vacation for our family of 4, kids ages 7 and 4. We are from Southern Ontario, Canada and we came across this national park. Would you recommend this place for 3-4 days? Is there enough to do (hiking, train rides, exploring etc)? Somewhere else? We also looked at the Smoky Mountains but its about a 11-12 hours vs the 5-6 hours to Cuyohoga. Any advice would be helpful.

  • SKYFAREZ

    That place is really amazing. I want to spend my vacations on this beautiful place. Thanks for sharing this nice information.

  • Anonymous

    I've been there last year. If someone is looking for a nice hotel I can highly recommend to take a look at the Hotel Rappen Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

  • andymark

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  • Alexis Meyers

    The gardens of Suzhou are absolutely beautiful and something that you don’t want to miss while you are there.

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    Traveling with your children in s Suzhou is super easy and safe. My family had a lot of fun and the kids really enjoyed there time there. One thing they really loved was going down all of the canals. Here is some great information on all the beautiful canals that you can explore.

  • George

    It looks like a beautiful experience. Turkey is a wonderful country -and the fact that it’s not that expensive compared to other countries makes a visit there even more tempting. Thanks for sharing.

  • EMMAHAD

    good tips, safety comes first so that our trip may be remembered as a happy memoir when we went to see and explore new places and have fun. and not as a terrifying night in the ER. god bless you all , be safe

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    Great tips for road trips!

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  • Abdul-Majid Bushr Kanaan

    Being visiting is one of the best experiences of my life. Being there and enjoying every bit of time is wonderful. Personally, my best experience is an underground aquarium and desert safari. One visited Dubai must go for these two activities.

  • Roslia Santamaria

    Would love this for our family!
    We’ve always wanted to go and now they are old enough to enjoy it.
    Thanks so much for doing this!

  • Isabella Jones

    The beaches, the weather, the food, the attractions and the activities- everything was perfect.

  • Aika

    I think parents should focus more on preparing or educating their children about the proper etiquette and behaviors before the flight to avoid being a nuisance to others. I don’t know much about kids but as a first-time mom, that’s what I will do.

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  • Stacy

    Hi,

    I would like to travel out of the US with my son. I understand that I would need his father to sign and notarize a letter. He had not been a stand up dad to take care of his responsibilities so he left and I can’t find him. What can I do in a situation like that to travel with my son?

  • sumit saini

    happy you enjoyed the story. This park is in Ohio where the climate can be capricious! It’s hottest between late April and November, however even April has the danger of some snow. In case you’re enjoying the great outdoors with children, the most secure wager is June to August, since it’s hotter and there’s little downpour. Make the most of your trek.

  • Gore Don

    Wonderfully informative article!

  • Jordantours

    I want to go travel with kids but I was not decided where we go. Your post is helpful for me. Thanks for sharing.

  • Dorota

    Tenerife is SO stunning! I love this volcanic landscape, sometimes you feel like you traveled to the Moon. This place has it all – great views, pleasant weather, awesome food, wine and laid-back people. Thanks for sharing ideas, I’ll use some of them on my next trip 🙂

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  • I automatically think the word “gumbling” when I heard Las Vegas. I never knew that Las Vegas has something to offer for youngsters. Will bring my children here soon.

  • Patel Tour n Travel

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  • Caroline Martin

    There is no Doubt, Dubai is most popular destination among tourists from across the world and have gained high popularity in last decade. If you are in Dubai and dhow go for dhow cruise, there is some thing missing on your list. There are Dubai dhow cruise, Musandam Dibba dhow cruise and Khasab Musandam dhow cruise. Try some of them and you will love.

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  • Matthew Quinn

    Great article! Wanted for Christmas again. Do you know anything about this place ? It is very interesting to know the opinions. How much advance it is necessary to book a hotel and various entertainment before the holidays?

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